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KP - Episode 16 (Public)
🕑 Added 2023-10-11 09:26:30 +0000 UTCWords Count: 4825
Startled by relentless tremors and the terrifying creaking of the Valor's metallic hull, I awaken with a lingering disbelief.
In spite of my certainty of death, I live.
What's odder is even my limbs remain seemingly intact.
When Julian took control of our body, I am imprisoned as a mere observer in our own mind, yet I remember the piercing agony that emanates from our body when the engineer gave us the ‘Necromorph treatment’ clear as day. Weren't our arms and legs blown off by his Plasma Cutter earlier? “And what–”
The words are caught in my throat, interrupted by a coughing fit that causes me to double over as my stomach burns.
The fact that everything around me seems to be falling apart isn’t helping either. “What the Hell's going on?” I hiss, arms slung over my head to deafen the ringing in my eardrums, but it has no effect. None except making me come to the horrifying realization that my limbs have been… Replaced. My vision was blurry before- like I was looking through dusty lenses, but it's since recovered. My armor-clad limbs are now naked, revealing pulsating goo that forms the familiar appendages.
They feel the same;
Look… Sorta the same;
But they aren’t, not really.
I can feel how each cell shifts and moves and writhes like semi-sentient beings all connected to a centralized consciousness- mine. “What is this?” Rather than the initial confusion or even anger, which most will turn to in such situation, there exists only curiosity. Losing a limb or two wasn’t on my ‘to-do’ list, but it’s not something I will get pissed over, especially when I already get fitting replacements. “Deimos… Is this your doing?”
A tired groan echoes in my mind, sounding utterly exhausted. It hasn’t occurred to me replacing missing limbs will be taxing on his stamina, but it evidently is judging from his tone. I snicker, mouth hidden behind my fist. I had expected the Klyntar to run off immediately after my death, not pay what appears to be an incredibly high price to save my life. ‘Don’t you flatter yourself.’ He- Julian snorts, “Oh, you’re still here…”
And I drawl, almost disappointed the traumas from getting firsthand ‘Necromorph treatment’ hasn’t killed or at least incapacitated him.
‘We are one, whether you want to admit it or not. As long as you still live, I won't perish.’ He explains, unexpectedly informative and, dare I say it, helpful… Twice, he snorts, not deigning my thoughts with a response. ‘You are giving the alien too much credits. The very first thing it tried was to flee, but…’
Julian sputters in amusement. ‘You wanna tell him or should I, Deimos?’
‘IT sEEms we’vE FuSed. I cAN nO LonGeR DetAch frOm YoU.’ The Klyntar speaks through growls and hisses, annoyance oozing from his tone as what sounds suspiciously like a click of the tongue reverberates. “Not gonna lie, that’s a bummer.” I mumble, somewhat disappointed, though I suppose that is what I get for bringing my hope up.
We have only bonded for several hours- days at best,
It was rather unreasonable to expect that level of camaraderie to have grown between us. “Don’t think I’m done with you either, Julian.” With narrowed eyes, I address my… Other-Half: The Yin to my Yang; Id to my Ego and all that jazz. “You killed Hammond when you could have- should have–”
I correct, growling through clenched teeth. “Spared him! From a moral standpoint, you forced us to murder somebody who was a son; a brother; a friend! Possibly even a husband- a father to his now widowed wife and orphaned children! What the Hell's the matter with you?!” There is this… Lump of anger in my chest, one that speedily diminishes the instant I notice its existence. Yet, I still have a lot to say- a tirade really. “From a logical point of view, what you did has earned us nothing except the ire of an extremely capable engineer- someone who is genuinely good;
Who trusted us! Hell, he’s practically in the palm of our hands! So I will ask you again–”
Lips pressed thin, I swallow the bubbling frustration which also dissipates soon after- replaced by an exhaustion that seeks to bring me to my knees, something I don’t- can’t allow, obviously. It's a shame… I like Isaac. We could have been good friends… ‘Not anymore.’
Julian reminds.
I’d have thought it a taunt if not for the almost emotional edge I detect in his voice. ‘What do you want me to say? What do you expect from me? The ungrateful mutt shot at us- put us in dangers with his words and incessant whining- pushed for our death even though we saved his miserable life.
If you expect guilt or an apology, you’re barking up the wrong tree.’
