"SLASH AND BURN! SLASH AND BURN!"

  Raelith's axes make quick work of the first few Limp Dicks, sending pieces of chrome and blood flying all over the place. The little War Bastards start throwing shit and goring some of them with their little weapons. But for some reason, the Limp Dicks don't fire - even the ones get hit barely flinch as they get cut down.

  The Beloved doesn't even turn around. They simply raises a hand, and half of the Limp Dicks regroup and form a line between the freak and the rampaging Elemental of War.

  The bastards are surgical in their movements and line up perfectly like they've been practicing it their whole lives.

  "Wait, stop!"

  Raelith screams and swings at the Limp Dicks like a badger with its nuts tied. She cuts through the remaining nearby chrome assholes like they're made of tin foil. After she drops the last one and the others retreat toward us, she locks onto the Beloved.

  "YOU WILL BLEED!"

  The Beloved raises a hand, still facing me. "Fire."

  The Limp Dicks open fire. It sounds like a thousand hammers striking a thousand anvils. Raelith, the baddest bitch I've ever seen, tanks the bullets with her newly reinforced armor as she bursts forward.

  "I'LL SHOW YOU HOW A REAL WARRIOR FIGHTS!"

  "Raelith, wait! You can't-"

  It's like a rainstorm of metal. Smoke fills the air along with the sound of thousands of empty shells hitting the floor all at once. Raelith's armor can't resist so much fire power. It chips away bit by bit and the shots start to find her flesh.

  I desperately want to do something, but the other half of the Limp Dicks are still watching our every move.

  I get a chill as third black chrome arm smoothly emerges from a fold in the Beloved's robes and clutches toward Raelith with gnarled fingers.

  "The fuck?"

  Raelith freezes in place, her eye bulging.

  The Beloved squeezes, and she lets out a grunt. The Limp Dicks stop firing, and the hall is filled with the sound of grinding metal and Raelith's screams.

  "Raelith!"

  At that very fucking moment, one of the stained glass windows explodes as the Catbird - decked out in Raelith-style iron armor - crashes down into the cathedral with a massive, ground-shaking thud.

  The Beloved twists toward the source of the massive sound. "Fire."

  "RREEEEAAAAOOOOWWW!" The green beast roars as it starts barreling through Limp Dicks. It swats, bites, and slashes motherfuckers left and right.

  The Limp Dicks unleash hell on the creature, and like with Raelith, the armor starts chipping away and some of the bullets slip between the gaps. The Catbird yowls angrily and continues to rampage, even as it's ripped to shreds by the high RPM LMGs.

  The Beloved sees the writing on the wall, and reaches out at the huge animal. The Catbird freezes instantly, and it growls in pain as it fights against the invisible force twisting it from the inside.

  But now, the freak is distracted. This is our chance!

  Althea beats me to it. "Bulwark of Preservation!"

  We are wrapped in golden dome of light, but the Limp Dicks don't fire on us - it would be suicide to shoot Althea's spell. "Hero, now is the time to strike!"

  Before I can react, the freaks reaches out with yet another hand.

  I brace myself, waiting for whatever fucked shit he did to Raelith to happen to us. Instead, the Beloved recoils and pulls back its freaky fourth limb.

  "Go, Hero!" Althea shouts. "My mana won't last for long!"

  "We will help you, Order!" says Dell.

  Domina nods at me. "Master, show them the door!"

  I lock onto the robed psycho. Then, in one burst, I bolt out of the barrier, push Zazel across the floor, and crank back for a mighty fucking swing.

  "This shit ends now, motherf-"

  I freeze. I can't bring my fist forward. I can't move a muscle, no matter how hard I strain.

  The Beloved stands there, watching me.

  What the hell? What is this? Why can't I-

  I'm surrounded in a golden-white aura. This ain't the freak's power. It's Althea's.

  "Are you fucking kidding me!?"

  A chil runs through me as I realize it - the Beloved is a fucking Elemental.

  And my contract with Althea is still in effect.

  I feel my body start to tremble, but it ain't from my core. "Althea! The contract! You have to get rid of it!"

  "Hero, I am sorry, but I cannot-"

  "ENOUGH OF THIS!"

  Althea's voice is cut short by a shriek from Zazel. She's glowing, and I can see the mana she's gathering- it's a wild, raging maelstrom of chaotic power.

