The Devil's Maze

Disclaimer: I don't own Wild ARMS 3 or its characters…damn…

What then, is the substance of hell? A man's transgressions.. or drowning into the bloody sea of guilt because of them? No man shall know until he has faced his own demons and confronted his greatest fear.

Mortal minds spawn hell from their own fears, with this being said, one can only assume that hell is different for each individual.

Note: This takes place AFTER the events of Wild ARMS 3! Please enjoy!

"It is time, Gallows." Spoke Halle softly to Gallows, Gallows cocked his head to one side and smiled. His grandmother was rarely ever this serious, and seeing her as thus was…refreshing.

"Time for what, Granny, supper?!" laughed Gallows, rubbing his stomach playfully.

(I hope that she fixes stew, I LOVE her stew!)

Halle rolled her eyes and smacked Gallows' knuckles with her cane, Gallows looked at her sulkily and rubbed his sore hands.

"Gee, what was that for? I only asked a question!" whined Gallows, causing Halle to look at him balefully.

" It was for asking a STUPID question! Now listen up, my incompetent grandson, I have a proposition to make to you and your friends" said Halle quietly, looking at each group member with keen eyes.

"What is it Granny?" asked Gallows, all of the sudden becoming very serious.

"There is something that I need you to do, your friends can help, but in the end it boils down to your will."

"My.. will?" Inquired Gallows, looking at Halle questioningly. Halle nodded, picked up a map from the table, and held it out for Gallows to take. Gallows took it from her withered hand and looked at it.

"What is this?" asked Gallows, looking briefly at the map and then back at Halle.

"It appears to be.. A MAP!" said Jet with false amazement, rolling his eyes a little. Gallows glared at him for a moment and then looked at Halle again.

" What is this map for?" questioned Gallows, focusing in on a red "X" that was painted on the parchment.

"It is a destination to destiny." Cackled Halle wisely, looking at Gallows with both pity and amusement. Gallows shifted uncomfortably on the floor and looked at her with unease.

" Why are you looking at me like that? It's not like I'm going to my own funeral…Right?" said Gallows, adding the last bit with concern. Virginia scooted closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Halle, what is this all about? I'm afraid that I can't allow us to accept a job that could claim the life of one of my team mates! So, if this involves putting Gallows in danger, then just forget about it!" exclaimed Virginia, surprised at her own audacity. Halle looked at her with a pitiful smile and shook her head slowly back and forth..

"I'm afraid, young lady, that you have no say in this matter. Please don't interfere with something that you do not understand. This is Gallows' journey, not yours." Replied Halle quietly, closing her eyes to shut out Virginia's cold stare. She rarely said things like that, but sometimes such intervention was necessary.

"….I'm sorry.." mumbled Virginia, her voice shaking with emotion. She removed her hand from Gallows' shoulder and folded her hands into her lap. Gallows looked at her with a heavy heart and then glared at Halle. Halle, sensing her grandson's angst, opened her eyes and looked at him with reserved irritation.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because, you're being cruel! Granny, Virginia is a very caring person, that's why she's so adamant about protecting me. I think that she has a right to voice her opinion, even if she doesn't know about our traditions! I think that YOU should be apologizing to HER, not the other way around!" spat Gallows angrily, slamming his hand down hard beside him, startling Virginia in the process. Virginia bowed her head and closed her eyes, feeling rather disgusted at herself and very angry with Halle.

"No, Gallows, that's all right.. she doesn't need to apologize.." mumbled Virginia regretfully.

"…But.. Virginia!" started Gallows, reaching out a comforting hand toward Virginia.

Virginia's eyes snapped open and she looked at Gallows with icy blue eyes.

" Enough! I was in the wrong , not her.." snapped Virginia, causing Gallows to drop his hand down to his side dejectedly.

"Sorry…" sighed Gallows moodily, shooting a wayward glance at Halle and then Virginia.

(Oh great, I'm in a room with the two most BULL HEADED women in all of Filgaia!)

Gallows rolled his eyes and looked at the ground with irritation, this was probably going to be a LONG night! Halle coughed with irritation and Gallows looked up at her venomously.

"What?" snarled Gallows, after what seemed to be an eternity.

"Can I speak?" replied Halle coolly, looking at Virginia as she did so.

"Of course Halle…" whispered Virginia, her voice barely rising over the crackle of the fire.

" Go on Granny, I'm listening!" snapped Gallows impatiently, putting a comforting hand on Virginia's shoulder, Virginia looked at him and gave him a warm smile. Jet rolled his eyes and shifted his weight to his other foot, he had been leaning against the wall the whole time, listening intently to the argument between Halle, Gallows, and Virginia .

"Get on with it all ready!" spat Jet, looking at Halle with irritation, Halle shot Jet an irritated glance of her own and then looked at Gallows. Gallows removed his hand from Virginia's shoulder and returned her gaze.

" Have you ever heard of Simulacrum?" asked Halle, looking around the room again.

Gallows nodded and shuddered, he knew all ABOUT that place!

" The city of Phantoms.." muttered Gallows solemnly, his voice shaking a little bit now. Halle nodded and handed him a silver trinket, Gallows took it and held it in his hands, it felt strangely warm and it made his hand tingle. He dropped it in his vest pocket and looked at Halle with confusion.

" What is this?" inquired Gallows of Halle. Halle shook her head with disgust and cursed at him inwardly.

(Why is my grandson so INCOMPETENT!?)

" It is a key to open up Simulacrum!" snapped Halle, shaking with rage and irritation.

"Oh.." said Gallows, patting his vest pocket absently.

"Halle, would it be all right if I inquire about something?" asked Clive silently, watching the flames dance in front of him. Halle looked at Clive and nodded her head with acknowledgment. Clive pushed his glasses up and smiled a little bit at Halle, showing his appreciation.

" If I remember correctly, Simulacrum is a place of demons and mysticism.. Why would you want to send your grandson to such a place? What is this tradition that you speak so highly of?"

