WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:09.060 Speaker 1: [rock music] 2 00:00:46.800 --> 00:00:52.540 Speaker 1: Mortal Steel. [suspenseful music] Episode three, 3 00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:56.040 Speaker 1: part four: Hail Mary. 4 00:00:57.960 --> 00:01:00.800 Speaker 1: Ethan watched as a demon swooped toward him. 5 00:01:02.060 --> 00:01:02.780 Speaker 2: Overclock! 6 00:01:04.360 --> 00:01:08.560 Speaker 1: There was no reason to shout. He could have turned it on with a thought, but there 7 00:01:08.620 --> 00:01:13.600 Speaker 1: was a layer of performance here that mattered to his second mind for some reason. 8 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:19.740 Speaker 1: The bio-overclocking kicked in, and time slowed to a near standstill. The swooping 9 00:01:19.780 --> 00:01:24.380 Speaker 1: demon froze in mid-flight, its bat-like wings beating the air as if it were made of 10 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:30.140 Speaker 1: molasses now. Its elephant-like trunk was parted, the thousands of needle 11 00:01:30.200 --> 00:01:35.520 Speaker 1: teeth dripping some vile green fluid. A dozen more like it circled above him. 12 00:01:36.720 --> 00:01:42.300 Speaker 1: Below them, 23 humans in biker leather were mounting rusted motorcycles in slow 13 00:01:42.360 --> 00:01:48.220 Speaker 1: motion. Only seven of them had visible signs of demonic tainting, the same bone-like 14 00:01:48.260 --> 00:01:52.260 Speaker 1: protrusions piercing the skin around the faces, necks, and hands. 15 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:54.060 Speaker 2: Give me an inventory. 16 00:01:54.900 --> 00:01:59.440 Speaker 1: Icons covered Ethan's HUD. Most of them were gray with red crosses through them. 17 00:01:59.860 --> 00:02:05.340 Speaker 1: Apparently, he was missing most of his arsenal. Weapons, The Messenger, 18 00:02:05.880 --> 00:02:11.240 Speaker 1: Holy Fire, grenades, and something called Trinity. 19 00:02:12.580 --> 00:02:17.820 Speaker 1: Below that was another category of tools called combat mods. Again, most of these 20 00:02:17.860 --> 00:02:22.460 Speaker 1: were grayed out. It seemed pointlessly cruel to flaunt his full potential in front 21 00:02:22.500 --> 00:02:28.140 Speaker 1: of him like this. Perhaps the nuns could explain it later, if he survived. 22 00:02:30.220 --> 00:02:35.740 Speaker 1: Of the 23 combat mods listed, only three were available. Neck Cracker, 23 00:02:36.300 --> 00:02:38.940 Speaker 1: Tether Grapple, Hydraulic Heel. 24 00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:41.060 Speaker 2: Explain Neck Cracker. 25 00:02:41.240 --> 00:02:45.960 Speaker 1: Instead of a verbal explanation, his field of vision was overlaid with a hologram 26 00:02:46.060 --> 00:02:51.900 Speaker 1: depicting his body and an enemy combatant, not unlike the combat simulations. 27 00:02:52.780 --> 00:02:57.700 Speaker 1: If the hologram could be trusted, the Neck Cracker looked to be gruesomely effective 28 00:02:57.740 --> 00:02:58.680 Speaker 1: at close range. 29 00:02:59.200 --> 00:03:00.920 Speaker 2: Explain Tether Grapple. 30 00:03:01.660 --> 00:03:07.540 Speaker 1: Another hologram. This time, Ethan actually laughed. He couldn't remember 31 00:03:07.580 --> 00:03:13.320 Speaker 1: the last time he'd laughed. Why didn't he laugh anymore? He was watching a 32 00:03:13.340 --> 00:03:18.000 Speaker 1: demonstration of the suggested uses for Holy Fire when his second mind started 33 00:03:18.180 --> 00:03:22.760 Speaker 1: chirping. "Bio-overclock warning. Heat build-up. Danger." 34 00:03:24.320 --> 00:03:28.760 Speaker 1: If he didn't release the overclock now, the excess heat would cook his own brain. 35 00:03:29.260 --> 00:03:30.240 Speaker 2: Release overclock. 