INT. EMPEROR’S HALLWAYS - ROOM - NIGHT

Thomas lays Lucy onto a gurney.

THOMAS

I will be back. Please don’t die. This city needs your light, as does Tobias, as... Do I. I need to know you will breathe after what comes next.

Thomas cups her face, then he cuts his hand and whispers, his eyes go blood red, then puts his mask back on.

FREEZE FRAME on Thomas’s face.

THOMAS (V.O.)

Five has been woven upon the threads, two more to fulfill that which I owe.

GFX: The image pulls back out to the map. The still image reduces down and the words spell themselves in blood: “Blood is always the Price.”

The words dissolve to --

INT. EMPEROR’S THRONE ROOM - NIGHT

FREEZE FRAME: The Emperor sits on his throne smiling, Helena carves into the lifeless body of Vetta. Tobias is chained like a dog to the Emperor’s throne.

Eve stands off to the side while three handmaidens stand behind the throne alongside three guards.

UNFREEZE.

The Emperor, while eating, looks at Helena, still carving into the obviously dead Vetta.

THE EMPEROR

I believe she is dead my beloved. Your affections sent her to the ever after a ways back, if I recall.

Helena wipes her face.

HELENA

I believe you’re correct. My entertainment never lasts. Oh well. I shall summon Lily back to the royal suite and carry on with the drinking of her nectar, so sweet.

THE EMPEROR

Whatever my beloved desires. Though I am growing concerned on the whereabouts of Mr. Cortican. He should’ve brought me the interloper’s head by now.

Thomas bulls through the door.

THOMAS

I brought all of me, if that’s satisfactory to you.

TOBIAS

Now you all gonna get got.

His face is still bloody and abused.

TOBIAS

Thomas. Lucy?

THOMAS

Lucy is safe as you shall be after I end the shadow road with this one.

The Emperor smiles, takes one last huge bite of his turkey leg, then throws it at the wall.

THE EMPEROR

Very inspiring indeed. To make your way here. None have ever done so. Corporate assassins, deranged thugs, all have met their ends far before stepping into my throne room, unless of course I brought them here. Like your friend over there, or this young pup who shall soon know what a true monster’s jaws feel like.

Helena turns, and is so in lust, she cuts her own breast.

HELENA

Yes beloved, it has been far too long since I Have witnessed your rage. Show him the beast that makes cities tremble.

The three bodyguards step up unsheathing their long swords. Eve nods her head at the handmaidens. As one, they step up to the guards and slit their throats. Helena takes a step forward, murder in her eyes.

HELENA

What treachery is this???

Eve launches herself at Helena’s back, knocking her to the ground as she stabs again and again and again, blood splashing.

EVE

Providence dear step-mother, providence.

The Emperor stands in a rage taking a step towards his daughter, but Thomas steps forward, blade out.

THE EMPEROR

You dare, daughter??? YOU DARE???

THOMAS

Daughter?

Eve straddles Helena’s lifeless corpse with a malicious smile.

EVE

I am what my daddy made me.

She looks to Thomas.

EVE

The way is clear as I promised, angel. Let your wings burn upon his fat fucking frame.

Thomas looks confused by all this truth. Suddenly, The Emperor roars and lifts his whole throne throwing it at Thomas. It drags Tobias across floor with it. Thomas rolls out of the way but quickly the Emperor is on him, his hand on his throat lifting him off ground.

THE EMPEROR

You will die!!!!!!!

The Emperor throws him across the room thudding into a wall. The Emperor then turns towards his daughter where her handmaidens have now surrounded her.

THE EMPEROR

I shall break your fucking neck, daughter.

A blade thunks into The Emperor’s arm. He roars and pulls it out, throwing it to ground.

THOMAS

I would still have words.

Thomas pulls off his mask, his face bloody. His dagger gleams in his hand. He runs and leaps at The Emperor who catches him by the throat. The Emperor brings him close to his face. With his other hand, the Emperor inhales some Crank and throws the empty cannister away.

THE EMPEROR

I shall make an example of you. Your head will be at the doors to this building accompanied by my faithless daughter.

The Emperor takes Thomas’s own hand with the blade and shoves it down into Thomas’s own gut. He smiles maliciously as he does it. He repeats it again and again.

He contemptuously throws Thomas to the floor. Thomas is barely conscious, coughing up blood. He sees a blurry Emperor stalking towards Tobias.

He remembers his Mother's last words,

FLASHBACK:

HECATE

I’m sorry son. Old ways, you are a good boy, didn’t deserve, but your father.

(coughs)

I love...

Then Lucy’s.

FLASHBACK:

LUCY

I’d like to believe in something, anything. I’d like to once, in my life, know there was actually a good man walking these shithole streets.

Then Tobias’s.

FLASHBACK:

TOBIAs

We can be more than how we was raised or what happened to us. We gots choices. I got to believe that.

BACK TO SCENE:

The Emperor has Tobias lifted off the ground, he smacks him.

THE EMPREROR

First you, little gutter trash. Then my whore of a daughter.

Thomas’s eyes snap open.

THOMAS

Love.

Thomas stands up, dripping blood in pools. The Emperor sees him and smiles. Thomas pulls his own blade from his gut causing a gush of blood.

THE EMPEROR

The man who won’t lie down. You can barely stand and mire in a pool of your own blood. What can you do, hero?

Thomas grits his teeth.

THOMAS

Anything, everything. Six is the due.

Thomas runs. The Emperor turns, holding Tobias with one hand. Thomas dodges to the side away from The Emperor who attempts to turn his girth, but not before Thomas leaps onto the overturned throne catapulting back onto the Emperor's neck.

