For when you gaze into the Abyss

Crisis-2 was pressed all to closely together with Crisis-5, he suspected Crisis-Leader put them in adjoining seats on purpose. The big bastard just took up too much fucking space, sitting there like a big dumb ape, bone white hands rubbing the hairless flesh of his head. He'd had beautiful golden locks less than a year ago; like the pretty boys that Crisis-2 used to obsess over, the kind who got him in trouble. Got him sent to the bad place. It all seemed like pictures of someone else's life. As hard as he tried, Crisis-2 couldn't even remember his ex-boyfriend's name. He couldn't remember his own name, he realized. But that didn't matter. What mattered was they were about to make planetfall. And the juice always flowed on mission. What was this place called again?

Oh yes. Thiidian.

---

Agnetti had dragged them into the brig, all four of them disarmed and thoroughly strip-searched. Sam was nearly naked- ripped out of her power armor less than gently. 'Traitor' had been spit at her multiple times during the process. Sam's eyes raged, but she kept her mouth shut. That was good. Or maybe not good, because they were still fucked no matter what.

"You think he's working for Venix?" Cindi asked no one in particular.

Adam gave her the tiniest of head shakes, then lifted his eyes to a high corner. They were listening. Cindi shut up after that.

They were in there for hours, sitting on the hard metal benches, staring at reinforced bars blocking their escape. Adam thought he might be able to bend them, maybe. But he was sure they were just waiting for him to try. This whole thing was a test. It was information gathering. Whatever Agnetti was up to, he was nearly as in the dark as they were. It didn't matter though. He thought they knew something. If they were going to get out of this, Adam would have to find a way to convince them. And that was important, because the mounting dread he'd felt was louder now. Pleading with him to get off world.

Run! Leave! Escape!

Something very bad was coming. That was for sure.

"Hey!" Adam yelled. "Tell the Colonel I'm ready to talk."

---

Teller stared at the Earth Collision and Detection console- Jesus military acronyms were stupid -at the end of a long shift. He was too tired, too miserable to be worried. Maybe there'd be a decent drink at the The Bitter End tonight. Not likely. Supply transport wasn't due for another week. His console beeped at him insistently, he'd stupidly set it to alert him about other 'asteroids' making planetfall.

Fucking Confed's made the best whiskey, or they had before the war anyway. The Alliance had hated that. Hated that their upstart bastard child could one up them. It had been one of the terms of the Armistice that they stop. Really important stuff there. Right up there with banning slavery- the Cons just called them 'indentured servants' now and kept right on going. Fuckers. They'd get what was coming to them someday. Just not from Teller. He was going to rot on Thiidian for a few more years then back to the farm and his family. Just another mouth among a dozen others, not the glorious return he'd envisioned, the chance to finally stand out from all the rest. The alarm beeped at him again.

The 'asteroid' had split in two? A smaller chunk had mysteriously broken off and was falling towards the planet ahead of the main mass. How incompetent were these fucking guys? Their own ships were falling apart on reentry. He almost hoped they would attack. A little light show from the autocannons would make for a nice change of pace. Or maybe they'd even get to use the chainguns if they were smart enough not to get shot down. Either way, it'd be a massacre. He chortled. As if. No attacks, no explosions, just the same shit, different day.

Nothing ever happened on Thiidian.

---

Their ship had been radio dark and running silent for three days to sneak up on this shitty little ball of mud. After all that time, Crisis-2's hands were itching for his fix. He'd suck out of someone's veins if he had to.

"EMP deployed. Three minutes to burst." Crisis-Leader announced. "All gear powered off or its a paperweight. Mission brief."

The wave-comm came through crystal clear and lag free, a recorded message then. Blackout's fucking smile looked insane amongst five hardened killers. "Greetings and salutations, Crisis Team, I hope your journey has been a pleasant one. The target, Adam Carter." A series of pictures flashed on screen, the first a seemingly ordinary young man with dark hair, one of the pictures was a wanted poster from GalSec- interesting. Then next were lower quality, post infection. Carter had hit a growth spurt, he closer to two meters than most of them, and thicker in the shoulder and chest.

"He got big." Crisis-3's laconic drawl cut in.

