The first 2 chapters are mostly the first ep of the show with very minor changes but they set up chapter 3. Promise :)

May 20th

Richie POV- He felt different and good, better than ever. Like everything was suddenly clearer to him now. He owed his new found insight to Santanico who had turned him into a Culebra like herself to save his life. Now she needed his help along with Seth's help too.

"Seth just let me explain. Just please listen to me and let me explain" Richie begged as Seth had him caged against the wall inside the RV with a stake against his heart.

"This is a trick. No... this whole thing is a trick. You can say goodbye to the money Richard because I am out" Seth said walking towards the door of the RV.

"You've got to be kidding me" Seth said angrily as he stepped out of the RV and into a strange building.

Clearly Seth was pissed and confused seeing as how when he'd gotten into the RV they'd been in the Twister parking lot.

"No more tricks Seth Gecko but there will be games" Santanico said walking towards them causing Seth to raise his oddly made stake gun at her.

"Put that down Seth unless you never want to leave this temple" Richie explained walking over to Santanico.

"Temple? No. No bullshit. I'm out of the temple. I stepped out a door and I was in the parking lot."

"You stepped through a door yes. But you entered the Ahk 'abbih" Santanico explained.

"The who?" still Seth had his weapon raised.

"It's a labyrinth. It's like a maze it's just a little different although…" Richie said.

"Yes, Richard I know what a labyrinth is okay? It's like the hedges in "The Shining". Except I don't see any goddamn shrubbery around here!" Seth yelled.

"Cause it's a labyrinth of the mind. It was placed here by the lords of the night. And there's only one path but it's blocked by rampecabezas, puzzles. Games. And the only way to reach the center is to win" Santanico explained.

"Oh yeah what's the prize?" Seth asked.

"Me" she replied.

"You? Yeah no thanks."

"Look it's not just a temple Seth it's a prison" Richie said.

"Prison? No no no no this isn't a prison. This is an asylum. And the two of you are both off you nut."

Richie understood why Seth was freaking out. Seth and prison did not mix. It gave his brother panic attacks at just the thought of being in a cage again.

"It wouldn't be my first jailbreak" Richie said.

"How long was your sentence huh? Five years? Hmm five years. Try five hundred" Santanico said walking away turning back to look at Seth.

Richie knew his brother would never understand, could never because he wasn't like her or even now like him. Seth didn't understand the history like Richie did. But no matter what his brother would help him.

"All right. Okay. Well what if I say no?"

"You can't say no. When you walked through that door it closed behind you."

"Hey. Hey if you want to make it out of here it has to be through the labyrinth" Richie said drawing Seth's attention and weapon to him so he put his hands up.

With a sigh Seth finally put his weapon down.

"All right. Okay, let me get this straight I get through this labyrinth and then I get to you?" Seth asked.

"No not to me. To my blood."

"What?"

"It's inside something you would understand to be a vault."

"A sarcophagus. When we get it she'll be replenished" Richie explained.

Richie was glad Seth was agreeing to help just like prophecy said but even if he hadn't agreed Richie would have done it anyway. He'd do it for her... for Santanico.

"And then what? You're cured" Seth asked.

"The hunger cannot be cured. But I will be free."

"Oh really? To do what? Take your little show on the road? Murder and mayhem from coast to coast? That's her big plan?"

"Seth we boost the blood, we deliver the goods and the job is done" Richie said.

"What job?"

"Soon you'll know. In the labyrinth the trials are constructed from the memories of everyone in it" Santanico said.

"I don't know… labyrinth trials. This whole thing seems like a long way to go to keep a showgirl in a cage."

"It's a test put here by the Lords of the Night. Whoever has the purity of mind to withstand the trials will be deemed worthy" Richie said coming off his slouched position against the wall to walk closer to Seth.

"Of what?"

"No one knows. In five centuries… it's never been done" Santanico replied.

"All right when do we start?" Seth asked after a pause.

"As soon as I leave. I can't go with you. The Lords would know that I was there and… they don't like cheating."

"No self-respecting god does" Seth said as Santanico walked away.

Once Santanico was gone so was the RV. Tables appeared filled with weapons and tools along with blueprints and a rack of clothing.

