Vengeance to Gain

Ivan sighed as he looked around. He was confused and lost. He didn't know what had happened but he was sure that there had been a fight. He shook his head at the confusion. His memory was blurry and his mind confused. He pushed one foot forward as he continued walking down the alleyway. He finally stopped and looked at the building he had came to. It was an abandoned shop. The windows were boarded up, the neon sign unlit and broken. He tried the door but it was locked. It was pouring down with rain and he really needed to use the phone so he knocked on the door. He frowned deeply as no one answered.

"Please someone answer..." He mumbled. To his surprise, the door suddenly opened. Feeling relief, he walked inside but the shop seemed abandoned. It was extremely dark inside and he could barely make out a table and chairs and a counter. He shivered as the door slammed shut behind him. "Hello?"

Silence greeted him. Sighing, he turned to leave but there was no door anymore.

"Fuck..." He gasped, looking around. "This isn't funny..."

"Well... this is weird...." A voice replied, making him jump. Suddenly, the room lit up and he found himself face to face with his old partner, back when he was a rookie cop.

"M-Matthew?" He gasped in shock. Matthew Sanders had been the best partner he had but unfortunately, he was murdered and framed by other corrupted officers. Ivan had buried his body and said his good byes but here he stood. "Matt! Dude, you're alive!"

"Shadows, do you know this man?" A calm voice asked as a young man with glowing green eyes stepped out of the shadows. Matthew, or Shadows as he had been called, looked over at him and nodded.

"He was my partner back when I was alive," He replied. Ivan frowned.

"But... you're.... alive right?" He asked, confused by Matthew's words. Shadows shook his head and the other man walked over.

"No one in this shop is alive," He stated calmly. Ivan felt a shiver run up his spine. The way the man had said no one got him worried. As if he knew what he was thinking, the man sighed. "I'm sorry but that does include you. Please, take a seat. I'm sure you must be very confused,"

Ivan nodded and sat down as Shadows and his friend sat down in front of him. He looked straight at the other man then to Matt. He noticed his eyes were glowing slightly too, that he looked more pale and that his eyes had dark shadows round them. He was also dressed in a dark sense of fashion.

"Who are you? And what did you do to Matt?" He asked, turning to the other.

"My name is Vengeance. I am a cursed soul, damned to roam this earth and condemned by the wrongful things that happened to me in my mortal life," He stated, calmly. "For almost four centuries now, I have been taking revenge on behalf of those who seek it,"

Ivan nodded, listening.

"Matt, as you knew him, is also a cursed soul as are the five others who reside in this place with me. I brought all of them here to give them a sort of purpose," He replied but Ivan frowned, confused.

"I don't understand why Matt is condemned though. He did nothing wrong,"

"I know," Vengeance replied. "In ancient times, people believed that when the soul crossed over into the afterlife, they were guided there. This guide appeared as whatever they loved the most or feared the most and would either bring them to salvation or damnation. However, if the soul was burdened, not given the correct burial or both then they were unable to move on until their unfinished business was done. In some cases, such as my own, that burden was betrayal and grief and my body was abandoned, left to rot. That betrayal and grief turned to bitterness and hurt, which in turn became rage and sorrow,"

Vengeance's eyes had turned blood red but then he blinked and they were green again.

"I found Shadows wondering the streets when tracking a possible victim," He replied. "He was unable to move on. Burdened with injustice, he was an angry spirit, trapped in an never ending cycle of rage and hurt. I took him in,"

".... He was framed for a crime he didn't commit but we buried him correctly... I was there...."

"Yes, I'm aware of Shadows' past and like I said this type of curse can be caused by one, the other or both. Shadows had the correct burial rites but his name was stained with lies and the ones who framed him got away with it. That is his burden," Vengeance replied. "But here he has found a purpose. I can't lift the curse but I can give him a home so he isn't condemned to wonder... now that we know that.... tell me... how did you die?"

"Die?"

"Yes, you're dead..."

"Oh... there was a fight... I think..." He mumbled, thinking. He heard gunshots and a scream. "There was a girl as well. A prostitute. She was only young and I was trying to help her... oh god... they shot me because they realised I was a cop... Matt... that girl she's going to die if someone doesn't save her!"

"Ivan... we're about revenge... not justice..."

"Then take revenge on my behalf!" He gasped. Matt looked at Vengeance.

