1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,360
Speaker 1: [rock music]

2
00:00:08,860 --> 00:00:54,440
Speaker 1: Mortal

3
00:00:54,800 --> 00:01:00,380
Speaker 1: Steel. [crows cawing] Please, please
don't.

4
00:01:00,380 --> 00:01:05,820
Speaker 1: [gasping] Ethan awoke six minutes, 11
seconds

5
00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:11,720
Speaker 1: later to the sounds of dying. Not the
sounds of fighting because from the look of

6
00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,040
Speaker 1: it, the fighting was done.

7
00:01:16,740 --> 00:01:21,740
Speaker 1: The bodies of Crucifer soldiers
littered the street. Many of them were mortally

8
00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:27,160
Speaker 1: wounded, but not yet dead. Nobody
seemed especially eager to put them out of their

9
00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:32,900
Speaker 1: misery either. Small demons, like
giant cockroaches with

10
00:01:32,980 --> 00:01:38,640
Speaker 1: human heads glued to their backs,
were pulling away the ones already dead. Ethan

11
00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:44,360
Speaker 1: curled a lip in disgust. There were
corpse nests living within Paradise?

12
00:01:45,220 --> 00:01:50,320
Speaker 1: The monsters didn't seem to bother
the few humans who idled about, though. For
their

13
00:01:50,380 --> 00:01:55,560
Speaker 1: part, the humans mostly ignored them
as well, sometimes even pushing a body toward

14
00:01:55,600 --> 00:02:01,400
Speaker 1: the creatures for disposal. Lord in
heaven, why did the apocalypse have to be so

15
00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:06,880
Speaker 1: revolting? Wouldn't a ray of
incinerating light have been more to the point?

16
00:02:08,139 --> 00:02:13,480
Speaker 1: A man built like a beanbag chair
wrapped around a barrel stepped into view.

17
00:02:14,100 --> 00:02:17,440
Speaker 1: Ethan could barely lift his head to
take him in.

18
00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,440
Speaker 2: Hey, holy man's awake.

19
00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,280
Speaker 1: Dumpit put one hand out to lift him
up, but Ethan just shook his head.

20
00:02:25,980 --> 00:02:28,820
Speaker 2: Can't, can't stand yet.

21
00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:35,620
Speaker 1: His nausea sensors confirmed this for
him. He allowed himself to feel the full

22
00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:41,300
Speaker 1: experience and not just the data for
only a moment before turning it all back off

23
00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:47,200
Speaker 1: again. Actually, why was he here at
all? He should have

24
00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:53,060
Speaker 1: been blown to pieces. His second mind
played him an audio message recorded while he

25
00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:54,280
Speaker 1: was unconscious.

26
00:02:54,880 --> 00:03:00,600
Speaker 3: Ethan, it's Gabriel. We need to talk
in person. Erica won't destroy you,

27
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:06,640
Speaker 3: not after what I told her. I'm
signing off on your patch remotely. You may
disable

28
00:03:06,700 --> 00:03:12,680
Speaker 3: your radio. Just promise me you'll
return. The stakes are higher than you know.

29
00:03:13,620 --> 00:03:15,520
Speaker 1: Ethan queried his second mind.

30
00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:18,060
Speaker 3: Did you already apply the patch?

31
00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:23,780
Speaker 1: It was difficult to understand the
response, which was odd because normally it was

32
00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:29,840
Speaker 1: so intuitive. This almost had an edge
of emotion to it. Its reply could be

33
00:03:29,900 --> 00:03:33,940
Speaker 1: summarized in a single word,
"Obviously."

34
00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:37,420
Speaker 1: Ethan squinted up at Dumpit.

35
00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:39,740
Speaker 2: How are we still alive?

36
00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:45,140
Speaker 1: Dumpit struck a heroic pose, then
frowned at the bloody clothing stuck on his

37
00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:46,560
Speaker 1: fireplace poker foot.

38
00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:52,340
Speaker 2: Don't you hate it when that happens?
I guess you were sleeping. I don't think I've

39
00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:56,140
Speaker 2: ever seen anyone fight like you did.
Gets me shaking just thinking what you were

40
00:03:56,180 --> 00:04:02,160
Speaker 2: like with arms. Good show there. Yep,
once The King showed up, it was all

41
00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:02,640
Speaker 2: over, though.

42
00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:08,460
Speaker 1: The sun itself got a little dimmer
then as a man stepped into Ethan's view.

43
00:04:08,660 --> 00:04:14,180
Speaker 1: [stone scraping] [earth rumbling]
Where exactly had he come from?

