Demon Hunter's Side Story From The Bunker

I can't wait to start writing the really good stuff in my version of the story, just need to get the "WTF is going on here?" part of my story that I'm working on right now out of the way.

Note: This immediately follows Chapter 16 of Deus Ex's My ATS Story.

John Bull stepped out into the dawn and saw Deus stalking the compound as the music carried through the early morning air. He savored the fresh scent of the pines surrounding them, relieved to breathe something other than the stale air of the bunker for a change.

Got a kick for a dog�.
Beggin' for love��.

Seeing DE this way definitely was a bit disconcerting, as John still didn�t know quite what to make of the transformation this young man had gone through. �I guess we�ve all got our own ways of dealing,� he said under his breath, wondering what new surprises were around the corner today.

At least the supplies seemed to be holding out for now. �I wonder for how long though,� JB thought as his gaze stretched across the compound to see Lysergic pointing out more additions to the defenses.

I gotta have my suffering�.
So that I can have my cross�..

Lysergic wondered just how far things would go before everyone started to hit their breaking points. It looked to him like Deus Ex and The Demon Hunter might be getting close, even though DH seemed better at hiding it. Too many people had fallen so far though, and it was only a matter of time before the command structure around here was questioned.

As The Demon Hunter�s second, Lysergic was in a position to see all their failures and successes, and all the steps that led to them. That didn�t make it any easier to see light at the end of this dark tunnel they�d headed down though. If anything, it made him wonder if they�d every get there. Everyone had lost a lot since the world turned upside down.

I know a cat named Easter�.
He says will you ever learn�.
You're just an empty cage girl�.
If you kill the bird�.

Ranger looked out at the sunrise and wondered what the future would hold for all of them. He�d already been through a lot in the days leading up to his trip to the bunker, but once he got here, it seemed like things were even stranger. He hadn�t seen his family in longer than he�d cared to think about, with just the note they�d left behind as his last farewell.

�Gotta keep hope alive though,� he thought. Losing hope would leave him as empty as some of the others had grown. The stress and strain of their situation was really wearing on some people. But he saw everyone here as being lucky that The Demon Hunter�s Beatles-inspired invitation had gotten through when things went bad.

I've been looking for a savior in these dirty streets�.
Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets�..

The Demon Hunter slowly stepped out into the morning sun, wincing momentarily as a twinge of pain ran through his knee. He�d long believed in being a loner, and now he had to wonder what he�d gotten himself into. Being alone all those years helped prepare him for the distance he knew had to come between himself and everyone else at the bunker, but still he felt responsible for all the pain and heartaches they�d been through together.

And he still felt the sting of waking up alone everyday, wishing the woman he loved had made it there to give him strength.

I've been raising up my hands�
Drive another nail in�.
Got enough guilt to start�
my own religion�

The Demon Hunter looked to Deus Ex, wondering if there was anything he could have done to keep Deus from becoming so distant. He knew DE and his unit had taken the brunt of the combat and patrols so far. Only thing he knew for sure though was that he needed to have a chat with Deus as soon as he could, try to help him wrestle with whatever internal demons were eating him alive.

Please be....
Save me....
I cry....

Sipping his coffee, The Demon Hunter held back the rush of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him as he looked across the compound to the graves of those who�d already fallen. Too many good people had met an untimely demise on his watch.

Why do we�
Crucify ourselves�.
Every day�.
I crucify myself�..

And the song played on.

Hopefully this will mark the beginning of a schedule for our story postings. I'll be posting on Saturdays and Tuesdays and DE will have new chapters on Sundays and Wednesdays. That should make it easier to find the next installments to your favorite stories.

Note: These events immediately follow Chapter 17, "Replacements" from Deus Ex's My ATS Story.

Striding across the room, I called out, glaring. �Deus! A moment, please.�

Deus turned as his squad reached the stairs up to the house. RANT and Lysergic exchanged nervous glances, feeling the tension in the room thicken like concrete. �Go ahead up to the house,� he told his newest squad mates.