Halle sighed at Clive's question and put a gnarled hand on Gallows shoulder, throwing Gallows for a loop, and surprising everyone in the room.

" There is a ceremony known only as Siasani, or " The Dirge" in your language. In it, one must face his inner demons to proceed in the lineage of the Baskarian Priesthood."

Virginia looked up at Halle with wide eyes, her lips twisting into a cold sneer.

" What happens it he fails? Huh? Does he die?" snarled Virginia angrily, starting to get to her feet, Gallows grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back down to his side.

"Don't worry Virginia, failing is not on my agenda! " said Gallows with a smile. Halle smiled a little bit and squeezed his shoulder lightly.

" That's good to hear, because, should you fail, your sanity will be lost!" Spoke Halle in a grave tone, her smile fading..

" Well, that gives me even more of an incentive to prevail doesn't it!" laughed Gallows nervously, trying to shake the ice from his spine.

"Yes…" said Halle with a ghost of a smile, " I suppose that it does.."

Halle removed her hand from Gallows shoulder and scanned over the other three Drifters.

Virginia was lacing and unlacing her fingers fretfully, Clive was sitting Indian style, gazing into the fire thoughtfully, and Jet was kicking at the ground with irritation.

"Would you all please leave the house for a couple of minutes? I need to discuss some things in private with Gallows...""said Halle politely, giving them some what of a cheerful smile. They all nodded and walked toward the door, Virginia stopped behind Gallows and put her hand on his shoulder.

"We'll be waiting outside for you…Come out when all is said and done.." whispered Virginia, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Gallows put his hand on top of hers and smiled up at her.

" Okay, Virginia,…thanks…" he chortled warmly, removing his hand from hers. She nodded, removed her hand from his shoulder, and continued her trek toward the door, giving Halle one more glance of vexation before she exited the house.

( How can Halle do something like this to Gallows? Does she really hate him that much?)

Halle watched as Virginia exited the dwelling, sighing inwardly in relief as she did so, she hated to seem so rude.. but.. there was absolutely NO time for interference, the Scast Solak was approaching quickly and preparations were still being made.

( I wish there were another way! But….the demon, Scialis, is getting rather edgy in his cold grave of obscurity, he desires to be freed… and the only one that I can think of that could possibly resist his claws of insanity is Gallows …. Oh, why am I offering my grandson's soul to a devil such as he?!)

"Umm.. granny..?" came Gallows distant and somewhat concerned voice. Halle blinked and looked at her grandson with tear-hazed eyes.

" Yes..? What do you want….my incompetent grandson…?" mumbled Halle, a tear falling down her wrinkled face. Gallows smiled warmly and wiped away her tear with his finger.

"Hey, what's wrong?! What ever happened to my lively and easygoing granny?"

(Her soul is writhing in the depths of her own private hell…Thanks for asking!…)

" I just fear for you Gallows…" said Halle, smiling a rather bitter smile. Gallows laughed warmly and clapped her softly on the back.

" Hey, don't worry about me, I'll be fine! You just worry about Shane and the Scast Solak, I'll take care of the rest!" exclaimed Gallows, pointing his thumb to his chest for emphasis. The embittered smile that was plaguing Halle's face, spread a little.

"Gallows, if you knew what you were going up against, I doubt that you would retain your cheerful dispostion…In fact.. I know for a certaintiy that you wouldn't.." murmured Halle with sorrow. Gallows' smile fell from his face and he looked at Halle with a certain degree of terror.

"Granny…" he whispered hoarsely, his voice shaking with fear " just what the hell are you PITTING me against?! I know that it's something big, and I wished that you would just come out and say what it is!"

Halle sighed and looked wisely into the flames, her tears glowing like liquid fire as she did so.

"What would you say if I told you that you were about to waltz with the devil and do the minuet with death? Well Gallows, would you still be full of confidence?"

Gallows said nothing as he watched the flames dance silently, his heart leaping into his throat with fear.

There was a moment of silence and then Gallows soft voice rose over the crackling of the flames.

"Tell me what this is all about.."

Halle sighed and closed her eyes, trying to focus on what she wanted to say.

"It is a long story…"

"How long does it take to discuss a SUICIDE mission?!" hissed Virginia angrily, tugging impatiently at her braid. Jet looked at her and rolled his eyes with disgust and irritation, he hated it when she got all emotional, and for some reason it made him feel bad.

"What does it matter? His fate doesn't concern us!" growled Jet, closing his eyes and leaning up against the post of the entrance gate. Virginia glared at him angrily and gritted her teeth.

"It's important because he's our TEAM MATE, or have you forgotten that already!?"

Jet grunted and opened his eyes, giving her a very cold and knowing look.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that you have, shall we say, an affinity , for that stupid bastard!"

Virginia gasped and tugged at her sleeves, she was ready to fight! Clive, however, stopped the fight by putting a hand on Virginia's shoulder. Virginia looked up at him with irritation, her chest was heaving with rage and her hands were shaking something awful.

"Stop, Virginia. This conversation is not worth fighting over. You feel how you feel and Jet feels how he feels. End of story!" chided Clive softly, alternating his gaze between Jet and Virginia. Jet closed his eyes once again and turned his back on the girl and the sniper.

"Whatever.." mumbled Jet, feeling rather agitated at the whole damn thing. Virginia growled and Clive tightened his grip on her shoulder.

'No more, Virginia, that is enough quarreling for tonight!" sighed Clive with frustration, pushing up his glasses. Virginia said something that was incomprehensible and pulled out of Clive's grip with an exasperated grunt. Clive looked at her meaningfully and gave her a small smile. She sighed and didn't return his sentiments of good-will. His smile dipped into a frown and he closed his eyes, deep in thought.

( It's always like this, Jet says something idiotic or cold, Virginia gets upset, and usually either me or Gallows break it up. I swear, sometimes I think that they have it in for each other!)

Clive opened his eyes, looked up at the star studded sky, and smiled a little.

(Gallows, I'll help you out as much as I can.. and I'm sure that Virginia will do the same! I can't speak for Jet, Jet has his own agenda…but, in the end, I have a feeling that he will help you too!)