"Not big enough." Crisis-5 sneered. Probably true, but Crisis-5 could say that about anyone.

Blackout's recording continued. "As you can see, he may be more difficult to subdue in this state. However it is imperative that he be taken alive. Unharmed, if possible." More unhappy rumbles. "Our operative on the ground should have him isolated by now. Just grab him and clean house." He paused. "Per Crisis-Leader's suggestion, we've individualized your dose, so you can better manage your Serum levels. Good hunting, boys." Blackout winked out of existence and the Serum rose into view. What. The. Fuck!

"You holding out on us boss?" Crisis-5 held up a vial. Not the usual heavy injector, this was tiny vial, with an automated 'stick and go' plunger. There were three vials for a each instead of the usual one, only the doses were so small, it was probably half what they were used to, even taken all at together. The air thickened with the prospect of imminent **** as they all had the same thought, any one of them could just take all the shots. Just have to kill the others first. Crisis-2 really wished he was sitting somewhere else. He wasn't scared of the giant, no, not that fat, slow beast. He just didn't want anyone to kill Crisis-4 before he got to him.

"They also gave us stunners." Crisis Leader announced before he shot him.

It was a quick three round burst, didn't penetrate the dark scales of Crisis-2's chest armor, but instead, stuck and clung, before arcs of lightning erupted crisscrossed his body and drove him to his knees. By the time he stood up, the tension had passed, the others meekly backed down from the head of the pack. Even Crisis-5 took his vials and sat down like a pussy. Not Crisis-2, he stared at the old wolf in the eye. Refusing to back down. Crisis-1 matched him stare for stare, no doubt expecting another physical attack. 'You're weak old man. You can't stay at the top of the pack forever'.

Eyes never leaving his pack leader, he spoke, "Hey three! You mind spotting me a dose? You know." He leaned meaningfully into the words. "If you're not using it."

The others looked around confusedly. Crisis-3 not even bothering to reply. Crisis-2 didn't care. All he cared about was the look in Crisis-Leader's eyes. The old man knew his secret was out. His eyes widened, if only a micron. Crisis-2 recognized that look, he'd seen a thousand times, in the eyes of his prey.

It was fear.

---

"I don't know KNOW anything about Venix corporation. I've told you that a dozen times already." Agnetti didn't look convinced. The other one, Captain Valero just looked bored, how could the man be asleep at a time like this?

"If you try and tell me your bullshit story about a surprise visit to your Aunt one more time, I'm going to put a bullet in your leg." He put a hand meaningfully on his holster. Surprise surprise, it was slug thrower, another purist, then. Maybe Adam could relate to this guy after all. He was going to have to trust someone, if he was going to get off this rock.

Don't trust.

He couldn't tell if that was a general warning or specific to this situation, more and more the Instinct seemed like a part of him, but also dark mirror. Some representation of deeper, animal cunning and senses that normal humans didn't have access too. It was still a voice in his head, but he was starting to wonder if it wasn't trying to help him in some way. Time to take the leap.

"I found a Typhon on Gorgo. We were lured there, my partner and I, not working for anyone but ourselves. We got involved, and she bailed, now I'm just looking for a way out. I thought my Aunt could help."

"Involved how?" Agnetti pressed. Over his shoulder, Valero woke up, wide eyed and mouthing the word Typhon repeatedly.

Adam hesitated, hoping the voice would chime in here. Silence. Guess he was on his own again.

"It infected me, with something. I dunno. I've been different ever since Gorgo."

Agnetti didn't move, didn't flinch back, instead he pulled an old pipe, made from cork and wood of all things, from his pocket, chewed the end a bit.

"I'm one of the very few people in the galaxy who you couldn't sell that lie to. One of the only ones still alive who looked those fuckers in the eye while I blew them away. I know they don't want men. They kill men. Kill their own, even. What they do to women...It isn't this, is it?" Agnetti tapped his pipe on the table twice, studying Adam with those hard black eyes. "So why do I think you're finally telling me the truth?"

Sweet blessed relief flooded his body, "Because I am. Just like I'm telling you the truth that something, I don't know what, but SOMETHING bad is coming and all I need from you is to let me and my family go. We just want to leave before it gets here."

