Smoke filled the air, as sparks floated through the haze. All he could hear was static, as muffled explosions and cracks of bullets called in the distance. Aj shook his aching head, his body felt as if it was on fire. He looked down, and saw blood was everywhere. He slowly lifted his shaking hands and patted himself down. Amazingly, aside from a wide array of bruises, small cuts, and most likely several fractured bones, he was okay. The blood wasn’t his.
Soft whimpering caught his attention, as his hearing returned, the static ringing staying but subsiding. He turned his sore neck, sharp pain shooting down his back, as he looked over. Decree’s pale face was staring at him, and it was now plain she was dying.
Her life force had drained so substantially, that she couldn’t maintain the human form. Aj studied in wonder as her pale Laydren form. Blue hair, near perfect skin, her long and skinny body torn and crumpled. Her dim yellow eyes where watering, as tears flowed down her blood-soaked face.
“It’s gonna be okay,” Aj mumbled, yanking on his door handle.
The door slowly creaked open, and Aj fell out and unto the floor. He groaned in pain, as he pushed himself to all fours. He now saw the engine compartment was smoking, as fuel leaked from the vehicle. They didn’t have much time. Aj slowly pulled himself up, using the car as leverage as he stood. He slowly walked to the back row of seats and pulled the door open.
He grabbed the fifty cal, and slung it over his back, as his body shrieked in pain. Aj grabbed a medical pouch and stumbled over to Decree’s door. He heaved it open and gazed in horror. He could see inside the gaping hole in the side of her chest, the red inwards making him woozy. He looked down and saw part of the engine had been pushed through the firewall, crushing her right foot utterly. Pinning her in place as black smoke now steadily rose from the hood.
Decree slowly pushed herself off the steering wheel as she yelped.
“I can get you out of here, we can get you help,” Aj stammered as he knelt.
“Just, leave, me,” Decree wheezed as blood fell from her mouth.
“Decree the car is gonna explode! We need to get you out of here,” Aj yelled.
Her eyes widened, as reality set in. She slowly reached down, and pulled out her pistol, staring at it in her lap.
“If I’m going to die, it’s gonna be on my terms,” Decree sighed, igniting her energy one last time, the blood loss slowing. She racked the pistol back and looked up at him.
“Go, avenge both our daughters,” she sighed breathlessly.
“Yours is still alive. I’m not leaving you here!”
“Just let me die with what little dignity I have left.”
“What dignity is there is burning to death from a car shot down by friendly fire?!”
She sighed, looked at the gun.
“If you knew half the things I’ve done, you’d know it might as well be meant for me,” Decree whispered.
Aj lay a hand on her shoulder.
“No one deserves to die like this.”
She looked at him.
“I do,” she sniffled.
She shut her eyes as she shoved the gun under her jaw, gritting her teeth. She pulled the trigger, but the gun didn’t fire. She opened her eyes and looked down to see Aj had grabbed the slide, stopping the weapon from cycling.
“Fucking asshole,” She sobbed.
“Not yet, but I will be after this,” Aj growled.
Aj yanked the gun away from her feeble hands, then reached into the medical pouch. He grabbed three syringes of pain gone and jabbed each of them into her destroyed leg.
“The hell are you doing?” Decree whimpered.
“Saving your miserable life,” Aj spat.
“I’m just gonna come back in a hundred years, remember?! Maybe I’ll actually have a normal life! Why would you take that from me?!”
“We both know you’re just gonna find yourself on another battlefield, in another war fighting for some stupid cause. Or you can live in this life, and actually make a difference!” Aj roared, his spit hitting her face.
She shook her head as her chin trembled.
“Fucking close your eyes!” Aj shouted.
Fire erupted from the hood, as smoke filled the compartment. Aj pulled out his combat knife and inserted the tip into her leg.
“Feel anything?” Aj shouted.
“No!” Decree wailed.
“Okay,” Aj nodded firmly.
He pulled the knife back, holding it high, then brought it down as hard as he could into her leg. The blade went deep, as it plunged hilt deep below her kneecap. He held the handle with both hands, and wrench downward, cutting open the leg. Decree screamed as she made the mistake of looking. Ignoring her, Aj stabbed again, cutting away at sinew and exposing the bone. He flipped the blade and began sawing the bone with the serrated back. With a crunched, the leg was separated.
