"That voice which calls to me and speaks my name…"

Part 2: The Summon

Erick, who had been reviewing the letter while walking home, sealed the letter and placed it in a mailbox to be sent off to his past. Then, he entered his apartment complex. He immediately turned on his television set, the news coming on.

"…The mayor met today with city officials to discuss the recent increase in crimes. He suggested hiring more police…" Erick stopped listening for the time being, for it was a story not interesting him. He occupied himself instead with making dinner for himself.

"We go now to a breaking news story," the female anchor said. "A gunner is holding up an apartment complex in the Ratchet district. Police are on the scene, take a look." The screen flashed to a live viewing of another female with a microphone. She was standing on the edge of the road, the rundown buildings clearly indicating the poverty of the district; anyone could tell by sight which district it was.

"Yes, Jill, it appears the man is suicidal, he's carelessly waving his gun around, even pointing it at himself. And he keeps making statements that he will not leave until the devil pays him back for his deeds." She suddenly closed her last two fingers in full view of the camera, then her other two. Erick burst into action, for this was his signal, the way he was contacted.

"Time to go," he said. He donned the superhero armor of Asmodeus, his alter ego. It consisted of a black leather jacket, black pants and black boots. He also grabbed a katana, a set of throwing stars and a single orange rose, which he placed in a special pocket in his coat. The final piece was his black shades, which for one protected his identity, but mostly, it just looked damn cool.

Then, he was off, his motorcycle his transportation to his destination. Immediately, he got stares as people recognized him, and he wondered if anybody ever thought hard enough about the fact the Asmodeus always passed through that particular street. He thought it might be a good idea to move soon, before people figured out where he lived.

In no time, he had reached Ratchet district, and from there, he approached the complex, driving past the news anchor. He stopped the bike right in front of the building, put his hand on the side of it, and suddenly his hand passed through the hard brick. He followed with his whole body, entering the building through the wall.

Once inside, he noticed that the gunner was holding a female hostage, her clothes half on and half off, her face full of pure fear. How dare he hurt the girl, thought Erick. The gunman had a similar look of fear, but instead of the girl fear of himself, he feared Asmodeus. He immediately fired his gun at Asmodeus's chest, but with one hand, he had stopped the bullets in midair. It wasn't that he could control the metal of the bullets, as he had heard of Magneto doing, but that he was able to manipulate the matter around the bullet, stopping the flow of its current.

When the gunman had fired the last of his shots, Asmodeus allowed the bullets to drop to the floor, and then ducked his head left as the hand gun went flying towards his head, crashing into the wall. Asmodeus took one step and in a flash, he had crossed the room to be right next to the gunman, despite the distance. This was due to his power; he was able to flash-step his way around. He pulled the crazed man's arm off the girl, who dropped to the floor, weak, and twisted the arm until he got it behind his back. Thus pinned, Asmodeus took the man down.

"Why couldn't you let me have my way?" the man said angrily. "I'm owed something, and she was in the process of giving it to me. Love is what I'm owed in this life, the devil promised it!"

"Amore e morte," he said to the man. "It always is. And this time, it looks like its going to be death for you." He knocked him hard, but whether he had killed him or merely knocked him out is up to your own interpretation. Afterwards, he placed the orange rose on the still body, his personal trademark.

Then, he walked over to the girl, helping her stand up. She tried to fight from his grip, still scared, but he was firm, and his words were soothing. "Don't worry, everything is going to be alright. You have nothing to fear anymore, especially from this man and from me." She relaxed, and Asmodeus was able to reassemble her clothing so that she would at least look somewhat presentable when, inevitably, the news cameras turned to them as he led her out of the building.

The news reporter, at least, understood that he didn't like the publicity when he walked out into the limelight, for she hung back, merely watching the proceedings. It should be expected, seeing as how she was an old ally to Asmodeus, which is how she knows how to summon him. But she is also a close friend to Erick Marcus, his alter ego, though she hasn't made the connection that they are one and the same. Asmodeus is real careful of hiding his face when he's around her. Her name is Gabriel.

Asmodeus handed the girl off to medical officials, promising her that they could be trusted, for she seemed afraid of everyone she didn't know, a consequence of her recent trauma.

When he returned, he discovered that he had forgotten to turn the stove off, and his food had seriously overcooked. He tried a taste of it, but it was too hard and disgusting to stomach, so he decided to throw it away and order pizza instead. However, when he went to scoop the food into the trash, it refused to come out of the pain, and, frustrated, Erick threw the whole pan away into the trash, vowing to buy a new one when he got a chance.

While he waited, he picked up the newspaper he had brought inside. The cover article caught his eye, for there was a picture of a dead man, his scalp torn in two. The headline read, "Dead Man Found, Suspected Work of Notorious Axe-Killer."