"Therein lies the problem, Mr. Carter." Agnetti dragged his eyes over the heavy steel manacles that pinned Adam's arms from elbow to wrist, before snapping back to peer into his eyes. "Because even if I was convinced you somehow weren't a threat to the Alliance. And even if you somehow made me believe your leaving would better protect this base and the men placed into my care, Sergeant Carter is not going anywhere. She's one of mine, not yours. And stole military property, multiple times it seems, put four of my men in the infirmary."

'I won't leave you behind', that's what he promised Sam. He sure as fuck wasn't going to go back on his word for this man. The restraints were beyond him, even with the strength he'd regained from losing the BB, but maybe there was another way.

What does he want?

"I can help you."

"That's why we're here Mr. Carter."

"But I want something in return."

"You're in no position to bargain."

"Just a simple conversation. You and I both know **** doesn't work. So lets keep it civil. I'll answer any question honestly, then you do the same." Adam lifted his chin. "You don't even have to take my cuffs off." Agnetti nodded. "My turn first." He nodded again. Adam had to make these questions count, and maybe, just maybe he'd find some hook he could sink into the Colonel to get them out of there.

"You knew there were Typhons here?"

"Not at first. But not long after I arrived, I discovered more about this place, the labs, the history. Venix found this place decades ago, build the lab, built that fancy cage. They thought they could capture it, study it. A pile of dead bodies later, they packed up whatever they found and left. Subject Alpha was hibernating down there ... until you killed it. How'd you do that, by the way?"

"Stabbed, shot it, lit it on fire." Adam replied glibly. The answer seemed to satisfy.

"I reviewed the footage. You move like one of them."

"But I'm NOT one of them." Adam glared at him.

"They kill their own kind too, Carter." Agnetti's hatred ran deep, it seemed. "Tell me where your ship is?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to find it anyway, and the sooner I do, the sooner I can corroborate your story."

Adam weighed his options, chances were he would find it eventually, maybe not soon, but Adam also needed more answers. "Send your men northwest, look for the caldera, maybe forty kilometers out."

Agnetti nodded to Valero. Great! No more ship.

"Its your question."

"Tell me what happens to the women who get bitten."

"Nothing good." Agnetti had a straight poker face. Unreadable.

"You said you'd answer honestly." Adam accused. Why did Valero keep looking down at his watch, did he have somewhere to be?

"The honest answer is I don't know. We never saw any of them again, I hope they just killed them, but Rabies Babies have to come from somewhere." He saw Adam's blank stare. "Little albino toddlers with sharp teeth, always hungry, they'll eat anything, even other Typhons.

"I want another question." Adam demanded. "You didn't answer my last one."

"This isn't ZG ball, there's no ref to appeal to." Agnetti drilled holes in Adam's head. "Where's your partner?"

"I don't know."

"Bullshit."

"When you find my ship, her goodbye note is still pinned to the wall. In the meantime, its my turn again." Agnetti was frustratingly hard to read, only he had a feeling he was on the cusp of something, if only he could find the right button to push. It was like shooting skeet at midnight. He just fired into the dark and hoped he got lucky. "Why bring Aunt Kat here?"

"Military bureaucracy, the left hand doesn't know what right is up to. My guess is someone higher up, someone Venix brought her in, then cut her loose."

Someone's scared. The instinct interjected. Adam felt the something icy grip his heart. Was this all a double blind? Was Agnetti just pretending to pump him for answers? It would be the perfect way to maintain a cover. Adam was already primed and off-balance when Agnetti dropped his next bomb.

"Tell me who you bit, Carter."

"What?" How could he possibly know that- unless he really had been informed about Adam already? Agnetti's hand wasn't just on his pistol, he'd pulled the gun free, aimed at the ground for now.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Adam kept his face carefully neutral.

"Stop fucking lying." Agnetti put the barrel against his temple. 10mm, Adam noted, enough to blow the back of his head clean off. "You wouldn't have asked me about the bite, unless you'd already done it to someone."

"I asked because I got bit."

