Now where were we…?

Ah yes. Ehem.

In the span of a couple of minutes, the Purgatory's 'spotless' reputation as being the most secure prison in the Vulcan System has just gone up in smoke and I mean this in literal sense too as the riot continued to spread all over the prison. The besieged Guards were barely keeping things under control while endless hordes of Convicts wrecked and tore up anything they got their hands on from all sides.

It was everything that Dex could have hoped for. Everything he had planned for the moment he first stepped foot in that damned space station. Now, for a guy who's absurdly Obsessively Compulsive and comically impatient, it amazes…and scares me when I see just how far he'd go if he sets his mind on something. And whenever he does, he'd make a big show out of it and he loves nothing more than to watch it all play out at the front row seat.

Too bad that he never got a chance to see any of that. Not from where he's standing. Imagine the disappointed - and no doubt annoyed – look in the brat's face when the most interesting thing in their little Mexican Standoff were the others' stink eyes and watching for any sudden moves from the opposing party.

As good as Dex's Poker Face was for all there to see, his mind was churning up a storm. Pissed off as hell no doubt after seeing all his plans were being thrown out of the window. But what he hated more than that was the concept of waiting. Might as well call it torture since the self-styled genius see every second as more like an hour based on the way this guy thinks. He describes as something close to a supercomputer or some shit like that. I dunno. I just say that he's got OCD and simply gets bored of things easily. Hints of a couple erratic blinking on Dex's part gives us a hint on just how much stress the boy had in the situation.

"WellthingsaredefinitelyNOTgoingaccordingtoplan." Dex started muttering to himself. "TheoddsofaBrute,aWhore,aZealot,andaseriesofunfortunateeventstopopoutoffuckingnowhereandfuckupallmyplans. Think. Think. ThinkDex. Think. Thisain'ttheworstpickleyougotyourselfinto. Thinkofawayout. Thinkyourwayout. Ticktockticktock. DAMNIT! Thewindowsclosingfast. IgottagetoutofthispickleandmakethroughStep33ofTHEPLAN. Orelseallthattimeandeffortisallcaput! CaputDAMMIT! ButIcantbestupid. Neverstupid. Stupidgetsyoukilled. Thefirstmoveherewillgetyoukilledhere. Especiallyinsituationslikethisonehere…"

Jedidiah Christ this guy talks a mouthful. Did you get any of that? I'm the one telling the story here and even I didn't get much out of that monologue. Whatever the hell he said though, something in there gave him the metaphorical lightbulb in the head. Feel free to figure out what that is just before the big guy, Rictus pops into the scene with a brutish and booming voice.

He went off something like, "Oy! Ya got somefin ta say fer da rest o' us, ya git? Or ya gonna keep yammerin' crazy ta yaself all day?"

Talking is kind of a challenge for him – and imitating it is a lot harder - with that metallic underbite chomping on his words like a sledgehammer. His metal jaws gets in the way of how he spoke and it got in the way of him being so loquacious when speaking – or be understood - but it does work wonders that adds more to his very menacing persona.

And it shut Dex's mouth but not before he casted a small glimmer in his eye. Almost like a proverbial lightbulb popped above his head with a 'Ding'. Of course he didn't make this obvious in front of the others. Instead, he reached for the side of his collar with his mouth. The others saw this of course and had their guns at him. They were about to shoot when Dex pulled out…a cigarette.

Now here's when he did something cool. With the cigarette at his mouth, he lit it with a spark then blew off a few rings. One for each person.

"Smartass." Rictus said.

This was when the other runt, Mina, snorted and spat a glob at the floor. This of course got everyone's attention and got her under the spotlight.

"Who'da-who would've th-thought that these Mexican standoffs were so booooring." Mina whined in between her spasms and head tics. Her head kept snapping to the sides and stuttered with her words every couple of seconds. "This is anything but in-intense-s or even as cool as what they show of in the-the movies. Calling that b-bullshit. The only thing I'm getting out of this one is the itch that's biting my ass. Are we gonna get this sh-show on the road, or what?"

"By all means. Start already if you want. No one else is getting in your way of that." Dex answered back in between puffs. "But before you do. You don't mind me finishing a fag, right? I mean. I might as well have and enjoy one too. Just before the Brother Death comes a knocking unannounced."

