Disclaimer: KILLER INSTINCT is a property belonging to Rare and Microsoft and "The Wolf Man" is a property belonging to Universal Studios. I do not own any of these characters.

*Song: "Humiliation" - Killer Instinct Soundtrack ( watch?v=aFqhc5dAC_A)

Chapter Ten: Genesis

"We could not understand because we were too far and could not remember, because we were travelling in the night of first ages, of those ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign — and no memories. The earth seemed unearthly. We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there — there you could look at a thing monstrous and free."

- Joseph Conrad, "Heart of Darkness"

The hallway was unusually quiet.

As he was rolled toward the titanium door at the end, Konrad anxiously watched and listened. Although the hallway had been equipped with sensors and was kept at freezing temperatures, cold enough to make even Konrad himself shiver, he always felt apprehensive and alert whenever he came here. Beside him, Jurgen, Dieter and several researchers carrying fire extinguishers suspiciously eyed their surroundings, a few flinching at the slightest shadow. From behind the titanium door, Konrad heard nothing but the unmistakable crackling and sizzling of the thing's body, the unnaturally loud, harsh, pain-filled heaving of its breath that was amplified and distorted by the heat. It made no effort in demonstrating its rage - Konrad could practically feel it emanating from the door itself, even with it being shock and heatproof.

"It's been a while, Ben," Dieter called.

Ferris didn't answer.

"Are you sure about this?" Konrad whispered.

"Just let me handle it," the bodyguard said softly.

He looked back to the door.

"Well? Are you going to say anything?"

Nothing.

"Getting enough exercise in there?"

There came a low, threatening infernal growl, a sound that made everyone carrying fire extinguishers on edge.

"Talk."

'Christ, that voice!' Konrad thought. Even though months had gone by he could still never could get over how terrifying and horrible it sounded.

"Huh. I expected more," Dieter said.

"Yeah? Well fuck you," Ferris said.

"Ahh, there's the Benny I know!"

"What do you want?" The molten voice demanded impatiently.

Dieter tsked. "Ben, Ben, Ben, of all the questions to ask, why did you have to ask that one? I'm disappointed," the bodyguard drawled. "I would have thought that would have been obvious by now given our history."

"Get to the fucking point!" The creature snarled through grit teeth. "Obviously you didn't come down here to check up on my health. That's what the geeks around here are for."

"Alright, Ben, alright," Dieter said. "I have a job for you."

Konrad cringed as Ferris chuckled, a wretched and grotesque sound that reminded him of grating coals.

"A job," the voice repeated. "Dieter, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly in any sort of condition to pull off anything."

"Actually, Ben," Dieter said, "the thing is, your condition is precisely what's needed in this situation. We need you to destroy something."

"Ahh, so you want a little arson."

"Of sorts."

"Why come to me? Plenty of third-rate losers around. Why not go to them?"

"Because this particular item is problematic. Very problematic."

There was a moment of quiet contemplation. Konrad heard the flames brush against the door and a hiss, as if Ferris' body was leaning into it.

"Do tell," Ferris said, his voice close enough to cause goosebumps to rise.

"My employer is having trouble with an artifact," Dieter said.

"Surprise, surprise," came the sardonic comment. "So the Tiger freaks found their way to you, did they?"

"Not at all. This isn't related to them. In fact, it has nothing to do with the artifacts you recovered. It's a different one."

"And who's makin' trouble? I'd like to shake his or her hand," the mercenary sneered. "Anyone who's working against the fat ferret is my kind of guy. Or gal."

Konrad watched as Dieter paused as he tried finding the proper words.

"He-" the bodyguard cut himself off, then spoke again, "His name is Spinal."

"'Spinal'?" Ferris repeated mockingly. "What's his last name, Column?"

"The only thing you need to know, Mr. Ferris," Konrad butted in, "is that he's an extremely dangerous individual and that he's very indiscriminate in terms of who or what he kills. He murdered seven thousand or so people in a single night. Men, women, children, animals...If you and he were to meet, he would not hesitate for a second."

The mention seemed to have perked the mercenary's curiosity and interest.

"Really?" he said. "Huh. I'm almost tempted to meet this dude face to face."

"I highly advise against that, Mr. Ferris," Konrad said. "In fact that's exactly the sort of thing we're trying to avoid right now. If you destroy this particular relic for us, Spinal will no longer be an obstacle."

"And if I refuse?"

Konrad glowered at the door.

"Now isn't the time for games, Mr, Ferris," he said.

"Who said I was playing games?" The infernal voice coolly replied. "Maybe I want this Spinal fella to come. Maybe I wanna meet him."

There was a long pause before he continued.

"But most of all," he said in a low voice, dripping acidly, "I want to watch you burn. I want to have a first-row seat to your screams. I want to see you as your whole crumby little empire comes tumbling down all around in a pile of ashes."

Konrad shook his head.

"It's a waste of time," he said. "He's not going to cooperate with us."

"Give me a chance, Baron," Dieter said. "Let me talk to him. Alone."

