Chapter Fifteen: The Temple of Lust

A.N: The trek through the nine layers of Hell is going to be rather tumultuous so, consider this a trigger warning: the next few chapters contain the following: mentions of sexual content, violence, death, blood, implied abuse, manipulation, mentions of trauma and gore. Reader discretion is advised.

A.N2: I apologize if you were expecting more graphic sex scenes. Since my last sex scene was written (which I believe was either Escape the Asylum or one of my one-shots) some things have happened to me that has caused me to become repulsed by anything sex-related. The problem, of course, is that I write older teen- young adult fiction, which will sometimes contain these things. I've developed ways to get around writing it. Again, I'm sorry if you were expecting more.

By the time Brooke returned to the apartment, the sun was high in the sky, casting its glow over the quiet streets of Santa Monica. Normally the roads were bustling with cars and pedestrians, but not today. It was a beautiful afternoon, though that thought disappeared from Brooke's mind as quickly as it had appeared. She sped through the streets until she came to a stop outside Trip's Pawnshop. The garage door was closed, but a quick tap on the button on her keys opened the door.

Completely on auto-pilot, Brooke slipped her bike into the tight space beside James' bike and locked up, darting up the street to the apartment building. James had given her a key card and she swiped it on the plate and bolted up the two flights of stairs as fast as she could, arriving on the second floor faster than she normally would have. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, taking a deep breath to calm her self down. She didn't want James to know she'd almost had a panic attack just thinking about him.

The apartment was quiet, but she wasn't sure if it was empty. James had a habit of sleeping during the day, choosing to do most of his work at night. She put her keys on the hook and ventured further into the apartment. Her room was empty, as well as the bathroom across from it. She stepped into the opposite hallway in the living room, walking passed the kitchen towards James and Lucy's rooms. The little girl's room had been recently locked from the outside and only James had the key, so Brooke decided he wasn't in there.

His room was empty as well, so Brooke trudged back to the living room. She had no way of finding him, except for a text message or phone call. She sank down into the sofa cushions and pulled her phone from her pocket. She grinned and looked at the picture.

James had taken her to the cinema after their first kiss and they'd taken pictures in a photo-booth. James had had the pictures sent to her digitally. Her favorite photo of the bunch, one where they were standing in a love heart frame with their fingers intertwined, noses touching with smiles on their faces. She smiled at it and reached up to touch his face.

James meant so much to her, and it killed her inside to know he was going through his pain without the support he desperately needed. Pulling her legs closer, Brooke felt a lump building in her throat. He was neck-deep in his trauma and it was slowly rising above him. Every night he would toss and turn, scream and cry. Every day he would be irritated and twitchy. She'd mentioned Lucy to him once since he'd told her what had happened to his daughter and it had thrown him into a crying rage. He'd never raised his hands to her, but when his emotions took over, he was the human equivalent to a natural disaster; destructive and unstoppable.

She wasn't frightened of him, but fear did creep into her soul occasionally.

She looked up from the picture as the corner of a note appeared in her vision. It had Brooke's name written on it in messy handwriting. She smirked and reached over to grab it.

'Brooke,

I know you're hanging out with Sam today but I just wanted to let you know what's going on if you come home early.

It's the anniversary of Maya and Lucy's death today. I'm at the cemetery. I know it's a lot to ask but if you see this could you wait there for me? I spend this day alone usually. Sorry, I lied about what I was doing today. It's a habit I've gotten into when I want to be alone. I'll try not to lie again.

When I get back we can go to a movie or something.

Love James.'

Brooke smiled and brought a cushion to her chest, holding it tightly. She wanted more than anything to go to him, but he'd asked her to stay at home so that is where she would stay. He would be home before she knew it and she could help him with whatever lingering feelings he had from his visit. She would do everything she could to help him. She always would. His happiness meant everything to her.

