A Cold Wind In Hell

Chapter Four: A Little Tale

After breakfast, Sam was brought to the rec-room with Charlie and Angel Dust, the two sinners put in a game of foosball while Charlie monitors. And so far, Sam was in the lead.

"Man, I swear yer cheatin'!" Angel accused the Brazilian.

"No cheating here, friend." Sam said casually, readying another shot. "I AM quite good."

"Very impressive, Sam!" Charlie said with an eager smile. "You weren't kidding when you said you have skills!"

"Like I said, I'm good at it." Sam said with a smirk. "And the look on my opponents' faces is always rewarding."

"Show off." Angel grunted.

Taking satisfaction of Angel Dust's frustration, Sam smirked as he readied to continue playing, but he paused, feeling eyes watching him.

"Why don't you come out and stop hiding, Alastor?" He called out.

Charlie seemed confused, but before she could say anything, she saw the Radio Demon emerge from the shadows in the corner of the room, a toothy, shit-eating grin that could rival Sam's plastered across his face.

"My, sharp as always, I see, Sammy!" Alastor declared. "You haven't lost your touch!"

"Alastor, where were you yesterday?" Charlie asked with a pout.

"Private business, my dear." Alastor said with a wave of his finger. "No need to worry your pretty little head about it."

"Charlie did mention your name, but I wasn't expecting you to actually be here." Sam said, rubbing a finger against his chin. "What brings you here, Radio Demon?"

"Me? Oh, just enjoying the show, my good fellow." Alastor declared. "And when I heard from dear Charlotte of you coming in, I simply HAD to see for myself!"

"Given that Alastor has been assisting with running the hotel, I thought it'd be appropriate to let him know." Charlie said, rubbing her arm, almost guilty. "I hope that's okay with you…"

"No need to feel sorry, Charlie." Sam waved it off. "Just surprising that he'd help rather than do the exact opposite."

"I'm guessing you did work for him before?" Angel Dust asked.

"While I did the occasional bodyguard work, that was it." Sam stated. "I don't accept deals from shady people like him anymore." He then instinctively rubbing his right arm. "I learned that lesson the hard way in my old life."

"Well, how about we move on to Q and A now?" Charlie asked, eagerly pulling out a clipboard and pen.

"Sure." Sam nodded.

"Now, why don't we start with your life on Earth?" Charlie said. "Starting with your childhood."

"Don't you have my record already?" Sam asked with a chuckle. "Wouldn't it be easier to just look it up?"

"Well, I prefer hearing from your personal perspective." Charlie explained. "That way, I can get a better gauge of your mental state."

Sam considered this, then nodded, "Alright, what do you want to know?"

"Start from the beginning." Charlie insisted. "About your life in the human world.

Thinking for a moment, Sam sighed.

"I was born and raised in Brazil," He began. "For the longest time, it was just my father and I, my father running a dojo in Brazil; the Rodrigues New Shadow School, a Kenjutsu dojo, the same dojo I trained at since I was young, my father teaching the Uradachi technique, better known as Satsujin-ken or rather 'the murdering sword'."

"That's impressive, Sam!" Charlie said with a smile, quickly writing things down. "You must have been quite the swordsman!"

"Oh, he looks like he could any sword, alright.~" Angel Dust purred with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"What exactly is this 'murdering sword' technique?" Charlie asked.

"It dealt violence as an end goal." Sam said. "Eventually, I did inherit the family sword; Murasama, a beautiful, crimson red blade."

"How interesting." Alastor remarked, that grin never leaving his face.

"So, tell me what happened to make you go down the beaten path." Charlie requested.

"It happened one day, when my father was cleaning the dojo." Sam said with a heavy sigh. "He was killed by one of his own pupils…someone I had once considered my best friend."

"That's terrible!" Charlie gasped at this in shock. "Sam, I…I'm so sorry!"

"Why'd he do it?" Angel asked, genuinely curious. "Bet he was jealous and assumed your daddy was playing favorites."

"Orders from the cartel, actually." Sam said with clenched fists. "Coward poisoned him; didn't even have the courage to face him in combat. I was forced to flee Brazil for a time, training myself before returning and killing the treacherous bastard in turn, then left Brazil entirely."

"Oh Sam…" Charlie felt horrible for the wandering samurai.

"For the longest time, I traveled, taking on odd jobs here and there," Sam went on. "Eventually gaining several nicknames, such as Minuano, but my most notable one was Jetstream Sam; The Cool Brazilian Wind."

"You've certain made some splashes, that's for sure." Alastor declared.

"So, you've lived your life as a mercenary, from the looks of it." Charlie said. "What happened then?"

Sam thought for a minute, putting down his pool stick and resting his hands on the edge of the pool table, an expression of pain clear on his face.

"After some time, I came across information about a Colorado senator conspiring with a company called World Marshall." Sam went on. "These men were sending soldiers to die from the comfort of an office, so I felt compelled to go after this senator." He then sighed. "He was no ordinary senator though; intelligent, charismatic, and determined in his beliefs; Senator Steven Armstrong was a force to be reconned with."

