AN: Hello again everyone, hope the week's treating you well. Anyhow this will be the last chapter with a T rating, on Friday I'll be changing it to M, just fyi. Also, don't be afraid to leave a review, I take them into consideration when writing new chapters. Also, also HOLY CRAP, Oultast 2 is being released April 25th and I could not be more hyped!

*Ahem* anyways, the chapter:

After hearing the news my drive through the desert had been completely silent. I could only focus on the fact that Waylon had done it, he'd gotten the video out! He'd died.

I tried to give myself second to think things over.

That's what you wanted to do. You've taken Murkoffs good name, now we should take their lives.

I would have given the Walrider a smart ass reply, but I'd been distracted by a noise coming from the back seat. What sounded like something halfway between a gasp and a whimper caused me to glance into the rearview. Garret still sat shivering against the door but Connor sat ramrod straight, staring at me though the mirror with his eyes the size of dinner plates.

"are you ok?" I tried to ask Connor without sounding worried. There was something very wrong with the way he was sitting so still. I wanted to believe that Murkoff wouldn't have tortured children like they would anybody else. I wanted to think that they could at least pretend to have a shred of humanity. But I knew better.

Connor never responded, instead opting to sit in silence. Though the drive had been quiet since I switched off the radio, it now felt like the very concept of sound was just an urban legend. I couldn't hear the hum of the engine over the silence, even the Walrider failed to make a noise. I remember it being so odd, the thing never seems to shut up.

The suffocating quite was still thick by the time I hit the coastline. There was a sign at the junction, I hadn't seen any road traffic, but there was apparently a town fifteen miles to the north. With nothing better to do I went in that direction. I knew I'd have to find Chealsy, sooner rather than later.

Feeling bad I tried to start another conversation, "are you two hungry?" I said into the rearview.

That drew nothing other than a small cough from Garrett, it'd been an hour later and Connor was still sitting ramrod straight.

"umm, ok. Tell me if you need anything" there was no denying that I'm the best conversationalist on the planet.

Ah yes, you're an attentive listener.

The Walrider's words brought my attention away from my memories.

I'm a better listener than you that's for sure.

Sure you are.

"Hey! Earth to Miles."

I'd nearly forgotten where I was, what with being so focused on my own thoughts. Frank sat in the drivers set, I was riding shotgun. The both of us were on our way to the press conference at the courthouse. Telling by the face Frank was wearing I'd missed something important.

"Houston, this is Miles, I can hear you loud and clear." I fired back at him without much thought.

"Ha ha, very funny. But seriously, this is important."

We had pulled into a parking lot a block or so from the courthouse.

"I know" I replied simply.

"I don't think you do. I've never questioned Trish, she always makes the right call, but I'm going to be honest. I don't think you should be here."

"If you keep talking like that I'll start thinking that you don't like me" I faked a wounded tone.

"I'm not joking. This is a huge job. I don't think you should be here."

I dropped the playful act "allright, I get it. I'm just a guy who showed up and you don't like me."

"Exactly, that's why you're going to be manning the camera while I ask the questions."

A small chuckle slipped its way out "so you're going after the glory then?" he was starting to remind me of Chealsy.

As he started to get out of the car Frank said "something like like that"

I didn't give the response much thought as I got out of the car and hurried to match Frank in his walk to our destination. In the car he'd handed me a camera. It was a bit beefier than the one I was used to using. I had to stop myself from grinning at the sense of deja vu. It was just me, a camera, and a pile of bullshit to expose.

And a CEO to murder.

I didn't reply.

Without a word we rounded a corner, the courthouse came into full view. There was already a crowd of reporters and a small fleet of vans in the area. I was there for a small paper with a radio talk show, not Fox or ABC, there was no way I'd be able to get a clear recording of anything worthwhile.

Not without a little help anyway.

As Frank and I walked onto the lawn he said

"It looks like we're going to have to work with what we've got. That camera has a really good zoom, so-"

I cut him off "we can get closer."

