Chapter Two: Home 4/16/24

New York City, NY

Damian's doorbell rang, and a muffled female voice called to him. He couldn't move. He sat in his tub, arms across his brick, drenched chest as he shivered in his boxers from the night before. The steaming shower head streamed scalding water over him.

"Luis?" His sister Tanya's blurry form appeared in the doorway. "Luis!"

She was suddenly beside him on her knees. She cut the water and grabbed a fresh white towel from the shelf beside her. "Here," she draped it over his shoulders. "You're freezing. Let's get you dried and into something warm."

She took hold of his elbows and guided him to his feet. He let her lead him, drifting to his bed. He complied when she motioned him to sit. Glutes to mattress sent a jolt up his spine.

"Blood, everywhere," he murmured.

"What?" Tanya slicked back the long strands of hair that dripped over his face.

His sights fell on the sheets… the mad white, clean sheets. He stared, his state slipping into catatonia. They sat in ear piercing silence, and he couldn't do a damn thing to break it.

But Tanya could. "Are you hallucinating again?" she asked softly.

That woman was real! He could see her lying on his bed, smiling at him… with bold black lips and the hint of silver tongue ring… or soft peach glossed lips and lime green eye shadow… with shocks of midnight crowning her dark beauty… or coils of gold soft against pale features… with arms that could bench press him but chose gentility over brutality with him… or skinny limbs wrapped around him, tickling his back… Maybe the woman was real, but he never really saw her as he pined for Rhea. He shook his head.

Okay, so what if she were real? Then he killed her… or he hallucinated killing her and imagined the blood dripping down his headboard. Was he better off psychotic or killer?

He realized Tanya was staring at him, holding out one of his many black button-ups, fresh boxers, and a pair of slacks with rust-colored skulls on them. He accepted the pile, and she turned from him. He toweled off and dressed, moving efficiently and wordlessly.

Until the words were obvious. "I never hallucinated."

"Luis…"

"That was just what Mama said to spare our family my dishonor."

"What dishonor?"

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, his denial burning his brain. Of course, he hallucinated - and it wasn't the first time. But what he saw… he had to get away from Rhea.

Somehow, Damian ushered Tanya out of his apartment. He laid bundled in bed with his black comforter, staring at the ceiling. He was so, so cold.

As day faded to night, and his cell phone shrieked unanswered, Damian accepted a revelation. He had to show papa that he was as good for anything that he could show him - a man who was legendary, who was strong in all minds. He dare not hope to be a fraction of the man that papa was, never mind redeemed. But he had to keep scrapping to the death, erase at least an ounce of disappointment. He had to take revenge upon himself to squelch all riotous feelings. He had to leave Judgment Day.

"Guys," Damian said one day in the clubhouse. "I think it's time for me to leave."

JD dropped his game controller. Wide-eyed, Dom sat up straight.

"Holy shit!" Liv's exclamation from the doorway startled him. He had no idea she was even there. "You're retiring?"

Damian scoffed. "Fuck no! I'm 42!"

She held her hand to her chest and smiled. "Oh, well that's a relief!"

"What, are ya talking about leaving Judgment Day?" Finn shook his head. "What the bloody fuckin' hell, man?"

Damian gulped. "I just think it's not serving us anymore," he murmured.

"Bullocks!"

Damian narrowed his gaze on Finn. "Look, we said no leaders, right? But that's not what people are saying. That's why you need to go after me as a pack, and you need to go hard. It'll show 'em all what each of us are made of. No holds barred." Time for the Punisher to take his punishment, tempting la fuerza.

Finn scowled and crossed his arms. "Well, if that's what ya want," he muttered. "It doesn't make a shred of sense, but what the fuck ever."

"It kinda makes sense," Liv commented. Damian looked at his unlikely ally, who was hanging on the door frame. She made eye contact with him. "But you and Rhea both rule the roost."

Oh shit.

"So," she concluded, "wouldn't that mean you and Rhea would both need to leave?"

Damian's stomach dropped. Hands out flat, he shook his head. "No. No. Rhea stays… Well, I mean, we should ask her…"

"No way in hell will Rhea turn on you," Dom argued. "Even for kayfabe." He muttered under his breath, "No offense, Liv!"

"None taken," she replied. "Rhea knows we're good. And Damian, you know that Dom is right."

He did. He swallowed hard.

"Let's just play up the whole Dom and Liv bit," Finn suggested.

JD nodded. "Yeah! I think H is going to like this."

Shit. This conversation was running away from Damian, the whole thing one massive clusterfuck.

"Guys, I don't know," Dom scrunched his nose. "Rhea won't agree to any of this."

"So, it sounds like we're either ditchin' this plan, or we're not tellin' 'er what's coming," Finn declared, glaring at Damian.

The clubhouse fell silent, except for the instrumentals for the Chili Peppers' "Can't Stop" on JD's paused game.

"Do we take this to a vote?" Finn asked. "Who is for bootin' Damian and Rhea from Judgment Day and not breathin' a bloody word of it to Rhea?"

Finn and JD raised their hands simultaneously. Liv and Dom exchanged glances with one another, then looked to Damian.

"Who here is for letting sleeping dogs lie?" Liv asked, "And leaving Judgment Day as is, maybe adding me as a hot member like me?" She grilled Finn as she raised her hand.

Finn stood toe to toe with her. "Yer vote doesn't count! You're not in Judgment Day!" he sneered. He turned to Damian. "Look, it's either both of ya are out, or both of ya are in. Pick yer poison."

So, this was it. Damian furrowed his brow. This was how it had to go down. The only way to move away from Rhea was through deception.

"So again," Finn voiced, "who is for bootin' Damian and Rhea from Judgment Day and not telling Rhea?"

Liv lowered her hand and bit her lip. Dom crossed his arms. Damian's arm went up, his vote sealing betrayal to save her.