36 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:36.500 Speaker 1: Time started again. The flying demon parted its tentacle mouth. It was large enough 37 00:03:36.540 --> 00:03:41.840 Speaker 1: to wrap around 10 people. They would be eviscerated in short order as well. 38 00:03:42.640 --> 00:03:47.700 Speaker 1: Ethan glanced up at the circling demons. He made no move to dodge the dive. 39 00:03:48.260 --> 00:03:50.900 Speaker 1: Instead, he stepped forward to meet it. 40 00:03:51.540 --> 00:03:52.360 Speaker 2: Hey, ugly. 41 00:03:53.320 --> 00:03:57.160 Speaker 1: 200 pounds of drooling demonic flesh slammed into him. 42 00:03:57.600 --> 00:03:57.680 Speaker 2: Ugh! 43 00:03:57.720 --> 00:04:02.480 Speaker 1: They both went flying from the impact, but Ethan held onto the beast by the base of 44 00:04:02.520 --> 00:04:03.400 Speaker 1: the flapping mouth- 45 00:04:03.540 --> 00:04:03.860 Speaker 2: Ah! 46 00:04:03.860 --> 00:04:07.960 Speaker 1: ... preventing it from closing around him. They rolled around on the ground outside 47 00:04:07.980 --> 00:04:12.680 Speaker 1: the church as the creature screamed and flailed to get free. He finally let it go, 48 00:04:12.780 --> 00:04:17.360 Speaker 1: then stepped out of range of the gnashing talons. When he looked down, his right 49 00:04:17.420 --> 00:04:23.200 Speaker 1: hand was missing. Exactly as planned. The demon 50 00:04:23.260 --> 00:04:24.560 Speaker 1: took to the air again. 51 00:04:26.200 --> 00:04:31.040 Speaker 1: The creatures were embarrassingly uncoordinated on the ground. A half-centimeter 52 00:04:31.160 --> 00:04:35.380 Speaker 1: wire ran from the demon back to the stump of Ethan's right hand. 53 00:04:35.940 --> 00:04:37.220 Speaker 2: Come on and give me a lift. 54 00:04:37.700 --> 00:04:39.860 Speaker 1: The Tether Grapple stopped reeling out wire- 55 00:04:39.900 --> 00:04:39.920 Speaker 2: Ah! 56 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.420 Speaker 1: ... and he was pulled violently across the sidewalk. 57 00:04:42.520 --> 00:04:42.720 Speaker 2: Ugh. 58 00:04:43.340 --> 00:04:48.180 Speaker 1: Dragged backward on his heels, the sound of roaring motorcycles drowned out the 59 00:04:48.300 --> 00:04:52.780 Speaker 1: screaming demons. [motorcycle engines running] A pack of four humans rode toward him 60 00:04:52.820 --> 00:04:57.780 Speaker 1: at full throttle as he was dragged along the ground, helpless to get away from them. 61 00:04:58.440 --> 00:05:04.120 Speaker 1: They stood up on their bikes, nail bats raised. The first biker rolled up to him and 62 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:09.220 Speaker 1: swung her nail bat down at his exposed stomach. Ethan caught the bat and pulled. The 63 00:05:09.260 --> 00:05:13.900 Speaker 1: woman fell from her bike, slamming into the church's sign with bone-crunching force. 64 00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:20.100 Speaker 1: Her bike kept rolling for a dozen feet, then toppled over, which gave him an 65 00:05:20.220 --> 00:05:25.600 Speaker 1: idea. The second biker was smarter. He feinted with the club once- 66 00:05:25.660 --> 00:05:26.180 Speaker 2: Whoa 67 00:05:26.220 --> 00:05:31.000 Speaker 1: ... then buried it in Ethan's chest. The nail bat stuck, and the rider sped past, 68 00:05:31.140 --> 00:05:37.080 Speaker 1: circling back for another pass. Pain and damage sensors lit up in Ethan's HUD, but 69 00:05:37.140 --> 00:05:42.900 Speaker 1: his face didn't so much as twitch. Pain was only information 70 00:05:42.980 --> 00:05:43.380 Speaker 1: now. 71 00:05:43.420 --> 00:05:46.120 Speaker 2: [inhales] Ah. 72 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:50.740 Speaker 1: Ethan still slid backward, moving farther away from the church down the street as 73 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:56.300 Speaker 1: the flying demon struggled to climb higher. Apparently, he'd