And With His Many Jagged Teeth 14 - He Found His True Self by Z-JAM-C

And With His Many Jagged Teeth 14 - He Found His True Self

Z-JAM-C, Dolphin, Human, Insanity, Post-Apocalyptic, Raptor, Robot, Video Games

#14 of Chronicles of FinalGamer 25 - His Many Jagged Teeth

The long recovery over a month of deep meditation was arduous and rather hopeful more than anything. But somewhere in the deepest reach of his memories beyond with a little help from a young friend from far ago, he found the answer he was searching for, an answer that somehow he knew all along. But was too wrapped in sorrow to realise it as he should have done. Now, he knows what he wants to be.

Fallout copyrighted to Black Isle Studios/Bethesda, FinalGamer to me

A golden-cast staircase with an ornate clock shaped like the stars themselves, a constant changing in constellations within every minute of every hour precisely. The celestial chandelier hung above the marble floor beaming transcendent auras of light upon everyone who came and went. The ceilings of the corridors leading to first, second and third class, were all but starry roads upon a navy-blue background, complimenting white walls and a dark sea-blue carpet. The raptor and the three koopas soon found their rooms, transfixed with awe at their new living spaces. Klair and Shelldon were in Room 213. James and Koopin were two rooms down in Room 210. A large white bed as if sculpted from clouds, king-size with the fluffiest-looking pillows. The room itself was a pale soothing place, with yellow walls and dark green carpet. A fine marble bathroom also accompanied through a doorway opposite the bed. The view from the porthole window while opaque was beautiful to see, the ocean beyond as picturesque as a portrait. "Wow this is amazing," said Koopin as he put down his bags. "I can't believe how lucky we are." "Me neither," said James, "god why do you have the best parents?" "I-i-i dunno! They're just awesome that way." "I mean how the hell did they get the money for this?! ...oho right, favour from friends, damn." "Hehehee!" "Oh god this bed is mmmmmmmph..." The moment James laid down upon it he felt as if heaven had come, moaning and rubbing himself further into it. "Mmmmmm Koopiiiiiin you gotta try this bed." "Lemme put everything away first then I can rela-AH!" He pulled the koopa hard onto the bed, making him lie underneath by pushing his hands onto his shell. "J-james!" "Come ooooooon feel how soft this bed iiiiis...you're gonna be feeling it a few times with me that's for sure." "H-h-hey, stop it, I-...oh my gosh this blanket is like it was made for the stars themselves." "I know right? ...shit I wonder what First Class is like!" "You'll never know with that mouth of yours." "Sooooorryyyy...seriously, I'm trying, it just slips out sometimes." "I know you try, and I appreciate that. I'm amazed you haven't slipped up with my parents." "I really like them Koopin. I don't wanna mess up with them." "You won't. I mean they took you on here with me." "Yeah, about that."

James sat up with Koopin as their backs rested against the pillows asking: "What is up with the fact that I'm being treated like royalty, when I'm like the third boyfriend you ever had?" "Fourth." "Wha?" "Fourth boyfriend. Remember, first there was Ballast the bob-omb, then Kristopher the koopa, and then Carl the clubba." "Ahhhh yeah I forget the bob-omb you had once." "And I dunno," replied Koopin, "you're just...you're so good to me. You don't complain about your job or your life, you act so humble around them but you got this...energy in ya that doesn't make ya boring...you know?" "Heh...I've tried to not complain, really this is the best life I ever had in this place." "So how about you? I mean, I know about Daisy but did you ever have anyone else before me?" "Uhhhh...I told you about Mahmoud before right? My first boyfriend?" "Uhhhh remind me?" "Goat guy, mechanic, twenty years older than me?" "Ohhhhhhh...hehehehee, how old were ya for your first time?" "...about...sixteen?" said James cautiously. "...w-wow, really?!" "Yeah, what about you?" "...eighteen." "Hahaha...you know I always love when we're talking about this, and I like to think about how old you were when I was doing something. God, you were just a kid when I was getting my first gay kiss...and more." "Well I hate to disappoint ya but I had my first kiss before you did." "...wait what?" "There was this friend of mine, a boo called Boomer, back in elementary school and we were real close back then. We were just kids, I was like eight or something and...one time we...kissed." "...oh...my god. That is the most adorable thing I ever heard." "R-r-really?!" Koopin blushed hotly as James simpered before cuddling up to him. "Awwwww you were just a kid, kissing a cute little gay boo." "Y-y-yeaaaaah." "Sheesh, my first kiss was like...fifteen, fourteen maybe? And it was a woman so..." "Welp, I win that round so now it's time to-" Thunder struck hard against the port bow, violently rocking the room as James fell from the bed. The moment he hit the floor, the room suddenly had changed replacing green carpet with wooden boards covered in smashed crockery and chairs and tables strewn across the dining hall. A storm roared dull from the sea outside, as he watched upon the band stage in the midst of the grand hall. A lone koopa with two arrow shapes upon his shell. "KOOPIN!" The koopa turned softly amidst the constant stirring of the ship, the eternal struggle of two elements battling upon the deck for its riches. His eyes were blank, devoid of any emotion as he spoke with empty words. Yet the one word he said was of a soft mourning that pierced into his being. "...James."

He tried to reach out to him, but the moment he did, a sudden explosion came from behind him, the band stage tearing apart into a thousand splinters. Koopin remained unharmed, his body unmoving as six great white tentacles burst through the violent flood of the sea behind him. Water rushed forwards, an onslaught that surged through the lower ship forcing James to brace hard against the waves. Koopin was uplifted into the unseen creature's limbs, unresisting as James cried out: "WH-WHAT!? KOOPIN! KOOPIIIIIN!" "James." "WHAT!?" He turned to see someone else behind him, a brown hand clasped upon his shoulder as the memory turned again. The roaring sea screamed from within as he saw Kruz appear before him, ragged red shorts and a hook glinting from his left arm. He asked with a plaintive voice: "Where am I?" "Wh-huh?" "What have you done James? Wh-what...what have you done?" The raptor could not see where he was until he saw the island beyond him, smouldering green jungles and a roaring volcanic explosion burning blue from the lone mountain, a lake within its inner sanctum as he barely saw the sky turn to dusk above them. Rocks came crumbling down, boulders tearing the place asunder as more and more the sunset sea grew beyond before the island started sinking. A rumbling deep beneath swallowing them whole like a giant beast that should never have been waked. Kruz reached out his remaining right hand shakily. "What have I done?" "Wh-what?" "My home...my home is gone...am I gone too?" "Wha-I don't...what are you saying?" "All you do...every path you take...sorrow comes with you...look." Hanging upon his left hook was the photograph of Koopin, the metal piercing through where James' face had once been still encrusted by blood as a sneer of horror came upon Kruz's face. James could not comprehend as he felt the place simply disappear from him, fading all around first in sound then vision, as if slowly the world began to drip out of existence. A painting a world cosmic and immemorial lost forever in a storm of rain. Kruz spoke once more but his voice took a different tone, one too familiar and horrifying for the raptor to comprehend fully. _ "i kNoW wHaT yOu DiD." _ "Wh-what-...what are you saying?" _ "dO yOu hEaR mY sOuNd tHaT bRiNgeTh fAtE tO yOu?" _ "S-stop it...stop it, this didn't happen, I don't remember this, this didn't happen Kruz this was way before!" _ "pAtHs aRe sOoN aLtErEd bEcAuSe oF yOu." _ "LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE ME ALONE GOD DAMMIT I DON'T WANT THIS!" _ "tHoSe wHo had LiVeD mUsT cEaSe bEcAuSe oF yOu. tHoSe wHo had DiEd sHaLL LiVe bEcAuSe oF yOu. yOu...aRe nOt tO eXiSt." _ "STOP IT, STOP FUCKING WITH ME WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!?!" _ "i...cHoSe...yOu." _ "WHY!?" "JAMES!" "WHUH!?"

He suddenly woke up as his eyes opened from a second dream, awakening from it to new reality. The one he knew was physical for him, the dust against his feet, the tree bark against his back, and the sound most certainly not imagined of the disembodied voice that belonged to the robot now standing before him, a tray of food and clean water in his hands as James looked up above him. The arboretum was peaceful always with light shining down from unseen cracks of the glaring cruel sun, moments of silence few and far between in this current state. "Is everything alright?" asked Jefferson. "...no." "Another bad dream?" "More like my memories are...being fucked up, I can't...everytime I try to think, I just feel this static and this stupid THING just keeps fucking with me...I just...I just want it to stop." "You must keep fighting it James, you cannot fight with tooth and nail so you must battle it with wits." "B-BUT HOW!? HOW CAN I FIGHT THIS THING WHEN EVERYTIME I TRY TO REMEMBER SOMETHING IT JUST KEEPS SCREWING IT UP?!" Struggling with tears blistering from his cheeks he shuddered hard and rocked gently back against the tree, the raptor's purest frustration coming out by the twitching of his hands against him. Jefferson shook his head mournfully, wishing he had something to give other than: "I have your pre-fasting meal here." "Th-thanks, just...leave it there." "...I regret to inform you once again that I cannot lean down due to my pneumatic-based disposition." "Ugh ffffff..." He got up slowly and pressed himself up against the tree trunk, taking the tray and stretching his legs out longing to feel the limberness come back to him. He was frankly getting tired of sitting in the same position all week and despite having no problems sleeping beneath the tree other than the bad dreams, it was while he was awake that things started to get more tremulous. The food was simple, some biscuits and old cereal to match for grains as well as a few strips of brahmin meat that were almost equivalent to beef jerky. His omni-tool showed it was around 5:40am, February 10th. "Thanks for the food Mr. Jefferson." "Not at all," said Thomas, "you are committing to this quite well." "Don't exactly get points for sitting around waiting for something." "I'm sure that it will come, you just need to be patient. You have all the time in the world quite frankly." "I was meant to go back to Beech with that starting motor." "You didn't seem to be so concerned upon our first debrief, in fact you were quite adamant not to leave this place out of safety, but as for whose I am still uncertain." "Yeah but...nnnngh..."