"Keep babbling. And that-tsk-that Durry o' yours'll be your last." Mina quipped. "It's bad enough tha-t your face pisses m-me off. But hearing y-your voice piss-pisses me off even more! Now stow it b-before I redecorate your ugly m-mug."

Think that's funny huh? Comedic? A half-starved little girl with an oversized shotgun, a stutter that sounded like a broken record on repeat, and tics like a garden sprinkler adding all that to intimidate someone Well Dex thought so and he's having a hard time keeping himself together whenever the girl had the nerve to threaten him. Whether she does it when relapsing or when in tip top shape, Dex would sit back and fan the flames every time.

How either of them are still alive after all this time till now is beyond me.

"C'mon let's not get to that now." Dex sarcastically said. "I'm just trying to make new friends here. I wouldn't mind having one of you lots as one. I could always use more cannon fodder as I make my way off to the exit. What say you, Big Guy?"

Rictus here just growled back. Maybe he said something here. Maybe he didn't. I dunno. So let's just say that he growled.

"And I'd rather have you on the floor. Bleeding and licking r-rust." Mina spat. "Then maybe I can pay-pay your boyfriend a v-visit soonafter. Let him have a-a taste. Of what a real wo-woman oughta be."

"Se-se-se-say wu-wu-what now?" Dex asked mockingly. "Sorry girl but I don't speak Dudududubstep. I'm more into country music if I say so myself." He turned to the other two. "And to set the record straight to everyone else in the room, I ain't a queer. So sorry to disappoint if any of you are."

Mina's face and ears were already simmering red to the point of spouting steam. Her teeth were grinding dust. Her tics became more rampant and her eye twitched at a much faster pace. She struggled to open her mouth in the midst of her fury. But before she could shout it all out, she was cut off by Rictus.

"A fag'z 'notha term ya call fer a smoke, Pipsqueak." Rictus said.

"You t-talking to me, bogan?!" Mina turned to the colossal Rictus.

"I dunno what your m-major malfun-function is pal but the only pipsqueak I see round-d these parts is whatever you're p-packing."

"She ain't as cultured as we are, big guy." Dex said to Rictus. "Where she's from, the little midget wouldn't know anything that goes beyond what's inside someone's pants."

Rictus barked out a booming laugh that shot throughout the entire chamber. This was made louder when Dex joined in the mix. Nergal stayed clear of the humor the entire time. It looks like his pet 'snake' that did most of the talking between the two as it hissed and growled while reminding everyone that they was in the room.

Mina on the other hand. Now, you'd expect her to snap right about now and she did but not in the way you'd expect. She was for a moment at a daze. More composed instead of being pissed while cracking her knuckles one by one. Each time made her look like a different person. The red on her face was now at a pale hue. Her eyes grew sharper with her pupils dilating wide open. Her tics and spasms ceased and started speaking clearly with a different tone of voice.

"You wanna piece of me, Motherfucker?" Mina said in monotone.

Rictus noticed the change in the girl's aura and got all serious like as he gripped on his gun tight. His gut might have told him there that the fireworks was about to start but this quickly changed after hearing what Dex said. That boy seriously did not know when to shut up.

"5 bucks for 5 minutes?" Dex shot back mockingly. "No thanks. I'd rather not catch anything, you bug bite chested slut."

"Am liking you more o'redy!" Rictus laughed.

"Then get to know more of each other better…IN HELL!" Mina said playfully then in a sinister tone before cocking her gun and started the long awaited fun.

Dex was waiting for this from the start. The moment the girl raised her gun at him, in a split second, a current of electricity surrounded Dex before tossing a spear to the side. He then disappearing in a flash of light that blinded everyone in the chamber. Though her vision was blurry, Mina fired her weapon at the silhouette of a man in front of her. Once her sight returned, she did not see Dex being chewed up by lead. It was Rictus.

The giant took the Electromancer's place. Too dazed by the first time experience of being teleported and confused at the sudden turn of events, the big guy was fully open to take the full brunt of Mina's barrage of gunfire. I guess he wasn't called the IronHyde just for show. The giant held his own against the barrage without falling over but he did get pushed back after every blast.

