Chapter 6: The Name of Obscurum

Amido was beginning to become impatient. What was taking Aycee so long? He really didn't want to call in Mai and her rocket launcher because the thought of turning all of these priceless decorations to dust pained him deeply.

Amido began to make his way up the long, winding staircase. If Aycee had gotten into some trouble, it was up to him to finish the job. Twirling his gun in his hand, Amido confidently slinked up the stairs.

***

Fangtastic was the worst kind of man to kill. Even if he had been one of the most powerful in the nation, Oscar would forget about his murder in a week. Fangtastic and Aycee's blood mixed together on the pure white floor. Oscar leaned against a glass fireplace, whistling a merry tune as footsteps approached from the penthouse's first floor. A cold wind blew through the shattered window. 

Amido Amdahl was a young man, with light brown skin and curly hair. He was dressed like a gentleman and the penthouse's pot-lights sparkled on his golden gun. Oscar twirled his favorite knife around once, then twice, then a third time.

Amdahl's eyes met his. A moment later they assessed the crime scene.

"Hiya, partner!" Oscar waved. "Fine night for killing, huh?"

Amdahl knelt down and gazed at the knife protruding out of Aycee's head. "Aycee, my baby…" he breathed, before looking up. "Oscar, you silly brat. Do you know how hard it'll be to find somebody so effective, yet so adorable again?"

"Pretty easy," Oscar grinned, "Cuz' you'll be dead soon, partner!"

Amdahl sighed, a melancholy expression atop his usually-foppish face. "I never did like you," he drawled. "This is the last time I'm having a man on my squad." 

A cold wind whistled through the empty penthouse. The blood trail reached the starwell and began to drip down. The sound echoed throughout the pale room. Multicolored lights of the endless city cast strange glows on Oscar and Amdahl's faces.

Then Amido Amdahl pulled the trigger.

Oscar had anticipated this…he faced down gunmen for fun, after all. His fingers danced together like a master puppeteer, blades slashing and flying to deflect each out of the bullets. They went flying, blasting holes in the faraway windows.

The moment the last of the bullets were deflected, Oscar launched forward, thrusting his knives right at Amdahl's throat.

The melancholy look had now left Amido Amdahl's face, and his smile was alight with glee. With Oscar closing in, Amdahl dropped his gun and spun around, kicking it head-on at the approaching assassin.

Oscar stopped short to smack it away, but the one-second delay was all Amdahl needed to draw a machete from his coat and extend it to a full-length sword with the press of a button. 

Oscar grinned and jumped back from the large sword, "Didn't see that one coming! This is getting interesting!" Oscar grabbed a long knife out of his coat and held it up right between Amdahl's eyes. "Are you scared yet?"

Amdahl laughed, batting the knife away. "I would never be scared of a little brat like you! I could beat you with one hand tied behind my back." 

Oscar's face lit up into a crazy grin, "Then let's put that to the test!"

Oscar ran closer to Amdahl, twirling his knife between his fingers and easily dodging Amdahl's attempts to push him back with his sword. Then with a quick, clean movement, Oscar sliced off Amdahl's right hand.

Amdahl screamed as his hand fell to the floor, his sword along with it. "Shame on you….you childish beanpole! I shall never forgive you for as long as I live!"

"Well luckily, that won't be very long!" Oscar said happily. 

Amdahl spat on the ground and looked up, his eyes full of bloodlust. He ran towards Oscar, dragging his large sword with his other hand, while screaming, "You're younger than me so I'm sure you are weaker than me!" 

Right before Amdahl reached him Oscar put up both of his hands, "Wait, stop! I forgot something!" Oscar rummaged through his pockets as Amdahl stopped running, confused. 

"Found it!" Oscar said holding up a badge with the words 'Obscurum es, et serviam tibi' "Does this badge mean anything to you, partner?"

Amdahl's eyes widened as he saw the badge, "How…..how did you get that?"

"Hah! I got you!" Oscar said, dangling the badge right above Amdahl's head. "I think you might want to explain something to me?"

"I….I know nothing about that badge!" Amdahl said, his face now expressionless. He held his hand above his head, trying to grab the badge, "Let me see that!"

Oscar laughed and pulled the badge away from Amdahl's outstretched hand. "If you tell me where this cult is I just might spare your life!" 

Amdahl slowly backed away from Oscar, "I told you, I don't know what you mean!" 

"Alright, then it shouldn't matter if I kill you, right?" Oscar said with a psychotic look in his eyes. So fast that Amdahl could just barely track him, Oscar twirled towards him with his knives splayed in his hand like a fan. Amido Amdahl braced himself, pulling a knife from his coat to guard. "Too slow!" sang Oscar, cutting off Amdahl's other hand. It fell to the ground, causing the white marble floor to become streaked with red. Amdahl stumbled to his knees. Oscar kicked the fallen knife out of the way. "Well, partner, have you changed your mind yet?"

Amdahl screamed from pure rage. "You'll never get anything from me! The seal has broken and the god of death is coming. You're going to regret this, Oscar! When I offer myself up as his servant he will curse you!" 

Oscar let out a long laugh. "The god of death? Wow, you're really scaring me!"

Any sense of humor had disappeared from Amdahl's face. "Obscurum es, et serviam tibi. You are the dark, and I will serve you." Amdahl got to his feet and started walking slowly towards Oscar. "Go back to the Needle like the dog you are and tell President Cybers to enjoy ruling while he still can. A god is coming, Oscar, and he won't forget this, oh no he won't." 

Heavy footsteps rang throughout the hall. A loud synthesized voice boomed into the room. "Intruders! Put your hands in the air."

Oscar gave a small bow and stepped backwards. "Well I suppose that's my cue to leave, it's your lucky day. Please do introduce me to the god of death when he arrives, he sounds like my type of guy." 

A mass of bodyguards in shiny black battlesuits stormed into the room, brandishing rifles. Abandoning Amdahl to his fate, Oscar reached up to his ear and activated a switch, causing rockets to activate on his boots, sending him flying through the air and crashing through a window. "Ahh, Kaneda might be a tiny bit upset that I didn't finish up the job," thought Oscar with a yawn as he sped away from the Teslamancer building. 

Oscar did not believe in superstitions, but he did believe in people. And Amido Amdahl never lied, he was so obnoxiously honest that it quite disgusted Oscar at times. The thought of some god coming down and accepting Amido Amdahl as his follower was so hilarious it made Oscar giggle under his breath, but yet there was something about the crazed look in his eye that made him feel a shiver of anticipation as he lazily flew his way towards the Palace Needle. 

The city of Neo Arachnis never slept. The streets never emptied, and the sky was eternally filled with the reflections of thousands of neon lights. And yet, that night, the stars were frighteningly clear. This night marked the twenty billionth day since Feros Obscurum had been sealed among the stars.

When the clock struck midnight, a god descended to Earth.