It had been weeks since Jason had been in the bustling streets of the red-light district. Walking the streets in anonymity made him feel oddly safe; hidden amongst the masses.

“I never thought I would be back here.” Julie admitted as they stood across the street from the Dirty Lemon night club.

“You don’t have to do this; we can find some other way to find your meds.” Jason said encouragingly, though he knew finding Elysium serum would be near impossible.

Julie rolled here eyes, “You know that’s not an option…” She sighed, “Lets just get this over with.”

“We are so close to getting out of this. Once we do this job, you’re out.” Jason said reassuringly.

“Finally free…. Thought it would feel different.” Julie sighed again as they crossed the street and pushed open the doors to the club. Music and lights ripped through Jason’s senses briefly making him dizzy. A woman with bright red hair twirled about on a pole; breasts on full display. Patrons hooted and hollered obviously enamored with the woman, they obviously did not notice the woman’s unenthusiastic expression on her face.

Julie, hiding her shapely figure in a large jacket as to not draw attention, led the way through the crowd deftly flowing between groups of people till she arrived at the back doors. After a moment of struggling with the crowd, Jason arrived with her at the back.

“ ’Bout time.” She joked as she pushed the doors open exposing the maze of concrete corridors that snaked endlessly, but lucky for Jason, Julie was very familiar with the path.

Left,

Left,

Upstairs,

Right, and there it was. Mr. L’s office. The pair walked in and saw that Mr. L was standing with his back to them looking at the club floor through some Transparent window panels. There was a naked woman bound to a chair in the corner of the room. She was bloodied and bruised from a obvious beating, by the dripping blood Jason knew It had been recent.

“Turn in your arms, Mr. L’s request.” The guard by the door demanded as he presented a tray.

“That is NOT happening!” Julie debated as her hand tightened on the grip.

“You made it here faster that I expected. Normally people have a hard time navigating the halls.” Mr. L jeered. “Please turn in your gun Julie, as policy I don’t do business with armed individuals… gets messy.”

Jason drew his revolver and briefly twirled the gun around on his finger until he caught it by the barrel, presenting the grip to the guard. As the guard took the gun, he gave Julie a reassuring smile. Julie relaxed slightly and complied with the request hitting the release trigger on both parts of the arm harness and it released as the sleeve stock coiled down to the guns grip and she placed it on the tray.

“Ahh, how long has it been Julie? A month? Two? I can never remember… the turnover for whores is so fast I figured you’d died already.” Mr. L commented. Jason noticed that, despite her snarky attitude she was very afraid of what Mr. L was capable of, and now he could see it in her eyes.

“Hey, your business is with me, so let’s do business. What’s the plan? how are we doing this?” Jason said calmly attempting to defuse the situation. Mr. L turned to face them, with a sinister smile on his face.

“Oh, on the contrary Jason… she is my business.” With a snap of his fingers Mr. L’s guards grabbed Julie and put a gun against her head. “she is the collateral.”

“Whats the fuck is this?” Jason shouted as Mr. L pulled a gun out of his desk and trained it on Jason’s chest.

“This is business! You think I am just going to let you take her with you? The girl who needs the medicine, do you think I am an idiot?” Mr. L stated, and Jason couldn’t say he didn’t think about that option. Just steal what serum they needed for Julie’s condition and then just leave the city. Mr. L continued, “No, she is staying with me and we will make the trade when you get back then she can be your good little whore.”

“I swear to god if you hurt her…” Jason started but was cut off.

“.. You will kill me? Ughh all you muscle heads are the same, where is the nuance, huh? Where is the showmanship?” Mr.L sighed , “ I swear, I won’t hurt her… but if I get even the hint you are trying to scam me.” Mr. L quickly pointed the gun away from Jason and discharged a round into the woman sitting in the corner. With a sharp squeal, she snaped back in the chair from the force of the bullet and toppled over backwards crashing to the floor. Blood pooled under the woman’s head as her eyes rolled back into her head, Jason knew immediately that she was dead. With the click of a button the woman’s restraints unlatched and Mr. L callously kicked the lifeless body free of the seat.

“Bring her here.” Mr. L stated, and the guards pulled Julie to the chair and restrained her. “This is only a precaution, I’m sure you will get the job done.” Mr. L let a slight smile break his lips, “Now go, it’s almost time[JR1] .”