  "Yo, stop!"

  "SAOHC EKOVE!"

  She thrust her left hand at me, and something hard, wet, and cold hits me in the face like a truck. I can't see shit. But I hardly even have time to reel from the spell before she hits me with another.

  "SAOHC EKOVE!"

  My head twists with pain, and I start to hear some crazy whispering inside my head.

  "Leader! What's happening!?" says Del. "Chaos, please stop!"

  "I can't see! What the fuck is going on!?"

  "It's snow!" says Domina. "It's coming out of you!"

  I reach up and wipe the snow off, and it feels like there's ice all over my face. It burns as I try to wipe it off, but more just appears to take its place. And the whispers are starting to get louder. Can't see shit. Can't hear shit. Can't do shit.

  Althea said the contract's magic has limits- No, I gotta stay in control. Gotta use my brain.

  But I may not have a choice in the matter. My core flares hard and rumbles in my chest. The heat intensifies faster than I can react, and feel molten spew pooling inside me.

  Of course the Dice crap out as soon as I'm on the razor's fucking edge.

  I roll, and fate storms in my fist.

  I hear the crunching of snow and I see a blurry shape approach and raise its hands.

  I get a 3 and an 11. Please be enough.

  "YNNARYT FO SEKOY EHT REDNUSA SDNER DNA NOISSERPPO FO SNIAHC EHT SREVES HCIHW TAHT MA I! SOAHC EKOVE!"

  There's a golden flash of light through the snow, and a terrifyingly indescribable sensation overwhelms me, twisting and redirection my senses every which way.

  There's screaming, whispering, bizarre music mixing in with the sound of the fighting. I feel acid burn my skin as it freezes, and I feel a shit ton of bullets hit. The my body shifts and turns inside itself, like I'm a living sack of turning gears. At the same time, some bizarre force tries to crush me into the ground, even though I also feel like I'm falling through it. It's like reality is trying to pull me apart and smash me back together at the same time.

  "Hero! Hero!" Althea's voice somehow breaks through the chaos. "Hold on!"

  "Althea, where are you!? Althea!?"

  But my voice doesn't carry. Everything is black.

  Then, all the crazy magic shit stops completely and the darkness lifts. The noise, the twisting, the pain stops all at once, and I can see.

  The Limp Dicks are gone, and the cathedral is all torn to shit. The walls are black and scorched, and the windows are all shattered. The tile is blasted to fuck and splintered, and the pillars are cracked. There are dead War Bastards and broken chrome Limp Dick parts and gore everywhere.

  I see Raelith's mangled corpse, twisted like a sheet of tinfoil. Her eye gazes at nothing as she lays in a pool of black blood.

  "Raelith! Oh, fuck!" I get tunnel vision and start to freak out a little. "Althea!" I look around. "Althea! Raelith is-"

  I hear a noise. Behind me, the back on the foot of the dais are the Beloved, Zazel, the remaining Limp Dick soldiers, and a silver-haired woman - the one I saw with the with the God's Eye.

  Althea's barrier is still up, and she, Domina, Del, and Pinky are at the very top by the throne - with nowhere to go.

  The Beloved seems to float as it slowly approaches them. "Drop the shield, Order. It is pointless to resist any further."

  "Where is the Hero!? Answer me now, filthy aberration!" Althea's voice is like booming steel, but there's a crack in it.

  "Worry not for him - he is out of the picture, but I assure you he is unharmed. The sooner you accept the fact that he is gone, the better it will be for everyone. Surrender."

  I blitz like a rabid dog. "We ain't surrendering shit, you stupid motherfucker!" I hit the ground as hard as I can, boosted by my rage. But as I pump my legs and charge at them, I notice something weird: I can't seem to close the gap between us.

  It's like I'm on a treadmill, but I can't get off it.

  What the hell is this?

  "Lady Order," says Domina, "I can't sense Master at all."

  Del sniffs. "Nor can I. His scent barely lingers. Is he really-"

  Althea steps toward the Beloved, hammer leveled. The barrier follows her, and Domina and Del almost fall behind it as she approaches. "What have you done!? Explain yourself!"

  "If I did, would it placate you? You already know the answer and I do not wish to inflame the situation any further." They hold out a hand. "You still have a chance. Surrender, and be Liberated."

  "You are very pretentious for a monster! God will make you suffer for your arrogance!"