"Are you sure?"

The bodyguard nodded.

Waving the others back, Konrad receded, leaving him in front of the titanium door.

Dieter fidgeted with his lighter.

"Still there, D?" Ferris hissed.

"You betcha," he answered.

"Don't know why. Nothing's gonna change, so you might as well piss off."

"I can be persuasive."

"Yeah?" The molten voice retorted. "You have nothin' to offer me."

"That's where you're wrong, Ben," Dieter said. "We are in a position to help you. The only thing stopping us from doing so is you."

"And how do you intend to help me?"

"The eggheads want to construct a specialized suit and mask to help keep you stable."

"You think I don't know about that?!" Ferris snapped. "If you really want to help, let me die." There came a slight huff. "Please."

Dieter shook his head. "You know I can't do that."

"Then get the fuck out of here."

The bodyguard turned away, then halted mid-step. "By the way," he said, "congratulations."

"What are you talking about?"

"One of the chicks you banged showed up at the bar lookin' for ya," Dieter answered. "You're going to be a father."

There was a long, stunned moment of silence before the infernal voice spoke again.

"Which girl is it?"

Dieter smirked. "Oh? So you do care."

"WHO IS IT?!" Ferris yelled.

"Some college chick with blonde hair."

Ferris was completely speechless.

"Yeah, hard to believe, huh?" Dieter said. "Never figured you for a father."

When he failed to respond again, the bodyguard became annoyed.

"So how about it, Benny?" he said. "You help us with this little problem, and we'll help you with yours. Do we have a deal?"

There was a long, sharp intake of breath from the other side of the door, followed by a full chested growl.

"Like I have a fuckin' choice," Ferris said.

Dieter smiled. "Excellent!" He replied as he waved back to the Baron and the others.

"So he's agreed to do it, then?" the former asked.

"Yep."

"What did you say?" Jurgen asked.

"I just used a little persuasion," the bodyguard said with a shrug. "The mask, please?"

Pulling it from his cloak, Konrad handed the object to him.

"Get the extinguishers ready just in case," Dieter said to the researchers, then to another. "Open the door."

The man hesitated. "But-"

"Do it."

Giving a short sigh, he did as he was told, slid his key card into a slot then tapped onto a keypad on the wall. Motors whirred as the chamber opened, releasing hot air and thick fumes as Ferris stood there in all of his horrible incendiary glory. Konrad heard Jurgen's breathing quicken while the researchers around him anxiously eyed the fiery effigy, the nozzles of the extinguishers trembling in their hands.

"The item," Ferris barked harshly.

Dieter tossed the mask over to him. Catching it with one flaming hand, the entity studied it, then raised his head as the door began to close.

"HEY! What is this?!" he demanded.

"Safety precautions, Mr. Ferris," Konrad said. "I don't want people to get hurt when you use your newfound abilities on it. Once the door finishes closing, you can go to work."

There came a distorted watery snarl. "Fine."

Once the door was entirely sealed, Konrad nodded to Dieter.

"Okay, Benny," the latter said, "let her rip."

At that moment, there was a sudden loud boom. Around its frame, Konrad saw a glowing orange hue surround the door.

A researcher kept careful watch on a nearby monitor.

"Temperature is steadily rising, Herr Baron," he said nervously.

"We expected it to," Konrad said.

After five minutes, the hue died down.

"Well, Ben, how about it?" Dieter called out. "Is it done?"

"Give me a moment," Ferris replied.

There came another thunderous whoosh, the hue glowing hotter and brighter around the door frame as he redoubled his efforts.

"Temperature pushing over a thousand degrees Celsius," the researcher warned.

Time counted down as the light became brighter and brighter.

"Two thousand degrees, Herr Baron."

Konrad shifted in his seat worriedly. "How hot does it have to be for the bloody thing to melt?" he said in a low voice.

He could now feel a faint heat emanating from behind the door.

"Herr Baron he's now over three thousand degrees!"

"Let him continue," the aristocrat said with determination.

"Herr Baron if he continues at this rate he'll burn straight through!"

"Just a little longer!"

Konrad felt his hands become sticky with sweat as the temperature continued to climb.

"The chamber can't tolerate much more of this!"

Dieter nervously looked at him.

"I'm calling this off," he said. "BENNY, STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN THERE!"

"I CAN DO THIS!"

"BEN, STOP! NOW!"

Konrad watched as the hue died down completely, then shivered as cold came back into the hallway.

"Well?" Dieter said expectantly.

"See for yourself," came the gruff response.

The bodyguard motioned to the researcher, then waited as the door opened, the extinguishers primed and ready.

A great sweltering heat flowed out from the chamber along with massive amounts of steam. Ferris stood there glaring at them, holding in one hand the mask. To Konrad's horror, it remained unscathed, giving no signs of ever having been exposed to such ghastly temperatures.

"No luck," Ferris said as he tossed it to their feet.

A researcher reached down to pick it up, then gave a sharp yelp as he quickly withdrew his hand. The others sprayed onto it while another shut the door and hastily locked it.

