El Tigre: Chosen

Epilogue

Deep beneath the Miracle City Volcano, Dr. Espadas, Lieutenant Reyes, and a small squad of men in protective suits explored the lava-carved tunnels. Following these tunnels, they eventually came out into a large chamber, with a lake of fiery brimstone at the center.

Reyes whistled. "You think you can find the Crown in here?"

"We'll find something," Espadas said cryptically.

The men in suits approached the magma lake and began fishing around in it with large poles.

"You think it's in the lava?" the lieutenant questioned. "How on earth did it get there?"

Dr. Espadas did not answer.

"Got something!" One of the suits declared, raising a red-hot object out of the lava. Espadas rushed over.

"That's definitely not a crown," Lt. Reyes said to no one in particular. "It looks more like a…oh Madre de Dios…Espadas, is that…?"

"Give it to me!" The scientist said greedily.

"Sir, I wouldn't-" But Espadas cut off the suited man when he snatched the object off of the pole The red-hot material seared him, blistering his hands, but he didn't seem to notice. Instead, he laughed, lifting up the object.

It was the Tome of Torment.

"My God, Espadas, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Reyes demanded.

"I'm changing the future," the scientist declared. "No, that's not quite right. I'm becoming the future. Where the Dark Saint failed, I shall succeed. El Santo Oscuro may have fallen, but El Santo Nuevo will rise!"

"Have you been huffing your lab chemicals or some-"

BANG!

Reyes stood shocked. Espadas was pointing a smoking gun at him. The lieutenant touched his chest, his hand coming away covered in blood.

BANG! BANG!

Espadas fired two more shots, and Lt. Reyes fell. The fallen lieutenant coughed up blood as the scientist approached and kneeled down beside him.

"You've outlived your usefulness, my friend. But you can go in peace, knowing that you have witnessed the beginning of a new world order."

Reyes coughed some more, and then stopped breathing altogether. He was gone.

Espadas got up, heading for the exit with the Tome in hand.

"I estimate that Doña Ultima's tournament is over by now and the object-wielders have been freed, one way or another," Espadas called back to his men. "So return to the base and make the necessary preparations."

The men exchanged glances. "Preparations for what, sir?"

Espadas didn't bother looking back.

"For war."

To be continued...

in...

El Tigre:

REDEMPTION