misjudged how much they 74 00:05:56.340 --> 00:06:01.880 Speaker 1: could carry. Or maybe it was just dragging him along intentionally. Either way, he 75 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:06.640 Speaker 1: couldn't get his hand loose. The third biker tried the same trick as the second, 76 00:06:06.840 --> 00:06:12.404 Speaker 1: feinting for his first swing. Ethan kicked off the ground, lunged, and grabbed the 77 00:06:12.464 --> 00:06:17.784 Speaker 1: tainted man's arm instead of the bat. The man had just enough time to look 78 00:06:17.864 --> 00:06:22.864 Speaker 1: terrified. Then Ethan ripped him off the motorcycle, using the momentum of the 79 00:06:22.944 --> 00:06:25.504 Speaker 1: falling man to mount the bike himself. 80 00:06:28.764 --> 00:06:32.704 Speaker 1: He swung onto the seat and gripped the sides of the bike with his heels to keep that 81 00:06:32.924 --> 00:06:37.924 Speaker 1: useless flying creature from pulling him off it. The fourth biker sped up next to 82 00:06:38.004 --> 00:06:40.664 Speaker 1: Ethan and flashed a toothy, yellowing smile. 83 00:06:42.744 --> 00:06:47.324 Speaker 1: She lifted her nail bat, intending to bring it down on his head, steadying herself 84 00:06:47.384 --> 00:06:51.744 Speaker 1: on the motorcycle with the other hand. No thanks. I've already got a ride. Then he 85 00:06:51.804 --> 00:06:57.104 Speaker 1: drew the messenger and shot out her front tire. The wheel was shred to shrapnel, and 86 00:06:57.144 --> 00:07:00.964 Speaker 1: the rider flipped over the handlebars and smashed into the side of the brick 87 00:07:01.004 --> 00:07:01.464 Speaker 1: building. 88 00:07:03.464 --> 00:07:08.344 Speaker 1: Ethan lifted the messenger to the sky. Time to put this thing out of its misery. 89 00:07:10.304 --> 00:07:16.024 Speaker 1: Then he lowered the gun. Perhaps it just needed a little more motivation. 90 00:07:16.904 --> 00:07:20.524 Speaker 1: He gripped the sides of the motorcycle with his legs as hard as he could without 91 00:07:20.584 --> 00:07:25.124 Speaker 1: crushing it. Then he used his combined mass as leverage to pull back on the flying 92 00:07:25.184 --> 00:07:30.464 Speaker 1: demon. There was a distant screech, and then Ethan swung the demon with his tether 93 00:07:30.504 --> 00:07:36.244 Speaker 1: grapple, pulling it off course as easy as pulling a kite. He smashed his living kite 94 00:07:36.304 --> 00:07:41.384 Speaker 1: into another, the crunch of hollowed bones audible even at street level. 95 00:07:42.164 --> 00:07:47.344 Speaker 1: All the while, he rode down the ruined streets of old Los Angeles, weaving between 96 00:07:47.464 --> 00:07:52.504 Speaker 1: rusted cars. He swung the tangle of two creatures into a third with another 97 00:07:52.584 --> 00:07:56.904 Speaker 1: sickening crunch. There were three of them at the end of his tether now. 98 00:07:59.064 --> 00:08:04.824 Speaker 1: A tangled screeching mass of pale flesh a hundred feet above him. Ethan swerved to 99 00:08:04.904 --> 00:08:10.144 Speaker 1: avoid a bus, its rusted frame sagging on long deflated tires. The flying 100 00:08:10.204 --> 00:08:14.524 Speaker 1: counterweight lurched left in the air. Ethan and his bike were slammed against the 101 00:08:14.584 --> 00:08:19.604 Speaker 1: rusty bus. His shoulder was torn apart down to the titanium 102 00:08:19.684 --> 00:08:23.724 Speaker 1: endoskeleton. This time, he screamed. 103 00:08:29.664 --> 00:08:34.024 Speaker 1: Aim was information. Of course, a lot of information. 104 00:08:35.564 --> 00:08:40.064 Speaker 1: Sparks flew as he tore through the side of the bus, dragged by the monsters. The 105 00:08:40.164 --> 00:08:44.484 Speaker 1: sound of rending metal filled his ears and the messenger was nearly torn from his 106 00:08:44.544 --> 00:08:48.704 Speaker 1: hip. He was finally pulled through the other end of the bus, busting through the 107 00:08:48.764 --> 00:08:50.484 Speaker 1: last of the rusting metal frame. 