44
00:04:14,780 --> 00:04:20,200
Speaker 3: Yes, but they got what they came for.
They lost two dozen useless Acolytes and

45
00:04:20,300 --> 00:04:24,240
Speaker 3: gained over 100 children. Fresh
blood.

46
00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:30,200
Speaker 1: The man was not a man, but a demon.
Or perhaps somewhere in

47
00:04:30,260 --> 00:04:36,060
Speaker 1: between. He shook his head with
genuine sadness. Half of his face was

48
00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:41,460
Speaker 1: sad anyway. The other half was
covered by a plate of bone that grew up from his

49
00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:47,480
Speaker 1: collarbone and wrapped around his
head. Ethan found that he could only manage a

50
00:04:47,740 --> 00:04:50,040
Speaker 1: single word for The Stalker.

51
00:04:51,140 --> 00:04:51,740
Speaker 2: You.

52
00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:56,860
Speaker 1: The people around The Stalker, Dumpit
included, gave him a respectful nod, but

53
00:04:56,980 --> 00:05:02,380
Speaker 1: nothing more. They seemed quite
comfortable with the disfigured abomination.
Chummy

54
00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:08,360
Speaker 1: even, which only made Ethan more
squeamish. Were these people

55
00:05:08,420 --> 00:05:13,240
Speaker 1: under his control? That was at least
half the reason he'd been built. Possess could

56
00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:18,940
Speaker 1: control regular humans as easy as
breathing. Not forever, and not too many,

57
00:05:19,540 --> 00:05:24,520
Speaker 1: but that made it very difficult to
get an assassin anywhere near them. Dumpit

58
00:05:24,700 --> 00:05:27,120
Speaker 1: slapped the creature on the back and
laughed.

59
00:05:27,660 --> 00:05:31,220
Speaker 2: What happened to the protector
anyway? You get tired of outsourcing the fun
part?

60
00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:37,540
Speaker 1: The Stalker narrowed his one eye. His
dark, messy bangs made him look handsome,

61
00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:38,900
Speaker 1: but brooding.

62
00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,760
Speaker 3: I expect our friend here killed it.

63
00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:46,720
Speaker 2: Now, what did you do that for? We've
been feeding that thing a steady diet of

64
00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:47,400
Speaker 2: Crucifer.

65
00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,240
Speaker 3: I don't play well with demons.

66
00:05:51,260 --> 00:05:56,300
Speaker 1: The Stalker glanced back at the
bodies pinned to the wall with a rebar spear.

67
00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:58,700
Speaker 3: Or anyone, apparently.

68
00:06:02,084 --> 00:06:04,864
Speaker 4: You don't remember me?

69
00:06:06,504 --> 00:06:06,704
Speaker 4: What?

70
00:06:07,404 --> 00:06:11,744
Speaker 1: He smiled, closing the one eye,
shaking his head.

71
00:06:12,544 --> 00:06:14,424
Speaker 4: Guess I shouldn't be surprised.

72
00:06:15,324 --> 00:06:20,944
Speaker 1: The stalker reached forward with his
human arm and tapped Ethan's forehead. Warning

73
00:06:21,024 --> 00:06:24,304
Speaker 1: alarms blared and threat simulations
played automatically.

74
00:06:24,484 --> 00:06:27,384
Speaker 4: Who knows how much Ethan Cutter is
left in there.

75
00:06:28,184 --> 00:06:28,384
Speaker 1: He,

76
00:06:29,984 --> 00:06:35,904
Speaker 1: he knew his name? Ethan shook his
head and killed the simulations, ignoring

77
00:06:35,944 --> 00:06:41,224
Speaker 1: their results. It didn't matter. This
creature needed to die.

78
00:06:43,744 --> 00:06:45,104
Speaker 1: But more importantly...

79
00:06:47,944 --> 00:06:49,044
Speaker 4: I need your help.

80
00:06:50,144 --> 00:06:55,984
Speaker 1: The stalker lifted his head to the
sky and laughed. It started very

81
00:06:56,104 --> 00:07:02,084
Speaker 1: humorous, very human. Then it slowly
stretched into something

82
00:07:02,264 --> 00:07:08,004
Speaker 1: nasty. Ethan felt a very large hand
close around

83
00:07:08,184 --> 00:07:08,484
Speaker 1: him.

84
00:07:08,704 --> 00:07:11,064
Speaker 4: We call it a pact, Holy Man.

85
00:07:11,944 --> 00:07:17,164
Speaker 1: Then he grinned a wild, unholy smile.
And

86
00:07:17,324 --> 00:07:22,924
Speaker 1: Pastor Ethan Cutter knew this was how
good people started down the

87
00:07:22,984 --> 00:07:28,264
Speaker 1: path to evil, one necessary step at a
time.

