A Scripta

Bombardier twirled in his hand the new badge he had just received for his service to Silver Mantis. The memory of the prior night's work haunted him. Not the guns. Not the Lost.

The Meat Doctors. The beds. The blood. Drain his blood. Take out his eyes. Break him. Fix that patch. He won't die. Good...No more pain. No more screaming. No more feeling except when he was "restarted", and then, the bliss.

The pain that got him every time was when something tore through his mind like a richocheting bullet in his skull.

He clenched his jaw. There was a hole in his helmet from last night. He didn't want to tell them how he felt the bullet enter and stop just before his temple. When they all left him at the tanker, he took off his helmet, feeling for the hole behind his head. It was sealed over with skin, as what happened whenever Kain or Ryu healed him. If he pressed the hole, he would pierce the skin and feel the thick black tar that was his blood.

He didn't know how long he stood on the catwalk, twirling the badge. His alarm on his comm went off and he realized he needed to be somewhere...

-----------------------------

Tony Lafazia didn't look up at whoever was casting a shadow across his table. "Look, whoever the f--"

He heard the slide of a gun being drawn. He jerked his head up to look at a pair of golden visors attached to a red and yellow helmet.

"Where's--" he looked the man over. "Who dressed you, a blind man?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I heard you breed horses for racing." Tony leaned over to look around the man. "Your boys? They're out in the back showing the flowers what they had for lunch. And breakfast. They're probably working toward last night's dinner. Can you smell it in the air? I can't, but..."

Tony sniffed and smelled something worse than rotting garbage, alcoholic vomit, and zombies all rolled up into one. His stomch lurched.

"Now, I wanted to speak with you but your gatekeepers wouldn't let me through." The helmeted man hooked his foot around a chair and pulled it over as Tony put a handkerchief over his nose. "Guess I wasn't dressed properly. Anyway," he sat down, the gun across his lap, "I've come into some money and I'm interested in investing in the racing business. First, I'd like a stake in a horse you already have. Second, I'd like a mare for breeding."

Tony removed the handkerchief and said, "You got a stud and a stable?"

"Absolutely."

"You sure you don't want a stake in the mare? If the colt sucks--"

The gun came up. "I'm already asking for a stake of one of yours and my own horse. I think you're getting greedy." He rose, shoved the chair back into its place. "I heard the Paivas were much easier to deal with--"

"Okay, okay. Part of a horse and a whole mare. Got it, got it. Siddown, we'll talk."

"Actually, your boys should be finished with their visit, so I'm going to leave you to get together a list. I'll be back tomorrow and I want to be able to inspect the horses in two days. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah - " the smell assaulted him and he put the handkerchief to his nose again. The helmeted man tipped an imaginary hat to him, then leisurely strolled away.

Tony watched him go, as if he hadn't a care in the world. He whirled on his men and saw they were in different degrees of pale and shaking.

He turned back to his table and reached for the bottle of wine. He touched the mouth of the bottle - and it exploded, sending a good chunk of shrapnel into his stomach.

As the ambulance sped away, Bomber watched him from a roof.

Now, now, Mickey, what're you gonna do with a horse?

"I've always wanted a pony." He turned to the shadowy figure next to him. "A horse is just a big pony."

Where are you going to put it?

"I'm giving it to Ryu to hold onto."

You sure that's a good idea? You'll never see it again.

"Sure I will. I'll see its bones."

If the breeders find out--

Bomber turned to face the shadow head on. "Someone will always sell. ALWAYS."

The shadow shrugged and walked away. Devil inside, devil inside, every single one of us has a devil inside.

Bomber retorted, "She talks to angels; they call her out by her name."

The shadow chuckled and stepped out into the light.