Chapter 13

The Devil Inside

"Long time no see Reaper. How many years has it been?" The man said, slowly walking forward. His arms were crossed and he had a demonic smirk on his face.

"Craig…" I growled. My blood was boiling, I was about to snap.

"How did you survive?!" Kitty asked in disbelief.

"I have my ways little one." Craig replied with a chuckle.

"Why Craig..? WHY!?" I screamed.

"This whole family war… the government… RMKQ… it was all a ruse. All I have wanted was to take everything away from you and everyone you cared for. You were supposed to die too, child." Craig explained.

"You tried to kill me and Doc all those years ago. Is being number two assassin in The Division still haunting you that much?" I growled. Craig's grin turned to a dark frown.

"You were never supposed to happen! I AM the best killer in the world. And I shall prove it tonight." Craig said.

"And how are you gonna do that!? You've proved you're the biggest dumb-fuck in the universe!" I shouted back.

"In ten minutes… this factory with explode. It will cause a cave in and all your friends will die. Including your beloved Saleena." he said with a grin.

"Fuck you…" I growled.

I turned back to Saleena, her makeup dripping from the tears.

"Baby, don't worry. We're gonna get you out of here. We'll start a new life, settle down… anything." I said to try to calm her down. Her eyes looked up to mine. She looked at me and smiled softly.

"I'll never forget when we first met… you defended me when no one would… I remember our first night together… I remember every good thing you brought me…" Saleena said to me. I began to softly cry. "You have to fight him. I know you have nothing to prove. You are the best."

"Saleena…" I muttered. I was at a loss for words. I was holding the love of my life in my arms while she was dying…

"There's no need for words, James. It will all be ok. You're strong." she said. Saleena brought her hand up and held the left side of my face. I reached up and held her hand softly. Tears flowed from my eyes as my love lay in my arms, slowly dying.

"I love you James." Saleena said softly.

"I love you too Saleena." I replied.

I leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. After a moment, I pulled back, she still held onto my hand. Saleena looked into my eyes and smiled.

"Make me proud baby." she said. Her smile slowly faded away and her head began to fall back slowly.

"Saleena..?"

I felt her grip loosen and fall out of my hand. Her head leaned back and her eyes closed. I felt one last breath escape her…

"Saleena!?"

…and she was gone.

"SALEENA!?"

I shook her, but she didn't respond… she was dead…

"SALEENAAAAAA!"

I screamed and cried… my love was dead… I buried my face into her shoulder, holding her tight against me, crying.

The elevator door opened behind Kitty. She turned and drew her gun up.

"Hold the fuck up, it's us!" Justyn shouted, holding his hands up. Justyn, Doc, Mikey, Crystal and Matthew stepped out of the elevator, still holding their guns.

"Bro..?" Doc said.

"She's dead…" I muttered, still holding Saleena tight against me.

I felt Kitty's hand on my shoulder. Doc walked over to me and kneeled next to me.

"We'll take care of her. She deserves a proper burial." Doc said to me.

I collected my thoughts and calmed down just enough to reply.

"The place is rigged to blow. Get everyone out of here. I'll finish this here and now." I said.

Doc nodded. I carefully handed him Saleena's body. I stood up slowly, still holding my head low. The group started to head back in the elevator.

"Too bad your bitch won't make it out here. Her pathetic body will disintegrate like everyone else's." Craig mocked.

I stood still… something inside of me snapped. I looked up slowly to face everyone. Everyone took a step back… they could see the fire in my eyes. The demon I kept asleep for so long had come loose. I turned to face Craig and screamed at him with everything in me. I wasn't in control anymore. I wasn't James Marx anymore…

"YOU MOTHER FUCKER!"

I got low to the ground and took off in a dead sprint towards Craig. He took a step back, pulled out a pistol and began to shoot at me. One managed to graze my arm, but I could feel no pain.

I got close to him and tackled him hard. We fell over the railing, down to a pit of molten liquid. There was a narrow walkway over the pit, the perfect place for the final fight. I grabbed him by the face and pushed as hard as I could. We hit the walkway, his head slamming into the narrow strip.

I tried to keep him down with one knee and began to choke him as hard as I could. I never took my eyes off of him. He was gonna die, even if I had to take him with me.

Craig was able to break loose from the chokehold by kicking me in the back. I did a short roll off of him, lying on my back. He got up quick and took a few steps back. I did a handspring and stood up, keeping my back to him.

"You're insane! You think you can win!?" Craig shouted to me, readying himself.

"Insane..?" I asked, beginning to quietly laugh. "I'm insane?"

My laughter increased by the moment. I put my face in my hand and began to laugh louder. I could barely keep my balance, I laughed like a madman.

"I'M INSANE!? Murderer! Coward!" I shouted, turning to face him. Craig took another step back. I could smell the fear…

"No matter Craig… You WILL die here… even if I have to take you WITH ME!" I screamed. I got into a fighting stance and stared him down.

