==000==

Cassius picked up his pace as he rounded a corner and could see daylight. Holding the cumbersome feeling weapon out before him, he nearly dropped it from nervous fingers as a guard turned at his approach looking as shocked and surprised as he did. Everything happened so fast and Cassius only had time to realise that this was the very guard that had made him feel the whore days before.

As the man rushed at him, he hunched in on himself silently saying a goodbye to his brother as he closed his eyes and thrust out the sword holding it as tightly as he could. He felt something whoosh past his ear and a weight force the sword from his deadened hands. It all happened so quickly then time froze as he stared down at the man with the sword sticking out of his gut. It had gone in between the leather flaps on the skirt up into his body.

"Cassius, quickly, retrieve sword!" Vibius hissed but all he could do was stare into the fearful, panicked eyes as the man gaped up at him stunned, blood coughing from his mouth. "Cassius!"

Shaking himself from the horror, the youth tried to pull the sword out of the guard but it was stuck fast and he could not help but stare into the so frightened eyes, the man's mouth working as he begged something of him but he could not hear, could not make out the words. Cassius could hear nothing over the sound of his own blood roaring around his head.

"Place foot on him!" Vibius instructed, all the time looking around them, watching for further threat. With the burden in his arms he would be powerless to defend. He needed Cassius to guard not only himself but him and Sabinus too. Cassius slowly turned and looked at him in disbelief.

"Do you wish brother dead? Do you wish death?" The boy just shook his head in reply, not uttering a sound. "Then get your cock from arse and pull out the fucking sword!" he spat at him.

Cassius blinked then turned back to the guard slowly dying at his feet. Grasping the sword in both hands, thinking he was going to vomit, he placed one sandaled foot on the man's stomach and wrenched the sword free. He knew that noise and the broken scream the man made as he failed to release the sword in one movement and had to re grip and pull afresh, would be a noise he would be able to hear until the day he died.

"Now move!" Vibius told him and swallowing down the bile, Cassius continued along the corridor holding out the weapon praying that he would not have to use it again. Following the rest of the gladiators, they moved up the stairs into the villa itself not knowing which way to go. There were bodies everywhere.

This time Cassius saw they were the nobles laying scattered as they had been struck down. He felt nothing for them, nothing for the agonies and the pain of their deaths. They had felt nothing for the plight of he and his brother. It was for people like these that gladiators died, that boys and girls like his brother were used, torn and abused for pleasure.

Looking around at the devastation, his eyes came to rest on a figure he had much cause to remember. He had never met the man himself but recognised him as the bastard that had placed such fear in Sabinus just at the mere sight of him. He walked over to the body of Setimus Agripa Anthemius. The man that had been the cause of his brother's grievous injury. The bile rose up in him again and instead of swallowing it down, this time he spat, right in the open but dead eyes of the ugly beaked nosed man.

Vibius watched in both wonder and a grudging respect as the young man he thought of as gentle and in need of protection put the sword down by plunging it to stand in the Roman's belly and then began to undo his subligarium. "Cassius. We do not have time for this!" trying to keep the amusement from his speech.

Looking down at the so hated figure, Cassius let the stream of urine cover the man from balding head to finely crafted sandals. "I am so fucking terrified I could shit on the beast…. no more than the worm deserves."

Vibius' laughter was halted as they both heard a voice they had come to instantly recognise and, as if drawn like a moth to the flame, followed it, passing silent but blood drenched columns. They were all stood there, all the surviving slaves in a circle around their master. Master no more.

"I am your Dominus. And I will have your fucking hearts!"

All became silence as they saw the Domina slowly and painfully make her way through the shallow pond. This was something that none could turn from. The end of the people who had controlled their lives, had dominated their existence seemingly for mere pleasure for as long as they had been owned by this house.

As Lucertia collapsed, the man who had orchestrated all this bloodshed walked to stand in front of Batiatus. Cassius moved closer to Vibius as he stood equally mesmerised holding the inert form of Sabinus so tenderly to his chest. The whole air was filled with the sights, smells and sounds of lose, of unpaid for pains and injuries. They stood silently waiting for Spartacus to, in some small way, demand payment for all their woes. They knew that there was more blood to come.