Once they finished, Dieter nodded.

"I'll make sure the girl is taken care of, Ben," he said. "I promise."

Ferris said nothing on the other side as they carefully picked up the mask and studied it.

"Let me see," Konrad ordered.

Handing it to him, he stared at the ugly thing in wonder.

"Impossible," Jurgen muttered.

"Indeed," Konrad said in agreement.

"Not even a damn scratch," Dieter said.

Konrad turned it over in his hand, feeling along the thing's edges for some sign of a mark made.

Nothing.

"What the fuck is it going to take to destroy this thing?!" he said in exasperation.

Dieter glanced at the researchers around them as they talked amongst themselves. Konrad took notice, then turned to them.

"None of are you to mention anything that you saw or heard here," he directed. "Is that understood?"

"Jawohl," they answered in unison.

"Let's go," Konrad said to Jurgen and Dieter.

Konrad sat at the dining room table, cutting into his salmon.

"So much for your bright idea," he said bitterly.

Dieter shrugged. "It was worth a shot," he replied.

"And now we're back to square one!" Konrad snapped.

"Herr Baron, calm down," Jurgen said as he poured an orange juice for him. "We'll think of something."

The aristocrat shook his head doubtfully.

"I don't know, Jurgen," he said wearily. "I'm beginning to think we'll never be rid of these damn things."

Dieter tilted his head thoughtfully.

"You know," he said in reflection, "thinking about Gupte's beast, it would make for one heck of a weapon."

Konrad and Jurgen stared at him.

"What?" the bodyguard asked.

"I'll pretend that I didn't hear you say that," Konrad said.

"Oh come on, Baron," he said. "Surely the thought had never crossed your mind?"

"Not even once," he said as he took a bite from his plate and took a sip from his cup.

Dieter put his cigarette out into a nearby ashtray, huffing a plume of smoky vapor. "Maybe you should."

"Dieter, are you bloody daft?" Jurgen asked.

"No, just thinking with my brain," the bodyguard said.

"Then you should know that what you're suggesting is not only illegal, but also immoral," the butler said disapprovingly.

"Is it, though?" Dieter queried. "The idea of using animals for military applications is nothing new. Humans have been using them for centuries. The Romans used elephants and pigs in their wars. We have used dogs, pigeons, dolphins, cats, rats...hell, DARPA has been doing stuff with insects."

"But we're not talking about a dog or a beetle here, Dieter - this is a large predatory animal. Animals in general aren't exactly ideal weapons given their unpredictable nature. The CIA's "Acoustic Kitty" project is one such example," Konrad countered.

"True, but given the presence of human genes in Gupte's beastie, in theory it's possible to domesticate it."

"And what if it isn't? Hm? Even though chimps are ninety percent genetically similar to humans, that in itself doesn't mean that they're easily tamed. Even more, this animal possessing human DNA is also likely to create controversy, especially considering it had been done without the permission of a national ethics panel. I can't imagine watchdog groups like Human Genetics Alert just letting this slide."

"Well, you could always file for one."

"For the last time, I will not use this animal, nor will I ever, sell it as a weapon."

"But Baron, this creature is a goldmine waiting to be tapped!"

"And a highly virulent one!" Konrad snapped. "Even if domestication isn't an issue, I'm more than certain that the Geneva Protocol wouldn't turn a blind eye to its ability to infect other species and not label it as some sort of bioweapon."

"Baron," Dieter said pointedly, "this creature is too good an opportunity to pass off! Imagine, a weapon that can hunt and infect the enemy, creating more like it."

"And what would we do with these extra creatures?!"

"Catch them," the bodyguard said simply.

"Catch them," Konrad repeated. "And those after them? And those after? And those after? The way I see it, that would be more than a financial headache!"

"Well, when too many become a problem, you could have some sort of incendiary or explosive device implanted into some of them, thereby keeping them in check should there be too many."

"Oh that's a lovely idea!" Konrad said sarcastically. "Mail-order dinosaurs that are wired up with explosives! Every time a person has to make a call or press on their car alarm, pop goes a raptor! No possible way that could go wrong!"

"Perhaps you could have a clean-up crew to liquidate them. Bomb them out after they did their work. Plenty of ways to handle it."

"And what if civilians get caught in the crossfire?! What if some child gets eaten live on television or worse transforms before horrified audiences?" Konrad demanded.

"Collateral damage is to be expected in warfare," Dieter said.

"Ja, but even I have enough sense to realize that public opinion can be used against us!"

"Well, you could always create PA ads or propaganda material to alleviate and address those concerns, maybe show how the good outweighs the bad."

"And where will it end, Dieter?!" Jurgen spat. "Suppose that everything goes according to plan, and this is all approved. Where will it end?! People already have enough troubles in the world. Hatred for hatred, blades for blades, bullets for bullets, bombs for bombs, and now you are proposing to add another horror in the amphitheater of war, one that could lay foundations for future horrors."