"Ivan, if you agree to use our service then you'll go straight to hell..." Vengeance explained. Ivan rose an eyebrow.

"He who seeks Vengeance must dig two graves," Shadows stated. "One for his enemies and one for himself,"

"Your soul will be marked for hell. You will never feel the light of heaven and will be damned to walk a path of sorrow and pain for all of eternity," Vengeance added. "Normally, this would be after your death but since you're already dead, you'll go straight to Hell,"

"But if I send them and myself to hell, will you be able to save that girl?" He asked. Shadows looked at Vengeance, who sighed.

"We can try but we can't promise we'll be able to. We're not heroes. We're damned," Vengeance stated, calmly.

"Alright. Give me what I need to send them to hell," Ivan stated. Vengeance made an red envelope appear and handed it to Ivan. "If you can't save her, then you can at least avenge her,"

"Give this to who you want to curse and when they open it, we'll take them straight to Hell,"

"Ok and then I go to Hell..."

"Yes,"

"Alright," Ivan replied, looking at the envelope. Suddenly, he was been stretched and his body ripped in half then he was whole again and been stretched once more. His body tore but then he was back in the shop and it was abandoned. He frowned but quickly left in order to find his killers.

~Time Skip~

"Stupid, little whore!" The gangster yelled as he slapped the young girl who Ivan tried to save. "Did you think he actually cared about you?!"

"He did!" She cried out. Ivan frowned to himself but forced himself to float past everyone. He planted the envelop then waited. A few seconds later, one of the gangster's men came in and gave it to him.

"What the hell is this?"

"Don't know, sir. It's addressed to you," He replied. The gangster snatched it and opened it. There was nothing in it. "What-"

He suddenly disappeared in front of everyone's eyes. Ivan frowned even more.

Spirit World

"What the hell?!" The gangster growled as he turned to shot the girl. Only to find she had escaped. He turned to his men. "After her,"

"Nah," One of them replied in a lazy tone. The gangster growled and took out his gun, shoving in his croonie's face but when the man looked up, he saw the face of a stranger. Bright purple eyes stared back at him and then one of his men laughed psychotically. He shakily turned round and saw his men had been replaced by strangers. He growled and took out his gun then his eyes turned wide as he saw the ghost of the officer he had killed. He pointed to Shadows.

"Y-you! But I had you killed!" He gasped. Shadows felt his blood boil and he went to charge at him but Vengeance stopped him.

"Vee.. he's the reason I'm dead!" He snarled but then he saw Vengeance's face. "What? What's wrong?"

"If you kill him... you'll find your closure... you'll no longer be a damned soul..." He frowned, looking down. "You won't be able to come back to The Wicked End..."

Shadows stayed silence then looked at Vengeance.

"He's getting away..." He stated but not one of the men made their moves. Synyster looked at the Rev, who looked worried.

"Mattie... don't leave us..." He whimpered.

"Yeah, Shads. Don't go," Brooks added in but Vengeance raised his hand and stepped aside.

"If closure is what you want, go after him. I won't stop you," He whispered, closing his eyes. For a minute, he waited but then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"What? And leave you with Synyster, the short shit and The Rev for the rest of eternity?" Shadows smiled. Brooks and Arin both raised an eyebrow at not been mentioned. "Hey... you two behave.. those three on the other hand..."

"Hey!" Syn pouted, glaring at them but Shadows grinned at him.

"Well, what are you guys waiting for? He's getting away,"

(***)

Shadows sighed as he watched the prostitute trying to sell her body. Yeah, her life still sucked but at least, she was free from her pimp. Maybe she could even go on to do better things with her life.

"I'm sorry about Ivan," Vengeance's voice bought him out of his train of thought.

"Hm? Oh... right... he's in hell now isn't he? Did you take him there?"

"Yeah... he accepted his fate without argument... shame... he was nice..."

"He was a good man.. but the path to hell is paved with good intentions..." Matt replied and for a minute, there was silence between the two souls.

"... I'm sorry that you lost your chance at closure..."

"Don't be, Zee. You're more then just the tortured soul who found me on the streets. You're family to me as are the rest of the guys,"

"Still... I feel bad about it... I don't want to be your jailer,"

"You're not. I chose to be here and I'm happy with my choice," He replied. "Beside, he only ordered my death... he never actually pulled the trigger himself..."