Beware those that have Nothing to Lose By Hamish Wilson Caleb had a splitting head-ache, as he once again loaded his sawed off. This time it was not going to be for Cheogh, Shial, Cerberus or any of Tchernobog's other slaves, it was time to face the god himself. Caleb would not rest until he had his final revenge, no matter how much his head throbbed. Problem is the place had changed since the last time he walked to the Hall of Epiphany. New Town, which had been a small frontier settlement in his day was now a sprawling city, a good place to get lost in. Caleb cursed as another cultist came forward, with dynamite in hand. They obviously knew the landscape better than he did. He however was still a better shot than any robed menace. He had arrived at the ruins of what was once a Bar, there was still some bottles of Jo-Jo's Black Label # 47. “Man do I need a drink” Caleb thought as he settled down for a rest before he continued on his journey. As the liquor flowed through him his head-ache finally ceased. His thoughts returned to the mission at hand. He must kill the son of a bitch god who had killed him, and his comrades. Especially Ophelia. The sight of her on the alter of stone and her cremation were still fresh in Caleb's mind, and that helped strengthened his resolve. He hauled himself off the floor and brushed the rubble of his black trench coat. There was work to be done. Caleb moved quickly through the ruins of the City, and eventually found out where he was supposed to go. The Cabal were not helping matters though, they had sealed off the main route to the Hall of Epiphany. “Son of a bitch must pay” Caleb said through gritted teeth, as he looked for an alternative route. He then proceeded to jump into the city's water way and began to swim. Caleb was never a fan of swimming, and with Gill Beasts around it was no laughing matter. Caleb was relieved when he finally submerged, but where was he know? He saw many things about him, electrical devices whirring and sparkling, gill beasts kept in cages and tanks. “Must be a laboratory” Caleb thought as he proceed through the main hall. Unfortunately this attracted unwanted attention. “I will swallow your Soul” a voice called out, and Caleb knew what it meant and dreaded it. “I am going to have to put you down” Caleb growled as he let out a shotgun blast. The creature was quick and ran, but Caleb had succeeded in bringing it out of the Shadows. The disembodied hand now came running for Caleb himself, and Caleb carefully lit a blast of dynamite. “This time you die” Caleb taunted as he threw the stick and ran. A large explosion was heard behind him, as well as the sound of glass breaking. “This could be bad” Caleb muttered as a Gill Beast now free of its tank came running towards him at breakneck speeds. Caleb fired a few shotgun shells, but they unfortunately hit the wall instead of their intended target. The Gill Beast was now approaching, and Caleb's options were limited. He took out his flare pistol and fired its secondary mode. The Gill Beast cried out as it was covered in fire. It immediately ran back to the pool of water left by his tank, as Caleb ran. He chucked a stick of dynamite behind him, causing the roof to collapse. The gill beast and Caleb were now separated. He was safe for now. After resting after his recent encounter, Caleb continued his trip through the laboratory. IT struck him as odd that he had not seen any Cabal presence in the building, other than the Hell Hand and the Gill Beasts. The explanation was around the corner. There he saw many people dressed in Cultist robes, all wielding rather nasty looking weapons. Caleb knew that he could not fight this one out on his own. Caleb remember something Ophelia had told him once, hearing her voice once again in his mind. “If a situation looks to desperate, stealth can be your ally”. Caleb had originally despised stealth tactics, but Ophelia did teach him their value and he had grown to respect them, though a standard brawl was still more of his style. The cultists seemed to be paying attention to someone standing on a platform dressed all in black. Caleb did not care what there were saying, but he did see an advantage. There was a stairway that led to a ledge beside the place where the cultists gathered. Caleb left some Tommy Gun ammo where he was previously standing and carefully sneaked up the stairway. He then carefully chucked a lit Aerosol can at the bullets and hid. The can exploded, lighting the bullets as well, which created the sounds of gunfire. All the Cultist immediately proceeded to where the sound had come from, and Caleb ran across the ledge. Nobody saw him, they were to busy paying attention to his diversion. Once across Caleb let out a wicked grin. Caleb then proceeded down another flight of stairs and out of the laboratory. He could see the Hall of Epiphany in the distance, and Caleb stifled a sense of dread. What secrets will he discover when he ascends those steps, just like he did long ago before he was cast down, before he and his comrades where betrayed. He swallowed his fear, and set of to the building that would answer all his questions. Hamish Wilson March 29, 2008. Thanks to Monolith Productions for the Blood Games and Characters