"Another lie, you asked about the women who got bit." Fuck. Fuck. He had done that. This whole time Agnetti was just letting him talk. That was the first rule when they got you in a room, shut the fuck up.

"I didn't bite anyone!"

Agnetti cocked the hammer back. "I'm gonna count to five."

Adam couldn't tell him? Could he? It wasn't a good look, but it also wasn't like McKenzie was dead. That was something, right?

"One."

"Sir, I don't think we..." Valero tried to interject, but Agnetti cut him off with a glare.

Adam's brain was scrambling, a thousand useless thoughts blasted through his frontal lobe as he tried to find some scrap of information that would keep him alive.

"Two."

Adam looked around the room, searching for a way out, a weapon, anything! He turned back to look into Agnetti's eyes. The poker face was gone, and there was something very near religious fanaticism in its place.

"Three."

"You can't just **** me!"

"You think I can't smell it on you? That coppery stink. You never forget that smell." Agnetti took a big whiff. "Four.

There it was. Adam wasn't leaving this room alive. It didn't matter whether he told him or not, hell it wouldn't have even mattered, if he really hadn't bitten McKenzie at all. This man hated him, for what he thought he was. He was ready to kill for the sins of men and monsters long dead. Adam closed his eyes.

He didn't even hearthe shot, the world went mute instead as he saw flashes of memories, people he'd loved, the things that really mattered. It wasn't a bad way to go, all in all.

Only, the memories faded, and instead of heaven, he smelled the distinct ozone stench of a recently fired laspistol. Adam opened his eyes to see Agnetti lying on the floor with a smoking hole in his chest, Valero, finally awake, stood over the still warm body, laspistol in hand

Then the lights went out and all hell broke loose.

---

Teller was blind. Every screen, every piece of tech in the entire room just went dark. An EMP. Oh god. Oh god, they were coming. He tried to calm himself, tried to convince his heart not to explode in his chest, the screams coming from all around him as more and more people started realizing this wasn't just a power failure didn't help.

"I think we got fried!" Someone called out.

"By who? There's no one here!" Another voice answered. Sounded like Parekh

"It's the Cons! It must be." Where the hell were Valero and Agnetti now?

"Does anyone still having working comms or tech? We need to call for help!"

Silence.

"What about weapons?"

Teller heard some genius pull the trigger on his plasma rifle. Just a paperweight now.

The emergency lights kicked on, bringing the room to a barely visible glow, mostly shapes and shadows.

"We have to get to the armory!" Definitely Parekh, idiot couldn't go to sleep without a weapon in his hand.

"It's hardened against EMPs." The other voice had been Liú. She was a smart girl. Good tech. Way too smart to think they were going to be able to fight their way out of this.

No comms. No autocannons, or chainguns. No one coming. Hell even the air was getting harder to breathe as the condensers spun down to zero. They were all gonna fucking die.

---

Cindi had nearly jumped out of her skin when the lights went out. Then jumped again when she heard a thump and scream along with the clang of metal hitting something hard. When the emergency lights turned on, she saw a sneering Sam reaching through the bars to wrap a one hand around a soldier's throat, his combat knife pressed against his gut by the other. Cindi was pretty sure he'd been the one who kicked her during the strip search. He didn't seem so tough now, whimpering and begging not to be stabbed.
"Open. The door." She growled in his ear. The soldier reached over and swiped his key card, once. No response. Again. It was dead like everything else. Sam snarled and slammed the man's head off the bars. He dropped like a bitch. "Should've worn a helmet, marine."

Sam dragged his **** body closer to the bars. She looked back at her Cindi and her mom. "Help me search him for a key!"

They were elbow deep in his pockets when the hallway door opened to reveal Valero, holding a slug thrower and looking confused. Sam snapped the knife up by its tip, arm whipped back and ready to throw- only to freeze when Adam pushed past him, rubbing his red marked forearms. His face lit up at the sight of them.

"What's going on?" Cindi wanted off this planet NOW. The four of them were going back to the Invader- she wondered again who came up with such a strange name -and getting out of here. Hell she'd bomb this place into nuclear ruin on the way out if only she had the power.

"Some kind of attack. Valero saved my life."