Aj grabbed Decree by the Jacket and heaved, pulling her from the hover car. They collapsed on the ground, as fire overtook the vehicle. The apartment they were in caught fire, crimson flames roaring up the walls and ceiling. Aj pulled her away from the burning heap, down the hallway, a snail trail of blood left from her right stump as she wailed and screamed.
Aj’s back hit a door, and he set her down. He then took a few steps back, ran forward, and slammed into the door, breaking the wood that had been crudely nailed over it. The door crashed open, as AJ turned. He pulled her into the hallway, knelt on her bleeding leg with his knee as she squirmed.
He pulled out a tourniquet, and tightly wound it three inches below the knee, twisting the handle as far as it would go. He then stood up, grabbed Decree’s arm, and slung it over his shoulders, balancing her body across his back as his left arm held her leg, his right her arm.
The massive sniper sprinted forward as the building fire spread, smoke filling the darkness. Both coughed and heaved in the blazing hot pitch black, as Aj followed the flights of stairs down. Soon, they arrived on the ground floor, the lobby doors open. Aj ran forward, out of the burning building and into the streets.
“Freeze!” a man’s voice thundered over an intercom.
Aj turned, and saw a platoon of soldiers in black armor, and red stripped, plumed helmets. Behind them where massive, armored troop transports, their main guns pointed at the survivors.
“She needs help!” Aj gasped.
“I said freeze!” the officer roared, all guns pointing at them.
“Hold your fire!” another man’s voice called.
Aj saw a dark man of Earth Indian descent run forward, his wide eyes studying them with his helmet in the crook of his arm.
“Vagabond Aj?” the dark man asked hesitantly.
“Who gives a fuck! She needs help,” Aj growled.
“Why were the Vagabonds formed? What was the primary intent?” the dark leader challenged.
Aj grimaced.
“A quiet farm, on some distant colony. We just wanted a better life,” Aj spat.
“Gods above, it’s really him,” one of the soldiers murmured.
“Lower your weapons! Get the medics over here!” the leader called.
Aj knelt, and slowly lay Decree on the ground. She was crying, and whimpering as several soldiers stormed over, slamming their medical bags on the ground as they got to work.
“These are Martian medics, just like my wife. You’re in good hands,” Aj choked.
“You should have left me up there,” Decree whimpered.
“I need saline and blood bags, O positive, now!” one of the female medics shouted through her helmet speakers.
None of the soldiers moved, as each of them stared down through their helmets. The medic searched in confusion, then looked back down at Decree.
“Oh shit,” the medic realized, raising her hands as she began to back away.
“The fuck is wrong with y’all, she needs help!” Aj gasped.
“Sir, do you know who that is?” the leader asked slowly.
“Fucking Decree, walking talking computer virus, yeah I fucking know. Help her!” Aj roared as he stomped up, getting in the officer’s face.
“She has several death warrants, sir,” the leader shook his head.
“What’s your name?” Aj growled.
“Sergeant First Class Munshi,” the leader nodded.
“Munshi, I will fucking do unto you ten times what’s been done to her if you do not help her. As a Vagabond, I am ordering you to help her!” Aj snarled.
“I cannot assist a terrorist on the same watchlist as the Dark Axium,” Munshi growled.
“Told ya,” Decree cackled.
“What happens to you when I tell Nameless you shot down his best friend, and killed his asset? I’m here doing shit you’re not even remotely cleared to know. When I get back and debrief the Queen, she will know it was Sergeant First Class Munshi and his men who killed an asset, and nearly killed me. When you fucking shot us out of the sky!” Aj roared.
He was lying through his teeth, but it didn’t matter. He was done with Zion, with this life. There was no more Vagabond Aj, just a broken man on a singular path ending in death, and vengeance.
“And here I thought Vagabonds where above blackmail,” Munshi growled.
“Blackmail is the least bad thing I have done for people I care about. We can find out what I’m truly willing to do, here and now Sergeant,” Aj snapped.
Munshi scoffed, then nodded. The medics begrudgingly proceeded to help Decree, as they laid her on a stretcher.
“You people are supposed to be the best of us,” Munshi murmured.
“The only difference between a Vagabond, and a normal person, is the number of bodies we’ve left behind,” Aj muttered.
Aj made sure they were taking care of Decree, before walking away.
“She’s going straight to a cell. Doesn’t matter what you say to whomever you say it to,” Munshi called.