"Just stay the course and ford that river of madness within you, I am sure your friends won't need you in such a state and it is better you come back to them late fully sanctioned, rather than the day after half-babbling like a decrepit loon." "Heh...I did get them medicine already, was a good thing I went and did that before coming here off on my own. Thought of doing it but glad I didn't." "Responsibility is still in you, that is good. Now we just need to find your other virtues." "I don't have virtues." "You could not have lived this far if you hadn't any, good James. You will find something, just give yourself time and remember what I said, focus on the memory." "But everytime I try to think back to something I always get HIM coming round to fuck me up! Everytime, no matter what world I've been to I always...just feel him crawling around breaking me, rearranging stuff so that didn't happen, I KNOW it didn't happen but he keeps making false memories and then stealing them away from me as if he's mocking me, he can break me down and make me think I'm something else and I can do NOTHING about it!" "...I see. Truly that loathsome anomaly has turned worse than I expected." "Did you find it yet?" "No. Sadly, we are still searching for it to route out its villainy and as I am here, I wish to ask you about your Little Pip." "What?" "That device you gave Van Buren, the one you said came from your friend Hawk." "Oh, that thing...what about it?" "Nothing particular, I am just stating that we are working on it also and it...is very well-encrypted, we might be able to just decode it and find some relevant information concerning about...the Eagle as you said." "I don't care about that thing, just do whatever you want with it, I just wanna focus on this here with myself." "I see, that is fair. Well then I only hope that you may find an answer soon, but don't feel as if you are unwelcome, for if I wanted you to leave I would have ousted you myself from this place. You have nothing to fear on that." "I got plenty other problems to worry about...but thanks, Mr. Jefferson." "God be with you James." He nodded with a bow as he took the tray away after James finished his morning meal, sitting back down and focusing on his memories. He tried various poses over the first few days, sitting lotus style with crossed legs, sitting on his knees, looking up on his back, even laying on his side across the tree trunks carrying him. But eventually he found that simply laying back with legs splayed out before him naturally whilst putting a hand to his chin in ponderment, was the best way of keeping him focused, allowing him to think better on a more relaxed state. The memories did not help, so far every memory he had made of his journey was slowly being corrupted in some way. Not to the point he could not remember, but only being teasingly altered and copied by this unknown state that seemed to delight in tormenting him, twisting his words and others around him into accusatory stance, traitors and loved ones turned indifferent of each other.

Days slowly passed, the rising sun preceded by a struggling silence that became easier to handle over one day after the next. But only barely. He struggled a little less, he cried some fewer tears and he ranted until bitterness kept itself neatly prim at the back of his throat. Everytime he shouted or shrieked his frustration, Thomas Jefferson would come and reprimand him but also becoming his shoulder to weep on. Every day he failed to control his anger, they would add another new day for his month of solemness as if wasted entirely. It had only been the first week and already four days had been added further. He struggled to collect himself, his fearful emotions turning a lot more prominent than his blank stare and deadened muteness that harrowed him the first few days beforehand. But now he was slowly feeling frustration come back once again, and not one he truly missed. But everyone he had ever known was being slowly twisted in some way, a pixellating glitch that ran through his very mind corrupting all that he could recall. Friends became enemies in the blink of an eye, foes of great evil saw companionship in his graven darkness, and madness was his only friend constant other than Jefferson. He realised only that it hadn't happened upon blinking his eyes open from a memory or a dream, as if nothing had changed. No great spiritual provocation, no epiphany of light coming down upon him, not one single memory even the most treasured by Koopin would be safe. Love faded to darkness to break through his heart as his mind forced up the most deep of betrayals, constantly. The noise of static never stopped screaming through his fears. It had now reached nearly three weeks into his meditation, and still nothing had come to him with only a week left to go for his allotted time to contemplate matters. For the last few days since February 19th, he refused to eat, but drank water to not completely starve himself of living beyond basic needs. Jefferson was against the idea of this but with enough plea of self-determination and penance, he allowed James the dignity of such. His mind went back towards deepest sorrow between him and Koopin, the day he first revealed to him his demon. "I wanted to stop him, and if I couldn't stop him, I-i thought maybe I could control him! Maybe if I used his evil to stop evil elsewhere, th-then maybe-" "James." "Wh-what?" "...don't. ...I can't...I can't forgive you for what you've done." "Wh-wha...no, Koopin please-" "But...I know that you would never have done it if you hadn't been forced to. I know that you would never hurt someone innocent now, until this...demon appeared. But I can't forgive you." "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry, please, Koopin...help me." "Please help me..."

Clasping his hands together he made a new prayer once again as the dawn rose unseen. He had made this prayer every day since the third day he had started on his self-dilligence, struggling to feel solace from his fear visiting. "Please...Koopin...I know you're out there wishing for me...hoping for me to come back...I want to...please...don't forget about me...don't...please let me find some way to defeat this evil in me. Make the madness stop...p-please..." _ "Pathetic." _ "Huh?!" He heard a voice from behind the tree, a voice he had not heard since starting this meditation, but wished he had never heard again. Demons had a way of appearing James knew rather intimately, a blurring of darkness flickering from his vision as they crossed into another plane, briefly from the veil of reality to appear once more shimmering to existence. The Scissoraptor stood before him, smirking down upon him as a dark image of himself. James stood up fearfully, pressed back against the tree. _ "So this is the wretched host I have the misfortune of being with." _ "H-hhhhh...wha...you...you can't be...th-this isn't-" _ "Isn't what?" _ "B-but I'm here, and...you're...you're not-" _ "Do you really think you can question what's real and what's not, concerning your slipping into madness all too clearly? Don't try this ploy James, I know you too well for that." _ "You know NOTHING ABOUT ME!" _ "Do I? I know you are a killer, your hands stained with blood from many a girl, man and child." _ "TH-THAT WAS NOT ME! THAT WAS YOU! YOU DID THIS!" _ "Was it me who slaughtered that little whelp on the streets back in Rogueport?" _ "F-FINE, THAT WAS ME, I KNOW I DID THAT, THAT WAS MY FAULT!" _ "Was it me who slayed a cat in pure unbridled vengeance? Was it me who desired not justice but revenge, of dark murderous intent?" _ "Y-you...you weren't there for that, you...you don't know that, you don't know me you're not ME!" _ "But I am you...your shadow...there is nothing I don't know about you James Campbell." _ "Sh-SHUT UP! I DON'T KNOW YOU, YOU CAN'T BE ME YOU SON OF A BITCH -AAAAGH FUUUCK!" Suddenly the world vibrated around him with a piercing dull ring breaching through his skull, loud as the angels crying upon ruin as he fell to his knees screaming. The ringing was far louder than anything he had heard as the world started to seizure around him, flickering through static as he saw an apartment somewhere, rotten and ruined with foul water, the thickness of fog through a restless dream. Then it shuddered once more as he saw an eloquent living room, dark with bloodied drapes, a TV in both. A scream shuddering out the exact words he had said. The Scissoraptor stood before him still speaking: _ "You...are a worthless mimic." _ "S-SHUT UP, STOP DOING THIS!" _ "You cannot be a hero, you bribe and steal gifts from places beyond your realm without any of your own story to unfold, you cannot even create your own sOrRoW without mimicking oThER wOrLdS...mY sWeEt JaMeS oNe-tHreE-sEvEn." _ "Wh-what...no...no you...you're not him...y-y-you're not...him." _ ** "Is that true?"** _ "Bells...th-the bell no you...you hate that, you hate when that noise h-happens." _ "Really...hmmm...even within mAdNeSs you have your sTiLL wAteRs pOuRiNg oVer tHaT bLaDe." _ "Wha-what the hell does that mean, why can't you give me a straight answer you fucking thing?!" _ "mY aNsWeRs...aRe iN yOuRseLf." _

The creature that had once been the demon inside him now warped itself to a glitching manifestation, his dark eyes opening like mouths full of teeth spilling before his face, colouring into droplets of white, purple and amber. Each drop that flecked on his cheeks, there came with a twisting of the demon's neck, the sound of existence breaking apart. A crumbling form of pockmarked miniature cracks evened perfectly into square shapes reassembling the tears fallen from its face to a solid block shape around his feet, like that of a half-carved totem showing only the raptor's upper half of the body. He could hardly look at it, for everytime he did he felt as if he would turn blind from its very visage, struggling to comprehend as the ringing shrieked out further into his body. The creature before him became covered in dark amethyst and amber markings, constantly changing like an oil puddle in acid rain, arms twisting out into a harrowed petrified scream of agony that reflected James' very own. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?" _ "cOmPrEhEnSiOn...iS EffecTiVe UpOn tHe fOoLiSh yOuNg bRaVe." _ "PLEASE STOP THIS, I NEVER DID ANYTHING TO YOU, WHY DO YOU WANT ME?!" _ "i...dEsiRe yOu...aNd yOuR wEiGhTeD bLaCkeNeD hEaRts." _ "FOR WHAT!? WHAT DO YOU NEED ME FOR, I WISH I'D NEVER MET YOU, I WISH I'D NEVER GONE THROUGH THIS, I JUST WANTED TO STAY HOME, I WANTED TO BE WITH SOMEONE I LOVE BUT YOU WOULDN'T LET MEEEE! _" _ ** "yOuR mEmOriEs...aRe nOt tRuE oF mE."** _ "_SHUT UP! THOSE ARE REAL TO ME, I DON'T FUCKING CARE WHAT YOU THINK THEY'RE MY FRIENDS, MY LOVE, STOP USING THEM AGAINST ME YOU FUCKING MONSTER!" _ "aLL i sEe...aRe fEaRs ReAwakEniNg." _ "YOU KILLED ISAAC! YOU ALMOST CAUSED THE DEATHS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FUCKING SAY!" _ ** "i SpEaK nOt...oF mY bEhALf."** _ "Wh-...what?!" Feeling a presence blur on his left, he turned and came upon something that terrified him. He had barely ever seen it before this month, but all too clearly did he recognise the terrifying yellow silhouette of a bird with teeth inside its beak. Fear rooted him to the very spot, the tree stood eternal beside him. He wilted and tried to turn away but soon saw another terrible face. The fox, ragged with metal joints showing and a vile hook upon his left hand.

