Of Wolves and Devils: A Dark Angel Fanfiction Story
Episode 13:
A month later…
It's the middle of the night down in Seattle.
Not far away from a silvery warehouse… There's Max and Tinga: Coming to the metal fence, on Max's motorcycle.
Max is in a gray top. Tinga is in her sleek dark red jacket, and a sweater like dark orange top.
Tinga checks, "you sure this is the place?" Max faintly comments, "yeah. He gets his fighting on here almost every other night."
They both get off the motorcycle. And, they head through the fence's gate.
But, just as Tinga and Max are heading through… Max sharply realizes there's only one window with a light. All the other windows are dark.
As they head further in… Tinga wonders, "you think he knows?"
Sounding a little distracted, Max inquires, "knows what?"
Tinga outright says, "about Manticore."
Max quickly explains, "no. He asked once though."
Kind of uneasily, Tinga inquires, "so what stopped you?"
She pauses on the pavement: Between them and the warehouse.
Max moderately sighs reflectively, "he may be a big Kamen Rider fan. Also a scientology fan in a big way. But…I don't think he's ready to hear it. Maybe someday. But, not tonight."
Tinga faintly nods.
She figures, "don't know what kind of trick rider that is. But, I feel you."
With some faint amusement, Max says, "sure. Ready to meet one?"
Tinga figures, "yeah."
Max adds snarkily, "good. Cause you're not bailing on me."
Tinga concludes firmly, "wouldn't think of it."
They start to make their way to the front door of the warehouse.
Tinga offhandedly suggests, "so…when are you thinking of getting one of those computer boxes?" Max faintly laughs, "nice try. But, try never."
Tinga looks more than a little confused at her, "from what I know of you, that's talking weird."
She faintly smiles in recollection, "when we were kids, you were fascinated by security cameras and walkie talkies. Hell, it used to drive us crazy: All the times you tried to take them apart before the guards beat on you. But, you didn't care…because you already took it apart before they stopped you."
Max chuckles at that, "you're right. And, I'm sure they're special boxes for a lot of good guys and girls. But, personally… I prefer something more hands on. Bigger screens. Bigger gloves."
Tinga solemnly says, "yeah. That's ok. I'm saving the guns for those cybernetic freaks…and anyone else that tries to come after our families. But, we all got our own ways to chill. You know?"
Kind of confidently, Max comments, "damn straight I know. But, we're going to kick their asses someday: All of us."
Tinga faintly smiles, "thanks."
With held back uncertainty, Max adds, "sure. Now, are we just gonna stand around or are we going to go in?" Tinga answers confidently, "sounds good to me."
They come into the warehouse…only to find there's no one here.
There's only one candle lit, and it's down to its last chunk of candle wax. The rest are melted away and turned into dried up candle wax.
A trail of faded dark red liquid is from the back.
But, what really catches Max's attention is a piece of paper.
She bends down to pick it up.
It says:
Sorry to leave you so suddenly.
But, I need to go back into the front lines to face my reactive mind.
And, if I don't do it alone…then it's bad for my Thetan.
I know you very likely are going to want to fight on the front lines with me. And, there's nothing wrong with that. But, this is something I have to do alone.
Don't try to follow me. Please.
-Devrom
Faintly teary eyed, Max thinks to herself, "you idiot. You could have just told me you wanted to be alone on a spirit thing. But, no. You just bailed, leaving us worried!"
At the same time, she ends up crumpling the paper into a ball in her hand.
Tinga looks nervously around, "what happened here?"
Max throws the paper back on the ground. And, she starts getting up.
She uncertainly figures, "not sure. But…I'm getting a weird feeling it has something to do with this wall."
With her cat like eyes, she sees a few planks of wall slightly bulging out.
Max pulls away a plank of wall to find a dark alcove. And, in the darkness…she sees someone's limp heavily bruised arm.
She pulls away the two around it. And, much to her disgust and unease… A dead corpse is revealed back there: Smelling of ashes, rock, and not so fresh river water.