88
00:07:29,304 --> 00:07:35,044
Speaker 1: He fought the almost irresistible
urge to kill this monster. He would have to.

89
00:07:35,984 --> 00:07:41,184
Speaker 1: His orders were not subject to this
much interpretation, but they could be

90
00:07:42,424 --> 00:07:48,364
Speaker 1: delayed. The stalker's execution
could wait because there was

91
00:07:48,444 --> 00:07:53,924
Speaker 1: someone small and weak that

92
00:07:54,124 --> 00:07:55,844
Speaker 1: needed his help.

93
00:07:57,604 --> 00:07:58,984
Speaker 1: Mission be damned.

94
00:07:59,084 --> 00:08:12,924
Speaker 1: [gentle music]

95
00:08:12,984 --> 00:08:16,644
Speaker 1: The bigger boy tried again to take
Fleabag's shirt.

96
00:08:18,104 --> 00:08:19,364
Speaker 5: I'm not weak.

97
00:08:20,164 --> 00:08:24,744
Speaker 1: Seriously, did he think he would just
let him have it? It wouldn't fit him anyway.

98
00:08:25,464 --> 00:08:26,664
Speaker 5: Give it here.

99
00:08:27,344 --> 00:08:33,084
Speaker 1: The bigger boy jerked Fleabag forward
by his shirt, [fabric ripping] tearing it.

100
00:08:33,804 --> 00:08:39,304
Speaker 1: So Fleabag pulled the weapon from his
waistband, the piece of broken metal from Holy

101
00:08:39,364 --> 00:08:43,964
Speaker 1: Man's arm blade that had been stuck
in the protector. Fleabag slashed the bigger

102
00:08:44,004 --> 00:08:49,344
Speaker 1: boy's arm with a quick swipe. It
wasn't deep enough to be dangerous, but it was
deep

103
00:08:49,404 --> 00:08:53,104
Speaker 1: enough to let them know that Fleabag
was dangerous.

104
00:08:54,724 --> 00:08:59,884
Speaker 1: The other boy stumbled backward,
staring in horror at the bright red blood on his

105
00:09:00,024 --> 00:09:05,624
Speaker 1: arm. One of the sand hags pounded on
their wooden cage with her cane.

106
00:09:06,224 --> 00:09:11,604
Speaker 3: No fighting. You will have time
enough for that.

107
00:09:12,324 --> 00:09:18,144
Speaker 1: Then she turned back to the team of
makeshift vehicles, mutated animals, and

108
00:09:18,404 --> 00:09:24,064
Speaker 1: people that pulled their train of
child prisoners. There had to be

109
00:09:24,244 --> 00:09:30,124
Speaker 1: 100 other kids in these cages.
Fleabag's cage had eight other kids. Most of
them

110
00:09:30,184 --> 00:09:34,824
Speaker 1: were crying. Why? It's not like that
actually solved anything.

111
00:09:36,744 --> 00:09:42,704
Speaker 1: A girl with thick glasses scooted up
beside Fleabag, but not quite willing to

112
00:09:42,784 --> 00:09:48,444
Speaker 1: touch him. She had been one of the
crying ones until just now. She looked young

113
00:09:49,204 --> 00:09:55,164
Speaker 1: and small, like Drip. Drip had been
even smaller than this girl.

114
00:09:55,804 --> 00:10:01,024
Speaker 1: Fleabag gave her a confident grin,
ignoring the larger boy who was now amongst the

115
00:10:01,104 --> 00:10:02,344
Speaker 1: other crying children.

116
00:10:03,224 --> 00:10:08,084
Speaker 5: What is that? Part of a magic weapon.
It's just a part, though.

117
00:10:08,384 --> 00:10:12,244
Speaker 1: Her eyes lit up, and she seemed to
forget that she was upset.

118
00:10:13,084 --> 00:10:18,284
Speaker 5: Really? Yeah. It's part of Holy Man's
arm sword.

119
00:10:19,624 --> 00:10:21,164
Speaker 5: Who is Holy Man?

120
00:10:21,844 --> 00:10:27,704
Speaker 1: Fleabag smiled again. The other kids
in his cage noticed their conversation and

121
00:10:27,784 --> 00:10:33,744
Speaker 1: either scooted closer to listen or at
least stopped sobbing. Fleabag crossed his

122
00:10:33,844 --> 00:10:37,944
Speaker 1: arms and held the shattered blade out
in front of them for them all to see.

123
00:10:38,164 --> 00:10:43,624
Speaker 5: I'll tell you the story of how I got
this. I'll tell you about Holy Man and

124
00:10:44,164 --> 00:10:45,924
Speaker 5: how he's going to save us.