The sound of a door opening snapped Clive out of his thoughts, and he averted his gaze toward the direction of the sound. He and Virginia shared a gasp when they saw Gallows' ashen face and shocked eyes. Virginia ran over to Gallows frantically and put her hand on his shoulder. He didn't respond to her touch and continued to look forward, startling Virginia even more.

"Gallows?!' shouted Virginia, giving his shoulder a little shake. Gallows turned his head and looked at her, his indigo eyes were glassy and wide with fear.

" We must go to Simulacrum immediately." He said flatly, putting his hand on top of Virginia's and looking up at the night sky vacantly. Virginia gasped at the coldness of his hands and unconsciously pulled her hand away.

(His hands are so COLD! Gallows, what did Halle say to you ?!)

Gallows looked at her mournfully, his glassy eyes glazing over with a thin film of tears.

" Gallows..?" rasped Virginia grievously, taking his icy hand into both of hers to warm it up. Gallows looked down at her, his sorrow was once again replaced by fear.

" There is much we need to discuss.." whispered Gallows, his voice to low to perceive any emotion.

The sandstorm had seemingly blew out the depths of hell. It clawed at the four Drifters faces like a rabid beast. Gallows huffed and pulled Virginia close to him protectively, Virginia blushed a little and closed her eyes, shielding them from the invading sand.

" Hey LEADER, aren't you going to find us some shelter or something'?!" exclaimed Jet caustically, glaring at her with squinted eyes. Virginia opened her eyes a little to glare back, when Gallows put his hand over her eyes.

" Keep your eyes SHUT! The wind will rip them apart!" shouted Gallows over the screeching of the wind.

Virginia shut her eyes once more, and clung to Gallows a little tighter. She could feel the growl in Gallows chest rise to his throat. She was starting to feel uneasy, Gallows rarely got angry, and when he did….

" Hey punk! Instead of pointlessly complaining, why don't you just shut the hell up and help look!" snapped Gallows, pulling Virginia a little closer in his state of fury. She shuddered, she no longer felt safe from the sand storm, she was more afraid of the storm that raged within Gallows than the storm that ripped at her flesh. Gallows was changing, she didn't know how.. but he was…! All of the sudden, Gallows let out a relieved gasp and started to tug her toward the right. She stumbled and fell against him, he grunted and picked her up before she could regain her balance. Surprised, she wrapped her arms around Gallows neck and gasped, his neck muscles were tense.

(Over there…there is solace…take her there…protect her..)

Gallows nodded and started to run toward the warm vibration that he felt, he KNEW that there was something important that way, he just KNEW it.

"Over here! There's a cave I think!" shouted Gallows over the tempest, not slowing one bit.

" Where? I do not see anything!" exclaimed Clive, following Gallows' voice nonetheless.

" I think that you've been smoking some Baskar weed or something! There is nothing there!" bellowed Jet, feeling very angry at Gallows for some reason.

(Why does he get to carry Virginia?… Why do I care?!)

" Fine! Stay out here and DIE!" screamed Gallows angrily, catching sight of the cave now and charging toward it. Clive, pushing his glasses up, whistled with amazement, Gallows had actually been right! A couple of feet in front of them stood a small cave, it's dark mouth opened like a ravenous beast waiting for its meal. Gallows trembled, he didn't much care for such a dreary place.. but he needed to get Virginia to safety! Taking in a deep breath, he lunged into the damp recesses of the cave, trying to ignore the smell of rotting vegetation. A second later, he heard Clive's labored breathing and then Jet's muted cursing.

Enter my web, said the spider to the fly… take your prey to your web and then devour them!

Gallows blinked in surprise and set Virginia down slowly. Where did that voice come from.. and more importantly, why did it sound so much like him?! Virginia looked up at him with concern and touched his shoulder gingerly. Gallows flinched and looked down at her questioningly.

" Huh?" he said in a thought muddled voice. Virginia smiled a little and took her hand from his shoulder.

"Are you all right?" she asked, pulling out a heal berry and handing it to him. Gallows shook his head 'yes' and pushed the berries away from him gently.

"I'm fine Virginia, I think that I just need some rest.." whispered Gallows, patting Virginia on the shoulder lightly and then sitting down on a huge rock that was in the middle of the cave. With a sigh, he put his elbows on his knees and his face into his open hands.

( What do I do? I'm scared…I might die…)

That's right Gallows, you are going to die! So why not just give up and succumb to the darkness

Gallows shut his eyes tightly and focused on expelling the insane female that ranted in his skull.

( Shut up and go away)

Thought Gallows grimly, gritting his teeth together to get the point across, there was no response from the entity however and Gallows relaxed when he no longer felt her (?) presence.

( Am I losing my mind?)

You can not lose what you have never possessed..

Gallows eyes sprang open and he lifted his face from his hands.

( There was my voice again! What is going on?!)

"Gallows.. talk to me!" broke a tearful voice into his consciousness. Gallows shook his head and found himself staring into Virginia's eyes. She was so close to him that he smelt the peppermint perfume that she was wearing. He blinked a couple of times and smiled at her in a half-hearted manner. She looked so sweet kneeling in front of him like that….So sweet….Gallows felt his tongue press against his teeth. His heartbeat soared over its nominal rate and he started to sweat, his stomach lurching something awful.

I bet that her flesh would taste as sweet as she smells….Don't you agree Gallows?

(…….What do you want?)

There was no response to his petulant question and he felt a wave of nausea overcome him. He closed his eyes and focused on the waves of pain that were clawing inside his stomach.

(No…Stop…I don't want to puke! I want to seem calm and collected….I don't want to worry Virginia..)

He felt a warm hand on his face and he opened his eyes with surprise, Virginia had placed her small hand on his face and was looking at him with a great deal of perplexity.

( Why did I jump? It's only our sweet leader…My…….leader…..)

