Part 2: The Punisher

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God bless the Damned, that's what I always say. I sit back and relax as the ticker on the table beside me counts off the new arrivals. So far, its been about 3,000 today and I couldn't be more pleased about it. A pointy smile crosses my teeth as I consider the sins of the newcomers. Gluttony, pride, greed, wrath...oh, the possibilities are utterly delicious!8

I wave my hand in front of me and the air shimmers for a moment, steadying into a picture of people dressed in all sorts of styles walking through a grand archway. On each side of the gravel road is a river of blood-red water. As they pass the threshold, a man in an ornate chair towers about them from atop the arch. As each one passes below him, he waves his hand and a mark appears upon their forehead, signaling to the guards their sin. 9

As I observe, there is one particular soul who passes through the barrier but does not receive his mark. With a thought, I signal to the guards to grab the man and bring him to me. As an afterthought, I give the order for a replacement to be sent so that I could talk to Thoren personally.10

The two are brought to my chambers as requested. Upon my throne atop a high set of stairs, they seem fittingly insignificant so far beneath me. Thoren, the gate guard, kneels respectfully in his red robes, as well he should. The human, however, merely stands before me and must be forced to his knees as the guards strike the back of his legs with the shafts their spears.11

"Thoren," whispers my subtle voice from within his very head, "tell me why this mortal does not bear a mark? Is he not worthy of the sword of Wrath? Does he not deserve the eye of Envy?" And then, with the words literally dripping with venom, I demand of him, "Why does he dare come before me pure and unmarked!"12

"Milord, forgive me," Thoren pleads, pathetically. "There is reason he bears no mark of your supreme retribution. This man was not deemed Forsaken by the Judges. He is here of his own accord, his own free will. By all rights, according to the law set for by the Supreme Powers, there is no way he can be marked, and thus no authority can be enforced upon him in this realm."13

"Do not recite the Law before me, Thoren," I rebuked aloud. "I want you to tell me why this...man...is here before me as opposed to the realm of the Compensator? If he is truly pure and innocent, then he has no business here!" I then directed my attention towards the mortal. "And you, human. What business do you have here, among the Damned? Do you wish to join them in eternal despair? If so, I am sure we can find a mark which suits you. No man has ever existed that I could not mark!"14

The man gazed up the high stairs and smiled slightly. "I came to see my father, great King. He was sent here many years ago, I believe the final verdict was Sloth. I wished to see him once more before I spent my eternity in Paradise."15

At this, I gripped the arms of my great throne and pushed myself to my feet. I took a moment to compose myself, smooth out my suit and brush back my hair, before I slowly descended the steps. "Let me get this straight, man." I made sure to emphasize every word as I spoke. "You, a simple mortal, have come to the Underworld, the home of the Forsaken, realm of the Damned, and my kingdom. In doing so, you are brought before me in my throne room for bearing no mark." As I spoke, a set of small, sharp horns began to protrude from my forehead, revealing my anger. At the same time, a pair of wings also sprouted from my back in rage. "And now, even after that, you have the audacity to make demands of me?" 16

By this point, I had reached the bottom step. I walked over to the man and looked down on him in disgust. I reached down and grabbed him under the chin with one clawed hand and lifted him up to eye level with his feet dangling a foot above the chamber floor. I stared him straight in the eye, my face mere inches from his, and roared in his face. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM!?"17

I then threw him to the ground in fury. However, the man began to laugh. "Yes, lord, I do know who you are. Do you know what this is?" As he spoke, he reached within the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small, blood-red stone. At the sight of it, I recoiled.18

"The Judges?" I asked, disgusted.19

"The Judges." He replied triumphantly.20

At this realization, I literally simmered with rage as fire erupted from my hands. I threw a few fireballs at a couple of wandering Damned to vent my frustration and eventually settled down. I regained control and recomposed myself, straightening the pinstripe suit and drawing back my horns and wings.21

I dismissed Thoren and the guards and commanded the human to wait. Coldly, I walked back up to my throne. Once there, I grabbed my cloak and a black fedora-style hat. I walked back down the stairs and stood in front of the man again, more civilly this time around. "Keep in mind," I threatened, "this is not for you and especially not for your Damned father. This is only on the authority of the Judges. We will see him. You will observe but none have the authority, save myself and those below me, to disturb or interact with the Forsaken. Not even the authority of the Judges themselves can grant that privilege. You will not be permitted anywhere but the place your father is kept. We will observe him for as long as I see fit. When I say that it is time, we will depart, no later. If you have any disagreement, I do not want to hear it. Take it up with the Judges. Do we have an understanding?" The man nodded. "Good, now come. I have work to do."22

We made our way quickly through the bowels of the underworld. I decided to take the scenic route and share some of the horrors of this realm with the visitor. We passed the Wraths, a place of constant anger, argument, and conflict. We walked through gluttony, a torture of plentiful food which rotted and spoiled as it was brought to the lips. We passed through envy, where all was wonderful and glorious until you came in possession of the prize, at which point all you could see was a pile of trash. Unfortunately, he was blinded to all of this, too eager to see his father.23

Eventually, we reached Sloth. The man recognized his father immediately, but obeyed my rules and kept away. As he watched his father working tediously before him, the man's face went to stone. The Sloths, forced into an eternity of meaningless hard labor, were currently moving thousands of 20-pound slabs across their prison. Once they were finished, they immediately moved them back without a moments rest. We stayed and watched this spectacle for three round trips before I became bored with waiting.24

"That's enough," I spat. "We go now." The mortal nodded solemnly and we departed. "I do hope you savored the moment, human. It is unlikely at best that the Judges will give you the chance again." As we made our way, the guards from earlier appeared. "Ah, perfect. You two!" I commanded the guards over to us. "I want you to take this man to the gates. Once he is beyond the archway, take the stone from him so he cannot return. I will return the stone to the Judges as proof of compliance, and the human can make it back from there." The guards saluted and began to comply.25

However, the human was not done yet. "Wait! Great king, wait, please." I paused for only a moment to hear him out. "I would like to thank you, lord. You have helped me be at peace, and I am grateful." As soon as I heard what he had said, I spat on the ground and the guards took him away.26

I made my way back to the throne room and took my place once again on my seat of power. I sat back and relaxed as I tried to brush off the day's events. "God bless the Damned." I declared once again. As I waved my hand to view the mortal tossed out of the archway, I muttered softly to myself, "and God damn the Blessed."27

My name is Lou, and I am The Punisher.28

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