"How's this as a welcome back, Joe?" Davey jabbed at the return of his old partner as the tones were ringing both trucks out to a structure fire. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, bro!" Joe spouted back over the hustling men getting in their gear and the big red trucks roaring to life. "I bet I've got enough leg to get 'er done." Joe had rehabilitated his gun shot wound to his leg after a four week hyatus.The captain leaned around to pass along some important information Dispatch had just relayed by radio. "Boys, looks like we have a mostly abandoned building with a known colony of vagrants living there. Report is some are still inside," he informed.The building was an old furniture warehouse with the front half compartmented with offices on both sides of a hallway, and the large area used for the showroom in the other half. A basement ran under the back of the showroom and storage area at the rear of the building. Light smoke was showing when they pulled the rig in front to set up. Davey and Joe grabbed their tools and headed inside. Sunlight shown through the glass window openings and refracted off of the white smoke making the room glow in a bright haze. Meager belongings were scattered about with an occasional mattress and sofa. Rotten floor boards had given way, leaving random holes in the floors, a serious threat to the firemen if they were unable to see them. Davey was thankful for what little sight they had to avoid a nasty fall. They quickly searched the offices for victims and moved on to the showroom area. Still no source of the fire. The showroom was found to be clear and they maneuvered to the rear door leading to the storage room. Joe felt the door and noticed some heat and smoke filtering its way under and around the doorway. They breached the door and jumped back, allowing the smoke to roll in and blacken the air above them. They must be getting closer, for it was starting to get hot. Davey stopped to catch a breather and call in their position and need for ventilation at the rear of the structure. Suddenly in the stillness of the moment, both Davey and Joe heard the cry for help from deep within the storage area to their left. They instantly responded, having to grope through the increasing darkness. Their hands found some old stacks of mattresses still in their plastic wrapping to maneuver around. With each step, vision decreased to a dark grey. Seeing a broken down figure of a man in the corner made their hearts jump with adrenaline. Upon seeing his would-be rescuers he cried out again. Suddenly, Davey shot an arm out to stop Joe in his tracks as a voice rang out in his head.Prepare for battle.Fear mixed with rage burned through Davey's soul. "What is it, Lord," Davey prayed. "Is he here?"Use all of the truths I have taught you for I have overcome the world.They stepped out together in faith to make the rescue, Davey leading. In a flash Davey was earholed from the side, caught totally off guard by the rushing assailant. The momentum took Davey down hard, jarring his head into a slight blur. The fight was on. The two of them rolled around, trading whatever punches and kicks they could get in while still holding on to the clothing of their opponent. Davey blocked a right hook and landed a solid uppercut, sending the man reeling backwards. Joe jumped forward with a massive right hand at the opportunity only to have it blocked and countered with a jab to the neck that brought him to his knees. The killer backed up evilly glancing back and forth between Davey and Joe. He fumbled around in the corner wielding a weapon of sorts that looked like a baseball bat or a large pipe at first glance."You're going down, King," man in black hoarsely challenged. "I'm gonna get you just like I got your Old Man. Ha-ha-ha-ha." Davey's blood boiled as his head spun at the thought. This was the guy responsible for Dad's death? "Yeah, I hear you, King," the demon replied. "I was sent to get you that day, but you firemen always gotta be heroes, spoiling my work. And don't think I don't have contacts at the hospital too. No one is beyond my reach. Ha-ha-ha-ha."Mom. Just the thought of his parents' death made him ill. That fateful Christmas day would forever scar his memories. This was the embodiement of evil: the one who had caused all of his pain. The Voice rang out clearly.Use the truth. I am truth.Davey closed his eyes, praying for a miracle, and asking for God's power to come down upon him. Suddenly his spirit rose with strength and trust as he shouted out, "If God is for us, who can stand against us?", and he charged with all of his might. He tackled the monster and they both fell back with a giant crack as the floor gave way around them, sending them both plummeting into the basement below. Davey now knew where the fire was: all around them in the basement. The heat was oppressive even to penetrating Davey's gear to his skin. "What's the matter, King, can't stand the heat?" the devil laughed, not even in protective clothing. Davey lit into him with a fury of punches, most of them landing squarely with power. but the guy kept coming back. Davey was weakening by now and cried out for God to help. Joe dropped down the hole into the furnace below. "Davey, I brought the key, here you go," he said sliding it over to Davey. Davey kneeled down to pick it up. Joe was met with a vicious strike from the villain. Somehow the metal pipe appeared in his gut, taking his breath away, and sending him falling in slow motion forward onto the floor."What do you have for me, King?" the man asked, curious. "What key could you possibly have?"Davey prayed for God's power, for His words, for His truth. Then he remembered! "I've got the keys to the kingdom of hell. Don't you wish you still had them? Because of Jesus's blood, He conquered death and hell and took the keys from you! I've also got the keys to the kingdom of heaven, my resource for all of the power I could ever need for this life and...""Give me those keys!" the devil roared, charging forward to attack."Storm the gates of hell!" Davey shouted back, cocking what they call their "universal house key" - the halligan tool they used for forcing doors and anything else standing in their way. He swung the tool with a power he had never felt before, the tool speeding to its target. The tool end found its mark on the side of the man's neck and refused to stop. The angled end continued through, disattaching his head from its shoulder mount. It toppled to the floor as its body fell to a heap at Davey's feet. Davey rushed over to Joe's side, turning him over to check on him. The pipe stuck through his torso in horrible fashion. "Oh, no," Davey sighed. Joe struggled to get a breath and say something."We did it, Davey. You were awesome. I saw it all. Praise God. He reigns. I'm done with my dream and I am going to see him. Carry on, Davey. Carry on." His last exhale was long and final, bringing peace to take the place of his pain. 