Chapter Sixteen: The Bowels of Gluttony

Brooke felt a groan rise up in her throat as James sucked at the sensitive spot on the back of her neck. She and James were in the kitchen, wearing only their underwear, making pancakes. They'd spent so long making love, they'd managed to skip dinner.

Though the way James was mauling her neck made her think he'd been starving for weeks.

"Okay, when the bubbles start getting bigger, you flip," he whispered between kisses, his breath tickling her ear. Brooke grinned.

"Are you going to eat the pancakes?" she asked, flipping a pancake. It splattered against the pan and sizzled.

James gently bit her bare shoulder then rested his chin in the crook of her neck.

"I'd rather eat you," he purred.

She grinned.

Her skin twitched as he unwrapped his arms from around her waist at the sound of his ringing phone. He grabbed it, slid his finger across the screen and leaped onto the kitchen counter, sitting and watching Brooke as she cooked.

"You've reached the James Landau sex-line, how may I please you?"

"You really should have looked at who was calling before you said that," came a female voice Brooke didn't recognize. She leaned over to see who was calling.

Ava Calavera.

"Maya's sister," James said, smiling. He reached across to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Hello random person with James," Ava said. James snorted. Brooke shook her head, smile in place.

"Hello," she said. James kept on grinning, watching as she went back to pouring and flipping pancakes.

"So I assume by the fact I'm receiving a call with very little interference that you're back in the States."

"Even better, I'm back in Los Angeles."

James legs began bouncing, matching the widening grin on his face. He began dancing in his seat, excitement pulsing through his veins.

"Are you alright?" Brooke asked, offering him a pancake. He bit into it and nodded vigorously.

"Ava, if you're calling me to ask me to come out and drink until I fall down, lemme put some pants on and I'll meet you at the usual spot."

"I thought you weren't allowed in the Star de Lune anymore?" Ava asked.

"April doesn't like me being there, but I'm not banned or anything."

"Fair enough. Bring the new girlfriend; I wanna meet her."

Brooke could feel her cheeks burning. It was the first time anyone had actually referred to her as James' girlfriend. The word was so foreign to her, but the dopey grin on James' face showed her that he liked the way it sounded.

"Will do."

He leaped from the counter, kissed Brooke on the neck and disappeared from the room. Brooke felt her insides growing warm. He hadn't denied it.

She had many titles. Crown princess. Ruler of Ignis Infernalis. Goddess of the Flame. Demi-Goddess. But James' Girlfriend was the one she loved the most.

James returned to the kitchen a few minutes later, his long hair swept back into a tight pony-tail, the blonde portion of his fringe making a yellow-brown line through it. He was dressed in a pressed black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbow, and a pair of black stone-wash jeans, a chain hanging down his thigh. He was also wearing black Converse sneakers. Around his wrist was a black leather bracelet along with the beaded bracelet he never took off.

Brooke couldn't help but stare. He looked very sexy, but in a more subtle way.

"I never grew out of my emo phase," he said, raising his eyebrow. The tattoos that reached up his neck and down his arms peaked out from under his collar as he grinned at her.

"I..." Brooke stared at him, the warmth in her legs and groin getting worse.

James pulled her closer, reaching behind her.

"I should stop distracting you before you burn down the apartment."

Brooke blinked again and turned, watching the few tendrils of smoke rise from the hotplate. He laughed.

"Go and put on something nice. And by nice I mean comfortable but sexy."

She smirked as he gently swatted her on the backside, shooing her from the room.

~X~

"You good?"

Mark let one final wave of nausea subside before he looked up at his brother. Kane was staring down at him with his arms crossed, the scent of rot and decay surrounding him like a blanket. He didn't seem to mind; in fact, he seemed to relish in it. He smirked as Mark staggered to his feet, feeling his head spinning.

"That was unpleasant," he said, spitting a wad of saliva to the ground. Kane rolled his eyes.

"You're telling me, I had to watch. You gonna be okay?"

Mark nodded, just as the horrendous smell around them began to swell again. More drops of acid fell from the ceiling, causing the souls below them to scream in agony. Mark looked around.

The entire room was light red and covered in veins. It was a large cavern, though smaller than Lust had been, and riddled with holes along the ground and through the walls. Through the center was a path, coiling its way up a steep hill leading to what appeared to be a vault door. He couldn't quite make it out though, as steam rose from vents in the ground.