"Gallows, come on, snap out it, you're starting to scare me!" rasped Virginia fervently, using her other hand to shake him a little. Gallows smiled weakly and put his hand on top of the hand that was on his shoulder. Her voice seemed so far away, as if coming from the far end of a tunnel.

"Vir…." The rest of his sentence tapered off as he fell forward unconsciously. Virginia gasped and caught him, blushing a little, as his face ended up falling against her bosom.

( Even when he's unconscious, he's still a pervert!) she though, the blush melting from her face and a smile slowly taking its place. She sighed and laid him down on the ground as gently as she could. Clive smiled his apology and sat down on the ground Indian style. Jet watched this scene with disgust (and perhaps a little bit of jealousy) and slid down the uneven wall into a sitting position.

( Why does she even care about that idiot?1 I bet he's just faking his illness to get closer to her boobs!)

Jet growled at this though and flopped down into a prone position, feeling rather disgusted at Gallows.

"What's wrong Jet? Do you have a problem?" asked Virginia of Jet, just as coolly as you please.

Jet rolled his eyes and pulled a blanket out of his pack. Virginia watched as he did this, amused at his nonchalant manner. She knew that Jet felt something for her, she didn't know what.. but she knew that it was there and eating away at his heart.

( There could have been something special between us Jet, something very special…you just choose to ignore your heart, and that is why we can never be more than friends…I'll never find a boyfriend..NEVER)

She lifted Gallows head up, placed the bag of her clothes underneath it, and sat his head back down.

" Whatever.." muttered Jet, pulling the blanket over his head moodily, and settling into a comfortable position. Virginia laughed inwardly, he was so CUTE when he acted like a jerk!

" Virginia, would you like me to take first watch?" asked Clive quietly, taking off his glasses and rubbing the dirt off of them. Virginia shook her head "no" and pushed a strand of Gallows' hair from his face.

"Nah, I'll take first watch, you just get some rest." Replied Virginia with a smile. Clive smiled back at her and placed his glasses beside him.

" So, you think that an old man like myself needs extra rest?" replied Clive coyly, waiting for a shocked reaction. To his surprise, he didn't receive one, in fact, he didn't even receive a smile for his efforts.

" It's not that, Clive, and I think that you know that.." frowned Virginia, taking off her pink jacket and throwing it on the ground apathetically. Clive raised an eyebrow, she was wearing just her white blouse and her pink skirt, and he could see her undershirt though her blouse, suddenly, he felt very awkward.

" Umm.. Virginia, may I inquire as to what you are doing?" Spoke Clive carefully, he didn't want to embarrass the poor girl, he just wanted to know why she was throwing her jacket onto the ground so carelessly, he was hoping that it was a reasonable answer, he would hate to sound over bearing.

( Good lord, if Gallows were awake and Jet was paying attention, I do believe that they would have a heart attack! Virginia is quite an attractive young lady! I wonder how she feels about the two free gentlemen in the party…I wonder who she likes more?)

" I need to start a fire…" she said simply, throwing a tinder crest card at the clothing. The cloth flared up and pretty soon a fire was burning brightly in the abysmal cave.

(The fire will not last long, I will need to look for some kindling later..)

Clive nodded his head with acknowledgment, and, with a smile still on his face, laid down on the floor, his right side pressed firmly against the cool ground.

(I'll be home soon, Catherine…at least I hope so…. I wish that you were here beside me .. I would sleep a lot better that way..) Clive sighed and closed his eyes, summoning up his wife's spirit beside him.

Virginia watched as her teammate slept, her mind spinning a web of thoughts as she gazed at each one of them. Clive was murmuring Catherine's name softly and tossing his head from side to side, seemingly in the talons of a nightmare.. or…something a little bit more.. intimate.. Virginia blushed once again and sat down on the rock that Gallows had occupied. She smiled a little and gazed outside dreamily.

The sand storm that had forced them into the cave had since died down ,the sable sky was now visible and was sprinkled with stars.

"Hey Virginia.." said a sleep hazed voice behind her. She stood up from the rock and looked at Gallows, who was sitting up and looking at her.

" Hm?" she replied, sitting down beside him.

"Couldn't sleep either?" asked Gallows, scratching his head.

"Nah.."

"Why not?"

"Well, I'm worried.." responded Virginia after some hesitation.

" 'Bout what?"

"..You…" answered Virginia, looking at him intently.

"Why?" inquired Gallows, tilting his head to one side and looking at her with false naiveté . She sighed and closed her eyes with irritation.

"You KNOW what I'm worried about Gallows!"

"…Yeah…"

" Why are you doing this? What are you trying to prove Gallows?!" whispered Virginia harshly, opening her eyes and glaring at him.

"….Virginia, If I tell you something , do you promise to keep it between you and I?" asked Gallows, the iciness of mistrust glowering deep within his eyes and voice. Gallows' tone and gaze caused her voice to lodge in her throat, forcing her to answer his question with an intent nod of her head.

"….I'm tired of being an idiot…I'm tired of it all.." hissed Gallows, closing his eyes and bowing his head. Virginia said nothing, it was better to remain quiet in situations such as these. Gallows opened his eyes and looked at Virginia, she gasped when she saw his eyes. They were the eyes of a man that was holding on to sanity by a thread.

"Do you know how FRUSTRATING it is to have everyone telling you that you're an IDIOT?!" growled Gallows quietly, clenching and unclenching his fist with silent fury. Virginia shook her head "no", her eyes widening with fear.

(Is Gallows going to hurt me? Am I going to have to kill him? Where did OUR Gallows go!?)

" You said so yourself Virginia!" he said, standing up angrily, and then, like a snake striking, he grabbed Virginia's shoulders and pulled her up roughly. Virginia whimpered and looked up at him, her eyes blazing with anger. Gallows' eyes sparkled with enraged tears.

" You.." he shook her roughly and her head snapped forward and then back into place again.

(No Gallows, please stop, I don't want to..)

"TOLD me.." he shook her again, this time a little softer, his grip starting to slip.

"That….that…I…" he let go of Virginia's shoulders and sat down on the rock, burying his face in his hands. Virginia sat down beside him and wrapped an arm around him. Gallows was shaking so bad that Virginia feared that he was having a seizure.