Gesturing to the spiral stairs at the center of the room, I led Deus down to the second level of the Command Center, where I had set up my private quarters. As we walked through the door into the master bedroom, I heard the voice behind me. �Cushy spot for yourself, eh ese?�

I ignored the comment, turned, and gestured for him to close the door, offering a seat on the bed as I sat in a swivel chair at my desk. �Have a seat, Deus.� After a moment�s hesitation, his tall and lanky frame settled at the foot of the bed. �I�m sure you know why we�re havin� this little face-to-face, my friend.�

�I wanted to make sure everyone knew what they were getting into, DH. You know we grab the # work and all the combat. I can�t afford to have people under me who crumble when the # hits the fan out there.� He was visibly worked up, unable to sit still it seemed. Frayed nerves and stress are a potent cocktail in that regard.

I paused for a moment, waiting for him to take a deep breath before answering calmly. The wrong tone could set this whole place off like a powderkeg. �Look, I understand why you said what you said, but you also have to understand that I can�t afford to have that kind of open dissension among my commanders.�

�And if your commanders don�t give me and my people fair treatment?� His voice grew a little louder with each word. �What do you think I�m supposed to do? Let us draw the # work while your guys play it safe underground?� He was leaning forward now, rocking on the edge of the bed as his words shot out like furious bursts of automatic weapons fire.

I had to tone this down, keep things civil if I could. �You want your rotation changed? I�ll do it. You need extra help? I�ll see you get it. You think I don�t appreciate the work you�ve been doin� ristar?� I looked him in the eye, waiting for the words to register. �Well you�re dead wrong.�

Deus Ex�s face contorted in a mix of emotions as he spat out, �Besides you, who else in the command group has seen as much field time since we got here? I know you think about what we�ve done, but who else does? Who takes it seriously?� Deus Ex�s arms waved frantically, threatening to further open the wounds he�d suffered before. �Who cares if we come back from our patrols? Who else knows really knows and understands what we do? Who else is ready to go out there, when they�re bleeding and bruised?�

Deus rose from the bed, pacing back and forth as he ranted on, �For us it�s been kill or be killed. I�ve had people die under my command, man. People too young to die. People my own��

�Don�t go there, Chris. Don�t even #ing think about it.� I glared as the words came out, deep and a bit raspy. I could feel my face turning red as thoughts of Lindsey�s death went through my mind. I knew this was not going how I wanted it to. I had to keep my emotions in check better.

It was like Deus suddenly heard for the first time what he had said, as his own words sunk in. He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes as he sat again, his head in his hands. �Damn,� he muttered. �I�m sorry. I just�� damn!�

For a few tense moments, the room was silent as we both tried to gather our thoughts, carefully measuring what to say. I broke the silence first. �Look, we�ve all been under a lot of stress. I�ll do my part to keep things smooth between the house and bunker teams, okay? But I need you to try not to push everyone away. If we keep fighting each other, we won�t last out here, man. We need to be together on this. I�ll talk to Lysergic and the rest about keeping things balanced more, but I need you to take a step back and not jump all over Lysergic or anyone else when they�re doing their job.�

�But what if��

�If you have a conflict with someone, bring it to me or take it behind closed doors to talk to them. I can�t have people undermining the authority of anyone around here. That goes for you, for Lysergic, or anyone else. Do we have an understanding?�

Deus just looked at me.

�Look, I don�t expect you to just agree with everything. I just want you to tell me you�ll be more careful about how you present those objections. I want you to be yourself, but I need you to play nice with the others, Chris.� I looked him right in the eyes when I said that, wanting to make sure there was no mistaking my meaning.

�Yeah, I can try that,� he replied. �But I�m still going to stand up for my people.�

�I wouldn�t want it any other way.� I stood up, holding my hand out to him. Deus stood up and shook my hand, looking down into my face. �Now go get your new people acquainted with the way things work topside. And remember what I said, okay?�

�Yeah, I will.� He opened the door and then stopped in his tracks, looking back at me with a somewhat puzzled expression. �Hey I�ve got a question.�

�Shoot.�

He seemed to be searching for the words, or at least trying to gather his thoughts from the look on his face. �How did you know my name?�

I just grinned and said, �I�m The Demon Hunter. I know things, DE.�

Deus just shook his head as he muttered something under his breath and walked out the door to rejoin his team.

Another excellent post from my trothkin. As usual, you never fail to impress. Look out for my post tommorow, kiddies.

DE

Thanks, DE. Sky's the limit if we keep pushing each other this way for our chapters.

Finally caught it all up. Most exellent. Continue feeding off each other like this and King/Straub will have something to worry about. Can't wait for the next installment.