"Everything has consequences," Dieter replied evenly. "Especially in doing nothing."

He straightened himself. "The thing, Baron, is that you don't have a choice, unfortunately. The reality of your situation is that as long as Gupte's animal is still alive, eating, shitting and breeding, it's going to cost you house and home. You are having enough troubles just trying to find a cure. And that's not even going into the potential costs for Spinal, Ben or Glacius. Or in maintaining your home with all the labs, personnel and equipment. So, if I were you, I'd think long and hard about this before being dismissive."

Dieter rolled his neck.

"It's easy to get caught up in the bad, but who knows? Perhaps with this creature's introduction into the world it will help advance medicine and technology," he said.

Konrad sat there quietly, digesting his points.

"I will take your proposal under consideration," he said slowly, "but I have an alternative solution for this - we force the creatures to fight in the Killer Instinct tournament."

"Herr Baron, surely you can't be serious," Jurgen said.

"I am," Konrad affirmed. "We use the tournament as a way of hiding their existence. To the rest of the world, it will all be men in suits, CGI and special effects, and we will carefully tailor everything to show that to be as such. If they happen to escape and/or someone somehow catches footage of them, perhaps even deciding to post them online on sites such as YouTube, we can negate that by copyright-claiming their footage or by issuing a cease and desist. Meanwhile, the creatures will fight and kill each other, thereby allowing us to finally be rid of these goddamn things once and for all, with no one being the wiser."

"And where will you get the equipment and the personnel to shoot this insane plan of yours?" Jurgen demanded. "Even more, where are you going to shoot this? The arena collapsed, in case you had forgotten, destroying all the equipment there!"

"We'll buy a camera of our own and shoot and record it ourselves."

Jurgen stared at him, then shook his head.

"This is outrageous," he said. "You promised that Spinal wouldn't ever be allowed near the tournament."

"I know," Konrad said wearily, "but we don't have that many options, mein freund."

"I wholly object to this."

"If you have any ideas, Jurgen, then please, tell me!" Konrad pled. "I'm begging you. What should I do?"

"Dump the creatures into the deepest rock or ocean and just be done with them," Jurgen said firmly.

"You know I can't do that. You know of the risks behind that!"

"Just as I know of the risks behind what you're proposing. Everything comes with risk, Herr Baron. You of all people should know that."

"Jurgen, having them in the tournament will make monitoring them that much easier," Konrad reasoned. "We'll have more control of the situation."

"What you're proposing, Herr Baron, is obscene and barbaric," Jurgen said.

"I know that!" Konrad retorted. "But doing so has less chance of exposure and we can prevent further loss of life as opposed to just shipping them off and hoping that something doesn't go wrong!"

Jurgen stared at him quietly for a moment.

"Do what you feel is right, Herr Baron," he said at last. "Just don't compromise your soul."

Konrad gave him a slow nod as he picked up a forkful of salmon.

"I won't, Jurgen," he vowed. "I promise I won't."

"Camera's ready, Baron."

"Finally," Konrad said.

Gupte gave him a contemptuous and disgusted glance.

"I absolutely disapprove of this, Herr Baron," she said. "This is absolutely appalling."

"I know, Herr Doctor," he replied, "but hopefully this will just be the one time."

Konrad looked around the labs next to the cell. He had given orders for everyone within the labs to get clear so that he and Dieter did this uninterrupted and unseen. Satisfied that no one was around, he looked back to the bodyguard.

"Are you ready?"

"Hell no," Dieter replied.

"Open the door," Konrad said to Gupte.

"Nein."

He stared at her. "I said, open the door."

"Do it yourself," Gupte said as she stormed off.

Konrad then looked in his bodyguard's direction.

"I'll do it," he said reluctantly.

Once he finished unlocking, he opened the cell door.

Inside, the creature lay coiled up like some sort of python, studying them. Beside it were a kiddy pool filled with dirty water and smatterings of dried blood on the walls and floor, the only thing that remained of the various goats and sheep that had been bought for it.

"Gaaw," Dieter winced, turning away in disgust and plugging his nose. "This thing fuckin' stinks!"

"I know it does," Konrad agreed, "but hopefully after this, it will be the last time we'll ever have to put up with this."

"Let's do this quickly, 'cause I don't know how much of the smell I can take," the bodyguard said as he wiped his eyes. "You have the artifact?"

Konrad answered by taking the mask out from his cloak.

"We'll still need to get Spinal down here."

"I'm going to try something."

"Try something?" Dieter repeated, puzzled. "What are you-"

"Just make sure the camera is ready for filming," Konrad said impatiently.

"Alright," Dieter said as he went to the mounted camera on a tripod. "Lights. Camera. Annnnnd...action."

A red light flickered on, indicating that it was recording.

Raising up the mask, Konrad stared ahead, visualizing where the creature should appear and how. In front of the two men, a shaft of green light erupted from the floor.

Dieter glanced up, startled. "What the-"

"Keep quiet," Konrad whispered.

