"J-James." On the basement floor, I hold the flamethrower steady as the nameless girl giggles on the floor as the man we kidnapped and strapped to a table mutters some lame denial riddled apology to someone that isn't even there. A man shouts upstairs, then he rolls down the stairs. I toss the flamethrower pull my pistol to him. He looks up, his face dented and battered by some two-fifty pound, six foot five lunatic. Verank hums and stomps down the steps and the man looks to me with those wide eyes, "You gotta help me, man! This guy's crazy!" He looks down at my gun and then up at me, "Slide it! I can shoot!" I make my hands quiver, "L-look out!" He turns and tries to throw a punch at Verank, but he catches it and gives him a right hook that makes the man's skin make waves like a disturbed pond. He falls to the ground and Verank just raises his fists to the sky with a wide smile, "I got him!"

I smile, "You're awesome." He laughs and picks the man up and throws him over his shoulder with ease. "I heard shooting and he was running from it with a gun, so I thought-" He shrugs, "Why not?" I sigh, "We're you followed!?" He chuckles, "He woke up after being knocked out like four times already, think he's got a bad con-" "Were you followed!?" He drops him and a radio clicks. I look down at it, then at him. I do it again, then try to bury all the rage. "I avoided the cameras and ditched our nice van." I roll my eyes, "Gimme the radio and lock him up, drop all his belongings near a sewer grate." He kicks it over and I pick it up. I liked that van too.

The girl gets up and I raise the flamethrower to her, she looks at me with a broken expression, "How!?" I tilt my head and she shouts, "How could I see him like a memory!? I could touch him, hold him." She falls gracefully on all fours and crawls towards me, "H-how does his blood do that!?" If I had something to analyze blood, I'd tell you. "Tell me your name." She hugs me tight and sobs, to the point everything but her head turns into a puddle of clear water in between my legs, "He was right there! B-Bring him back!" Oh shit. She tugs on me and I wince at my wounds, "Then tell me your name and I'll fix you a cup." Her body slowly returns to normal, "It's Jessica." "Well, Jessica. I'll get you a cup."

Verank comes in and picks up the flamethrower, "He's secured. Is the bitch done whining!?" She sobs, "James!" Strong emotional withdrawal, need for more of drug. I smile at the water heater full of the poor guy's blood. Cash cow if everyone reacts like this. "Now I know I said I'd give you some more, but-" She starts sobbing again, "You'll get more after you help me." She sniffles, "I-I will?" I hug her, "You'll get to see James again." I smirk at Verank and he holds back his laughter. Her body turns to water and wraps around my wounds and I rise to my feet with her help. "What do we have to do?" "We have to run some tests and wait."

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Hours pass and Verank radios in from the basement, "Mister runaway is still seeing ghosts. No black skin so far." I clench my fist, I can smile for real again, I could jump for joy right now if I didn't care about image. One step towards learning how to wander this one last galaxy, the differences and compliments to others like it, their petty and desperate minds are the same. I get off the couch and wander onto the factory's upper catwalk with water smacking against the tin roof, the leaking kerplinks.

Right- Still selfish to the bone, with that sweet greed. Like a dragon in fantasy enslaving greedy dwarves, I too shall bring this galaxy to it's knees and build it back up from it's bootstraps. I smirk to the sound of the rain as she wriggles against my wounds. Oh Tesyn, I wish you could see what I'm doing, what I WAS doing. Thadius, Markus. Dad let himself die for this. This has gotta work. No- Get ready world.

The radio comes on, "HOW COULD YOU NOT KILL HIM!?" I smirk at Cornelius' Voice on the radio. It isn't just the humidity on the air, it's extortion and blackmail. "Hello Cornelius Onyx!" "Who are you!?" I smirk, "Terry Menzel." "Tell me what you want before I send a team to hunt you down!" I laugh, then click the button to speak, "I have a very special man in my possession and he is singing beautifully despite his battered skull."

The man screams, "Give me more of it, you fat fuck!" I laugh and lower the flamethrower, "Then sing!" He licks his lips. "Bullet Onyx. Amber Dirt!" "Good boy." He opens wide and I pour the crimson red gold into his mouth.

"I will find you, Terry." "I want one thing and I'll kill the dead man and keep the secrets to myself. Idi Bokassa. I want every bit of intel of his operations, suppliers. Move it to the Alley Park. Under the one bench. It's off the storage facility on 55th." "You're one greedy bastard." I smirk, but my words escape, "I want you to send that redhead to come kill me. The big one." "She's scum! I'll be sending my best!" I laugh as Verank comes through the other radio, "Amber Dirt." "Then how about I kill Amber Dirt for you? Free of charge and I won't fuck up like your top hitman." Cornelius growls, "Fine. I'll send the documents and you shoot him dead." I shout into the radio and spin on the catwalk, my shoes clanking against the metal stopping me from falling to death, "Wonderful!" I march down the stairs, pass the bloodied hooks, the broken machines and down to the basement. I pull out my gun and shout, "Oh Verank!" He looks back at me, I click the radio, "Listen to him." "I-I'm sorry, Janice. Don't L-Le-" I pull the trigger and he drops to the floor. "I think he's done talking now. Now tell me where Amber Dirt is tonight."

Get ready Bastion, I'm coming out on top.