INT. THE DEMON’S OFFICE - NIGHT

FREEZE FRAME of Mr. Cortican at a desk on a laptop. Off to the side is Cyber with her small PDA jacked into her skull.

Malevolance is off to the side leaning against a wall.

The Reticle moves into the scene and --

UNFREEZE.

Cyber sighs and looks up at Mr. Cortican.

CYBER

Uh Mr. Cortican, we have spent days trying to squirrel anything to point out the creep creeping on our turf and nothing. Do ya think I can go home to my daddy now? He gets in all sorts of trouble when I ain’t got him by the balls.

MALEVOLANCE

The tripe has a point lover, I’m getting bored twiddling my thumbs and you know it is very dangerous when I get bored. Just let me hit the streets, I’ll find ya what you’re looking for faster than this dollop.

Mr. Cortican looks up, exasperated.

MR. CORTICAN

Malevolance, restrain yourself. And quit killing my guards when you think I’m not looking. And Melvin’s balls will have to accommodate themselves for now. We do not stop till we find a direction to pursue. Am I understood, ladies?

Malevolance gnashes her teeth, hand on whip.

MALEVOLANCE

You take all the gargle out of my mouth rinse lover.

Cyber is nodding. Suddenly, her eyes light up.

CYBER

I think I found something.

MR. CORTICAN

Do say.

CYBER

Yea, hacking the piggies system. Couple months before this started, there were killings. Seven poor bunnies, men being fished out of the water, near Shadow’s Down, their throats all Ginsued, exactly like The Candy Man. The coppers reports say all of them had been seen at clubs in previous weeks in The Bricks, all in the company of a woman, a dark haired beauty, who was also plucked out of the river at the same time as the 7th victim.

MALEVOLANCE

Boring. People are killed in this City every day. How’s this prove anything, priss? And a lot of blades in a lot of hands.

MR. CORTICAN

Malevolance, please. Go on.

Cyber smiles and sticks her tongue out at Malevolance.

CYBER

Well, cops are usually useless in this fucking town, but they actually did their delio on this crime. Granted it was ‘cause most of the dead men had connections had money. Still, they had some good clear footage of the woman.

Malevolance starts to throw another insult but Mr. Cortican silences her with a hand. Cyber smiles.

CYBER

I cross referenced the bitch’s image into a citywide database and low and behold lookie lookie at the cookie. A pretty picture of a guy in a hood with a blade in a man. Actually know the guy being put down, did some work occasionally for my daddy. Called himself Monster Cock, real dick, no pun intended.

(laughing)

Sending to your ‘puter now. I cleaned up the footage, and lo and behold what I think is the guy done killing people.

Shows image of Thomas on The Demon’s laptop, blade in hand standing above Monster Cock. Mr. Cortican smiles.

MR. CORTICAN

Promising, very promising. I recognize the markings on that blade, a quick call to The Spider and I believe we will have our quarry to ground. Time to go play, my dear.

Close up on Malevolance holding her razored whip between her teeth, cutting her own mouth, blood seeping out. A smile paints her face.

CYBER

Can I skip back to my man now?

Demon smiles as he opens a sliding door revealing the Demon’s battle gear and AXE.

MR. CORTICAN

I think not. You are safer here.

Cyber starts to protest but The Demon stares at her. She says nothing.

Malevolance, her mouth bleeding, smiles.

FREEZE FRAME.

GFX: Pull back out to the map image. It wavers, then a flashing image covers the map of --

INT. SHARK’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Jezabel’s head above a pillow with Shark behind and above her doing her, not showing much. We move back to The Bricks and the reticle moves into the image, encompassing the entire screen.

UNFREEZE.

Jezabel with Shark having sex. Blankets cover them.

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT

The guards are taken down one by one by a shadow that is Thomas. Every thrust of The Shark is emphasized by a death of a guard.

INT. SHARK’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Shark’s final thrust. Jezabel smiles.

JEZABEL

We have to do this more often, sugar baby. You tip me good and do me even better.

Shark puts his pants on while Jezabel stands up, pulling her dress down.

SHARK

I wish, doll face, ‘cause you got an ass cities would go to war over. But alas, Cyber, the main squeeze would have my nuts in a sling if she even knew I was dingling yas, and she be back sooner then later.

Jezabel frowns.

JEZABEL

Ah c’mon, you pay me good and tip me better. She can’t share? How ya gonna turn down this ass.

She flashes her ass.

THOMAS (O.S.)

His worries of such are finite. The shadows have come to claim their due.

Out of the shadows steps Thomas, his arms and face bloody.

JEZABEL

Who the fuck is this jack in the hat? Ya said nothing about a twofer. Ya know I charge more for two cocks in my holes?

SHARK

Shut it, Jez, this guy ain’t here to diddle you. You the fucking bloke that been dicing killers? Where the fuck’s my men and how the hell did ya creep yas way in here?

Thomas motions to the blood as he waves his dagger around.

THOMAS

Question to where your men reside seems to have an obvious answer. And shadows are the cloak of the Goddess’s son.

On the other side of the room, zipping his pants up, is Crank. In his other hand he holds a lead PIPE with barbed wire tied around the end.