  Zazel puts her hands on her hips. "Your domain is in shambles, your thralls are annihilated, and the fool is gone. Even you are intelligent enough to know the end when you see it."

  "How dare you even look in my direction treasonous, wretched, foul little whelp!" Althea booms. "I promise you that on my name and honor as the Elemental of Order, there will be retribution for your actions! You have no concept of the consequences you have set in motion. The Hero will return, and he will destroy you and your twisted, corrupt masters!"

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  I feel a surge of rage. "You'd better believe that shit! I'm gonna rip you a new asshole and fill it back in with my foot, you fuckin' freaks!"

  My voice is absorbed into the invisible void yet again.

  "Utter tripe. You're so attached to your so-called 'god' and 'hero' that you fail to see reason," Zazel says. "We were sure to meet a grisly end, staying alongside the fool. At least now I have a chance to live on and find true freedom. You could as well, if you weren't such a blind, stubborn fool!"

  "Ha! You believe yourself to chained, yet you seem content to pass your leash to a new master! And you do so without realizing that the kind of absolute freedom you seek doesn't exist. You will always be bound by something, villain. You will always have some kind of constraint. How much freedom could you possibly want!? Next you will say that gravity is oppressing you - and I suppose then you will attempt to find some way to break free from that as well! I wonder how highly you will regard your precious ideals of infinite freedom when you are drifting aimlessly through the void of the firmament!"

  "Silence! I won't take lectures from a fair-weather bootlicker who chooses to hide behind a shield and ignore reality for the sake of a false tyrant of a god and a failure of a 'hero!' Why would I perish with you fools when I could be live and be free!"

  Althea points her hammer. "You have not found freedom! You have found an escape!" Althea is yelling so loud, her voice is starting crack. "For all your intellect, it seems you do not understand than are fates worse than death! And when you find such a fate - and you certainly will - it will be well-deserved!"

  The Beloved raises a hand. There's a rip through the air, and the two snap to the freak.

  "That's enough. Althea, Elemental of Order. Domina, Elemental of House and Home. Asphodel, Elemental of Nature. Liberation cannot wait any longer. This is your last chance. The fight for Astraea is at an end, but it could mark a new beginning for all of you. Your wisdom, intellect, and Cosmic Power could help us save and free countless souls from the Wardens' clutches. Please join us."

  "Never!" says Del. "We will never forsake the Hero or each other!"

  "I will only serve Master! I don't want anything to do with you or your ways!" Domina wipes her eyes.

  "I would rather die a million deaths than join you!" says Althea. "We would all rather die!"

  The Beloved pauses for a moment, then nods. "Very well, then. I have no choice but to take direct action."

  "No! No! Althea, I'm coming! Keep talking! Buy some time!" I fire off some wild, desperate punches. They fly hard and fast, but like my screams and shouts, they are absorbed by the air. "You gotta stall 'em!"

  The Beloved looks down at the silver bitch. "I have taught you many lessons about violence, and the place it once held on Earth. Lethal force is always a last resort for us - almost everyone can be persuaded to join peacefully - with the proper incentives."

  "Yes, Beloved. I remember well."

  "Good. Then, you also remember that there are some who are not merely bound by their chains. Sometimes, oppression is so deeply ingrained that it becomes an integral part of the victim. So integral, in fact, that the very notion of freedom becomes threatening to them - something to be feared and reviled."

  The silver-haired girl nods. "Yes. At times, the chains cannot be broken without also breaking the victim. And for such individuals, Liberation can only come in the form of death."

  "No! Fuck you! Fuck you, motherfuckers!" They can't hear me. No one can.

  "It is a sad truth," two extra pairs of arms emerge from the the freak's sides, hand reaching out at Althea's barrier, "but it is one we must accept if we are to attain Liberation and Unity."

  "Wait, what are you going to do?" Zazel says. But it's like she's not even there.

  "Please be careful, Beloved. That barrier will harm you."

  Althea tenses and strains, and the magical shield starts making strange noises.

  One of the asshole's arms starts to shift erratically and make cracking noises. "A small price to pay."

  "We... We must do something!" Althea sounds like she's in pain.

  Del and Domina start throwing weapons and other shit. As leaves they shield, they stop in midair, as if frozen.

  "For Master!" Domina yells as she throws the Sword of Courage. But it stops in midair.