She felt herself smiling as she thought about him. In the morning when he made them breakfast, he had a certain wiggle to his hips and skip to his step that he hadn't had before their kiss. She wasn't sure what they were, honestly. He hadn't formally asked her to be his girlfriend, nor had they slept together to solidify it. She'd slept in his bed to keep him company, but that was it. Did he have feelings for her, or had he just kissed her because she had instigated it?

She sat in confusion for what seemed like hours, thoughts racing through her head. Eventually, her stomach growling drew her to the kitchen for leftovers. James was an exceptional cook, but they'd spent so much time together they tended to order in instead. There was a box of rice noodles in the fridge, so she took them and sat at the dining table. The cabinet across from her held James' mementos of his family. There was a large framed photo of himself with Maya and Lucy at the Pier. Lucy was riding a merry go round with her mother, while James stood in front taking the picture, a 'selfie'. He looked exceptionally happy.

She stood and took the picture in her hand, looking at it. James had shorter hair than he did now, and Lucy didn't look much older than two or three. They looked so happy, it was hard to believe that only a few short years later, Lucy and Maya's lives would be snuffed out by her mother.

She couldn't understand why her mother would do such a thing. What had Maya been destined to accomplish that Lady Iremia saw it fit to have her killed, and why by her own partner? It was cruelty, plain and simple.

Warm arms curling around her waist drew her attention. She leaned her head back and melted into James' embrace, wrapping her arms around his.

James kissed her shoulder and looked over her shoulder at the pictures.

"Beautiful, wasn't she?"

Brooke nodded. Maya truly had been stunning. Dark hair, a deep tan, long legs and a set of deep brown eyes. A Spanish maiden of exquisite looks.

"Yes."

James grinned and turned Brooke in his arms.

"You're beautiful, too, you know," he said, darkness clouding his eyes.

Brooke blinked. It wasn't the darkness of a flashback or his thoughts becoming torturous again. No, it was something much darker, primal. Brooke felt her knees growing weak at the look he was giving her. She was a liberated Princess who was capable of making her own decisions, but even she could fall prey to man's basic instinct.

Brooke smiled as James' fingers grazed against her cheek, brushing her wayward blonde locks from her face. They left a trail across her skin, where he had touched her feeling golden and warm.

Reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, she pulled him into a kiss. Warmth rushed through her like rapids as he cupped her hips and pulled her closer. She sighed happily as her tongue found his, sending sparks through her entire body. She could feel how much he wanted her. His urgency, though tender and sweet, rushed through their bodies.

As quickly as it had begun, James pulled away, smiling softly down at her.

"Come with me."

Brooke smiled as he led her through the adjoining hallway to his bedroom. He closed the door behind her, pulling her back into a kiss.

This time, a fire she had never felt before enveloped them and drove her senses wild. She scrambled to remove James' jacket and shirt, throwing them aside as he removed her singlet. As he bent down to remove her pants, he left small, sweet kisses down her abdomen. She moaned, falling backward into the soft plush of his bed. She could feel every part of her body lighting up like fireworks. Passion rolled between them, drawing the Horseman of War back to her, his mouth seeking hers. She arched up into his touch.

She'd dreamed of this moment, of James finally showing him how he really felt about her. She could feel him curling his way inside her, burying himself deep in her heart. She was falling in love with every graze of his skin against hers, every kiss and love bite. Even the small looks he gave her as she gave herself to him drew her further and further in.

They were about to make love for the first time, and it would be magical and perfect.

This was the start of something beautiful.

~X~

The large gates to the second level of Inferno were heavy, but Mark and Kane managed to get them open. Where they found themselves was not something they expected. Instead of mountains of fornicating people and sexual deviancy, they were greeted by a grand hall made of what appeared to be purple marble. The walls were lined with great pillars, reaching from the floor into the endless ceiling. The hall stretched to a platform, a large throne sitting on top of it. Pale purple mist twisted its way between the pillars and covered the floor.

"A... temple?" Kane said, blinking in confusion. "I was expecting the world's biggest orgy."