With both legs wrapped around the Emperor’s neck, Thomas slams his blade into the top of the Emperor's head. The Emperor falls as Thomas tumbles away. Tobias is dropped.

Black screen.

Thomas’s eyes flutter open. He is on his knees. He coughs up blood. He reaches, in an attempt to pull the blade from The Emperor’s head. Tobias holds him and helps him pull the blade. Thomas looks at Tobias, blade in hand.

TOBIAS

What he do to you? You can’t die.

THOMAS

I was always meant to die on this road Tobias.

He coughs blood.

THOMAS

Blood is always the price of the Goddess.

He smiles and touches Tobias's face.

THOMAS

Be something more than I ever was, take Lucy. Under the altar, family money, you won’t have to worry.

Eve steps into view surrounded by her handmaidens.

EVE

Bravo. Amazing. You did a wondrous job, hero. And no need to worry about the young lad and the whore. After what you’ve done for me. I’ll make sure they leave this place with their lives.

THOMAS

This you promise.

He coughs up blood.

EVE

Of course, of course, I shall make it so. Handmaidens. Unlike my father I keep my word.

HANDMAIDEN 1

As you wish mistress.

HANDMAIDEN 2

The Empresses’s glory is truth.

HANDMAIDEN 3

All shall bow to her wisdom.

Eve smiles at them as if they were small children.

EVE

Yes, yes, we must rid you of all that trivial blathering. Now do as I say and see the street urchin and whore safely to the door.

Tobias holds onto Thomas but Thomas shakes his head. He sees the mask on ground near him. He motions to Tobias to gather it, which he does.

THOMAS

Go with them, Tobias. Get Lucy, love each other.

He coughs more blood.

THOMAS

Show the city there can be more. I am the seventh, was always the seventh.

He looks upwards.

THOMAS

I am the horror that walks these streets. Worse than any I have taken. The promise is fulfilled.

He looks at Tobias.

THOMAS

Be something better.

Before Tobias can say anything, Thomas slices his own throat. He coughs up a river of blood, his neck adding more, then falls face first unmoving.

Handmaiden 1 looks at the boy and back at Eve. Her hand rests on her blade. Tobias cries while holding Thomas. He lifts the blade off the ground, the mask grasped in his arm.

HANDMAIDEN 1

Are you sure, mistress?

Eve smiles.

EVE

Yes, yes, do as I say. One must always keep a wild card in play or a few, life gets too dull otherwise.

The handmaidens usher Tobias off.

INT. EMPEROR’S HALLWAYS - NIGHT

Lilith wanders the mostly darkened hallways opening door after door. A few dead guards litter the hallway.

LILITH

Where the fuck are you Delilah? This whole visit stopped being fun a ways back when.

She opens another door and sees Delilah sitting in a chair with her back to the door, very dimly lit.

LILITH

Finally, what the two for a dollar have you been up to? I’ve been cookie crumbling these halls for you forever. What ya doing?

Lilith comes around to the front and sees that Delilah is tied up and gagged. Her dress has been ripped off and she has cuts on her face and chest. A look of fear.

LILITH

Holy hand jobs in a back alley. What that bitch do to you?

A hand comes behind Delilah’s head and SNAPS her neck.. Eve steps into the light.

EVE

What a night, what a glorious beautiful night.

Lilith backs into the wall, her fear etched upon her face.

EVE

I have an empire to rule and you will be my first toy. Well, until you wear out.

A knife comes into her hand and she leans in.

FREEZE FRAME.

EXT. ROOFTOP - NIGHT

Tobias, still bruised but in new clothes and bandaged up sits on the end of the roof with the blade and the mask in his hand.

Lucy, in a new dress, also battered, comes and gingerly sits next to him.

TOBIAS

I miss him.

LUCY

So do I.

Tobias looks at the mask and the blade.

TOBIAS

(whisper)

The city needs a hero.

Lucy leans in.

They both stare off towards the City of Blood.

FREEZE FRAME: behind them looking out at the red haze of the city.

GFX: We pull back out to the map, the image disappearing. It is just the map of the city for a moment. The image of Thomas, with Sasha on one side and Lucy on the other, overlays the map.

BLADE & BLOOD.

FADE OUT.

INT. 3 ORNATE THRONES -- NIGHT

This scene goes in after credits roll. 3 ladies in HOODED CLOAKS each representing one of the 3 orders of the goddess, one cloak a blood tear drop, another a crescent moon, another a blade. Kneeling in front of them is Bunny in her warrior’s garb of shadow, daughter of the Crone.

MOON PRIESTESS

Is it done child? Is the Emperor no more?

BUNNY

Yes mistress, the weapon served his role beyond imagination, they are all dead. Where we sought just a beginning of chaos, he provided much more.

SHADOW PRIESTESS

All is as the Crone has woven within the shadows.

BLOOD MISTRESS

Our plans move to fruition within all the cities, but here, in The City of Blood is where the real war shall begin.

MOON PRIESTESS

The 7 Corporations days come to an end, the War of Thorns shall find a birth as the Goddess shall reign over all.

Bunny looks up and smiles.

BUNNY

May it be so. What is it you would like of me now?

The 3 priestesses look at each other then down at Bunny.

MOON PRIESTESS

Take a Daughter of the Moon and Daughter of Blood with you and train the two scions the weapon left behind, the whore and street urchin, train them. This is the beginning, let us hope they will be as useful as their predecessor.

Bunny lowers her head.

BUNNY

As you say, so shall it be.

The End