1 THE CROW: REQUITAL
(Life and Love Lost Again)
Sean Collins couldn't have been happier. He finally had Jennifer Grant. For the longest time, he had been desperately in love with her. Sean was not the kind of guy someone would think would have trouble with opposite sex. At 18, Sean was a rather good-looking man with long black hair and well muscled, but always lacked the courage to take the initiative with girls. He had had several female friends, but nothing ever went beyond that. They simply did not appeal to him. Then Jennifer came along. Sean and Jennifer had been rather good friends for several years, and trusted each other completely, but had never considered going together. At 16, Jennifer was one of the most beautiful girls anyone would ever see, so she always had guys hanging around her. This is what attracted Sean to her in the first place. Then, as their friendship blossomed and matured, Sean found he was starting to love everything about her. Her personality, the things she liked to do, he loved it all. Sean realized that he could never have anyone but her. Jennifer, though, seemed oblivious to his feelings towards her and still saw him a good and well-trusted friend. Sean stood by and watched her go through guy after guy while he still had no one. Sean was a very single-minded person and could accept nothing less than Jennifer. He had many opportunities to have other girlfriends, but always rejected this option. His heart was set.
Sean had other interests besides Jennifer, though she was of utmost importance in his mind. He had been doing theater and acting as well as fight choreography for a few years at a local theater. He also studied muay Thai under a neighbor of his who used to fight professionally. This helped greatly with his stage combat skills.
These skills, however, also invited problems. The school that Sean and Jennifer attended was populated by hicks and jocks that thought that they were hot shit, particularly those on the football team. An English teacher at their school took one of the classes to see one of the productions that Sean was performing in. After seeing Sean display his combat skill onstage, a few took to calling him "Kung Fu Boy" as an insult. Sean knew this could be a dangerous situation; because these guys were the kind that would repay anything with violence.
One of them, Tom Ryans, was accidentally bumped into by a freshman. The freshman was later beaten by Tom and four others and was crippled for life. It was rumored that those five had killed a few too, but no one could verify that. Worse yet, it seemed these same five that were harassing Sean were starting to become interested in Jennifer. Robert Kirk, Lenny Webster, Brian Sanchez, Francis "Sexpot" Marcilli, and Tom Ryans would make rude comments at Jennifer as she walked the halls.
"Hey Baby, bring that pussy over here!"
"Oh yeah, Daddy wants to stick it to ya!"
"Keep walkin'! Show us that nice ass, bitch!"
Things became so bad that Jennifer asked Sean to walk her to classes so she would feel safe. Sean couldn't have been happier, even though he realized the danger in doing this. One day, Sexpot felt especially aggressive.
"Hey Bitch! Sexpot's wang's getting stiff for you!"
"Fuck off, creep."
Sexpot decided he wouldn't be talked to like that and started to follow her. Sean, who had been following a safe distance behind, grabbed Sexpot and spun him around.
"Lady said she wasn't interested."
"Mind your own fucking business."
"She IS my business, fucknut."
"WHAT did you call me?"
Sexpot pulled a knife lunged at Sean. Sean easily sidestepped and stomped on his knee, sending Marcilli to the floor, screaming in pain. Robert, Lenny, Brian, and Tom came strutting around the corner and saw Sexpot with a broken leg. Sean grabbed Jennifer and ran. The other four attempted to follow, but they were blocked by the crowd of students in the hallway. "You're dead, Kung Fu Boy! You and your slut girlfriend! You're both dead!"
Marcilli was arrested on attempted murder charges, and later released on a legal technicality, but it seemed the quintet was through with its reign of the hallways. After defending Jennifer, Sean became even closer to her; and it seemed that Jennifer was beginning to cultivate some feelings for Sean as well. The two were inseparable, partly because that they were afraid of another attack, and also because the two were beginning to fall in love mutually.
Tom, Lenny, Robert, Brian, and Sexpot skipped football practice one day (Sexpot had to quit due to his permanently damaged leg) and followed Sean and Jennifer out to the parking lot after school and attempted to teach Sean what would happen if he messed with them. Sean told Jennifer to run to the car. Sean broke Robert's nose with a quick jab and ran for the car and sped away.
Both Sean and Jennifer were scared. They did not know what to do about the five. Sean suggested that they go out and do something to take their minds off the problem. It was the weekend, and Sean and Jennifer would not have to worry about them for two days. They decided that it would be a good idea to visit the theater that Sean performed at and see a play. The show they saw had a scene that had Death as a character. The performer's costume fit the part very well. He had long black hair and wore a black duster with black boots. But it was Death's face that was the most memorable. His face was pure white, but the area around the eyes was black, with vertical lines extending from each eye. His lips were black as well, with horizontal lines extending from the cracks of his mouth. It was a very striking visage to behold. Both Sean and Jennifer were intrigued by this character. As they left the theater, they could not stop talking about the spectacular performance of Death.
