Mark coughed again, glancing around his small dirt cell, before asking War in a dry scratchy voice. "What are you going to do to me...? Kill me?" War brushed his long blood red bangs off his face, answering coolly. "No. I don't kill people..." War grabbed Mark's jaw, leaning in closer to hiss over his dry lips. "Death is a release, not a punishment. My job is to drag you through the flaming coals of hell... And when your body is blackened and charred... I'll tear off the burned flesh and do it again and again... Over and over, until you just learn to deal with the pain. Then I give you over to Death and he'll kill you." War rose to his feet, shoving Mark across the floor. Mark spit the fowl taste in his mouth from the tear gas, slowly sitting back up as he mumbled out. "So, you're their torturer. Why are you hurting Zero...? Isn't he one of you?" War removed a beautiful dagger from his armored boot, turning it over in his hand as he seriously said aloud. "He's not mine. That hunk of flesh belongs to Conquest. He's a runaway. And he's facing his punishment. When I'm done with him... He'll never run away from my brother again."

Mark watched War's lips curl into a devilish grin, when he pointed his dagger at him and said in a smooth threatening tone. "What you should be asking yourself right now is... If I do THAT to the runaways... What do I do to the ones with the balls to threaten my brother?" Mark adjusted on his knees more comfortably without saying a word, but kept his eyes on War. War brought the tip of the dagger to rest under Mark's chin, tilting his head up more. Looking down at him with unreadable eyes, War added in an almost casual tone. "Medieval torture has always fascinated me. It simply amazes me how much the body will endure. You really learn a lot about a person by what kind of pain they can handle. I can usually tell by looking at them what will break them... but you. You're a hard one to read." Mark didn't blink or move. His instincts were telling him that this guy was waiting for him to try something. Craving it. Behind those red eyes of his was a monster. Mark was afraid that any sudden moves would set him off.

War slid the flat of the blade across the underside of Mark's chin, then without warning, he spun on his heel and threw his dagger toward Zero. The blade impaled itself right next to Zero's throat, nicking his neck enough to make him bleed but not be life threatening. Zero tugged on his wrist restraints though, letting out a soft whine as he leaned away from the dagger as much as he could. Mark held his breath but tried not to show how it affected him. For as the blade impaled itself in the wall, War had turned his head to see HIS reaction to it. Mark didn't know what terrified him more. The fact that War was intimately skilled with his blades... Or that War had only done it to get a rise from him. War let out a soft chuckle, purring out with amusement. "Look at the self-control on you." War stood to face him, taking a defensive stance. Mark told himself that he wasn't going to fight a crazy person like War. War was the type that got off on hurting others. War tilted his head to the side, letting his bangs fall before his eyes as he cooed out darkly. "I heard my brother has a thing for your... lover was it? This 'Sean' you care so much for. I wonder... If I nailed him before nailing him to a cross, would you mind?"

Mark bolted to his feet, unable to resist the challenge. War stood his ground without flinching, grinning wickedly as he purred out under his breath. "There it is. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show me your primal side." Mark limped forward, growling out through his clenched teeth. "You touch him, and I'll break every fucking bone in your body." War raised his hands, beckoning Mark to come at him with a smug grin. Mark's muscles tensed, but he held himself back. War stepped forward, teasing him as he brought his face close to his and stated out sternly. "Such big talk from a cornered dog... but where's your bite?" Mark clenched his fists, forcing himself to lower his eyes. War snorted with disappointment, then headbutted him in the face. Mark fell to his knees, clutching his nose as his vision blurred. He couldn't help feeling like he deserved that. War grabbed the back of Mark's neck, yanking his head back as he raised his hand and showed him the slender blade that popped out from the gauntlet.