Whether it was Dex or Rictus It didn't matter for her either way. In fact, the latter made for an easier target for Mina. The gun's recoil kicked her hard and bruised her shoulder. This made aiming a little bit difficult after every shot and the rate of fire was a little slow because of its size but the girl kept shooting. She cackled maniacally the entire time. We might have a masochist in our hands here, ladies and gentlemen.

She was blinded by adrenaline. Intoxicated by the smell of gunpowder. Addicted to the sound of gunfire. Our little LooseCannon was enjoying herself too much to the point of ecstasy that she didn't notice Dex charging his spears a few feet right next to her. He was just about to fry the little imp when he noticed Nergal sick his pet demon at him.

Dex quickly crossed his spears together that shat out currents of electricity. The snake hit the shield head on and recoiled. Nergal however came out from nowhere and made a slash at Dex's side. Dex quickly dodged it and kicked the Mad Monk to the ground but the Monk rolled backwards, regaining his footing, and then jumped at him with his shiv in tow. His snake was not far behind him. They were less than a foot away when Dex struck the floor with his other spear – the one he was charging - and unleased a surge of energy that blasted his enemy and the others away. Face first onto the floor.

Now this wouldn't be that good of a story if half of the main characters are dead this early on in the story. The spear Dex used lacked the energy to fry anyone like the Guards on the Watchtower. This stunned them instead. It singed them a bit and gave him enough breathing room to walk out of room in one piece. All according to plan.

Or so he thought.

As amazing to watch and as effective as his move set was on dealing with anything corporeal, namely knocking them out a couple of feet away, it wasn't so effective to something INcorporeal. Like the Monk's demon snake for example.

It slithered in the air and flew at an arc, striking Dex on the side. Sending him flying across the room and onto an iron studded wall. No doubt that it hurt like hell and may have broken a thing or two because it took a while - and a lot of effort to get himself - upright. No doubt doing it with a loud groan. He could taste blood in his mouth and struggled to get on his feet only to find Nergal crouched in front of him with his hands on his knees looking at him eye to eye. His snake slithered lazily to his side.

If you think that the servant is already scary, wait till you meet its master.

You guess right that out of all of them Nergal scares me the most. The others in his merry band of cons are no different from the guys I've come across every time I step outside. The violent, conniving, foul mouthed, and stupid bunch. But not Nergal. He adds something different in the mix.

I can't really explain it in words and you won't get it unless you're there. Best I could say is that he's straight up weird guy. Not the teenage-no-one-gets-me kind of weird or hippie-pot-smoker-weird. But the chill-up-your-spine kinda weird. The unpredictable-stab-you-in-the-jugular-when-you-thought-you've-known-him kinda weird. Simply having him step into the room is enough to kill any mood and set the temperature lower than Aurelia Hammerlock on a bad day. And all that's without mentioning his pet snake. You get me? No?

Well take what Nergal's doing to Dex – and most of the interesting people he's met - for example. He leaned in close and look at Dex eye to eye as though putting him in a trance. All the while without saying a word. Looking close, Dex saw his own reflection inside Nergal's pitch black eyes. He found himself there alone. Surrounded by shadows that were slowly creeping in until he was swallowed whole. And Dex could swear that the tattoos on Nergal were moving or dancing around.

Dex started sweating bullets for some reason. His hands began trembling. His chest felt like it was punching him. His hair went straight up and his breathing started getting heavy. It took a whole lot of effort for his to snap himself out of...whatever it was Nergal was doing and quickly tried skewering him with his spear.

Tried, since Nergal quickly caught it an inch away from his own face. All without breaking eye contact from the Electromancer. While he did that, his bony finger traced the active weapon. Barely wincing even when the sparks were hitting his skin.

Now remember that all of this is happening at a fast pace here now. And before Dex could react to any of this, Nergal already had him by the neck and raised him on the wall.

"So the architect of this madness…has revealed itself at last." Nergal said with a coarse voice. "As was predicted and shown unto me. How fortunate…that it all played out fruitfully and have revealed yourself here to me. The gods smile upon me."

"The fuck are you on about… creep?" Dex croaked in between gasps since he had Nergal's bony fingers digging into his throat.