125
00:10:46,964 --> 00:10:52,384
Speaker 1: That got their attention. Even the
bully with the bleeding arm was wrapped up in it

126
00:10:52,444 --> 00:10:55,744
Speaker 1: now. Fleabag pointed directly at him.

127
00:10:56,444 --> 00:10:57,364
Speaker 5: You're shirtless.

128
00:10:57,964 --> 00:11:03,604
Speaker 1: The kid looked at him skeptically,
then shrugged. Then Fleabag went around the

129
00:11:03,684 --> 00:11:08,624
Speaker 1: cage, pointing at each child, giving
them their new

130
00:11:09,244 --> 00:11:09,924
Speaker 1: names.

131
00:11:11,364 --> 00:11:17,204
Speaker 5: Bottles, Screech, Armpit, Geezer,
Rainbow Flakes, Umpire,

132
00:11:17,724 --> 00:11:22,504
Speaker 5: Medium Willy, and I'm Cyber Blade.

133
00:11:22,584 --> 00:11:25,704
Speaker 5: [clapping]

134
00:11:25,784 --> 00:11:31,624
Speaker 1: They nodded, eager for him to tell
his story. And just like that,

135
00:11:32,604 --> 00:11:33,944
Speaker 1: he had a new name.

136
00:11:34,184 --> 00:11:42,024
Speaker 1: [gentle music]

137
00:11:42,084 --> 00:11:44,944
Speaker 1: Part eight, Pact.

138
00:11:48,104 --> 00:11:52,944
Speaker 1: The stalker's throne room was a
security guard's office at the bottom of an

139
00:11:53,004 --> 00:11:58,764
Speaker 1: underground parking garage. At first
blush, this was an esoteric decision, but

140
00:11:58,844 --> 00:12:04,464
Speaker 1: tactically, it was very defensible.
The corkscrew path leading down to the office at

141
00:12:04,504 --> 00:12:09,812
Speaker 1: the bottom was filled with his scary
boys. The mixes of

142
00:12:09,912 --> 00:12:15,332
Speaker 1: admiration and loathing on their
faces had been an odd combination.

143
00:12:16,292 --> 00:12:20,612
Speaker 1: The stalker himself sat sideways on
an ornate dining room chair,

144
00:12:21,732 --> 00:12:27,652
Speaker 1: apparently brought in to serve as his
throne. He had not bothered to remove the

145
00:12:27,972 --> 00:12:32,952
Speaker 1: Baywatch poster which still hung on
the painted concrete wall above his

146
00:12:33,912 --> 00:12:34,812
Speaker 1: throne.

147
00:12:35,532 --> 00:12:40,652
Speaker 4: So what? You're just gonna walk in
there with one arm and a bad attitude?

148
00:12:41,632 --> 00:12:42,412
Speaker 1: One arm.

149
00:12:42,832 --> 00:12:46,892
Speaker 4: It's your lucky day. Forgemaster says
he can reattach one of them.

150
00:12:47,512 --> 00:12:53,172
Speaker 1: That was a pretty lofty title for a
man who called himself Dumpit. This

151
00:12:53,252 --> 00:12:58,752
Speaker 1: coming from the man whose throne room
still smelled like a truck stop bathroom even

152
00:12:58,972 --> 00:13:04,372
Speaker 1: 30 years after the apocalypse. And
no, I'm not a fool.

153
00:13:05,272 --> 00:13:10,352
Speaker 1: There was no love between Crucifer
and Last Respite at the best of times. Their

154
00:13:10,392 --> 00:13:15,332
Speaker 1: communication at this point was
limited to messages like, "Cross this line and
we

155
00:13:15,392 --> 00:13:20,952
Speaker 1: start shooting." Even then, those
lines were an ever-changing thing. Ethan
wouldn't

156
00:13:20,992 --> 00:13:26,452
Speaker 1: make it past the front gate. In his
current condition, they'd have no trouble

157
00:13:26,512 --> 00:13:31,532
Speaker 1: putting him on a spike as a warning.
Not that anyone came within 10 miles of the

158
00:13:31,592 --> 00:13:36,772
Speaker 1: place by choice, which was why he had
a plan.

159
00:13:37,732 --> 00:13:43,152
Speaker 1: I'm going to New Hope first. The
stalker sat up straight in his chair.

160
00:13:43,912 --> 00:13:48,732
Speaker 4: You're making a tour of my enemies
then. Sounds like something I would back.

161
00:13:49,332 --> 00:13:54,992
Speaker 1: There's a team of specialists there
who can repair me. The stalker did not look

162
00:13:55,072 --> 00:14:00,772
Speaker 1: impressed, but what did Ethan care?
He was gonna kill the man. He'd just been

163
00:14:00,832 --> 00:14:03,612
Speaker 1: bumped down the task list
temporarily.