Inside the cell, the serpentine creature stirred, its slit eyes narrowing as it gave a low growling hiss in warning.

From the ether, a chillingly low disembodied voice spoke one word in invocation.

"SSSSSSPIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!"

From the green inferno on the floor, a cutlass-wielding bony hand pushed up into the air as the rest of the creature emerged, its skeleton reconfiguring before the duo, roaring at the cell's captive. Inside, the serpent raised itself from the floor and roared back, baring its monstrous viper-like fangs in challenge.

"Kill it," Konrad commanded quietly.

Once that command had been given, Spinal took two jerky halting steps forward, then burst into a run on the third, maniacally laughing as he charged. The two creatures clashed violently with each other, the battle long and brutal as they wrestled each other for dominance, with Spinal repeatedly stabbing into the serpent and the serpent biting, clawing and spitting wildly at him before it was pushed back. Roaring in frustration at being confined by its manacles, the serpent launched itself into the air and curled itself into a ball, slamming itself down onto Spinal like a wrestler before springing back up like a kangaroo, its hind feet knocking the skeleton off the floor against the wall. As it did so, the chains snapped from the wall.

"Shit, it's managed to get itself loose from the chains!" Dieter said in alarm.

"Keep shooting," Konrad said. "Come on, Spinal, kill this goddamn thing already!"

Spinal struggled to get back up as the creature pressed a clawed foot on his chest. As the serpentine maw came down to bite down on his head, he disappeared in a column of green light, taking it with him as they both reappeared, the two creatures crashing down violently on the floor beside each other. Recovering, the two resumed.

Throughout his life, Konrad had seen all manner of fighting, be it in tournaments, on the streets or in movies. Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, T.J. "Combo" Garret - all had been absolutely magnificent to watch, but what Konrad saw before him was beyond anything he'd ever seen or experienced. There was nothing balletic or graceful about either the fighters or their movements, it was just frantic, bloody mindless chaos. Time had been rewound several million years back, before rationality and intellect were born, when tooth and claw were the only rules available.

Konrad wanted desperately to look away, but part of him was mesmerized and enthralled by it all, which in turn made his stomach churn in horror and self-disgust.

Before him, both creatures were the worst for wear; Spinal's bones were fractured in places with a few teeth missing while his serpentine opponent was covered in various cuts, oozing purple blood freely. Both unsteady on their feet, they took turns swiping at each other, lasting only a few minutes before the serpent collapsed unconscious onto the floor. Tossing his head back, Spinal's laugh echoed off the cell walls.

"He got it!" Dieter said.

Konrad watched as the animal's side heaved.

"Kill it," he ordered.

Turning around to face him, Spinal gave him a mocking hateful look.

"Come on," he demanded. "I said finish it."

The skeleton stepped toward its fallen opponent, staring down at it, tilting its head, quirking its jaw. Putting his sword down against a wall, he then bent toward the animal.

Konrad blinked. "What-"

Hoisting the serpent up, Spinal then draped the unconscious animal off of his bony shoulders like some sort of scarf or coat, then started to strut proudly around, appreciating and petting his newfound "garment". *

Konrad stood there gawking in disbelief while Dieter howled with laughter as the skeleton moved into various poses like a fashion model, staring down at itself.

"Meh," Spinal shrugged as he then casually tossed the creature off his shoulders onto the floor in an indelicate heap.

"Alright," Konrad said amidst Dieter's chuckles. "You had your fun, now finish it."

The skeleton just stood there. Konrad was starting to lose patience.

"I said finish it!" He commanded.

Spinal picked back up its cutlass, then raised it over its head. At that exact moment, the animal sprung back to consciousness, lashing out with its tail, tripping the skeletal warrior. Pushing itself unsteadily up, the serpent stared down at its opponent, then, with a mighty swing down from its tail, crushed his skull into tiny pieces. Rearing up its head, the serpent let out a primal roar in victory before lowering it back down to face Konrad and Dieter themselves.

"This isn't good," the latter said.

The serpent took a step toward them both, then started to charge.

Konrad and Dieter flew forward and slammed the cell door shut, barely having enough time to lock it as the animal battered away to get to them, letting out daemonic howls of frustrated fury and hunger. After several attempts to get out, there came a loud snort, followed by a hiss.

"Goddamn, that thing is tough!" Dieter commented.

"Hn," grunted Konrad.

Beside them, a green aura appeared on the floor. Konrad watched as Spinal pulled himself out from the ground.

"What do you say, Baron?" Dieter asked. "Do you want to try again?"

"Nein," Konrad said. "I don't like the odds, especially with the animal loose in its cell. We'll need someone to tranquilize it and fix its chains as soon as possible - it's a fucking disaster waiting to happen. For now, let's get this little shit back upstairs before anyone spots us."

Once the duo finished in their task, they climbed down from the attic.

"That was some trick you pulled down there with summoning Spinal," Dieter said. "How did you do that?"

"I just visualized where and how he should appear," Konrad answered.

"Did you already know that it could do that?"

He shook his head. "Nein."