"Wasn't he amazing?"
"I've never seen anyone act like that."
As Sean and Jennifer walked down the street, she pulled him around a corner.
"Sean, you've done so much for me. I've never had a friend like you. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Jennifer, you're one of the greatest friends I've ever had, too. You don't need to do anything."
"Oh yes, I do."
Jennifer took Sean and kissed him deeply and passionately. Sean couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't have been happier. He finally had attained what he had been searching for all his life. He finally had Jennifer Grant.
The two continued on, walking on air. Sean's car was parked some distance away, because the theater parking lot was always full. As the two approached it, they heard a familiar voice shout "Hey Kung Fu Boy!". Sean and Jennifer turned and saw the posse of five carrying knives, with Tom Ryans carrying a gun. Robert's nose had swollen to twice its normal size and he now had a bandage on it. "How's it going bitch? Looking as fine as ever." Sexpot said. "I told you assholes to fuck off.", Jennifer snarled with repulsion.
"Now that's not very nice. My wang just wants to party." Sexpot limped over toward Jennifer with his knife drawn. Sean stepped in and shattered his elbow. As Sexpot went down, Tom shot Sean in the thigh. Sean was lying on the ground bleeding profusely. Jennifer tried to run to him, but Tom knocked her down. "I'm givin' you a real honor, bitch. Sexpot's cock ain't worth your pussy, but now you're gettin' a prize." As Tom started to take his dic out of his pants, Jennifer kicked him squarely in the crotch. Tom fell to the ground gasping "UUCCKK!! Kill the slut!"
Sean shouted, "If you touch her, you're all dead!" Brian stomped on Sean's chest.
"Shut up, mother fucker! First the bitch gets it, then you!" Robert, Lenny, and Brian began to kick Sean in the head, knees, and balls. Tom drew his gun and pointed it at Jennifer. "If I don't get it, no one does!" With that he shot Jennifer in the stomach, then in the head.
"NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Sean screamed. "You son of a bitch! You're all dead! You'll all rot in Hell!"
"Probably." Tom said. "But you'll go first."
The last thing that Sean heard was a loud caw from a nearby crow on a tree.
The last thing Sean saw was a flash of light from the sawed-off barrel of a .45.
-Get out-
Sean awoke to darkness.
-Get out-
Sean was in a small place and couldn't breathe.
"Help!" he choked.
Sean tore away at his prison and was rewarded with dirt flowing into his face.
-Sean, you must get out-
"Who is saying that?" Sean thought as he freed himself. It sounded as if the voice was in his mind. He stood up and looked behind him. He saw a gravestone inscribed with "Sean Collins". Next to it was another gravestone. "Jennifer Grant". Sean dropped to his knees and began to cry.
-Sean, we do not have time to mourn. You have a job to do-
"Who is saying that?" Sean looked up and saw only a large bird staring at him.
-I am-
"Who? All I see is a huge fucking crow."
-Well, hello to you too-
"Huh? Who are you?"
-I am here to help you set things right-
"Set what right?"
-Allow me to jog your memory-
Instantly Sean and the crow were in a parking lot near a park. A knife was lying on the ground.
-Touch it-
Sean bent over and picked up the knife. As if struck by a physical blow, Sean dropped to his knees as visions racked his mind. He saw Sexpot advancing on Jennifer, and himself snapping his elbow.
"What was that?"
-A flashback. They are to remind you of your mission-
"Mission?"
-Yes. Those five boys killed you and Jennifer. Now you are going to kill them-
"I am?"
-Yes. That is why I brought you back. It has been a year since your deaths. Now you bring them death. A fitting requital-
"Very well. Those bastards deserve worse after what they did to Jennifer."
-Shall we begin?-
"I have to do one thing first."
-What's that?-
"I must look my part."
Sean ran to the theater down the road and broke in through a window. In the upstairs costume room he found what he was looking for. Death's costume. He donned the duster, boots, black shirt, and black jeans. He then went into the make-up room and found the black and white paint. He painted his face white and blackened his eyes and mouth with the extending lines. He looked at himself in the mirror and laughed loud and long. He truly was Death. He said to his reflection, "Death is here, and damn, is he pissed!"
Sean left the theater and the crow landed on his shoulder.
-Follow me-
The crow started to fly and Sean followed. He found he could run faster and jump farther than was humanly possible. He was easily clearing jumps between rooftops of buildings. He could keep up with the flying crow. He thought he was invincible.