He looked at me like I'd grown a third head "are you kidding me, that's a solid wall of people, we're not getting any closer"

I ignored the words "just follow me"

In the past months I'd learned a few tricks.

Do me a quick favor…

No.

I swallowed my annoyance Let me rephrase that. See the microphones?

Yes.

Go ahead and short some of those out.

Why?

You know why, now stop being so difficult.

I'm not your play toy.

So I've been told.

Despite the whining a tiny amount of the swarm slid through my pores. If you didn't know what to look for you'd never see it. Luckily I did. Tiny particles made their way into the microphones and cameras of the the crews in front of me. As the people noticed their equipment malfunctioning they began to peel away from the group, leaving a nice little pathway for me and Frank to walk down.

"Come on" I walked through the crowd and towards the podium.

Frank suppressed a surprised noise but followed me regardless.

Nothing was expected for another fifteen minutes so Frank took the liberty of telling me what to do and where to stand for five of those until I said something

"...no, move a little to the left"

"Alright Frank, I know you mean well, but I've been doing this since Clinton slept with Monica. I can hold a camera."

I earned myself an acidic response "well, if you would stand still, I wouldn't have to get on your case about it."

He's annoying. We should kill him too.

No. He means well, he only sounds like an asshole.

I don't care.

"Hey! Are you shaking your hand on purpose?"

I was brought back to the conversation at hand. "my arm's not shaking"

"I can see it, yes it is."

It wasn't. "if you saw any of my old work, you'd know my footage is never shaky."

I'm serious, we could just storm the building right now. Start with Frank, cause a distraction and kill everyone inside.

The Walrider had begun to get itself worked up.

"and stand with a wider base, also- oh hey shut up, the DA's coming outside"

This is the perfect opportunity to start.

I wasn't going to start a rampage in the middle of Chicago.

An uneasy silence settled across the courtyard as the district attorney began to speak and every reporter in the city listened intently "It has been determined that the horrible tragedies that occurred at the Mount Massive asylum were the actions of a few individuals" the man behind the podium stopped, as if he had to force himself to say the words that came next. "in light of the information we now have, a deal has been made..."

Your 'justice' isn't going to happen. My blood was starting to boil.

"...we will not be persecuting the executive members of the Murkoff Corporation-"

the field burst into a roar of questions.

There's no more time to gather information, there's no more hope of breaking Murkoff unless we do it with our bear hands.

We do this on my terms! I had to hear what else the man had to say

The DA held up his hand for silence "-but the company has agreed to pay punitive damages and provide all the documentation surrounding the events that…"

All the government was asking for was money and more ghosts to chase. Suddenly I didn't need to hear what else he had to say.

Quite gripped the yard, with only the attorneys voice to be heard. I didn't hear even that. Instead static raged.

You we're more than ready to kill the CEO this morning why aren't you doing anything now!

I fought the urge to run into the building and hunt down anyone who even looked like hey might have had something to do with murkoff.

We don't even know if he's inside. That was a lie

We both know he is!

I wanted to run in.

I stopped myself

Stop with your excuses. Move!

No.

I took a step forward.

I'm not your play toy and I've listened long enough. Now it's time to have some fun.

My eyes darted around the yard, nobody noticed little old me having an intense mental battle, they were all too distracted with their questions. There were police lining the entrance to the courthouse.

I will not tolerate your false moral crusade anymore. Just admit that this is about revenge, and move!

I had to brace against moving my own legs

There are too many innocent people here.

Ignore them, you know killing one of your targets is worth a flattening a city block.

-!

I'd hesitated for an instant too long.

For a second the voices of the press died in the roar of static. Then the screaming started. A sickeningly familiar fog coated the yard, I couldn't see three damn feet in front of me. Then I stood in the foyer of the court house. The dark came swarming in after me, a man slipped around the corner. Without thinking my legs carried me to him, static rang in my ears once more.

I'd found the bastard. The hunt was on.