"So what made you do it?"

He shrugged. "Part of me was curious."

"Have you tried doing the same with its shape-shifting abilities?" Dieter asked. "You know, see if it could assume whatever shape or form you wanted?"

Konrad blinked.

"Nein," he said simply. "That just...never occurred to me. I probably should investigate those aspects more."

Dieter leaned back in thought.

"You know," he said, "if you can bend it to your will, even going so far as to make it talk-"

"Assuming that is even possible," Konrad interrupted.

"If it can be bent and shaped according to your will," Dieter said undeterred, "there could be a way for you to be in the public eye again."

The aristocrat blinked.

"Huh?" he said, startled.

"Think about it for a moment," Dieter said. "A doppelganger - no, a puppet that you can control to look and sound like you. You need to be at somewhere important but can't get there? Use Spinal."

Konrad pursed his lips.

"Ja, that could work," he said slowly. "We'll need to do further studies on the subject. Excellent idea!"

Dieter smiled.

"Glad you approve," he replied. "Will you need anything else, sir?"

"Nein," Konrad said. "I can manage on my own, thank you."

"Okay," Dieter said as he departed. "If you need anything just let me know."

Settling into his wheelchair, Konrad's cellphone went off. "Hallo?"

"Mr. Chairman?"

Konrad's ears perked when he heard David Kellog's voice.

"Hello, David," he said into the phone. "You have news?"

"Yes," said David. "After careful examination of your documents and research, the Board and I have agreed to approve your project."

"YES!" Konrad cheered.

"I'm glad to hear the excitement in your voice, Mr. Chairman," David said. "The Board has high hopes for you. Don't let us down."

"I won't. You can be sure of that," the aristocrat assured.

"Excellent."

Just as Konrad was about to hang up, David then added, "By the way, have you heard about Dr. Gupte's new project?"

He hesitated.

"Project? What project?" he asked.

"Gupte wants to present something to the Board. She has been very hush-hush about what it is, but she claims that it will revolutionize everything," David answered. "She has also applied for a patent on a new cell line."

Konrad considered his words.

"Did she, now?" he replied. "Well, that is curious."

"Indeed," David agreed. "I' ll be interested to see what she has."

"So will I," Konrad said. "Anyway, thank you for sharing the good news, David. I'll talk to you later. Auf Wiedersehen."

"Goodbye, Mr. Chairman."

As Konrad hung up his phone, suspicion crept into the corner of his mind, followed by a sinking feeling.

'What are you playing at, Herr Doctor?' he wondered.

As time passed by, further developments continued to be made at the Sabrewulf household.

Konrad had spent some time putting together a team for Project Fulgore along with some design plans for the machine itself.

Candidates were thoroughly screened and forced to sign contracts in order to ensure secrecy, especially when it came to the anomalies living under his roof. Looking at the notes for the Kilgore project, Konrad felt a certain level of distaste for its design.

A crude, ball-jointed thing with a bulky head with some loose wires at the back, the Kilgore prototype had no facial features save for a glowing red cyclopean eye, a red straight line that was indelicately placed at the center of a helmet. Konrad wasn't eager to repeat that design detail.

He wanted this newest machine to stand out and take peoples' breaths away.

Taking some cues from the Theseus androids and some of the armor in his castle, Konrad determined to make it a follow-up of sorts to the former; in the same way the Theseus androids were made to resemble Greek hoplites, Project Fulgore would resemble a medieval knight, complete with a helmet plume. Unfortunately, Mathison, the project director that Konrad had selected personally for the project, had been less than enthused about the idea and insisted on drawing inspiration from Japanese ninjas, making the design lithe and agile-looking with a ponytail and a pair of kage claws on its wrists, arguing that it would inspire intrigue. Konrad argued against it, pointing out that having the machine designed after a medieval knight would inspire feelings of assurance and safety. The two butted heads with each other over its design, at one point threatening to come to blows. Once they took some time to cool down, a compromise was made. As a result, Project Fulgore incorporated elements from both.

In order to increase Project Fulgore's chances of success, much effort was made in studying the enigmatic relationship between Homo Glacies and its metallic biomechanical shell. There was a great deal of overlap between the various projects; by researching Project Cinder's ability to phase through walls and objects, for example, were the researchers able to properly research Spinal's methods of transport and its energy source. Meanwhile, extensive studies had been carried out on Spinal's ability to somehow channel heat into its blade along with Cinder's ability to turn invisible, with both properties then incorporated into Project Fulgore. Research into both creatures in turn led to decoding more of Homo Glacies' genetic code, but after several impressive strides forward, they hit a roadblock in the form of several more protein chains and impenetrable cell wall structures that left even the most brilliant biologists amongst Konrad's researchers stumped.

Meanwhile, Konrad's dreams continued to worsen.

Every night was some horrible experience that made him wake up in cold sweats and nausea, and no matter what he did, whether it was having a glass of milk or water, exercise or reading a book, it brought nothing but terror. It became such that he had to take sleeping pills.