-Try it-
Sean threw himself off the side of a building and landed in a dumpster.
Sean got up unscathed.
-See? You will not fail in your mission-
"This kicks ass!"
-Yes. Those that are chosen will always succeed. But we must begin-
"Where do we start?"
-With the one you call Marcilli-
"Sexpot? Excellent." Sean's words dripped with hatred.
Sexpot was crashing in his parents' house. He, Tom, Brian, Robert, and Lenny had all been expelled from school for assaulting members of a football team that had beaten them. Sexpot never had a job; he just leeched off his parents and watched TV. He was watching a porno and went to the kitchen to get a beer. Sean cut the power and climbed in through a window. Sexpot returned from the kitchen and found himself in darkness.
"What the hell's going on?"
A voice whispered from the shadows. "Darkness and silence. All you shall ever know from this day on."
"Who the fuck are you?"
"Those who prey on the defenseless shall be preyed upon by the strong." A figure in black, painted like a mime from Hell, emerged from the shadows.
Sexpot began to shake. "WHAT the fuck are you?"
"I am Vengeance. I am your ticket to Tartarus." Sean took Sexpot by the neck and lifted him off the ground. "You tried to kill me. One year ago. But that's nothing. There was a girl, Jennifer. YOU TRIED TO RAPE HER!" Sean threw him across the room. "You're lucky you didn't succeed. Otherwise this would be much more painful." Sexpot realized who he was facing. He remarked, "She never knew what she missed. And you're dead!" Sean drove his knee into Sexpot's face and followed up with an elbow. Sexpot began to whimper and crawled into another room. Sean started to follow. As he began to enter the room, a powerful blast threw Sean against a wall with a gaping hole in his chest. Sexpot limped out, holding a double-barreled shotgun.
"You're dead now, mother fucker!"
The hole in Sean's chest closed without a trace and he arose. "All right, now I'm pissed off!"
Sexpot couldn't believe what he saw. He dropped the shotgun and began to scream in terror. Sean dragged him into the kitchen, and grabbing three long knives, crucified Sexpot on the wall, with a knife through each wrist and one through the forehead. With Sexpot's blood, Sean drew the outline of a crow on the wall. Above it he wrote the Oath of the Crow Warrior.
I struck out at my enemy.
Downward-looking sun, you saw me
As I myself struck him.
In the future
When I meet my enemy again
I will overcome him.
-Very nice signature, Sean-
"Just paying some respect."
-I have located another. We must go-
Sean let out another loud, long laugh, grabbed the shotgun, and followed the crow out the window.
Lenny was cruising town in his Firebird looking for hookers. He saw a likely candidate and got out to make an offer. As he was getting the whore to agree, his Firebird exploded in a ball of flame, knocking them both back ten feet. The whore took off running, and Lenny saw a figure with long black hair and a smoking shotgun walk through the flames. His face was terrifying. He pointed the shotgun at Lenny. "Now there's a blow to the ego, huh?" the figure said. Lenny tried to keep his composure. "What do you want?"
"Oh not much. I'm just an honest guy. You killed me and a girl a year ago. I'm back to return the favor."
"What?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. You don't seem to remember. Allow me to help you."
Sean placed his hands on Lenny's temples. In an instant, he remembered everything. "This is impossible. You're dead!" Sean cracked Lenny's face with the butt of the shotgun. "Yeah, now you are too!" Before Sean could make a move, Lenny pulled a handgun and shot Sean three times in the head. He fell.
Lenny stood over the body.
"You're dead now, shit-for-brains! And you can suck it!"
Sean's wounds closed and his eyes opened.
"Nah, You won't need it where you're going."
Sean fired straight into Lenny's crotch, blowing his balls off and ripping his torso apart.
Brian called Robert in a shaky voice. "Did you hear about Sexpot and Lenny? They got fucked up somethin' bad! I think we're next!" Robert thought Tom should know about this.
Tom seemed to not care at all about the casualties to his gang. "The dics on those two dumbfucks got them in too much trouble anyway! We'll find others. Let's forget about this and have some fun."
Unbeknownst to them, a crow perched on a rooftop watched them as they left Tom's house.
Tom, Robert, and Brian's idea of "fun" was to rob a store and kill all the people inside. They entered a hardware store donned with hoods and handguns. They lined up all the people inside and were preparing to execute them. Before anyone could pull a trigger, a figure in black appeared seemingly out of nowhere and knocked them on their asses.
"Get out now!" Sean yelled.
All the hostages ran for the door, but Tom grabbed an old man and held his gun to his heart.
"Let the man go. You want me." Sean said with contempt.
"Why would I want you, besides the obvious?" Tom asked.
"I killed Lenny and Sexpot. And I'm going to kill you."