"I…I'm ..so ..sorry…" sobbed Gallows, lifting his face from his hands and looking at Virginia tearfully. Virginia smiled warmly and rubbed his back.

" What are you sorry for?" she whispered, removing her arm from his shoulder.

" I almost hurt you…" whispered Gallows, bowing his head with shame, the reality of the situation hitting him with harsh clarity.

"Gallows…"

"I almost lost it…I almost…" Gallows whimpered , looking at her with self loathing and fear. Virginia put a soft hand on his face.

"But you didn't Gallows, you didn't lose it…and you didn't hurt me…"

Gallows smiled a little bit at her gentleness, and carefully removed her hand from his face.

"I don't deserve your kind words.. or your…" Gallows' sentence was cut off by a tug at his ear!

" Gallows, stop being so damned STUBBORN!" snapped Virginia, her voice starting to rise above a whisper.

"Virginia…?"

"Gallows, will you stop being so SELFISH and explain yourself!" exclaimed Virginia in a harsh whisper, stamping her foot angrily.

"Do you really want to hear this?" inquired Gallows, after a very fierce ( but brief) dispute within the confines of his mind. Virginia nodded and sat down to the side of him, tucking her dress underneath her as she did so. Gallows took in a deep breath and pushed a strand of hair absently behind his ear.

" It started when we got near this cave.. I felt this strange tugging at the back of my mind. At first I ignored it.. but then.. it started to HURT, it was like a pulsing , fiery, HEART beating in my skull!"

At this point he closed his eyes and pointed to the back of his head, elaborating the location of his agony.

" Well, then I noticed the signs of a sandstorm and it stopped hurting.." he opened his eyes and smiled at Virginia.

"Luckily, we were able to find shelter.. but, unfortunately.. I was not able to find solace in this safe haven! The throbbing in my head had returned and turned into a gaggle of discordant voices! Each of them was tearing at my soul and mind, trying to make me break.. and.. they almost succeeded…" he looked down at the ground with regret and rage. Virginia pressed her back against Gallows shoulder and looked toward the cave entrance. Gallows blushed a little and shifted uncomfortably, his mind was in turmoil and his heart was fluttery.

(Gee, typically I wouldn't mind for the lady to make the first move…but.. this just feels.. ODD!)

"What did the voices say?" cut Virginia's voice into his thoughts. Gallows shook his head and proceeded with his story, looking down at Virginia as he did so.

" One of the voices that I had heard was distinctly female…"

( I guess that she just wants to get comfortable.. that's just fine by me..)

" She said that I might as well just give up my humanity and submit to fate.."

(She's actually quite pretty…not Claudia pretty. .but…PRETTY..)

"Well, I could sort of ignore that, after all, that could have been just an echo of granny's sentiments! However, the second voice was the one that I couldn't ignore! It was the most persistent.. and the most chilling.." Gallows shuddered at this point and Virginia sat up and looked at him questioningly.

" Why was the voice so scary?" asked Virginia, scooting in front of him with a series of cute little grunts.

( Virginia.. do you even know what kind of strange effect that you're having on me?)

" It was my voice, but it didn't SOUND like me! It was so cold and sinister…"

"Gallows, I don't think that you could EVER turn evil! You're so sweet and funny!" giggled Virginia quietly, patting him lightly on the knee. Gallows looked at her pale hand and smiled a little.

"We all have the potential for evil Virginia, no one is exempt from the whisper of insanity.."

( Nothing seems logical.. it all seems so unreal..)

Perhaps it is unreal..

(…..You again?)

"Gallows? Are you all right?" asked Virginia, tugging at his hand cautiously. Gallows slapped himself smartly and smiled a semi-cheerful smile.

"Just heard that pesky voice again.."

"Oh? Did it say anything?" prodded Virginia with concern. Gallows shook his head "no" and pulled a trinket from his vest pocket.

"What's that?"

Gallows said nothing and dropped it in her lap, it landed with a muffled pwoof and reflected the light of the camp fire tranquilly. It was some type of runic design and had tiny reddish-brown spots on it.

(I can't protect you from myself… You need something to protect you when my mind is gone..)

Yes Gallows, completely worthless…your mother really should have threw you into the river that night..

(…..What?…)

Never mind Gallows, better get back to your girl before she starts to bitch…

(……)

" I want to protect you…" muttered Gallows, almost inaudibly. Virginia had heard him just fine, however, and looked at him warmly.

"Gallows…" she said, picking up the trinket and clenching it tightly in her hand.

" I don't know what's going to happen once we get to Simulacrum.. probably the voices will strike with their full power and…I might…" Gallows reached out and touched her face for a brief moment and then dropped his hand into his lap.

(I'll hurt you Virginia.. I'll..)

rip out your fucking lungs and…

(make you cry…I…don't want to.. hurt you…)

"Hurt you…" finished Gallows grievously, standing up and looking down at Virginia with fear.

(When that time comes….)

I will ENJOY it! I will bathe in your..

( blood and enjoy that too! No! NO! Go away! You are not ME!)

"Gallows..?"

"Go to sleep Virginia…I don't wanna talk anymore…" said Gallows, his voice turning very cold and flat. Virginia blinked a couple of times and then laid down in front of him.

"No, move, I don't want you near me.." growled Gallows, his voice cracking with emotion.

( Oh Gallows, why are the Guardians permitting this? I want our…no.. I want MY Gallows back!)

" Where do you want me to…"

"Anywhere! Just go AWAY!" cried Gallows, on the verge of shouting.

( I'm sorry Virginia.. please understand.. I don't want to hurt you..)

Oh, but I do! I wanna watch you BLEED! I want to watch you..

(Suffer…I……you…….)

"Suffer…" mouthed Gallows, as he watched Virginia walk sullenly away from him and into a distant corner. Not once, did Virginia look at him as she walked toward her place of slumber.

(……Ginia….sorry… didn't…hurt….I…….)