"No...n-no no no please not again, n-not these things they're not real, they're not real Jefferson TOLD ME they're not real!" _ "i fEeL tHiS sOrRoW fRoM aNotHeR vErSe...a SoNg oF gReAt PiTy, a MaNiFeSt oF eMpTiNeSs oNe fEeLs wHeN tHeY hAvE tHe pOwEr tO dO nOtHiNg." _ "Wh-what the hell are they?! Wh-where did you take them from?" _ "mEmoRiEs LiE uNcHeCkEd WiThiN yOu, dAtA sCrAmbLiNg sO fuTiLe tO rEsiSt...mAnY gAmEs i hAvE FeLt aNd eXpEriEnCeD tHrOuGh yOuR eYes, MaNiFeSt bEiNg...a cOpY oF sOrRoW tO eXiSt fRoM a diFfErEnT wOrLd." _ "Wh-what...what does that mean, th-that's not...I don't remember these, I don't know any of this, this thing is jus-th-this isn't-I-HOH GOD NO!" His new friends were not far behind, for something glimmered behind the faded pixellating form crippling reality around itself as a violet aura flowed from the half-effigy half-corporeal form before him. Then the aura staticked and screeched with a shrieking head manifesting itself before his very eyes, a single blink brought forth to reality. The rabbit stood tall and soulless, a more felt colour than that of the anomaly but not any less disturbing. Before he could say anything, the bird walked forwards with stiffened gait and opened its mouth. The teeth were rusted brown to the point of turning bloodied-up, but then he saw the second pair of teeth inside the back of its throat. Human teeth, the voice of a child whispered to him from within as he saw the mouth move inside the throat, gasping: You...killed me. "N-n-no, no I didn't I swear." You killed my brother an' sister...you did nothin' to stop it. "I CAN'T FIGHT HIM, HE'S TOO STRONG HE JUST TAKES OVER ME!" _ He's your body._ A voice from the rabbit's mouth opened up before him as another child's voice came through before him, the mangled broken teeth of a prepubescent boy shuddering through to him. as he went down on his knees weeping softly. Your body murdered us...you couldn't fight back, you were stupid and scared and almost got yerself killed, so you let him take you...you let him take over yer body cuz you didn't wanna die, and then he murdered everyone...because of you. You did this. "No...n-n-no I didn't know, I hoped it wouldn't happen I didn't know!" You knew it would...you just wanted to save yerself. "I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY I'M SORRY ABOUT...th-this...this is all my fault, I wish I hadn't come here, I could have done s-something I should have...you...you always keep following me, you know why?" He stood up once more, burning tears from his eyes raw with bloodshot sting as he tightened his fist. "I know, I should have known that it was the bell...I hear it, I can hear it all around me that fucking bell you took from Isaac didn't you?!" _ ** "YeS...tHaT pReCiOuS tHiNg...i hEaR tHaT sOuNd, fOr i hAvE aLwaYs bEeN wAtChiNg yOu."** _ "Well where is it then?! WHERE IS IT?!" _ ** Fallout_default.ini** _ "NNNGH!" His head began hurting feverishly once more, that crawling sinuous feeling he knew had started to come back to him as the monster buried itself in, creeping about his memory. The very centre of his brain started to tingle itself with a burning sensation. The strange technological commands flickered through his vision across the entire world in front of him. "S-STOP IT, MY HEAD, IT PLEASE NOT THIS AGAIN!" _ Player.modav perception -5 _ "Y-YOU...wh-what...I can't...n-no, no I can't see, I can't see I CAN'T SEE!" His vision blurred violently sharp, the entire world fading before him as if the nerves of his retinas had been slowly rotted off, screaming as he fell and stumbled to his feet crying out as he grabbed the dirt, shrieking: "MY EYES! MY EYES HELP ME! PLEAAAASE!" _ Player.modav perception 5 _

With that his eyes returned to him, blinking back to existence as he saw the colours of earth, steel and horror before him, grabbing against the bark as the anomaly spoke once again. _ "yOuR MiNd iS...a ConSoLe fOr eXiStEnCe i mUsT pOsSeSs...i cAn cOnSuMe sOrRoW frOm aNyThiNg. LiFe, DeAtH, inFiNiTe jOy aLL gOnE...yOu hAvE eVeRyThiNg i nEeD mY jAmEs-oNe-tHrEe-sEvEn...tWo hEaRtS...oF sOrRoW cOnTaiNeD iN oNe bEiNg, a MiNd dEfYinG aLL eXiStEnCe WiTh sUch uNtApPeD gLoRy yOu sHaLL nEvEr cOmPLeTe...bUt...tHe bELL...hArRoWs tHee WitH eXiStEnCe." _ He felt a sudden tapping on his chest and looked down before seeing the bell hung around his own neck, suddenly appearing as if some strange force of magic had come to manipulate it. The raptor snarled as he tore it off his neck and grasped it tightly shaking it at the raw silhouette of his twisted self in the anomaly's form. "See this? THIS fucking thing, this thing has caused me everything because I was too stupid to think that you were following this...well you know what? Go fetch it yourself you fucking freak, I'm not playing with you anymore. Here's what I think of YOU!" NO! A voice screamed out from his left just before he turned and threw back his arm ready to throw the bell off into the light elsewhere, waiting to destroy it. He wanted to, feeling a hatred burn inside him upon this infernal thing. But something stopped him. DON'T DO IT, PLEASE! "...that voice." He turned his head round and saw the last creature to appear before him. The bear himself, shimmering free from the anomaly's wretched hide much more forcefully than any of the others had. With genuine struggle as it screamed forth, the bear tore itself apart from the effigy and opened its mouth wide showing another pair of teeth. This one however was not human, but much smaller and almost certainly underneath a reptilian skull inside the bear's throat. The whimpering voice he had heard before as the bell started to ring freely in his hand brought slowly reason to him, before slowly sinking down and shivering with a guilt-ridden fear. "......I-...I-Isaac? No...it can't-" Please stop, don't throw away my bell! "Wha-...wh-what are you...oh god...oh god you...you can't even let him rest in peace now you fucking use him against me?!" _ "rEtUrN tO mE cHiLd," _ mumbled the anomaly, _ "yOuR tEaRs bEcOmE mY oWn." _ NO, LISTEN, that bell's protecting you! "What!?" Please don't throw it away, I need you to hold onto it, it was the only thing I could do! "Do WHAT!? ...n-no, no you-you're not real, you're dead I-i can't do this, I can't...THIS ISN'T HAPPENING! THIS IS JUST ME DREAMING I'M NOT DOING ANY OF THIS! YOU'RE NOT REAL, YOU'RE NOT REAL!" _ If you throw that bell away that thing will eat you, just like it ate me mister James, don't DO IT!_ "BUT IT KILLED YOU!" I HAD TO STOP HIM MISTER JAMES, I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING! _ "rEtUrn...tO mE, cHiLd oF SORROW!" _ _ NO, I DON' WANNA DO THIS, I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIM! ** "yOu bArGaiNeD yOuRseLf foR HiM aNd nOw yOu rEsiSt?! WhAt wReTcHeD fOrM oF eXiStEnCe mUsT yOu cLiNg tO tHaT yOu mUsT fAcE aGaiNsT mE, oF gRavE dEniaL?"** HE PROMISED TO FIND MY MOMMY, YOU CAN'T KILL HIM I WANT MY MOMMY! "hE sHaLL nOt DiE...bUt WiLL bEcOmE pArT oF mE, dEaReSt oNe-zErO-FoUr." _ "SHUT UP!" James put the bell back on his neck and walked up to the effigy in defiance, despite shaking with frenzied nerves of sheer horror. "You...y-y-you...h-have FUCKED WITH ME FOR THE LAST TIME! I have enough to deal with without YOU creeping behind me every step of the way!" _ "yOu...aRe a pArT oF mE-" _ "STOP IT!" _ "wE aRe bOtH noT mEaNt tO bE-" _ "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK!" _ ** "aLL yOuR mEmoRiEs sHoULd nOt eXiSt."** _ "I DESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE! I DID MY BEST DAMMIT! ...isn't that enough? I...e-even though I'm nothing more than a beast...don't I have the right to live?" _ ** "i dEsiReD nOt tHiS eXiStEnCe...i aM nO dEsiRe bUt tHaT oF sOrRoW iTsELf. wHaT mAkEs yOu aNy diFfEreNt?"** _ "i-i-i just do what I can, and not be so...I just...I was a stupid idiot, I did a lot of bad shit but I...I got better, I met people who taught me what was right and it's because I remember them they...they make ME a better person." _ "tHeN...wHy cAn i bReAk tHeM sO eAsiLy?" _ "Wh-what?" _ "tHiS." _

The monster streaked across his face with invisible claws as he screamed and fell back, yet at the same time the bell ringed giving a subtle light glint barely down between them. The anomaly roared, a conglomerate of sounds broken and decayed almost reminiscent of some strange creatures that James had encountered along the journey. He found himself forced to remember things, the anomaly now taking shape of his memories, a deeper miasma of insanity come forth to sweep all around him like a black vile cloud. In the broken smoke of seeing the creature's radiance, darkness contorted and twisted all around him as things disappeared before reappearing harshly. Cables, walls all of which contorted into darkness with a grinding scrape, memories come vividly to him as pictures of another world, photographs mimicking the one he had held in his hands a month before. But slowly they began to corrupt, flickering smiles of many creatures both friend and foe turning into glitches. Broken spheres, horrifying colours, screams of each individual world of a different tone and pitch to the last. The world soon overrun by a single grinding noise, as if time itself had come to a screeching halt and on the verge of stopping forever, brought an intense heat as the fires of hell burned within his very mind as hot steam dripped out his ears. Soon it began turning bloody, the world suddenly silenced as his ears popped and melted like circuits catching fire, crackling his very last before deafness came upon him. Yet still he heard the voice screaming through his brain, howling with words that came slithering across his eyes, parsed and laced with infinite possibilities. "NO! S-STOP IT, I'M NOT PART OF YOU, I WILL NEVER BE A PART OF YOU!" _ ** "yOu sHaLL oBeY mE iN tHiS wOrLd."** _ "WHAT?!" _ addscriptpackage 4083 ccnoccnocc NO!_ Isaac's voice could be heard screaming louder than before, as if tearing itself from the anomaly as in turn James heard the monster itself scream with new frustration, the flickering text broken up by a new hand behind it. _ addscript iwillnot package 4083 lethimhurtyou_ He felt the two of them fighting each other, slowly tearing inside of their existence like parasites inside the womb, screaming directly into James' mind as he stumbled and tried harder to stand firm, hearing Isaac's voice disappear through the static. He saw his words turning faint between the lines as his resistence began to weaken. _ addscriptpack notyourmemories age 4083 player.modav everyworldyouvebeento intelligence -5 player.rewardKarma - hecanbreakhecancorruptthem_ "My head...my-my head is burning please god dammit...please...p-please stop it, I can't...stop doing this..." _ player.modavstreng useyourownmemories th -5 _ "Wha-...what? My own memories?" ** ** _ player.damageactorval fromyourownworldhecannotcorruptthem_ "My...my own world? What do you-wait...wait that...that's...you never touched any of them-" _ "eNoUgH, CHILD!" _ The anomaly roared as the cloud of broken memories faded from existence, the totem-shaped monstrosity before him once more as James weakly asked with defiance: "...why are you...able to corrupt my memories but not...the ones back from my world?" _ "eXiStEnCe tO yOu iS buT a gLiTcH." _ "But...I was born...I lived...I didn't get made by accident." _ "yOu eXiSt...aS oNe." _ "You...f-fuck you. You murdered that kid and now you mock me for it when all you wanna do is murder and break people, twisting the whole world like it's your plaything...I don't need to hear anything from you." _ "yOuR LiFe iS MiNe tO bEhOLd JaMeS-oNe-ThReE-sEvEn." _ "No...it's not, I'm not your slave. I'll break through this...you may try to silence Isaac or try to trick me with him, whatever, but I got ideas...I've got memories...I know who I am."

