Hello Stranga': Malefactor Quest

[Retane]

Retane, Arith, Sverit and Gilush ascended the stairway to the next Teir. It was silent, aside from their foosteps. Finally, the female stopped witha frowned, which caused two of the other three to stop. Retane, however heard it but kept going. He didn't feel like talking to anyone. He knew she wanted answers.

"Can someone please stop and explain to me whats going on?" Sverit, nor her brother were included on the next steps of the mission finale; So she decided to ask. "And are we going to talk about what hapened down there?"

Retane stopped at a platform and looked around. He couldn't identify any cameras and looked straigh at the female. "What happened down there?"

"You... You..."

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"Please pull the trigger..."

The Emerald Warrior never flinched. He didn't blink. It would be disrespecful to blink. He stared deep into George Haskell's eyeshe pulled it. He heard the shot and watched the light fade from The Skull's eyes. The Namekian felt that it was then, that he truly saw who George had once been. He saw a man who had once been a hero. It made him at ease and annoyed at the same time.

The Namekian stood up and scooped the space marine's body into his arms, gun still in hand. No tears fell from his face as he placed the body on top of the pile of bodies.

"Be at ease, I will deliver your message." The Namekian murmured as he wallked out of the hole, and pushed a chunk of the arsenal onto the makeshift burial plot..

The Namekian glanced at he three who stood nearby looking at him and let out a low growl. Retane didn't care if they judged him. The Emerald Warrior just put his back to them and focused on the grave. He shot a few blasts of energy at the hill he had created, to make it unsteady and ready for his next action. Sverit had already offered her blood with a 'X' dug deep into her right shouler blade .It saturated a few spare peices of cloth she had removed and she tossed it into hole, next to her former comrades.

The Emerald Warrior tucked the Single and brought forth energy. He let out a growl again and gave a final look at George's body before releasing. the green orb directly at a grenade.

Grenade.... "Tapion... We made it my freind. We are finally here. Now you can rest and no one can disturb you. They won't hurt you anymore. I promise."

The Emerald Fiend held two explosives in his hands. He used a finger to grasp at the pins and tossed them into the sandy grave next to the crimson haired mohekian. The Namekian called forth his innate powers forcing the wind to push a mound of soil over the explosives and deceased Horsemen. Retane turned and started walking away, pausing only for a moment as he paid his respect to the explosion. "No one will hurt you anymore..."

"Tapion... No one will hurt you anymore..." The Namekian spoke almost gently as he watched the explosion erupt, causing a flash of napalm to flare up before the unstable hill collapsed on top of it, burying the soon to be ashes of those that had lost their lives on this battlefield.

The Emerald Warrior turned then without a word, and walked up to the trio, glancing them in the eyes for a second, almost daring one of them to say something. There was a stern glare deep in his eyes. He was focused on the events that had just transpired, but still knew he wasn't done. He wonted someone to contest his next actions as he removed the black vest that covered his abdomen and dropped it to the ground. The green hand outstretched to the box that Arith held near his chest.

The Lythian opened the container and Retane reached in, grabbing at the orgosynth inside. The warrior reached behind him, letting the demonic symbiote slowly delve its small tentacles into it's flesh and slowly grab hold. THe Namekian accepted it and the pain it caused, almost immediately syncing with the being. The Emerald Fiend could feel it offering it's power, almost urging the Namekian to use it. He felt it's desire for bloodlust and battle. It desired victories. It wanted action.

For now though, Retane would hold it at bay. It's thirst would not be quenched, not yet. But, the Horseman knew it's pleasures would be saited soon enough. His own body however, along with the two newcomers to the group, began to glow in a light green glow. The florescent light sonn subsided before the two could utter a protest, giving way to black hooded cloaks. Only Retane's was different. His had a mixture of dark red and green designs on his. THe color was so dark that it was hard to tell. As well, tied to his arm, was the bandanna given to him by the Strange Merchant.

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"You took another mans life."

"I know this. I was there." Retane was unsure what she wanted him to say.

"You were suppose to protect him." Sverit stated, huffed as she really saw no remorse in the Namekian's eyes.

"No. That was not my mission. My mission was to track down Geoff Haskell's brother, give the man closure. George himself refused to go on any longer. You pretty much stated it yourself. I eased his pain. My objective was to seek the a specimen of Malefactor Project. Two birds one stone." The Namekian argued with himself as he spoke. He knew what she meant, but he knew that she two was fighting with it.

"You could have coaxed him, talked him through it. Made him see that he still had a future..."