Tom snarled. "Seems you got that backwards, asswipe clown boy. First the old man, then you."
Sean suddenly saw a vision of his death and heard the words "First the bitch, then you".
Sean convulsed in anger. Tom took this time to shoot the old man in the stomach, then the head.
Sean's mind flashed an image of Tom shooting Jennifer.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Sean ran toward Tom in blind fury. He, Robert, and Brian fired on him in unison. The impact
sent Sean flying down the aisle and out of sight. The three spit.
"We sure wasted that fucker." Brian said.
"I wouldn't be so sure. I'm not that easy to kill." Sean arose and began to walk toward them again. This time, before they could pull their triggers, Sean threw nails with pinpoint accuracy into Robert and Brian's hands. As the two screamed in agony and dropped their weapons, Tom escaped out the back door of the store. Sean smirked.
"It looked like your fearless leader has left you two all alone."
"Please don't hurt us. We're sorry for trying to kill you."
"Trying? You already succeeded. But all you did was kill me. Tom killed Jennifer. That deserves a punishment that even Hell cannot match." Sean broke both their knees with kicks. " I'll some fun with you two though, just to show I don't forget a favor."
Sean took screwdrivers and stabbed them in their eyes, wrists, ankles, and stomachs and left them there to bleed to death. It resembled an overdone crucifixion. The crow entered and perched on a counter.
-Very innovative-
"I pride myself on originality."
-Where is Tom Ryans?-
"I don't know. He escaped as I was dealing with these two."
-He is their leader?-
"Yes, and he's the one that killed Jennifer and me."
-Then with him your mission shall end-
"Will I see Jennifer again?"
-When you are through-
Sean grabbed a can of kerosene and a lighter and followed the crow over the roofs.
The pair found Tom at a train yard, where he had taken another hostage, this time an engineer. Sean leapt down from the top of a building.
"Do we have to do this again?"
"You have a problem with killing? You killed my boys." Tom snarled.
"I'm only repaying a favor. You killed me."
"What the fuck are you talking about? I don't even know you, clown boy"
"Close. Try Kung Fu Boy."
"What! I killed you and your bitch girlfriend. You're dead."
Sean quoted the Crow Warrior's Oath:
I struck out at my enemy
1.1 Downward-looking Sun, you saw me
As I myself struck him.
In the future
When I meet my enemy again
I will overcome him.
"What kind of crazy shit is that?"
"It means I'm your one-way ticket to Hell."
"Really? Then I'd like one more blood rush." With that, Tom shot the engineer in the head. Tom then fired at Sean. Sean dodged out of pure instinct, and the bullet hit the crow perched on his shoulder.
-OOHH!! See ya.-
The crow collapsed on the ground. Tom fired again, hitting Sean in the shoulder. This time, pain racked his body and the wound did not close. Tom realized what he done and shot Sean in the calf. Sean fell.
"Oh.look what I did to the bird man! Not so tough now, huh?"
Tom took advantage of the situation, dropped his gun, and began to kick Sean. He heard ribs crack.
"Nobody fucks with Tom Ryans! Nobody!"
Suddenly the crow flew at Tom's face, pecking and clawing. Tom forgot about Sean, and tried to remove the raptor. Sean turned and fired a punch to Tom's groin, then pulled him to the ground. Sean squeezed Tom's temples, and all of the nerves in Tom's body exploded with agony as he felt pain unlike anyone had ever known. Sean growled to him:
"Do you like the pain? Do like to feel all the pain you ever inflicted on others? All of mine, all of Jennifer's, everyone's!"
Sean could barely be heard over Tom's screams of agony. Sean then crawled to where he had left the kerosene and the lighter, and drenched Tom's still convulsing body with it. He lit the lighter and threw it on the ground, then crawled away. As Tom burned alive, feeling all the pain of the others he had hurt, Sean let out a long, loud laugh as he listened to his screams. But it was a weary laugh. Sean knew his job was done, and all he wanted was to be with Jennifer. Sean stayed until Tom's body was nothing but ashes and bones, then slowly crawled to the graveyard where he and Jennifer had been buried. As he approached Jennifer's headstone, he let out a scream.
"JENNIFER!"
Sean then clutched her headstone. All of his weariness, all of his pain, all of his love was let out as he began to wail and cry. Sean then felt someone behind him, and a sweet and gentle voice said:
"Sean, I'm here."
"Jennifer?"
Jennifer was there, looking more beautiful than ever. Sean could see that she had come down from Heaven. She caressed his face and kissed him more deeply and passionately than she had ever kissed anyone. She then took his hand and led him to the Next Place where they would always be together. Sean and Jennifer were at eternal peace and their love would last forever.