"Looks can be deceiving."

Mark turned to the sound of the voice, finding no one. They were alone.

"Who's there?" he called into the mist. He was met with a giggle.

"Do you really want to know?"

Mark growled.

"We don't have time for games."

Another giggle.

Kane nodded and stepped further into the room, slowly. He looked behind the first pillar, turning to Mark with a shrug. Mark stepped up to the pillars on the opposite side and peaked behind. Nothing but a closed door. He stepped to the next pillar, repeating this process in sync with his brother.

Before they knew it they'd made it to the dais and found no one. They were alone.

"What the hell?" Kane said, looking around still. He was on guard. If he had learned anything by traveling through Limbo, it was that Hell had plenty of misadventures to offer them on their journey.

Mark looked up at the dais. The mist curling around the throne's legs appeared to be rising.

Yes, it was. It coiled around the arms and back of the chair. The crown of the chair appeared to be glowing as well, the gem in the center growing brighter as the mist wrapped around it.

Mark's sword was in his hand before whatever was materializing could become solid, his body immediately going on the defensive. Kane took up a position beside him. They would certainly not go down without a fight.

The mist disappeared to reveal a woman. She was curvy, well endowed in the chest area and had legs that seemed to disappear beneath her very short black leather skirt. She wore a fishnet shirt over a purple leather bra and thigh-high leather stilettos. She had long black hair that weaved its way down her back in a delicate curl. She was smirking at them.

"Hello, boys," she mused, her voice breathy. Mark felt himself go rigid. She leaned forward in her seat, revealing her sizable cleavage. "I must say, I've never had such interesting visitors before."

Kane stared up at her, feeling a grin form on his face.

"I take it you're the overseer of Lust," he said cautiously. Mark nodded beside him.

The woman threw her legs over the side of her throne and turned slightly, resting her chin in her hand.

"I am, indeed."

Before their eyes, she disappeared into a cloud of purple smoke. It wrapped around Mark causing him to drop his sword. He couldn't help it. The smoke was choking the strength from his wrist. He took a step back, out of the smoke, and coughed.

The woman appeared again, this time in front of him. The top of her head reached his chin, making her at least six feet tall without the extra inches her stilettos gave her.

"No weapons allowed in my domain. Sorry, sweetie, but we're lovers here, not fighters."

She smirked and disappeared in the cloud of smoke again. She reappeared back in her seat, smirk still on her face.

"So, to what do I owe this exciting intrusion?"

Kane raised an eyebrow. Mark shook his head.

"First of all, who are you?"

The woman sat forward in her seat, sultry smirk on her face, peering at the two brothers through her thick eyelashes.

"Normally I would get your name first, but since I already know who you are, I'll break protocol. I'm Lillah, but most people call me Lust."

Kane blinked. The sexiest woman he had ever seen was Lust? What did they need to do to get passed her? Best her in combat or was she looking for something a little more deviant?

Lillah giggled, waving her finger in a circle. Smoke coiled around it, forming a ring around her hand.

"Hades sent us," Kane probed, hoping to get more out of her. She merely laughed.

"Did he now?"

Mark shook his head. This line of questioning was getting them nowhere. They needed to pass through this realm on their journey further down. If they couldn't, Serenity would be lost to him forever. He sighed and walked back the way he had come. This was a waste of time. Lillah was more of a hindrance than Hades had been. The door he had seen before might lead them through the second layer to the third, whatever that was. He wasn't well versed in Dante's Inferno.

Kane caught up to him, stopping him from going any further.

"We don't have time for this," Mark seethed. Kane shook his head.

"Look."

Mark turned back to Lillah who was standing on the floor below the dais, tapping her foot as the back wall of her temple opened. The doors split the room from floor to ceiling, opening slowly to show them what they had expected earlier. Fields of sexual torture and punishment stretched before them. Deep holes filled the wasteland, moans of pleasure and pain escaping them. A huge stone bridge crossed across the pits, lit with lanterns in the shape of genitalia.