Note: This chapter follows the events of Chapter 18 of Deus Ex's My ATS Story.

Sleep is tough to come by these days.

Sometimes it�s downright impossible. Too many days and nights have run into one another as we�ve been trapped here, fighting for our lives, just trying to survive while we ready ourselves for the battles ahead. I guess I feel the pressures more than most. Maybe that�s because I feel responsible for all those who answered my call and came to the bunker seeking refuge from the madness the world had descended into. I grieve too for those who couldn�t answer the call, whose fate was already determined by other forces beyond our control.

It makes me fight harder and harder each day. It makes me push myself farther than I�d thought possible. And it makes me think more and more of the consequences my actions may have as I dole out the responsibilities and duties to the brave men and women who have come here.

It makes sleep a luxury, but often times, one that I don�t relish, as the nightmares have grown more frequent as my guilt weighs down upon me. The guilt of so many deaths is fresh in my mind as the dead and the dying call out to me for answers and for help in my every waking hour and my every sleeping moment.

That moment between the land of dreams and the waking world is often my only comfort, however brief it may be.

I was almost asleep when the call from Lysergic came across the intercom.

�TDH, we�ve got company and they say we�re looking at a serious situation, chief. You�re needed up here.�

I let out a deep sigh and pulled myself together as I stepped across the room to answer through the communications panel by the door. �I�m on my way,� I breathed. After a moment�s thought, I added, �Get the staff together for a meeting about the situation. Nobody else hears a word until I do.�

�Ahead of you already, DH. They�re on their way to the Command Center now. We�ll be ready when you get here.�

�Gotcha. DH out.� I looked at my watch and saw I hadn�t been in bed more than a half-hour. I pulled on black sweatpants and a hoody before pulling my hair back and limping up to the Command Center. These hours are starting to get to me. I�m still not healed up from my last trip, and I�ve been dealing with dissension amongst my command staff. To be honest, I�d like to crawl into bed and stay there for 30 or 40 hours.

But sleep is tough to come by.

As I step through the door, I see Lysergic and Deus Ex talking at one side, with a lot less open hostility than the last time I saw them together. Looks like my talk with each of them worked things out, or at least got things under control. I�m hoping I got them to see that they can agree to disagree so long as they stay respectful of each other�s position and responsibilities. Time will tell how that works out, but it looks like they�re friendly again for now. It�s a good thing, too, because I sure don�t have time to deal with any petty infighting.

�Grab a seat everyone.� I try to look calm, but I know on the inside that I�m more nervous than ever. I�m sure I won�t like the news I�m about to get.

Lysergic passed out folders to each of us as we took up seats at the table. This may not have been the White House Situation Room, but we certainly had all bases covered for our ragtag group of rebels and resistance operatives. RANT, our Head of Internal Security, had left his customary spot by the vault door to the house to sit in, joining my Lead Sergeants, Springer and DE, on one side of the conference table. John Bull, our Quartermaster of the Armory, and Lysergic, my second in command, took their spots on the other side as we awaited our Chief Medic, Parrhesia.

As she came through the door, I felt a bit of uneasiness from her, but I couldn�t place the reason. It wouldn�t take long to find out what bothered her though.

�He didn�t make it,� she stated soberly as she sat at the end of the table, alongside JB.

Looking around the table, I asked, �Who didn�t make it?� Opening my folder, I saw who. I paused in shock, not sure at first that I was reading this right. �Lieutenant Jones? What the hell is he doing here?�

DE spoke up, animated as always. �He came to warn us about an attack. We intercepted him on his way into the grounds. Gothique and her squad found him first, TDH.� His hair hung low, trailing down in front of his eyes, making him hard to read at times.

I asked, �Are you saying Gothique just shot one of our allies?� DE glared at me, as though I�d insulted him personally instead of questioning the actions of one of his teammates.

Lysergic interrupted before either of us could speak again though. �Actually, the Lieutenant was already wounded when they got to him.�

I took a deep breath and looked at my second. �What happened?�

�According to his report, his unit and their base were overrun by choppers. Came out of the night like ghosts riding the wind apparently. Looks like Blackhawks and nightvision, chief. Unless you have some tricks up your sleeve we haven�t seen yet, we�ll be overmatched if they hit us the same way.�

Everyone was looking to me for some kind of answers now, and I had none for this problem. Nothing new at least. �Okay boys and girls, looks like we�ve got a new ballgame. DE, Springer, I need you to get your troops ready to mobilize at a moment�s notice. I want one squad on deck at all times. Leave is a no-go right now. Everyone is on duty until further notice.�

I let the words sink in before continuing.