  "You will not take our future from us!" Del throws her spear, but it too freezes floating harmlessly.

  My core burns, and feels heavier and heavier in my chest as I realize it: they're not going to make it. All I can do is watch as I punch and claw desperately.

  The Beloved makes a weird, guttural sound. "I'm sorry. You could have been great leaders in a bright new future. But I cannot allow your selfishness to obstruct the path to Liberation. Your deaths shall not be in vain - we will honor your memory as we lead the universe into Unity."

  The Beloved's arms begin to glow, and Althea's shield starts to shrink.

  "Hero, I am sorry we failed you," says Althea.

  "We tried our best..." says Del.

  "I hope you are not disappointed in us, Master," Domina says.

  "Althea! Domina! Del!" I'm screaming and crying, and I'm hitting the air, but it ain't doing shit.

  The dome bursts, and one of freaks arms explodes like liquid.But it doesn't flinch at all.

  The Elementals rush forward for one last attack, but only get in a step or two before they freeze in place, struggling against some the freak's invisible power. Their faces start to turn blue and red as they gasp and cough.

  "NO! PLEASE STOP! PLEASE!" The void eats my words yet again.

  Then, with a flick of three wrists, the Elementals' heads and bodies twist with a series of wet pops and cracks. Their heads and bodies go limp, and their eyes stare blankly. Their faces are stuck in a mask of agony.

  The Beloved drops them to the ground, and the Elementals fall in a heap like bloody dolls.

  "NO!" My throat burns and my vision blurs. I can't think. I can't do anything. I can only feel the anger start to boil over the power of the Dice.

  Goddamn it! I have to do something! Anything!

  I feel my core start to rumble and churn as it gets hotter. I swing and scream as hard as I can, but nothing works. Nothing.

  The silver-haired chick looks down at the Elementals. "It's unfortunate that it came to this, but they gave us no choice. There was no other way... Right?"

  "Indeed," the Beloved says to her. Then, he looks at Zazel, who's staring at the ground. "Chaos, I know that this must have been very difficult for you, but I hope you take solace in the fact that you made the right decision."

  Zazel looks up and gives the Beloved a weak smile. "Of course. This was... inevitable." Zazel glances at the bodies through the corner of her eye, but quickly looks away. "So, what now?"

  The silver haired woman turns to Zazel. "We must first-" She hesitates as she looks at Zazel for the first time, her mouth open slightly. "Their Stones must be collected."

  The Beloved clutches at the bodies, and hear the wet sound of tensing flesh. Then, three bright stones emerge from their chests and float above the Beloved's fingers. A blue one quickly joins from the other side of the room - Raelith's.

  I'm getting dizzy as my vision blurs. I can't hear my thoughts anymore, just a weird ringing in my ears. And it's getting hotter. So hot. Too hot.

  The Beloved clutches the stones with its wicked hand.

  All can think about is hurting this motherfucker. I want to know if it can feel pain, and how much. I want to know what hurts it the most, and I want to do that to 'em as hard as I can and as much as I can.

  It's like that night all over again, when Kris killed me. The anger, the hate, the sadness, the pain, the need to make someone hurt, to make someone pay for what happened to me.

  The Beloved crushes the stones.

  I lurch from pure anger. I choke on my rage.

  "What!? What did you do that!?" Zazel's eyes are wide as hell.

  "Beloved, why!?" the silver bitch is even more shaken. She falls to her knees, scrambling toward the remains of the stones.

  "A miscalculation was made. These Stones will not prove sufficient."

  "No, Beloved! No! This isn't what you promised!"

  "It was a promise made on false assumptions. Accept the loss, and continue toward Liberation."

  The stupid silver bitch is in tears. "Y-Yes Beloved." Her voice sounds assured, but her purple eyes flicker like lightning. She gropes pathetically at the red, blue, and green shards.

  "And, unfortunately, this also means the calculus of Chaos' viability has changed."

  Zazel's eyes widen. "Wait, no! I can still be of use to you!"

  The Beloved turns to Zazel. "No. You are no longer worth the risk."

  "NO! Don't-" Zazel cries.

  The Beloved squeezes. Her head twists around, and she falls to the floor.

  "NO! MOTHERFUCKER!"

  The freak clutches at the her body, and with a wet tear, her stone comes out of her chest. It floats to the Beloved's fingers, and after clutching it for a few seconds, they crush it.