“Do you even care?”
‘No.’
His answer comes in an instant, curt and clearly on edge. “Hammond was… He’s paranoid- we all were. It’s a natural, biological reaction caused by sleep-deprivation, hunger, thirst and all the things that stalk the Ship’s halls. We could've convinced him that we’re on Humanity’s side- earned ourselves a valuable ally.”
‘You ARE. I’m not.’ Julian counters.
‘What reasons do I have to protect these lowly creatures? What have they ever done for us? Where does the line end? What more do we have to sacrifice because of this unresolved guilt you possess towards humans?’
“Father–!”
I start, only to get interrupted by disgusted chuckles as my Id howls- a sound which treads the line between mirth and vexation. ‘Such a pedestal you seem to have put our dear Mr. Miller on. It can’t be helped–’ Julian chortles. ‘You’ve always looked at the guy through rose-tinted lenses… This conversation’s over.’
Frown deepening, my grip tightens around a busted pipe, crushing it in my palm. The steam sears our flesh away, causing both Julian and Deimos to roar in absolute agony. “Come back here. We. Are. Not. Done!” I shout, having long grown tired of his tricks and games.
For the longest time, I was afraid to acknowledge his existence- so fearful of what it might say about my mental health that I just allow him to freely mess with my life and mind. And, since that bridge has now been crossed; burnt to the ground and its ashes scattered- never to be seen again. ‘Don’t you turn away from me! You have no right- not after the damn decade of torment; taunts and nightmares you put me through! At least–’
I choke, taking a deep breath to calm my turbulent emotions. ‘At least explain yourself.’
I’m sure most people have to deal with fears and insecurities too, but I doubt their internal monologues were as loud or vocal as mine… ‘I don’t get it. Why do you keep sabotaging us?’ I ask as sincerely as I can, yet the only response I receive is a deafening silence. “Julian?!”
I call out loud, but this time what answers isn’t Julian, but the USM Valor itself- ‘No… This isn’t the Valor. It’s–’
An explosion sends me careening off my feet, scrambling to the side to avoid the collapsing hull of the Ishimura.
The whole thing is coming down, ‘Goddammit!’ Hurriedly, I dive through the small opening created by the explosions currently rocking the hulls of both ships. What I didn't expect is the combustion caused by the fusion of steam and raging fire that sears our skin to a crisp. The pain is excruciating, but I manage to push past it despite the state I’m left in- armor and skin melting into each other.
I stumble forward, coughing and gasping for air as I make my way through the crumbling wreckage of the Ishimura.
With each step, the ship groans and protests, threatening to collapse at any given moment.
I know finding an escape route is the priority, but the chaos around me is so incredibly disorienting. Consoles short-circuit and spark, casting an eerie glow on the twisted metal and debris scattered across the floor.
Navigating through the maze-like corridors, I catch glimpses of the familiar orange glow of emergency lighting.
Instantly, I scramble towards my hope, relief flooding my system as I crawl through the tunnel, heart still pounding in my chest. Just as I turn a corner, an armor-clad figure emerges from the shadows. It’s a Necromorph wearing the white USM Valor’s uniform- the Advanced Soldier RIG according to what I’ve committed to memory from the Wiki.
Like its brethren, it's covered in blood and grime, its slack-jawed grin stretching from ear-to-ear and the worst part? It's blocking my way out. Anger washes over me at the sight of the Undead- an irrational rage that mostly stems from my unhealed injuries, for as it turns out wounds caused by fire are much harder to heal and mend, doubly so around the areas where the Klyntar had previously replaced my flesh and skin with his own.
“How many of these are there?!” I yell in frustration, my voice barely audible over the cacophony of destruction. The Necromorph immediately spots and runs towards me, its footsteps echoing in the disintegrating hallway. Without any hesitation, I launch myself at the Necromorph, but not to kill it. In one smooth motion, I slide between its legs, barely avoiding getting singed by the pursuing; seemingly sentient flame.
Usually, I'm not the sort to procrastinate and one spared Necromorph is another obstacle I will have to overcome later, but the fire's on my heels already. Staying just to satiate this, this irrational anger would've likely ended with me roasted inside the Valor- buried alive under the crumbling remains of the Ishimura.