�We�re not going to have many shots at taking these things down if they come for us, people. And if they get inside our perimeter, that�ll give them another advantage. We�ll be outgunned and out manned. We can�t afford to get into that situation. I want our best shooters ready. Sleep is going to be tough to come by for a while, so take advantage of whatever naps you can get. RANT, you and your security team have to make sure that all entrances to the underground are sealed if there�s a breach in our perimeter. We can�t afford to lose the whole shootin� match.�

I looked to Parrhesia and JB, who both seemed calm and ready for whatever orders I had. Kinda unnerving to know they seemed to have faith in what I had in mind. I could only hope my plans were worthy of that faith.

�Parrhesia, I need you to get your team ready for triage in case we�re hit. Make sure they know their jobs forwards and backwards. I�m not lookin� to lose anymore people. JB, I need you to make sure everyone who�s weapons trained is armed with at least a sidearm until further notice.�

Lysergic spoke up, �What about me?�

�Same as always, man. You�re coordinating everything from the Command Center. If we lose one of our sergeants, either topside or down here, I�ll need you to be ready to step in for them. A big job, I know, but I know you�re up to it. I�ll be readying myself for wherever I�m needed. My door�s open if anyone needs me.�

A silence fell across the room as they all looked around at each other. I stood up, looking at each of them. �They may come for us, but we will not go quietly in the night. We will not allow the people depending on us to fall. We will not fail, for our failures directly affect our friends and loved ones here in the bunker. I have faith in each of you to do your best, as you always have.� I smiled as I looked each of them in the eye. �Now let�s get to work.�

Everyone walked out to their posts, except Parrhesia. After the others were gone, she spoke up.

�DH, with your knee as bad as it looks, we can�t have you limping around out there slowing the others down. I know you�re in charge here, but I have to recommend you stay off your feet for a few days.�

�As much as I�d like to agree, a few days won�t heal up a lifetime of injuries to my knees, darlin�. I appreciate the thought though. So don�t worry about me. I�ll be fine. I know how much I can push and just how much I�ve got left in the tank. I might not be pretty but I know how to be effective even after my body quits.� I smiled, trying to get her to relax, but I could see she wasn�t buying my bravado.

�We�ll see how well you heal I guess. I just hope you�re right about knowing your limitations.�

As she walked away, I thought about how much I needed to rest. Rest would help me heal and that would all make me more effective when it all came down.

But sleep is tough to come by these days.


[Edited on 3/14/2004 by TheDemonHunter]

This series (De, TDH, Ranger) is getting very interesting. Its almost as if I am there with you. Excellent writing. I just hope that my own attempt will be half as good as the rest of you.

Thanks Pisky. This has been a fun deal so far, and I'd like to thank DE for getting it started. We had a lot of fun working together on this so far and hopefully hte best is yet to come.

The stories abrewin. "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war." Tuesday beckons, I can't wait.

As always, you done great, omae. Can't wait for tuesday, and the epicosity therein.

DE

Walking down the path once again, all of my senses screamed out to me. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Storm clouds gathered above as the sky seemed to spark with electricity from the lightning. The wind was blowing stronger, with faint scent of ozone as the storm seemed to grow before my eyes.

Then a familiar female voice called out, �Over here! Over here!� Turning about, I ran to where I thought she was crying out.

There she was, with her auburn hair blowing in the wind. Dressed in black, just as I was, it was Heather. My dear sweet Heather.

�I didn�t think you�d hear me calling,� she cried as I took her in my arms. She was my new concern now. The Horsemen were nowhere to be found, but Heather needed my help, and from the look on her face, she needed my help in a big way.

I pulled her to her feet, helping her to stand. �You need to take me down the path. I can�t make it without you,� she cried. Pulling her close to me, I savored the feeling of the woman I loved in my arms once more. She ran her fingers through my long, dark hair and kissed me like always. I felt better than any time we�d spent together before, even better than that night in Atlantic City. It was just so right.

�I�ll keep you safe, baby.� I whispered softly into her ear.