A shame it didn't do anything to kill his buzz. Even when he knew that he was already paralyzed from the waist down from getting struck by the snake and flew off across the room then hitting hard on the wall. These guys ain't superheroes kids. Dex was lucky that he managed to survive it and barely managed to stay conscious amidst the pain.

I give him extra points for his dedication to the art.

"If you're going for the dirty old…priest routine, do heels to Jesus with the 12 year old looking…girl…behind you. She does that for a living. That Mina."

"I have no interest in such vulgarity. Nor do we have the time for pointless banter. You know this much as well, sorcerer." Nergal shot upright and raised his other hand halfway in the air. "Time is running short for all of us and the window closes."

"I've…I've got no one else to thank but you…fuckers for that." Dex said "Let's just get…this fucking over with. I'm starting…to see spots. I wanna stay…awake at least…when I die."

"No one is fated to die in this chamber tonight." Nergal said. His grip on the guy loosened just enough to keep him from falling into a coma caused by suffocation.

"Tell that to those guys." Dex motioned at the two bodies behind the Monk who simply scoffed.

"You know as well as I do that those two has not yet passed to the nether. The gods will not permit it. At least not yet. They still have some use of them as of now. Just like you."

He then unceremoniously dropped Dex on his ass like a prom night dumpster baby.

"You're barking at the wrong tree here, old man." Dex snarled while laying broken on the floor. "I don't believe in invisible farts and I have no plans in serving or working with personified dicks that doesn't exist."

"Nor will you and nor will I force you, heretic." Nergal said as he crouched down to meet Dex eye to eye. "But we can still reach for an accord. A deal if you will with you."

"Obviously you want out here. I mean, why leave your cell otherwise?" Dex answered back. "But you couldn't because you're a good bitch and your 'gods' haven't given you the go signal yet to get out of here. My guess is that they made that call the moment I started this entire shindig."

"Amongst other things." Nergal said with an eye twitching like crazy. "You are not wrong."

Now if it weren't for his gods telling him not to kill this little cunt, he would have done so the moment it opened its mouth. And there's no doubt that Dex knew about all of this so he really made an effort to fuck with him even more.

"Say, if your god's are so powerful how come they didn't have the power to, I dunno, unlock your cell? Destroy this place with their 'All-So-Mighty-Power'? Or get you out themselves instead of relying on a guy who doesn't want give too shits about them?"

Nergal was about to say something here but Dex didn't give him that chance.

"Nah. It doesn't matter either way." Dex said with a smirk. "Long story short is, you need me. Right?"

"Yessss." Nergal seethed.

Poor guy. Even when he's stuck between a rock and a hard place, Dex still managed to find a way to hold on to all of the cards. And he always made sure that everyone in the room knows it.

"Well, I'm honored for the recognition. I'd get up and shake that hand of yours if it weren't for me being paralyzed. Thanks for that too, asshole." Dex casually said. "Now go do your voodoo shit so we can get the fuck out of here. I can still salvage your fuckups with the time we have left. I can't be really sure though really now get started with your magic hands already."

Dex reached a hand out to Nergal. The type that was asking a handshake, mind you but Nergal looked at it hesitantly. He's probably thinking of why he felt that he was the one getting the bad side of a deal despite getting what he wanted.

"Hey, buddy." Dex called out. "Don't think much about it. I just figured that any deal is a better deal than what I got right now. So let's get whatever this is over and done with. Go for broke."

"So you accept the terms?" He asked with obvious suspicion.

"Like signing up for an ECHO account." Dex said but he quickly noticed that the Monk didn't get his joke so he exclaimed with a big sigh, "Yes I accept your deal and I will see it through to the end. It's not like I have a choice in the matter in the end now do I, old man."

"We all have a choice, child." Nergal said then grabbed hold of Dex's hand. "Because our choices in the end make us."

Dex simply gave him a smug look while Nergal casted his spell. It was something that translated to 'You're my Bitch'. Something that even Nergal understood clear as day. So Nergal did what he has agreed to do but he made sure to do it as painful as he could. Just short of a foot away from giving him a coma.

Whether it's Nanotech, Science, Black Magic, or Cheap Party Trick, Nergal delivered. For someone as smart as Dex or as crazy as Tannis, none of them could figure out just how Nergal does what he does with all that chanting and what they consider as illusions. But it did gets the job done.