164
00:14:04,792 --> 00:14:09,552
Speaker 4: New Hope isn't like Last Respite.
Just like Crucifer, they've survived because

165
00:14:09,592 --> 00:14:14,532
Speaker 4: they've matched the brutality of a
demon invasion. Don't let their polished comm

166
00:14:14,552 --> 00:14:20,252
Speaker 4: presentation fool you, Pastor. New
Hope makes my spine eater look like

167
00:14:20,332 --> 00:14:21,132
Speaker 4: a puppy.

168
00:14:21,812 --> 00:14:27,812
Speaker 1: Ethan wasn't sure he bought that
story. They were reclusive and aloof, sure, but

169
00:14:27,832 --> 00:14:33,512
Speaker 1: they didn't eat spines. There was a
difference between allowing evil to

170
00:14:33,572 --> 00:14:39,392
Speaker 1: happen and holding the bloody ax. The
stalker leaned forward in

171
00:14:39,432 --> 00:14:44,992
Speaker 1: his dining chair. His enormous
disfigured arm began crawling up the

172
00:14:45,072 --> 00:14:50,892
Speaker 1: wall behind him, almost as if he
couldn't control it, or

173
00:14:50,952 --> 00:14:55,312
Speaker 1: perhaps he couldn't control it all
the time.

174
00:14:55,692 --> 00:15:00,172
Speaker 4: What will you do if they let you in,
only to shake you down for parts and drop your

175
00:15:00,232 --> 00:15:01,452
Speaker 4: brain in the dumpster?

176
00:15:02,512 --> 00:15:04,192
Speaker 1: I'm open to suggestions.

177
00:15:05,412 --> 00:15:08,672
Speaker 4: Humility is a good look on you,
Father.

178
00:15:09,712 --> 00:15:15,652
Speaker 1: Ethan surrendered motor control of
his body to his second mind. Didn't

179
00:15:15,712 --> 00:15:21,652
Speaker 1: trust himself to not bury a headbutt
into this creature's face. Eh, he would

180
00:15:21,752 --> 00:15:24,552
Speaker 1: regenerate, so it's not like it was
that big of a deal.

181
00:15:25,072 --> 00:15:29,832
Speaker 4: If you wanna take down New Hope and
Crucifer, I'm in. We've been fighting a war on

182
00:15:29,872 --> 00:15:34,652
Speaker 4: three fronts for years now. Now that
Last Respite has finally entered the fray,

183
00:15:35,212 --> 00:15:37,952
Speaker 4: well, that changes everything.

184
00:15:38,672 --> 00:15:43,652
Speaker 1: Every sentence this creature uttered
was information the archbishops would have

185
00:15:43,752 --> 00:15:47,072
Speaker 1: killed for. Three fronts.

186
00:15:48,832 --> 00:15:53,632
Speaker 1: The stalker put his fingers in his
mouth and whistled. Two scary boys who'd been

187
00:15:53,732 --> 00:15:58,252
Speaker 1: standing outside came in like good
little pets.

188
00:15:59,652 --> 00:16:04,732
Speaker 4: Gear up. We're taking six elites for
a walk. Anyone who survives gets some juice.

189
00:16:05,212 --> 00:16:08,832
Speaker 4: And tell the Forgemaster he gets 48
hours to work on the cyborg.

190
00:16:09,172 --> 00:16:14,432
Speaker 1: The scary boys practically licked
their lips. Whatever they'd been promised, they

191
00:16:14,532 --> 00:16:20,492
Speaker 1: craved it. When they left, the
stalker and Pastor Ethan Cutter were

192
00:16:20,612 --> 00:16:26,372
Speaker 1: alone. The possessed man's entire
demeanor changed. He sat

193
00:16:26,452 --> 00:16:32,372
Speaker 1: patiently and correctly in his chair.
Though the massive arm still

194
00:16:32,472 --> 00:16:37,092
Speaker 1: crawled around, feeling for something
unknowable.

195
00:16:37,832 --> 00:16:40,192
Speaker 4: You really don't remember me?

196
00:16:41,592 --> 00:16:41,892
Speaker 1: No.

197
00:16:42,692 --> 00:16:48,572
Speaker 4: Bah. It's not like we were friends or
anything. Last Respite is a big place. You did

198
00:16:48,632 --> 00:16:49,652
Speaker 4: me a solid once.

199
00:16:50,632 --> 00:16:56,552
Speaker 1: Ethan sensed an opportunity here.
Insight from his human mind, for a

200
00:16:56,632 --> 00:16:57,152
Speaker 1: change.