CRANK

That’s a lot of mumbo jumbo stranger, regular riddle babbling. Ya a fan of that rapper Picasso too from way back in the day? I hear people tell me about him all the time.

(inhales Thrash)

See now, aren’t ya glad for once, boss, I was perving on ya fucking?

(inhales Thrash)

Shark smiles.

JEZABEL

Three?! I don’t do fucking orgies, Shark. Not unless ya paying heavy heavy. But I do have three holes if ya got the green.

SHARK

Holy fucking sluts in an asylum Jez, ain’t none of these people here to fuck yas. Well, Crank would probably fuck ya if I let him, but this here gent aiming to kill me is the gist I'm guessin’. And yes, my good ole sicko Crank. Good job ya fucking brain dead lug. Now take this piece of shite out of my god damn den.

Crank smiles, shifts his pants.

CRANK

My pleasure b --

A throwing knife appears in his forehead and he falls to the ground dead.

Jez screams.

JEZABEL

Hey look, I got no play in this. Can I go, mister? I just suck limp noodles for a living.

Thomas motions for her to pass. She slides past him and runs.

JEZABEL

Thanks a lot, Shark. Be seeing yas. If you don’t die, come visit.

SHARK

(sighs)

Whores, what you gonna do? Ya know, Crank was a lot of things. Creeping pervert, dumb as rocks and a real fucking pain in the ass, but he was my pain in the fucking ass. Ya gonna bleed for killing him.

Shark pulls a thick, wide bowie KNIFE from a holster hanging on the side of the bed.

THOMAS

You and your poison have ended too many lives in this city. It is the road to perdition that brings me to your door. It is the end of all dreaming this night, for you.

SHARK

Blah, blah, blah. Come get it!

A dagger flies towards Shark who bats it out of the air with his pig sticker.

SHARK

Ha, you ain’t gonna get me like...

Another dagger appears in his shoulder.

ShARK

Fuck! Ya bastard. I’m gonna...

Shark grimaces, and before he knows it, he looks up to find Thomas already up on him. He hits him three times in the chest, then swings around behind him and takes his throat.

Shark falls, lifeless, to the ground.

THE DEMON

Bravo, bravo.

In the door frame is The Demon, a giant of a man wearing a mask stylized like a beast from hell in spiked body armor and a giant battle axe in his hand. Blood drips from the blade.

THE DEMON

You missed a couple guards, so I helped you out.

Thomas turns.

THOMAS

And you are?

The Demon smiles, his mouth not covered by the mask. He leans on the handle of his huge axe.

THE DEMON

I was his boss, but his usefulness had come to an end. So I waited for you to take care of his resignation for me, saved me the exertion.

Thomas looks confused.

THE DEMON

Precious, you have no idea what you’ve stumbled into do you? Everyone, including the Big Boss thought you might be an agent for a rival corporation. He has made enemies over the years, but I see you are not. Just some vigilante, maybe feeling a bit of guilt over those young chaps you sent into the river?

Thomas looks even more taken aback.

THE DEMON

You are in way over your pay grade, my young friend. I believe it is time to end your dreams of justice.

The Demon kicks an end table near his foot, hurdling it at Thomas. Thomas barely dives out of the way as The Demon gets on him, swinging his axe with murderous intent. Thomas roles across the bed, the axe breaking the bed in half.

THE DEMON

Your a quick lad aren’t you? Quick and a hero, saving hookers and orphans.

Thomas is again disconcerted.

THE DEMON

You have interfered in corporate business my friend, in the corporation of this city, our city. There must be payment in blood, but not just yours. I sent my beautiful Malevolance and some men to pay a visit to your whore and street trash. They shall not die quickly my friend. They shall spend days wishing for death. Everyone in the city shall see the cost of interfering in our business. I’ll have to send some presents to The Spider, her information was highly useful. Do you know she worships the same Goddess you do? Though a bit more pragmatic, I must say, with realities.

Thomas’s fear turns to anger. He leaps at The Demon, who is taken aback, his blade aiming for The Demon’s face. But the demon leans back in slow motion, the blade missing his face by a whisper.

He counters by throwing a spiked gauntlet into Thomas’s face, sending him stumbling back. This is followed by a kick to Thomas’s chest, which sends him flying into a wall.

He then rushes forward, axe raised, and brings it down. Thomas again tumbles out of way, the axe burying itself into the wall. Thomas rolls by the corpse of Crank. He eyes the door, then looks down to find Crank’s inhaler.

THE DEMON

This is becoming tedious, just die already. You cannot win this fight.

Thomas smiles, bloody face, and throws a blade. The Demon contemptuously plucks it out of the air. Thomas had just used it as a distraction and comes right behind it, The Demon bringing up his axe to block any form of a strike.

Thomas brings up the inhaler and blows the whole load of Thrash into The Demon’s face. The Demon starts gagging and swings his axe widely, keeping Thomas away.

DEMON’S POV: he scans around, Thomas is nowhere.

THE DEMON

Smart lad, smart. But being a hero will see you dead. It is far too late for the whore and the orphan. I will find you and end you.

FREEZE FRAME: on The Demon.

GFX: pull out to the map still focused on the image. We then pull out further to the whole map and move to Thomas’s house.