_ "eVeRy MeMoRy yOu hAvE iS bUt a fRaGmEnt oF dAtA sToLeN iNsiDe oF yOu." _ "No...maybe you think that. But not to me. I'll prove it. You never did anything about Sarah or anything else back then...or maybe I just never used them because I-...only just remember bad things now about her." _ "yOuR wOrLd eXiStS OnLy aS a cLoSuRe tO yOuR bAsiC fUnCtiOn. nOtHiNg mOrE." _ "So why did you never touch them?! All the bad shit that happened in them, that's easy to fuck me up with but you never do! WHY!?" _ "a SciEnCe tHaT ShOuLd nOt hAvE bEeN, a DeMoN's cUrSe mArkEd UpOn yOu...mEmoRieS oNe cOuLd nOt hAvE AcCeSsEd, eViL tHaT sHoULd hAvE bEeN LoCkEd fOrEvEr...yOu...aRe a bRoKeN eXiStEnCe jUst tHe sAmE aS mE...i...i mUst...biNd yOu tO mY eXiStEnCe...fOr mE tO uNdErStAnd." _ "Understand...what?" _ "wHy i eXiSt. yOu HoLd tHe kEy tO tHiS...a kEy...tO uNLoCk aLL wOrLdS. i nEeD yOuR hEaRts." _ "What do you mean...hearts?" _ "tHe oThEr oNe, oF sOrRoW NinE yEaRs pAsT, a MemOrY uNboRn TrApPeD WiThiN yOuR dEePeSt fOrM oF iMpRiSoNmEnT." _ "I...I don't...no, no more you're just tricking me so I'm gonna stick to my own memory and there's nothing you can do about it." _ "wHiCh...mEmoRy?" _ "...the ones I had back with Sarah...the ones you can't seem to touch for some reason...yeah, that's it, got no weird code stuff in there for that huh? I'll fight you...I can fight you with this, I KNOW I have something in that with her I can use to break against you." _ "cLoSed sAnCtUmS aRe oFt-iNdiFfEreNt tO oNe'S oWn pRiSoN." _ He sat down deep with pensiveness, roving through his memories on every single point he ever touched with Sarah. Every memory he had of her, hoping to find something good and happy. The first few days of work, the first time he slept in his own bed in her bar, the many christmasses that came and went. The great escapade of their hotel forging credit cards in a great escapade. The intimacy they shared for the one single time when loneliness and alcohol got the better of them. He did everything he could, but still he remembered Delacroix. The horror that she became and continued for a few years hence, a butcher upon others wanton for vengeance against all she had known gripped with personal fury. She had almost been like that of a demon until she stopped. He breathed a sigh of relief for remembering the day she stopped, knowing the true memory of it. But then he remembered something else, floating through that Christmas he last reminisced whilst back in the city outside. A new year had come two years after Delacroix mysteriously disappeared, and the police tried picking up leads once again. He found himself back within her bar at the age of 19.

"Hey boss." "Hey, it's closing time, no need to call me that." "Right, sorry." He closed the door behind him and locked it up with his key, pocketing it safely. The coat he wore was not his usual wear, a black leather jacket gifted to him by Sarah for his motorbike deliveries to prevent his chest from getting cold off the wind. He headed up to her with a pack of wages from his other pocket, the middle-aged bartender asking: "You uh, delivered it all good?" "Yep guy gave me some sweet dough, here." She took the packet of wages off of him and counted it thematically, flicking through the notes before nodding with approval at the silent math she made. "Good job kid, head upstairs, I'll holler if I need anything." "Thanks." "Also don't call it sweet dough, it's weird." "Hah, alright...business good today?" "Yeah yeah it's...been all good." "I saw some cops earlier today, they want anything?" "Just the usual routine neighbourhood stuff, why?" "Well, I overheard them mention...um...that word you said I should never repeat, that...name yanno?" "...really?" "Did something happen?" "No. Nothing happened, must be another person." "Allllrighty then." Just before he left for his room however as he walked on past her to behind the bar, she turned her eyes towards him warning: "If you look in my room, I'll know." "Wha-I don't wanna be in your room!" "You sure enjoyed it last time, if you wanna be in a girl's room so much then I'll turn you into one...Jane." With a smirk on her lips the raptor stiffened up half-amused and half-aggravated as he rushed back up to his room, locking the door and hiding out in his bed a little with a DVD of some action sci-fi series he got the boxset of recently called Sixty-Seven Days, about a furious revolt against a cruel and oppressive overseer by his people aboard a moon colony far out on the rings of Saturn. For the time being he relaxed, greatly enjoying it and watching the twists and turns, the half-obvious villainry and renegade protagonist with true heart of a rebel and desperation of a wild animal. The gunfights were especially well-fired, laserblasts firing back and forth as he eagerly watched with rapt attention, seeing the scorching singe of spacesuit and burnt flesh from every successful hit. Smoke-filled hallways of triangular designation to look futuristic, romantic long-maned female interest of wolf ancestry plunging her SirraBlade into a villainous lackey's neck, the courageous human female protagonist charging round corners with the grace of a truck being jack-knifed. He only wished the villain wasn't a raptor but he wasn't going to make it a big deal.

After two episodes involving five rooms set on fire, two jettisoned off into space, a major character being maybe-killed off screen and a desperate tease of a kiss between both main protagonists, he found himself turning hungry as he decided to head downstairs to grab some food. Thinking Sarah had gone to bed, or at least her room, he was quiet about sneaking his way back down knowing which steps would creak, keeping his claws tucked in to not have them clack upon the wood. Two shadows he saw in the bar front, her voice being one of them along with a scruffy dog that James recognised. Beige with hairy snout, drooping eyes and the dull-green outfit of a plumbing company along with his toolbox in one hand. One of Sarah's faithful watchdogs so to speak as she told him: "Cases reopen, people find leads, pleas are made. We gotta do something about this." "You really wanna do this plan boss?" "I have to, it's been long enough that we can let the trail stop here without anymore leads. We can't just erase her forever, but at the very least we'll put a full stop on everything she's done and maybe...give 'em some closure." "It's not sumthin' you do everyday, I mean you haven't got much really left of her." "And that's all I need to fool the forensics...I really wish I didn't." "The body though's pretty ruined, you been sittin' on this fer two years." "I know...I had things occupyin' me I don't wanna admit. Most of her's disappeared but I found enough bones to be used as a plant." "Whut changed yer mind?" "A lot of things...things that made me realise I should take responsibility, or at least own up to some mistakes. But I can't do it like this, instead I just want to loan some peace to her victims' families, give them something more to feel satisfied with. Petty I know, not really anything but that's just the way it is." "Two years though, that's a lot of time for changin' yer mind boss." "I know. I'm not proud of it but at the very least I want to give some closure to someone else who deserves it. That way at least they know she's not out there hurtin' anybody else." "Alright, so, whut you wanna do?" "There's a jar full of particulates in the basement, as well as her bones in a clean, take it an' dump her off in the distillery on North Racine Avenue. Make sure nobody watches you." "My specialty, no worries, but won't forensics get suspicious about not findin' the rest of the body or anything outta place?" "I got it all planned out already, the particulates are all planted." "You dumped her body in the sewer though, I mean-" "The plan's all written down in the box in the basement, basically you have to employ a sewer blockage trap, someone goes checkin' out the distillery where an intersect is between pipes, they find a blockage they need to fix, they find a body floatin' up, someone makes a call, done an' done. I even put her in a clean jar that won't look suspicious fer your occupation. You know how to make problems go away."