Sitting on the path was a very thin, wiry man with huge gold and bronze wings protruding from his back. One of his spindly legs was dangling into the pit below him. He had torn clothes and was barefoot. Two thick, black horns spiraled from his long brown hair.

"Who do you think that is?" Kane asked. Mark narrowed his gaze.

"He looks like a regular demon to me," he said, though as he spoke the demon turned to peer at them. He looked miserable.

"Are you the trial runners?" he asked, his voice soft-spoken. Mark nodded. This demon suddenly reminded him of Carter, his first born grandson. He was very soft spoken and calm too.

The demon hauled himself to his feet, rather clumsily, and stumbled a little, pulled back by the weight of his wings. He managed to stay upright, though, and stepped towards the two brothers.

Mark could feel Kane's presence by his side and knew his brother was preparing for combat. Mark was ready to defend himself and readied his stance.

The demon stopped a few feet from them and offered out his hand.

"My name is Gorra. I'm the Deadly Sin of Gluttony."

In the center of his hand were a pair of bronze coins. Each brother took one. They weren't highly intricate, though the word 'Athanasia' was written in cursive around the center. Mark recognized it from his studies about the Gods and Goddesses of Greek myth.

"Immortality?" he asked, looking to Gorra. The demon shrugged his shoulders.

"You forfeit your immortality when you stepped foot down here to begin with, Guardian, and I have to give it back, even if it's only for my challenge," he explained.

Kane's eyebrow rose.

"Which is?"

"Does the term 'glutton for punishment' sound familiar to either of you?"

Kane started laughing, slipping the coin into his pocket.

"Do we have to beat you up? I am so down for this."

Mark kept his gaze on Gorra. The demon kept a blank expression and tilted his head.

"No. I don't really like running these sort of things, so I'm not sticking around for this. You'll be the judges of this one. You have to fight each other, dealing a satisfactory amount of damage before ending it. To summon me again, you must call a truce."

Mark was about to open his mouth to respond when Gorra disappeared in a puff of disgusting smelling smoke. He obviously didn't like his job very much. He turned to face Kane.

Kane's fist collided with his face so hard it almost threw him backward into the pits behind him. He rolled to a stop and peered up.

"The hell was that for?!"

Kane cracked his knuckles and neck.

"I've wanted to do this for years."

~X~

The signature thumping of house music ricocheted around Brooke's head as she and James stepped through the black-lit corridor into the Star de Lune. It was one of the most popular clubs in Hollywood and it was easy to see why. As the strobe lights pulsed, the music thumped and the sea of bodies gyrated. The sound of laughter and clinking glasses pierced the noise as the music dipped. The club was hosting a DJ tonight, and he had the crowd on their knees in pulsating worship.

Brooke found him on the stage. He was bobbing to the music, one hand on the panel in front of him, the other raised in the air, fingers curled into a fist. With his shaggy red hair, colorful wife beater and denim shorts, he reminded her of the beach dwellers she'd spotted in Santa Monica, though this surfer was wrapped in the aura of the god of music.

She could feel her own hips swaying. James pulled her forward, onto the dance floor. He cupped her hips, pulling her close. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, grinding her hips against his. He smiled.

"I know we should be finding Ava and Daniel, but I just can't help myself," he said. She barely heard him over the crowd. She smiled and kissed him, just once, ever so softly.

"I know. I don't know what it is but I just want to be close to you right now."

James smiled and took her hand, twirling her around. She giggled and followed him through the crowd.

They reached the edge of the dance when she spotted Daniel. He was sitting in a booth across from a woman with a deep tan and shoulder-length, curly brown hair. She was giggling, one of her long legs stretching under the table and resting near Daniel's crotch. She looked identical to the woman James had photos around his apartment. Daniel was smirking, gently stroking her hand as he sipped his drink. They looked incredibly comfortable and blissfully unaware of anyone else around them.

"If you two start fucking in public, I will bleach my eyeballs," James said, grinning as Daniel rolled his eyes. He scooted around the booth next to the woman, resting an arm behind her.

James slipped into the booth beside him, Brooke following close behind. He clasped her fingers in his and called a waitress over.

"Bourbon on the rocks and a strawberry daiquiri please," he said. She nodded and disappeared. He turned back to his companions.

"Starting off strong, I see," the woman said with a grin.

James shrugged.

"Of course. You have a head-start." He nudged his shoulder against Brooke's and smiled when she turned to him.

