"Hello Richie," A voice said from behind him.
Richie turned, gaping as he saw James Horton, "You, you're the demon."
Horton nods, "Very astute, I have a question for you. How much do you want to keep your head?"
"What do you mean?" Richie asks, pulling out his sword and circling the man.
"There's something I'd like to show you." A vision appears before Richie's eyes, showing Duncan being circled by the demon as three different people, Kronos, Horton, and himself. Duncan was swinging madly at the 3 figures, until finally, Richie himself walks into the fray and Duncan cuts off his head.
"No, Duncan wouldn't do that," Richie says trying to destroy the image in front of him. "He's my friend. He wouldn't kill me."
"Wouldn't he? He's tried before or don't you remember."
Richie shakes his head, more visions, these ones of the past, swirl before him: Duncan with the dark quickening, Duncan being mind-controlled, both time, Richie barely escaped with his life. "It's not like that. Duncan is my friend. They were accidents."
"Were they? Really, Richie how can you be so naive. Duncan wants your head; he's just waiting for an excuse to take it. I can help you, you know. I can save you. All you have to do is leave. Just drop your sword, turn around, and leave. Then you can live a happy long life, and Duncan, well Duncan can do what he's supposed to do, he can face me by himself. What do you say Richie?"
Richie was still watching as all three scenes played over and over. "I don't wanna die."
"So don't. Leave the sword and run. Run away. Duncan will never know, and you will finally be safe."
Richie dropped the sword, turned around and headed out. "I'm sorry Mac," he told himself, "I'm so sorry." It didn't take him long in the explosion of what he knew was some sort of fake quickening for Richie to leave. He got a taxi and headed straight for the airport.
By the time Duncan had disappeared into a monastery, Richie was in Seacover, setting up paperwork to head to Central America.
"Maria, I really appreciate all this. I'll pay you back I promise," Richie said hugging his old friend.
"Come on Rich, it's not a problem, we're old friends. Besides, you saved my life once remember, I mean, I think I can part with a few thousand dollars for that." Maria hugged Richie back. "I'm not going to lie though," She said pulling away from him, "this whole buying you a sword thing was a little weird."
Richie smiled, "It's just one of my weird character traits. Look, as soon as I get some income I'll send you a big fat check, with interest." He hugged the girl again. "Look, Maria, I may not be back for a long time, so I just want you to know, that I love you. I mean, like a sister, you're the closest thing I have to family in this world, and well…" He trailed off.
Maria nodded, "I love you too, Rich, just promise me this time you'll send postcards or something. I always worry more when you're out of the country."
Richie sighed, "I'll do my best. Anyway, I just gotta go, I still have to call a cab and get all my stuff to the airport."
"Good luck, Richie."
"Bye, Maria."
With the money Maria had loaned him, Richie created for himself a new identity. He still had some… interesting contacts from his thieving days and he used all of them. After only 4 days of being in Washington State, Richie Ryan no longer existed and Rick Cloud was on his way down to Mexico City.