_ "Yeah but...never had to plant remains before, normally you have me dispose of bodies, not leave 'em normally." "First time fer everything. I'm not dealing with this again, I had to deal with this four years ago and I am NOT letting it come back. It's time I let go of her once and for all." "Whut's the problem, you worried the police are gonna catch you? After what she did you'd be a goddamn hero." "Fer what I did? Wasn't exactly moral either." "Bitch deserved it!" "That's not what the police'll say and it also makes me a target. I don't like people getting ideas about me being all-powerful, I'm not gonna be some hero just so people can drag me down, what with media and online pages up on me, no way, I go dark, I stay local." "Why? I mean...I get you wanna stay low but...this is different." "I'm not...I just want to forget everything...I don't need to hear this again." "...boss yer looking peaked, everythin' alright?" "...she scares me." She put her hands to her face and sighed deeply as she leaned forwards on the bar. "When I saw her for the first time, trapped with her in that store room I...I felt...I felt like a monster was hunting for me...trying to...be with me." "Yer nothing like her, you know that." "No...neither do you. But someone does...someone knows that truth." "Who?" "...someone who I owe a great debt to right now. I'm going to my room, need to sleep, you get all the evidence sorted an' make sure it's planted an' give the sewer management a real deal to come fix." "You can count on me boss, been a while since I done a sewer job so all I gots to do is reverse it. Let you know when I git back." She headed back to her room with a nod as James already made his way back upstairs with the speed of a ninja, ducking his way back in and reading up on a magazine about motorbikes blindly. A few minutes after hearing her walk up to her room opposite of his, the sound of door knocking could be heard as he fumbled his magazine and cried out: "Yeah?!" "Hey...can I talk to you?" "...what did I do?" "Nothing, just...wanna say something I've been meaning to say." He got up and opened the door, seeing her smile softly. Without a warning she slowly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. At first he stood stiff like a board before gently wrapping his arms around her hearing a soft sigh on her lips, tenderly squeezing him against her weary body. The raptor looked around awkwardly more from the suddenness more than anything else before hearing her speak._

_ "Thank you." "Wh-what?" "Just...thank you." "...S-sarah I jus-what the-what are you thanking me for?" "For...for stopping that demon inside of me. I...I never want to do all this again." "...I don't either." He hugged her gently back, nuzzling against her shoulder sincerely. "Thanks for stopping for me." "No...you did it, not me. You...you saved me from turning into something worse James...you...you made me realise how awful I was. All the excuses I made, all the violence all the...things I did. I...I'm sorry James. I'm sorry for...e-everything." Suddenly he felt wet droplets on his shoulder as his eyes widened from hearing her voice shake. "I...will n-never forget you for standing up to me. You...you knew I was too s-stubborn in my pain an' I jus-...I'm sorry. I'm s-so sorry for all I did, you're the only one I can talk to like this because you were brave enough to stop me. All those things I said to you, I...I'd have made a terrible mother." "H-hey hey no let's not go there, you...you're a good gal, you done all you can to protect people here, everybody loves you, they respect you, you don't be like that for being a terrible person I mean...for all the good things you do around here despite being illegal, you never do it for yourself. You don't build piles or money or extort people or shoot drugs up in kids, you just...did things a different way." "But that doesn't excuse what I did...and I hurt you James, I hurt you so bad an' I never noticed cuz I was too blind in my own hatred...this...this demon that burned inside me that she MADE me carry with her, her memory just seeping inside of me I couldn't let her walk away, I couldn't-...I couldn't stop myself from killing her but...I should have trusted the law with this, everything could have happened better." "But you stopped for me. I know I've done some bad things too but I mean, we're both screwups right?! Just need to make amends for it like yanno, helping people, like you always do, I mean...this place would have gone to shit if it wasn't for you." "I know...but that wasn't fer the people that was all fer me...my own filthy hatred regardless of what she did an' I let her change me. I should not have been so weak, but you made me saw I was...you..." Sarah struggled further to keep speaking as a growing sob came up from her voice. "Y-you're the most wonderful kid I ever knew despite all our screwups and...a-and I love you so much fer bein' here with me makin' me feel like...normal fer once, when I'm not doin' this boss shit...I just can feel normal with you. I've missed this...just being not a mobster fer once...sometimes I wish...I wish things had been different. Th-thank you. I will never forget this." "Y-you...you really...you really mean that?" "Of course I do...I just...have a hard time showin' it, I need to be the big boss around here, I can't look weak...but I guess I really forgot how to be...for someone who needs it." She pulled back softly from the hug and smiled upon him, tearstreaked stains on her eyes as she said to him: "I will always love you for saving me...that's a promise alright? You saved me from that demon James...you saved me."_

For the first time in three years, his heart began to swell truly. A new awakening had come forth within James as he opened his eyes with radiant understanding. Whether it was the sort of radiance one obtained on perfect meditation, he did not know and in truth it was not. But it was his own radiance and his own pure clarity that dawned upon him. The anomaly had faded from him already, gone to another place feeling the static finally stop screaming in him. He felt peace in the calm of a raging storm as his watch omni-tool blinked. February 26th. 5:30am. He had been trapped in that memory for the last three days and yet somehow madness never came and took him, never claimed him fully as he felt wholly anew. He felt not even the weight of his heart pulled down by the demon's grip as strongly as it would have been, the raptor glowing with a new smile for the first time in recent memory. A true smile, an honest smile, one not wholly consumed by tiredness or forced cheer but a genuine glee of life as slowly he stood up. He understood everything he now had to be. "I...I never realised...holy...that...was that really...how did I ever forget it? When Sarah told me that and I...really made me feel good for the first time like...helping someone. Really helping them, like I've been...just doing this my whole life and then just, even before I started off on this journey and everything I knew...how the fuck did I forget that? God I'm an idiot, every world I've ever been to, everything I've..." His hand went to his chest feeling as if something should be there. But nothing changed, and he still felt his bare skin as a realisation had come upon him, cradling his head onto his hands. "I completely forgot about that...ohhhh jeez...how...how come I forgot about this? I...every world I've been to, ever since I got that...pendant I was...just always trying to fight evil, she...she trusted me and I rescued her...but I've been saving people since before Dar-Ma and never had a reason other than...no, I just forgot. I was too concerned about myself and needing to survive I just never realised and buried under all the...just, focused too much on the bad parts of being with her...I'm such a stupid idiot, I never thought about what made me stay with her and if I could make Sarah stop and...wish she had gone back to a better life, I could...I could do this as well. I can stop that thing, I can......no. I know what I have to do." He ran off towards the door but did not hesitate to turn and watch upon the tree, giving it a warm grin of renewed gratitude. "Thank you...Isaac. If that was...really you I hope." It was only then that he realised the door was locked and only Jefferson was able to open it, but thankfully it would be time nearly for his pre-fasting meal to come as he sternly waited. In the few minutes that passed he began to lay out a personal plan for himself, determined to set things right and even moreso to be much more in control without shying away from duty. As soon as the door opened, he was ready to bolt past him as the robot said: "Ahhh James you finally came awake!" "No time, I need something!" "Wh-what?!" "I know my answer, I need to get something." "But you've been unconscious for three days I, you need food and water!" "Just let me pass." "...really?" "Yes. I need you to let me pass."

Saying this with such stern tone and a fierce look in his eyes made Thomas warm inside his microcontroller board as he courteously stepped to one side and sweeped his arm out gladly. The raptor rushed through the hallways of rectangular steel before finding the store room where his stuff had been placed. His satchel remained as did his backpack, as well as the scissors still in their scabbard safely. Without any hesitation he grabbed at the handle and swung it up before his face, staring into his faded image. "Alright, now you listen to me. I don't care what you want, and I don't care what you'll do to me. You are not going to kill anymore innocents, not by my hand ever again. You are MY blade, MY weapon and I was a fool to ever give in to you. That was my mistake, and no matter how many times you taunt me with it, that's just what I have to accept. But I will make up for it, I will repent for the stained blood on my hands and YOU are going to help me whether you like it or not because you are my weapon I will use any way I damn well want. And I will use you for good. You got that...you fucking beast?" That insult was enough to set off the demon in his being, shuddering a hot pain burning with darkness through him as he stood his ground hard and bared his teeth. He brought out Isaac's bell from the satchel and tapped it upon the scissors. Whilst the simple sound of its ring was enough to send shudders of discontent through the demon's heart, the pain throbbed greater in him and not fully flinching against the sound of it, making him think aloud to himself: "Hmmm...not scared of that huh?! Well you're just a fucking mutt, I bet your mom don't even know who your dad was huh?! What, too stupid to do anything but bark you fucking dog?! HUH!? Why don't you-NNNNGH! NO! NO YOU LISTEN TO ME!" A burning of black flames pierced through his teeth, feeling his heart tighten and spasm as if on the verge of a near-heart attack, arms turning limp with eye twitching. Suddenly his veins turned hot with darkness rippling through him, gripping hard on a crate as his knuckles turned pale. "YOU...are my BITCH and you will do as I say, you GOT THAT!? NNNNGH! G-go ahead, do yer fuckin' worst cuz guess what?! Maybe you're picky about bells or some shit but that anomaly won't be. You know what'll happen if he takes my body, that makes YOU without someone to hitch a ride with. I could throw this thing away the next time you start any shit and then we'll BOTH be dead cuz I'd rather let him take me then giving up my soul for you. You think I want either of you inside of me, well fuck you! I'm holding all the cards right here, and you belong to ME! You do what I fucking tell you to and if anything happens again...I'll make sure you don't even get my body after we're done with this. Is that clear, Scissoraptor?" The demon's burn smouldered back into his body as it began to dwindle, the pain throbbing off as he breathed deep with a heavy sigh, smiling at seeing the demon accepting this ultimatum, or at least not push further. With a tender pat of his chest feeling the flames of darkness fall back, he slowly began to gather up his things. With satchel, backpack and finally scissors before sheathing them gladly behind his back, he nodded with firm understanding. "Thank you. Also, yes, it IS a stupid fucking name and that's coming from me so let's just make this a partnership. You get your souls, I fight to protect people, YOU don't fucking get to pick who I kill, I do and I'm not letting you push me around anymore, you are my weapon and I'll use you any damn well way I want. Maybe I can't get rid of you, at least not for now but trust me...you won't be taking my body so long as I live, got that Scisso? Good." "And so the dash-fire returneth!"

He turned round hearing Roosevelt cry with jubilation, as well as Thomas, Jackson and Van Buren hovering puffs of joy from both Theodore and Martin. The eyebot floated forwards softly asking: "I see your passion has come back to you my prehistoric pal!" "Heh...I guess," said FG, "just took me a while to figure it all out." "And what may I ask brought it back?" "...a kid I knew. Someone who's been watching over me...I think. I hope." "Hope is Man's greatest strength," said Jefferson, "hope is what strives to build cities, empires and new worlds beyond borders. What shall you strive for young James?" "I want to protect people. I want to fight to save people. All my life I hated people being abused, and even though I went it the wrong way so many times, I still wanted to fight evil. All evil. I just learned to handle it better. And right now..." He drew his blades with practiced swing and pointed out towards the presidents. "I have people to save." "HAH!" said Roosevelt. "Glad to hear it, but I am still not convinced if you are just some wisenheimer or not. What do you plan to do?" "I need to get back to my village, I need some starting motors from those animatronics of yours, four actually, my boss gave me the schematics." "No need, we saw them ourselves when we perused your stuff whilst obtaining the Little Pip. Speaking of which we have deciphered the little foal's contents and now can tell you some deeply disturbing news regarding this...Eagle." "Yeah? Well maybe we save it until later, I have to get back and finish what I promised." "A man not to be swayed by the roadside cart, good to hear!" "The anomaly has disappeared," said Martin Van Buren, "somewhat last night, we haven't the foggiest why but it simply up and left, did you have anything to do with it?" "I guess," shrugged James, "guess it knew who was boss finally after I finally got to resisting it." "We did note that it became rather erratic three days back, struggling almost as if conflict had arrived. Naturally we're very glad that it no longer haunts our database but I feel our partnership shall not end there!" "What are you saying?" "You will require some assistance, unless you plan on carrying every starting motor with you and dare I say they weigh more than Taft's salary in lead." "Yeah? Well, what do you suggest?" "...could we perhaps come with you?" "Wait, what?" "You have a place you must return to, a village where people live and the denizens of this new wasteland must be to exist. Having a companion such as you to introduce us to new friends for assistance, would be most assuredly magnanimous."

