He was big about 6 '2 and had a broad shoulder line under his muffles of clothes. He wore a red leather bomber jacket with a red sweatshirt underneath. His pants were baggy jogging sweats, and his thick legs moved with a catlike grace underneath them. Against the white background of the snow storm outside he looked like a bonfire in a snow drift. He was hot. In more ways then one. His hair was almost as white as the flurries outside but glowed a hazy blonde in the light. It his tan face and square jaw in a length of white hot blonde flame. It was strange eve though winter was blasting it's best out there, there wasn't a single snow flake on him or hint of dampness. He took of his red ski gloves and shot a ray of piercing sky blue through his bangs.

"Eddie , Eddie, long time no see- your looking as taunt and sculpted as ever," he said in a charming melodic baritone.

Eddie just stared at the stranger in confusion as he brushed past him, "ah excuse me sir you can't go back there...only members..." But the guy bounded on, his size belying his agile whimsical step. Eddie positioned himself quickly before the stairs, "I'm sorry sir, but I can't let you up there I don't care who..."

The blue eyes fixed on Eddie. "I have some business with Gino..."

Eddie's eyes rolled, "Oh baby, Everybody has business with Gino , look I'm sure he meant to call you or whatever, "

The mans white teeth showed through the bangs in a wolfine grin, "Eddie I have not fought through fire and flame to bandy words with the likes of you."

Eddie continued to stare. The blonde tisked in disgust, "Damned Illiterate, Haven't thought to pick up a book yet huh? Eddie."

Eddie looked at the man with irritated confusion. "Listen here sir," he said with snippy self-important tones, "This is a private gym and only members may enter if you want a day pass or a tour you can..."

"Eddie," the blonde sighed wearily, "are you purposefully trying to vex me?"

"Do I know you?"

There was a moment of confusion in those clear blue eyes and then the guy began to laugh a hearty little chuckle. "I suppose not... you might have once but...well," he brushed aside the long blonde bangs and stretched his heavy shoulders rasing his arms above his head, craning his neck purposefully, " papa's got a brand new bag." he made the statement sound more like a challenging threat. The look in his eyes was vicious and begged rebuke.

"oh well never mind, look, I don't have to go up anyway I just need to send my two buddies up to Gino- they need to talk to him about a job."

The blonde motioned to the door and two huge ass bodybuilders huddled into the lobby- they were at least 6'4 and 650lbs between them. There were a lot of big guys in the 64st gym but these were olympian sized monstrosities, and despite the cold they were dressed like muscle heads from the 80's. One in a garish orange parachute pant and a string tank top that revealed his hugely proportioned pecs, the other in tights that hung to his huge quads in a bright green with a cut off grey sweatshirt over his big frame.

"Jesus, who're those freaks?"

The two behemoth high fived each other awkwardly with their bulky frames, "freaks" they cheered in a grunting roar.

"He's Flex." the one in the tank offered stupidly.

"He's crunch." The other said, then they pulled up their shirts to reveal two weight belts with the names emblazoned on a wide buckle. They seemed childishly proud to know there own names.

The blonde smiled his viscous grin, "I believe my companions speak for themselves." He meandered toward them and they intern ambled toward him with an impressively quad disrupted wobbling gait. "Now you be good boys and give this to the nice Italian man when you see him, and remember to tell him what I told you." He instructed them in a slow purposeful voice.

Their heavy subcranial brows furrowed in concentration. "Uh huh"

"Good boys, now go ahead it's at the back, and don't get distracted."

The Bodybuilders paused for a moment absorbing the instructions carefully.

"Alright" said flex with a confidant shake of his thick vein pulsing neck. Then he pushed crunch forward, their heavy bodies swaying back and forth primally as they walked away.

"Their asses are huge!" Eddie breathed foaming at the mouth as the four boulder sized glutes hunched away.

"Everything about them is." The blonde nodded pulling on his gloves.

Eddie turned to the stranger and asked in confusion, "hey how come ur not wet when those fucking Beasts were soaked,"

The guy simply did a quick half turn and slyly danced toward the door in a quick sidestep, "because I'm Mr. Heat miser, I'm Mr. Green Christmas.... , I'm Mr 101..." The guy did one more quick agile red clad turned before he left the gym door. He gave Eddie one Icey blue wink before he dissappeared.

And then it hit him like a brick.

Eddie gave out a loud gasp.

