Running quickly, Butowsky was running after Jacob through the East side of the decrepit warehouse. The stacks of old containers, each around 2 by 2 by 5 hurms*, towered a good 5 hurms above him, blending into the darkness.

(Hurms: A unit of measurement for distance or length in the GVS {Galactic Value System}. One hurm is about 1.65 meters. A Kilohurm, is equal to about 1650 meters approximately.)

One foot after the next, their boot soles crunched upon the dilapidated and broken tiles, the sound echoing in the vast warehouse. Butowsky’s gun with its flashlight attachment was trained in front of him. The beam from the flashlight was not very powerful at all, and only dimly revealed what was 3 hurms in front of him. However, he was able to clearly see the outline of Jacob’s back as they ran through the rows of old containers.

“What the hell do you think he is? The target I mean.” Asked Butowsky as they rounded a corner and continued following the sound of fleeing footsteps.

“What makes you think I know any more than you? We joined at the same time after the old man kicked the bucket.” Jacob answered quietly. “Whatever it is, I highly doubt it will be able to survive a detonation of a 2 kilolanc of N8. Given that you wired it correctly.”

{Lanc: A lanc is also a unit of measurement from the GVS, except this is a measurement of mass. One lanc is equal to approximately .5 grams.}

“And given that we coral the bastard to the north side. Looks more like we will have to put it down. Hey, you know what this reminds me of? That time on Kel—“

“Don’t you even start But-head. I never want to remember that night. That woman was effing insane.”

This retort silenced Butowsky as he quietly chuckled. As they ran, Butowsky started to become more and more focused on just following his brother’s back, and his mind began to wander. He began to mentally recount that night at the club on Kelton. His brother was hitting up a smoking beauty across the bar and he had been watching amused. His brother had never had any luck with women, so he found it quite surprising when he was taken back to her apartment. Butowsky had followed his brother. No, he was not a brocon, he was just concerned about his brother. Turned out that the woman was a host for a crazed symbiote.

His brain began to recount the funny little details from that night. The green cocktail dress. The beaded doorway. The cheesecake. Her wildly flailing boobs. The gunshot. The cheesecake. The blood. Running through the alley to leave. The cheesecake. He really loved that cheesecake.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he completely missed the giggling shadow descending from above.

His brother, did not.

Turning suddenly, Jacob pivoted upon one of his feet and tackled a surprised Butowsky.

As they fell, Butowsky saw his brother’s face contort in pain. Butowsky hit the ground hard, and Jacob’s fall was cushioned.

Struggling under the weight of his brother, Butowsky could only watch the giggling shadow slowly stand up and then turn its head. Butowsky’s gun flashlight illuminated the right half of ‘Zatch Grissom’s’ devilishly smiling face. The ends of his lips were turned upwards in an insane grin and his lips were pulled back to show his white teeth, that contrasted with his irregular right eye. The eye no longer just contained a pupil and a chocolate brown iris.

The pupil was replaced with a vertical predatory sclera and the iris and the white of the eye was replaced with a glowing scarlet.

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‘Zatch’ took a spastic step forward as a soft giggle leaked from his lips. Butowsky struggled under the weight of his brother as he tried to reach for his gun. He suddenly stopped when he heard his brother whisper something into his ear.

“*gasping* He got me good…Ha…hah…Count of three… I’ll roll over… Get up and run…” Jacob said with pain in his voice.

“Like hell I’m going to leave you.”

“I’m code black. Bastard hit an artery… Get up and get the captain out…”

“Jac-“

“One.”

“I can’t leave you… The heck you thinking!”

“Two…”

Butowsky looked into his brother’s eyes and saw something he hadn’t seen for a very long time. Determination. His brother had kind of been a pushover, that’s why he never had any luck with women. But now, his eyes held a cold steely determination. Butowsky quietly nodded as his brother whispered into his ear

“Three…”

In that instant, the brothers moved as one. Jacob rolled over onto his back and balanced his auto rifle in between his legs and opened fire. Butowsky flipped his body over into a sprinters position and ran, grabbing his gun as he ran, leaving his brother behind.

Jacob could vaguely hear his brother’s boot soles crunching on the tiles as he ran. Jacob had a sad smile on his face as he fired energy rounds at the frantically dodging target.

‘Damn… even though I was unlucky with women… I wanted to marry a good girl someday… have a kid…Butowsky would have made a good uncle I think… yeah….A responsible uncle…’ He thought as his brain became delirious from the extreme bloodloss. His aim became worse and worse, to the point that he wasn’t even close to hitting the approaching demon. The single luminous sclera was approaching until it stood over him, still faintly giggling.

‘Zatch’ sat down upon Jacob’s weakly heaving chest and bent over so Jacob and he were face to face.

“*Giggle* Any last words? *chuckle*”

Suddenly, ‘Zatch’ felt a cold metal barrel press against his thin environmental suit. Looking down, it was an old projectile pistol. One that fired actual bullets.

“Yeah… go… back… to…hell…” Jacob said with a thin line of blood trickled out of his smiling mouth. This was the last will of a “low born” Explorer Ring orphan. To save his brother. Before he could pull the trigger, ‘Zatch’s’ hand had already grabbed the barrel and forced it up below Jacob’s jaw. Slowly, his hand made its way from the barrel to the handle, always keeping the barrel right under Jacob’s jaw. His pinky wrapped around

“*Giggle* Well then… I’ll send you on ahead!”

Jacob’s last thoughts were as follows.

‘This guy is even worse than a fiend…’

Thus, the sound of three gunshots echoed throughout the old abandoned warehouse as Jacob’s brain matter coated ‘Zatch’s’ face.

Running as fast as he could, Butowsky was cursing himself for his carelessness. He had lost his only family and the shock had hit him hard. He was just formulating a plan to carry out his brother’s wish. His last wish. He was so absorbed he did not notice he walked past a package with a glowing red light. A fatal mistake that was.

‘Zatch’ sat up and relished the warm feeling on his face, as he heard a loud explosion.\

“Looks like the other got caught in his own explosive… There was one more wasn’t theeeeeerrrrrreeee *chuckle*”