"We are lonely," said Roosevelt, "simply put, we desire companions who are living flesh and blood, and we took an oath to protect our people of this great nation which even though we are not in office, stands true to its word so long as there are people around us to protect! And now that we know there are those in need, we would be glad to assist you in your journey back to this village." "You really wanna help?" asked James. "I mean...I can just take the motors-" "They are VERY heavy, maybe one alone you can carry but two I would daresay would require an Atlas of a man and boy you are no Atlas." "Hehehe...says the guy who got his ass beat by me." "You did not beat me, I simply rescinded my sword in deference to Jackson to battle arms against you!" "Riiiiiiight...heh, maybe wanna rematch so I can show you what I REALLY am. No bears alright?" "Very well, we shall have our duel forthwith you dash-fired whelp! But first let us make plans to leave this place! Come boy, make haste!" "You got it!" "And we must also test other parts of you!" said Jefferson gladly. "For as much as I am amazed at you staying through respite of temperance to not feast for almost a week, I must see that you are both mentally and physically capable of our tasks ahead as well as of course, well fed and nourished. Would you do me the honour of indulging me in some small tests over the next few days? After all, we DO have four days left concerning your meditational route and we must conform to routine. Since you are done with it I proporse we use those as further exemplaries of your...vindication." "Heh, sure...I am hungry like crazy now I think about it, weirdly not as much as I thought I'd be but now that you mention it...god I could kill for a hamburger right now." "We shall feast immediately but for now let us agree to run some tests, just to exert one's limits as well as to air out our own cupboards. It'll be good to have guts in one's brains fully working in order." "Hahaha, yeaaaah okay then, I mean I might as well show off on what I can do properly, what's one more day or three when we have it all planned? Go ahead, hit me with your best shot, mister presidents." With the sheathing of his blade with practiced skill, he walked on firstly to set down for breakfast, the five of them preparing their next few days together before the great journey outwards down south as he took guidance from all four of them on different points. As they began preparations on leaving this place, relearnt all that he could concerning his own abilities showing them what he could do. For Roosevelt, he showed him his skills with the sword, gladly fighting him in one-on-one combat even with all three sabres upon him. They even used their own blades with such confidence that James insisted that Theodore use all his blades upon him, guarding and counter-attacking back with not only instruction from Roosevelt on the proper etiquette of swordsmanship, but also on guarding in turn. It was here that James began to hone his ability on forming an impenetrable block shield with his off-arm, countering any of Theodore's strikes that he could not hit fast enough with his own blades.

Horizontal swings met with vertical clash, cleaving swords struck off-centre by the blade coming from the left. A slicing point cracked hard upon nano-formed blocks as the scissors lanced forwards to tap playfully upon the well-dented chassis. Spinning strikes as James spun on his foot, tearing through the sabreguard, dodging back at every strike too swift before lunging forwards with an arcing swing. Memories flooded back to him by pure muscle memory. From Jackson he focused on how to shoot, listening to his instructions as best he could considering his lack of proper voice modulator to speak. Handguns he had no problem with, the animatronics becoming practice targets for the best wounding shots and fatal hits. James was even more glad to see they never turned into the ones that he saw, his mind sharpened more than ever as he focused on his perception, using thrown bottles as moving targets. Focus was not the only thing for he also learnt swiftness of shot, which he later transferred into his own nano-abilities concerning different elements by watching the way things would fall. Striking, shooting, even having bottles hurled up at him high in the air to take down with his scissors, or objects thrown directly at him in order to block with his blades firmly. Reaction times grew faster, his shielding skills turned sharper, and while he knew this was not training in itself, it more than proved his skill of being an offensive and defensive warrior. Martin taught him the finer points of self-defence and hand-to-hand combat, with Roosevelt's guidance by utilising the animatronics through remote-control before they would extract the motors from them. Steel fists slowly swung back and forth, utilising haymakers, roundhouses and the odd strong kick to deter with bare hands in steel gauntlets just to toughen up his defence. With Theodore's teachings and observation, as well as Martin's manipulation of virtual opponents he felt memories of watching Koopin return to him, feeling his strength inside every fist that blocked against cold steel. Van Buren also taught him the basics of self-healing and medication, as well as proper conduct towards on keeping his body well-maintained, he had concerns on his newer left arm which had its own principles to take. Whilst they noted it had a limited self-healing capability not unlike that of living flesh, there would still be the odd occurrence of requiring something more to repair it with in case of emergencies. He also gave him a personal medical kit for all things necessary for small emergencies, with greater lectures hammered into him until he knew all the major parts of his body. Due to the nature of his travels it would be pointless for him to learn on all the medicinal uses of various herbs and chemicals, but instead learnt the basic concept of first aid that dealt primarily with the human body. Healing wounds, tourniquets, even amputations all of which he was quizzed on every day just to make sure. Lastly, Jefferson taught him self-control and most importantly how to wield his nanos solidly, along with Thomas' technical expertise in understanding how his arm worked and what limits he possessed.

It was strange being lectured by a former president on the use of such things, but Thomas had compiled an exhaustive list on various limits after observation of James' few tests by his fellow dignitaries, but soon he would push himself to those limits at least once every day. It was a good use for him to see what he could do in a safe place, testing out all his possible abilities from all he could think of, given guidance on potential uses and combinations by the more scientific member of the free dignitaries. Fire was his easiest ability requiring the least power from his nanos without tiring out over the course of two hours of solid burning. Water was dependant on the moisture surrounding them and James contributed greatly to the water supply of their juniper tree which would have to survive on its own without their care and maintenance. Thomas mourned slightly for it, but realised he had greater tasks at hand especially concerning new information they uncovered, and that in the end one had to allow its own strength to keep it surviving always, with the tools and knowledge he had given to keep it strong. Wind had always been rather unwieldy and therefore incapable of controlling over more than one direction at a time. But that did not mean he could not use it to dash across an entire floor and strike down a lone steel pipe as his target with blazing fire from his scissors. As his confidence grew, he even rediscovered an old ability of his after seeing how much more he was able to accomplish, thanks entirely to the quarian nano-sink gauge implanted directly into his back. He even managed to form a solid arm cannon across his flesh, briefly coated in some unknown orange-coloured metal, the nano-power contained within suddenly bursting forth a violently strong shot of plasma. In the past this would have exhausted him considerably and it had done so the one time he had used it many years ago. But now after realising his much greater range of how much he could use before exhaustion would overcome him, he knew this now became a viable option for last long-range measures. Five shots however was all he could bring before he suffered from mental weakness, struggling to stand up from draining his energy fast as his head became clouded like a burning house. But still he tried, and even learnt more to combine different abilities thanks to Thomas' wisdom, such as shattering ice water violently upon an enemy, or fire and wind more finitely to create a burning storm that cut deep through armour itself by a hot blade of sheer glowing white briefly. It was all that he needed to come back to his former self, or at least the self he idealised as.

Two days later, the guards of the watchtowers of Beech noticed something upon the horizon. One in particular, today's sentry was a woman with burnt hair half-torn off her head, pulling up her binoculars to find something she had not expected to see on her short duty starting today. Joy swelled in her heart at being the first to report this, already smelling the prospect of promotion past the usual scent of gasoline from what little of her hair remained. "SIR, SIR! SQUIRE CAMPBELL COMING, NORTH SECTOR! ...AND HE'S BROUGHT COMPANY, FOUR ROBOTS!" Marching around the boundaries of the Beech's walls were five small shadows across the shifting dunes, entering before the large gate to the south as James stood promptly and waiting. A large smile crossed on his face as he saw Senior Knight Jerry standing before him with a shake of his head, chuckling from his dry mouth as he saw even the four robots standing behind James quite clearly holding four starting motors, completely new. A crowd had gathered hastily at the gates from excitement of this one's homecoming, the ghoul starting with: "Hhhhhehehehehe, looks like I lost a bet!" "What bet?" said FG. "That you died, not that I'm upset about it but you owe me twenty bottlecaps now I owe to some guy." "Well that's your problem sir, not mine." "Hah...so what the hell took you so long?! After two weeks I thought you'd never come back." "I had some problems, needless to say, lot of bad shit but I got some new friends who wanna help." "Yeah I noticed! Damn those are some fine motors holy shit! Look brand new!" "We take good care of our parts," said Martin Van Buren, "just as a nurse looks after herself at a crippling ward so shall a machine look after itself amidst broken steel." "Oh they talk too? Oh this is fantastic Jim you really pulled through! First you get me the damn parts now you brought us these new toys I should just give you the damn promotion right here!" "We are not toys, we are men of stature, brobdignagian heights of intelligence that we are most glad to assist you with, for the better preservation of this world in elevating these people to our former greatness. The people are in need and so we shall assist to make this free soil." "Yer not makin' soil around here unless you know how to farm." "I am well-versed in agriculture," said Thomas Jefferson, "if I can assist on the ranch then I am most willing to get my hands dirty." "You already have Thomas!" boasted Roosevelt. "You lived in the White House, the only thing clean about that place is the outside!" "Ha ha ha ha ha, I daresay it is at least a damn sight cleaner and most prominent than the House of Lords." "That loony bin?! More like the House of Bedlam." "Alright settle down," said Jerry, "just come on in we gotta get you introduced to the boss of this place." "I agree." The stern deep feminine voice of Paladin Jeffries came rolling from the back, clearing a path through the people before standing firm before James at the gates. The armour glinted like a colossal statue that once guarded some sacred place, now whittled and shrunk down towards a mortal form as he wielded his Pancor Jackhammer, the rifle-shaped shotgun with drum magazine easily wielded with one hand.