In his dreams, Konrad was back at the arena, back when Spinal made his horrible debut and had summoned that massive beast, but what made these dreams particularly terrifying was that Konrad had witnessed it all from the perspective of the consumed.

As its maw opened, Konrad was slowly dragged alongside the other audience members.

Men, women and children were screaming and crying as they were forcibly moved into the creature's gullet by dead security guards and strange shadowy figures that resembled winged faceless humanoids with horns. No matter how much he struggled, Konrad was unable to break free from his captives.

Usually, it would have been around here that he would burst wide awake in a panic, but each night he found himself drawn closer and closer until he descended, where he saw a great, sprawling, tenebrously desolate and alien landscape that was cloaked in perpetual shadow. What light existed in certain places was unnatural in color, with flames that either glowed a strangely lemon green or a harsh crimson.

Once everyone had been taken, Konrad bore witness to all manner of unspeakable horrors; in his dreams, the audience members were being hollowed out by the shadow figures, their various organs removed, devoured, used for blasphemous arcane rituals while their various parts were used to build shrines and temples, even other bizarre creatures. The leftover skins and bones themselves became nothing more than bodysuits for these beings.

Amidst all this horror, Konrad sensed something.

It was subtle at first, but as the dreams progressed in their intensity, the more Konrad became aware of some sort of presence that lurked somewhere in the background beyond his periphery, never in full view, although he might catch a glimpse from the corner of his eye. Multiple presences, in fact. Despite never having a clear view of anything, the aristocrat had sensed something enormous brush past him. It almost felt as if it had reached out for him before abruptly stopping and pulling away. Once he felt it leave, Konrad awoke screaming.

When morning came, Konrad stared tiredly down at his breakfast.

"You look terrible, Herr Baron," Jurgen said as he poured him a fresh cup of coffee.

"I've been having trouble sleeping," the aristocrat replied.

"Is it those nightmares again?"

He nodded.

Jurgen shook his head. "We have to do something about this, Herr Baron" he said. "This is not normal."

"Ja, I'm quite aware of that, thank you," Konrad said in a bitter voice.

"Perhaps you should seek help from a therapist."

"Absolutely not!" Konrad said resolutely.

"Herr Baron, you've been waking up screaming!"

"I know that!" He said in frustration.

"So why not get professional help?"

"Because I don't want to be called crazy!" Konrad retorted. "You don't think something like this wouldn't affect my position at the company? David would love hearing about this! It would give him grounds to relieve me of my position. I'd be forced to resign!"

"Well," Jurgen said slowly, "perhaps it would be better if you had."

Konrad glared at him. "Ohhh, I see," he said. "Now it comes out. I see what you're doing."

"What are you talking about?" Jurgen demanded.

"You don't think I know what you're trying to do?!" Konrad said angrily. "This isn't about concern for my health, it's jealousy!"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"AM I?!" Konrad roared. "You've always been jealous of me, Jurgen! Always! Ever since we were children you despised me for having wealth! You wanted everything I had, but you couldn't! You hated that you and your family were servants to mine! You might try to pass yourself off as some sort of Mother Theresa, the "generous" hard-done-by saint who asks and wants for nothing, but the truth is you couldn't be happier and ask for more! You love having power over me! You love having the knowledge that I am vulnerable and under your thumb! You don't want to see me recover, NO! You want to see me ruined! It gives you pleasure seeing me being screwed over again and again and again! DON'T YOU DENY IT!"

Jurgen stonily stared at the Baron.

"How dare you?" he said lowly. "After all these years, how can you say such cruel things? If I really had wanted to see you ruined, why didn't I report some of your outrageous behaviour? Wasn't I always there when you needed me?"

"Someone play me a violin," Konrad retorted.

The butler stood there for a long time, not saying a word. When he finally spoke, his voice became cold and icy.

"You can go to hell."

As he turned around to march out the door, Konrad grabbed his cup and threw it in his direction. Ducking down as it crashed, Jurgen kept low as the Baron tossed the other items from his tray, pelting him with toast, bacon and eggs before more items crashed noisily around him.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Dieter said as the door opened, ducking quickly as a saltshaker smashed just a few feet above his head. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"You are a lunatic, Herr Baron!" Jurgen said heatedly. "A goddamn lunatic!"

"GET OUT!" Konrad roared.

As Jurgen slammed the door behind them, the aristocrat sat there on the bed, his form trembling with anger. Looking down at his clenched fists, he casts his eyes around. He wanted to hit something. Anything. Anyone. Getting up, he checked around for a bottle of alcohol. Letting out a stream of curses in German, he kicked the mattress, then collapsed back down.

"Christ I wish I had a drink."

Later, Konrad sat in his office, studying the Tibetan scroll and statue. He squinted at the markings, trying to make heads or tails of the writing. A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," he said.

He watched as Dieter stepped inside.

"Something you need?" Konrad asked.

"No, not really," the bodyguard replied. "Just checking up. Everything okay, boss?"

"I'm fine."

"You want to talk about what went down with Jurgen?"