Even under this much stress, amazingly this guy still wouldn't shut up! He kept on rambling stuff like,

"WOW, This really hurts! Like really bad! FUUUUUCK ME Sideways up in the ass, bad! SHIT! AAAAGH! If yOu aSK me to cONvert to your..ga..goDS right here and now…AAAARGH…I'm about 50/50 from saying yes! AARGH! THAt's hOw bad this hurts! F-FUCK! This feELs liKe grabbing OnTO a hOT GriLL iN a BarBeQUE! SHIT! BuGs! BUGS! CReePy FuCKing cRAwliES iN mY Arm! HuNDREDs wITh TiNY LitTlE KniVES oN my BoNEs! UnDer mY sKIn! MarCHiN' Ta My BaCK! My SpiNE! I FeEL a tHOUsand nEeDLes sssTITChing me iNSiDE! mYBoNEsMyMuSClesmYneRVes! FUUUCK! I cAN feel it AlL coming together!"

Or something like that.

By the time it was over, Dex was on the floor sweating bullets and was sucking on air like a vacuum cleaner but at least he started feel his legs again. It will take a little while longer though for the pain to shoo away. Nergal in the meantime, reached out with his left hand and called out to his pet who was across the room. "Netii!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The snake was in the middle of keeping an eye on the other two while its Monk was busy with the Electromancer. It slithered up and down in the air above their heads with its fangs drawn and its tongue flicking out.

Netii

Nergal's Right Hand Demon

(Keep out of Reach of Children)

Rictus was the first one who got back to his senses and quickly made a move to get on his feet with his arm firmly planted on the ground. Netii made short work of with a head-butt and sent the brute falling back to the ground on his back. It barely noticed Mina who was making a move for her shotgun but Netii got her way quick as a blink. In a blink off an eye, the gun flew off of Mina's hands and left herself at the mercy of the demon. It was just about to bite her head off when Nergal called it by its name. Like a good dog to its Master, Netii went back to its master with a slight slump on its slither.

Mina was obviously be the one to have a say to any of it first.

"Yeah you better run, you cunting worm!" She swore but groaned because of a bad case of the Charley horse messing with her limbs. "The fuck just happened? On my foot at one moment then on my back the next. My dealer never said anything about getting a kick like that."

Rictus simply growled in reply in between similar groans as he got up.

"And you." Mina turned to Rictus. "How in the bloody hell are you still up and about? I shot you more times than I can count, clear as day with me boomstick, and still have the gall to be on your toes."

"Is cuz you's been blastin' me wid a toy." Rictus pricked out a couple of bloodied rubber balls sticking out of his chest. "Now deez'd kill fings up close. Sure. But ya gonna somefing a whole lot stronga ta take me down, bitch. Real and bigga sluggas oughta do da trick."

He then flicked a rubber bullet to her forehead.

"You Reckon? My I didn't even bloody notice!" Mina said sarcastically before reaching out for the shotgun. "Damn Rent-a-Cop guns."

She then tossed the gun behind her.

"I didn't even know that they Guards had these in their loadouts. Idiots. The lot of them." By then, her muscles calmed down but she sure as he didn't. Mina cartwheeled backwards and got up like a gymnast. "Y'now, now this is why they're getting their asses handed to them all over this hellhole. How stupid can they get?"

"Probs be as dumm as da bitch oo' picked it up inna first place." Rictus answered.

"Hey! That's not on me, pal." Mina said defensively "It was the closest thing I could get my hands on when you wankers came in the picture."

"Dat's yer loss, brat. Cuz not like you, I got da best slugga in da business." Rictus motioned to his Autocannon.

"Compensating for something, pal?" Mina shot back then set her arms wide open and a mad smile on her face. "Gimme yer best shot, bogan. You got the gun, now let's see if you got the balls!"

Rictus didn't even hesitate to pull the trigger but as luck would have it the massive doors behind the girl popped open and in came a team of armed Guards with laser sights on their guns. Of course the big guy with the big gun will be getting first service so they shot at him as soon as they got him at their sights. Rictus returned the favor in kind but with a loud war cry that went something like,

"WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!"