“She better fucking live, or I swear to fucking Bellum I will take all of your heads! Do you hear me! I will fucking tear you all apart!” Aj shouted, spinning around, and thumping his chest like a mad man.
“Hey buddy,” the female medic raised her hands, approaching him.
“Get the fuck away from me!” Aj screamed.
“You’ve been through a lot here, haven’t ya? Let’s get you some chow, and some water huh? How does that sound?” the medic asked soothingly.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” Aj shouted as she got closer.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” the medic nodded.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Careful doc, he’s unstable,” one of the soldiers called, their hands slowly drifting to their rifle.
“So would you if you’d been through half the shit he has,” the medic called over her shoulder.
She reached behind her back, and slowly pulled out a canteen.
“Why don’t you stay with Decree? Huh? Make sure she’s gonna be okay,” the medic asked softly, extending her canteen.
“I-I need to get to the m-mansion,” Aj mumbled, staring at the canteen.
“You are in shock. Let us help you,” the medic nodded slowly.
She got within arm’s length, canteen, and open hand extended.
Aj slowly extended his shaking hand and took the canteen. He eyed the faceless medic suspiciously. She slowly reached up and took off her helmet. She revealed her face, brown braided hair, and green eyes as she smiled a perfect smile.
“I’m Amani, I was a medic in the Oasis Cohort during the battle for the big city. You freed my people, Aj. Let me help you, like you did back home. Does that sound good?” Amani asked gently.
Aj saw Sammy smiling at him, wearing the dark black and red armor. He shook his head, blinking rapidly.
“Yeah, yeah okay,” Aj muttered.
“Red one, this is red two. Relay to Shadow Actual we have shadow three,” Munshi called into his headset.
“Shadow Actual?” Aj murmured as he walked with the medic.
Where had he heard that name before? It felt like decades since he had heard those old call sings. His eyes widened.
“Nameless…Nameless is here?!” Aj gasped.
Amani smiled. She put her hand on Aj’s shoulder as she guided him past the troops and armored vehicles, Munshi walking besides them.
“We’re his personal company. Haven’t found a good name yet, but we directly report to the High War Captain,” Amani smiled.
“Bastard always got all the attention,” Aj muttered.
A roar was heard overhead, and Aj looked up, shielding his face with his hand. Far above them, a dark green shuttle was descending towards them, with a wide shark grin paint job on the nose. The shuttle rotated as it hovered, its back door opening as it landed. More troops piled out, as Spiders in black jumpsuits pulled tactical carts full of mechanical equipment. The warriors sped past them, heading towards the fight. Aj stopped, and watched as the litter team picked up Decree, and walked her onboard.
As the litter team drew near to the open shuttle, Aj heard a familiar rough female voice shouting orders on where to load Decree. The voice stopped, as Aj watched the litter team board.
“Aj?” the voice asked.
He turned his head and saw Crew Chief Sasha staring at him with her wide blue glowing eyes, framed by her air crew helmet.
“Hey Sasha,” Aj muttered.
“Stars above, you looked horrible man,” Sasha gasped as she came down the ramp. She took Aj’s shoulder and nodded to Amani and Munshi.
“I got him guys, c’mon big boy,” Sasha said gently.
Aj slowly went up the ramp, as gunfire and explosions erupted in the distance. Munshi and Amani thrust their helmets back on and charged forward as the troops ran towards the chaos. Aj sat down on a bench, next to Decree who was shivering under an emergency heat blanket. Her pale, beady face studying him, an arm handcuffed to the litter. Sasha walked past them, and Aj watched as the battle continued on down the street.
“Don’t let them send me back to Laydra. Anything but that, you have no idea what the houses will do to me,” Decree whispered.
“That’s not gonna happen,” Aj sighed.
He reached into his jacket, and pulled out his Zion military ID, swiftly handing it to her behind Sasha’s back, as she talked to the pilots.
“This will open every door Zion has, till you can find a computer. Run, and never look back. The Vagabonds are gonna need you for this war, they will find you when the time is right,” Aj whispered.
With wide eyes, she took the ID card. Her eyes softly glowed, as the electronic card dissolved, meshing into her hand. She looked up at him.
“Why would you do this?” she whispered.
Aj didn’t answer as he leaned back, sipping from the canteen.
“You don’t plan on coming back, do you?” Decree sighed.
