I hold the golden dice tight in my fist. I feel their warmth and the vibrations coursing through my arm and up my spine.

The Divine Dice. I didn't want to use 'em because I didn't want to get Snake Eyes again, but at this rate, it's worth the risk. They're my last chance to put that freak on a leash.

"Brisket, where did you get those?" Zazel's eyes are wide, and her voice drips with concern. Hell, she sounds almost offended.

"God gave 'em to me."

"He gave them to you? Do you know utterly, absurdly potent those things are? Why haven't you been using them?"

I turn away. "Don't get on my ass. It's complicated."

"It may be complicated for for you, but that is most assuredly not the case for me. Explain."

"I don't have to tell you shit, Zazel!" I grip the Dice hard. "Now shut up so I can focus for a goddamn minute!"

She recoils a bit and stares at me with a look that's so intensely resentful it could melt sheet metal.

I continue to grip the dice and start to focus on them.

"Alright. Here goes nothing. Stand back."

As my fingers tighten around the dice, my core begins to burn. Heat courses through my veins and the rage builds up inside of me. I feel the anger and hate rising up, like a tidal wave of boiling water. It's overwhelming, and I'm afraid I'll drown in it. I try to hold it back, to keep it at bay, but it keeps surging forward.

Pinky gives me a little kick. It doesn't do much, but I appreciate it anyways.

Thanks, buddy. But it's up to Lady Luck now.

I feel them roil in my fist like two little cosmic storms. Then, it all comes to a stop.

They're both good rolls: 18 and 19.

The tidal wave of rage breaks on the the golden walls of the Dice. It surges and flows, but doesn't break through. I feel the heat, but it's more like dipping into bath that's a little too hot than the usual vat of molten metal. All the power, but none of the pain and none of the anger. And no crazy fucker laughing in my head.

I did it.

I start to glow with a dim golden amber light, casting a dull glow on the walls of our iron bunker. I turn to Zazel. "Sorry for shouting at you. I was really teetering on the edge there."

Zazel's eyes widen as she stares at the dice, still gripped in my hand. Her eyes are filled with a mix of fear, confusion, and wonder. "Brisket... What are you playing at?"

"I'm taking control. It's risky, but it's the best chance we got of controlling my power and crushing the Liberation Society."

Del stares at me, hand on her chest. "That's very... Wild." Her eyes flicker. "Are you sure there's no other way?"

"I dunno. This is all I could think of."

"You're not going out there alone, are you?" asks Raelith, taking a step toward me giant ax tightly gripped. "You promised me I would get to fight with you!"

"I did say that - I didn't forget. But I need you to stay here and play defense a little more."

"I've already had my fill of that! I would come with you! I want revenge for these wounds! I hate the way they fight, cowering with those projectile weapons! I will show them how a real warrior-"

"No. You're the toughest we have besides me. I need you to protect the others."

"But-"

"Please. I'll handle these dickheads. You'll get your fill of mayhem tonight. I promise."

Raelith snarls loud and deep. "Very well. I'll stay here and defend the others. But I won't let you deny me again!"

"Won't need to."

I look over to Del, who is still staring at me with her green eyes, practically glowing in the dark. I reach into my jacket and hand her Pinky.

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"I'll be right back. Take care of my boy."

She nods.

I look over at Zazel, who is still staring at the dice in my hand. Her face is twisted up with some emotion I don't have a name for.

"What?"

She looks into my eyes. "When this is all over, I want an explanation. No excuses."

"I will. No more secrets."

"Hmph."

Domina bows. "Show them no mercy, Master!"

"Ha! Wouldn't dream of it."

I shoot to Raelith. "Hey can you make a door or something? It's showtime."

She she nods and reaches out at a wall, and her hand glows bright red.

The other Elementals move to the other side of the room, and I take my place in front of the warping metal.

The whole structure shakes and groans as the metal restructures itself and forms an exit. I step outside, and the Limp Dicks are ready for me.

They unleash hell as soon as they see, but their bullets aren't doing shit but fucking up my duds.

I don't appreciate that shit. I blitz full bore at the nearest cultist.

Everything slows as the world takes on a slight golden hue. I can see the bullets flying at me as I close in first asshole in chrome armor. I dodge most of them, and the few that hit don't do nothin'. It's like they're shooting me with corn or something.

Yup. These flaccid little cultists are completely, utterly fucked.

I reel back for the hardest fucking haymaker the universe has ever seen, and swing on the first dude. I connect with his weird, smooth silver-white chrome helmet, and his head almost instantly evaporates, along with most everything else.