More than a little shaken… Tinga says, "looks like you were right."
Several hours after, into the next day…
The sun is faintly rising over the riverbed: A very long winding river bed, with thunderstruck trees in half and spiny trees with three leaves on their branches.
In black catsuits… Max and Tinga make their way along the river: Looking for anything unusual.
They spot a algae covered very faint blue storm shelter door: In the bottom of the river, with hundreds more further up river.
And, as they swim for it… Max is thinking to herself:
Out of all the states we got… This is the last place I'd thought I'd end up.
In a few years after the Pulse… The Midwest was all washed up. Just like that.
Sniffle.
No cops, bodyguards, or rich guys came to bail out any one, cause the Pulse had got them all rebuilding what was left of home.
Most guys here were fighting the good fight: Just trying to get by and make some commerce like any one else. But…the storms were very unforgiving.
With the Red River Flood of 2009, the Deep South Flood of 2009, and the constant flooding after… No one was believed to survive.
Hell, they put down all their fighting just for survival. But, it wasn't enough.
Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan had enough floodgates to hold it off.
But, they weren't in Tornado Alley: At least from what I hear. Lucky them.
But, from the look of things… Maybe it wasn't all for nothing.
Maybe there were a lot more survivors than any one thought.
One thing is for sure though. With Dr. Shaknar's assistance… Logan traced faint radiation from the dead guy's cell phone, and that's how we got up here.
Now we're going into the Mississippi Mega River…hoping we're not too late to save a friend. He may be kind of a idiot. But, he's still a friend.
Some time later…
At first, it seemed quiet. Dark. Abandoned.
With Max's cat like eyes… It looked like they just found a storm shelter.
Mostly concrete. Nothing left: Not even a corpse.
Max and Tinga find a gray concrete crafted door, with metal gears, springs, and metal hinges all around it. Jagged rocks and unswept dust surround it.
But, after the first room… The fire crackles.
The door swings open with a mere tap.
It leads to caverns far and wide, where metal warehouses are houses in a underground network of cities.
They have no roofs: Only the caverns to be the roof, and stalactites to be the carved in signposts.
Campfires have been lighting the way, lit with coal.
They search and search. But… All they find are locked double metal safes with medical coolant packs fed in for refrigerators, and some empty metal shelves.
Max faintly sighs, "nothing."
From the next warehouse over… Tinga checks, "you sure?"
Max firmly says, "yeah. Let's keep looking."
She closes the door on one of them.
And, with a faint smile…she's thinking to herself, "if only I had time to try to crack those safes. Might be just to see what's inside. But, still: It's hard not to."
As they walk further in though… The fire is getting all too bright.
Several very sweaty soldiers in worn and torn army green are against a cave wall, trying to catch their breath while clutching their dark red liquid dripping sides.
Fire has swept through a city, and the semi-melted warehouses from the inside out.
The last door bursts into flames…as gunshots creepily echo on.
In a kind of deep accent, one of the soldiers calls out, "fire! Fire until they're good and dead!"
The soldiers keep firing their gray metal shotguns, with rock carved bullets flying into some shadow monsters with tentacle mouths in the distance.
One of them goes down in the flames, screaming.
The other two shoot down the first soldier, while the remaining two run for it.
They're still hunched over as they duck behind a warehouse.
The second soldier wonders grimly, "how much ammo have you got?"
The first soldier faintly laughs, much to the other soldier's confusion.
He finds his shotgun is empty. But, he just scoops up some jagged rocks and loads them in by hand with his gloved hand.
The first soldier comments, "plenty to go around here, man. Plenty to go around. Because, I sure as hell am not planning on dying any time soon."
The second soldier faintly laughs at that.
In the midst of all of this… Tinga signals to Max.
They move for their position.
Shots ring out.
But, seconds before Max and Tinga get there… A grenade explodes over the warehouse…bursting the already burning warehouse apart from impact alone.
Tinga calls out to Max, "move back!"