"What would you do to hold your wife again?... To feel the warmth of her skin?... The texture of her lips?... How many men would you kill? A hundred? A thousand?..." Spartacus set his whole being and purpose onto this moment. "…There stands but one between you and her."

Batiatus had no choice, no other option than to fight. It could possibly be called a valiant effort but it was over instantly. All his years of owning, training and pitching gladiator against gladiator had done nothing to prepare the Lanista for the actuality of holding sword in hand against any but a much weaker defenceless opponent.

Down on his knees with a sword at his neck, Spartacus told him calmly, "Go to her. Tell her the gods themselves would not keep you apart." Standing back, Spartacus hit out with his pent up rage and anger, knocking his 'Dominus' to the ground, blood flying. Then he let voice to his rage. "As you lied to me of my wife!" he thundered.

Batiatus called out in supplication for help from his trusted Doctore but Oenomaus too stood resolutely closed lip. The lies, the deception this man had perpetrated having been given voice to him by that bastard Asher. The disrespectful murder of Barca was but one slight against the honour of the house Batiatus that the dark skinned man had given his adult life to serve, all washed away by the effluence of this bastard's deceit.

Knowing his skills were lacking, Batiatus threw down his sword and began to bluster in the face of Spartacus. Telling how he had made him, brought him up from nothing. "I gave you the means to accept your fate!"

Spartacus was not angered, not moved but became calm once more. The calm of battle in the arena. Sword at the Roman's throat, he told him with finality, "And now you are destroyed by it."

As the blade drew back, then swung to cut across the man's so vulnerable seeming neck, Cassius wanted to cheer, just as they would have in the arena. But this moment was too important, too momentous. No one spoke. No one moved but stood looking on as their former Dominus slowly fell to the floor so close to his beloved wife, Lucretia.

"I have done this thing because it is just. Blood demands blood." Spartacus moved to stand over the bloodied body of Batiatus. Raising his voice so all those still alive could hear clearly, he told them, "We have lived and lost at the whims of our masters for too long. I would not have it so. I would not see the passing of a brother for the purpose of sport. I would not see another heart ripped from chest or breath forfeit for no cause. I know that not all of you wish this, yet it is done… It is done. Your lives are your own. Forge your own path. Or join with us and together we will see Rome tremble!"

A shout as loud as any heard in the arena lifted from the gladiators, from the house slaves adorned in their festival clothes. From Vibius beside him and from Cassius' own throat. He turned then to look at Vibius, to really look at him for the first time in days, over the curled body of his brother. He saw determination there, then the man spoke, "Whatever you wish. Wherever you wish, I am with you."

He did not know what to say, what to answer. He lifted a hand to lay on his brother's shoulder feeling him warm. Deeply, blissfully asleep but alive. He prayed they would find a place of safety before Sabinus was forced to leave his drug induce stupor. He would be scared enough without realising that they were now running for their lives. Then Cassius gently touched Vibius' hand, so securely holding all that was important to him. He acknowledged the pledge the now freedman had just given him and staring into the earnest eyes could not speak. He nodded then, swallowing the dryness at his emotions.

He turned to follow as all left the villa, filled down the stairs and back onto the sands. Leading the way, knowing that Vibius was close behind, he passed through the gates, giving little thought or attention to the man who had never returned his offered affection but had been such a large part of his recent life. Spartacus who just stood there as they all decided on their own fates.

Cassius knew of only two things on leaving the Ludus. He would continue to protect his brother, tend to his hurts, love him in any way he wished then, together, with or without Vibius, they would find their father.

==The end!==

end note...

I just want to express my gratitude for reading through to the end and for the reviews and support you have given me and my boys, Cassius and Sabinus.

I hope you have enjoyed and although I have finally finished this story I am in the process of writing a 'one shot' to go with it. Hope you will keep an eye out and let me know what you think.

Once again, apologies for the delay in completing this little yarn.

Cheers.