Jason looked at Julie one last time before he exited the office. She looked at him pleadingly but did not say a word. Jason knew that he had to do the job, but Julie had the hard part. The thought of her just sitting here and waiting with her abuser gave him a sick feeling in his gut but he also knew that if Julie was not present at the tradeoff, then he wouldn’t get the serum… he’d been on both sides of these negotiations before. Gathering his scattered thoughts, he focused on the task at hand and made his way down the hallways to meet his new crew.

The Gravtrain was not hard to find, the dust kicked up by its magnetic pulse engines could be seen from miles away.

“Lock and load everyone.” A large man standing at the exit ramp, as the freight hauler careened out of the sky. Jason had only just met this man, but he knew instantly that he was the leader of this ragtag team. Mr. L had matched Jason with one of his elite teams for this particular mission partly to ensure Jason got the job done and also possibly put a bullet in his back if it came to It. Jason was fully aware of the policy these men followed. Get the job done for the boss and tie up loose ends on the way out; Jason just happened to be the biggest loose end in one hundred miles.

“Tag, you want to use the jump packs, right?” a small nimble man shouted over the rushing wind. His name, or code name rather, was “sights”. He was the only semi friendly one in the bunch. Standing at 5 foot 6- and 145-pounds Jason was taller and much bigger than him but, being an infiltrator, this build was ideal. He was armed with Trovosi slug shot rifle for long range engagements and a small energy caster pistol for if things got close. The other three men not including Tag, went by the names Takae, Osi, and Bradley, all three armed with Jaros energy rifles and liquid explosives. Jason had not talked to them much on the flight but he had heard them talking about hunting down one of Mr.L’s runaways… by the description it sounded a lot like the girl that was in the chair in his office.

Tag on the other hand was all business. He was Larger than Jason by half a foot and his hulking muscles rippled out of his shirt sleeves. His hair was light brown and shaved into a short mohawk exposing his tattooed head, one of which caught Jason’s eye. Snaking up the back of his neck were what looked like branches from a tree, or in this case roots. This tattoo was a tree growing upside down, every conquest a new trunk every kill a branch... This was the telltale sign of a scourge berserker, some of the most fierce and brutal warriors in the galaxy. Jason shivered with the thought of his past run ins with the scourge when he was part of the Citadel rangers. The scourge was the main reasons the citadel-built outpost 38 all the way out in deep space, despite what was said in the press about bullshit unity. It still surprised him that the scourge was the only threat that the citadel truly feared.

“Strap up. We jump in thirty seconds.” Tag barked as he slid on his jump pack. Jason did the same, and moved to the doorway with Tag.

“So, we just jump out?” Jason asked tentatively looking down at the train far below.

Tag snickered, “First time new blood? Place your landing zone with the targeting scope and Jump out. The pack will do the work for you… Just hope you don’t miss the train.”

Jason thought about smacking the ground at terminal velocity and shook it from his mind. “Are we expecting resistance?”

“Of course, Look!” Tag pointed down far below and Jason could faintly make out X-Sec forces scrambling to mounted weapons and AA guns. “They will put up a fight, they always do. It shouldn’t be a problem right, NewBlood?” His question hung in the air like a taunt, and Jason rolled his eyes and prepared for the jump. Through the targeting scope he could see every one of the squads landing spot and placed his behind them.

“Sights, you stay and give us cover fire. Everyone else with me!” Tag shouted and leapt from the Feight hauler. Takae, Osi and Bradly followed him out. This was crazy, they were to high they would never make it... Jason took a deep breath to pull his mind together and, stepped off the ramp.

Only moments into the fall energy cannons began firing up at them. At first the beams of energy were filling the sky at random easily missing the men falling with speed, but once the suits slowed down to move to the landing zone, the beams got to close for comfort. He busted into the cloud of dust and saw the train was only 100ft away.

Boom!

It happened so fast Jason could barely process what had happened. An energy bolt hit one of the men further down and he had exploded; Viscera and gore filled the air. As Jason jump pack followed the group down and thus right through the fine pink mist filling his lungs as he gasped for air; a metallic taste filled his mouth. As his suit slowed down the fall Jason closed his eyes waiting for a bolt to hit him… it never did. The next feeling was the hard metallic clang of his boots on the train. In one swift movement he dropped to his knees and rolled over to a nearby hatch for cover drawing his revolver as he turned over.

Tag was in front of him standing in the center of the train, the two rifles that he wielded glowed red hot against the brown dusty sky. “Osi, give me a sitrep!” he shouted in-between bursts.

“We lost Bradley on the way in, other than that no casualties.” Osi stated while toying with a function on wrist mounted holocom.