The brothers stepped up onto the dais as Lillah took her seat, turning it to face the wastelands.

"Every single hole is filled with all of the worst kinds of perverts," she explained, gesturing around. "Rapists, zoophiles, pedophiles, necrophiliacs, exhibitionists, voyeurs, frotteurs and so much more." She appeared to purr. "I live to punish those who took their deviancy too far."

Kane snorted laughter.

"What's wrong with voyeurism? It's just watching people have sex. Porn is voyeurism," he said, a smirk on his face.

Mark smirked right back. His brain had immediately tied the list together. Each one was a sexual activity without consent.

"No it isn't," he said, looking at his brother. Kane raised an eyebrow. "If you watch porn, it's basically the actors giving you permission to watch. This whole place is about consent. If you don't get it, you get punished."

"Exactly," Lillah said, stepping from the platform and heading into the fields. Mark smirked and followed after her, Kane grumbling behind him. "What I need you two lovely boys to do is really very simple."

Two figures joined the Deadly Sin of Lust as she stepped onto the bridge. Mark stopped, his jaw clenched.

"All you have to do, my darlings, is ignore the temptation," Lillah said, turning back to them. She smirked at them. "I'll be nice and warn you about the effect each layer will have on you. The further in you go, the more heightened the emotions associated with that level will be. Here, you're primal urge to fuck will skyrocket." She smirked wider, her mouth widening as she did to reveal a long row of cat-like teeth. Her eyes seemed to glow green. "Good luck."

The last thing to disappeared was her grin, lingering a moment longer to apparently heighten the creep factor.

Kane stepped down next to his brother on the bridge.

"So we have to cross this bridge without succumbing to temptation," he said, stretching his back. He watched the figures that had been with Lillah twist and convulse as if they were taking a new shape.

Mark rolled his eyes. Keeping a steady pace, he marched on. He was determined to leave before anything could seduce him.

"Come on. Let's get through here before anything can happen." He pointed upwards towards the end of the bridge. It ended in a large staircase that led into what appeared to be a giant human skull. "That's where we need to go. It shouldn't be too hard. We just need to be more goal-oriented than we usually are." He turned back towards his brother, hoping he'd comprehended everything. His eyes narrowed. "Kane!"

Kane was a few paces behind him, staring at the two figures. One had become the blonde dreadlock form of Raven, Kane's partner. The other was smaller and female with black hair and pale skin. From the back, he wasn't sure who it was. They were pawing at Kane as if begging him to follow them into the pits.

At the shout, Kane broke eye contact with Raven and looked at his brother.

"What?"

"We're supposed to be avoiding temptation, remember? If you fall victim to them, we lose."

Kane shrugged.

"I know. But this is all about you. I have nothing to do with this."

The black haired figure turned slightly and Mark could clearly see who it was. It was Daffney, one of Kane's crew.

"You think Daffney is attractive?"

Kane smirked.

"And you don't?"

Mark shook his head and turned to continue down the path.

He'd taken only a few steps before he stopped dead in his tracks. Before him, in a white dress he recognized immediately, was Jodi, his first wife. Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves, her olive complexion dark against the purple backdrop of Lust. She looked as beautiful as the day he'd met her.

How could she have landed in Lust? She had been a devoted pagan, loving mother and perfect wife. She'd never hurt anyone a day in her life. If anything she should have arrived in Limbo, not here. He swallowed back the lump in his throat, praying that somehow this was wrong, that she wasn't here and that he was dreaming.

Jodi tilted her head very slightly, stepping up to Mark. She was wearing her wedding dress, the same dress April had worn the day she'd married Xander. She stopped in front of him, reaching up to wipe away the tears that had fallen from his eyes.

For years he'd kept his true feelings about Jodi's passing to himself. He'd held onto it so tightly his children believed he didn't feel a thing. But he did. Seeing her now... he could feel the dam bursting, the floodgates opening, that ever-sealed gate ripping open. He hadn't cried in years, but seeing her here, in this horrible place... it was just enough to break him down again.

