Chapter 23: Machines of Hate
Dredd: “He was deemed a traitor and had us personally chosen for the assignment. If we’re involved, it’s serious.”
Vayne: “You are the kid, holy shit!”
Luke: “What did his dad do to you all? He betrayed you, so what?”
Dredd: "Betrayal is something our Creator doesn’t take kindly to. Especially when it’s a colleague.”
Henry: “His dad had a connection to you all?”
Vayne: “Ah, ah, ah. Let’s not get too nosy now. We’re here for someone else.”
Vayne pushes Jace to the side. He falls to the ground in a daze from the revelation. Before Vayne reaches Ben, they turn around to face Jace. They dig their thumb into their beanie and grab a bullet from within. They drop it on the back of their hand and watch it be engulfed by their metallic skin. They make a finger-gun and with some effort, Vayne manages to form the barrel of a gun from their finger.
Vayne: “Just to be safe.”
They fire the bullet. It hits Jace right in the left shoulder, near the heart. Any sense of consciousness he once had, has now faded away as he lays motionless on the floor. Blood begins to puddle underneath the wound.
Luke: “YOU PIECES OF SHIT!!!”
Luke lunges forward and manifests a sword from plasma. He aims for Vayne’s neck, but is interrupted by a blade clashing his.
Vayne: “I prefer 'pieces of super machinery', but it’s your funeral.”
Luke looks down and notices Vayne’s arm has warped itself into a rapier-like blade. He steps back before he's stabbed and lets his sword dissipate. Vayne returns their arm back to its normal form.
Dredd: “Vayne, enough. Let’s get our money and go.”
Vayne: “Sheesh, you’re no fun. Whatever.”
Vayne continues their trek towards Ben. The rest of the group meet next to Jace and try to tend to his injuries. Vayne picks up Ben by his tie with ease and slaps him several times in rapid succession.
Vayne: “YOU GOT A VISITOR, ASSHOLE!”
Ben wakes up and immediately tries to break free from Vayne’s grasp. They only clench harder as Dredd makes their way over. They grab Ben's hair to hold him up instead, while Vayne lets go of the tie and forms a jagged-blade. They glide it up to Ben's jaw, slowly moving it across his face.
Ben Jr: “I didn’t think you all were coming today! I-I’ll have the money by tomorrow, swear it!”
Vayne: “B.D. you have got to be joking with me. I can see your fucking calendar from here. You circled today’s date!”
Ben Jr: “Okay, okay, fine! Just please, don’t ruin me.”
Dredd: “This is strike three. Boss’ rules, not ours.”
Vayne: “This is gonna hurt like hell, big man.”
With a crooked-slice, Vayne cuts across Ben's neck and swipes most of the blood off the blade. They lick the rest off while the body remains motionless.
Vayne: “Fuck, I hate it when they do this. Trying to be all dramatic and shit, I’ll show you dramatic!”
Vayne kicks Ben in the chest, finally decapitating the head from the rest of his body. The headless corpse falls backwards and slams next to his desk. His once spotless paradise, now being painted by his own blood. Dredd continues to hold the head before tossing it in front of the body and furthermore, the group. They all stare in horror. Their leader is shot and likely bleeding out, while the man that gave them so much trouble is lying in front of them dead with no effort from the assassins.
Dredd: “Henry, was it? That was your boss, right?”
Henry: “Y-Yeah? Former-boss at least.”
Dredd: “You’re welcome. Let’s go, Vayne.”
Vayne: “Hang on, ya oaf. I need to make the game-winning field-goal.”
Dredd: “What does that even mean?”
Before Vayne can score big for the 'droids back home, Jace’s body begins to rustle softly. He opens his eyes and immediately stands up. The shock and pain of the bullet is still with him, but the wound has mysteriously vanished.
Vayne: “Oh, you motherfucker! I knew I shoulda aimed for the head!”
Jace: “Yeah? Like my father?”
Vayne: “Exactly! Wow, you learn fast.”
Without hesitation, Jace leaps into the air and switches his arm into Burst. He goes to punch Vayne, but is interrupted by Vayne’s hand catching his fist.
Vayne: “How the hell did you even recover that fast? Only we are able to do something like tha-“
Vayne freezes. They just now realized the catastrophic consequences of a previous action. They look at Dredd with concern in their glowing eyes.
Dredd: “You touched his arm.”
Vayne: “I TOUCHED HIS FUCKING ARM! WE’RE SO FUCKED!”
Jace: “Huh?”
Vayne: “Your arm absorbs metals and transfers their purpose into abilities for you, right?”
Jace: “Sounds right to me, even though I don’t know the full extent of this thing.”
Vayne: “Yeah, since I’m also made out of metal, you now have me and Dredd’s ability.”
Jace: “And that is?”
Vayne: “It seems to be just the regenerative properties thankfully, but your body can now survive what used to be fatal-blows.”
Jace: “Like bullets?”
Vayne: “Yes! Like bullets! I’m sick of this shit, let’s leave.”
Dredd: “What about your field-goal?”
Vayne: “Aw shit! I almost forgot. Move, idiots!”
The group scatters away from Ben's head as Vayne makes a goal with their fingers. After a good squint and wind adjustment, they sprint towards the head and punt it as hard as they can. It crashes through the glass and onto the dance-floor below. The partygoers are immediately thrown into a panic as the festivities stop and everyone evacuates. Up above, some of the participants can see the group. They begin to point and shout at the crew.
Vayne: “Hole-in-one, or whatever. Good luck with that mob, fools.”
Dredd: “May we never cross paths again.”
The two enter the elevator and rise back up to wherever they descended from. For the other five, they now have to find a way out of here before Ben's loyal followers tear them to shreds.
Chapter 24 ->