“Damn,” Tag cursed, “New blood you and Takae go in here, Osi follow me to the front of the train…Once we clear the train, we will start prepping the product for the freight hauler.”

Jason looked at Takae, who motioned him to go down the hatch. Jason leapt from cover and slid down the hatch door, narrowly avoiding the energy blasts charging the air over head. Takae followed him down closing the hatch door behind them, Plunging them into a momentary darkness. Slowly the buzzing of chem lights lit up the room. Jason made his way down the corridor but halted midway down. “there is some one in here…” Jason said looking around the room for the source. Takea Begin to get nervous, twitching his head left then right. The humming of his rifle drowns out any hope of locating the sound again.

The zing of an energy bolt zipped by Jason head as a X-sec solider leapt from his hiding place at the front of the train car. Jason ducked down behind a rack of plasteel containers just two bolts smashed into the container: sending molten plasteel showering across the back half of the train. The weapons the soldiers used were much less powerful than the mounted AA gun that had taken out Bradley, but they could still blow man apart if they hit just right. Jason adjusted to look toward the assailant who now had backup as two men ran into the train car to support them. The bolts flying around the room in rising to a crescendo, creating a cacophony of superheated death. Jason hated energy-based weapons for two reasons: The first was that the wounds created by medium sized rifle bolts could be up to a half a foot wide in diameter if they hit direct creating a melted mess that was near impossible to fix. As for the second…

Jason stood abruptly and took aim. He would only have a second to make the shot before his enemy turned their sights on him. He let all the air out of his lungs to steady him self and fired. His bullet ripped out of the barrel with an air splitting crack as traveled the length of the train. As it moved Jason threw himself to the floor knowing his shot would strike true. With a deep clank the bullet pierced the energy chamber on the X-sec soldier’s rifle. Before he could let out half a scream the rifle lit up with white hot energy and burst. The explosion was so powerful that the top half of the train car opened like a tin can. The smell of charred flesh stung Jasons nostrils, which was made worse by the rushing dusty wind.

“That’s why I hate energy rifles.” Jason said as he stood up in the recked train car. Takae looked down at his own energy rifle with horror.

“Fuck me man! Can they do that to us!?” Takae stammered.

Jason rolled his eyes, these guys were supposed to be top of the line, he thought. “No, you rifle is protected from energy blasts by that conductive chamber, otherwise it would blow up when ever you shot a bolt.” Jason stepped through the carnage, “The only time you need to worry is when some one starts throwing lead at you.” Jason stopped and reached down to pick up one of the other X-sec soldiers Energy rifle and held it up, “See, good as new.”

Takae gaged as hanging from the guns handle still gripping was a charred arm, blown off from just above the elbow. Jason tossed it across the train to Takae, who scrambled back away the gun that landed with thud. “Fuck you, That’s not funny!” Takae scolded.

“Come on we still have a few cars to clear.” Jason said as he opened the door to the next train car and began to open fire on the unsuspecting soldiers inside.

BANG!

ZISSSS!

BANG!

Takae and Jason fired in tandem felling the X-sec soldiers in quick succession. A sizzling hole exposing charred ribs in one man, another with his jaw half blown off by one of Jasons rounds slumped against the wall gurgling on his blood with his final breaths. After the action had subsided Jason looked around the train car. The boxes here were different, smaller, white plastic with a green cross adorned the top of the boxes. Jason opened one up and found that there was a familiar syringe inside.

“Takae, contact Tag and tell him we found the shipments.” Jason asked. Takae nodded and began to fiddle with his holocom. When his back was turned Jason placed a few of the syringed in a pocket on his pants.

“They are on the way, but Tag mentioned there is an unknown force coming in from the west.” Takae stated and Jason shot him a confused look.

“Unknown? What does he mean?” Jason asked as he moved to a near by ladder.

“Ummm, Its unknown dumbass!” Takae berated. Jason just rolled his eyes and climbed up to the roof hatch. Peering out Jason could see 10 or so figures riding on hover bikes tearing across the desert at a high speed. The figures approaching wore solid black with shrouds covering their face, giving them a supernatural look to them.

“New blood!” Tag entered the room drenched in blood from what Jason could see, the blood was not his. “get up there and start prepping this car for extraction! Osi go with him!” He shouted and threw the anchor and cables violently at Jason. The two men climbed the ladder to the roof of the train car and begin fastening the anchor to the center of the car. For a moment, as Jason ran to one side of the car to attach the cables, he though they might just be able to get the job done before the incoming revenants were able to get to them… that moment was fleeting.

Bam!