(Ahem)

Yeah. He went on screaming something like that while he was shooting at the guards. As if the Autocannon wasn't loud enough, he had to make any firefight louder than it already was. It was only when someone from the catwalks shot at him did Rictus stop on his tracks for a moment. The sniper's bullets got him in the arm, the chest, with one or two grazing him on the head but it didn't do jack shit in taking him down.

After taking a bullet in the jaw, Rictus set his sights on the catwalks and shot at the sniper. Full blast. Even if the catwalks had good lighting, Rictus still wouldn't have been able to get the guy since he's that bad of a shot. But give him enough bullets and everyone's problems would come crashing down in flames. The same could be said for the catwalks as it fell in front of him with the sniper in tow who tried crawling out of the debris with a couple of broken limbs.

The sniper was expecting a bullet from Rictus to end his sorry life and Rictus provided it in kind but just not in the same way as he thought. Rictus dug out the bullet he was shot with earlier from his mouth and spat it at the poor sod before bashing him to paste with the empty Autocannon. Thank god for that metal jaw of his. It made the bullet as uncomfortable as a popcorn between your teeth.

By the time Rictus made a big red mess in the chamber, Mina had already cleaned up all the other Guards in the room. He found her in the middle of the bloody mess with her trademark manic smile as she was cleaning off the blood off of her clothes.

"You're lucky I hate folks in uniform else you'd be a Cactus by now." She told him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The LooseCannon managed to get out of the killzone just before the first salvos were blasted. Mina did what she did best, scampering off like the little rat and jumped behind the Mech she took down earlier. Safe from the whizzing shots, she stood back and watched as Rictus and the Guards blow each other up to hell.

I'm not sure if I can trust how she remembered it but she said that Rictus got to kill 3 men by the time the sniper's potshots started to bother him. When the 3 remaining Guards saw that Rictus was aiming for the catwalks, they decided to take a crack at the IronHyde now that he wasn't pinning them down.

For reasons unknown – even for Mina apparently – the LooseCannon jumped out and started sprinting towards the Guards. Blasting them wildly with the Repeater pistol she stole from the Mech's dead pilot. Real bullets this time. She made sure to check. Hollow points to be exact. 18 rounds of it that flew all over the place but the Guard in front of the 3 ended up eating most of it. By the time Mina ran out of bullets, that guy was an upright bleeding ragdoll that's full of holes.

Another Guard grabbed hold of this wounded comrade and made for a retreat. The other Guard went for the front to cover them but an empty pistol struck him in the face. Mina came running and pushed him back. At the top of her voice, she hollered as she threw herself at the other two Guards. The three of them were on top of each other on the ground with Mina on top. Then she filched a Fox SMG and gunned down the other Guard before he even knew what hit him.

"Well that was a fair suck of the sav! I could sure hit the pub after all this. Or get a good shag. Or maybe both!" Mina told the Guards under her while she busied herself with reloading the gun.

The bleeding Guard had already coughed its last but Mina kept this one in the conversation by playing with his jaw like a doll. Acting like a fucking ventriloquist and gave the corpse a deep voice.

"Ya can have a row with me, luv." The dead Guard said. "But I can't Crack a Fat since I've just Kicked the Bucket."

"Aww. That's too bad." Mina said in her own voice. "But what about this friend of yours under you? She looks kinda cute."

Here she's talking about the last Guard under them. She was struggling to get out and tried reaching for her gun to no avail. But that didn't mean she was giving up though but she was already in the middle of panicking. Crying even while she tried freeing her hands from the weight.

"Her?" The dead man 'said'. "This one's got no game in her. You'd be better off Drinking with the Flies."

"Ain't that the truth? Ta then." Mina said to both of them before shooting at both heads with one shot.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It's around this time that Dex got through the pain. Took him long enough. Nergal noticed this too after watching how the other two convicts played and picked the man upright by the neck before giving him a hard pat in the back.

"Thanks, I guess?" Dex said while rubbing his back.

"You're thanks is not mine to have." Nergal replied monotonously.

"Aaaalrighty then. So what is up with you about them?" Dex pointed at the other two. "Where do they fit in in all this?"

"The gods have need of them as well." Nergal answered. "To what end, I do not know. But there are 4 sides of the cross and that opens the way to many paths."

"Sure…that's so insightful." Dex said sarcastically before going all serious. "So the fuck are we waiting for? Let's get this fucking thing on the road already."