Small explosions began to ring out through the factory. Large pieces of debris fell into the molten pit below, but neither of us flinched. You could cut the tension with a knife…

"Ready for round two, boy?" Craig taunted.

"You knew taking me out would make your fight a little easier. Things are different now." I growled. "This time… you won't get away."

I ran at Craig, screaming. He ran at me, a demonically calm look on his face. He went into a slide kick at about ten feet from me. I did a front flip over him and landed perfectly. I raised my left leg and kicked behind me. Craig blocked the kick and threw a few punches of his own. I dodged each one. He managed to punch me in the stomach, winding me. After that, Craig landed a hard right hook to my left cheek. I spun around and backhanded him in the face. He flew back a few feet, holding his face.

I ran after him again. He jumped in the air, landing a spinning kick to his chest, sending him back again. I started throwing claw-like punches to his face. I landed a swipe, making him back away from my frenzy. I ran up to him, did a 180-degree turn and did a standing back-flip kick to the back of his head.

Craig hit the ground hard, holding his head. I took a few steps back, readying myself.

"GET UP!" I yelled. Craig stood up slowly, still holding his head. He got into a fighting stance for a moment and rushed me again. He threw a front thrust kick at me. I jumped slightly to the side and landed a hard knee strike to his chest, sending him back again.

"Coward! Fight me!" I screamed again. I walked over to Craig and kicked him multiple times on the ground, making him roll farther back.

Craig grabbed my foot and pulled it out from under me, causing me to fall on my back against the steel grating. He kicked me across the face, making me roll away, dazed.

He got up and moved over to me. Craig got on me and started landing punch after punch on my face. Left hook, then a right hook, then over again.

My vision began to fade… I could see visions of the past flash before my eyes…

My childhood that was robbed from me... Saleena… the frame up… me joining SFM… the battle with Jedi and Wings…

The last thing I saw was Saleena's death… her dying in my arms… the pain I felt rushed through my body again. I opened my eyes and grabbed Craig's incoming fist. I punched him hard in the face. He rolled off me, screaming and holding his nose.

"You mother fucker!" he screamed, walking backwards. I stood up, wiping the blood from my mouth and nose. I spit out more blood into the pit below.

"You'll pay for tha…"

I landed a spinning kick to his face. His head snapped to the side and back. Craig stood their dazed, trying to keep his balance.

I rushed him, landing punch after punch to his chest, face and gut. Blood flowed from his nose and sprayed out his mouth every time I landed a blow to his face.

Craig swayed back and forth, coughing up blood. His face was swollen from the beat down. I could see him stare me down, but I wasn't about to let this bastard go.

I took a step back, and jumped into the air. I did a 720-degree spin and landed a kick to his cheek. I flew off the walkway, into the pit of molten liquid.

I stood there, trying to catch my breath… I walked over to the edge to see if I could see him squirming in agony. As I approached the edge, I felt a hand wrap around my ankle and pull me down, off the walkway. I grabbed the ledge in enough time. I looked down to see Craig holding on to my ankle.

"I'm taking you with me boy! Neither of us will make it out of here!" he shouted.

I started kicking him as hard and fast as I could. Each kick made him loosen his grip. Explosions started going off throughout the factory, getting louder by the second. I landed one final kick, and Craig lost his grip. He fell about twenty feet into the pool of lava-like liquid underneath me.

I pulled myself up and looked over the ledge to see him rise back up out of the lava. He tried swimming frantically to a ledge, screaming in pain. His skin was falling off and on fire.

A loud explosion sounded right above me. I looked up to see a large piece of equipment fall from the ceiling. It fell passed me and landed right on top of Craig. I could hear him no more…

Hmmm… Smashing…

More explosions went off through the building. I got up and ran towards the ladder. I got up and went to the elevator, pressing the button frantically. It was taking too long. I saw a staircase and made a quick decision to run up the stairs as fast as I could.

The whole place shook as the explosions went off, making it hard to keep my balance while escaping. I honestly had no idea if I was going to make it out…

000

"Do you think he'll make it?" Matthew asked.

"If I know James, that son of a bitch will make it out." Justyn said, wiping his brow.

The group stood outside the arena at a safe enough distance away from the soon-to-come explosion. Doc had wrapped Saleena's body in soft cloth to keep it safe. The ground began to shake as smaller explosions went off. Parts of the arena began to collapse as each mini earthquake happened.

After a few more rumbles, one powerful one sounded, causing a massive shockwave. It almost caused everyone to fall. The arena crumbled and fell hard to the dusty ground. A large dust cloud poured out of the rubble. Everyone ducked for cover from the incoming dust storm.

"Oh shit…" Mikey muttered.

"James!?" Miuki yelled.