"Captain Naptime?" Sam's tone was incredulous.

"Is there a key?" Adam studied the lock.

"Yeah, we just wanted to wait for our big strong man to come and turn the lock for us." Cindi let the sarcasm drip.

Adam shot her a hot look. He was going to make her pay for that later. God she couldn't wait for that. Adam grabbed the far bar and braced with his legs, he twisted and pushed himself horizontal, straining, rippling muscles of his back and legs shaking with effort until... with a horrible shriek the metal gave and pulled apart, lock snapping to pieces as the door slid open. Talk about a panty dropper.

Sam beat her to the hug by one step, but to her surprise, Adam wrapped those big arms around both of them. Aunt Kat contented herself with a kiss on his cheek. "My hero."

Valero was less impressed. "If you want to live, come with me."

---

The heat was already unbearable, despite it being 'night'. The streets were empty, but pitch black, they stumbled and crashed into walls, each other; falling only to get back up and run immediately. No one complained, no one even spoke. They could all hear the screams cutting through the darkness, growing ever closer.
Valero had their only weapon, unless you counted Sam's knife. Fuck that, Sam was the weapon. She followed the older woman through a dark alley, glad to have her in close by. Maybe she'd still be willing to teach her to fight? They just had to figure out this Adam thing first. Maybe they could split him. Sam got Monday, Wednesday, Fridays; Cindi took Tuesday, Thursday, Saturdays? Alternate Sundays? Oh god, she was delirious the heat again. Splitting Adam like he was a timeshare, real big brain stuff, lil' Cin. She was so caught up in the idea, she didn't even realized they'd stopped.

"How much further?" Aunt Kat gasped, one arm against the alley wall. She was huffing and puffing the entire way, clearly faring the worst of all of them. Teller didn't answer, instead staring in silence at something just around the corner. Cindi crept up to see and almost immediately regretted it.

Five red eyed demons, moved through the camp, killing as they went; they were unstoppable engines of destruction, full of **** and ferocity. They moved fast despite scaly, black armor that covered them from head to toe. Typhon fast. The soldiers around them were like bugs being squished by an angry child. This wasn't a fight, it was a slaughter.

The biggest demon leaped into the squad of power armored troops who'd captured them just hours before; he crushed one when he landed, smashing his head into paste beneath his boot. Then he grabbed another soldier by the leg and used him as club, bowling over full grown men and sending them flying, only to literally tear his ersatz weapon in half, seconds later.

Beside him, another demon executed those who tried to crawl away with a particular satisfaction; kicking in head and slitting throats, laughing as killed. Cindi nearly cheered when she saw another squad of soldiers set up a heavy plasma thrower to cut the laughing demon down. They had just lowered the barrel to point at his chest when he caught sight of them. Slowly, deliberately, he raised one empty hand and pointed a finger gun at them. Bang.

The gunner dropped with a hole in his head. The man next to him fell a second later, clutching at a missing arm. "Sniper." Sam whispered beside her. The next one died before he even reached the gun. And then the demon was on them; pistol painting bloody smears on the walls and ground. He finished the last one with a chop to the throat that nearly beheaded him. Cindi thought she recognized poor sweet Private Halverson.

"I didn't think it would be like this." Valero whispered.

"What do you mean?" Cindi asked him, but he just shook his head. They turned back into the alley, Adam was carrying his Aunt Kat now. Not the slightest bit bothered by the heat. Meanwhile, Cindi had swamp ass. Gross, Cin. Gross.

"Come on, there's another way." Valero led them back and around, away from the demons and their **** spree.

They walked now, the fighting growing more distant behind them. Aunt Kat still in Adam's arms, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. Cindi couldn't catch her breath. Even Valero seemed winded. Only Sam and Adam shrugged off the murderous heat and humidity. She could overhear them talking behind her.

"I've never seen soldiers like that." Sam whispered.

"They moved like Typhons. Like..." Him. He didn't say. He didn't have to, they had all been thinking it. Were they infected too? Amazing how heroic and sexy all that power and **** had seemed, before Cindi was on the wrong end of it.

"They're Venix's attack dogs. A clean up crew, I'm guessing." Sam mused. "We all talk about how the corporations are up to some shady shit, but this.... Who could do something like this?"