"Come on brother let's take a look at this job" Richie said taking a step closer to pat Seth on the back only to stop and pull back when Seth flinched at the movement.

Richie hid it well but it hurt that his own brother hated him or worse feared him.

"Perfect" Seth said in annoyance at seeing the job on the table.

"Well the good news is you know the job, the bad news is you got yourself busted doing it" Richie said.

"Oh yeah I wonder why."

"We both know why. Just run it for me."

"The Parker Hotel all the fabricated comforts of home for the well-traveled business executive. Except this one happens to be a front for the Houston syndicate's money laundering operation run by none other than Big Jim Thompson. There's a rib joint in the lobby. That and the hotel are home. He hides significant cash flow from illegal enterprises all over Houston. Every night at 7 sharp Big Jim here likes to have a cold one and stuff his gullet full of Houston's finest slow roasted pork. During that 30 minute window the first man makes a delivery up to the counting room on the third floor. He sets off a diversion while the other man disables the security. As soon as that's finished the two men converge onto the penthouse and start cracking the safe. That's the real score, 10 million in uncut diamonds" Seth said going through the plan.

"Good.. bet that's where the labyrinth is keeping the blood. Shouldn't be too much of a problem with all our new swag" Richie said running his hand over a big drill.

"No no no. No dice. We can't lug that thing all the way up there okay? You got to go native, touch and feel. Hey same goes for the arsenal all right? Keep it simple" Seth said when Richie picked up a huge rifle.

"We are at a severe disadvantage if we don't take these" Richie argued.

He wanted more than anything to get this done and succeed.

"Oh that's right it's a house of horrors. And one of my worst memories thanks to you."

"I told you not to take that job in the first place."

"Well it was good score."

"With a bad mark. You only went after that guy cause Big Jim kicked dad out of Houston. You mad it personal and that's why you blew it."

"No I blew it because I didn't have the right boxman with me."

"Well now you do. This place can throw whatever it wants at us and it doesn't matter. You know why? Cause the Gecko Brothers ride again."

They walked over to the clothing rack and picked out new suit jackets and fresh white shirts. When Seth took off his button up Richie saw the bonds taped to him.

"You kept them on you?"

"The safest place I could think of."

Richie saw Seth watching after he pulled off his tank top which was covered with blood. Where there was a bullet hole the skin was now flawless.

"I had to let her do it Seth. I was a dead man" Richie explained why Santanico turned him.

"Is being her slave any better?"

"I'm not her slave."

"Oh then what are you exactly?"

"I'm your brother."

They walked towards the car now wearing fresh suits ready to do the job.

"Okay this is the drop spot. My guys always on time" Seth said as they waited in the car shutting off the lights after they'd pulled into the lot.

"There we go" he said as another car joined the one they were watching.

"So that's how it is" Seth sighed as they saw a tall man step out of the vehicle.

"What?"

"The body guard. He wasn't on the original job. I did time with that guy. Son of a bitch kicked the shit out of me in the yard."

"Labyrinth of the mind."

"Is that Pritchard? He wasn't there either" Seth said as another man got out of the other car.

"Yeah well he's here now. Probably because the labyrinth knows that I hate him."

"All right" Seth said reaching for the door handle.

"Hold on a second. This isn't a video game there's no reset. You die you're dead" Richie said before he got out.

Seth opened the chamber on his revolver spun it clicked it in place and got out of the car. Richie snuck around the right side just in time to stop the body guard from drawing his gun.

"Not so fast Bluto" Richie said pointing his gun at the man's head.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Pritchard asked.

"Why don't you go ahead and toss him the bag while he thinks about it?" Richie said.

"You heard him. Toss it chop chop" Seth said.

Pritchard tossed the bag to Seth who knelt and looked inside. He jerked back with a horror filled gasp.

"What?" Richie asked.

Suddenly the body guard turned on him and he had changed into a Culebra. He shoved Richie sending him flying back before he went to attack Seth. Seth shot him but it didn't even slow him down.

Pritchard grabbed the bag and put it in the trunk of the car and Richie kneed him in the back before grabbing a tire iron. He staked the Culebra chocking Seth.