"Brooke, this is Ava. She's Maya's twin."

That explains the resemblance. Brooke smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, Ava."

"You too. I can see why James likes you."

She took a sip of the translucent pink drink in front of her and grinned as James smacked his head against the table. Brooke squeezed his hand as the waitress dropped off their drinks.

"And why is that?"

"He can talk to you about my sister. He can't do that with a lot of people," Ava explained, laughing as James' head hit the table again.

"Please stop."

Daniel reached across and punched him in the shoulder.

"Come on, dude. You had to know she'd be giving you shit the minute she got back."

"I am far too sober for this."

James took his glass and downed its contents in a single gulp. The ball of ice in the center rattled as he slammed it back on the table.

Brooke took a sip of the pink drink in front of her and smiled as the strawberry and rum mixed in her mouth and flowed down her throat. This drink was much more delicious than the drink she'd had before.

Ava raised an eyebrow.

"I take it we're popping a cherry here," she said, leaning forward. She rested her chin on her clasped hands. Brooke smiled.

"Not exactly. I've had a drink before but it was a lot stronger than this."

"What was it?" Daniel asked, taking another sip of his drink. James turned his attention to her. She tilted her head and looked back out over the dance floor. She knew Xander was here somewhere, as was Cooper. The two men were a team when it came to manning the twin bars at the club.

"April called it a Xander Special."

Ava burst out laughing, almost spilling her drink. She covered her mouth. Daniel was laughing too, though his laugh was more of a chuckle.

"The Xander special has two ingredients. Homemade peach moonshine and white chocolate liquior. It is potent as fuck."

James kissed her bare shoulder.

"Surprised you didn't cough up a lung."

Brooke rolled her eyes.

"I did."

Her three companions laughed. She laughed along with them, scooting closer to James. She felt warm when she was near him, she couldn't explain why. The warmth in her belly only grew when he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, stroking his fingers against her skin. She felt a giggle rumbling in her stomach. Right there was exactly where she wanted to be.

As the conversation shifted, Brooke's attention returned again to the DJ. He had stepped from the stage and was heading towards the bar behind them. She poked her head over the back of the booth and watched him wind his way through the crowd and stop. Cooper came to him almost immediately, and he appeared to be enamored with the surfer. He laughed at something he said and ran his fingers through his tied-back hair. Brooke watched as the surfer winked, took his drink and wandered back into the crowd.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Daniel asked. Brooke turned back, sheepish smile on her face.

"Just saw someone who stood out, that's all," she said, hiding behind her drink. James smirked beside her and leaned over the back of the booth.

"Dread-locked guy across the dance floor talking to Anne or the red-head hitting on Cooper?"

Brooke followed his gaze. She first spotted the dread-locked man James had been referring to. He looked worried and was shout-asking something of Anne, the blonde bartender who had served her the Xander Special. She seemed busy and the man shook his head and disappeared back into the crowd. She watched as he caught up with a dark haired woman with red streaks in her hair. She rested a hand on his shoulder, then moved it to his face and dragged him from the club.

"Not the dread-locked guy," she confirmed, turning back to James. He smirked.

"Makes sense. He's interesting to me because he's a serial killer."

Brooke's eyes widened when he laughed. Was the man the serial killer who had torn that man at the pier apart all those months ago? Was he in here searching for a new victim?

James yelped and jumped, reaching down to rub his shin. Ava grinned from across the table.

"Don't scare the girl, Hot-head."

Daniel's gaze fell on someone behind Brooke and she turned, spying the red-headed DJ leaning against her booth, giving her an odd look. James looked up at him too and she immediately felt his temper bubble. He was warm against her back.

"You wanna move along, pal?" he said through gritted teeth. Brooke dug her fingers into his thigh.

"Sorry, man, don't mean to be rude," the DJ said, tilting his head slightly. His brow furrowed as he looked at Brooke. She could feel his gaze as if he were physically touching her and shivered. "Your girl just looks like someone I know, that's all." He smirked and his face softened. "Couldn't be, though; Glory hasn't been around LA for years."

He saluted as he walked off.

Brooke felt the color drain from her face when she spotted the tattoo on the back of his neck, peaking out from under his hair. It was a collection of lines and dots forming an odd shaped diamond. She recognized it immediately.

She turned back to her companions and looked at James, panic in her eyes. He immediately took her hand.

"What's wrong?"

"I know him," she whispered.