  My mind and body go blank. I swing and kick at the air. I scream like an animal, and I thrash like one. My clothes are catching fire, and I feel like I'm getting cooked from the inside. I'm beyond words. Beyond swearing. I'm just screaming.

  It's completely useless.

  "Beloved, please..." the silver-haired woman is shaken. "You didn't have to do that..."

  "I thought I told you to reign in your sentimentality." The Beloved looks at her, his third arm reaching toward her face. "I will not say it again."

  "Yes, Beloved. Of course. Please forgive me. My faith in the cause is absolute."

  The Beloved stares at her for a few moments, then looks back at the Elementals' bodies.

  My vision is starting to blur. I don't care anymore. I don't care if I'm burning. I don't care if I'm dying. Nothing matters but hurting that motherfucker. If I could trade my life to kill him, I'd do it instantly, a hundred times over. I would give anything to get my hands around them.

  There's movement close to the far wall. Something small darts long the edge of the cathedral, toward the exit.

  Pinky. The little deer is still alive, somehow.

  "RUN! FUCKING RUN!" Desperation surges inside me as I scream at the top of my lungs.

  "Seize it."

  I rage. I scream. I cry. But Pinky is too small, too frail, and way too slow. The silver-haired bitch catches up to Pinky in no time, grabs him, and restrains him.

  He bleets and struggles, but he can't get away.

  "Beloved!" the silver chick yells. "I believe this one was their pet."

  "Indeed. You know the protocol."

  "Of course, Beloved. But it is so small and young, surely-"

  "This is an alien world, and we have no idea what qualities it possesses."

  "Perhaps we could use it for study? Like you said, we know so little about-"

  "No. If it is associated with those who resist Liberation, it must be destroyed. Scientific endeavor must take a backseat this day, I'm afraid. There are likely others of its kind."

  She looks down at the frightened Pinky. "Beloved, please. This is an innocent creature. I do not wish to be cruel. It has done nothing wrong."

  The Beloved turns to her, and the silver-haired girl quickly straightens her back and clears her throat. "Of course, Beloved. My apologies." She tightens her grip around his head. "Please forgive me for this."

  "NO! FUCK YOU, BITCH!"

  Pinky jerks suddenly, and bites down hard on her thumb, drawing out more than a little purple blood. She screams and lets go, and Pinky bolts for the exit.

  "RUN! FUCKING RUN! GO! GO!"

  The air rushes as the Beloved reaches out.

  Pinky's neck twists with a sharp, wet snap, and he goes limp in mid-gallop. He rolls and slides across the floor, limp and heavy.

  His eyes stare past me, still and empty.

  My vision blurs and goes black.

  Something breaks inside me. It feels like an explosion of glass.

  I hear the void begin to bubble and sizzle, and fire ignites, spreading out before me like an infinite sea of flames.

  An enormous chain shoots out to of the pool, rocketing endlessly up in to the black space before tensing suddenly. Then, as if being drawn upward by some great machine, the chain draw something huge up from the fire.

  It's that fucker.

  He's locked onto me even before rising above the surface. The heat-colored metal skeleton bores into me with orange-green flames as he's pulled up.

  The chain stops suddenly, causing the colossal being to sway a bit.

  It jabs a colossal finger at me, flicking blazing liquid everywhere. "YOU DONE FUCKED UP, BOY!" I can't tell if he's pissed or excited, but it gives me chills despite the heat. It sounds like the growl of a giant wild animal. "I GAVE YOU FAIR WARNING - I TOLD YOU THAT HOLDING ME BACK ONLY MAKES ME STRONGER."

  Its burning breath sparks with every syllable that rumbles forth. But I'm not afraid. In fact, I don't feel anything other than a heavy, dull weight in my chest. I barely even feel the heat of the flames around me.

  The fucker leans own at me - his charred metallic skull big enough to consume me in one bite. Its burning eyes grow larger and blaze even more violently as they lock onto me. "WELL? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF? AREN'T YOU GONNA CRY ABOUT YOUR LITTLE GIRLFRIENDS? SCREAM AT ME TO GO AWAY? MAYBE WHINE AGAIN ABOUT YOU AREN'T REALLY 'A FUCKIN' PSYCHO'?"