"Jodi..." he whispered, startled at how cold her fingers were. She looked as white as a sheet and so incredibly sad.

Just as he reached up to touch her, another figure emerged from the darkness. One he knew almost as well.

Michelle, as he'd left her in the human realm. Pregnant and terrified.

He closed his eyes as she approached. He didn't want to see either of them. He couldn't bear it any longer.

He stepped away as Michelle stepped closer, backing into Kane.

"Watch it," he huffed, turning Mark around. He locked eyes with his grief-stricken brother and smirked. "They're not real."

"They... they have to be." Mark felt his throat grow tight as Jodi's hands curled around his shoulders. She was so cold...

Kane shook his head.

"Only one of these lovely apparitions is dead," he explained, swatting Daffney's hand from his shoulder. Mark blinked at him.

"How do you know Raven isn't? Or Daffney and Michelle? They could have died while we've been down here..."

Kane's smirk grew as he wrenched his head back and slammed his forehead against his brother's, effectively knocking him to the ground.

Mark reached up to touch his aching head.

"What the hell was that for?!"

Kane gave him a flippant shrug before offering to help him up.

"Didn't wanna bitch-slap some sense into you." He hauled his brother to his feet and grinned. "We're being tempted by the things that turn us on."

Mark scowled, watching as Kane stepped passed him towards Jodi and Michelle. Neither of the women spoke, nor did they move as he came towards them. He stopped and peered down at Jodi. She kept her gaze on Mark. Mark blinked at her.

"You... you didn't end up here, did you?"

Jodi tilted her head again then pointed across the bridge to the steps. Michelle moved as she did, heading back into the pit. As she walked, the shape of her body changed, allowing purplish skin and a set of small wings to show through. The figure turned, showing Mark that same wide grin that Lillah had, before jumping into one of the holes.

Mark shook his head and looked at Kane.

"If I had been doing this by myself, I would have lost already. You've saved me twice now," he stated, crossing his arms over his chest. Kane smirked.

"That's why you can't do this alone. Let's just keep going."

Mark smiled and followed after his brother. As he passed the figure of Jodi, he turned to her and gave her a soft smile. He knew now that she was a lustful demon, a succubus perhaps, and not the woman he had married, but perhaps she knew what had become of Jodi when she'd died.

Looking at her with a sad smile, he spoke with a voice that didn't feel like his own.

"Do you know what became of her? Which layer she went to?"

The demon gave him a smile and pointed at the stairs again before heading towards the pits with the two remaining demons.

He walked beside Kane, staying silent, even as the sounds of the tortures in the pits beside them attempted to draw his attention. As he walked, he caught flashes of everyone he'd ever found attractive in any way; Cooper's mother, Jia; Michelle and Sara; Jodi and Serenity. With each step, it seemed harder to lift his feet. He wanted to be with them. He couldn't help himself. He was human after all. Each and every one of them had wrangled his heart somehow, some more than others. Who was he to say no to their demanding hands? He could feel them grabbing at his mind, showing him images and memories long forgotten. Jodi the day he'd proposed, Michelle when she'd told him she was pregnant, Sara the day they'd met, Jia the night Cooper had been conceived and his beloved Serenity, bound and...

He closed his eyes and tried to push the images out of his head. He needed to focus. He needed to get to Serenity before his awful visions came true. He could feel it in his bones that something was wrong. She hadn't contacted him at all since sending him out on his hunt for Brooke. Now he knew where their daughter was, but no way to return her home. He would travel through the very bowels of Hell to find her. He had to know she was safe, or he would destroy anything that tried to hurt her.

Hell hath no fury the Deadman scorned.