"You kids didn't live through the war." Aunt Kat croaked. She pushed herself down and walked unsteadily under her own power. "It was even worse than it is now. Children against their parents, brothers killing sisters. I was barely a child then, but I remember the years after. The fear, the hatred, when your enemy is 'pure evil', then any means to defeat them is justified. It's not just bad people, who do bad things."

They walked in silence after that. Strolling through the residential area, Cindi caught sight of a few terrified people, huddling in their home, peeking out through the curtains. They were probably being cooked alive in there, it was hell, but at least it had no demons.

They stopped, Teller turning to face them. Sam looked at him confused. "This is my house."

"Go inside." He told her.

Cindi felt the mood shift, Valero's gun was still pointed at the ground, but his hand was griping it so tight she could see his white knuckles. Sam gently pushed her back, putting herself between Cindi and Valero, Adam did the same to Aunt Kat beside her.

"What's inside?" Sam growled.

Valero raised the gun and pointed it at them. "Why don't you go and find out."

"You're gonna need a lot more gun to stop me." Adam's knuckles popped as he spoke, his voice dripping with ****.

Valero swung the barrel towards Cindi and Sam. "Then I'd better put it where it does the most damage."

They froze, no one daring to make a move, someone wasn't going to walk away from this. Then Valero lowered his gun. Was it over? No. He was looking past them now. Cindi whipped around. Two armored forms melted out of the shadows behind them. The giant and the laughing demon. When she turned back, another one had materialized in front of them. They were surrounded.

The new demon had taken off his insectlike helmet and if anything, he was even more terrifying underneath. Bleached white skin and hairless flesh, black and red eyes, no iris at all; just huge dark pupils and sclera so bloodshot it glowed red in night. These things didn't look like demons, they were demons. "Take him." The new one said.

The laughing demon moved first, sprinting forward almost to fast to see, raining down punches and kicks against her brother. Adam was larger, but even he was taken aback with the demon's fury. He fell back, **** to dodge and block, or just absorb the punch, no chance to counter. Sam flew onto the demon's back, knife driving downward in an two handed stab. The demon spun and punched her, she flew back, nearly folded in half, but it gave Adam the half second he needed. His strong arm reached out and grabbed the demon by the neck, and his punch drove it to the ground. Adam kicked it in the ribs then stomped on its chest before leaping at the giant. Now he was the fast one. He rained combos down across kidneys and solar plexus, forcing it back, dodging powerful, but slow counters. He caught Sam's knife and drove it into a seem at the shoulder joint. The giant screamed, shockingly high-pitched for its size.

Adam shoved it and spun back to face the laughing demon, just risen to its feet, a strange black pistol in his hand, he dodged a slow moving bolt, body twisting like a snake. "Stunner!" Sam called out, still staggered. The bolt sparked and shot electricity where it landed.

Adam grabbed the giant and threw him forward into the friendly fire, using him as a human shield. The bolts peppered him as he went down, but Adam was already leaping, springboarding off the giant's back to come down at the laughing demon from above. A lucky shot caught him in the leg and he crumpled instead of landing gracefully, he glared up at the laughing demon from one knee, pulling the still arcing bolt off and crushing it in his fist.

The laughing demon dropped the empty stunner and reached for a pouch on his arm, three vials waited inside. One already empty, two full. He grabbed a full one and plunged in into a receiving slot in his armor. The giant, still moaning and twitching on his back, did the same.

Adam charged forward, ducked under the first attack and rolled to pick up the stunner, held pistol whip style. He blocked a wild haymaker and smashed the butt of the gun into the laughing demons face. Again and again. Then kneed him in the chest so hard it lifted him off the ground. It should have broken him in half. The laughing demon just shrugged it off. His next combo was faster, and when the first punch connected it spun Adam in a full circle. The giant flattened her dazed brother with a cross to the head. Adam went down hard.

