Epilogue

Epilogue 2.05

---Crawford---

     "Bruh, you best get that shank out of my face before I do it for you." So he says, but I bet he's trembling with fear inside. That's right: I'm Crawford the badass. I will melee this fool, right here, right now. Pathetic, really, how he's completely and utterly at my mercy. I'd go as far as to say I've got an unfair advantage. Maybe I should put the glass shank away—that'd level the playing field.

     I pocket the shank; I'm a merciful dude. And that's downright honourable of me. They ought to give me a medal for it. Francis Crawford: the most honourable badass this side of the apocalypse.

     "Long as you understand we mean business," says Gail. That was my line! Who does she think she is, stealing my line?

     "Never doubted it," says Ace, removing his arm cannon. "I've got no beef with you anyway."

     "And even after we tricked you into coming here so that the demons could collect their stupid tax?" I frown. "Oh, hang on a second. That was you."

     "I've got a question." Topher inches forward. "Now call me stupid, but you've got a ripper, don't you?"

     Ace nods. "Liluye. What about her?"

     "I'm just wondering why you even put up with this place. Why not just leave?"

     "Ah. You won't like the answer to that."

     "What else is new?" Mya mutters.

     Our bald captive sighs. "You might want to sit down for this."

     Mya rolls her eyes. "Why? I've never heard bad news that was made better by taking it sitting down."

     "Here's a hint; it's so the messenger has a chance to run away before you shoot him. Or shank him, in this case."

     "Point taken."

     He's really putting this off. Whatever this is, it's one hell of a doozy. I'm having a hard time imagining anything worse than decimation by demon. Well actually, it's one out of five, so technically that's quinquimation.

     "We're all... infected."

     "Sounds like a bitchin' name for a band," says Mya.

     Gail gives Ace a cold look, the kind of look that implies it's not actually Gail, but Miu-sama. Hell, I keep forgetting she's in there too. "Infected how?"

     "Think demonic bacteria. We don't know much about them, except that they're transmitted through the air. Once you breathe them in, they spread through the bloodstream. They're harmless, so long as you keep breathing this planet's air. They need it to survive. And they can't go more than three hours without it."

     "What happens when you don't feed them on time?" Topher asks.

     "They die. And when they die, their bodies secrete an enzyme to break themselves down. An enzyme that's poisonous if it gets into your bloodstream."

     "Hang on." Mya rests her foot up on one of the seats, leaning forward. "Are you saying that we're infected as well?"

     "That's exactly what I'm saying."

     "Please tell me you're just taking the piss."

     Ace shakes his head. "Sorry."

     "Sorry?" Topher pounds his fist against the window. "So not only did you bring us here with the intent of sacrificing us to your demon overlords, but you also did so knowing we'd be unable to leave?"