“This war will last for a long time, but hopefully I can shorten it. Shrike can’t escape from this station,” Aj said softly.
“Where’s that human optimism I fucking despise? You don’t think the war will end here?” Decree arched an eyebrow.
“How long you been fighting the Dark Axium?” Aj nodded.
She sighed.
“In its current form? A few years. If you combine all the aliases the core entity has used, thousands of years,” Decree murmured.
“And why is that do you think?”
“The Great Masters keep pumping them full of recruits and funds. This is the never-ending cycle of conflict that keeps organic life under control.”
“But if we cut off enough of their connections to our civilizations,” Aj arched an eyebrow.
“You’d have to kill every priest, politician, king and queen, and every single person who doesn’t align with freedom for all,” Decree chortled.
The shuttle shuttered, as explosions boomed overhead.
“Sorry for the delay folks, we are having some rough skies tonight, but will have you out of here soon. So please don’t die back there, mass murderer lady? I mean, we’d all be better off if you diiiiiiiiiid, but ya know. I hate paperwork. So don’t, k’danks!” Captain Nim called over the intercom.
“I fucking hate humans,” Decree grumbled.
Aj looked out the open cargo door, as the convoy turned around the corner, the last vehicle’s taillights disappearing with infantry on either side of the street.
“You gonna make it?” Aj asked softly.
“Yeah, I’ll make it to the surgery table anyway. Go get em tiger,” Decree grinned.
Aj stood up, unslinging the massive rifle.
“When you get to the fleet, tell Nameless I’m sorry. Here.”
AJ reached into his back satchel; the administrative pouch that had been zip tied to his battle belt. He pulled out the jar containing the remaining ashes of his family. He leaned down and tucked it under Decree’s blanket.
“I want you to give this to a Vagabond or leave it with someone who can get it to them. My final wish is to have them buried under the old Oak Tree, next to Carla. They’ll know what it means,” Aj nodded.
Decree softly nodded, as Sasha came back into the crew bay.
“Aj, what are you doing?” Sasha arched an eyebrow.
Silently, Aj bolted out the open door, running down the street, and into an alley.
“Aj!” Sasha’s voice shouted in the distance. Aj kept running, his breathe labored, heart beating. He had no food, no water, no other weapons, or equipment. It was just him, his rifle, and the remaining bullets containing the small amounts of ash of his dead family. And the vial of the Carnage serum. One way or another, Shrike would die.
Aj slammed into a brick wall, at an intersection in the alleyway. He turned right and kept going. Far above, through the catwalks and flickering advertisement signs and holograms, Aj could see the mansion built into the level wall.
Noticing a long shaft descending from the bottom level of the mansion to the ground, Aj determined this to be his way inside. He bolted forward, his vision and hearing blurry, his body begging for rest. But he pushed on, charging through alleyway after alleyway, past streets, until he nearly passed out.
Aj took cover in an abandoned convenience store. His boots crunched broken glass as he prowled into the abandoned store. The clerk’s dead corpse was rotting behind the counter, as Aj collapsed in the far back corner. He yanked some of the few snacks that remained off the shelves, and carefully opened them. Normally they would be disgusting, but here and now he ate as rapidly as possible.
He burped, vomit trying to leap out of his mouth as he fought the food back down. He sighed, washing down the sour taste in his mouth with some drinks in the freezer. His head swam from exhaustion as he leaned his bald head against the cool glass. In the distance, a looming roar could be heard. The floor shook, something big was happening the level far below. Suddenly, engine roars grew louder, the thunder of bombers drawing near.
His eyes opened, and he dove to the ground, covering his head with his hands as he wound into a ball. The engine roars past, and the building shook, dust falling from the cieling. A muffled yelped caught his attention.
Making sure the bombers had past, Aj sprang up, holding the rifle up. Across from him was a metal door, presumably where the yelp had come from. Aj slowly moved forward, ready to blast whoever was inside at point blank range. He kicked the door open, and the chair that had been used to barricade the door went flying back. Aj aimed.
A lone little boy yelped, covering his face with his hands. Aj studied him, looking for any signs of Sylos infection. There were none, so he lowered his rifle. He studied the mountain of wrappers and empty drink bottles, some full of urine, around the boy.
“Hey little guy,” Aj sighed in a raspy voice.
Aj slowly knelt as the boy flinched, staring at the sniper over the tops of his knees as he clenched his legs with his arms.