Pritchard tried to run but Richie grabbed him and threw him to the ground. As he walked toward him, Richie felt his face change and his fangs growand his eyes became vertical slits like a snake.

Pritchard begged for his life and Seth was yelling at him but he couldn't stop. Richie sank his fangs into Pritchard's throat. He drank and ravaged his neck tearing as he pulled away smiling. The whole lower half of his face was drenched in blood.

"Guy nearly broke my neck with his bare hands. I don't know what the hell this is man. This… he was not that strong in prison. Not at all" Seth said once they were back in the car.

Richie wiped all the blood off that he could with a cloth.

"He wasn't a Culebra right?"

"No no he definitely was not. You missed a spot" Seth said looking over at him.

"I couldn't help it" Richie tried to explain.

"Yeah?"

"Something came over me. I had to…"

"Had to what? Feed?"

"Yeah."

"You couldn't control yourself" Seth argued.

"No I couldn't!" Richie replied angry with himself.

Suddenly pain filled his body and Richie groaned.

"What the hell? What? Jesus Crist" Seth said slamming on the breaks looking at Richie.

"What?" Richie asked the pain gone as fast as it had come.

"Your fa…" Seth said stunned.

Richie pulled the visor down looking in the mirror.

"What? I'm Pritchard? Shit" Richie said.

Then horns started honking at them.

"Yeah all right. All right" Seth said as he started driving again.

The pain hit Richie again and left just as quickly.

"How the hell did you do that?"

"I don't know. But I could feel it in my body. It's like it was tearing me apart" Richie explained.

He may not know how he did it but he did know it could come in handy. Finally Seth pulled up to the hotel and they went inside.

"Oops sorry" Richie apologized having bumped into a woman.

"Hi Richie" the woman said smiling at him.

Flashback

"Hi Richie" Alexa Calver said smiling at him.

"Hey Alexa" Richie said smiling at the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen even though he was a Senior and she was a Freshmen.

End Flashback

"Alexa…" Richie said softly as Seth walked ahead.

"I need your help Richie" Alexa said.

"Richie you coming?" Seth said.

"Yeah I'll be…" Richie turned back to Alexa but she was gone.

"What's going on man?" Seth asked when Richie caught up to him.

"Alexa" was all Richie said.

"Where? You saw her here?"

Richie nodded.

"I thought you were over her like ages ago. Now you got your…snake queen."

Richie said nothing. No way was he going to admit ever to Seth that in his mind Alexa was always the one who got away.

"Okay…we got 30 minutes on the clock. By the time you disable security and make your way to the penthouse I'll make the drop in the counting room" Seth explained.

"Except one problem."

"What?" Richie pointed to a rude elderly man behind the counter.

The same man who gave them trouble when they checked into a hotel room after Seth escaped from Jail.

"Another blast from the past" Seth said in annoyance again.

"Worse. The security room is right behind him" Richie said.

"What do we do now?"

"I got a better idea" Richie said opening their bag and pulling out his gun.

"What are you doing? Whoa hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Tactics brother. Tactics."

Richie walked off towards the lobby's rib joint.

"I'd like a word with Big Jim" Richie told the two body guards who blocked him.

After a pause Big Jim nodded.

"Yeah."

The guards let Richie pass and he sat down.

"Most people wait to sit till I tell them to" Big Jim said.

"Well I'm not most people. I'm a boxman best one since Ray Gecko."

"Now there's a name that I haven't thought about in a long time. That's probably because in my life I make it a point to forget the losers."

Richie kept his face neutral at the poke at his father. Like he's told Seth don't let the job get personal.

"Ah well you're gonna remember me. I've got your next big score."

Big Jim didn't respond just took a long swig of his beer.

"You ever been to brazil?"

Richie shook his head.

"Excellent food. Even better women the fact is they've got some of the most beautiful, beautiful women on the planet down there. But did you know that some of those women aren't really women at all? The fact is Brazil is home to one of the largest populations of transsexuals in the world. They got… they got so many they even got a tour bus a special tour bus in Rio. And it stops at this one particular street corner and there's women all over the place. And everybody in the tour bus looks out at them and then places bets on which ones are actually women, which ones are actually men. And then when all the bets are placed these women lift their skirts and they show us their business" Big Jim told his story laughing.