One of the bikers shot a harpoon into the side of the train car shaking the vary ground Jason stood on. Again, and again more harpoons pierced the metal walls of the train car and with uncanny coordination all the bikes began to pull the train to a stop. The violent shock of the sudden slow down knocked Jason from his feet and he slammed against the ground. He could hear that fighting had broken out from within the car, and by the unintelligible shouting of Osi, it was about to start up here too.

As Jason looked up, he saw Osi locked in a fist fight with one of the figures and three more climbing into the roof to attack them.

“Don’t let them disconnect the anchor!” Osi Pleaded in between receiving heavy punches. For a moment Jason and one of the two figures locked eyes, the emerald green of them was all the more vibrant set against the tan of his skin. Suddenly the figure lurched forward toward the anchor. Jason leapt into the air bounding across the roof of the train to meet the figure, he thrusted. His knee hard into the figure’s ribs, casting the air out of their lungs. As the figured staggered back and was met with a swift kick to his head. Jason knew it had landed square as the figure stumbled back visibly dazed. That moment only lasted for a moment as the black robed figure gathered himself and regained his composure.

Jason noticed Osi was having a hard time dealing with the two men he was fighting with, constantly being batted about: blood dripping from his mouth. Jason knew he would not last much longer, and he didn’t like his odds if it were three on one. He made up his mind and charged the man in front of him deftly dodging the punch he threw. Jason put his shoulder square in the man’s chest, wrapped his arm around him, lifting the man from his feet with a grunt. Using the acquired momentum, Jason closed the distance and when he was close enough body slammed the figure into one other assailants. Casting both enemies into the walkway connecting the train cars. Jason turned his attention to a Osi and his fight… it was not going well.

Osi was bleeding profusely from his nose and a cut above his eye painting his face bright red. His hardy conscious body was being drug across the train to the edge. His assailant stood him up and brandished a knife to put an end to Osi’s life.

In an instant Jason sprang into action wrapping his arm around the hooded figures neck and kicked off Osi’s chest, freeing him from the figures grip and but also knocking Osi from the train to the desert below. Jason tightened his arm around the figures neck and stared to choke the man out, but soon the knife found the flesh of Jason’s leg. Due to the blind nature of the attack the wound was not deep, but it was painful enough for Jason to release his grip. Quickly the figure snaked free and started slashing wildly at Jason’s chest. The attacks were slow and sloppy indicating he mans in experience using the weapon. Methodically Jason dodged the incoming attacks, waiting for openings to deliver hard jabs to the figures face. The two fighters circled each other but never stepping out of range to strike. Tired of waiting, the attacker lashed out at Jason in frustration, overreaching and exposing himself. Jason intended to take full advantage. Quickly, he side stepped the attack and delivered a hard kick to the attackers extended knee, his boot crushing the cartilage with an audible pop. The man’s leg collapsed under his weight putting him on his knee. As the man groaned in agony, Jason switched his stance and delivered a straight kick directly into the man’s chest, sending the man sprawling across the roof of the train. Jason waited ready to reengage with the attacker but that never came. As the man sat up, a slug decimated the side of his head sending blood and brain matter across the train in a sickening spray, and the man lay lifeless on the on the metal roof.

“About time! I thought you would never get away from him.” Sights snickered over the coms, “Next time if you don’t get so close to them, I can help you out. It’s almost like you wanted the fight.”

“Yea, well… Thanks for the assist.” Jason looked at the lifeless man that lay before him, blood already creating a substantial pool.

“Assist are you shitting me?! That was a perfect shot! No, I’m taking full credit for that one.” Sights laughed.

“Have the pilot go back for Osi, my read out says he still has a heartbeat. Once you guy gets back, I’m sure we will have this handled.” Jason suggested, ready for sights to argue.

“But Tag said…” Sights started but Jason cut him off.

“I don’t care what tag said, we are not leaving him behind.” Jason demanded.

“OK, we’ll go get him… but if Tag beats my ass, you’re getting it too.” Sights shut off the comms and Jason watched as the freight hauler veered off to go get Osi, feeling relief wash over him for the first time. This might work, he thought.

Inside the train car the air was electric as Takae and Tag, pinned down by an overwhelming force, fired weapons blindly about the car; the stench of burned ozone filled Jasons nose as he fell in behind the pair. He could see the robed figures taking crates of the serum off the racks and out of the car.

“What are you doing, you are letting them get away with boxes of the serum!” Jason shouted at Tag who just huffed at him.

We are pinned down, if you can’t tell. What do you suggest we do, New blood?!” Tag barked. The nickname was starting to piss Jason off.