Part of her was praying that he wouldn't ever recognize her. The other parts argued over whether or not it mattered. She peaked around the booth again and watched as he stopped near a brown haired man wearing a dark red dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He was standing over a girl lying down on one of the far tables. He high-fived the DJ and knocked back a shot before leaning down to lick the girl's stomach. She giggled as he leaned up to bite into a wedge of lime held between her teeth.

He must have felt someone looking at him as his gaze eventually settled on Brooke. He had a relatively handsome face, clean shaven save for a goatee on his chin. He had dark eyes, though in the light they looked reddish-purple.

He raised an eyebrow at her and tilted his head as if to summon her over. She felt the pull and almost stood.

James was much quicker on the draw than she was, however, and wrapped a protective arm around her, as if claiming Brooke as his own. The man shrugged as if totally bemused and helped the girl he'd taken the wedge from back to her feet.

"This night just got very interesting," James said, turning to look at Daniel. He raised his glass and clinked it with his friend, smirk on his face.

Brooke watched as the amber liquid in their glasses darkened and swirled into a deep burgundy. He brought it closer to his face and scoffed.

"It looks like our night has just been blessed by the Gods," Ava said with a grin, showing the others her glass. Her pink drink had become the same color as a grape.

"Drink up, then," Daniel said, taking his drink and downing it in one gulp. He placed it back on the table, grinning as it seemed to refill with the same burgundy wine.

Brooke watched as her drink changed as well, turning back to the man across the club. He raised his glass of wine to her and winked.

She couldn't help but smile back. She knew that spark in his eyes, that same love of pleasure that was pulsing through her veins right now. She couldn't help herself. The look in his eyes seemed to have cast a spell, a powerful spell that caused her to down her drink in a couple of gulps and smirk as it refilled again.

James laced his fingers with hers, clinked his glass against hers and smiled.

"Drink up, love," he whispered. She curled into him, shivers running down her spine. "The night is young and we have a lot to celebrate."

~X~

Blood dripped from Mark's nose as he shielded his face from his brother's raging fists. He'd been close to falling from the edge too many times. Kane was ruthless and his fists were continuous. He'd barely gotten a few good punches in before he'd been overwhelmed. The only time Kane stopped was when he needed to wind up for another one.

"Kane, enough!" he shouted, silenced when Kane's pale fist connected with his jaw and knocked him to the ground.

Blood spattered between his hands as he coughed and held his ribs.

"Nah," Kane grunted and crouched, tilting his head slightly to observe his handiwork. Mark was beaten, bloody and bruised to the point his face might be permanently disfigured. He smirked. "It's enough when you're dead."

Mark glared, though inside he was smiling. He could already feel himself healing. His powers were still very much active. He'd be back to full strength in the next few minutes it would take to distract Kane. He knew his brother was nothing if not a show off. He was a serial killer after all, and he had a particular way that he flaunted his strength.

"I can't die," he spluttered, feeling his badly broken ribs clicking back into place. He looked up to find his brother still smirking, his pupils shrinking as the berserker rage he was known for began to envelop him. The vein in his temple began to throb. He reached forward and wrapped his fingers around Mark's throat.

"Maybe, but when I'm finished with you, you'll wish you could."

Just as Kane pulled his arm back to punch him again, Mark smirked and ignited his entire body. The usually lethal black flames curled around him, throwing his younger brother back. He stood, grinning. He could feel the dark powers gifted to him by his queen pulsing inside as his scars and bruises healed. He felt powerful. No one, not even his behemoth of a brother, could stop him.

Kane stood, holding his arm. A dark red burn ran down his forearm. It stood out on his pale skin.

"Just like you to cheat," he spat, though he was grinning. Mark smirked as the flames disappeared. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck.

"Let's try this again," he said, stepping towards Kane.

Just as he reached him, he swung up, landing a well timed punch to Kane's jaw. The impact staggered the younger man, but not enough to topple him. Mark jabbed at his ribs and stomach. With a series of precise strikes, Kane's abdomen began to bruise. He brought up his arms to protect his face, leaving his chest open for a spinning heel kick. Mark's leg landed with a thump, sending his brother sprawling to the ground.

Expecting this, Kane rolled backwards and back to his feet, smirking.

"There he is."

With a nasty laugh, Kane lunged, grappling Mark around the waist. The older man's arms were pinned to his side, but his legs were still free and clear. He rammed his knee into Kane's stomach, grinning as he heard the air being driven from his lungs. Kane hissed and let go.

