No one's PoV

They had heard everything from the stairs that they were perched on. The children were ordered  to stay in their rooms and to not venture downstairs because their caretakers were expecting guests in one room that was forbidden for them to play in. Samantha Maxis mused earlier to the others that it reminded her of the story that her father read to her sometimes about the Virgin Mary warning the little girl in the story about the thirteenth door that she should never open. Nonetheless, Samantha desperately wanted to go into the room that held the meeting, just like the little girl in the story did.

"It isn't like Hell is behind the door, Sam.", the young Tank Dempsey mumbled. He stared intently at the door. "That's not how this story will go."

"So, what do you think they're talking about?", Samantha pondered aloud, as she scratched her dog, Fluffy, behind her ear.

"From that sneak peek of those monsters, it could be anything.", the young Nikolai Belinski replied as he sat next to the young Takeo Masaki. Takeo nodded and slowly got up to his bare feet. "We cannot linger here anymore. It sounds like they are almost done with their meeting."

"Agreed. We must go upstairs now, my friends.", the young leader of the group, Edward Richtofen, said. Everyone nodded as they rose to their feet and began to walk upstairs. 

"And just where do you think you're going?", a new more mature voice spoke. The children had just made it to the second floor when they all gasped as they looked downstairs, meeting the angry eyes of a grown Tank Dempsey. When Tank Dempsey and the man that possessed many rings on his fingers came out earlier, the children hid until they heard the front door open and close. They weren't expecting him to come back, especially in the state that the other man was in. Now Tank Dempsey, a man that could clearly intimidate anyone, was standing at the bottom floor glaring up at the children. They all stood there, dumbfounded, as Tank crossed his muscular arms over his chest. "Don't make me tell Maxis and Monty that you kids aren't in your rooms."

Believing that he was the best choice to speak to him, the child version of Dempsey spoke up. "We just wanted to know what you guys were doing in there."

Tank Dempsey widened his eyes slightly, not expecting that response from someone like, well, himself. He sighed, walking up the stairs to meet the children as Fluffy slightly growled at him. He ignored the dog as he kneeled down on one knee, making it easier for him to see their faces. "Can't really say anything about it, kids. Even I don't know what the hell just went down in there." He scratched his chin as he looked away from them.

"Mr. Dempsey?" Samantha placed her small hand on top of his large, gloved one. He turned to her, waiting patiently for whatever she had to say. "Yeah?"

"Are we safe?"

Again, Tank Dempsey wasn't expecting that.

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~Earlier that day~

Wunderbarer Traum

Nero's PoV

"Lock him up.", Tank Dempsey ordered as he shoved me towards Bertram. I looked back at Dempsey with pleading eyes as he was the one to be trusted more than Dr. Monty and the others. He didn't meet my gaze as he turned away quickly, leaving me at the hands of Bertram and his fellow guards.

"Dummkopf.", Bertram mumbled as he watched Dempsey leave. He glared down at me before shoving me to two larger men. As I regained my balance, I looked up to see Bertram's cruel eyes on me as he advanced closer to me. "Let's have some fun, Magic Man."

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~Sometime after dark~

As my beaten body hit the cold pavement floor of my cell, I spat out the metallic mixture of blood and spit that I nearly choked on. The metal bars closed behind me with a clang as I heard Bertram roar with laughter at the sight of my damaged body.

Only the suffering of others could make that man laugh so hard.

"I thought we could beat that damned Shadowman out of you." He chuckled as I let out a pained groan. I turned my head slightly and looked at him. "At least we showed you what will happen if you let him out." He turned turned on his heel and walked away, leaving me to writhe on the floor in pain.

I could still hear his laughter, even when the chain of metal doors were closed behind him.

"Why?", an all-too familiar voice whispered to me. 

Despite his past actions, I would never admit to another soul that the Devil's voice was the most charming that I've ever heard in my years of life.

I shook my head out of the trance as I tried to prop myself onto my elbows, which caused more pain to pulse into my upper body. I cried out as I fell back down, curling my body on the floor. When my tears fell, I knew that I finally reached my breaking point.

I was aware that my cries were loud enough for the others to hear, but in a place so inhumane, our audible suffering became common like the birds chirping. But even their gentle songs were rare compared to the sounds of a guard's batton colliding against a poor soul's flesh. 

"So inhumane.", I whispered to myself, closing my eyes at last.

"Why must you fight me, Nero?"

"Leave me be.", I growled, clenching my eyes tighter. "You cannot trick me again."