“Well obviously, we need to move up!!” Jason suggested but Tag did not move, Jason needed to try something different. “By your tattoos, I thought you were some scourges bad ass, but now you look to be just a cowardly little raid wife. Should have Known I was working with a Bitch.” Jason jeered, and caught a swift right hook from Tags massive fist. The blow busted his lip and slightly loosened his teeth. Jason smiled with a bloody grin. “There you go, That’s more like It. Now let ‘s fucking move!”

Tag Burst forth to confront the enemy, the sight of the massive man barreling towards them sent the enemy scattering to cover. Behind him came Takae, whose rifle was glowing red with heat from the use, took cover slightly behind Tag and shot one of the enemy soldiers trying to steal a crate.

Jason saw his chance. Rushing the length of the train car as fast and low as he could jumping into the stack of crates that Takae was currently hiding behind. The force of the impact knocked the crates loose.

“What are you—” Takae started but was cut short by 3 slugs hitting him in the chest; one after another slamming into him with wet dull thumps, Takae slouched against the wall lifeless. A quick glance through the break in cover, Jason saw that it was the man with vibrant green eyes who had shot Takae.

The green-eyed man reached for another crate of serum and did not realize he had just opened himself up for Tag. A smile cracked across Tag’s scared face as he took aim. No, Jason thought, this was his business, Jason rolled over Takae’s lifeless body and moved up to Tag’s position suddenly standing up directly in front of Tag’s rifles, blocking his shot. Tag shouted something unintelligible that Jason didn’t even register, he was in his zone.

The barrel of his gun positioned perfectly between the man’s green eyes; check mate, he thought. In one smooth motion that would be missed by those without a keen eye, Jason’s mover the barrel of the revolver ever so slightly at the same moment as firing. The bullet ripped through the air and clipped the man with green eyes in the top of the shoulder. The sudden shock of being grazed caused the man to jump backwards to cover. Jason felt a wide meaty hand grasp his shoulder and force him to the side.

“Get the Fuck out of my way, New blood!” Tag shouted as he fired his rifle manically at the location where the man had just been.

“We have enough! Everyone get back to camp!” One of the assailants shouted and with professional coordination they all as one swarmed out of the doors and were gone as fast as they had appeared Jason sprinted to the doors and shot the rest of the rounds in his chamber at the quickly distancing enemy.

“GOD DAMN IT!” Tag roared from behind him, Jason turned to face him. “I have run this op hundreds of times with out much more than a scratch, then you show up…” Tag rolled over Takae to reveal the substantial exit wounds. “And my whole squad gets wiped.”

“I didn’t have anything to do with this Tag. Your guys weren’t lucky, this shit happens.” Jason said searching for a response.

“This shit huh…” Tag let out a subtle laugh, while looking at Takae’s. “Ive lost all my guys, what’s one more? How’s that for SHIT!

With out much warning Tag reared back and lunched his rifle at Jason, the collision was enough to cause the rifles frame to crack on impact with Jason’s torso dropping him to his knees. Vision blurry Jason could barely make out the hulking mass approaching. Jason rolled to the side narrowly avoiding a massive boot crashing down on his face. Using his remaining momentum Jason popped up to the balls of his toes smoothly he spun sweeping Tag’s legs out from under him. Tag crashed to the ground sending a small shock wave throughout the train. Jason reached out to grab hold of the nearest rack and pulled as hard as he could. The metal groaned and came loose, tumbling the crates down on top of the raging giant. Jason stood back to await what would come next. The pile of crates began to shift as a hand shot out from within and started to claw its way out.

“Tag, I didn’t kill your team! I was just as surprised as you were those guys showed up.” Jason pleaded to no avail.

“I don’t believe you.” Tag replied finally free from the pile of crates, “And for that I am going to rip your bastard head off!” Tag swung a crate at Jason who, though stunned by Tag’s brute force, managed to step just out of range. The second swing however, found its mark and Jason took the full force of the crate, sending him hard into the train wall. There was no time to catch his breath, because right after Jason opened his eyes, he dodged Tags fist, which slammed into the wall leaving a dent and Jason’s ears ringing. Before he could rise to his feel a large hand enveloped his chest and effortlessly toss him the length of the train car. Jason hit the wall and fell to the ground. Still dazed Jason came up with and idea, one he probably would not do if he were in his right mind. God, I need a drink, he thought as he pulled out the jump packs targeting scope. He scanned the opposite wall and locked in the landing location. The jump pack heated up and gave the collision warning light, Jason hit the override and got a running start. After a moment of running the jump pack booted up and shot Jason toward the targeted wall… he would have to go through Tag. The jump pack launched Jason forward.