From falling debris, near insurmountable chasms that would have required a functioning RIG to cross, to the collapsing structures, screeching Necromorphs and last but most definitely not least, giant tendrils filled with yellow, acidic pus…
I went through it all, making scarce use of my Avian Form to dive through the openings. Although I had no clue where they led, my thoughts could be summed up in a few words: ‘It can’t possibly be any worse this stupid, Necromorph-infested ship.’
And they indeed weren’t…
Through uncanny strokes of fortune, as if Lady Luck herself was guiding me, each tunnel and opening I ventured steered me nearer to the world outside- a hellish, stretching landscape draped in a haze of orange and yellow, capable of melting the very essence of my lungs.
Apparently those combustions had been caused by pieces of the Ishimura entering atmosphere, hence why I’m now on "The Aegis VII..."
I mumble the name Humanity has bestowed the alien world, in complete awe at the otherworldly sight.
It’s one thing to look at the Universe through the Ishimura’s glass panels;
It’s another entirely to stand on a planet with breathable air that is so… Wholly different from Earth. “Holy–!”
I start, only to get interrupted by Julian. ‘Enough of your inane marveling! Listen.’ My Alter-Ego hisses and perfectly on cue, the speakers flare to life with a broken sentence I’m able to make out. “Sei- Seismic activities detected. All- Bzzz- Personnel are to evacuate to a safe location immediately!”
Hmmm… Seismic… What?
‘It’s the scientific term for a fucking E.A.R.T.H.Q.U.A.K.E, you idiot! Use our phone and run!’
Julian screams, spelling every single letter in frustration. ‘Ah!’
The ground suddenly shakes.
‘That makes sense.’
My Alter-Ego yells again. I’m almost sure he would be pulling his- our hair out if he were in control over our body. ‘Enough dilly-dallying! R.U.N!’
‘Got it!’ Without a moment’s hesitation, I heed Julian’s urgent command and sprint towards the nearest manmade structure, feet pounding against the foreign soils.
The trembling earth beneath my feet sends shivers of fear down my spine as I weave through the desolate land, eyes continuously scanning for any sign of Life. And then, I hear it- gunshot, ‘No… Shots.’ There, confronting each other are Isaac- his armor in far worse shape than I remember as he paces back and forth around the room like a caged animal; his armored fist hammering at the bulletproof wall of glass.
Before him is Kendra, who emotionlessly stands over the corpse of a black woman- one which looks far too… Human- too… Healthy to have been anything other than; dark smoke wafting near the nozzle of her Rifle.
It does not take a genius to know what happened… I’m more curious about the ‘why’. “It’s better this way, Isaac. Nobody comes back the same under the Marker’s influence.”
“KENDRA!” The engineer, visibly upset by the woman’s death, roars wrathfully. I'm almost certain without that glass standing between them, he’d have busted Kendra’s skull wide open with his bare hands. “You saw how she was, she would never have recovered… It’s for her own good, just as this is for you. Goodbye, Isaac.” There’s a touch of sadness to her tone, one that very clearly reflects in the hesitance evident to her every step as she walks away. “DON’T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!”
He punches again, but without any force- as if the strength has been drained from his body. Slumping, Isaac’s head rests against the glass, utterly exhausted. If he were a weaker person, I’m sure he’d have sobbed already. Silently, I approach the kneeling man, tapping on the wall and watching as his head snaps up. “Who– No! You aren’t real- Both you and Nicole! Leave me the Hell alone!” Plasma Cutter whizzing up, he pulls the trigger.
In a frozen moment, hues of greenish blue cascade harmlessly against the impenetrable glass, unable to leave even a trace upon the barrier that divides us. "Isaac, I know how this looks, but I’m the real article." I may appear a little… Scratched up on the surface due to the fire-bath I received earlier, but I should look… Presentable at least. “I know, I know… It's the new haircut, but I'd say I’m rocking it quite well, aren’t I?”
My fist crashes through the wall with such ease it amazes me.
It’s not the first time I've smashed this type of glass, but the last time has forced me to allow Deimos to share the wheel, while I’m doing this pretty much on my own… At least I do not feel his influence over me. “Can a hallucination do this?” Hands latching onto his shoulder, I yank the man to his feet, patting the dust off his suit. “I- This- You were dead… I- I fucking shot you!”
He exclaims in disbelief, stuttering through each word.