201
00:16:58,792 --> 00:17:04,692
Speaker 1: Why? The stalker snorted. They both
knew what he was asking.

202
00:17:05,512 --> 00:17:10,892
Speaker 1: The possessed man leaned his head
back against the chair and looked up at the

203
00:17:10,972 --> 00:17:11,532
Speaker 1: ceiling.

204
00:17:14,552 --> 00:17:20,092
Speaker 4: I was a Sunday school teacher. Not
even. I played songs for the kids. Worked the

205
00:17:20,152 --> 00:17:25,952
Speaker 4: walls the rest of the time. Guard
duty. I just got tired of

206
00:17:26,052 --> 00:17:30,212
Speaker 4: singing songs to smiling kids in the
morning and then looking down at starving ones

207
00:17:30,272 --> 00:17:35,012
Speaker 4: in the afternoon. I could just barely
see their dirty little faces looking up at me.

208
00:17:36,952 --> 00:17:42,592
Speaker 1: So you became a monster. The
disfigured hand found a cheap particle board

209
00:17:42,672 --> 00:17:48,172
Speaker 1: desk. The stalker's face lit with
sudden anger and the desk was crushed to dust

210
00:17:48,212 --> 00:17:51,052
Speaker 1: between the bulging purple fingers.

211
00:17:52,612 --> 00:17:58,392
Speaker 4: I became a king. Why do you think
your silly little fortress is still standing?

212
00:17:58,852 --> 00:18:04,472
Speaker 4: Why do you think anyone is still
alive outside your walls? Me.

213
00:18:04,552 --> 00:18:09,932
Speaker 1: He stood and slammed the demonic hand
against the floor in a bizarre pantomime of

214
00:18:09,972 --> 00:18:11,032
Speaker 1: his human hand.

215
00:18:12,432 --> 00:18:13,092
Speaker 4: I'm why.

216
00:18:14,212 --> 00:18:19,868
Speaker 1: He collapsed back into the chair
Clearly borne down by more than a

217
00:18:19,948 --> 00:18:25,688
Speaker 1: physical weight. Well, sharing a body
with a demon would do

218
00:18:25,768 --> 00:18:31,308
Speaker 1: that. Was Ethan really supposed to
believe he'd joined the enemy to

219
00:18:31,488 --> 00:18:37,348
Speaker 1: save people? There was very little
logic in that, so he changed the

220
00:18:37,408 --> 00:18:40,848
Speaker 1: topic. You mentioned a deal.

221
00:18:41,508 --> 00:18:42,068
Speaker 4: A pact.

222
00:18:42,968 --> 00:18:46,088
Speaker 1: Fine, a pact. What are your terms?

223
00:18:47,388 --> 00:18:51,708
Speaker 4: You help me destroy New Hope,
Crucifer, and the Mixers.

224
00:18:52,328 --> 00:18:57,948
Speaker 1: Ethan's eyebrows went up. Kill two
human settlements and take on a rival

225
00:18:58,028 --> 00:19:03,688
Speaker 1: demon army? That was a pretty big
opening ask. What could possibly be worth all
that

226
00:19:03,748 --> 00:19:08,888
Speaker 1: trouble? Ethan could just save
Fleabag himself. Maybe.

227
00:19:10,348 --> 00:19:16,188
Speaker 4: And in return, I'll turn all of my
forces and all of my allies against the Southern

228
00:19:16,268 --> 00:19:16,728
Speaker 4: Horde.

229
00:19:17,448 --> 00:19:22,808
Speaker 1: Ethan stared blankly at the
possessed. Why would I trust you?

230
00:19:23,408 --> 00:19:29,268
Speaker 4: Because it's not a deal, it's a pact.
If I break it, you get my power.

231
00:19:29,968 --> 00:19:35,248
Speaker 1: Oh, yeah, that's what he needed. A
demonic roommate for his computer.

232
00:19:36,628 --> 00:19:38,008
Speaker 1: And if I break it?

233
00:19:38,708 --> 00:19:42,728
Speaker 4: Father Cutter, are you considering
double-crossing me?

234
00:19:43,328 --> 00:19:47,968
Speaker 1: Well, you can't cross the devil.
You're already sin incarnate.

235
00:19:48,608 --> 00:19:54,008
Speaker 4: I'm not the devil. If you betray me,
though, you would get to meet him.