20 meters,

10 meters,

5 meters.

This tactic surprised Tag and caused him to stop moving for a brief moment, but when he did finally move it was too late. Jason knee made contact with Tag’s nose completely shattering it and surly some of his skull, dropping him to the ground in a bloody heap. Jason kept moving until he reached the wall but fortunately, Tag’s face has slowed him down enough not smack into it.

Jason scrambled to his feet and bounded over to the downed giant keeling on hid chest. Jason drew his gun and pressed it hard against his tag’s bloodied forehead. At the last moment he pulled it away from Tag’s face and shot next to the mans head sparing his life.

“I’m just here to get the serum I need, and I’m gone. I am not looking for a fight with you or your boss so cut out this bush league shit and pull it together!” Jason demanded, Tag just lay on the ground and coughed up blood; The mixture of saliva and blood dotted his face and shirt. Jason stood up and fiddled with the coms link, “Sights… Sights, come in.” Jason repeated into the silence and hoped that they would be there.

“Go for sights, is that you new blood?! Good to hear ya!” Sights joyfully exclaimed into the comms.

“Can you have the pilot bring the freighter down ill get us attached.” Jason replied and began to climb up the ladder.

“Sure thing! By the way have you heard from Tag? He has been coms silent for a while.” Sights concerned for his captains well being asked tentatively. Before Jason could answer a gravelly voice answered.

“He’s here. He is pretty beat up, but I think he’ll pull through.”

Jason completed attaching the cables and connected the freight hook. Two small explosions on either side of the train car indicated they were free. Tag clumsily climbed out of the train car to join Jason, clearly still rocked by their fight.

“We Square?” Jason asked preparing for the worst. Tag just grunted in annoyance, which Jason took as a yes. The freighter engines roared as the remaining crew soared into the sky, the only thing louder then the rushing wind was the sound of the now destroyed train crashing into to the desert floor.

The streets of the Red light were not the same as the streets they had left. After the shoot out in the upper city and the recent loss of millions of credits of goods in a mag train robbery, X-sec had presented a sizable force to confront the recent unruly citizens of the lower district. Traffic checkpoints, patrols, and random searches kept most citizens off the main streets in an effort to not be taken in for processing. Jason had experience dealing with X-sec and getting around patrols but the chip sniffers that were attached to the patrol squads presented a serious risk. Chip sniffers or COR-299’s was the citadel’s biggest infringement on personal privacy. This short four-legged armored combat support drone was outfitted with a sensor that could scan a large crowd in a matter of seconds, processing the all the data off their chips to find any threats or wanted individuals. These drones could even track a chip’s ID number using data from security cameras and local data bases. Jason, being an outbound citizen, would have to carful not to get scanned.

As the three approached they could tell something was off the front doors were usually adorned with girls advertising the product, but now the front was quiet and desolate. This suspicion was confirmed when Sights opened the door to the main floor. The pulsating music was silent and the purple neon lights flickered and cast an unsettling light on the horror that lay all around the room. The dance floor, once packed with life and energy now lay as silent as the dead who were upon it. The blood a hundred victims painted the walls a deep red.

“Fuck man… Wha... what did this?” Sights asked through frightened breaths, as he accidentally kicked the decapitated head of a once beautiful woman. It rolled across the room until it got stuck in the sticky warm blood from another mangled corps.

Jason observed the room to take it all in, he was having a hard time processing all this death; his mouth tasted of copper. On the stage lay half the body of a naked woman, she had been bisected diagonally from the right shoulder to the left hip. He faintly recognized this woman, not by her face, but by her glowing red tattoo that read: Savagery breeds survival.

“Whatever it was could still be here, so keep your eyes open.” Tag huffed as he drew his rifles and began to charge them. “Let’s get the boss and get out of here.”

Jason nodded and started wading deeper into the carnage. The dark back hallways were equally ravaged but this time instead of innocent dancers and sleezy customers, the floor was littered with the bodies of the bruting guards that forced them into servitude, making the horror before him disturbing but also justified in Jason’s mind. Tag climbed over bodies piled in the stairwell and pounded on the door to Mr. L’s office.

“Boss, You in there?” Tag asked and only silence answered. “We are coming in!” tag turned from the door to briefly look at Jason and sights, motioning for them to go in with guns ready. Jason pulled his from its holster and readied it. With a powerful kick, tag knocked the doors off its hinges with a loud crack. The trio bounded into the room checking corners to clear the room; only Mr. L was present in the room.