The laughing demon wasn't pleased, it shoved the giant back with both hands, beating its own chest in a display of dominance before turning back to Adam. Her brother staggered back to his feet, clearly outmatched, but unwilling to back down. Stupid noble fool. Cindi looked around for a weapon to help him, only for a stunner to catch her in the back, the electricity sending seizures up and down her body, she dropped to the ground, Sam and Aunt Kat similarly subdued. Adam took a step towards them, only to take a nasty hit from the demon. He went down, the demon kicking and pounding him into the concrete, blood oozing out of him again, face slack; long since beaten ****. Cindi couldn't even scream for him.

When the world stopped shaking, minutes or days later, she was hauled to her knees, hands fastened behind her back, along with the other two Carters. Valero, the fucking rat, finally spoke up.

"Half the base is dead! You were supposed to take Carter and pin the attack on the Confederates. How am I going to explain any of this?" He screeched but didn't dare raise his pistol against these monsters.

The unmasked demon, ignored him. "Scanner." His voice was shrill, but it didn't seem funny anymore; not with her brother beaten to a pulp and chained like an animal.

"Are they gonna kill us?" She asked Sam.

"Yeah." But if Sam was scared, she didn't show it. Her eyes blazed with rage instead. Cindi found it oddly comforting.

The giant pulled an expensive looking handheld device off his belt and placed it in the maskless one's hand. He waved it over Adam, examined the results, then nodded to the giant, who carried her brother away as easily as if Adam was well, Cindi.

"What about my payment?" Valero demanded.

The maskless one pulled his pistol free and blew Valero's head off. He tapped something on his arm, a pad, maybe? But some crazy invisible kind, that you didn't even need to touch.

"This is Crisis-1. Report status."

"Crisis-3, just mopping up." He had a slow way of speaking. Maybe an accent? Cindi tried to memorize every detail, take in every fact. She wasn't like Sam or Adam, not a born warrior. Knowledge was her weapon.

"Crisis-4, I planted the nuke. Go for cleansweep." Did he say nuke? As in bomb? The word pushed all other thoughts out of Cindi's head.

"Crisis-2 and 5 have secured Carter. We rendezvous at exfil, in five. Confirm."

Four clicks came through the speaker. As he put down his arm, his pouch pulled open. Cindi could just make out three full vials inside. Interesting. Was there an opportunity there?

The laughing demon, Crisis-2(?) stood over her. The cold black barrel of his pistol in between her eyes. "Bang." He whispered. She tried to screw up her face into an appropriately angry visage before he killed her, but it didn't feel very intimidating. Crisis-2 laughed softly. It was the most evil sound she'd ever heard.

Crisis-1 held up his hand, staying their execution. He studied his scanner. "They all have high levels of Typhon DNA, possible infection. Harvest Protocol. Take them."

Crisis-2 didn't like that. He strode over to Sam, still nearly naked, shoved her to her back and pointed. "No bites."

Cindi sensed a complicated power dynamic here. Crisis-2 clearly resented his leader's authority. But could she find a way to exploit that. Whatever 'harvest' meant, she was gonna pass.

"I said. Harvest." His voice was decidedly cold, but he didn't reach for a weapon, instead choosing to stare into the other demon's eyes, boring into Crisis-2's mask. Cindi could feel the fury rolling off each man. One was cold, the other hot. Crisis-2 struck first, using the same blur of grapples and strikes that destroyed her brother. His attack drove Crisis-1 back, then down to his knees, where the men wrestled, each one struggling to lock the other into a submissive pose.

Cindi knew this was the only chance she'd get. She gathered her courage and whispered to Sam. "Distraction." Sam didn't hesitate, she rocketed up and knee slammed Crisis-2. Cindi pretended to fall over in shock. She reached... reached then felt the cloth of the pouch under her fingers. She'd always had light fingers, and they served her well here. Pulling the three vials out without a single tell. She tucked them safely against her back as Crisis-1 shoved her off. Crisis-2 was already on his feet, launching another attack. Crisis-1 blocked his punch, shoved, they swept his legs out from under him in one fluid motion. He slammed Crisis-2's head against the ground and held it there until the other man went still. Then rose and looked back at Cindi and the others.

Crisis-2 rose up again, hatred still there, but his challenge defeated. For now. He kept his posture low. Signalling he was no threat. "Harvest." He agreed.

---