"No… he can't die… not like this!" Kitty shouted.

"He's got to be there. He has to be alive…" Doc said.

Everyone waited for some time… but there were no signs of life. The longer they waited, the more their stomachs churned.

"He can't be…" Justyn said, starting to fall to his knees. "He can't be dead…"

Everyone stayed silent for a moment as the last few rumbles began to fade away. They all turned around and began walking back to base. As they walked, they heard the sound of someone coughing violently, off behind them. Mikey turned and pointed to a silhouette coming out of the dust.

"What's that?" he asked.

000

I was practically hacking up a lung, trying to get the fucking dust out of my system. I hand one arm covering my eyes and another swatting away the dust and dirt. As I made it out of the cloud, I was met by cheers and laughter. I wiped the dirt from my eyes and saw everyone making their way to me. A smile slowly formed on my face, I was happy to see them all alive and well.

"Attaboy! I knew the ol' Reaper was gonna be a hero." Justyn shouted, lightly punching my arm.

"Did ya get the fucker?" Mikey asked, rubbing my head.

"Yeah. He's fried. Swimming in a pool of lava with a ten-ton pipe on his head." I replied, cracking my knuckles. Everyone cheered loudly, jumping in the air and throwing stuff up into the air as well.

I was happy…until I saw Doc, holding Saleena's body. I slowly walked over to him and held my arms out. He gently handed her to me and I cradled her in my arms. Everyone got quiet as I stood there, holding her lifeless body.

"She does deserve a proper burial…" I said softly.

I turned to everyone. "It's time to go home everyone. This day belongs to us. I have all of you to thank. This day belongs… to Siciliyz Finest Men and Women!"

Everyone raised their fists into the air and shouted a victory cry.

000

Epilogue

5 Years Later…

000

I pulled up to a small cemetery out in the countryside, close to where my parents lived. I jumped off my bike and walked to a small gravestone. I kneeled down and looked at the inscription.

Saleena Scott

Codename "Psych"

April 5th 1991 – July 20th 2020

I placed a small bouquet of roses and lilies on her grave, those were her favorites.

After the battle, I buried Saleena in the cemetery that may grandfather was buried. I will actually be buried in between them when I die…

After that was all done, everyone stuck around to straighten things out. The government was never really the bad guys… they just saw the dollar amount Craig offered and took the steps needed to take us down. I think we scared em out of it and got them to help us. We showed them that we are THE family that no one wants to fuck with. And no one did… no one stood up to any of our members. We lived easy lives from that day on…

Kitty ended up settling down with Matthew, rekindling their relationship. They have a son and daughter now. But they still keep into the merc business; it's an easy source of money.

Poor Justyn went back to Italy and confessed to murder I believe he was charged with over one thousand counts… easy death penalty… but the judge was a mafia man. He let Justyn go free believe it or not. Justyn's son is actually heir to the family after his death.

Don is actually helping mentor the young child. He doesn't want to bring SFM back, but rather keep it in its glory as the last most powerful family in the world.

EJ and Ashley went back to Japan with Miuki and Hitomi to run the yakuza. They drop in from time to time to see us. They offer their help as well when needed.

Amy was able to go to Paris and become a great chef. She owns a chain of restaurants all over the world and is making a good living.

Mikey has it easy. He became the Head of Security for the most popular strip club in The Hub. It's called The Pole Position.

Crystal and Hulio began working for the CIA and FBI. Crystal became their best pilot. Hulio got to be the best sniper in the Navy Seals as well. He was able to perform a delicate surgery on me, after years of research, that enabled me to see in my left eye once again.

Doc went back to the merc life. He made his living killing and collecting bounties, so that's about all he knows… We work together often.

And as for me…

"James! Hurry up! We got things to do, people to kill!" a whiney voice called out from behind me.

…well… I ran into Lisandra again. She's been my partner for the last few years. She's a great fighter… but I think she enjoys it a little too much…

"Coming!" I shouted back. I kissed my hand and laid it down on Saleena's gravestone. I got back up and walked back to my bike. Lisandra was leaning against it, polishing her sword.

"Come on. We got a group of punks to take out." I said to her hoping on my bike.

"Yay! Who is it this time?" she squealed with excitement, hoping on the back of my bike, sheathed her sword and put her arms around me.

"I think they're called Wanted World Wide… a bunch of wannabe hard-asses that think they will rule the world…"I said, cranking the bike.

We took off towards the highway to WWW last known location.

It was another day…same old thing…

[Holy shit! Final chapter and it went out with one helluva bang! I hope you guys enjoyed it. I really worked hard on this. This is my first fan fic I have EVER written. If anybody is wondering, I was working in collaboration with a very good friend of mine. My story is a sequel to her story. PLEASE check out kittygirl2010 and her story Family is Forever. It tells the backstory of all this. Please show her some love guys. Thanks again everyone!]