~X~

Brooke felt herself floating. Everything around her seemed to be pulsing with light and energy. Sparks danced across her vision as she felt her insides curl and unwind, stretch than clench. Something was happening inside that she couldn't explain. What was she feeling? Was it a type of pain? Ecstasy? Every beat of her heart sent blood up and down her body, some to her brain to remind her to breathe, the rest in the direction of her groin. She could feel the warmth surrounding her. This was bliss.

Eventually, the rose-tint that covered the world began to fade away and she was drawn back to reality, slow enough that she didn't burn up on reentry. The world became much more clear as the fuzziness dispersed. She blinked through the haze, spying a smiling face in front of her. Or was it above? She couldn't really tell, everything felt so unreal.

That smiling face drew closer and caught her lips. She sucked in air and brought the warmth closer. She didn't know where it was radiating from but she knew it needed to be close to her, wrapped around her, coiling inside her like a python.

Eventually, the haze lifted completely and she realized where she was. She was in bed with James, kissing him hard and holding him so close she could feel his heartbeat. She could feel him smiling against her kiss, his stomach rumbling with unheard laughter.

He pulled away and let out a laugh, falling beside her. He was bare-chested and covered in sweat, shiny in the low light.

"What's so funny?" Brooke breathed, the haze finally leaving. She leaned up on her haunches and watched him.

James put his hands behind his head and grinned at her.

"I peeked at the clock. You've got some stamina, Brookey," he chortled, pointing at the alarm clock on the nightstand. She looked over. It read '7:15 PM'.

"What do you mean?"

James smirked up at her.

"I got home just after one. We've been doing this for just over six hours now."

Brooke felt herself giggling. They'd been making love so long the concept of time had completely disappeared. She'd been so drawn into the passion she'd lost her senses completely. It had felt like pure magic, heaven wrapped in cotton sheets.

"I guess so," she said, leaning down to kiss his exposed chest before resting against him, her leg reaching across to hook his. He reached down and pet her hair, kissing the top of her head.

"If I wasn't dying of dehydration, I could easily go again."

Brooke laughed again, looking up at him. His dark eyes were staring down at her, showing off that primal instinct that hadn't left again. She reached up to tap his nose with her finger.

"Drink, then we can."

James raised an eyebrow as he reached for his drink bottle.

"Didn't you have work today?"

Brooke blinked at him, feeling the blood drain from her face. She scrambled down to the floor to retrieve her phone from her jeans. She froze in horror.

8 Missed Calls: April (S!)
4 Missed Calls: Cooper
4 Missed Calls: Xander

"They all tried to call me?!"

James' arms appeared beside her as she looked at her phone. She could feel his breath against her bare skin and shivered, though her mind was instantly on the fact that she had most likely been fired.

"I have to-"

She moaned as James kissed her neck, sucking gently on the sweet spot just below her ear. She couldn't help it.

"Back to bed," he whispered between love bites. She moaned again as he pulled himself back onto the bed, his fingers dragging down her back. Her body moved with him.

"Yes, just let me see if I still have a job," she said, sitting up. He rolled his eyes and sat up with her, moving her matted blonde locks aside so he could kiss her neck again. Her eyes rolled back into her head as her phone rang.

"Star de Lune Nightclub, Xander speaking."

"Oh thank God you answered the phone," she breathed, swatting at James' hands as they kneaded her back. He chuckled lowly and continued his teasing.

"Brooke? Where the hell were you today? We called about a thousand times," Xander said. She could hear the sound of a closing door blocking out the bustling white noise from the nightclub.

"Uh..." Brooke wasn't a fantastic liar when put on the spot. With James and his friends, she'd had a story planned, but this was incredibly sudden. What excuse could she use that wouldn't make her sound lazy or incredibly horny? "I'm... uh..."

She felt her eyes roll back into her head again as James' kisses moved from her shoulder to the back of her neck. He was doing this on purpose.

"Well?"

She could tell Xander was getting impatient. She'd been rostered to work in the cafe with Cooper for the afternoon and had missed her shift completely.

"I got caught up with something and forgot. I'm so sorry."

