Ch. 11 "Why?"
The three of them arrived at the Cathedral forty minutes later. It was beautiful. Its body was constructed with black rock, and its gigantic stained glass windows depicted various biblical scenes. Vicious smiled.
"It's just how I remembered it." Vicious whispered. Julia looked around and saw that they were the only ones near the Cathedral.
"Is it abandoned?" She asked Vicious. Vicious nodded.
"Why?" Spike asked. Vicious closed his eyes.
"Ten years ago, the religion this Cathedral stood for was outlawed, and anyone who practiced it were killed." Vicious explained.
"What was the religion?" Spike asked.
"Christianity." Julia said softly. Vicious nodded. Memories began to flood through his mind...
"I pray for salvation. I pray for forgiveness. Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do. Please save them." Vicious's father had prayed. He prayed for them, even as they shot and killed his wife. The men raised their rifles, Vicious stood, paralyzed with fear, behind his father.
"Please Lord, protect and bless my son, I pray that he comes to find the same peace that I have found." His father prayed, tears streaming down his eyes. Vicious took a step back, and tripped. The men opened fire on Vicious's father, blood splattered on Vicious as his father's bloody body landed on top of his own.
"Stupid Believer." One of the men muttered.
"What about the boy? He might be alive." Another said. Vicious trembled in fear.
"Our shells are high caliber, they could go through both of them like a knife through butter." The first man said. Vicious heard them walk away; he waited until he could hear nothing but his own breathing before crawling out from his dead father.
"Father?" Vicious asked, hoping with all his heart that his father would open his eyes. He didn't.
"Mother?" Vicious asked, looking to his mother's corpse. No answer. Vicious's eyes burned with tears mingled with blood. He stood up, covered with blood.
"God?" Vicious asked, staring at the cross before him. There was silence, terrible silence.
"I'm alone." Vicious whispered softly. "Why...?" Vicious held his mother in his arms; her body was distorted and grotesque. He held her close to him, her blood smearing against his face.
"Why did you let them die God!?" Vicious demanded an answer.
"Why!?" Vicious shouted, his voice full of sorrow. Vicious sobbed uncontrollably, holding his dead mother in his arms.
"I loved them! Why did you take them away from me!?" Vicious was overcome with such sorrow, such remorse, that he was unable to cry any longer. He howled, like a wounded animal, an inhumane, eerie, sorrowful howl. He howled with his mind, body, and spirit. It echoed through the dark Cathedral, and spread out into the streets of Mars. Vicious's heart, soul, and very being were broken. They were gone. They were gone. They were gone....
Vicious stood up, letting his mother's corpse fall to the ground. His father's last words echoed through his mind.
"Please Lord, protect and bless my son, I pray that he finds the same piece that I have found." I shall have no peace. Vicious thought to himself. You were a fool father; your own God killed you. I am not interested in a relationship with a murderer. Whatever peace he offers, I do not want it.
Vicious wept bitterly, his heart burning with hate, sorrow, and bloodlust.
"I will kill them. I swear I will kill them. I will kill them all." Vicious said coldly.
The memory faded away and Vicious found himself in reality once more...
"That was when colonization regulations were extremely strict, now the religion is no longer outlawed, but no one really practices it." Julia explained to Spike. Vicious opened his eyes.
"Indeed." Vicious said walking towards the entrance of the Cathedral. Spike and Julia followed him. The inside of the Cathedral was dark, damp, and cold. Despite himself, Vicious shivered. A large maroon colored cross, stood before them. On both sides of them were the pews. Half of the pews were covered with cobwebs and dust. Vicious looked up and saw a gigantic stain glass mural, thirteen men sitting at a table, one of them having a halo above his head. Julia looked up and gasped.
"That's beautiful." She said in awe.
"Someone had some time one their hands." Spike said, smiling. Vicious silently walked past them, to the cross. He put his hand on it.
"Remember me?" He whispered to the cross.
"Vicious, are you ok?" Julia asked. Vicious ignored her.
"Do you remember my parents?" Vicious asked, his eyes emotionless. A chill ran down Vicious's spine.
"Is that a yes?" Vicious asked, smiling with that cold, lifeless smile. Vicious took his hand from the cross and turned his back on it, then slowly walked away. He stopped twenty feet away from it then spun around, retrieving his pistols. He emptied two clips into the cross. It exploded sending splinters and large chunks of wood into the air. Julia gasped. Spike had taken out his own pistols, searching for the origin of the shots, and then relaxed as he saw it was Vicious.
"Vicious..." Julia whispered softly. Vicious jettisoned the clips and let them fall to the ground, still smoking.
"I remember them, God." Vicious said softly, his voice edged with an icy venom. Vicious looked at Julia and Spike.
"I thought I saw something in the shadow." Vicious lied. Neither Spike nor Julia were skilled enough to know that he was lying, so they nodded.
"Next time warn me." Spike said.
"Me too." Julia added. Vicious put away his pistols then brushed past the two.
"Where are you going Vicious?" Julia asked.
"To the apartment. You two enjoy one anothers company." Vicious said, then left the Cathedral.
"Vicious..." Julia said, worried. Spike put his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about him. He's Vicious remember? Nothing gets to him." Julia didn't find the words very comforting, but the touch was. She smiled then hugged Spike. Spike hesitated, then hugged her as well.
"Thanks, Spike." Julia said softly.
"Don't mention it...." Spike said, his voice trailing off.
"To Vicious." They both said in unison. They let go of each other and began to explore the Cathedral.