"First things first, whut the hell happened that took you a month to get back?" "I had some problems," said James, "it was my fault mainly, I got careless in an old bunker and...well, maybe these guys can explain better." "Allow me to speak good...sir," said Thomas carefully, "my name is Thomas Jefferson, I assisted your subordinate on his task of collecting the starting motors you needed. He found himself trapped within an old Enclave bunker which we had taken liberty of using as our home." Darryl noted the cautious introduction as James smiled nonchalantly with a spring of pride at his feet, waiting almost for approval like a dog at the master's beloved heel. He crossed his arms still with shotgun in hand replying with: "Enclave? You guys Enclave-made?" "No, we are Pre-War madnn-...sir, we simply had made use of it for ourselves and Mr. Campbell here had wandered in by accident whilst searching for a radio transmission. It was our fault, unintentionally, we had no idea that the transmission was being sent, and we have also heard of the former Senior Knight Hawk who was affected most badly by it. It appears that the transmission had some capacity of inducing madness in one's person, rather by some infrasound qualities as part of no doubt the Enclave's machinations." "I see. And is my squire alright?" "You can see for yourself that he's fit as a fiddle, moreso even but I apologise most truthfully of our delay in reaching back to you. He has explained to us his mission and we are most willing to help, we offer our services to this place as protectorates of this realm...sir." "...that's a lot of talk fer a man made of steel." "I assure you, I may now be borne of steel but my heart beats for flesh and blood to give for my country, or in this case your people. We have no home but those we beseech, and we are most willing." "You don't say...hmmm...robots wouldn't be a bad idea, whut services you offer?" "Well I myself am rather skilled in electronics and maintenance focusing most prominently on agriculture and crop rotation. My colleagues here are also very capable such as Mr. Van Buren who is a skilful debater and operator of remote-control, whilst Mr. Roosevelt is a sturdy fighter who will gladly give his life for the people, as well as a former commander of an army back in his days and will make an excellent leader of troops. And lastly is our dear Mr. Jackson who whilst is currently suffering a temperament of a lost voice modulator, is by no means any less subdued with it for in his case, actions doth speak louder than words." "I see...so a repairman, a remote-control an' two fighters...not bad. Not bad at all, Campbell." "Yes sir?" barked FG. "You did good. You got starting motors and some new friends that I think could do real good down here if they're so willing to cooperate. Settle yourself back in, Delgado, make your plans ready, we'll get started on our next mission." "Yes paladin," said Jerry with enthusiastic salute. "Alright fender boys come wi' me, I wanna see you guys really shine out there an' I'll show you where to dig yer hands into." "Or in this case my antennae," said Martin, "it is rather amusing that one digital as I has not one digit to give for my country but I shall do my best!" "Heheheh, yeah whatever, yanno uhhh big guy I could fix up that voice modulator for you, we got some junk out the back of HQ that might stick right on good with you." "_ BZZzrrrrt? _" "Uh...wow yer really fucked aren't you, just follow me, if ya don't mind me pokin' around yer throat, maybe I'll-" "A-ah allow me to come with," said Mr. Van Buren, "Mr. Jackson trusts me inherently so and I would rather wish to oversee our small operation if any." "Fine by me, lessee whut we can do."

The robots followed Jerry to their various points of interest in giving them time to settle in and see what the lay of the land was like, the raptor heading off through the crowd before Paladin Jeffries stopped him. The people slowly dispersed back to their homes seeing that the homecoming was now over, except for one small shape waiting in the distance from them. "You don' look so tired." "Just got a good focus now sir," said James. "Good. You still look unhealthy." "That's just the way I am, I'm not sick." "You don't sound sick. Sure you alright, you have been away for a month." "I'm okay sir, thank you. I just need to lay up and rest, what mission do we have next?" "The one you gave to us in the first place." "Wait what? ...the...slave camp, you guys really gonna do it finally?!" "We've been planning it, me an' Delgado hoping we would get something to happen the moment you'd come back with those starting motors. But now you brought back both these AND some robot friends, we might get something really planned out over the next week." "That was fast." "Mostly theoretical stuff but we sat down and talked over it since we had time and mainly no problems the past month to busy ourselves with, one gecko run that nearly went bad but nothing else which makes me feel easy about most of our garrison not being at home for our rescue operation." "Soooo the Elder said yes to it?" "...we haven't heard from him in months. But no matter, I'm taking full authority on this situation now when we're adrift without his guidance. And since Diana is living proof of this slave camp according to Scribe Sobchak, I won't wait any longer and if he has anything to say about it, then to hell with him. I've got people to look after. Speaking of which..." He turned slowly towards the last person waiting, a small dark-skinned child in a blue dress sternly looking up at James. He smiled at first back to her, but her face did not change, torn between surprise and anger as she walked straight to him, taking the last steps in full sprint before punching him right in the dick. "OHHHH!" James whimpered as he fell onto his knees squirming with hands digging into his crotch. He struggled not to squawk insults as Darryl stepped back wincing with sympathy as Diana's fist shook against her chest. James was too winded from the sudden blow to notice a very odd sound inbetween all this. The sniggering low chuckling of the paladin as he panted out: "WHHhhh...wha...wh-wha...wh-what the hell?" "WHERE THE HELL YOU BEEN!? HUH!? WHERE THE FUCK YOU BEEN, THE FUCKIN' MOON?!" "Jesus...hhhhhaaaaAAAAAAAAGOD my DICK what the hell is WRONG with you g-gooood!" "Ah waited a whole month fer you. A MONTH, ah thought you were dead!" "I thought I was too jesus CHRIST that hurts f-fuck's SAKE Diana!" "YOU PROMISED ME! YOU WENT AWAY AN' YOU PROMISED ME, AN' THEN YOU...YOU JUS-...ah thought I'd lost you, a-ah thought you were dead, ah thought you'd broke yer promise!" "I would never break your promise GOD jesus my DICK auuuuugh!" "You...y-y-you...p-people broke promises to me last time ah let them say anythin'...you...th-thought you wuz like thuh rest of them." "I'm...not. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I took so long I just...had problems but I swore to you I'd come back, and I did. Now you gonna apologise...cuz...nnnngh...grrd drrmmit." "...I'm sorry."

She said this sheepishly before wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, whimpering as she struggled not to say anything despite James hearing her softest tears, but never felt them. He held her closely round the waist once the pain began to throb less before sighing humbly, smiling gently down at her. "I'm sorry too...it's okay......heh...geez you really know how to punch a guy right where it hurts don't you." "U-um! Y-y-you...I'm sorry!" "You better be, if you made me a girl without a dick I'm gonna stand by you all the time and talk to you about boys all day, then I'll REALLY make you wish I'd not come back!" "NAH-UH, I don' need you blabbin' about boys ew!" "But Tony's got this sweet caaaaarrrr," whined James girlishly, "an' he's got his hair, an' it catches the light like he's an angel, an' oh my gawd I like totally want his face on me." "WHU-EWW stop bein' weird!" "Noooooo lemme touch yer hair I wanna priss iiiit!" "N-NAH YOU AIN' TOUCHIN' MAH HAIR! Get away from me ya weirdo!" "HHhahahahahahaa, nooooo Diana come on lemme priss it!" "NOOO, HHHHhhehehehehahaha!" Running off as James stumbled after her, Paladin Jeffries watched with bemusement at her odd squire and his young charge giggling away like mad children. Shaking his head he walked back to the HQ hoping to lay out their next mission, with parts all ready knowing it would be only a matter of time before they reached southwards. Unfortunately he had a larger problem concerning new information later that day once their new members began settling in. Jefferson almost immediately began to work on handling the agriculture, suggesting new methods by which to make more sumptuous crops and feed the brahmin better for more healthy meat and milk. Martin assisted Jerry on fixing the vehicles up for their true ride out to the desert coming soon as well as helping Jackson get fixed up back to his more complete self. Theodore, as someone with previous military experience, assisted in the upcoming tactics for their new operation. The next day a conference would be made at an old dark geography classroom, dotted with maps from all over the region where several scribes kept track of various migratory movements and new locations uncovered by scouts reporting back. In the centre of the room was a large round table, with a map projected through a camera obscura from above. The light behind a large image of a map passed through a focused lens creating a mirror-image, which in turn passed through another lens to flip it back to its original state showing the entire wasteland state of central Illinois to them.

James, Darryl, Jerry, Theodore, Jackson and Thomas Jefferson all stood waiting along with three other knights of higher ranking, two humans of Asian and Hispanic origin, and a hulking 7-foot mutant of darker green skin. "We have a situation," said Paladin Jeffries, "concerning some new information." "About thuh mission sir?" asked the mutant. "No, the mission's going as planned, something much more troubling I want you to keep to yourselves. Mr. Jefferson, please explain." With pleasure paladin," began Thomas. "Approximately thirty-nine days ago, Senior Knight Hawk approached our bunker being lured by unknown radio transmissions, part of which come from the Enclave's broadcasting signals as part of their old base outposts. Unfortunately, as we have said it appears that there may have been some infrasound transmitting properties as a defence mechanism in order to ward off intruders by inducing insanity, which happened to Hawk and almost happened to James. Whilst he was recovering in our care, we found he had discovered a Little Pip 3000." "And where did you find this, Campbell?" "Hawk had it," said James, "when I went back to check on him and maybe give him like, a burial or something I looked him over and saw he had this...thing on him, so I thought maybe we could figure something out." "And we did," said Martin Van Buren, "it appears that this contains information concerning The Eagle. How much do you know of it exactly, Paladin Jeffries?" "Not much," said Darryl, "frankly I don't even know what it is but I suppose you do." "From this data yes. It appears that the Eagle, that your Trilateral Force compatriates were searching for...is in fact a nuclear weapon." The room fell silent for all but the small beeping and hovering motions of the robots, as they transmitted a small datapad onto the table showing a perfect set of plans for what was most certainly an atomic weapon, launched like a rocket with trajectory notes and weight logistics as well as fission-based calculations which almost none of the non-robots understood. Except for Jerry, whose eyes turned wide with sheer horror at the very concept of it, stuttering panic as he pointed at the calculations holographically shown to him. "Th-th-this is...that's...h-h-holy shit this thing is bad. That thing's like...got...f-fuckin' four-hundred-and-eighty kilotons of power in that thing!" "What's that mean?!" asked FG. "This thing, it's got sixty pounds of uranium-235 in it, if that undergoes fission inside when that thing goes up, it'll wipe out the whole fuckin' city, maybe even half the state!" "Are you SERIOUS?!" "DO I LOOK LIKE I'M JOKIN', JAMES!?" "Are you absolutely certain?" asked Darryl firmly. "I have never joked about this sort of thing, you KNOW I don't, not in all the twenty years we've known each other. Trust me, that thing is fucking death, maybe it's not the most destructive thing I ever seen in my life when the bombs fell but that thing is still deadly, that is four times the first nuclear bomb ever was an' it will fucking blow this whole state back to the stone age again!" All of them had no words for sheer comprehension of this horror, except Jackson who spoke the first words to fall on James' ears. A deep trembling voice laced with sneering fury and precise confrontation.