“Yes–” I nod, putting my arms up and smiling as dark tendrils unravel. “Yes, you did. I got… Better, and so will you.”
“YOU KILLED HAMMOND!” Isaac shouts, wrenching my collars in his palms while Julian and Deimos both growl. “YOU STOMPED HIS HEAD IN LIKE HE DIDN'T MATTER!”
The urge to scream: ‘He shot us first! It fucking hurt!’, briefly arises in my chest, but I quickly stifle and choke it out of existence.
Averting my gaze, guilt takes over as I remember the calm and cool Officer who did appear rather friendly. He could’ve lived, if only I hadn’t– “I know… But if we don’t leave now, we are going to join him, Isaac.”
His grip tightens on my collar, his face twisted in anger and grief. “I don’t trust you.”
He remarks, which is totally fair.
I wouldn’t trust myself in his shoes either…
I meet his gaze, my own apologetic. “And I don’t blame you for that, but you need to get off this planet. You need to warn Humanity about the encroaching threat… I’m… Well–” I raise my arms, each made out of pulsating tendrils which shift and turn at a mere thought. ‘This is going to take a while to get used to.’
“I’m not exactly in a position to do that.”
Our gazes meet, neither wavering one bit.
“You trusted me before… I don’t deserve it, but I need you to trust me once more. Just this once.” The earth beneath our feet shakes and trembles, yet we stay deathly still, frozen in the moment as though hit by a Stasis Module. “… This once.”
He says, prompting me to nod and repeat. “Just this once.”
Arm slung over his waist, I pick the engineer up like a sack of potatoes, flying through the air with the guy in hands until Kendra’s dissipating scent grows exponentially stronger,
All while Isaac screams to high Heavens as we leap over hundreds of Necromorphs, scuttling around beneath us like cockroaches.
“Fuck… No way we’d have gotten through that.” Then, his gaze moves towards me as he corrects. “Well, we probably would have with you around.”
He, begrudgingly, admits.
“There!” I notify, catching sight of Kendra loading up the Marker on the shuttle. Thighs tensing, I pull my legs back and land with a loud thud that is sure to draw the ire of every Necromorph within a mile radius. “Wha- You?”
“Me.” I say with a loud smirk, dropping Isaac to the side. “Surprise?”
“HOW?!”
Once more, I bring up my arms. “As I told Isaac earlier, I got better.”
“Don’t!” She points the Pulse Rifle at us, gearing to pull on the trigger as she slowly creeps towards the shuttle’s door. Forearm thinning to a single, stretched tendril, I grab her firearm out of her hands, “Back at you, lady. Don’t. I do not want to hurt you!”
Face twisted with fear, she yells. “You know what the Artifact is capable of!” Kendra turns to Isaac in hope of finding a friendly face, only to be faced by his emotionless collapsible helmet. “Look at that- that thing!”
She points, our gazes following her finger to see who she is talking about and, of course, it’s me. “Okay… Ouch… You hurt my feelings a bit there.”
“We–”
“There are more!” I interject. “The Markers; there are a lot more. They are the reason why Space is dead. They kill and consume any and all organic lifeforms they encounter in our little corner of the galaxy with the ultimate goal to form pulsating balls of dead tissues known as Brethren Moons. They will come for Humanity, I know they will… Isaac and you… You two are our best hope, ironic as it seems.”
In the Wiki it says Isaac will eventually become known as the ‘Marker Killer’, and Kendra Daniels has displayed again and again how capable, albeit manipulative she can be. Hand reaching for the phone hooked to my belt, I manage to touch naught but pure air. “Oh…” I groan. “Oh, fuck…! It’s gone–” Panicking, I pat my pockets twice, then thrice to discover that: Yes, my phone’s really gone. “Fuck… Fuck!”
I curse in a panic, mind whirling at FTL Speed in search of my device until I abruptly recall the tugging sensation I felt when I was making my escape from the Ishimura hovering our Aegis VII’s orbits. “It's gone! Fuck!” On cue, a piece of falling debris strikes next to us, sending both Isaac and I tumbling to our knees, but Kendra- surprisingly enough- is able to steady herself with the railing.
She doesn’t even seem fazed, rushing through the shuttle’s door.
“Change of plans!”