(Life and Love Lost Again)
Sean Collins couldn't have been happier. He finally had Jennifer Grant. For the longest time, he had been desperately in love with her. Sean was not the kind of guy someone would think would have trouble with opposite sex. At 18, Sean was a rather good-looking man with long black hair and well muscled, but always lacked the courage to take the initiative with girls. He had had several female friends, but nothing ever went beyond that. They simply did not appeal to him. Then Jennifer came along. Sean and Jennifer had been rather good friends for several years, and trusted each other completely, but had never considered going together. At 16, Jennifer was one of the most beautiful girls anyone would ever see, so she always had guys hanging around her. This is what attracted Sean to her in the first place. Then, as their friendship blossomed and matured, Sean found he was starting to love everything about her. Her personality, the things she liked to do, he loved it all. Sean realized that he could never have anyone but her. Jennifer, though, seemed oblivious to his feelings towards her and still saw him a good and well-trusted friend. Sean stood by and watched her go through guy after guy while he still had no one. Sean was a very single-minded person and could accept nothing less than Jennifer. He had many opportunities to have other girlfriends, but always rejected this option. His heart was set.
Sean had other interests besides Jennifer, though she was of utmost importance in his mind. He had been doing theater and acting as well as fight choreography for a few years at a local theater. He also studied muay Thai under a neighbor of his who used to fight professionally. This helped greatly with his stage combat skills.
These skills, however, also invited problems. The school that Sean and Jennifer attended was populated by hicks and jocks that thought that they were hot shit, particularly those on the football team. An English teacher at their school took one of the classes to see one of the productions that Sean was performing in. After seeing Sean display his combat skill onstage, a few took to calling him "Kung Fu Boy" as an insult. Sean knew this could be a dangerous situation; because these guys were the kind that would repay anything with violence.
One of them, Tom Ryans, was accidentally bumped into by a freshman. The freshman was later beaten by Tom and four others and was crippled for life. It was rumored that those five had killed a few too, but no one could verify that. Worse yet, it seemed these same five that were harassing Sean were starting to become interested in Jennifer. Robert Kirk, Lenny Webster, Brian Sanchez, Francis "Sexpot" Marcilli, and Tom Ryans would make rude comments at Jennifer as she walked the halls.
"Hey Baby, bring that pussy over here!"
"Oh yeah, Daddy wants to stick it to ya!"
"Keep walkin'! Show us that nice ass, bitch!"
Things became so bad that Jennifer asked Sean to walk her to classes so she would feel safe. Sean couldn't have been happier, even though he realized the danger in doing this. One day, Sexpot felt especially aggressive.
"Hey Bitch! Sexpot's wang's getting stiff for you!"
"Fuck off, creep."
Sexpot decided he wouldn't be talked to like that and started to follow her. Sean, who had been following a safe distance behind, grabbed Sexpot and spun him around.
"Lady said she wasn't interested."
"Mind your own fucking business."
"She IS my business, fucknut."
"WHAT did you call me?"
Sexpot pulled a knife lunged at Sean. Sean easily sidestepped and stomped on his knee, sending Marcilli to the floor, screaming in pain. Robert, Lenny, Brian, and Tom came strutting around the corner and saw Sexpot with a broken leg. Sean grabbed Jennifer and ran. The other four attempted to follow, but they were blocked by the crowd of students in the hallway. "You're dead, Kung Fu Boy! You and your slut girlfriend! You're both dead!"
Marcilli was arrested on attempted murder charges, and later released on a legal technicality, but it seemed the quintet was through with its reign of the hallways. After defending Jennifer, Sean became even closer to her; and it seemed that Jennifer was beginning to cultivate some feelings for Sean as well. The two were inseparable, partly because that they were afraid of another attack, and also because the two were beginning to fall in love mutually.
Tom, Lenny, Robert, Brian, and Sexpot skipped football practice one day (Sexpot had to quit due to his permanently damaged leg) and followed Sean and Jennifer out to the parking lot after school and attempted to teach Sean what would happen if he messed with them. Sean told Jennifer to run to the car. Sean broke Robert's nose with a quick jab and ran for the car and sped away.
Both Sean and Jennifer were scared. They did not know what to do about the five. Sean suggested that they go out and do something to take their minds off the problem. It was the weekend, and Sean and Jennifer would not have to worry about them for two days. They decided that it would be a good idea to visit the theater that Sean performed at and see a play. The show they saw had a scene that had Death as a character. The performer's costume fit the part very well. He had long black hair and wore a black duster with black boots. But it was Death's face that was the most memorable. His face was pure white, but the area around the eyes was black, with vertical lines extending from each eye. His lips were black as well, with horizontal lines extending from the cracks of his mouth. It was a very striking visage to behold. Both Sean and Jennifer were intrigued by this character. As they left the theater, they could not stop talking about the spectacular performance of Death.