"I needed you and the rest of your group to help me. You used to obey me."

"Because I wanted my freedom.", I snapped, letting out another groan of pain.

"I can give you freedom, Mr. Blackstone. I, the Shadowman, can offer you salvation. After all, your body can only take so much."

I lifted my body, attempting to ignore the pain and the Shadowman's voice. As I slowly got to my feet, which took every ounce of my raw energy, I limped towards my bed. "Damn your salvation.", I hissed, before holding onto the metal bar of my bed post for support.

"I simply don't understand your kind. You're always thinking that you can go on, when in all honesty, you simply can't."

I shook my head at his words, narrowing my eyes. "You would never understand, you monster."

"Perhaps I can. After all, I have to put up with you."

I laughed bitterly at him. "You could always leave. You could choose these other souls here."

"I've been in your body for a while for me to simply just leave." He chuckled. "Besides, it's fun to see your endurance. It reminds me of myself."

This caught my interest in the charming demon inside of me. "How?", I asked slowly.

"Over the years, even before your kind's existence, I struggled for power among my brethren. After all, I was a bit of a late bloomer when the Apothicons took me away from the Keepers. Our purpose is to feed upon life itself. Without it, we'd simply die off. With life, you have power over it. Unfortunately, some of the Apothicons couldn't compete with the competition and as a result, they gave up, a mere memory to the rest of us. I nearly gave up because at one point, I was too weak to continue on. When it seemed that I would succumb to a new kind of darkness, the overlords finally noticed me and they pitied me. It was decided among themselves that I would take their role as their harbinger. And with my new position, I traveled to different universes for my kind to feast and gain more of life. I brought us out from the dark ages as a beacon of a new time for the universes out there; universes to conquer and consume."

"Couldn't you have pity over the mortals that inhabit them?", I asked, disgusted in his moral of life. I may have killed someone else, but I would never think to take out an entire universe.

"I'd like to think it's a universal food chain, Mr. Blackstone. The Apothicons as the dominant species, while the humans are at the bottom."

"And Dr. Monty said you were a 'charming' and 'kind' individual.", I mumbled as I lowered myself onto my bed, hissing at the pain that came from my lower body.

"Oh, my simpleminded friend, you really don't get it. Dr. Monty is a liar. A man that goes by so many names that your kind fears. Beelzebub, Lucifer, Satan, The Devil, The Beast, and The Great Dragon are just a few names that just made your spine tingle."

I shook my head, waving one hand dismissively. "I've practiced dark magic in my years of sorcery. Those names seem like saints to me."

He chuckled. "Am I saint?"

I crossed my arms over my bloodied jumpsuit. I had yearned for my clothing that were made from expensive silk; crafted by the finest tailors from different parts of the world. The Shadowman may not have been a saint, but he had good taste in clothing.

"No, just a nuisance in my life.", I grumbled. "A man that enjoys to see a mortal's suffering."

The Shadowman tsk-tsk at me. "If I recall, I never laid a hand on you. Not in Morg City or Peru." He sighed, almost sadly. "I could help you to get out of here."

I was tempted, but I knew better to fall for the same mistake thrice. "Not a chance!", I snapped.

"You might as well, Mr. Blackstone. After all, I can simply take over even if you don't say my name."

I widened my eyes, trembling slightly. 

"You wouldn't dare..."

He seemed to have enjoyed my reaction as he chuckled low. "I don't like to force myself on anyone, but if you don't cooperate with me, I will do it."

"Shadowman!", I blurted out, realizing my mistake. I clamped my hand over my mouth, but I knew that it was already to late. As I looked down at the end of my bed, the all-too-familiar mist quickly made its way up to my body. 

"No, no, no!", I cried desperately as I tried to roll out of my bed. The mist held me in place on my bed as I twisted and turned, ignoring the pain that started to began, as the only thought that was on my mind was to escape. 

In a matter of seconds, I looked up at the stone ceiling in hopelessness as the purple mist soon covered my eyes. 

God, help us...

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The Shadowman's PoV

"As always, my simpleminded friend." I shook my head at how easy it was to manipulate even the most intelligent mortals. 

I looked down at my gloves, flexing my hands in and out, relishing in my time of freedom again.

"Now," I clasped my hands together. "My first step: Get my apprentice back."

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The Shadowman's been released! O.O

And he's on a mission to get WaW Richtofen back from Monty! And we all know where Monty is...

Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed! Be sure to vote, comment, and follow me! Bye <3