I tell Isaac, bolting towards Kendra- though not to harm her, but to save her from the titanic, fleshy tendril which's risen from the planetary crack near the shuttle. “I’M GOING WITH YOU TWO!” Swerving to the right, we narrowly avoid the attack yet a second tendril splits in order to grab us. “It’s the Hivemind!”
“No shit, Sherlock!”
The Hivemind is a grotesque fusion of decay and malevolence.
Towering above the us all, it commands attention with its disfigured, elongated body reminiscent of a monstrous worm. Its form made out of hundreds, if not thousands of corpses that have been corrupted beyond all recognition.
Covered in decaying sacs which almost pulsates with a sickly glow, giving it an otherworldly presence. This abomination possesses multiple grotesque appendages- tendrils and tentacles that swing lazily above its head in anticipation, each ending in razor-sharp talons that can surely rend steels. Its gaping maw, filled with rows of needle-like teeth, opens sporadically to release grotesque gurgles and chilling shrieks;
Its hollow- beady eyes radiating a sinister intelligence, gazing upon us with an insatiable hunger it doesn’t bother to conceal. “That’s… Ew.”
I mutter with a grimace, dropping Kendra who immediately retreats. I can’t blame her, seeing as her Pulse Rifle has already been taken by me, leaving the older woman with no method to defend herself. She’s basically a sitting-duck at the moment and on a planet like Aegis VII, that is essentially a death-sentence.
Unfortunately, I simply don't trust her to not leave both our asses on this desolate rocks, hence- “Get behind us.” Although, just to be sure, I push a large boulder- one Kendra can’t possibly hope to move without a functioning Kinesis Module- in front of the shuttle’s door. Flashing her a prize-winning smile, I say lightly. “Sorry. Can’t have you bailing on us. I’m sure you understand.”
The glare that meets my eyes burns vehemently, but I guess Kendra’s smarter than Hammond because she doesn’t instantly try to attack or advocate for my death. Not going to bate my breaths though. “Here’s the plan, we kill the Hivemind; get off this barren rock and chuck the Marker into the nearest Star. You in?”
Still heaving from the experience, Kendra pauses, then nods. “I can get on board with that, but EarthGov–”
“Will try to replicate more Markers to solve Humanity’s energy problem which won’t work in anyone’s favor.” I interrupt, emerald depths boring holes into hers. “Don’t tell me they won't at least try. Those idiots absolutely will… Greed will blind them all to the Marker’s dangers and we’ll be back to square one, only with a planet-worth of Necromorphs to deal with.”
In the distance, the Hivemind screeches as we engage in a battle of wills. “You’re right…”
Kendra whispers. “Goddammit… I hate that you’re right.”
Finally, she admits which somewhat eases the worries in my heart. With a smug look plastered across my face, I reply with upturned nose. “Of course. When have I ever been wrong?”
Seeing the atmosphere around us, the engineer howls, blowing chunks off the Hivemind with his Plasma Cutter. “If you two are quite done, we have a GIANT WORM here!” Exchanging odd looks, I put a Pulse Rifle in her hands, but not before telling her pleadingly, “Don’t disappoint me, please.” Only after I’m certain she understands do I dare unhand the firearm. “You probably know where to shoot already, but just in case, aim for those yellow sacs and its appendages.”
I gentle remind, bolting into actions as I watch Isaac get thrown a few feet away, skidding on the dusty- unmanned surface. Luckily, the Suit he’s wearing- the Venture Suit according to the database I was able to access from the Bench. Speaking of which, “I really need to get myself one of that.”
I don’t have nearly enough credits but with Kendra Daniels who apparently is a triple-spy / computer specialist on our side, hacking the system to give us special privileges shouldn’t be too difficult. ‘Why did we not think of that earlier?’ It'd have saved us tons of time finding and collecting scraps plus spare changes from corpses too… Small as they are, those Credit Chips are a real hassle to carry around and I don’t even get to use them. “A hand, please!”
Shrugging off Isaac’s rather… Aggressive request, I shout an apology before sprinting towards the Hivemind.
Along the way, I manage to snatch up several objects. What can I say? Guns are neither my forte nor my favored method of combat, unlesssaid gun happens to be a Plasma Cutter.
