03d:16h:45m:02s

  "Your friend did cover his tracks well, without him, I would already have you. Goodbye Scott."

  Markus finishes his translation to Thadius as Jess holds his arm tight. Jan shrugs, "We leave them to die." I shout, "Hell no!" El rubs his chin, "You guys barely got out that Plant. You were lucky most of the military patrols were far out." I lean back, "And Jan somehow got out." He slurps up some soup, "Not my fault I can cover my tracks, I'm no one. You are all menaces to society." I lean back, "Either way, Mama is very important. Without her, we're all blind." Markus tuts and continues translating. They all look at me and I grumble, "Either way, I'm going for Kaylin, then Carter." The door opens and we all pull our guns towards the door.

  Amber wheezes loud and limps in with an abnormally smaller neck. Jan calls out, "Expect a raid, everyone." Thadius stares at Amber, who's almost towering him. A wheeze stops abruptly, her eyes roll back and Thadius catches her, lays her down, flips her over. I run and shut the door, "What the hell?" Thadius rips off the bandages on her neck, revealing severely bent and bloodied metal underneath. Markus translates with his dropped jaw, "Jess, go grab some metal cutters, right now." She nods and bolts downstairs. El leans in to look at her, "Is that an implant?" Jan crosses his arms, "Bullet is crazy, but not that crazy."

  Jess bolts back and hands some large scissors to Thadius. He grunts, the metal breaks apart and he uses two fingers to bend the thick metal open. Markus turns on a flashlight and peeks under it, then looks up at us, "Metal is slowly filling up the space in her neck. It's amazing." I stare in awe, "Don't you think that's a bad thing?" He shakes his head, "If we remove that shell, it might grow back normally. Maybe. I think." Thadius shoves him away and keeps cutting.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  She jumps awake and grabs at his arms, "I'll kill you!" I lean in, "Amber!" She squints, "Scott? What- Where am I?" I grab her, "Listen, you came in here and just fell over." She winces as Thadius bends the sheet away from her skin, "I was grabbing some food, then- I couldn't breathe." I shake my head, "How do you know we are held up here?" I gag as Thadius peels the rest off, then cuts it off at the metal spine. "We're hunters." Jan cocks his gun, "Meaning there's more coming."

  I sigh, "No, just Bullet and I, but maybe-" The door creaks open, "Jan?" Cornelius!? As his cane comes closer, I quickly try cover my neck as it stings, "What the-" Scott leaps up, "Hey poacher." He huffs, "Enough petty words, terrorist." Thadius breaks the scissors in half and stares at Cornelius. "Hello, you." He rushes forward and tries to stab him, he raises the cane and a loud blast sounds off, Thadius falls and breaks a couple of the floorboards. He drops the cane and then Jan sighs, "Drop your weapons. He is a friend of mine." Markus shouts to giant man in some language as they all drop their weapons. My chest tightens as Cornelius pulls out his revolver, "I have a deal with Carter to turn you all in." Scott slowly reaches under the table and I shout, "Don't!"

  He stops as Cornelius looks at me, "And here I thought you couldn't be any more atrocious, Dirt." He sniffs the air, then looks at the metal plate on the floor, "Demon, stand up." I stand and hold my neck in place as I stare at him, he then shrugs and lowers the gun, "I will never apologize to a demon. But if you get back Rose from Carter, I will apologize to a Steel." I frown after he turns around and drops a note, "Prove your worth." He closes the door, Thadius growls as I just stand here. Was that praise? From him?

  Scott walks up, "Guy's a straight asshole." Jan picks up the note and sighs, "Scott, We're going to get him before he reaches that military base." Jan calls Jess in and she walks in, looking down, "I can't do it. Thadius needs me." I tut, "It's fine, we don't need her." Scott looks up at me, "You can't come, your neck might just fall off." "I'm fine!" He stares downward, I bring my hands back to my neck and look down. "It's ok. Rest up."