“Where’s poppa?” the little boy whined.
“This your folks store?” Aj asked softly.
The little boy nodded.
Aj bit his lip, now knowing the identity of the corpse behind the counter.
“How long you been in here, little guy?” Aj asked softly.
“Poppa told me to stay in here once people started getting sick. I hid really good, even when the scary voices howled. I only came out for food, but I never went near the front. Just like poppa told me to do,” the little boy cringed.
“That was very smart of you, your poppa would be glad you listened,” Aj half smiled.
“Where is he?” the little boy asked again in a hurt tone.
Aj sighed.
“I don’t know kid,” Aj lied.
The little boy slunk further back in the corner.
“But I’ll tell you what, there’s some really good people here who can help you find your folks. I’m Aj, I’m one of the good guys. What’s your name?” Aj asked gently.
“Matty,” the little boy sniffled.
“Why don’t we get ya in touch with the people who can help you find your family? Is your mom nearby?” Aj asked.
“I don’t know,” Matty whined.
“Okay, well I ain’t sick, and I am here to help. Why don’t we get you to the good guys? How does that sound?” Aj asked kindly.
“Okay,” Matty’s chin trembled.
Aj stood up, as the scrawny little boy in rags came to him.
“C’mon big guy,” Aj smiled.
Aj picked the boy up and held Matty in his arms. He had to of been no more than ten years old, just as big as Spider was back on Mars.
“Do me a favor buddy, and keep your head down, okay? It’s really scary out here,” Aj said softly.
“Okay,” Matty sniffled.
Aj held his board hand against the back of the boy’s head as he carried him out of the store, making extra care to angle his body so Matty wouldn’t see the dead father behind the counter. Aj walked onto the sidewalk, and swiftly followed it towards the looming sound of truck engines.
As they walked forward, the mansion loomed closer, with Zion forces outpacing Aj. They past two blocks, and Aj set Matty down. He carefully, rifle in hand pointed to the ceiling, peaked around the corner. A tank, surrounded by commandos in black and red armor had a squad of Shrike Replicants lined up against a ditch. Aj flinched, as the firing squad executed the blonde men. Their bodies fell into a drainage tunnel, and out of sight. He sighed and leaned back around.
Matty was looking up at Aj with wide, glistening eyes, his frail body trembling. Aj knelt, looking the little boy in the eyes.
“Around this corner is the good guys, I want you to run to them, as quickly as you can. Can you do that for me?” Aj smiled.
“Are you coming?” Matty asked.
“I am going to stay right here, and make sure no bad guys get ya, okay? I got your back,” Aj grinned.
“Okay,” Matty nodded.
“On three, you’re gonna run. You’re gonna be just as brave as your poppa was-is!” Aj nodded firmly and rapidly.
“Okay!” Matty smiled.
“Three, two, one, go!” Aj said firmly.
The little boy took off, sprinting down the road. Aj leaned into the street corner, pressing the rifle into the concrete with his offset hand. He hated to waste the bullets, but this would be something they would have wanted. Suddenly, he saw a flash in a window, right above the boy as he ran towards the tank.
Without hesitation, Aj pulled the trigger, and watched an enemy sniper appear of thin air, falling back into the darkness. Amateur hadn’t honey combed his optic, letting the streetlight catch the glass of his rifle.
Alerted by the gunshot, the soldiers spun around as the gunner rotated the machine gun on the turret of the tank. Matty waved his hands, running forward.
“Don’t fucking shoot, don’t fucking shoot, do not fucking shoot,” Aj seethed under his breathe, watching with one eye tilted out from the corner.
The soldiers aimed their guns at Matty and barked at him to stop. A presumably medic came forward and scanned the little boy with a handheld tool. They nodded, and the soldiers ran forward, and pulled Matty to the safety of a troop carrier.
Aj whirled back around the corner, and slid to the ground, an explosion of relief flooding his chest as he fought back tears. He bit his fist, choking down the emotion as the cold dead grip of the mission mindset with took hold. He sighed, compartmentalizing what had just happened.
Aj stood up, and watched the troops leave, sending the troop carrier back to the breach. Aj sprinted across the street and went down several more alleyways. Soon, he came to a broad building lining the wall of the level.
A viscous firefight was raging between the defenders in the building, and the Zion military across the street. The perfect cover. Aj looked around, spying for a way in. He noticed an unbarricaded fire escape to his left.