"The man killed his wife. His brother's wife. He killed his own child, his brothers child. Could you live with yourself if wewr you and you killed your brother? Killed kids of your own?" The Namekian felt a twing of pain in his head as he realized his words hit home to himself on a completely different level. He shook his head, trying to clear it of all the thoughts that wanted to cloud his mind. The Emerald Feind saw that he had made her bite her lip in thought and took that moment to continue onward.

As they reached Tier Six, the group slowly made their way through the streets. The Lythian and Horseman, knew where they were going. The Emerald Warrior had noticed that Arith had actually kept quiet, but again, he was looking around like before, totally amiss to the stares that they had gotten. The four soon arrived at their destination and the Namekian stepped up to the porch.

The door swung open and Retane realized that Geoff had been awaiting their return. The four stepped in, though the siblings were hesitant at first. The Namekian lowered his hood, and Arith followed suit, even removing his mask. The other two did so soon after, realizing that they were in the presence of a legend, and their initial target.

"Who are these two", Barked the former Space Marine. He eyed them suspiciously.

"They were at the site. They were a part of a party sent to find your brother, sent to extract the orgosynth, and then interrogate George to find your location. We showed up in time, it seemed, and these two really had issues with taking the life of a Veteran of War, which they respected. I promised to spare their lives if they cooperated. Their intel allowed us to save your brother." Out of instinct, the Emerald Feind was quick and to the point but stopped there, not really eager to go any further with the report.

"And?" George ttook in a deep breath looking behind them wondering if his brother was going to step through the door. "Where is he?"

The Namekian walked forward to the desk barrier and placed the Single Shot on top of it. It spoke all the words Retane didn't want to say, but there the Namak swallowed his guilt and sraighted himself, if he wasn't already straight and looked the old man in the eye, both with slowly seemed to moisten.

"Dead. Buried, so that no one will bother him ever again. He had a message for you though. He said that he did believe in the otherside, He said he would answer his crimes there. He said he was sorry and that he loved you. He seemed commited to giving up his life, so I used that gun to make it easier on him. He asked me to, well begged me to. He said the memories haunted him daily. He said that closure meant that at least one of you had to die."

The Veteran took the words in carefully and did his best to hold back his tears. But one finally boiled over. Retane motioned to the picture he had used from his memory, "If it helps, he died whereing that. I thought it proper to make him at ease the best I could."

Geoff nodded and shook the tears away, "Did you get what you went down there for?"

The Emerald Fiend didn't answer. He wanted it to be silent, and he noticed then that Geoff had been writing in a book the whole time. The Namekian felt uneasy as he watched the old man write fast, glancing at the book and then to the Single Shot.

A few minutes passed and the former Space Marine closed the book. He met the eyes of the Namekian and let out a long sigh. "Can we talk in private?"

The Horseman looked on at the Veteran for a few moments then turned his head to the other three, "Leave. Go watch the streets."

Arith looked at the other two, who had remained silent, and looked to Geoff Haskell, "It was great to meet a man like you." He placed his helm back on and through on his hood. The other two offered their appreciation and followed suit as well.

THe Lythian had slid something into the Namekian's hand, and Retane didn't want to look down at what it was.He was hoping it was something different but as the three left, the door closed.

"I have two favors for you. I know they are going to be tough, but I think you have a knack for bearing the weight of anothers pain on your shoulders. It's almost like you are doing it on purpose." Geoff was solemn in his words.

"Just ask them. All I can do is tell you yes or no." Retane was tired opf games. He felt he knew what the favors were deep down inside.

"Yeah. You are right. Well... " Old Man Skull took a few moments and hit a few keys. He looked up and pushed the book towards The Namekian. "Can you deliver this to Ultan? You can even add a signature to it if you want, 'Nova'."

Retane looked at the book and gave a nod. He knew what was coming next.

"And can you.... Please... Just... I don't have anyone else.... I would like to meet my brother on the other side... It is something I chose... And I would like to... Be dressed like i was in that photo too. If you could?"


The Namek wanted to avert his eyes. He really didn't want to do it. But even The Skull had said that 'at least one of them had to die'. Who wanted to live life alone with all those bad memories? Who wanted to be apart from their family? The Emerald Warrior let out a low growl and looked down at the bullet in his hand. It went to the Single Shot. "Yes."

A green hue started to cover the older man and he finally stood up. "When I go, this place will implode on itself, five minutes after. I suggest you guys don't dawdle. I realze you are avoiding those damned camera's. Better you get out of here and away when it happens."

The Horsman nodded, but again never blinked as he took the single shot and loaded it.

"Thank you..." This would be Old Man SKulls last words....