They run for it: With Max running off the cave wall, and Tinga running along it.
They both end up dazed and knocked back by the fallout of dust.
But, after several long minutes… The dust clears.
Max and Tinga violently groan as they come to. But, the two soldiers didn't make it out.
Max checks, "you ok?" Tinga faintly nods, "when we get out of here, I will be."
As she starts to get up, Max solemnly says, "fair enough."
For, thanks to her parallel processing… She got a glimpse of the shadows.
But, they weren't just shadows or monsters.
They're soldiers of another city altogether, with very similar half burnt uniforms, very similar shotguns, a lot of sweat…and most of them with watery eyes.
Meanwhile, back in Seattle…
By now, Logan's apartment is all retouched and restored: Almost like a mansion.
Anin is sitting on the couch: In her yellow tinted white sweater like dress, and with some hints of nervousness on her face.
Interestingly… Logan says, "it's all ready for you, Miss Janel. I set you up with a basic profile. So, more sensitive information would require my codes and passwords."
He's getting up from his desk: In a verdigris long sleeved shirt.
Anin walks over hurriedly: Almost like she was waiting in line for something.
Mostly in Spanish, she nervously concludes, "thank you, Mister Cale. But, I wouldn't think I would want that kind of information."
Logan casually suggests, "well, if you need any help, you just have to ask."
Anin faintly smiles, "thank you. I shall." Logan solemnly adds, "you're welcome."
He goes over to the couch: Picking up his computer box on the way so he can do his Eyes Only work on it while Anin is on the main computer.
A faintly familiar satellite program is up and running on both the left monitor and the main one: With faint blue boxes around blurry bright and colorful satellite feeds, and a mostly blue satellite over a rotating 32 bit Earth in the backdrop.
The main one though has a mostly black dark blue rimmed search box.
After finally getting the courage to do so… Anin is borrowing Logan's main computer to look for who may still be alive from the past she walked away from.
But, behind her faint smile… She's still very nervous.
In black and white… Anin is thinking back to her life in Mexico.
She was born in a poor neighborhood. And, her sensitive side didn't help matters.
She was the only child in her immediate family: Which was rare to happen in Mexico. But, her would be brother died from being preterm weeks after being born.
Anin mostly kept to herself, fearing she was next to die if she wasn't extremely careful. But, she also feared the same for her long black haired mother, her medium mostly black haired father with some gray hairs, and the few best friends she had.
Her parents tried and tried to get Anin to go to church more.
But, as she grew more and more, she grew to resist it more: Going so far as running away for days at age thirteen just to avoid being pushed to a breaking point.
Her mother became embittered by this. Her father was torn by loyalty to both.
And, when they came into Anin's room to tell her they're going to pay for her to go to high school… Anin screamed, "no! I won't let you do that to yourselves."
It wasn't out of rebellion though.
It was out of not wanting her parents to suffer because of paying for her at the cost of them not living well…and very likely slowly killing themselves because of it.
And yet… Her mother almost beat her to death: Tired of her running, and desperate for a way to stop her from "disgracing their most sacred traditions".
She was dying inside. But, she was hoping God can forgive her for this great sin.
Not long after going to her Junior High graduation… Anin ran for good.
The whole town regarded her as a outcast: Not knowing what really happened.
Presently…
Anin thinks of looking for her parents out of instinct: Not remembering much other names from her past. But, just thinking about it is getting her teary eyed.
She instead looks for her Junior High school.
After finding several aged class pictures, she searches for a name that resurfaces in her memory: Adriano Olmos. One of her few best friends from Junior High.
It instantly turns up with a mostly black dark blue rimmed window.
In it is a blurry mostly bright orange book icon.
She clicks on it, and a much bigger scrollable window appears over it.
It shows a fairly recently published book…written by Adriano Olmos.
It's titled My Date with Miss Corruption: With big red letters against a mostly orange bricked street corner. Also on the cover is a running shadow…and a grinning medium very dark brown haired woman in a red dress with big devilish teeth armed on it.