"Armstrong?" Alastor repeated, almost to himself. "Now that rings quite a few bells."

"Finally, I made my way to Armstrong, but he wasn't all talk." Sam said. "And just when I thought I had him beat…" He stopped for a minute, bringing a hand up to his right shoulder, as is feeling the phantom pain. "I was wrong; he ruined my arm, but recruited me anyways. Since then, I lost my pursuit of justice and became another desperado; Jetstream Sam, a Wind of Destruction."

"Oh Sam, that's horrible." Charlie said. "I can't imagine what you were feeling at that time."

"And for two years, I participated in missions alongside members of the group," Sam said. "All to commit an international incident to keep the war economy going." He then grinned a bit. "But then I met someone who reminded me of the man I used to be. He once went by Jack the Ripper, but he was now called Raiden; a pursuer of justice like I used to be."

He then brought his hand to his chest, where he was stabbed in his final moments, "I challenged his believe in justice, and I died in our final duel, leaving behind my sword that he might succeed where I failed."

"Looks like your last-minute redemption wasn't enough ta get ya in the pearly gates, eh?" Angel Dust snickered.

"I didn't do it for redemption." Sam said with a roll of his eyes. "I knew that no matter what, I'd end up down here anyways. I was prepared for it."

"Which brings me to my next question." Charlie said. "How did you end up with Cherri Bomb?"

"Ah, Cherri Bomb," Sam sighed, almost blissfully. "It happened the minute I dropped in…"

Three years ago…

Sam felt his body ache as he soon began to stir. His eyes cracking open, he could make out the surroundings around him, the large buildings and the red sky overhead, and the large, glowing purple pentagram in the sky. Feeling his headache, Sam brought a hand up, but his eyes widened at the sight; his hands looked more like paws than hands, and they're covered in spotted fur. Feeling himself over, the Brazilian man felt like he had completely transformed into an anthropomorphic animal! Luckily, he had robes nearby to cover up, but the situation still caused him great confusion.

"The hell…?" Sam said, almost to himself. "What is this?"

Before he could question anything further, he heard an explosion off in the distance. Curious, Sam ventured further, eventually spotting a large, mechanized blimp overhead, firing off several mounted weapons, causing serious damage to the surrounding city.

"Where'd the giant blimp come from?" Sam wondered aloud. "And why is no one doing anything about it?"

Looking over, he saw none other than Cherri Bomb throwing her bombs as best she could, but the blimp had some sort of anti-bomb missile that kept the bombs from getting close.

"Huh, looks like one eye there could use a hand." Sam mused. "Still, quite weird to drop into a city and things already go to hell."

Looking around, Sam saw a spear gun and some rope, and his lips formed a shit eating grin as an idea formed in his head.

Sir Pentious laughed maniacally as he flipped leavers and pressed buttons, firing off some of the blimps many guns and weaponry, as his many Egg Bois minions scramble around, doing various tasks.

"Those other lowly sinners are wise to not interfere with my takeover!" The snake-demon cackled. "Soon, I will take over all of Hell!"

"You're so cool, boss!" One of the Egg Bois declared.

"Nothing can stop the boss!"

"Can you shoot me with your death ray?!"

The snake-demon raised a brow at that last bit, but shrugged it off, but before he could resume his takeover, there was a knock at the door to the control room.

"Huh?" He looked towards the door. "Now who could that be?"

Slithering over, Sir Pentious opened the door, only to be grabbed and flung across the room, yelling as he fell to the ground, looking up to see Sam with his trademark grin.

"Pardon me, but I'm a little lost." He said. "Would you mind telling me where I am?"

Sir Pentious' confusion quickly turned to rage as he got up, "You have some damn nerve, coming up here and laying your hands on me! How'd you even get up here anyways?!"

"A spear gun and some rope were nearby." Sam shrugged. "Now, those directions?"

Already in a foul mood, Sir Pentious merely pulled out what looked like a ray gun and fired, Sam easily flipping to the side and now sat atop a wooden crate.

"Well, that's not very nice." He remarked, one leg over his knee. "Is that how you often greet new people?"

Growling, Sir Pentious fired again, and again, as Sam dodged every shot, before closing in and snatching the weapon from his hand and kicking him away.

"Aren't you a little old to be playing with toys?" Sam asked, almost mockingly, before throwing the weapon away.

"Egg Bois!" The snake-demon called out in anger. "Terminate this interloper!"

A large number of Egg Boi minions poured out, all holding a variety of weapons, all ready to massacre their enemy.

Sam's response? Just grin and shrug.

"Oh well, guess it can't be avoided." He said, cracking his knuckles. "Show me a good time, boys!"

He then rushed in, faster than the Egg Bois could react, then slammed a fist into one of them, smashing them to pieces and splattering them all over the walls. The other Egg Bois moved into attack, but Sam blocked or parried with ease, splattering the egg minions across the room, much to the snake-demon's displeasure.

"It's so hard to find good henchmen these days."

Just then, Sam finished off the last of the Egg Bois, now holding one of the discarded weapons, which was a spear.

"Come now, Snake Face." Sam taunted, twirling the spear in one hand. "Can't you fight your own battles without hiding behind your minions?"