Want you to DIE, Virginia dear! I want to watch in ecstasy as your body twitches and writhes in the agony of flames! Yes, that is..

( What I want……Yes.. burn…) Gallows looked at the flames, his eyes flickering with the dipping and rising flames. His lips twisted into an insane smile, the fire was very NICE…Perfect for roasting humans…

( I wonder how she'll taste……..)

Gallows stood up, pulled out a ceremonial dagger, and watched the reflection of the fire in its silvery depths.

( The blade is perfect…perfect…I am so hungry…I am so ANXIOUS!)

Gallows(?) licked his lips and walked menacingly toward Virginia's sleeping form, a twisted smile distorting his normally kind face.

(……No…..I….her….mine….she….please…..DON'T HURT HER!)

Gallows dropped the dagger and fell to his knees, holding his head in agony.

(I almost….I almost..)

Gallows looked at the dagger, it glittered innocently by his side and silently beckoned for him to pick it up.

( No, I will spill my own blood before I spill…..)

"Gallows…you're so sweet! Thank you for these pretty flowers! I'll put em' in a vase right away!" exclaimed Virginia in her sleep. Gallows smiled and walked over to her, his hand shaking with murderous desire. He knelt down beside her and pushed a strand of red hair from her face.

" I'll never hurt you…I swear…I'll…."

(Kill you! Make you suffer! All of the mean things that you said to me…)

Will be paid back in full! Just you watch, you damned drifters! Once you all get to Simulacrum…

"It'll be all over…" grinned Gallows darkly, standing up and walking back toward the fire, picking the knife up is he did so. He shook his head violently and stared morosely at the knife.

( I need to leave.. I can't put my friends in danger!.. I'll go to Simulacrum by myself!) Gallows picked up his bag of clothes and slung it over his shoulder. He put the knife back in it sheath on his waist and started to walk toward the cave entrance. He stopped and turned around to look at Virginia, his hands shaking with fear and confusion. He closed his eyes and walked quietly toward the rock and knelt down in front of it, taking the knife out of its sheath once again and resting it loosely in his left hand. He sighed deeply and grasped the handle of the knife with his right hand. He opened his mournful eyes and looked at the knife.

(It's all over for me…)

He slashed the top of his arm near the wrist and watched as the blood streamed down his arm and onto the rock. He smiled a little, it felt good to feel pain.. especially when it was you causing it and not someone else. He sheathed the knife once more and dipped his finger in the blood on the rock. He started to write, in shaky letters, these haunting words.

" Sometimes insanity is the only salvation and the only logical answer. Don't follow me, or you will be sorry. I'll bring back souvenirs.. I promise.. Gallows"

He nodded and stood up shakily, his arm dripping blood onto the sandy ground. He walked toward the cave entrance once again, making it a point not to look back.

(I have to go! There's no other way! I'm sorry my friends…I'm sorry that our friendship had to end like this! Virginia, will you ever forgive me? Will you ever forgive my cruelty?)

With a sigh, he walked out into the cold desert night, armed only with his Modified Coyote and ebbing sanity. He was lost in thought as he started to walk, oblivious to his surroundings and vulnerable to the creatures that stalked the night. He acknowledged neither his throbbing arm nor the gun in his hand, all of it was completely irrelevant in his twisted mind. All that mattered was that he got the hell out of there before anyone else got hurt.

( I didn't mean to, Virginia, I feel so bad….)

No you don't Gallows, you liked it, stop lying to yourself and acknowledge that you are what you are!)

Gallows stopped abruptly and looked around him, his eyes wide with fury and his body burning with irritation. He was going to get to the bottom of this!

(Just who the hell ARE you?! Why are you DOING this to me?)

Heh, don't you know your father's voice boy?!)

(What?!)

Start walking boy, you're being followed!

Gallows started to walk again, his finger moving to the trigger of his gun.

That's my boy! Always ready for a good blood bath!

Gallows shook his head back and forth vehemently, he REFUSED to believe this charlatan!

(You are NOT my father! My father was not CRUEL like you!)

How do you know? You've never met me! Get your head out of your ass you spawn of a whore!)

(….You have a lot of nerve! Now I really don't believe you!)

Believe what you will, Gallows, but the truth WILL come out once you get to Simulacrum!)

(Truth?! I doubt you even know the meaning of the word!)

Whatever you say Gallows…

Gallows' thoughts were interrupted by the sound of crunching sand behind him! Snarling, and with his heart pounding in his chest, he turned around quickly and aimed his gun at the unknown entity. He lowered his gun with a sigh when he saw who it was.

" Virginia, why are you following me? I could have shot you!" he snapped angrily, putting the gun in its holster and glaring at her angrily. Virginia shifted uncomfortably beneath his malevolent gaze but did not move from the spot.

" You forgot something.." she said, pulling a small box of shotgun ammo from her hip pouch. She held it out tentatively and Gallows snatched it from her hand heatedly. Virginia's hand dropped to her side and she looked at Gallows with anger and hurt.

" Why are you doing this to us?! Don't you understand that you're VALUABALE to all of us!? scoffed Virginia, taking a step closer to him. Gallows laughed sharply and took a step toward her, causing her to take an involuntary step back.

"Gallows?"

"Don't you understand anything at ALL, you idiot!?" snapped Gallows, clenching his fist to his side. Virginia slowly shook her head "no" as she watched Gallows' fist turn blurry. Gallows looked at her balefully, his eyes showing no pity for the poor girl.

"I guess I don't.." she sniffled, wiping a single tear from her eye. Gallows shook his head and turned his back on her.

"Go back to camp! I don't need a blubbering idiot like you to impede my progress!"

"…Fine…I will do as you say…See you around!" came Virginia's cold and hateful voice. He heard her footsteps fade off into the distant night and felt his heart drop.

"Virginia…I'm sorry.." said Gallows quietly, a tear falling noiselessly to the desert floor.

Way to go, GALLOWS, I didn't think that you had it in you!

Gallows snorted and pulled out his gun again, feeling the fusion of metal, bone, and flesh take place.