236
00:19:54,888 --> 00:20:00,388
Speaker 1: Threats aside, everything up until
this moment had just been shuffling deck chairs

237
00:20:00,468 --> 00:20:06,348
Speaker 1: around on the Titanic. Ethan might
save Fleabag. He might even

238
00:20:06,428 --> 00:20:12,208
Speaker 1: carve out some relative safety for a
few dozen followers in the outskirts. But

239
00:20:12,288 --> 00:20:18,268
Speaker 1: they would all die when the Southern
Horde returned. If he could

240
00:20:18,368 --> 00:20:24,308
Speaker 1: find a way to stand against that
tide, even a cyborg was still just

241
00:20:24,408 --> 00:20:30,128
Speaker 1: one person. He needed something else.
If there was even the

242
00:20:30,228 --> 00:20:35,528
Speaker 1: slightest chance this creature could
help, it was worth everything he had.

243
00:20:36,748 --> 00:20:42,208
Speaker 1: And with that, he took one more
necessary step

244
00:20:42,808 --> 00:20:48,528
Speaker 1: down that foreboding path. Fine. I
accept your pact,

245
00:20:49,008 --> 00:20:54,828
Speaker 1: demon. And he became a little less
human.

246
00:21:06,488 --> 00:21:12,488
Speaker 1: Archbishop Gabriel sat in his simple
robes, in his simple room, and waited for

247
00:21:12,568 --> 00:21:17,548
Speaker 1: death. It was a fickle thing, though,
apparently unwilling to greet you when you

248
00:21:17,608 --> 00:21:18,168
Speaker 1: called it.

249
00:21:32,948 --> 00:21:38,928
Speaker 1: The woman seated in the chair across
from him looked tired, beyond tired,

250
00:21:39,408 --> 00:21:45,068
Speaker 1: visibly fraying at the edges. Bishop
Erica Long rubbed at her

251
00:21:45,148 --> 00:21:45,708
Speaker 1: temples.

252
00:21:46,988 --> 00:21:50,688
Speaker 6: Couldn't you have blackmailed me in
some other way?

253
00:21:51,988 --> 00:21:56,488
Speaker 1: You would have tortured me for the
information. Besides, it's not my life I was

254
00:21:56,548 --> 00:21:57,368
Speaker 1: trying to preserve.

255
00:21:58,008 --> 00:22:00,088
Speaker 6: I would not have tortured you.

256
00:22:01,188 --> 00:22:06,368
Speaker 1: She looked offended at that, more
bothered by the insinuation than the torture.

257
00:22:07,348 --> 00:22:12,708
Speaker 1: Gabriel waved casually at the door,
bolted shut from the outside.

258
00:22:13,468 --> 00:22:19,368
Speaker 1: Lucius would then. Erica shrugged in
acceptance. Gabriel

259
00:22:19,428 --> 00:22:24,268
Speaker 1: himself would have tortured someone
for the information he'd stored on the cyborg's

260
00:22:24,308 --> 00:22:30,168
Speaker 1: hard drive. In a single stroke of
elegant strategy, he'd managed to

261
00:22:30,208 --> 00:22:35,948
Speaker 1: turn the cyborg into his own
collateral. Last respite would not

262
00:22:36,028 --> 00:22:36,648
Speaker 1: touch him.

263
00:22:39,047 --> 00:22:42,008
Speaker 6: It's still kind of hard to believe,
but

264
00:22:44,308 --> 00:22:45,868
Speaker 6: demons were real after all.

265
00:22:46,808 --> 00:22:52,688
Speaker 1: Gabriel put a hand out to stall her.
He'd gone down this line of thinking himself

266
00:22:53,368 --> 00:22:58,988
Speaker 1: long ago. You shouldn't get your
hopes up. Don't expect them to be like the
stories.

267
00:22:59,368 --> 00:23:03,028
Speaker 1: There's no indication that they can
or will do anything to help us.

268
00:23:03,448 --> 00:23:06,948
Speaker 6: But they're angels, Gabriel. It's in
their nature.

269
00:23:08,168 --> 00:23:14,028
Speaker 1: Archbishop Gabriel Klein turned away
from her, trying to bury

270
00:23:14,108 --> 00:23:19,928
Speaker 1: his shame deep, deep down. He could
not

271
00:23:20,048 --> 00:23:21,828
Speaker 1: voice his terror to her,

272
00:23:23,428 --> 00:23:27,168
Speaker 1: couldn't give words to the crimes she
was ignorant of.

273
00:23:28,908 --> 00:23:34,888
Speaker 1: What would she say if she knew what
New Hope had done to the beings

274
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Speaker 1: they called angels?

