“Aunque me río en la cara de la muerte, sé que la muerte un día tiene que venir, Hasta La Muerte” 

In un pueblo a man by the name of Giovanny, a man with the strength of 100, said to be immortal and believed to have nine lives. He is agile, fast, brave and smart; he fears no one, hasta incluso la Muerte. Giovanny, a thief in a pueblo called Las Almas. Where souls roam with the living, and where death is seen like a god. But through all that, Giovanny is seen as a king for his disregard for death. 

“I see life through the eyes of a man that will never become a name on stone.”    

Giovanny wasn’t always loved by everyone. He was born an orphan and never knew who his parents were. He wandered Las Almas until stopping at an orphan center where he met his new mamá Doña Florinda. Growing up, Giovanny was always on an adventure to fill his mind of what the world looks like– often sneaking out late at night to explore the mountain sides. When Giovanny was 15, he completed his first crime– stealing bread from a vendor. He was chased and put in prison until Doña Florinda came for him. After he was taken out of prison, Giovanny was given una botas negras de piel del cocodrilo y una tejana negra con una pluma roja del legendario águila Moctezuma. When Giovanny hit the age of 18, he fled home after stealing from a bank with nothing but his boots, his tejana, and a sword he was able to take from the bank. Knowing he wasn’t welcome anymore at Las Almas, he traveled saying, 

“Voy a explorar el mundo, if it be the last thing I do.”

And explore the world he did, but without dying a few times. First against a minotaur after waking up, he had realized he couldn’t die, so he started saying, 

“Me río en la cara de la muerte.”  

A time has passed when Giovanny started battling a three headed dog known as Xolotl  that has been terrorizing el pueblo de Chapala. The battle was intense, but never was Giovanny touched nor scratched by Xolotl. Giovanny reached the top of a tree with his sword. He started sliding down, in doing so, cutting the tree in half and having it fall on Xolotl.  Once he defeated the dog, he bowed down in front of the people of Pueblo Chapala, not noticing trees falling over and one fell on Giovanny. A quick gasp comes from the people as they watch their hero die in front of them. When Giovanny woke up he saw that he was in a hospital bed with a doctor next to his bed.

* * *

“What happened, Where am I?” pregunta Giovanny. 

“Estás en el hospital, you suffered a great fall off a cliff.” says the doctor.

Giovanny starts to put on his boots and his hat until the doctor sits him down and talks to him.

“Giovanny I don’t know how to put this, but you’re down to your last life.”

“What do you mean last life? Soy inmortal.”

“Well Giovanny, it seems that you only have nine lives.”

“I couldn’t have died that many times, could I?”

“Well, there was your first time while battling a minotaur in la piedad, than a lion in Concepcion de Buenos Aires, then a sorcerer in Zacatecas, a big octopus in Acapulco, a giant snake in Pueblo Aculco, a giant in Súchil, a mummy's curse en la ciudad de las momias, and just recently your battle with Xolotl . All those times have counted and you're at eight deaths. One more and you won’t be waking up; I recommend you retire from your adventurer days.”

“Ha. Giovanny se ríe en la cara de la muerte, I can’t die.”

“Giovanny this is serious, the world won’t have anymore Giovanny if you die one more time.”  

Giovanny walks away and sits under a tree looking at the night sky over Chapala. When he turns to the side he sees a tall man wearing all black and with red eyes sitting next to him humming. 

“Can I help you, señor?”

“Entonces tu eres el legendario Giovanny, you got the boots, the sword, and can’t forget the hat.” 

“Are you just another bounty hunter here to claim me for the price?”

“Silly of you to think that's what I'm here for. What 's that saying you always say again? Oh yeah, que Giovanny se reía en la cara de la muerte.” 

A battle ensues. Death with dual wielding scythes and Giovanny with his rapier. Giovanny strikes at death but death deflects with no issue, Giovanny runs up the tree, black flips off, and delivers a blow, but Death vanishes and appears behind him. Death launches Giovannay against the tree. 

“No te veo riendo ahora.” 

“You’re no bounty hunter.”

“Correcto, soy la Muerte. El dios al que todos le tienen miedo.”

“¿Por qué estás aquí? Todavía no estoy muerto.”

“Nunca me gustó la idea de que tienes nueve vidas, y esas vidas las tomaste por sentado. Entonces, I came to cut your last life short.”   

Giovanny stares at Death with his hairs standing up, his eyes wide open. 

“What 's wrong Giovanny? Seeing life flash before your eyes?” 

Death charges at Giovanny running towards Giovanny jumps up and flees. With Death humming in the back, Giovanny arrives back at Las Almas looking for Doña Florinda. He knocks on her door, and she answers and lets him in. Giovanny goes up to the roof and lays out his boots, hat and sword thinking about how Death is the only person that has ever been able to land a punch and make life flash before his eyes. 

Giovanny decides he needs to retire until he hears Deaths hum outside his door. Giovanny opens the door but no one is there, los callejones empty and the street lights off until in the distance one turns on its death humming while walking towards Giovanny with his scythes dragging on the floor making a scratchy noise. Giovanny runs up to the roof and puts on his boots, hat and gets his sword ready. 

“*Humming* ¿Estás listo para tu último día Giovanny?” 

Giovanny jumps down looking up at Death.

“Hoy no es mi último día” 

The second battle begins. This time, Giovanny with more power than ever, due to something his mom would always tell him– “Si un día se adelanta la muerte, acuerda que la muerte no existe, la gente sólo muere cuando la olvidan.” 

Giovanny starts landing blows on Death, once Death is on the floor he rises and says,

“Te juzgue mal chico, te dejaré vivir tu última vida pero always remember one day I will have to come back.”

“Hasta La Muerte”