(I didn't do it to make you proud you disgusting creature, I did it to keep her safe!)

Heh, I got the impression that you were ENJOYING it!

(Yeah, well, your "impression", as you call it, is WRONG! I don't enjoy hurting people, it's not in my nature! I'm a lover not a warrior…unlike you, you sadistic….)

Bastard? Is that what you were going to call me? I may be a bastard but I'm not a whore..

(…Neither am I!)

The voice laughed and Gallows shuddered with fear, did the voice have to be so damn COLD?!

Yes you are! You're just like your mother!

Gallows' conversation with the voice was interrupted by the sound of snarling behind him. He cocked his gun and whirled around to face his adversary.

There, in the cold moonlight, stood a mangy desert wolf, its ivory fangs glowed menacingly by the light of the moon and the foam of disease dripped down its snout. Gallows back stiffened and he aimed the gun at the wolf. The wolf snarled and appeared to be smiling. Gallows face darkened and he got ready.

"Come!" he said simply, a sadistic smile crossing his face. With a howl, the wolf jumped at him and swung its razor sharp claws at him. Gallows laughed, aimed the gun up, and pulled the trigger with great enjoyment. The gun's report sounded more like a bomb blast than a shotgun blast, Gallows watched as the glowing bullets cleaved the wolf in two. Half of the wolf's body landed in front of him and the other half landed to his side. He inclined his head with a smile and closed his eyes, basking in the rain of gore as it hit his burning flesh.

( I love this…I love the warmth of blood.. I love….)

Gallows opened his eyes slowly, feeling the sting of iron and salt as he did so, and looked around apprehensively.

After a moment of scouting the area with his burning eyes and heightened senses, he put the gun away and started to walk again, enjoying the monotonous sound of sand crunching underneath his feet and the night wind blowing through his hair. All of the sudden, he felt something soft squish underneath his feet and looked down with vexation. He smiled a little bit when he saw the eye of the wolf stuck to his spur. With a grunt of amusement, he pulled the wolf's eye from his spur and held it front of him.

" What a nice souvenir.." he mused darkly, stuffing the eye into his pocket and rubbing his hands on his gore covered vest.

(Not me…this is not me….I'm not a monster.. not a monster…)

( I wonder how far an one-eyed wolf's head would fly?)

"Let's find out!' came Gallows cruel and amused voice.

(No.. I don't want..)

(1…2….3) Gallows pulled back his foot and kicked with all of his might. The wolf's head flew off of its shoulders and over one of the dunes, black blood trailing its journey. Gallows felt his stomach lurch and his eyes start to water, the intestinal goo started to get uncomfortably sticky and the blood was starting to make his skin itch.

( I need a bath…)

He made a mental note to look for an oasis of some sort on his journey to Simulacrum.

With a sigh, he took off his gore stained vest and threw it down on the ground.

( I have no need for that…)

A Kosa bug bit him on the neck and he swatted at it with irritation, he hated those damned bugs!

There's an oasis one mile north of here.. go there.. I can't stand your stench!

( Oh well…get over it…) thought Gallows bitterly, mentally glaring at the entity that claimed to be his father. A bitter and sudden laugh caused Gallows to jump, the crazy entity was laughing at him.

Oh Gallows, you really are something! How does it feel to have your very thoughts and sanity ripped from you?! Do you like it? Does it feel good?! Inquired the voice, putting a heavy and sarcastic emphasis on the word "good". Gallows pushed a strand of white hair behind his ear and scowled outwardly.

( I don't know what you're talking about you crazy loon!)

( But I do! I can no longer differentiate my thoughts from his! It's all screwed up!)

"Hey Bro! I heard a gunshot over there! Let's go check it out!" came a voice from his far right.

Gallows looked in that direction and frowned, he didn't see anyone, but he automatically knew who it was!

It was Dario and Romero! Gallows rolled his eyes and pulled out his gun once again.

( So damned annoying…can't I get a BREAK!)

If you stay quiet and ignore them maybe they'll go away..

(Doubt it, Dario's instinct sucks but Romero's instinct is quite keen, he IS a ninja after all….)

…..Very well…I wanted to make it to Simulacrum by sunup ..but.. I suppose that we have time for a quick battle.. Gallows smiled a little bit, the voice actually sounded a little annoyed!

( You overestimate me…I don't know if I can take them both on at the same time…)

Sure you can, just do what you did when you fought the wolf!

(Go insane ..?)

Exactly!

(I hate you…)

Heh…

" Over here you idiots!" exclaimed Gallows with amusement, swinging his gun to his side in a ready stance. He heard the sound of sand being crunched underneath heavy feet and soon he saw the head of Dario and Romero crest over the dune to his right.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!" whined Romero, pulling out one his throwing stars. Gallows raised an eyebrow with amusement as he watched Dario step up to his brother's side and pull out his gun. Gallows shook his head with false pity and smiled.

"Some people just never learn.."

"Hey, you big DORK, we're really smart!" spat Dario, loading his gun angrily.

"It ain't a matter of intelligence, it's a matter of learning from all the stupid mistakes that you've made!" laughed Gallows, aiming his gun at Romero first.

(I better take him out first, he is, after all, the quickest!)

Romero watched Gallows shotgun with trepidation and Dario pointed his gun shakily at Gallows.

(Stalemate?! Damn it! I have to find a way to take them both down!)

Gallows snapped into action when he heard Dario's gun go off! With a grunt, he dropped to the ground and rolled toward the brothers, his cut arm bashing painfully against a protruding rock. He stood up in front of them and smiled, both Dario and Romero took a frightened step back.

" Hello boys!" laughed Gallows, pressing his shot gun into the softness of Romero's stomach. Romero swallowed hard and looked down at the gun, he didn't like where this was going!