It's a dark fantasy romantic thriller, about a guy dating a priestess…who turns out to be a demon cult worshipper who doubles as a CEO for a fast food chain called Infierno's Autopista in a fictional town called New Mecinano.
The TV reports are all to the side in little moving TV sets: Mostly with women reporters with semi-traditional black and white dresses.
And, as she's lightly glancing through them one by one… Anin smiles.
It turns out Andriano got enough money to build his own printing press to publish this book by hand, knowing full well most any corporation might change it.
Before any corporation could stop him, thousands have already gotten a copy and read it. And, most of the reporters sound kind of disturbed under their calm demeanors.
Some are actually praising the book for its not so subtle hints at the corruption in Post-Pulse Mexican media. Some are downright offended it even exists.
With some noticeable nervousness… A male reporter with medium black hair reports, "but, what really hits hard for us hard working people is that some of the Bullforce and the Guardians of Virginity are investigating around for corruption. The animation studio for Batman: The Killing Joke is said to be first on the list…which means this will be my last broadcast. And, now for the weather."
With some mixed feelings and tears… Anin then deeply sighs.
She's thinking to herself, "I haven't stopped hating my parents. But…I would hate not knowing what happened to them."
She searches for her parents.
But, much to her mixed relief… It wasn't as hard as she thought it would be.
A criminal dossier from the Bullforce appears: Spread out over two windows.
Her mother had committed suicide…a year after Anin ran away for good.
From her father's own shaken account, it turns out she was too overcome by guilt to keep on living. And, she confessed why…just before shooting herself in the head.
In a follow up interrogation with the Bullforce… Her father said he was planning to move to Spain to get away and start over. After that though…it's anyone's guess.
In spite of the mixed feelings… Anin faintly smiles: Now coming at peace with it.
A hour later, back in the Midwestern caverns…
Max and Tinga have gone a lot further in.
More abandoned cities. More cities in flames over the ashes of the dead.
But, for all the marching on soldiers, cattle, horses, sheriffs and priests in mostly black and white clothes, and their wives and husbands in sheepskin clothing they pass by… They look too shaken for words behind teary eyes, or too quick to draw a shotgun.
Some have been going back to put out the fires with a water brigade.
Most of them are heading back to the scattered military bunkers further down: Being repurposed as metal campgrounds for millions of people. They have grids of brown to red sleeping bags, and clothes made out of leather and sheepskin.
Some are on cell phones: Which have surprisingly lasted since 2009 or 2010. Some are listening to their mostly wooden looking jukebox like portable radios.
But, none of it can really take away the pain.
And even Max, who's usually quick to act, knows going up and talking to them is a bad idea.
So now… Max has been opening all the safes she can in the past half hour: Desperate for answers about what the hell is going on.
But, all she finds are half empty stocks of ice packs and produce.
That is, until they come across what's left of a scorched city.
Frustratedly, Max sighs against a cave wall, "nothing. Where the hell is he?!"
Tinga urges optimistically, "calm down, baby sister. He's close. I know it."
Max looks skeptical, "how?"
Tinga fast walks over to a big pile of wreckage, full of burnt books and fried cells.
She tears through it easy: With the little holes in her gloves, where her genetically thicker boned fingers and fingernails very faintly can stick out.
Under this pile…is a very familiar silvery Kamen Rider Henshin belt.
And, wearing it…is a still fairly dazed Devrom: In his jet black jacket and all.
Max realizes nervously, "fair point." Tinga faintly smiles, "yeah. Anytime."
Max rushes over to Devrom, bending before him as he's coming to.
She asks, "you ok?"
After some violent coughing… Devrom faintly nods, "not really. But, I can live."
Max coldly voices, "yeah. Okay. Then what you were thinking: Leaving us worried and almost getting yourself killed?!"
As he dusts himself off and gets up… Devrom nervously admits, "I'm used to being a lone trooper. I figured it would be for the best. But…maybe it really isn't."