Aj huffed rapidly, then sprinted forward. Machine gun fire peppered the ground by his feet as he lumbered across the distance. He made it to the alley, hyperventilating. The rifle felt like it weighed two hundred pounds now, as his sore hands ached. Aj gritted his teeth and climbed up the ladder.
After several minutes of climbing, surrounded by the cacophony of war, Aj managed to get to the roof. Here he slunk on his belly, towards a cart that most likely some kind of trash truck. Beyond the roof, was the access door to the shaft. How fitting, that Aj would sneak in through a garbage shoot.
Aj carefully slunk into the driver’s seat and ignited the engine. He lay the rifle in the passenger seat and slammed on the accelerator. Miraculously, he made it into the garbage shoot, where the hover truck latched onto a rial system. The engines switched modes and rocketed upward. Aj’s stomach was left back on the ground as he hurtled upward hundreds of feet a second.
With a loud crash, he slammed into the dock at the top of the shaft. Aj hurriedly jumped out, rifle up, as he propelled forward. The trash area was barren and dark as he moved through. He crossed the room, and carefully opened a door. This lead down a long hallway, which opened into the abandoned kitchens.
Aj stealthily crept forward, listening for any hints of enemy. But there were none. He made it to the end of the kitchen and scanned forward out an open doorway. Beyond the kitchens, lay a massive and decadent ball room. He slunk along the walls, then bolted from the door frame, behind the cover of a lavish sofa.
Aj carefully peaked out, and saw, there a hundred yards from him, was a crowd of Shrikes, all studying consoles and floating holograms of the battle. And there, beyond them, lounged a seven-foot-tall blonde man lazily eating grapes hand fed to him by naked women who looked very familiar. Oh, what was her name, Captain Sterin?
There were four of them as they scurried around. No matter, most likely clones, the real Captain Sterin looked far more menacing than them, according to Aj’s memory. Aj carefully crawled behind the sofa, barely peeking out from behind the right corner. Shrike Prime’s forehead was in his crosshairs, the perfect shot.
Aj carefully looked the fifty caliber round with his dead families ashes, and gently slid the bolt forward, seating the round. He slowed his trembling breathe, steadying his shaking body. This was it, nothing had gone wrong. He might even make it out of this alive!
Aj pushed such thoughts from his mind and pulled the trigger.
The rifle roared, and the bullet went flying. It was a flawless shot, as it hurtled through the air. It impacted right between the eyes as Shrike’s head flew backwards. Smoke rose from his forehead as his body went limp. The Sterin clones screamed and scattered, as the Shrike replicants drew their weapons.
“Ow.”
Shrike Prime slowly raised his head, blood slowly trickling down from a tiny hole between his eyes. He raised his hand, and pressed a finger to the small cut, then licking the blood.
“That is no ordinary projectile. Stay your hands worms!” Shrike Prime roared.
The replicants, sneering, backed away as Aj slowly stood.
“Oh my, is that, why yes, it is. My good man, did you add, ashes to the ignition agents of the round? I’m amazed that didn’t explode in your face. Hold on, now who’s ashes could you have possibly put in such an idiotic round?” Shrike Prime grinned.
Aj slowly began walking forward, his mind and eyes blank.
“Oh ho! His magnificent plan has failed! Whatever shall he do now? Charge me? Celestial Father above, this is so much more fun than I anticipated! True, letting you come here was half the fun, but honestly this is even better!” Shrike Prime cackled.
Aj began moving a little faster.
“Right then, you had your uses, but now it’s time to die. Not too quickly, mind you, you need to pay for unleashing that parasite from my laboratories,” Shrike Prime sneered.
The puppet master launched himself off the throne, waltzing down the steps as he then brazenly strutted towards Aj.
“I had intended for you to land in the prison, where we could have some fun before your little Vagabonds arrived. But that’s what I get for trusting in humans,” Shrike sighed.
Aj stopped in place.
“Oh? Oh, I see, I see. You have one of my little doses. Go ahead, drink. It’s as much a failure as you are a father, you’ll merely implode or burn to death, if you’re lucky,” Shrike grinned.
“I’m going to enjoy this,” Aj grunted.
“Oh, I sincerely doubt that,” Shrike Prime roared with mirth.
Aj snagged the vial, undid the top, and gulped down the Carnage Serum.