"Wasn't he amazing?"
"I've never seen anyone act like that."
As Sean and Jennifer walked down the street, she pulled him around a corner.
"Sean, you've done so much for me. I've never had a friend like you. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Jennifer, you're one of the greatest friends I've ever had, too. You don't need to do anything."
"Oh yes, I do."
Jennifer took Sean and kissed him deeply and passionately. Sean couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't have been happier. He finally had attained what he had been searching for all his life. He finally had Jennifer Grant.
The two continued on, walking on air. Sean's car was parked some distance away, because the theater parking lot was always full. As the two approached it, they heard a familiar voice shout "Hey Kung Fu Boy!". Sean and Jennifer turned and saw the posse of five carrying knives, with Tom Ryans carrying a gun. Robert's nose had swollen to twice its normal size and he now had a bandage on it. "How's it going bitch? Looking as fine as ever." Sexpot said. "I told you assholes to fuck off.", Jennifer snarled with repulsion.
"Now that's not very nice. My wang just wants to party." Sexpot limped over toward Jennifer with his knife drawn. Sean stepped in and shattered his elbow. As Sexpot went down, Tom shot Sean in the thigh. Sean was lying on the ground bleeding profusely. Jennifer tried to run to him, but Tom knocked her down. "I'm givin' you a real honor, bitch. Sexpot's cock ain't worth your pussy, but now you're gettin' a prize." As Tom started to take his dic out of his pants, Jennifer kicked him squarely in the crotch. Tom fell to the ground gasping "UUCCKK!! Kill the slut!"
Sean shouted, "If you touch her, you're all dead!" Brian stomped on Sean's chest.
"Shut up, mother fucker! First the bitch gets it, then you!" Robert, Lenny, and Brian began to kick Sean in the head, knees, and balls. Tom drew his gun and pointed it at Jennifer. "If I don't get it, no one does!" With that he shot Jennifer in the stomach, then in the head.
"NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Sean screamed. "You son of a bitch! You're all dead! You'll all rot in Hell!"
"Probably." Tom said. "But you'll go first."
The last thing that Sean heard was a loud caw from a nearby crow on a tree.
The last thing Sean saw was a flash of light from the sawed-off barrel of a .45.
-Get out-
Sean awoke to darkness.
-Get out-
Sean was in a small place and couldn't breathe.
"Help!" he choked.
Sean tore away at his prison and was rewarded with dirt flowing into his face.
-Sean, you must get out-
"Who is saying that?" Sean thought as he freed himself. It sounded as if the voice was in his mind. He stood up and looked behind him. He saw a gravestone inscribed with "Sean Collins". Next to it was another gravestone. "Jennifer Grant". Sean dropped to his knees and began to cry.
-Sean, we do not have time to mourn. You have a job to do-
"Who is saying that?" Sean looked up and saw only a large bird staring at him.
-I am-
"Who? All I see is a huge fucking crow."
-Well, hello to you too-
"Huh? Who are you?"
-I am here to help you set things right-
"Set what right?"
-Allow me to jog your memory-
Instantly Sean and the crow were in a parking lot near a park. A knife was lying on the ground.
-Touch it-
Sean bent over and picked up the knife. As if struck by a physical blow, Sean dropped to his knees as visions racked his mind. He saw Sexpot advancing on Jennifer, and himself snapping his elbow.
"What was that?"
-A flashback. They are to remind you of your mission-
"Mission?"
-Yes. Those five boys killed you and Jennifer. Now you are going to kill them-
"I am?"
-Yes. That is why I brought you back. It has been a year since your deaths. Now you bring them death. A fitting requital-
"Very well. Those bastards deserve worse after what they did to Jennifer."
-Shall we begin?-
"I have to do one thing first."
-What's that?-
"I must look my part."
Sean ran to the theater down the road and broke in through a window. In the upstairs costume room he found what he was looking for. Death's costume. He donned the duster, boots, black shirt, and black jeans. He then went into the make-up room and found the black and white paint. He painted his face white and blackened his eyes and mouth with the extending lines. He looked at himself in the mirror and laughed loud and long. He truly was Death. He said to his reflection, "Death is here, and damn, is he pissed!"
Sean left the theater and the crow landed on his shoulder.
-Follow me-
The crow started to fly and Sean followed. He found he could run faster and jump farther than was humanly possible. He was easily clearing jumps between rooftops of buildings. He could keep up with the flying crow. He thought he was invincible.
-Try it-
Sean threw himself off the side of a building and landed in a dumpster.