Max comments, "damn straight it isn't."
She's suddenly shaking, finding it hard to sit still.
She mutters to herself, "oh, god. Not now!"
Devrom asks in concern, "what is it?"
Tinga somewhat assures, "she'll be ok. She just needs medicine."
She takes out her own bottle of Tryptophan from under her catsuit.
She offers it to Max. But, Max lightly pushes her hand away.
Max faintly insists, "thanks, Tinga. But, it's not like that right now. It's what's coming that I'm kicking myself over." Tinga looks a little confused, "ok."
Max highlights uneasily, "we're more than ten miles under, while fires already don't leave much for air. Do I really have to break it down for you with science class?"
Tinga firmly figures, "no. But, Devrom might."
Devrom reasons, "that would be nice. Yes."
Max moderately sighs, "guess you're right. But, it's not a good time now."
Devrom realizes, "good point. But… Maybe it would be a good time to tell you what painful memories brought me here so you can understand why."
A little caught off guard, Max wonders, "you sure? Cause on and off the front lines… I got to be honest. I am kind of a bitch. I've just been getting all pissy that you didn't tell me you wanted to go on a spirit thing instead of leaving just a crappy shot note and a dead body. You don't owe me as much as you think."
Tinga faintly smiles to herself.
With a faint smile, Devrom surmises, "I understand. But, it's all right. I'm finding it'd be better for my Thetan and the war to tell." Max figures sympathetically, "ok."
Somewhat calmly, Devrom continues, "that body…wasn't meant to be found. I found him floating in a river. I tried to save him. But, he was already dying."
In black and white… Devrom was thinking to that point in time…on a river bank.
He was putting pressure on the guy's chest: Hoping to get him breathing again.
His pulses were getting fainter. But, it was enough for him to cough out a bunch of dark and probably red liquid. It spread all over Devrom's jacket. But, he didn't care then.
The guy's dying words were this:
Probert…running from evil…in Nebraska…save him.
Presently…
Devrom reveals, "I hid the body because I didn't want the Sector Police to get the wrong idea. I tried to clean it up. But, it looks like I didn't do it good enough."
Even while nervously shaking against her knees… Max adds, "looks like."
Tinga uneasily questions, "okay. I'm sort of lost here. What is this war about? And, what does a dying guy have to do with it?"
Not so calmly, Devrom reasons, "I don't know completely what it's about. I wish I did. But…that man said my brother was running from evil: Before he died. It's why I came and found these caverns. It's also why I know who likely started all these fires."
Max goes wide eyed. She inquires, "you do? Then…who went and did it?"
Devrom explains further, "before I found these caverns… I looked ahead: Further up river on motorboat. I found a cruise ship. No question it's from the Church of Scientology. The ship left last night. Still… With no one else having come out of these caverns for years, they don't think any one's going to come looking for them."
Max sarcastically mutters, "great. They're out playing cat and mouse with fire, I'm about to turn back into a lemon, and we're suddenly right back where we started."
Interestingly, Devrom figures, "not really. When they caught me seeing them…they brought down the library on me. But, it's not all I saw. They were gold plated or something. And, with how easy gold can melt in fire… We can follow the trail to them. We'd just need a piece of glass to see it."
Max faintly smirks, "no need. I got good vision. For now, anyway."
With her cat like eyes, she catches sight of some drops of gold amongst the ashes.
After catching her breath… Max nervously thinks out loud, "I don't know what I'm going to be like when we find them. So, if you want to just go on ahead…I'll understand. Wouldn't want to slow you down or anything."
Standing before her… Tinga insists glaringly, "no way in hell. You're coming, even if I have to carry you and find cover. Who knows how many more soldiers and freaks are shooting on sight here?"
All the while, Devrom is nervously standing around.
Kind of embarrassed, Max faintly admits, "thanks. I needed that."
She then shakily gets to her feet: Grabbing a good chunk of wreckage to help herself up.
She then says determinedly, "let's go."