One of the sales girls wandered by and said, "Hey Ed, what's up, you look like you've seen a ghost."

Eddie held onto the desk in shock, "O M G!" he swore, "Go tell Gino quick!"

"Tell him what?" she asked sassily hand on hip,

"Tell him, Tell him...That the Bitch is back."

But Gino was already finding out.

Flex and Crunch stood silently in front of a heavily muscled, deeply Mediterranean Italian man in long sleeved polo that accented his rock hard form. He looked at them in startled surprise from his glass topped desk. "Uhm a we's a need a job."

The man seemed shocked his dark eyes looking a little wild at the two gargantuan men, "ah..." he said recovering from his shock, "my names Gino, I'm the manager."

The two Ogres smiled and lifter their shirts revealing wide weight belts with names emblazoned on either one, "He's Flex!" the one with dark buzzed hair announced, and then the sandy colored brute pointed to his friend and said "He's Crunch, We're bodybuilders."

"Obviously." Gino murmured.

"Our friend brought us here to get a job," then the giant paused, Gino marveled at the do, they each had to be 310lbs of solid muscle, "He said we should warn you..."

"About what/ Gino asked absently examining the swell of their huge backs above their impressively small waists.

"He told us to tell you," crunch started in his throaty voice, and then continued haltingly, using all his mental effort to remember the simple instructions, "That We're so dumb... that It took a fire in the school to get us outa the Third Grade."

Gino's dark eyes widened, a dark suspicion looming in his mind, "this guy who brought you here, was he dressed all in black and did he have long black hair?"

Both Squatted veiny necks shook, "no."

Gino sighed in relief, "oh well...uhm I guess the gym could really benefit from having two Professionals on staff. Are either of you certified trainers?"

Their was another long pause as they both stared at him blankly. The pause continued until Flex Smiled, Flexing one big arm forcing his cutoff sweatshirt to recede to his cantaloupe sized Delts. "We're Bodybuilders!" He repeated stupidly as if that was some kind of answer to the question.

"Yeah...you said that." This was strange, very strange. "Well if your not Trainers...I couldn't hire you at that rate...and the only other thing is maintenance..."

"All we need is money for our rent and food." Flex offered.

"And juice." Chris Finished.

Gino was concerned, "Uhm gentleman the gym doesn't indorse drug abuse." They gave him that blank stare again. He knew he used to many big words.

Crunch offered dumbly, "then we won't do it in doors, we'll do it at home."

Gino stared at the two humongous goons in front of him. Not a Brain cell between them...and their dicks were ram rod hard. It was completely unnatural. They assured him that they could handle Sponsors for their "sport" and If he just gave them some money for working at the gym they'd be fine. Gino tried to tell them that they'd only be advisors to the trainers and that their jobs would largely be menial labor around the gym. Picking up weights...making Shakes...Monkey work. That seemed to make them even happier. He called Eddie in to give them a tour, and sent them off. Glad to be rid of their asinine Grinning mugs. And secretly jealous of the way they made him feel small and inferior compared to their gargantuan muscles.

But before they left Crunch dropped a piece of paper on his desk, "He told us to give you this though..." And then they lumbered into their new life as Salaried Muscle eyesores and maintenance monkeys.

Gino turned the small post card over in his hands, on the front of it was a field of fire, flame and molten pools of lava, a little devil was busy sunning himself and lounging by one of the lava pools. Big words read, "Wish you were here."

He turned the card over and in an erratic script that he recognized all to well, was written, " Miss ME? Be Seeing you soon.... xoxoxoxo," He didn't need a signature to know who it was from.

But before he could get the chance to examine the card further, he dropped it with a quick painful exhalation. His deep voice gasped in surprise. The Card seemed to get as cold as dry ice. It fell onto his desk and frost began to spread all over, covering the handwriting and images in a deep ice. And as suddenly as it froze it shattered into a thousand little Icicles.

Such a show off.

Well if he had any doubts, they were gone now.

He shakingly picked up his desk phone, and with almost forced hands dialed a now all to familiar number, There was a pause, and then in a subdued voice he told the man on the other end, "Sir...You told me uhm to call...If HE ever came back...well I think he has...."

There was another endless pause and then Gino answered submissively, "Yes Sir I know what to do."

He put one confused hand on his head and rubbed his brow thoughtfully.

Apparently Hell had frozen over, and that could mean only one thing-

...Damien Vaughn was back •