"Umm… Dario…ain't you gonna DO something!?' said Romero, his voice trembling with fear. Dario snapped out of his stupor and shot at Gallows once again, the bullet grazed Gallows' shoulder and Gallows felt the hot claws of rage rip at his chest. He turned around, shoving Romero back in the process and shot Dario in the chest, his face a cold mask of fury. Dario screamed and fell backwards with a thud, blood gushing from his chest and spilling onto the desert soil. Gallows' turned back to Romero, who was as white as a sheet and shaking badly.

"You want some?" snickered Gallows, pointing his gun at Romero once again. Romero's face contorted into an ugly snarl and he howled in rage as he watched his brother die. Gallows' looked at him with amusement and scratched the back of his neck.

( It just keeps getting better..)

"You…..!" snarled Romero, in a shaky and grief filled voice. Gallows cocked his head to one side and smiled maliciously . This was going to be to easy!

" I have a name, you know, and it would serve you well to remember it!" snickered Gallows, observing Romero's traumatized state and enjoying it immensely.

"….You…You BASTARD!" bellowed Romero, launching the throwing star at Gallows' head with great fervor. Gallows' smile widened as he dodged at the last minute, he felt the cold blade cut a gash in his face. Romero's eyes widened and he produced another throwing star from his vest pocket. Gallows shook his head slowly back and forth and closed his eyes, the smile melting from his face.

" You really don't want to do that…" said Gallows, a remnant of his true persona coming out. There was silence for a moment and then Romero spoke, his voice was cold and full of murderous intent.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't!"

Gallows opened his eyes, and smiled like a demon. Romero's hand went numb and he dropped the throwing star, he took a couple of steps back and looked at Gallows with the eyes of a dead man.

" You're not Gallows! You are NOT the man that we fought five months ago!" stuttered Romero, looking at Gallows with fear and disgust. Gallows ran a hand through his tangled hair and his smile turned into a sneer, he was tired of playing with this idiot!

" You are very perceptive, ninja, very perceptive indeed! However, I've no need for you OR your useless observations! This is the end for you!" Gallows pointed his gun at Romero. Romero closed his eyes and looked down at the ground with resignation.

(There's no way I can beat him! If only he were normal! I would….) the rest of his thoughts were blown away along with his skull, he fell down to the ground, a plume of dust surrounding his body like a casket. With a smile still on his face, Gallows looked down at Romero's corpse with false pity ( or perhaps it was real, Gallows really couldn't tell anymore)

Within the prison of his being, Gallows wept, the picture that he had just painted with his own hands was not a pretty one. The top of Romero's head was missing and was laying a couple of feet above his body, there was a trail of brains and blood going from his copse to the top half of his head.

( A monster….that's what I am.. a damned MONSTER!)

Gallows, still holding on to his gun, walked away from the gruesome scene, his hands still shaking from the adrenaline rush. He felt a flurry of emotions as he strutted away, the most prominent, however, was satisfaction, fear, sorrow, and regret sat on the back burners of his mind.

(Insane.. Insane.. I'm fucking insane!)

"La di da di da…Fucking insane am I!" laughed Gallows with deranged merriment, swinging his gun carelessly to his side. Little did he know, there had been a fourth party there to witness the brother's sickening massacre, and the visage that the poor girl saw would be burned into her mind for all of eternity.

She watched in horror as Romero's brains spilled out onto the wastelands floor. Her hands shook with disbelief and her eyes watered with embittered tears. This was NOT the Gallows that she knew!

( Why is he DOING this? ….. Has he truly gone mad? …. )

She sobbed audibly, and then, realizing that Gallows was still in earshot, covered her mouth in horror.

(Not that it would do me any good…if he heard me, he heard me.. covering my mouth will not change that fact.. But still..)

She uncovered her mouth and watched as Gallows strutted away from the scene, vocalizing his insanity quite vehemently. She shook her head and was about to start down the dune toward him, when he turned around and looked straight at her! She gasped, her lungs started to burn with fear and her heart started to increase its cadence. She tried to bolt out of sight, only to discover that she could not move! She looked down at her feet numbly and then back up at Gallows, her heart thudding against her rib cage, and her eyes widening with terror. He no longer looked human, his eyes glowered like those of a ravenous beast, and his face was twisted into an ugly scar of menace.

(Gallows…Why am I afraid of you?)

He was now roughly ten feet away from her, his lips pulled back into a feral sneer, and his gun resting lightly against his hip. She wanted to speak comforting words to her team mate, wanted to perhaps talk some sense into him.. but.. that all seemed to be out of the question now…

Gallows stopped in front of her and put the gun to her stomach, she looked down at the gun with a mixture of anger and regret, and then back at Gallows. Gallows chuckled with amusement and lowered his gun, much to Virginia's relief.

" You're as bad as the plague…" said Gallows still snickering a little. Virginia smiled at him a little and flexed her fingers with relief, she could move again!

" Yeah, I guess that I am.." mused Virginia, trying her best not to flee in terror.

"You are a damned fool… You know that, right?" grumbled Gallows, putting his gun away.

All Virginia could do was stare at him and nod stupidly. She hated these moments of silence, it was like waiting for an elegy..

" Maybe I am, maybe I'm not.." replied Virginia cryptically, narrowing her eyes at Gallows and scratching the back of her neck. She knew that she was trudging on dangerous grounds, and it this point she just didn't care. It was either do or die, and Virginia was not the dying type.

( If I can just talk some SENSE into him! I'm sure that he would see it my way and we could head back..)

" Virginia…" came Gallows weary voice into her train of thoughts. She blinked and looked at Gallows questioningly. She was a little startled by his tone of voice, it sounded so flat…

(It sounds so dead…there is no need to sugar coat it my dear…)

"What is it Gallows?"

" Have you ever looked in the mirror and said to yourself, 'This isn't me…or is it?' … and then felt the desire to shatter the bastard that was staring back at you?"

Virginia shook her head "no" and silently pressed for him to continue.

" I do… sometimes… "

He looked down at his gore covered body and smiled a little.

" I guess that this style suits me…What do you think?" snickered Gallows bitterly, his eyes glittering mournfully. Virginia shook her head "no" and suppressed the urge to sob.

(How can he even stand to THINK like that?)