Devrom points out, "that's all good and everything. But, can you walk?"
Max faintly nods, "yeah. But, I plan to do more than that."
Fairly confused, Tinga questions, "Max?"
Max remarks, "you heard me. Just grab the best metal planks you can, and I'll make do. Cause, I'm sure as hell not going to let seizures kick me on my ass like this."
Tinga faintly chuckles, "you never change." Max comments back, "not exactly. But, later."
Tinga and Devrom start walking along the trail…with Max leading them deeper into the dark.
Too shaky to turn much… Max can't help but wonder, "so…what's your brother like?"
Tinga starts to nervously say, "Max, I don't think this is…" With a bittersweet smile, Devrom insists, "it's all right, Tinga. It's what I figured on telling sooner or later."
Max figures, "then go."
As they continue on…
In black and white… Devrom is thinking back to when the Pulse hit.
He was in his late teens.
He also liked alcohol a great deal: Skipping school, and drunk out of his mind.
He ran away from home: Trying to get away from his problems.
Waves of immigration and violence hit the country shortly after.
Devrom realized too little too late running was a mistake.
When he got back… There was nothing left of his house.
Ashes and burning down walls were all that was left of his parents.
But, when Devrom cleared the debris… He found his younger brother.
He was unconscious with moderate burns. But, he was alive.
At first, Devrom took this as a divine miracle: Out of being amazingly spared from death along with his brother in the wake of the Pulse.
After medically treating him with his own two hands and a mostly light colored discarded medkit, they went out together in search of new hope in life.
Along the way, Devrom found a mostly gray haired Free Zone Scientologist.
He wore light pants and a light long sleeved shirt with a blocky spaceship on it.
He greatly helped them find the hope they sought.
But… After several months in his care… Devrom decided to go looking for answers for himself: Much to Probert's confusion.
He said, "I…don't understand. We're the only family we got now. Isn't that enough?"
A teary eyed Devrom though just couldn't bring himself to tell him why.
He was drinking down a bottle of alcohol as he walked away into the night.
It turned out he was full of too much guilt to stay…because of thinking he just let their parents and his girlfriend die that day. And, that it would be better for his brother to remain innocent: Under the care of his new Scientologist friend.
Presently…
The trail leads through a mine shaft, and into the wreckage of a burnt down town.
It had a lot of rock, concrete, and metal processing factories: Used to restock rock carved bullets, carvings, and material for building metal houses from as far back as 2010.
Now there's two mostly yellow jackhammers, and a little metal hut up ahead. A campfire illuminates the sparkly drops of gold…circling around the place like magnified tree rings.
Max, Tinga, and Devrom are on the sides of the dimly lit shaft, standing ready to go in.
Max is using some solid metal beams as crude walking sticks: Holding onto them tightly on either side as she's fighting her burning impulse to crouch down with every step. She groans violently against them. But, she steadily gets ready to press on anyway.
Devrom checks very nervously, "you all right?"
Dizzily… Max mutters back, "not…exactly. Violent groan. But, it's all good."
Devrom admits openly, "I still don't really understand. But, if you can still fight, I'll believe it."
Max faintly chuckles, "well, believe it."
With a violent groan… She adds to Tinga, "Some visit, isn't it?"
Tinga concludes, "yeah. Maybe. But, I'm glad I came to get your back."
Max firmly adds, "same. Now, let's kick these guys's golden asses before I start to hork."
Tinga and Devrom go first. But, Max is walking fairly well: Even in her current condition.
Hearing footsteps… Two mostly medium black haired guys come out from the other side of the door: With liquid gold infused bodies, some reddish boils over their arms and upper legs, and some visible dark red implants in their heads to pour in more gold to keep "their natural abilities" going.
Past them is Probert. He has fairly short light brown hair, some sheepskin clothes, and is veiny and watery eyed from lack of enough water or sleep.
He's also tied up and wrapped in bubble wrap in a metal chair with matches…very much terrified of the white and black ghosts laughing at him in his state of mind.