Sean got up unscathed.
-See? You will not fail in your mission-
"This kicks ass!"
-Yes. Those that are chosen will always succeed. But we must begin-
"Where do we start?"
-With the one you call Marcilli-
"Sexpot? Excellent." Sean's words dripped with hatred.
Sexpot was crashing in his parents' house. He, Tom, Brian, Robert, and Lenny had all been expelled from school for assaulting members of a football team that had beaten them. Sexpot never had a job; he just leeched off his parents and watched TV. He was watching a porno and went to the kitchen to get a beer. Sean cut the power and climbed in through a window. Sexpot returned from the kitchen and found himself in darkness.
"What the hell's going on?"
A voice whispered from the shadows. "Darkness and silence. All you shall ever know from this day on."
"Who the fuck are you?"
"Those who prey on the defenseless shall be preyed upon by the strong." A figure in black, painted like a mime from Hell, emerged from the shadows.
Sexpot began to shake. "WHAT the fuck are you?"
"I am Vengeance. I am your ticket to Tartarus." Sean took Sexpot by the neck and lifted him off the ground. "You tried to kill me. One year ago. But that's nothing. There was a girl, Jennifer. YOU TRIED TO RAPE HER!" Sean threw him across the room. "You're lucky you didn't succeed. Otherwise this would be much more painful." Sexpot realized who he was facing. He remarked, "She never knew what she missed. And you're dead!" Sean drove his knee into Sexpot's face and followed up with an elbow. Sexpot began to whimper and crawled into another room. Sean started to follow. As he began to enter the room, a powerful blast threw Sean against a wall with a gaping hole in his chest. Sexpot limped out, holding a double-barreled shotgun.
"You're dead now, mother fucker!"
The hole in Sean's chest closed without a trace and he arose. "All right, now I'm pissed off!"
Sexpot couldn't believe what he saw. He dropped the shotgun and began to scream in terror. Sean dragged him into the kitchen, and grabbing three long knives, crucified Sexpot on the wall, with a knife through each wrist and one through the forehead. With Sexpot's blood, Sean drew the outline of a crow on the wall. Above it he wrote the Oath of the Crow Warrior.
I struck out at my enemy.
Downward-looking sun, you saw me
As I myself struck him.
In the future
When I meet my enemy again
I will overcome him.
-Very nice signature, Sean-
"Just paying some respect."
-I have located another. We must go-
Sean let out another loud, long laugh, grabbed the shotgun, and followed the crow out the window.
Lenny was cruising town in his Firebird looking for hookers. He saw a likely candidate and got out to make an offer. As he was getting the whore to agree, his Firebird exploded in a ball of flame, knocking them both back ten feet. The whore took off running, and Lenny saw a figure with long black hair and a smoking shotgun walk through the flames. His face was terrifying. He pointed the shotgun at Lenny. "Now there's a blow to the ego, huh?" the figure said. Lenny tried to keep his composure. "What do you want?"
"Oh not much. I'm just an honest guy. You killed me and a girl a year ago. I'm back to return the favor."
"What?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. You don't seem to remember. Allow me to help you."
Sean placed his hands on Lenny's temples. In an instant, he remembered everything. "This is impossible. You're dead!" Sean cracked Lenny's face with the butt of the shotgun. "Yeah, now you are too!" Before Sean could make a move, Lenny pulled a handgun and shot Sean three times in the head. He fell.
Lenny stood over the body.
"You're dead now, shit-for-brains! And you can suck it!"
Sean's wounds closed and his eyes opened.
"Nah, You won't need it where you're going."
Sean fired straight into Lenny's crotch, blowing his balls off and ripping his torso apart.
Brian called Robert in a shaky voice. "Did you hear about Sexpot and Lenny? They got fucked up somethin' bad! I think we're next!" Robert thought Tom should know about this.
Tom seemed to not care at all about the casualties to his gang. "The dics on those two dumbfucks got them in too much trouble anyway! We'll find others. Let's forget about this and have some fun."
Unbeknownst to them, a crow perched on a rooftop watched them as they left Tom's house.
Tom, Robert, and Brian's idea of "fun" was to rob a store and kill all the people inside. They entered a hardware store donned with hoods and handguns. They lined up all the people inside and were preparing to execute them. Before anyone could pull a trigger, a figure in black appeared seemingly out of nowhere and knocked them on their asses.
"Get out now!" Sean yelled.
All the hostages ran for the door, but Tom grabbed an old man and held his gun to his heart.
"Let the man go. You want me." Sean said with contempt.
"Why would I want you, besides the obvious?" Tom asked.
"I killed Lenny and Sexpot. And I'm going to kill you."