"I hear they got nice beaches too" Richie said.

"I have never lost a single bet. You know why? Come here" Big Jim leaned in closer.

"That is because I know that just because you might see two big jugs up here that don't mean that there ain't a pork sword down below just waiting to take you for a ride. Now you tell me young man. Why exactly should I gamble on what you got under your suit?"

Underneath the table Richie cocked his gun and grinned.

"Because if I was working for you tonight I would have been smart enough to check a thief's bag for a hidden compartment. And if Lord Humongous had done his job correctly you wouldn't be in danger of a sex change yourself" Richie said.

After a few tense moments Richie de-cocked his gun and let one of the body guards take it.

"Boy you got some cojones don't you? I like that" Big Jim said.

"Boss."

"What?" the guard whispered something to Big Jim.

"No don't worry about it. It's Pritchard he'll make his delivery. I got some business to attend to. Meet me upstairs in the penthouse in five minutes we'll talk it out" then Big Jim got up and left.

Richie reached over and grabbed one of his ribs and ate it.

"Big Jim is asking for you" one of the guards said a few minutes later.

Richie sucked the sauce off his fingers and slowly stood up. They walked towards the elevators and got in. Slowly it rose floor by floor. Suddenly the elevator phone rang.

"Yeah? It's for you" the guard said answering the phone and handing it to Richie.

"'A' for effort boxman. But I know a Gecko when I see one. And sooner or later we all dance with the reaper" Big Jim said on the phone as the guard put the gun he took from Richie up to Richie's head.

Letting the phone go Richie turned to face the guard the gun nearly pressed against his forehead. The man pulled the trigger. Nothing happened so he pulled it again and again still nothing.

"Tactics" Richie said having dismantled the gun earlier.

Richie attacked the guard who turned out to be a Culebra as he shifted. He shoved Richie into the opposite wall and Richie shifted into his Culebra form as well.

They pounded and shoved each other in the small confines of the elevator when the doors opened Richie was tossed out onto his back and the guard got in two face pace punches before Richie pushed him back into the elevator and jumped in after him.

They growled and snarled at each other punching again and again. The guard managed to grab Richie around the throat with his arm and ripped the rail off with his free hand. He tried to stake Richie with the broken rail.

When his strength started to fail Richie slammed his head backward breaking the guys nose and his grip. Richie sank his fangs into his neck and the finished his off with the rail.

When the elevator stopped at the penthouse level Richie left looking like the guard. He'd just ran to Big Jim's door as the alarms started going off.

"Get downstairs I'll cover Big Jim. Move!" Richie ordered the guards away.

Then Richie simply walked into the room.

"What the hell happened?" Big Jim asked.

With a hiss Richie changed back into himself.

"Not bad for a Gecko" Richie said pulling his gun.

A knock came at the door and then pounding. Slowly keeping his gun on Big Jim Richie walked backwards to the door and looked out the peep hole. Seth kept knocking on the door.

Richie quickly let him in and then Seth drew his gun on Big Jim. Richie got started cracking the safe. He wasn't listening to Big Jim and his brother. It was the cock of Seth's gun that got his attention.

"Hey! What are you doing? It's the labyrinth man. Killing Boss Hogg might be the wrong move. Don't let it push your buttons" Richie said turning away from the safe.

"Well maybe I'll let it show me the truth from inside your screwed up head" Seth said walking over to him.

"What are you talking about?"

"You killed dad? He didn't burn up on the couch. You doused him with lighter fluid while he was drunk. Is it true? Is it?"

"Yes. Now will you let me get back to work?" Richie said with a straight face.

A pounding came at the door.

"Just get it open" Seth said.

Richie went back to work as Seth made Big Jim have his men stand down. With one last click Richie turned the dial on the safe and opened the door.

"Look at that. Even a blind squirrel finds an occasional testicle doesn't he? What do you know? The Gecko boys finally wrap their buckteeth around a nice, juicy nut sac" Big Jim said.

Richie pulled his gun but Seth shot Big Jim first. They unloaded their guns into him and Richie fired last.

They walked into the safe but it changed to look like the Culebra temple.