He stood gazing over the blood-stained dance floor below, a beverage in a glass. “That was very dramatic captain.” Mr. L spoke with a very smooth and calm tone. His clam was incredibly unnerving to Jason, it felt like he was more annoyed then horrified by what he witnessed. “Did you get me my serum?”

“Yes sir, but don’t we have a bigger problem now?” Tag asked motioning to the death all around him. “there is no one to use it?”

“Oh don’t think so hard Tag, its not your strong suit.” Mr. L Jeered. As he turned around to face the trio. “Whores are not hard to come by. This… This is just the price of doing business. Give it a few weeks and we can be up and running like this never happened.”

Jason thought about all the people that were now considered to have the same value as a broken object, it sickened him. As he was thinking this over, his eyes locked on Julie gun… in the same place it was when Jason had left. “Where is Julie, L?” Jason asked, words filled with anger as his gut knotted up.

Mr. L met Jasons gaze, “Let all go down to the storage bay and ill explain everything.” Mr. L motioned for them to follow him through a hidden passage that had opened to his left. As they walked the long dark hallway, Mr. L explained how the events unfolded. “Shortly after you all left on the freighter, a commotion stared in the main room. I Figured it was a dancer getting out of line or a touchy patron, but the screams started. When I looked out my window over the dance floor, I was a man, if he could even be called a man, attacking the girls at the door. They tried everything to get a way; some ran, some tried to fight back and some hid… they all had the same end. This man moved so fast, cutting through everyone with precise efficient slices the people down there didn’t stand a chance. When I saw him making his way into the back hallway, I sent all my guys down there to stop him, while I came down here.”

“What happened to Julie.” Jason asked again to remind Mr. L that he had still not answered his original question.

“Well, I left her there of course. There was no time to bring her with me, besides now you don’t have to deal with incessant attitude.” Mr. L explained as he led the group into the large storage bay. Jason instantly recognized it as the room with all the Elysium addicts crying out in pain and agony, secluded in their cells. By this time, the shipment had been separated from the train car and had been deposited neatly into the storage room. This room was separated from the larger room by a thin wall and a metal grate door. Jason looked at them longingly; a tinge of sadness broke through the anger raging in his heart. As he stood there observing their pain, Mr. L walked with sights and Tag over to the shipment of serum and looked on it with relief.

“Thank God, you got the shipment! Now we can start recruiting more workers so we can start making money again! good work guys, your pay is well earned! Mr. L Exclaimed overjoyed to see signs of life in his near dead enterprise.”

Tag put a Broad hand on Mr. L’s shoulder, “No Problem Boss, there is no job we-“

BANG

Tag’s Throat erupted, as a round ripped through it. Blood splattered all over the neatly stacked crates, as the gaping exit wound made a wheezy gurgle. Tag slumped against a crate and grasped at his throat. Sights tried to turn around a draw his rifle but was to late.

BANG

The round hit him square between the eyes and blew out the back of his head spattering Mr. L with gore.

“Don’t you Fucking move!” Jason commanded, and Mr. L stood with his hands by his side. Jason could tell by the way Mr. L’s hands were shaking that he was finally showing some sort of emotion…Fear. “You left her? And what you thought that I would be ok with that.”

“I didn’t-“ Mr. L started,

“Shut up, you pathetic piece of shit. If you say one more word, Ill drop you right here.” Jason demanded as he thought of his next move, Tag looked at Jason, his eye bulging from lack of oxygen. All he could do was mouth you….you…you. You what Jason would never know.

“She-”

BANG Jason shot a round at Mr. L lower back smashing through his spinal cord. With no support Mr. L Bent at a sickening angle as he crumpled to the floor. A shrill cry came from Mr. L as he tried desperately to crawl away. Jason walked over and stepped on his leg to stop him from moving any further.

“That computer over there attached to security?” Jason nodded his head to the secluded room with a computer and filing cabinets. Some sort of office that held papers that could be destroyed to hide evidence. Many crime bosses had rooms like this, but Jason could care less about the shady deals Mr. L was running; only the man who attacked the club.

Mr. L nodded, “Good, what kind of inscription does it have?” Jason asked the now terrified husk of a man, Mr. L.

“It’s got a finger scan lock.” Mr. L, who was beginning to grow pale, looked at Jason in the eyes, “Drag me over there and I’ll… I’ll get you in.”