We turned down the path and slowly made our way to a wide chasm, spanned by an old rope bridge. It definitely seemed like a bad idea to cross the bridge in these conditions given its apparent age, but Heather insisted. She stepped out onto the bridge when I heard the movement behind me.

I spun around to see someone dressed all in black, wearing some kind of mask to boot, armed with a sword. Lean and limber, my apparent adversary moved closer as I struck a defensive stance.

�The woman is not yours to protect, Demon Hunter.�

Without looking back, I said, �Heather, whatever you do, don�t look back and don�t stop until you�re across. And always remember I love you.� I heard her scream as the wind kicked up again and turned just in time to see her slipping from the bridge.

�NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!� I screamed in vain, reaching out for someone who had already fallen far beyond my reach. Looking down over the bridge, I lost sight of her as she fell into the mists below. I�d lost her again.

With fire in my heart and tears in my eyes, I turned to face the mystery guest, anger and fury building within me. His head was bowed slightly, but he didn�t say anything.

Pulling two knives from my belt, I lunged at the swordsman in front of me. He slipped away from me though, avoiding my attacks easily. I was lost in rage, not clearly thinking about anything. I couldn�t pull back and regain control again. First the loss of Myst and my Horsemen, and now Heather. And this was the person responsible.

He slipped behind a tree and was somehow gone. I turned back to the bridge but was stunned by the chaotic sounds of gunfire. Perhaps it was my Horsemen. I had to run back to find out.

The world exploded around me as explosions rocked the ground under me. I was thrown through the air away from the bridge, crashing down on my left shoulder, jarring it hard against the concrete floor.

Concrete? That can�t be right.

But it was. I had fallen out of bed, my body escaping from the nightmares my mind set me through. Another nightmare was over, and once again I was trapped in the waking world, a world that seemed nearly as hopeless and inhospitable.

As I shook the cobwebs loose, I thought I heard gunfire again, but that couldn�t be right. I was only dreaming before, right�?

I know I keep saying that my chapters are comming but I've been busy out of my mind lately but I should have plenty of time to write this weekend. You can expext some action in my next chapters.

Great story...leading into ym chapter tommorow. Stay tuned indeed... it'll be extra-long and extra...umm....most things.

DE

Booyah, Here we go. Off to Deus' thread. Keep it up DH.

Thanks for the boost Intrepid! Always nice to get feedback from everyone. We have a few more tricks up our sleeves, I think....

Note: This installment takes place at the same time as Chapter 21 of Deus Ex's long-running ATS STory.

My hands were covered in blood � mine, my friends, our enemies. It all blended together in a garish palate of reds and crimsons that stained my usually black gloves, soaking straight through to my tired, callused hands. I stared down into them for what seemed like days or weeks but as my name was called out by one of my many charges, the clock betrayed those thoughts, showing it had been scant moments since I peeled the gloves off during the retrieval of the wounded.

It was RANT, the bunker�s security chief, calling out from the command center door as I descended from the compound. His Mossberg led the way as he urgently pushed his way past the oncoming crowd. �Parrhesia needs you downstairs and I�m willing to bet its bad news, man. Hear she looked pretty spooked when she sent one of Deus�s Devils up with the message.�

�Parrhesia? Spooked? #, that can�t be anything I really want to hear.� I slowly shook my head and let out a deep breath. Stifling a nervous laugh, I made my way down to the infirmary level, passing lots of very scared non-combatants along the way. Seems like less and less of the people who showed up here were spared from combat everyday, but the ones who weren�t fighters were still in need of protection. That feeling of safety I had hoped to give everyone here seemed to be lacking in every regard, especially in light of tonight�s carnage.

I had to do better. I knew it deep within my heart and soul, and I knew that whatever happened tonight, I�d have to find a way to carry on with the duties I�d taken on when I invited everyone here. It drove me everyday, but now I felt like I had more reasons. Thirty-four more of them when you total up the dead and wounded from tonight�s invasion.

Stepping into he chaos that was our infirmary, I was overwhelmed by a flood of agony as my physical senses were battered by the sight of the dead and the screams of the dying. The bloodbath had taken a heavy toll on my people. The swirling whirlpool of emotions was palpable, almost a physical presence to accompany the abundant psychic overflow of emotions and energies. I felt like I was drowning under a torrential downpour of horror, fear, and death.