"And?" "Wha...shit you can talk now?!" "I have ALWAYS been able to speak, I was simply robbed of it by a worthless digital vandal. If this Trilateral Force so wishes to obtain a weapon, then that clearly makes it an act of war, does it not?" "Does it?" said Paladin Jeffries. "I mean, do they KNOW it's a weapon?" "I am not convinced that they are such fools to merit searching for this Eagle and not expect it to be anything but a weapon. What did they tell you exactly?" "That it would cleanse the wasteland, revive it. Personally I thought it was a G.E.C.K." "Then it appears you have been misled, a fool to their selective vocabulary purposefully misguiding you." "Hey, I'm Paladin round here so don't talk back to me like that, I can take your voice back out before the sun goes down." "If I could survive two assassination attempts and the Second Bank of America what hope do you have of-" "Andrew." Martin floated near him with a stern mutual gaze piercing into his processor, their visors meeting in a brief showdown of posterity. The hulking sentry bot simply rolled back and sweeped his remaining gatling arm to his chest with a gentle bow. "My apologies, I am unused to public speaking after such a long term." "Then get used to it," said Darryl, "I appreciate all your help but any disrespect will not go unpunished, is that clear?" "Yes...Paladin." "You know where to find this thing?" "Not entirely," said Van Buren, "we know the area it's located but due to the course of the shifting of time and decay of the once-former city of Chicago now standing before us, we have no true knowledge of where this base once was. But I can tell you it is somewhere around this area." Taking his cue, Jefferson pointed out towards one exact area upon the map, somewhere northwest of Beech with its name highlighted on the map clearly." "Joliet huh?" said Jeffries. "That's about ten hours walk away." "Or an hour on a motor," said Jerry smugly. "Just need a few test runs and we're officially like greased lightnin'." "We must look near the river," said Thomas, "a weapon of that caliber would most certainly require cooling maintenance that only the spring ford could offer, to whet its blade after use." "So a large facility next to the river somewhere in north Joliet, that don't sound too hard." "It's not a large area all things considered, but it IS underground however so we must be cautious. Tell me, are the Trilateral Force aware of this location?" "No," said FG, "I know they're not. Cuz I remember...Hawk, before he died told me about...something he had to give to Swan, not Crow though. He specifically said he had to give something to Swan that Crow should know nothing about, I think it was this thing, this data right here." "Then that means they don't know," said Darryl Jeffries, "that's good, it means we have time to set things up and get ready, we'll stick with our plan to rescue the slave camp first, then we'll go after the Eagle and make sure we shut it all down." "Awesome." "This meeting is now adjourned. Roosevelt and Jackson, I would like you to stay so we may begin planning out this operation." "Indeed!" cried Theodore. "All too glad am I to show these miserable savages the truth and might of justice!" "Indeed," replied Andrew Jackson. "A damn poor mind they must exhibit if they can stand up before this...regiment now that it has some true power behind it." "I expect absolute obedience," said Darryl, "gatling gun or not I call the shots around here. Campbell." "Yes sir?" asked James before leaving. "...bring Diana here with you."

"We really doin' it?!" asked Diana. "Mmhmm," said James, "Operation Roadrunner, that's the name of it." "We really gonna...go back there?" "Yep. Like I promised you. I'm sorry it took so long, I jus-" "No. N-no you...you did everythin' an'...you really kept it fer me. Thank you." The raptor sat atop a motorcycle around 8 feet long and 4 feet tall, a large sickly-beige monster with huge wheels and a pipe exhaust on each side running along the entire chassis. The seat was large enough certainly to carry two people, the handlebars like two little black horns upon this great beast that more resembled in structure a steroid-abused cow than a lean motorbike. The desert whispered its wind around them outside of the Beech's walls, as Diana took James' hand offered to her before sitting at his front nestled between the handlebars and the raptor's scaly chest. The two put on a pair of goggles each, old but well-cleaned. "So uh," she asked shyly, "how we gonna...do this?" "We ride with the bus," said James, "we take it all the way down to the slave camp, then we ram it straight through, break the gates open. I'll head up distraction before that so all the shooters come right out the back of the camp, you said there's only one gate?" "Mmhmm, just one gate, but like eight big towers all aroun' the place." "Good to know, we've got explosives for dealing with that, Jackson's gonna handle them and that mutant knight I dunno his name." "Whut do I do?" "You're our chief navigator, you guide us through the place and make sure that none of the slaves get hurt, we got tools so you can snap the locks off and free them, then you guide them out to where we are when it's all clear." "Do I get a gun?" "Of course, I'm not letting some kid into a warzone with no means to defend herself, I told Darryl no way I was letting you go unarmed." "Whut he say?" "Said I was your legal guardian so what I said went, until we get your mom back I'm fully responsible for you so if I say you get a gun, you get a fucking gun." "Heh, hell yeah, we gonna make them pay fer ever messin' with me." "Damn right, it's been a long time coming but we'll get our shit done. Now...you ready to ride?" "Mmhmm." "Now you need to hold onto the bars tightly but I'll be handling them, I just need you to hold on and steer with me." "Why can't I sit behind?" "Because I haven't been riding one of these in a long time and it sorta needs to get back to me, must have been like a...two years maybe-no wait there was Roy and Michael...yeah maybe year and a half. You ready?" "Mmhmm, ready." "Good, now it's gonna sound really loud so don't worry, I got this. Just need to get a feel for it that's all, I did some runs of it before but now let's get you used to it." "Ahm ready. Hit it." With a kickdown on the accelerator and a twist of the handlebar, the machine suddenly roared to life like a waking dragon, growling before the hot wind of an Illinois afternoon. Gently pushing forwards with his feet, the wheels rolled before gripping against the harsh sand as the beastly motorbike started chugging forwards by its own will. The raptor smiled with an old grin like the devil himself as he felt his young soul coming back to him. Years seemed to slip off as he said to Diana beneath him: "Hang on tight."

The wheel screeched harder before gaining purchase, kicking forwards as the world streaked past in a blur of dust. The monstrous bike roared with greater life, awakening its purpose with a shining new motor as they tore across the desert wastes, flanking northwest. The wheels were powerfully thick, and sturdy enough to handle bumps in the road despite James taking caution to watch for dips in the land. The horizon came faster than ever up towards them as the raptor occasionally banked left or right gently, just to test the machine's agility. Diana was completely lost of her senses in that moment, the wind tearing scents from her nostrils, the howling beast between her legs giving such intensity of power that she was both terrified and exhilarated from it. Her eyes could barely comprehend the shifting sands whistling past them, looking to the left and right or at least trying to despite the goggles protecting their eyes. Sand dunes fading away in the blink of an eye, creatures watching with awe and bewilderment at this steel abomination rippling along the landscape. Bloated flies barely acknowledged its sound, large bipedal geckoes flickered their eyelids and croaked with fearful surprise, coyotes snarled and lowered their heads expecting the beast to battle them. But it cared not for the taste of flesh and blood, all it wanted was to feel the road once more. The burn of the asphalt upon its rubber feet, the metallic heart shrieking inside of it with combustible hydraulic power combined with a hot throbbing small nuclear reactor, barely larger than a human heart. A heart that had long been waiting to meet the road once more. The raptor found its road again along Route 52, according to one broken signpost and yet another two miles down. Hours had now become minutes, the speed of which blew Diana's mind as she watched the entire wasteland strip away behind her, a screaming abyss of yellow and brown that she was glad to not see more of. A smile came upon her face as she felt the small bumps of the road, cracked and torn, frayed and black like an old serpent's skin shed from its scales. But the raptor gave it new life once more, dodging between old cars and abandoned posts. Joliet, which would have taken half a day to reach, was as Jerry had said only took an hour to arrive at, the city rolling up before them as a series of small houses at first like every other place they had been to. But they passed by this suburban graveyard faster than a speeding bullet, or at least felt like it once they found themselves hitting the city centres within minutes of reaching the city limits. Every turn he made on a crumbling road felt like danger was teasing them, carefully avoiding bumps or thickening cracks but always being straight along the centre, the sharpest turns switching perspectives faster than Diana could see. Turning towards a ruined church, the raptor screeched straight towards a once-beautiful stone temple of God much more ancient than the rest of the city, and turned hard around a complete 180 degrees creating a half-circle in front of it. He kissed two of his fingers and pointed them up towards the crumbling steeple, a claw-like edifice of stone reaching pitifully towards the sky. "Stay frosty big man...we're doing alright without you." "Whuh?" asked Diana panting shakily. "Wh-whuh...hhhhh...wooooooaaaaaah." "Heh, nothing...just being all cool-like, you alright there?"o you think we're ready now?" "Yeah. Ah think we're ready." "Good. Alright, that is...about fifty minutes by my omni-watch for how long it took, let's see if I can't reach back home faster than that, you think?" "Hell yeah, ah bet you can't do it in like...thirty-five minutes!" "Hah, ohhhh is that a challenge I hear?" "Yeah." "...winner takes all the sugar bombs." "Mmhmm." "Yer on, just hang on tight!" Screaming once more beneath his wheels he roared off back down to the village of Beech, homing southeast along the old road. His confidence grew ever higher feeling the start of things clicking into place. His powers were much stronger than ever he estimated, his skills on the bike would play into use out here amongst this wasteland of all places, and he would finally tie up loose ends before he decided to move on. All he had left to think on was where to go next, once Operation Roadrunner had been achieved.

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