Xander sighed.

"This is unacceptable, Brooke. You made a commitment when you started working here, one that's not easily broken with April in charge," he said.

James was now in front of Brooke, mewling at her to put the phone down. She'd barely heard anything Xander had said, and now James was distracting her even more. This was just not her day.

"Put the phone down," he whispered in her ear, growling as he gently bit her neck and earlobe. She shuddered.

Laughter echoed through her phone and whatever dignity Brooke had left disappeared.

"Hi James," he laughed.

"Hi Xander. Does Brooke still have her job?" he said, moving to sit in front of Brooke, grinning at her. Her face contorted into an acute fury, waiting for him to do anything else that would bring her over the edge. He kept grinning, earning an annoyed slap.

"Yes, she does. Barely. She's incredibly lucky I answered. If April had, she wouldn't. Just don't miss another shift, Brooke."

Brooke nodded, shoving James' face away from her. He fell with a thump to the floor. She smirked to herself.

"Thanks, Xander. I won't let you down."

"I hope not," Xander said, stopping as Brooke began to giggle. James had his hands in the air, pinching his fingers and thumb together as if he was operating a pair of puppets. He moved his hands when Xander spoke again, mimicking his speech. "Brooke, be careful getting involved with James."

"Why? He's harmless, really." James' other hand spoke as she moved, followed by a quick flick of the bird. She grinned at him.

"I'm not bothered by it. I know you can take care of yourself. April on the other hand..."

"Wants to tear him to shreds."

"And worse. Just... just keep it under the radar, okay?"

"Got it, boss. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow."

With a click the call was over and James was sitting up, resting his arms on the edge of the bed.

"Gee, thanks for standing up for me," he said, grinning at her.

She grinned back and crawled across the bed to him. She purred as she leaned down, wiggling her naked backside as she touched his nose with hers.

"And what exactly are you going to do about it?"

James grinned and kissed her, hard, sending her nerves into the roof. In one fluid motion, he was back in bed and they were under the covers, making love again with no thought of the outside world. It really was magic.

~X~

By the time the brothers reached the steps, they were exhausted. Mark dropped to his knees beside a statue that bore the likeness of Lillah while Kane sat on the bottom step, breathing heavily. He stretched his long legs out, resting against the steps. Mark took a deep breath and reached down to rub his aching thighs and groin. The entire walk they'd attempted to keep each other on the bridge, choosing eventually to grasp each other's forearms. It had taken everything they had to make it as far as they did; the more they walked, the more their impulses had drawn them towards the pits. Both had throbbing erections that had grown more and more painful as they walked.

Kane breathed deeply as he lounged, caressing his aching thighs. Mark could barely see him through the red in his vision. It had taken so much effort to resist temptation, he wasn't sure if they could continue. They were only on the second level and they were already drained. He felt like he couldn't breathe, and they still had a huge flight of stairs to climb before they were free from Lust's control.

"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides," Kane breathed, taking in gulps of air, "by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men." He sat up and blinked at Mark. "Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and goodwill, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness."

Mark sighed as he sat up. Of course, he was getting lectured by his brother. This entire thing was his fault after all. Because he'd lusted for Serenity so much, he'd given her everything; she had total control over him and everything he did. If he hadn't sold his soul as a kid, this wouldn't be happening. Kane was dragged into this because he needed someone strong, but he would have gotten the same result if he'd asked Xander or anyone he worked with that knew.

Kane stood slowly, holding his thighs as he moved.

"For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children," he said, grinning. "If that quote isn't applicable here as it was back then, I don't know what is."

Mark looked up at him and smirked.

"And I will strike down upon thee, with great vengeance and furious anger, those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers." He took Kane's offered arm and stood, looking his brother in the eye. "And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."

"Glad I'm not the only one who's seen Pulp Fiction," Kane said, grinning. He released Mark and turned towards the steps. "How's the little Deadman doing?"