Mark groaned in pain, watching him bring the blade close to his eye as he sneered out. "You can do better than that. Come on. Hit me." From the wall, Zero whined out weakly. "Mark, don't! He'll hurt Sean..." War rolled his eyes, shoving Mark to the ground. Walking out of the cell, he slammed the bars shut and locked them. Zero shuffled his feet, watching War approach him with a stern scowl. Raising a hand, War puffed his cigarette, blowing the smoke out at Zero's face as he growled out. "You're ruining my fun..." Zero started to shake and quickly avoided looking War in the eyes. Mark staggered to the bars of his cell, watching War move to a shelf to open a black box. As he reached in to grab a bowl of water with something black in it, War growled out bitterly. "Guess I'll have to give you some attention, huh?" War put his cigarette into his mouth, then tapped Zero's shoulder. War tapped him harder and harder, until Zero finally looked. War then reached into the bowl and removed a single black looking worm. Mark shuddered. War had a bowl of bloodsucking leeches.

Zero started to thrash against the restraints, pleading with War weakly. "Don't... Please!" War let his used-up cigarette fall into the dirt. Stepping on it with his boot, War lifted the leech to his mouth and ate it. Mark turned away and began to dry-heave. He hated himself for looking back to see the blood leak down the corner of War's lip. When War smiled, his teeth were stained with blood. War moved around to Zero's back, removing leeches to put on his lashed back. Zero screamed and jerked, while War calmly informed him. "Oh, relax. They're just a parasite. You should be able to relate." War put a few along Zero's back, before putting the bowl back in the box. Glancing at Mark, he informed him over Zero's whines of discomfort. "Leeches are mostly non-lethal... in small groups. They were used a lot in the middle ages. Health reasons. However, today... Turns out quite a few people are terrified of them. I keep them as pets... and snacks for the road." Mark straightened up as War approached the bars.

War removed a fresh cigarette and a match from the leather pouch at his waist. Striking the match across the bars, War put his cigarette to his lips and lit it. Dropping the used match, War leaned on the bars, blowing more smoke at him as he asked with a sadistic grin. "It's always so hard to decide what to do with a blank canvas. So, many choices..." Mark looked War over closely. He couldn't believe how a human like this existed, until his eyes fell to War's hand. The back of War's hand was covered in old scars. Looking more closely at War, he began to notice more. Beneath his black eye band of war paint, he could see more scars across his cheekbones. He started to wonder if War was covered in scars. It suddenly made sense why pain was attractive to him. It appeared to be what he was used to. War's eyes followed his to the back of his hand, causing him to turn his hand over. The ash from his cigarette fell across the back on his hand and yet he didn't appear to feel it. War's eyes flicked back up to meet his as he told him coolly. "Curious how I got them?"

Mark shook his head calmly. He could guess. They looked like scars from a knife or razor. There were even what looked like circular burns. War lifted his chin, tracing his thumb across a thin glossy scar along his throat. With a cold expression, War softly whispered to him through the bars. "I've got quite a collection. My gift and my curse... I barely feel anything anymore. I'm living proof of what you can live through. Does that scare you? Scars? Don't want me to ruin that pretty face of yours?" Mark grabbed the bars, leaning in to seriously tell him in a light tone. "No. I have scars too. I just feel sorry for you. I can't imagine going through what you went through." War brought his face close to his, whispering with a mocking sweetness as he replied. "Don't worry... When I'm done with you. You'll know my pain... intimately." Mark slowly leaned back to keep his lips from touching War's. War chuckled, putting the cigarette back between his lips. Somewhere came the creaking of wood and the soft banging of metal from a cellar door. War leaned back to look as someone stomped down the steps.

Mark moved to get a better look as Conquest made his way down. Conquest moved to the center, reluctant to touch anything, upon grumbling out disgustedly. "Ugh, love what you've done to the place War. It simply screams... Well, that about explains it. It's a horror show." War slumped against the bars, sarcastically snapping back. "My apologies, highness. Had I known you were coming down from your high horse, I would have hung up some dripping entrails and sprayed the walls in bloodbath red. Now... Why are you invading my space?" Conquest pointed to Zero, answering neutrally. "Are you finished with him? Cause I'd like to talk to him now." Zero looked to Conquest with a tear stained face. There was relief on Zero's face when his eyes met Conquest's. War snorted, muttering out dryly. "He won't do much talking without his tongue..." Conquest stiffened up, snapping out in shock. "WHAT?! I told you-" War pushed off Mark's cell door, cutting Conquest off to loudly drone out. "I was kidding! Geez, you and Death always take things too damn seriously."