The air roars like thunder, and ground ahead of me explodes like it was hit with an invisible nuke, taking out a whole swath of the motherfuckers.

I laugh out loud. "Oh, hell yeah!"

I rush forward, and the world goes even slower. My core is on fire, but the dice are containing it. The pain isn't there, but I can feel the power.

More bullets are flying toward me, and I can see them clearly. I dodge them effortlessly. I'm moving faster than I've ever moved in my life.

I rush toward the next guy and punch his face in, exploding his head, and sending everyone around him flying, It feels so damn good to let it all out, and I just keep going.

I punch another one in the chest, and his body vaporizes, leaving only his lower half, which collapses to the ground. I punch another in the stomach, and he explodes into a mist of blood, viscera, and metal, the fragments shotgun the guy behind him.

Some asshole gets the bright idea to come at my with some stupid glowing baton or some shit. But feel him coming from a mile away. So I spin around and plant my boot in his dick so hard it explodes him in half and send his chunks soaring into the night sky. The guy behind him gets riddled with his friend's guts, and he screams like a little bitch.

The ground shakes and tears beneath me as I tear through these fuckers. They're trying to shoot me, but it's useless.

One of them tries to ram me with his ATV. I grab it by the front and flip it over, crushing the asshole behind me. I pick the vehicle up and hurl it at the nearest guy. The ATV explodes, sending bits of metal and fire flying everywhere.

I can't help but laugh. It's too much fun. I'm tearing through these fuckers like toilet paper, and they're nothing but chumps.

I grab a nearby guy by his neck, lift him up off his feet, and slam him into the dirt. His body breaks apart like a bag of bones, and his guts spray out in all directions.

Then I hear a humming behind me, and I know what it is. A drone. I spin around and snatch the fucker right out of the air. It struggles and buzzes, but I crush it in my fist and throw it at the nearest Limp Dick. The drone smacks him in the head and explodes into a thousand pieces, taking his head with it.

I look up, and the air is full of drones. A swarm of them.

I grin. "Oh, you motherfuckers are in for it now."

I wind up, and start unleashing all hell. The air burns and cracks with every punch. The drones start explode and fall out of the air, like showers of giant flaming confetti.

I punch and punch and punch and punch. I lash out so hard and fast my arms turn in blurs.

The Limp Dicks try to fire on my ass again, and I feel obliged to return the fucking favor, so I start pointing my fist machine gun toward them. Like a rapidfire bazooka.

I blast a whole row of Limp Dick motherfuckers, sending their guts and limbs flying everywhere. I keep blasting, and the Limp Dicks start scattering. Some try to run, but they're too slow. I take out their ATVs and send them flying, exploding in mid-air like miniature meteorites. I'm launching a one man bombing raid with my fists, and I feel unstoppable.

Even mother nature isn't safe. The surrounding tree are cut down to stumps and reduced to shredded bark and smoldering chips by the shockwaves from my blasts.

I blast and blast and blast, and the world is just a blur. The trees are gone and the ground is cratered and littered with dead, mutilated Limp Dicks and the burning wrecks of ATVs. The whole place is just a giant, smouldering battlefield.

The last of the drones fall from the air, and I turn to the remaining Limp Dicks. I start charging at them, and they start firing. I dodge and weave, and their bullets just pass me by. Then, I start laying into them with a barrage of blows.

They're reduced gristle and shrapnel in seconds.

"Wow, you guys suck."

I spin around, looking here and there. The ground has massive smoldering holes and ditches all over it, and the place it decorated in burning wood, smashed gear, and shattered Limp Dicks. If there are any survivors, they must have booked it by now.

And just as well, I guess, because the effects of the dice will stop soon, and I'm almost out of rage power.

"Ha. I've wanted a piece of you fuckers for ages. Get. Fucking. Wrecked." I punt one of their severed heads - still stuck in its helmet- like a football into the woods.

It feels good. After all those years of torment finally got some payback for what they did to me in Kris. All that pain, fear, and misery. This won't make up for it, but there's finally a finger on the other side of the scale.

In the glimmer of the moonlight the glow of Althea's tower, I catch a dead cultist in the corner of my eye. They're mostly intact - only missing a leg and an arm.

"Looks like you got off easy."

I turn away, heading back to Raelith's makeshift fortress.

But the Limp Dick makes a noise. It's weak, but it's enough to make me stop.

I look back over my shoulder. "Wait. Are you still alive?"