Tom snarled. "Seems you got that backwards, asswipe clown boy. First the old man, then you."
Sean suddenly saw a vision of his death and heard the words "First the bitch, then you".
Sean convulsed in anger. Tom took this time to shoot the old man in the stomach, then the head.
Sean's mind flashed an image of Tom shooting Jennifer.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Sean ran toward Tom in blind fury. He, Robert, and Brian fired on him in unison. The impact
sent Sean flying down the aisle and out of sight. The three spit.
"We sure wasted that fucker." Brian said.
"I wouldn't be so sure. I'm not that easy to kill." Sean arose and began to walk toward them again. This time, before they could pull their triggers, Sean threw nails with pinpoint accuracy into Robert and Brian's hands. As the two screamed in agony and dropped their weapons, Tom escaped out the back door of the store. Sean smirked.
"It looked like your fearless leader has left you two all alone."
"Please don't hurt us. We're sorry for trying to kill you."
"Trying? You already succeeded. But all you did was kill me. Tom killed Jennifer. That deserves a punishment that even Hell cannot match." Sean broke both their knees with kicks. " I'll some fun with you two though, just to show I don't forget a favor."
Sean took screwdrivers and stabbed them in their eyes, wrists, ankles, and stomachs and left them there to bleed to death. It resembled an overdone crucifixion. The crow entered and perched on a counter.
-Very innovative-
"I pride myself on originality."
-Where is Tom Ryans?-
"I don't know. He escaped as I was dealing with these two."
-He is their leader?-
"Yes, and he's the one that killed Jennifer and me."
-Then with him your mission shall end-
"Will I see Jennifer again?"
-When you are through-
Sean grabbed a can of kerosene and a lighter and followed the crow over the roofs.
The pair found Tom at a train yard, where he had taken another hostage, this time an engineer. Sean leapt down from the top of a building.
"Do we have to do this again?"
"You have a problem with killing? You killed my boys." Tom snarled.
"I'm only repaying a favor. You killed me."
"What the fuck are you talking about? I don't even know you, clown boy"
"Close. Try Kung Fu Boy."
"What! I killed you and your bitch girlfriend. You're dead."
Sean quoted the Crow Warrior's Oath:
I struck out at my enemy
1.1 Downward-looking Sun, you saw me
As I myself struck him.
In the future
When I meet my enemy again
I will overcome him.
"What kind of crazy shit is that?"
"It means I'm your one-way ticket to Hell."
"Really? Then I'd like one more blood rush." With that, Tom shot the engineer in the head. Tom then fired at Sean. Sean dodged out of pure instinct, and the bullet hit the crow perched on his shoulder.
-OOHH!! See ya.-
The crow collapsed on the ground. Tom fired again, hitting Sean in the shoulder. This time, pain racked his body and the wound did not close. Tom realized what he done and shot Sean in the calf. Sean fell.
"Oh.look what I did to the bird man! Not so tough now, huh?"
Tom took advantage of the situation, dropped his gun, and began to kick Sean. He heard ribs crack.
"Nobody fucks with Tom Ryans! Nobody!"
Suddenly the crow flew at Tom's face, pecking and clawing. Tom forgot about Sean, and tried to remove the raptor. Sean turned and fired a punch to Tom's groin, then pulled him to the ground. Sean squeezed Tom's temples, and all of the nerves in Tom's body exploded with agony as he felt pain unlike anyone had ever known. Sean growled to him:
"Do you like the pain? Do like to feel all the pain you ever inflicted on others? All of mine, all of Jennifer's, everyone's!"
Sean could barely be heard over Tom's screams of agony. Sean then crawled to where he had left the kerosene and the lighter, and drenched Tom's still convulsing body with it. He lit the lighter and threw it on the ground, then crawled away. As Tom burned alive, feeling all the pain of the others he had hurt, Sean let out a long, loud laugh as he listened to his screams. But it was a weary laugh. Sean knew his job was done, and all he wanted was to be with Jennifer. Sean stayed until Tom's body was nothing but ashes and bones, then slowly crawled to the graveyard where he and Jennifer had been buried. As he approached Jennifer's headstone, he let out a scream.
"JENNIFER!"
Sean then clutched her headstone. All of his weariness, all of his pain, all of his love was let out as he began to wail and cry. Sean then felt someone behind him, and a sweet and gentle voice said:
"Sean, I'm here."
"Jennifer?"
Jennifer was there, looking more beautiful than ever. Sean could see that she had come down from Heaven. She caressed his face and kissed him more deeply and passionately than she had ever kissed anyone. She then took his hand and led him to the Next Place where they would always be together. Sean and Jennifer were at eternal peace and their love would last forever.