Conquest crossed his arms, bluntly mumbling out under his breath. "War... You don't have a sense of humor. You sent Famine a literal heart dipped in chocolate!" War walked up to Zero to start pulling the leeches off one at a time, shouting over Zero's loud cries of pain. "It was Valentine's day and he thought it was funny." Conquest lifted a hand to rub his temples, sternly starting to yell out louder and louder over War's voice. "No, it wasn't. It was his birthday. And it wasn't funny. It was sick, and you murdered your own priestess to do it! AND IT WAS A WASTE OF THE CHOCOLATE THAT YOU STOLE FROM ME! THAT WAS MEANT TO BE 'MY' GIFT!" While Conquest talked, War tried to talk over him by saying just as loud, but more heatedly. "It was funny. It wasn't sick, because Famine himself laughed at my creativity. AND I TOLD YOU THAT I WAS GOING TO DO IT AND AT THE TIME YOU WERE OK WITH IT!" Conquest lowered his hand, yelling out in an angry rushed voice for the first time. "When you told we you were combining our gifts, I didn't think you meant LITERALLY!"

War yanked a leech off Zero and tossed it at Conquest, chuckling out. "Hey, Conquest? Bend over so I can pull that jeweled stick from your ass!" Conquest yelped and jumped to the side as the leech flew at him. Once it landed in the dirt, Conquest kicked it back at War, yelling out. "Don't throw those disgusting things at me! Or I'll shoot an arrow straight up your-!" Conquest fell silent as a shadow fell over the stairway. The kicked Leech bounced off War's armored leg and as the dirt settled, a voice from above asked them so calm and coolly. "Guys... What's going on? We can hear you in the barn." War pointed to Conquest, telling the person that Mark couldn't see. "He started it. He's got a fucking god complex. Won't let me get the last word." Conquest glared back at War, sternly sneering through his teeth. "Me? You're just jealous because you've never won a fight against me in your life!" War pointed another leech at Conquest, saying coolly. "See? Still talking."

Conquest puffed himself up, moving closer to War as he icily muttered out. "Yes, I am. Because you can't just admit that I'm better than you are." War rolled his eyes, calmly teasing back. "Putting shit on your arrows and shooting from a distance, doesn't make you better than me. You couldn't take me on in a close combat fight, and you know it. So, go ahead and parade yourself in your pretty shiny armor... You're just an angelic face in a blood stained world." Conquest pointed a stern finger at War, but War knocked it away and planted a quick kiss across his lips. Conquest jumped back with a disgust squeal, spitting across the ground. War put his cigarette back between his lips, chuckling out around it. "Shouldn't have gotten in my face." From the stairs, the hidden man bellowed out. "ENOUGH! For one fucking week can we all just get along?! We have bigger problems." War removed his cigarette to spit, mumbling out uncomfortably. "I'll say... Conquest, are you wearing fucking lip gloss?"

Conquest shot War a dark scowl, snapping back. "I hope it burns your fucking lips off!" War flashed Conquest an evil grin in turn, before casually interjecting. "Did I mention that I ate a leech not too long ago? Shame I didn't use tongue. You'd have liked it." Conquest's face paled, causing War to laugh. The man stormed down the steps, silencing both of them when he very softly told them in an icy voice. "Hear me now. On my way here, a messenger approached me. He was spouting words about a Colony in Nevada. We need to destroy it. NOW." War scoffed, crossed his arms over his chest as he uttered around his cigarette. "Why? They'll fall on their own like all the others." The man stepped farther in and Mark finally got a good look at him. He was holding a large black curved staff with a set of beautiful golden judgment scales on it. He wore what appeared to be a judge's robe with gold embroidery around the collar and hood. His legs and arms were literally wrapped up in grey cloth like a mummy. On his face was a golden mask that had no mouth or nose.

Mark took a deep breath. This had to be Famine. Famine moved closer to them, planting his staff firmly in the dirt as he seriously regaled to them. "They are claiming that they have discovered the cure... and I don't know about you two. But I've already weighed the odds. I'm not giving up the reign of the Horsemen. Society is dead... and we should make sure that it STAYS that way." To Be Continued...