The three of them arrived at the Cathedral forty minutes later. It was beautiful. Its body was constructed with black rock, and its gigantic stained glass windows depicted various biblical scenes. Vicious smiled.
"It's just how I remembered it." Vicious whispered. Julia looked around and saw that they were the only ones near the Cathedral.
"Is it abandoned?" She asked Vicious. Vicious nodded.
"Why?" Spike asked. Vicious closed his eyes.
"Ten years ago, the religion this Cathedral stood for was outlawed, and anyone who practiced it were killed." Vicious explained.
"What was the religion?" Spike asked.
"Christianity." Julia said softly. Vicious nodded. Memories began to flood through his mind...
"I pray for salvation. I pray for forgiveness. Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do. Please save them." Vicious's father had prayed. He prayed for them, even as they shot and killed his wife. The men raised their rifles, Vicious stood, paralyzed with fear, behind his father.
"Please Lord, protect and bless my son, I pray that he comes to find the same peace that I have found." His father prayed, tears streaming down his eyes. Vicious took a step back, and tripped. The men opened fire on Vicious's father, blood splattered on Vicious as his father's bloody body landed on top of his own.
"Stupid Believer." One of the men muttered.
"What about the boy? He might be alive." Another said. Vicious trembled in fear.
"Our shells are high caliber, they could go through both of them like a knife through butter." The first man said. Vicious heard them walk away; he waited until he could hear nothing but his own breathing before crawling out from his dead father.
"Father?" Vicious asked, hoping with all his heart that his father would open his eyes. He didn't.
"Mother?" Vicious asked, looking to his mother's corpse. No answer. Vicious's eyes burned with tears mingled with blood. He stood up, covered with blood.
"God?" Vicious asked, staring at the cross before him. There was silence, terrible silence.
"I'm alone." Vicious whispered softly. "Why...?" Vicious held his mother in his arms; her body was distorted and grotesque. He held her close to him, her blood smearing against his face.
"Why did you let them die God!?" Vicious demanded an answer.
"Why!?" Vicious shouted, his voice full of sorrow. Vicious sobbed uncontrollably, holding his dead mother in his arms.
"I loved them! Why did you take them away from me!?" Vicious was overcome with such sorrow, such remorse, that he was unable to cry any longer. He howled, like a wounded animal, an inhumane, eerie, sorrowful howl. He howled with his mind, body, and spirit. It echoed through the dark Cathedral, and spread out into the streets of Mars. Vicious's heart, soul, and very being were broken. They were gone. They were gone. They were gone....
Vicious stood up, letting his mother's corpse fall to the ground. His father's last words echoed through his mind.
"Please Lord, protect and bless my son, I pray that he finds the same piece that I have found." I shall have no peace. Vicious thought to himself. You were a fool father; your own God killed you. I am not interested in a relationship with a murderer. Whatever peace he offers, I do not want it.
Vicious wept bitterly, his heart burning with hate, sorrow, and bloodlust.
"I will kill them. I swear I will kill them. I will kill them all." Vicious said coldly.
The memory faded away and Vicious found himself in reality once more...
"That was when colonization regulations were extremely strict, now the religion is no longer outlawed, but no one really practices it." Julia explained to Spike. Vicious opened his eyes.
"Indeed." Vicious said walking towards the entrance of the Cathedral. Spike and Julia followed him. The inside of the Cathedral was dark, damp, and cold. Despite himself, Vicious shivered. A large maroon colored cross, stood before them. On both sides of them were the pews. Half of the pews were covered with cobwebs and dust. Vicious looked up and saw a gigantic stain glass mural, thirteen men sitting at a table, one of them having a halo above his head. Julia looked up and gasped.
"That's beautiful." She said in awe.
"Someone had some time one their hands." Spike said, smiling. Vicious silently walked past them, to the cross. He put his hand on it.
"Remember me?" He whispered to the cross.
"Vicious, are you ok?" Julia asked. Vicious ignored her.
"Do you remember my parents?" Vicious asked, his eyes emotionless. A chill ran down Vicious's spine.
"Is that a yes?" Vicious asked, smiling with that cold, lifeless smile. Vicious took his hand from the cross and turned his back on it, then slowly walked away. He stopped twenty feet away from it then spun around, retrieving his pistols. He emptied two clips into the cross. It exploded sending splinters and large chunks of wood into the air. Julia gasped. Spike had taken out his own pistols, searching for the origin of the shots, and then relaxed as he saw it was Vicious.
"Vicious..." Julia whispered softly. Vicious jettisoned the clips and let them fall to the ground, still smoking.
"I remember them, God." Vicious said softly, his voice edged with an icy venom. Vicious looked at Julia and Spike.
"I thought I saw something in the shadow." Vicious lied. Neither Spike nor Julia were skilled enough to know that he was lying, so they nodded.
"Next time warn me." Spike said.
"Me too." Julia added. Vicious put away his pistols then brushed past the two.
"Where are you going Vicious?" Julia asked.
"To the apartment. You two enjoy one anothers company." Vicious said, then left the Cathedral.
"Vicious..." Julia said, worried. Spike put his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about him. He's Vicious remember? Nothing gets to him." Julia didn't find the words very comforting, but the touch was. She smiled then hugged Spike. Spike hesitated, then hugged her as well.
"Thanks, Spike." Julia said softly.
"Don't mention it...." Spike said, his voice trailing off.
"To Vicious." They both said in unison. They let go of each other and began to explore the Cathedral.