  The sounds of burning void follow his booming voice. I feel little. I say nothing.

  The the giant metal fucker pulls back. "REALLY? NOTHING? NADA? ZILCH?" He twists his head and spits a ball of fire at the flames below him. It sends a wave of fire across the black sea of hellfire that surrounds me. "YOU'RE JUST GONNA STAND THERE AND TAKE IT LIKE SOME KINDA BITCH, HUH?"

  His eyes narrow. "WELL, MAYBE THAT'S FOR THE BEST - WE ARE WELL FUCKING BEYOND WORDS AT THE THIS POINT, PUSSY. AFTER ALL, WE'RE ON THE HIGHWAY TO HELL, AND I WILL NOT SUFFER ANY MORE FUCKING DISTRACTIONS OR GODDAMNED ROADBLOCKS."

  It leans in again. "I'M NOT JUST TAKING BACK THE WHEEL THIS TIME. I'M KICKING YOUR ASS OUT OF THE CAR."

  Its fiery breath licks me, and for a second, I can almost feel something stir inside me.

  He pulls back a little, shaking a titanic charred metal finger at me. "YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THINK HELL IS A PLACE WITH FIRE AND DEMONS AND SHIT LIKE THAT. SOUNDS PRETTY BAD, BUT I THINK A GUY LIKE ME COULD HAVE SOME FUN WITH THAT SORTA SETUP. " He points at himself. "BUT AFTER WATCHING YOUR ASS FOR A WHILE, I DON'T THINK THAT'S HELL. NOT THE REALLY.

  "IN FACT, I DON'T THINK THE REAL HELL IS A PLACE AT ALL. I THINK IT'S THE OPPOSITE OF THAT. LIKE, AN 'UNPLACE' OR SOME SHIT - A VOID. AN ABSENCE." He glares at me, his burning eyes intense. "A PLACE OF POINTLESS SUFFERING."

  I feel myself recoil, but I don't move.

  "YOU GOT KILLED TWICE BY THE SAME ASSHOLES, WATCHED YOUR LITTLE WHORES AND STUPID PET GET MURDERED RIGHT IN FRONT YOU. YOU COULDN'T SAVE EARTH OR ASTRAEA, AND YOU COULDN'T DO SHIT TO HELP KRIS OR YOUR PARENTS. ALL THIS FOR A GOD THAT DOESN'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOU - AND MIGHT NOT BE A GOD AT ALL. AND FOR WHAT? WHAT WAS THE POINT? ALL THAT SUFFERING, ALL THAT ANGUISH. WHAT DID YOU GET OUT OF ALL OF IT?"

  I should be angry, but I'm not. I should be swinging, lashing out like an animal, but I'm not. I'm too cold and too damn tired. I just float there, hoping all of this will end soon.

  "NOTHING TO SAY? NO NAUGHTY WORDS OR HALF-BRAINED COMEBACKS?" He scoffs. "WOW, YOU SUCK ASS.

  "WE'RE ALMOST TO HELL ANYWAY - I THINK I CAN SEE THE PARKING LOT FROM HERE. BUT BEFORE I PULL IN, THERE'S JUST ONE MORE THING WE GOTTA DO. YOU SEE, THERE'S A BIG PARTY IN HELL TONIGHT, AND WOULDN'T YA KNOW IT - I'M PLUM BROKE! I HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE IT UP WITH NO CASH?"

  The giant metal fucker leans down, and I see the fire burning in its eye sockets.

  "BUT YOU CAN HELP WITH THAT. THE WAY I FIGURE, YOU OWE ME BIG TIME, ESPECIALLY AFTER THAT BULLSHIT YOU PULLED WITH THE DICE."

  He leans in even closer - a foot away from me, at the most. "YOU'VE LOST EVERYTHING - TWICE. WELL, ALMOST EVERYTHING. YOU SEE, THERE IS ONE LITTLE THING YOU DO HAVE LEFT: A MISSION. A TASK.

  "IT'S TIME TO COLLECT WHAT WE'RE OWED, BOY! MOTHERFUCKERS'VE GOTTA PAY, AND I'M GONNA MAKE SURE YOU COLLECT EVERY GODDAMNED DIME!"

  A huge, huge thank you to everyone who has read Ferdie up to this point. It means so much to me.

  The next chapter will be the last. Thank you to any and all who have been with me on this journey.