Pope Pius XIII sat across from Father Peter in the quiet rectory, the faint smell of cedar and incense lingering in the air. The popeโs white cassock seemed to glow in the dim light of the burning candles.
โPeter,โ he said gravely, โthese fires consuming wooden churches across Canadaโฆ we must admit, it is our own fault. The sins against the children of the First Nations were not just crimes of the body, but of the soul. We failed to protect innocence โ and innocence does not forget.โ
Father Peter lowered his head. โHoly Father, the people are angry. They say we deserve the flames.โ
Pius XIII nodded slowly. โYesโฆ but justice must not become vengeance. Trudeau gives them words โ truth and reconciliation, he says โ but what truth is spoken when his lips still drip with politics? The people do not want speeches, Peter. They want repentance. They want action. They want someone to stop talking moistly and start cleansing the rot.โ
The old priest sighed, his fingers fidgeting with his rosary. โThey came here last week, Your Holiness. They wanted to spray graffiti across the church doors โ โNo forgiveness without truth.โ Butโฆ they stopped. Itโs as if someone calmed them.โ
The Young Pope smiled faintly, his eyes fierce and knowing. โI did, Father. I am the vicar of Christ, and I whispered into their hearts that this house, though flawed, still shelters souls. They saw that your church โ unlike the others โ is not made of wood but of rock. The Freemasons may have laid its foundation, but God preserved it from the flames.โ
Father Peter looked up, astonished. โYou meanโฆ divine protection?โ
โDivine irony,โ Pius XIII corrected. โThe Freemasons, once condemned by the papacy, built a church that endures while our own wooden idols crumble. Perhaps God is telling us something โ that truth, not pride, is the real cornerstone.โ
He stood, the candlelight flickering across his solemn face. โLet the wooden ones burn, Peter. Let the lies turn to ash. Only stone can survive the fire โ stone, and the truth.โ
The smell of iron and sweat hangs in the air. Heavy bags sway, chains rattle. MIRKO CRO COP wraps his fists. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER pumps a slow set of curls. SYLVESTER STALLONE shadowboxes in silence.
JOE GILMORE (Martial Law) enters, Bible tucked under his arm, his face hard but uncertain.
He opens to Ecclesiastes 4:12 and reads aloud:
JOE “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Joe shuts the book with a snap. His eyes scan the three legends.
JOE (CONT’D) Whereโs my backup? You expect me to walk into the Zone after the war and join the cops alone? Thatโs a death wish.
CRO COP (quiet, grim) In my country, backup comes late. By then, the morgue is full.
ARNOLD (voice deep, deliberate) You donโt go to war alone, Joe. Even the strongest manโฆ needs his brothers.
STALLONE (raspy, pacing) Yeah, but brothers ainโt always there when the bullets fly. You gotta make โem stand with you.
Joe looks at them, his jaw clenched.
JOE If I step into that uniform, Iโm not a copโIโm a target. Unlessโฆ unless the four of us ride.
He pauses.
JOE (CONT’D) The Four White Cop Horsemen.
The gym falls silent. The heavy bag stops swinging, like the world itself is listening.
CRO COP finally nods, cracking his knuckles.
CRO COP Then letโs ride.
The camera pans across the four menโJoe, Cro Cop, Arnold, Stalloneโeach with their scars, each with their demons. The faint echo of hoofbeats thunders under the silence.
The Tale of Father Joe Jukic, the Exorcist of the Trump Cards
They say Father Joe Jukic wasnโt born โ he was deployed by Heaven. In the quiet streets of his parish, he was just the gentle priest who repaired the church bell by hand and blessed fishermen before dawn. But in the spiritual underworld, his name was whispered like thunder โ the man who could banish not only demons, but the whole deck they dealt from.
The storm over the city was unnatural โ lightning without rain, thunder without clouds. Father Joseph stepped into the ruined sanctuary, where all seventy-eight RiderโWaite cards hovered above a cracked altar, each radiating the blasphemous power of a stolen prophecy.