Knowing who the enemy is… Tinga instantly shoots her two pistols at the golden guys.
They bend over, clutching their arms in surprisingly slight piercing pain.
One of them calls out, "who are you people?!"
Tinga calls to Devrom, "go!"
Devrom faintly nods as he goes on into the hut.
As Max stops to take a breather… She comments, "the people…violent groan…who got to kick your ass before more people get hurt."
Devrom goes to free his brother. But, there's a third golden guy in the way. And, he looks about ready to light the matches with a matchbox.
In spite of all the ghosts… Probert faintly figures out, "Devrom."
Devrom concludes, "guess it's too late to talk it out like Thetans."
The third golden guy mutters back, "not really…squirrel."
He tosses the half open matchbox into the campfire, setting off a burst of flames in the air.
Devrom is temporarily blinded by the burst…as the guy tackles him head on.
Meanwhile…
The first guy goes, "this… This is the best you squirrels got? Oh, that's rich. That's damn rich."
Both of the golden guys laugh.
With pistols aimed at their chests this time… Tinga puts it all together, "I know what you're really up to. The fires, the jackhammers... You weren't just making fires and mass hysteria. You're going back to the fires you started and drilling the sites to flood out the Midwest: Starting with here."
The golden guys then start to get more serious.
The second puts a arm over the fire: Letting more boils form, much to Tinga and Max's disgust.
But, just as quickly… His arm stretches out and punches Tinga back.
Tinga goes flying, coughing violently against the ground. Her pistols go flying.
Glaringly… Max charge walks for the golden guys.
Devrom high kicks from the ground…sending the third golden guy crashing into the back wall.
He's a little dazed. But, he's getting up just as quickly.
As soon as he gets his sight back, Devrom hurries over to Probert.
He rips off the bubble wrap behind him.
Devrom tells him, "run!"
Probert runs out. But, he doubles over behind the hut: Too exhausted to run more.
The third golden guy has already gotten up.
He run jumps through the fire: Letting himself have more boils all over.
Devrom gathers, "o…k. You're all insane."
The third golden guy faintly laughs, "not us: We're golden stars."
He stretches both his arms around Devrom's neck: Choking him in hot gold arms.
Devrom struggles to break free. But, it's burning down his liquid metal enforced biker gloves.
As his vision starts to blur… He tumbles forward, grabbing on as he does.
The third golden guy screams…as he's flung back into the fire to his fiery death.
Devrom is breathing heavily, as he dunks his steaming gloves into the sink to cool them down.
Max keeps both metal beams in place while she side kicks into the first golden guy: Knocking him over.
The second golden guy lunges at her with a stretched arm over the fire.
With a violent groan… Max lifts a metal beam out of the ground while clinging to the other.
She swings it into the golden guy's chest…through his semi-melted arm.
He coughs violently over the fire. And, it's not long before the fire burns the rest of him into a screaming sickly pile of mixed gold and dark red liquid.
Max faintly smiles to herself.
But…she soon finds she can't resist the seizures any longer.
She bends over against her knees, between a fallen metal beam and a metal beam in the ground.
The first golden guy goes over to the fire: About to lunge for Max and kill her then and there.
At seeing this, the smile fades from Max's face.
But, a second later… The first golden guy is shot in the head.
He falls back dead, with a trail of dark red liquid flying off.
And, standing not far away is Tinga…who fired: With one of her pistols back in her hand.
Max faintly smiles in relief, "thanks for having my back."
Tinga adds firmly, "anytime, baby sister."
That night, back the way they came…
Word of what really has been happening is going around: Largely thanks to Devrom, a slowly recovering Max, and Tinga bringing in the evidence in large buckets.
And from the sheriffs and their families to the priests and their families… Everyone is left shaken.
The rivalry in their towns has become deadly: All because of cattle poaching disagreements, diminishing supplies, and a few fires.
But, now they know why. And, they can only work to get better from here.