Jason grabbed Mr. L’s Hand as if to lift him but stopped. “I don’t have time…” A sinister smile broke Jasons lips, as he slammed Mr. L’s hand against the concrete floor, placing his revolver right behind the knuckle of Mr. L’s Index finger, and pulled the trigger. The shot rang out and shot hot lead all over the room as the round passed through Mr. L’s finger and smash apart against the hard concrete floor. The finger had only been partly severed but a quick tug was all Jason needed to pop it free. Mr. L rolled in agony as Jason approached the computer and place the severed finger on the scanner.

Beep,

Beep,

BEEP! The computer booted on reviling a list of folders, one titled security.

“Good thing it wasn’t a retinal scanner, ay L. That would have gotten gross.” Only screams of agony responded. Jason quickly scrubbed through the nights events and found the one he was looking for. Julie sat attached to the chair he had left her in, as Mr. L raced from the room. Moments later a figure appeared clothed in black combat gear and approached Julie. She mouthed something to him, but the security recording was non audio, damn it he thought. The figures arm opened along the length of his forearm and exposed a large knife, one that was familiar to him… It belonged to the cyborg that had attacked them weeks ago in the upper city. To Jasons surprise the cyborg broke the bindings to Julie’s wrists and carried her out. The last Jason saw she was thrown over the cyborgs shoulder and she was kicking as punching him, though he looked unphased.

What did it mean? Was she alive? Why after all this killing would he just not kill Julie? The thoughts swirled in his head, but then an idea occurred to him.

Franticly Jason searched the other files on the computer.

Blacklists

Contracts

Pay

Security

No, no, no… it had to be in here. In his time with other shady organizations, Jason learned that employees often had their ID chips registered into a company database in order to keep track of their comings and goings. This was to cut down on corporate espionage and in this case, catch runaways. There! Jason found it in a folder titled whores. Of course, it was there, why didn’t he think that a scum bag like Mr. L would have a whore registration folder. With a sigh Jason opened it and scrolled through the long list of names. Hundreds of names flew by, some were labeled active, and many were labeled deceased. Come on… where are you, Jason thought. Finally, he found her:

Julie Anne Sinclair- ID 7804038293…………………….. Runaway

Jason wrote the ID number down on a near by scrap of paper and tucked it in his pocket, then deleted her from the data base; she did not deserve to have her name in this computer.

“Now for you.” Jason turned his attention back to Mr. L. “I have been forced into dealing with you and made to play nice for the sake of getting Julie medicine… and now you have no use to me.” Jason gripped the collar of Mr. L’s fitted shirt and drug him out of the storage room. “The way I see it, I can either let you go. You can go get yourself some new legs, get your spine fixed up… get this operation back up to full speed in a couple of months, or…” Jason slid him into the room housing all the cells. The Elysium addicts had some what fallen silent fighting the pain of the drug in order to see what was happening, it was quite impressive.

“Or I can kill you and spare a lot of people a lot of pain.” Jason looked down at Mr. L, “but the decision is not up to me.” Mr. L looked at him confused.

“What do you mean! I can make you rich! I can get you women! I can find some one to fix your arm!” Mr. L pleaded.

“Shut up! I need to make a call.” Jason demanded, and Mr. L fell to a whimper.

Jasons wristcom lit up and Tiago’s voices chimed in. “What’s up?”

“Hey, Listen. The situation has changed the whole shipment is yours. Can you come to my position?” Jason asked.

“Yea we can be there within the hour… what changed?” Tiago asked tentatively sensing that something must have happened.

“I’ll explain when you get here. Oh, and have Sam bring a ship.” Jason ended the call and looked back down at Mr. L. “Like I was saying, your fate is not up to me…Its up to them.” Jason nodded toward the cells of junkies now growing ravenous. The sudden realization finally dawned across Mr. L’s face.

“No! No! Please have mercy! Don’t do this!” Mr. L pleaded grabbing ahold of Jasons pants, tugging them to get his attention. Jason grabbed Mr. L’s arm and pulled it taught, causing Mr. L’s face to come near to his own.

“Don’t beg me… Beg them.” Jason raised his foot and crashed it down on his arm wrenching his grip free with a guttural pop. Mr. L began screaming incoherently grabbing at the bone now poking through the skin of his upper arm. Jason closed the security door separating him self in the storage room, and found the computer was still open. Jason scrolled to the security folder and hit the command “Open all cells.” Jason looked on as Mr. L’s screams to terror were replaced by the sounds of broken bones and ripping flesh, as the Elysium junkies Mr. L had created, finally found their vengeance.