Darius opened the office door. A fateful air filled his cybernetic lungs as the rush of adrenaline entered his system.

“Del Peck!” he shouted, pointing his guns at the man.

Del stood at his window, holding a glass of bourbon. Facing the glow of the city; he only regarded Darius’s reflection. A look of smug relief crossed his face.

“Darius Byun. You’ve been… evasive,” Del continued to stare out the window. He took a sip of his drink. “Until now, that is. You came at a good time. The NAU wants a demo of CellarDoor tomorrow,” he held the memory chip containing the encryption key. “We need to get those files out of you.”

“I came here to end this,” Darius gritted his teeth, walking cautiously to the middle of the room.

“Of course you did. I’ve killed your friends, and now you’ve got a misguided notion that you can stop me. Though I have to admit that you’ve done well in getting here.”

Darius squinted. Something felt wrong in his gut. “What are you doing? You’re stalling.”

“I was waiting for Geracht.”

Just as Del spoke his name, Geracht stepped in through the door frame.

Del finally turned around, pocketing the encryption key and then pointing a heavy pistol at Darius. “Geracht. A little worse for wear, aren’t you? It’s about fucking time you showed up. Such a fortuitous turn of events. Shall we get started?”

Geracht stopped in his tracks. Confusion muddled his thoughts as voices spoke to him from every direction. The ghosts of his family, his neighbors, his victims, and his old war buddies filled the room, leaving a gap between him and Del. The Byun boy stood to the side, watching him. His daughter standing in front of Darius with a darkened expression. In unison, the ghosts called for blood.

“Blood,” Geracht muttered.

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Del spoke to Geracht in even dulcet tones. “Yes, Geracht. Tear all those pieces from the Byun boy.” Then in a more shadowed tone. “Start with the arms.”

Geracht looked at Darius, seeing only the ghostly visage of his daughter now. What was left of his face twisted into an anguished expression. He slowly raised a hand to his head, and tore off another piece of himself. He edged down to his knees.

“Geracht?” Del said, stepping into the middle of the room, his gun still pointed at Darius. “I told you to do something.”

“I can’t!” Geracht shouted in response. “I see the dead! I see you most of all.”

Del cursed in exasperation, “fuck! I’ll do it then!” He turned his body to Darius, leveling the gun at Darius’s throat, where his neural link would be. He begins to pull the trigger just as Geracht stands and charges at him.

Del turns and fires a flurry of well aimed shots into Geracht’s unprotected viscera. Geracht takes all of the shots and slams into Del with full force, lifting him from the floor and then crushing him down beneath his full metal weight.

A loud cracking and crunching sound can be heard from Del’s ribs and spine as Geracht’s massive form comes to rest atop his body. Del was in shock. The gun slipping from his fingers, and the breath pressing from his lungs.

Oil and hydraulic fluid flowed from Geracht like blood. His strength was gone. His eyes were now focused only on Darius, and the ghost of his daughter there. “Don’t follow me, little one… I… am… not… my… self…” Then Geracht’s head sunk low, tears resting in his eyes, but refusing to fall.

Darius watched in wild bewilderment as Geracht became still. Del struggled for breath, trying with all his might to lift the monster off him. His eyes became wild with the terror of realization. There was no escape, no salvation, no hope left to cling to.

Darius holstered his guns, watching Del’s helpless struggle for air.

“You killed my father, my friends.” He picked up Del’s gun and pocketed it. “You left me in the street to die.” Darius searched through Del’s pockets, taking the encryption key.

“Mercy…” Del croaked with what little breath he was able to gather.

“You made a mistake.” Darius leaned down, nearly nose-to-nose with Del. “You let me live. You should have ended it when you had the chance.” Darius stood and pulled Del’s desk chair over next to the man’s contorted and crushed body and took a seat. “I won’t make that same mistake.”

Then Darius sat, watching Del take quick little breaths, struggling to cling to what little hope of life remained. Weak, and small, Del finally died after a cluster of extended moments passed.

Darius lifted his phone to his ear. “CURL, it’s done. Bring the cyberware extraction kit.”