In one of the military bunkers, and in a dimly lit room… Probert is lying in a medical bed: Slowly recovering with emergency rations and water.
Devrom is standing there, looking uncomfortable as hell.
He asks, "you all right?"
Probert solemnly answers, "I am now. Hard cough!"
Devrom uneasily says, "I know I failed you. I know you deserved better."
With mixed feelings, Probert faintly laughs, "is that why you left? For some bullshit that you're not good enough to be my older brother?"
With a heavy sigh… He continues, "well, let me tell you something. I saw them, brother. I saw those evil men. I told the sheriff in the next town about it. But, he didn't believe me. No one did. And when I was kicked out for my troubles… I ran again. Then those evil men got me and tried to set me on fire. You saved me, Devrom: In 2009 and now. What more could I have asked for in a brother?"
With a faint smile… Probert reasons, "the irony is… Sniffle. I now understand why more than you think: Because of what happened to my second life down here. You don't owe me a thing."
Devrom faintly smiles.
He puts a sympathetic hand on his.
And, they just stay like that for some long minutes: Finally reunited as a family.
Meanwhile, up in Logan's apartment…
Logan is now at his desk, and on the phone.
Logan says, "hey, Toni."
On the other end, in a dark blue sweater… Toni answers, "hi. How are you, Logan?"
She's in her metal house, looking in better spirits.
She's sitting on her mostly green couch, under a dimly electronically lit chandelier.
She's holding the phone receiver in one hand while going through photos for her scrapbook.
Out her window, there's robots higher up: Working on the base of the nearest city tower day in and day out.
Logan faintly reflects, "better. But, the past few weeks have been uneventful. How is it back in Canada?"
Awkward sounding, Toni says, "well… Moderate sigh. A lot of rebuilding. Plenty of therapy sessions, like always."
Toni goes on, "but… You'll be happy to know that I've been doing well: All things considered. Everyone else is in the same boat. So, no one's been giving anyone else trouble."
Logan reasons, "that's good to hear: All things considered."
Toni solemnly nods, "yes. It is. The other thing is…the CSIS is gone for good. Corporate businesses thought it was bad for business to keep them going. Moderate sigh. About time, I say."
A little uneasily, Logan concludes, "yeah. But, at least that's one less big wrong in the world." With a faint smile, Toni admits, "true."
She inquires, "So…just how close are you with Eyes Only? I mean, I'm only asking because you got them to rescue me. I don't mean to pry."
Logan faintly chuckles, "well…let's just say I know some people."
With some hints of assurance, Toni faintly nods, "sure."
In the early morning, in Max's apartment…
Max is sitting in one of the chairs in the corner: With her bathrobe on, and freshly washed hair.
She's dialing a number on her cellular phone.
From the other end…is a dark red sheeted bedroom in the dark with dark green curtains.
The phone rings.
In bed, Samantha wakes up a little startled. Duncan is still asleep.
She picks up the receiver, "hello? Oh. Max. So, when are you going to stop calling me in the middle of the night?"
Max comments back, "when I stop not sleeping."
A little tired… Samantha faintly chuckles, "ok. Ok. Fine. What's on your brain lately?"
Max explains, "yesterday's mission was kind of bent. But, it makes for a good classic. Thought you'd also think so."
Samantha faintly smiles defeatedly, "all right. Go."
Max snarkily grins, "good. Well… It started with some golden men whacks. But, it really started when me and Tinga…"
Samantha sounds somewhat confused, "wait a minute. Golden men?"
Max figures, "yep. Gold infused right into them."
Samantha comments, "sounds like one crap full procedure. I thought people stopped that kind of thing after Goldfinger."
With a faint chuckle, Max remarks, "not even if Logan's paying. But, some guys just don't know when to stop."
With some mixed feelings, Samantha concludes, "yeah. I know how that goes. I know all too well. So…where were we?"
Max realizes, "ohh. Well… It started when me and Tinga went to meet Devrom in the middle of the night. We came in to find a crappy shot note and a dead body…"