He knew their order. He knew their curse. And he knew their end.
Revelation 1 โ The Magician A false light-worker, cloaked in counterfeit miracles, raised his wand. Father Joseph pointed his crucifix.
โYour signs are smoke! OUT, deceiver!โ The wand snapped, and the light turned to darkness.
Revelation 2 โ The High Priestess A veiled figure sat between two pillars, offering hidden gnosis in exchange for worship.
โYou will teach Jezebel no more!โ The veil burned away, revealing only dust.
Revelation 3 โ The Empress She wore a crown of stars and claimed dominion over the earth. Her throne was built on the lukewarm.
โYour fruit is spoiled, your reign is ended!โ Her scepter shattered, the harvest rotted in her hands.
Revelation 4 โ The Emperor The throne room shook as a ruler of iron demanded allegiance.
โThe only throne is the Lambโs!โ The seat cracked, the crown rolled away into nothingness.
Revelation 5 โ The Hierophant Keys to heaven hung from his neck, but he had sold them for gold.
โThe scroll belongs to the worthy!โ The keys dissolved; the scroll of life was snatched from his grasp.
Revelation 6 โ The Lovers They appeared as unity, but war, famine, and death followed them.
โYou are the horsemen in disguise!โ The ground split; the riders fell into the abyss.
Revelation 7 โ The Chariot A conqueror in white armor drove his steeds into the temple.
โSeal the servants of God โ you shall pass no further!โ The chariot crumbled into sand.
Revelation 8 โ Strength A woman tamed the beast with soft lies.
โYou open not the seals but the pits!โ The beast roared free, only to be chained by angels.
Revelation 9 โ The Hermit His lantern drew locusts from the smoke of the pit.
โYour light is a plague!โ The lantern shattered, the swarm perished.
Revelation 10 โ Wheel of Fortune The wheel turned endlessly, binding fate to the beast.
โTime is no more!โ The wheel froze and fell, breaking on the stones.
Revelation 11 โ Justice Her scales weighed men against lies.
โMeasure the temple in truth!โ The sword struck; her false balance was cast away.
Revelation 12 โ The Hanged Man A martyr who hung himself between heaven and earth to mimic the Child.
โYour sign is not the womanโs glory but the dragonโs shame!โ The rope snapped, and the dragon devoured the impostor.
Revelation 13 โ Death The pale horse stepped forth, promising rebirth through slaughter.
โYou are the beast โ your mark is void!โ The rider fell into shadow; the horse was burned.
Revelation 14 โ Temperance An angel poured one cup into another, blending truth with poison.
โYou will drink the wine of Godโs wrath!โ The cups shattered, the poison spilled into nothingness.
Revelation 15 โ The Devil Chains bound the people in worship to him.
โYour plagues are the bowls you will drink from!โ The chains broke; the idol fell face-first into fire.
Revelation 16 โ The Tower Thunder roared as lightning struck the great city.
โThe seventh bowl is poured!โ The Tower exploded in flame, its crown hurled into the sea.
Revelation 17 โ The Star She poured her light into the nations, yet it was wormwood.
โYour harlot light is quenched!โ The water turned pure; her vessel lay empty.
Revelation 18 โ The Moon Beasts and kings prowled under her glow.
โBabylon is fallen โ your night is over!โ The moon cracked, and the sky brightened with dawn.
Revelation 19 โ The Sun A false victory procession marched under the blazing orb.
โThe Rider on the white horse is not you!โ The sun dimmed, and Christโs own cavalry rode forth.
Revelation 20 โ Judgment A horn was blown, but it called the dead to the second death.
โYou will not usurp the great white throne!โ The horn shattered, the books closed.
Revelation 21 โ The World A counterfeit new earth spun within the wreath.
โBehold โ I make all things new!โ The false globe imploded, and the true city descended from heaven.
When the final card dissolved, the altar split in two. A wind, pure and clean, swept the sanctuary. Father Joseph closed his Bible.
โIt is done.โ
Far above, the seventh trumpet faded into silence.