I had to pull myself together if there was to be any chance of escaping with my sanity. I�d tried to hide the flashes of empathy I�ve had during this caper, but as things have gotten progressively worse, the negative emotions have been tougher to filter out. Now it was like trying to strain Niagara Falls through a Mr. Coffee filter.

A 17 year old girl intercepted me, her hand on my arm pulling me in the direction of a blood-soaked cot. Parrhesia looked up over her shoulder to me from the man she was working on before moving across the room, directing her medical team as they treated injuries that each seemed more brutal than the last. Deus Ex meanwhile, had taken her place by the mangled body that somehow refused to die. When they clasped hands, I knew this was a personal moment for them and tried to pull back.

�TDH this is really more than we can handle,� she started, pulling me off to the side of the room, out of earshot of the others. �We�re running low on medical supplies. My staff is overworked and quite frankly aren�t trained to deal with this kind of physical trauma. I�m asking you for help here.�

Ordinarily this was Lysergic�s job to coordinate the needs of the various command staffers, but this wouldn�t be the case any longer, as my trusted second had given his life to save the others in the compound. I knew the responsibility was mine now.

My people.

My responsibility.

She looked me dead in the eye, trying not to show the emotions that were creeping up on her, and stated, �Without more supplies, more materials, we�re going to lose Saucerat and maybe some of the others. We need help.�

�Do what you can and I�ll see that we get what you need,� I said, my hand resting on her shoulder. �We�ll find a way, Parrhesia.� She just nodded her head and moved back to Saucerat, talking to DE at the same time she began treating his fallen comrade-in-arms once more.

DE stepped back, trying to stay out of their way. He turned when he heard my approach.

I extended my hand to him and then pulled him to me. �Deus, we have to talk, my friend. I have a job only you and your Devils can pull off.� I nodded my head in the direction of the stairs and we walked away to discuss what would be needed.

As we arrived upstairs in the Command Center, I gestured for RANT to come closer. �What do you need, TDH?�

�Tell me your team has secured the perimeter, RANT. I�m not looking to lose anyone else tonight.�

�One step ahead, man. Doors are locked, guns are loaded, and everybody�s on alert.� Clapping my hand on his shoulder, I looked to my Security Chief and thanked him for his efforts before leading DE away to my quarters.

�What�s the plan, ese?� he questioned as he closed the door behind him.

�DE, get a team together, whoever you can get from your squad that�s in one piece. I�ll need a small unit ready to saddle up and move out on a raid for some medical supplies.� He didn�t seem surprised in the slightest, and I knew this had to be what Parrhesia had told him. �We need anything you can get your hands on out there, man. Sauce won�t make it without some help. I need to find a way to get that help.�

�And I drew the short straw, right?� I could see he was agitated and frustrated as I poured us each a glass of whiskey. Rightfully so, to be honest. I�d just pulled him away from one of the closest friends he had to send him and whoever was still breathing back into the meat grinder one more time.

�You were chosen because everyone else is downstairs in the infirmary.� I had to let that sink in for a minute. A sobering thought for both of us, to be sure, but it was where we stood. I handed him one glass as I took the other. I downed mine quickly and watched as he slowly did the same.

�Take what you need for the job, but make sure you can get in and get out quickly and quietly.� I looked him in the eye and told him in no uncertain terms, �We�re depending on you. I�m depending on you. We need your help now more than ever, Chris.�

He just looked at me and shook his head, letting out a deep sigh. �Yeah, I�ll get my team together.�

�Thank you, DE.�

As he reached the door, he turned back to face me. �But hey, if something happens to Sauce while we�re out, and we�re not here to see he�s treated right�..�

�I�ll see that he�s given the best treatment possible, no matter what, Chris.� I let the uncertainty of Saucerat�s future hang in the air between us before finally adding, �and uh, I�ll see that he�s given a funeral with full honors if he doesn�t make it. The same as I did for my Horsemen before you got here.�

Deus Ex nodded, with a faraway look in his eye as he closed the door. I sat at my desk and just wondered where we�d gone wrong as I poured another glass of whiskey.

Great work again, sibkin. Way to set the mood...and bring out the character in everyone. I think it's beyond a shadow of a doubt that our stories have merged into something greater than each one alone.

DE

Deus is right, with you two feeding off each other, the total is more than the sum of the parts. And look at the great off-shoots. Anyways, great work DH.