Mark's knee collided with his nose before he had a chance to react and he was knocked to the ground again.

The fighting continued, all around the cavern. The two of them cracked the walls with every missed punch, destroyed portions of the bridge with every failed kick and blew out some of the candles around with their sheer speed. At some point, Kane rolled through a punch and swept Mark's legs out from under him. They were both dangerously close to the edge of the path. He quickly stood and put his foot on the back of his brother's neck, essentially choking him.

Whatever air Mark needed to stay conscious was slowly leaving him, and Kane would finally get what he wanted. The status of only child and the title of Champion. He had won. He blinked slowly as his mind began to slip into oblivion, his baby brother laughing behind him. His strength to fight back began to fade. He couldn't do this. There was no way. The world grew darker. His mind turned cold. Kane had become much stronger since the first time they'd fought, and he'd beaten Blake in a fight. How the hell was he going to win this? There was absolutely no way.

Mark gagged as a puff of foul smelling smoke wafted into his lungs. Kane's knee forced him further down, very close to pushing him off the edge and into the murky depths. He looked down, spying his necklace. It was a dragon, curled around an emerald gem. Through the haze, he remembered how he got it. Christmas, two years ago. Serenity had given it to him as a symbol of her love. She said it would always bring him home.

Home...

She needed him. He couldn't give up now.

With what little strength he had, he pushed himself up from the ground, lifting Kane up as he went. The younger man appeared to lose his balance, falling to the side. He rolled off the cliff.

Mark grabbed his hand at the last minute. He held tight, bringing his other hand down to help. Kane peered up at him, confusion on his face.

"You... you caught me?"

Mark smirked as he strained to hold on. The souls below them had latched onto Kane's ankles and were trying to pull him down.

"Of course I did. You're my brother."

Kane blinked, just as confused as before. The souls below them pulled against and Mark almost lost his grip. Kane looked down and that evil smirk returned. He used his free foot to kick the closest soul to him, nailing it directly in the face. It let go and allowed Kane to swing his free hand up and grasp his brother's forearm.

Mark pulled as Kane clambered up. He was a heavy man, but Mark was a lot stronger than a normal human. The two brothers fell onto the bridge, breathing heavy. Mark looked up at the pulsating ceiling and laughed. He couldn't help it. This entire experience was hilarious. They were inside the bowels of a giant, decaying demon, fighting over which of them was stronger, despite the fact they were supposed to be working together. They'd agreed to work together, to make sure the other made it to the end. The man who wanted to kill him the most was laughing next to him.

"I think we've had enough," Kane said, turning to face his brother. He smirked. Mark smiled and sat up.

"For once we agree. Truce?"

He offered his bruised and most-likely broken hand to the younger man beside him. Kane grabbed it and sat up.

"Truce, for now. I can't wait til we get to Violence so I can beat the holy hell out of you again."

Mark smirked.

"I'd like to see you try."

As the brothers stood and wandered down the path towards the vault door at the end, a puff of brown smoke appeared and Gorra returned, holding what appeared to be a dagger. The brothers stopped as the bolts on the door slide back with a rumble.

"This dagger is to be given to the priest in Heresy when you arrive. Congratulations," the Deadly Sin of Gluttony said. He smiled, revealing a mouth filled with more teeth than any human had.

Mark took the dagger and raised an eyebrow.

"By the door, I'd say Greed is next."

Kane laughed. Gorra nodded.

"Inside you will find Gamira. From here the tasks will be a lot more complicated, I hope you two are up for it."

Kane clapped a hand on the Deadly Sin's shoulder, took the dagger from Mark and smirked.

"Kid, we were made for this."

He strolled through the open vault door and down a shiny silver staircase. Mark rolled his eyes, nodded at Gorra and followed his brother.

As he walked down the stairs, the feeling of dread began to creep in. The last task had been harrowing. Numerous times he'd almost failed, once because he'd almost given up. How was he going to get to and rescue Serenity from whatever was holding her in the palace if he couldn't hold on to his own strength and will to continue? How was he going to succeed if all he wanted to do was return home to his wife and children?

Kane descended with more confidence than any man he knew who had faced the devil and lived. He aspired to be like him.

Not exactly like him of course, but enough to be able to succeed in their challenge and save the one he loved.

He didn't have any other choice.

The hallway started to glitter with gold and he knew they had arrived at their destination.

The Vault of Greed.