Konrad said nothing.

"Baron?"

"What's to tell?" Konrad said wearily. Glancing up at him, he gave him a curious look. "How's Jurgen?"

"Pissed. I've never seen him so angry."

He grunted in acknowledgement.

Looking curiously at the items on his desk, Dieter eyed them. "So what are you doing?"

"Nothing much," Konrad said. "I'm trying to decipher the writing on this, but there's a problem."

"And what's that?" Dieter asked.

"I don't speak or read Tibetan," he answered.

Dieter looked at him the moment he said that.

"But...if you hadn't known, how did you know that those items were real?" he queried.

"The same way I knew that mask was authentic, Dieter - I felt something."

"Have you tried asking Tyler to translate it?"

"Mr. Zhou doesn't speak Tibetan, unfortunately," Konrad replied. "Only Mandarin, Cantonese, English and Thai."

"Oh," Dieter said simply.

The aristocrat eyed him. "I don't suppose you know Tibetan, per chance?"

"Sorry, Baron," Dieter shook his head. "Only Asian language I know is Thai."

Konrad blinked. "Really?" he said interestedly. "I never knew that."

"Yeah," the bodyguard said as he took out a cigarette. "I picked it up from an ex-girlfriend named Sadira. Psycho bitch from hell, but man the sex was amazing."

Konrad winced. "Too much information."

The bodyguard shrugged as he lit a match and smoked.

"Having trouble sleeping?" he asked.

Konrad scoffed. "It's that obvious?"

"Yep."

He nodded.

"Stomach problems?"

"Bad dreams," Konrad replied.

"It'll pass. Just listen to some music, relax. Do stuff that takes your mind off things."

"I've been trying," Konrad said. "But no matter what, these dreams keep coming. Hell I'd rather stay awake than experience them."

"That bad, huh?"

"Worse."

"Well, maybe by examining those Tibetan artifacts it will take your mind off your troubles. You know, keep the mind busy and all of that."

Konrad lowered his chin in thought.

"What?" Dieter asked.

"...Do you suppose, Dieter," Konrad said slowly, "that I had been meant to find these items?"

"What makes you say that?"

Konrad then told him about the dreams, not leaving out a single detail. Once he finished, Dieter shook his head.

"Christ, no wonder you've been screaming in the middle of the fuckin' night," the bodyguard grumbled. "That's some fucked up shit!"

"Indeed," he nodded. "What do you think?"

"I think you're putting too much stock in this hocus-pocus crap."

"Surely some part of you must, especially considering everything that has happened since the tournament."

Dieter frowned. "Supposing that you had been intended to find those damn things. Why? What purpose would that serve?"

Konrad frowned. "I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe the mask responds to a particular user, thereby activating Spinal." He inclined his head thoughtfully to the side. "If so, that could explain why there haven't been other occurrences prior to my getting it."

"As far as you know," Dieter said.

Konrad shrugged. "Touché."

He glanced up curiously at Dieter.

"Out of curiosity, have you heard about Gupte's latest project?" he asked.

The bodyguard shook his head.

"That's news to me," he said.

"Hm."

Konrad looked at the clock. "I better be off," he said. "I have an appointment with Mr. Zhou."

"Okay," Dieter said. "If you need anything, just holler."

As the bodyguard departed from his office, Konrad glanced down at the Tiger statue, its gold fangs gleaming in the light.

"The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own, but as the rain enters the soil, the river enters the sea, so tears run to a predestined end. Now you will have peace for eternity."

Konrad watched the scene morosely with glass of wine in hand. As the movie ended, he took a long gulp.

The knock came.

"Come in."

Jurgen entered, his face stoic.

"Is it safe to come in?" he asked.

"Ja, Ja. It's fine," Konrad replied.

The butler entered with a food tray.

"I brought you dinner," he said, refusing to look at him.

"Thank you."

"I thought you hated this movie," Jurgen said.

"I do," Konrad said as he raised his glass, "but there are some parts that are truer than others."

"Such as?"

Pausing mid-drink, he lowered it down, staring despondently to the ground.

"The sense of futility," he answered.

Jurgen watched him. "Herr Baron?"

Konrad looked up at him. "...Tell me, Jurgen...is this how it would always end for those afflicted with this...thing that I have?...No happy endings?...No...no hope of ever becoming normal? A cold pitiless death?"

Jurgen put a hand on his shoulder. "Nein," he said. "This isn't the movies. Even though you are an enormous pain in the ass... you deserve better than this, Herr Baron. One day you will beat this."

"And if that day never comes?" Konrad asked. "If I end up becoming my father?"

The butler was silent for a moment, then simply squeezed his shoulder.

"One step at a time, Herr Baron," he said as he put his tray down onto Konrad's lap. "Have your food and get some rest."

Picking himself up, Jurgen turned around to leave.

"I'm...I'm sorry," Konrad said weakly. "For this morning."

Giving him a nod, Jurgen quietly exited the room, leaving the Baron alone as he somberly ate.