Besides, throwing objects at supersonic speeds proves to be a much more efficient approach than wielding a firearm, especially against titanic adversaries like Hivemind…
Better yet, unlike Isaac and Kendra, I possess abilities that surpass human limitations, whilst they can only rely the Kinesis Module to do the heavy-lifting. Machineries that, while advanced, still require time to recharge. My tendrils don’t.
With a flick of my… Appendages, I send the objects hurtling towards the Hivemind, each one finding its mark with deadly precision and popping the yellowy sacs currently serving as its eyes. The creature shrieks in agony as the steel pierces through its dead-flesh, which then ooze dark- tainted fluids that burn and sizzle all it touches. The sight reminds me of how it had felt to be splashed by acids, and I'm forced to suppress a shudder. ‘Not looking forwards to doing that again…’
Without missing a beat, I continue my assault, my tendrils dancing through the air, striking the Hivemind with blinding speed. Its tentacles thrash in a futile attempt to defend itself, but with three different hostiles, even the Super Necromorph seems to be struggling- its large frame serving as little more than a huge target for their gunfire and my attacks.
While Isaac's Plasma Cutter and Kendra’s Pulse Rifle chipping away at the weakened sections, I’m able to maintain the constant flurry, appendages moving fluidly to strike the Hivemind. I can practically see its life force ebbing away as tentacles get blown off and muscles are melted off its skeletal frame. Aside from its primary methods of attacking which mostly include slamming, grabbing and trying to crush us;
The Necromorph also happens to possess the uncanny ability to spit out its smaller, bloated variants- the Pregnants… Basically Slashers whose Swarmers-filled egg-sac will erupt upon death, which did pose a challenge for my two human companions, until I start catching them out of the air, redirecting towards the Hivemind like a messed-up game of dodgeball.
Feeling threatened, the Necromorph made multiple attempts to drag its whole body up, likely in a hope to crush us to pastes, yet was unsuccessful each time- repelled by the very creatures it had tried to swarm us with. With one last cry, the Hivemind’s mandibles break off- the muscles and flesh that barely hang on pulling the whole creature to its demise as it plummets into the darkness of the planetary crack.
Bearing witness to it all,
I let loose a satisfied groan- stretching my back and shoulders as the knots, which have been there forever, uncoil.
“Nice workout…”
Isaac and Kendra don’t seem to share the sentiment though, each clearly having a hard time steadying their breaths. Without a word, they quickly make their way to the shuttle, both throwing me looks of irritation as the boulder I had previously placed there comes into sight. “Don’t suppose you guys can wait for me to go and retrieve a dear memento?” I roll my eyes at the death glares I receive, throwing my arms up in surrender.
“Alright, alright! We’re leaving now.” I relent, knowing no matter how durable BlackBerry’s phones are, it definitely couldn’t have survived entry into the atmosphere- even if the paddings inside the section had absorbed the majority of heat and impact. “Geez, you people. No sense of humor at all…”
I say as I dislodge the boulder, pushing it to the side and blocking their path. “But before we enter–” I stretch out my hands demandingly, completely unsurprised when I catch the two’s suspicious frowns. “It’s only until we manage to rid ourselves of the Marker. Out of us three, I’m the only person who can consistently resist its influence, hence obviously the safest to carry your firearms. Don’t worry. I’m not gonna steal anything, pinky swear.”
“That’s…” Kendra trails.
“Not exactly what we were worried about.” Isaac finishes.
“Again, if I wanted you dead–”
“We’d be dead.” The spy adds with a huge sigh, handing me her recently-acquired firearm. Seconds later, after much contemplation I’m guessing, Isaac follows the woman’s example, setting the heavy Plasma Cutter in my palm. “I’m trusting you with this.”
“I know.” And then we set off, leaving the Aegis VII to be bombarded by the hurling fragments of the Ishimura. Weapons set to the side, I sit on an empty chair, finally able to rest my back. “At last, we’re off that accursed ship.”
The instance I close my eyes, dark whispers caress my ears- something that stands exactly between the line of honeyed words of a lover and the pained screech of an alien insect. “My boy… My sweet boy.”
Brows furrowing, I chide. ‘Not funny, Julian.’
‘That wasn’t me.’
My eyes snap wide open as I turn. ‘Then who–’
There, still in that white dress- now bloodied and disgusting- is my mother with red seeping from the line on her neck and several entry-points on her body… Twenty entry points for twenty stabs. “Fuck–!”
“JULIUS!”