275
00:23:38,168 --> 00:23:44,148
Speaker 1: If the angels granted them anything,
it would not be aid, but

276
00:23:44,268 --> 00:23:49,848
Speaker 1: vengeance. Which was why he prayed
that their existence would

277
00:23:49,908 --> 00:23:55,648
Speaker 1: remain undiscovered. And if Cyborg
No. 4 perished, the

278
00:23:55,708 --> 00:24:01,468
Speaker 1: clues leading to them would die with
him. For now, he straddled the

279
00:24:01,528 --> 00:24:07,288
Speaker 1: dangerous line between keeping their
existence buried and keeping Pastor

280
00:24:07,508 --> 00:24:13,208
Speaker 1: Cutter alive. If he did actually come
back here, though, these

281
00:24:13,288 --> 00:24:19,168
Speaker 1: people would dismantle him. And there
would be absolutely

282
00:24:19,368 --> 00:24:23,428
Speaker 1: nothing Gabriel could do to stop it.

283
00:24:26,878 --> 00:25:14,118
Speaker 1: [rock music]

284
00:25:14,118 --> 00:25:18,798
Speaker 1: [footsteps] A woman in a simple brown
dress led John down the hall. She held his

285
00:25:18,858 --> 00:25:24,358
Speaker 1: hand gently, and if the possessed
appendage bothered her, she didn't let it show.

286
00:25:25,178 --> 00:25:28,478
Speaker 5: Right this way. They're all very
excited.

287
00:25:29,578 --> 00:25:33,658
Speaker 1: She pushed open the door and John
stepped inside. [door closing] His heart was

288
00:25:33,718 --> 00:25:39,538
Speaker 1: pounding. [door opening] Could he
really do this? Fourteen

289
00:25:39,698 --> 00:25:45,618
Speaker 1: kids, ages six to three, sat in a
semicircle on the floor. They looked up

290
00:25:45,658 --> 00:25:50,358
Speaker 1: at him, then down at his enormous
possessed hand.

291
00:25:51,618 --> 00:25:57,618
Speaker 1: No smiles. John glanced over at their
teacher for support. She gave him

292
00:25:57,718 --> 00:26:03,398
Speaker 1: a reassuring nod. So he pulled the
acoustic guitar off his back.

293
00:26:03,678 --> 00:26:09,298
Speaker 4: Hey, kids. I know you're probably sad
about all the other kids, you know, that went

294
00:26:09,338 --> 00:26:09,738
Speaker 4: missing.

295
00:26:10,318 --> 00:26:14,018
Speaker 1: One of the kids started bawling. The
teacher shook her head back and forth

296
00:26:14,118 --> 00:26:17,098
Speaker 1: violently, silently mouthing the word
no.

297
00:26:17,698 --> 00:26:18,478
Speaker 4: Aw, crap.

298
00:26:19,078 --> 00:26:23,378
Speaker 1: Then the voice inside his head
rumbled to life.

299
00:26:24,478 --> 00:26:27,538
Speaker 3: You should crush them

300
00:26:29,078 --> 00:26:33,258
Speaker 3: and feed me.

301
00:26:33,318 --> 00:26:35,978
Speaker 1: He ignored it, as always.

302
00:26:37,498 --> 00:26:41,098
Speaker 4: Which is why I wrote this song for
you, to cheer you up.

303
00:26:43,778 --> 00:26:47,998
Speaker 3: It would be so easy to kill them all.

304
00:26:48,078 --> 00:26:51,198
Speaker 1: John set the guitar gently over his
left knee.

305
00:26:51,458 --> 00:26:54,438
Speaker 3: How come? Small death.

306
00:26:56,178 --> 00:27:01,998
Speaker 1: Then he set his fingers on the frets,
getting ready to play something simple,

307
00:27:02,898 --> 00:27:08,098
Speaker 1: just a couple chords. He swung his
massive possessed hand over the

308
00:27:08,198 --> 00:27:13,858
Speaker 1: strings and the bloated purple
fingers shattered the body of the

309
00:27:13,898 --> 00:27:19,698
Speaker 1: guitar on the very first stroke,
reducing the entire guitar

310
00:27:19,958 --> 00:27:25,918
Speaker 1: to splinters of wood in his lap.
[guitar breaking] John stared down at the pieces

311
00:27:26,018 --> 00:27:27,418
Speaker 1: in disbelief.

312
00:27:27,958 --> 00:27:32,438
Speaker 3: Feed me.

313
00:27:32,478 --> 00:27:37,898
Speaker 1: Then the kid who had been crying just
moments before started laughing,

314
00:27:38,718 --> 00:27:44,658
Speaker 1: and then another, and another, until
the whole class was laughing.

315
00:27:45,798 --> 00:27:49,518
Speaker 1: John just shook his head and grinned
back at them.

316
00:27:49,538 --> 00:27:52,238
Speaker 4: [laughs] Oops