Growling, Sir Pentious Pulled out a chain weapon, as Sam merely pointed the spear at him…only to then toss it up in the air then, as it came down, he kicked it, the spear flying and stabbing into the control panel of the blimp, causing the system to short circuit and the blimp started to plummet.

"You idiot!" Sir Pentious yelled, desperately holding on to the railing. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"I believe I do." Sam casually said, mock saluting him with two fingers before falling out from the large hole, free falling before grabbing hold of the rope still attached to the side of the blimp. Once it got closer to the ground, Sam swung off, landing on one of the rooftops, watching the blimp crash into the streets below. Chuckling, Sam jumped down to get a closer look, debris of the downed blimp littered about, before finding the snake demon laid out, coughing from the smoke.

"Now, mind telling me where I am after all that?" He asked casually.

Looking up, Sir Pentious' eyes widened with fear as the jaguar demon towered over him.

"W-Well…" The snake demon stammered, still shaken by what had just happened. "Y-You're in Hell."

There was a moment of silence, Jetstream Sam only looking back with a blank, wide eyed expression before saying, "Eeh, come again?"

Sir Pentious only raised a hand, pointing behind him, Sam looking back towards a large billboard sign.

Welcome to Hell! You're dead, so shut the fuck up and suck it up!

"Huh." Sam said, rubbing a finger and thumb against his chin. "Would've thought it was a giant Halloween celebration. Not what I was expecting Hell to look like."

Shrugging, he turned to face the still shaken Sir Pentious, "Get outta here, and you better not cause any further trouble."

The snake demon didn't argue as he quickly slithered away with some of his Egg Bois following behind.

"You sure that was a good idea?"

Sam turned to see Cherri Bomb approach, "He might cause more trouble."

"Eh, he seemed more useful alive than dead." Sam shrugged. "Besides, I just dropped in and needed directions."

"Well, why don't you ride with me for a while?" Cherri suggested. "I've been around for quite a while and know my way around. Plus, two heads are better than one. Especially in Hell."

Thinking it over, Sam shrugged, "Sure. I don't mind the company."

"First, let's see about getting you some clothes." Cherri suggested. "Then we can see about getting you a suitable weapon."

With that settled, the two walked onward, Cherri eying the new arrival up and down.

'He sure knows how to handle himself in a fight.' She thought, blushing at his muscular form. 'Strong AND sexy. I think I'll like him.'

Present…

"…And that's how I met Cherri Bomb and we began our spree as Hell's Bonnie and Clyde." Sam declared.

"Well, that's…awfully considerate of her." Charlie said in surprise. "Usually, she's not that type of gal."

"And I'm guessing you two had been tearin' up the bed sheets?" Angel Dust said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Indeed, we have." Sam nodded with a smirk. "We've been in quite the relationship since I dropped in; after every outing we'd crash onto the bed and make love like no tomorrow."

"So, what made you come here?" Charlie asked, hoping to change the subject.

"I just…got tired of the bloodshed." Sam sighed. "After everything that happened, I just want to lay my sword down for good."

Seeing the hurt in Sam's eyes, Charlie moved in close and placed her hand over Sam's, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Well, you've come to the right place, Sam." She said. "I assure you; we will help you overcome this and reach Heaven!"

Sam could see the sincerity in her eyes and smiled back, "Thank you."

Meanwhile, a hooded figure walked through the streets of Pentagram City, the sound of boots echoing with every step they take, before they stopped at an alleyway, looking down to see several sinner demons lounging about, before the figure then walked down, slowly approaching.

"Hey, look what we got here." One of the sinners declared with a wicked grin. "Someone done got lost."

"Ey, maybe we can show them the way out." Another suggested. "For a small fee."

"And a few broken bones." A third declared, cracking their knuckles.

The stranger said nothing, only standing in silence.

"Eh, mysterio!" The first one called. "You wanna get out? You'd better pay up in cash!"

The stranger finally looked up, their face appearing masculine, a reptilian face looking back in a dark expression, dark piercing golden eyes looking back, before he then pulled out what looked like a katana sheathed in a green and gold scabbard.

"Hey, we're talkin' to you, slim!" The lead sinner growled. "Didn't any tell ya-"

Suddenly, faster than the wind, the stranger unsheathed his sword and appeared on the opposite side of them, as though he had already swung his blade, the sinners appearing to be in shocked pain. Once the stranger had swung his sword to wipe the blood off, the sinners then fell to pieces, dead.

Throwing his black and green hair back with his free hand, the stranger moved on, leaving the mess behind.

"That's one less rabble to deal with."

And there's the new chapter! As promised, we get to see how Sam met Cherri Bomb and Charlie vowing to help him find peace within himself. And we see someone with similar sword skills to Sam, who may be a problem later on down the line.

Hope you guys look forward to more, I apologize if it seems rushed, I'm doing the best I can to fine tune it to make it seem natural and I hope the characters aren't too out of character, especially Sam, but I feel like, out of all of the Winds of Destruction, Sam would want redemption the most.

Anyways, hope you all enjoyed, and look forward to more! Reviews are greatly appreciated!