Mark groaned when he was reminded of the pain running through his groin. Kane laughed and thumped him on the back.

"And thus we come to the crux of this issue," he said. Mark looked at him, rubbing his groin again.

"Which is?"

"I'm a rapist and even I have better control over those instincts than you. Marky-Mark thinks with his dick."

Mark scowled as Kane started up the stairs. He wanted to pick something up and throw it at him, but deep down, he knew Kane was right. It wasn't love that had brought him here. It was lust. He missed Serenity's body and what she could do to him when they made love. He still had scars on his back from the first time they had, and every time since then had been beautiful. He'd come down here in search of his next fix, not to set the High Queen free.

He followed his brother, a cloud of gloom over his head. This journey was showing him more of himself than he wanted to know, and the fact Kane was here to witness and bring it to light was worse. He didn't need a reminder. He knew why he was here. He knew what he wanted to do.

When they reached the inside of the gargantuan skull, Lillah was there to greet them. She stood before a huge door, orange and bronze, carved to look bumpy and rotten. Mark stopped, blinking at the door. It was very different from the first door. Lust's door had been exquisite, with simple yet elegant details added to the body. This just looked like someone's school crafts project gone wrong.

"Well done, boys," Lillah said, holding Mark's sword out to him.

It dropped heavily into his hand. He was glad to have it back. It was an extension of him. Being without it had been like being without his arm.

Lillah smirked.

"You've succeeded in my task. Barely, but a passable effort."

Kane smirked.

"Did we win anything else other than half-assed praise?" he asked, earning a disapproving look from the Deadly Sin.

"Yes."

She held out a small bottle to Mark. It was purple and half-filled with a liquid that swirled as he moved the bottle. He looked up at her.

"What is it?"

Lillah smirked.

"That vial must be gifted to the gate-keeper of Violence to gain entry."

"I see."

Lillah smiled before turning to the gate. From inside her cleavage, she produced a bronze key, just large enough to fit into a hole on the door. At a click, the huge door swung open, revealing a spiral staircase. As soon as the doors opened, Mark felt his stomach clench angrily. He wanted to vomit. The smell was unbearable; the stench of rotting meat and fruit wafted in the air like a pungent cloud.

"Tell Gorra I said hello."

With a wink, Lillah was gone, returning to her temple. Mark turned to Kane who was using a particularly bumpy part of the wall to scratch his back.

"I don't know the Divine Comedies as well as I thought, so I have no idea what's next," he said. Kane grinned in return.

"Once again we rely on my time in prison to help." He stepped forward and stretched. He pulled a flaming purple torch from its bracket and stepped towards the door.

As he grew closer, the light from the torch lit up the walls. They were an odd shade of pink-orange, blue and white lines traveling through it like arteries. The roof above the staircase was ribbed, the material of the walls stretched so thin white bars poked through.

Mark felt his stomach burble as he neared the door. The walls appeared shiny and as he grew nearer they seemed to pulse.

"How appropriate," Kane said as he put his hand against the wall. He pulled it back, pinching his fingers together. A sticky substance stretched from digit to digit.

"What level is it, Kane?" Mark looked at his brother, feeling his skin crawling.

"Well, I hope you didn't eat before we got here."

Mark felt his stomach drop as Kane disappeared down the stairs. No wonder he was feeling sick. The inside of the staircase looked like a human throat, with bone stairs leading into the inside of a great, demonic stomach. He stepped slowly down to not irritate his already irritated stomach. This would be the most unpleasant of all of the levels. He was incredibly sensitive to smell, and if they were traveling down into the feted stomach of a rotting demon, there was a very high chance he was going to be sick.

When the two brothers reached the bottom of the stairs, the doorway opened up into a large open cavern, the same color as the staircase. Drops of yellow liquid dropped from the ceiling onto people chained into the floor, searing the flesh away.

Kane laughed as Mark finally succumb to his impulses and vomited.

"Welcome to Gluttony."