108 00:08:53.604 --> 00:08:58.944 Speaker 1: It was then that the demons finally realized what was holding them down. In that 109 00:08:59.024 --> 00:09:03.824 Speaker 1: moment, they stopped fighting to get free of the tangled tether and flapping in 110 00:09:04.064 --> 00:09:09.664 Speaker 1: unison to climb higher into the air. Uh-oh. Then Ethan was 111 00:09:09.804 --> 00:09:15.644 Speaker 1: lifted into the air, motorcycle and all. He had a moment 112 00:09:15.724 --> 00:09:21.564 Speaker 1: to reflect on his situation as the ruined cars and buildings grew smaller beneath 113 00:09:21.604 --> 00:09:21.924 Speaker 1: him. 114 00:09:24.244 --> 00:09:29.864 Speaker 1: Why was he riding a motorcycle in the sky? Why had he grappled these monsters 115 00:09:29.924 --> 00:09:34.584 Speaker 1: instead of simply putting them all down with the messenger? Real life wasn't like 116 00:09:34.644 --> 00:09:39.584 Speaker 1: those old action movies. When you had a targeting computer, you didn't miss. 117 00:09:40.484 --> 00:09:46.104 Speaker 1: His second mind, which usually confined itself to answering direct questions, spoke 118 00:09:46.184 --> 00:09:52.144 Speaker 1: up. It didn't use words. There was no need to use words. It spoke directly to his 119 00:09:52.184 --> 00:09:57.124 Speaker 1: intuition. Because presentation mattered. 120 00:09:59.564 --> 00:10:04.944 Speaker 1: Far below, thirty-seven dirty human faces were pressed to the windows of the Church 121 00:10:05.004 --> 00:10:10.704 Speaker 1: of Immaculate Conception, looking up at the man riding a motorcycle through the sky, 122 00:10:11.724 --> 00:10:17.724 Speaker 1: leashed to monsters like it was something he did every day. Ethan pulled 123 00:10:17.784 --> 00:10:23.644 Speaker 1: on the motorcycle's throttle. Though the wheel spun uselessly in midair, it 124 00:10:23.724 --> 00:10:29.204 Speaker 1: made the engine whirr. Because presentation 125 00:10:29.564 --> 00:10:35.304 Speaker 1: mattered. He let go of the throttle and pulled the messenger. The trio of demons 126 00:10:35.404 --> 00:10:40.564 Speaker 1: swung him and his bike in a wide arc through the sky, turning him almost horizontal 127 00:10:40.604 --> 00:10:45.664 Speaker 1: at the end of his tether, with a perfect view of the biker gang far below, 128 00:10:46.324 --> 00:10:47.344 Speaker 1: gawking up at him. 129 00:10:51.384 --> 00:10:56.544 Speaker 1: He dropped seven bikers in as many shots, the blue line showing estimated bullet 130 00:10:56.624 --> 00:11:00.984 Speaker 1: trajectories ending in satisfying sprays of red blood. 131 00:11:03.784 --> 00:11:08.964 Speaker 1: He continued sailing in an arc over their heads, gripping the bike with his legs and 132 00:11:09.024 --> 00:11:14.804 Speaker 1: waiting to see what they would do. As he'd hoped, with half their number already 133 00:11:14.944 --> 00:11:19.924 Speaker 1: dead, the tainted bikers decided they'd had enough. They sped away from him down the 134 00:11:19.984 --> 00:11:25.584 Speaker 1: car-choked streets. Unlike their more twisted cousins in the sky, these people still 135 00:11:25.664 --> 00:11:31.604 Speaker 1: felt fear. A proximity alarm forced Ethan to look up. The flat side 136 00:11:31.664 --> 00:11:37.084 Speaker 1: of a concrete building was flying toward him at lethal 137 00:11:37.304 --> 00:11:42.544 Speaker 1: speed. Overclock! Time slowed to a crawl, 138 00:11:43.324 --> 00:11:48.884 Speaker 1: with Ethan and his motorcycle just twenty feet and one short second 139 00:11:48.984 --> 00:11:54.984 Speaker 1: away from becoming a stain on the side of the building. He queried his second 140 00:11:55.124 --> 00:12:01.064 Speaker 1: mind. Well, now what? A tactical hologram flashed in front of him. 141 00:12:01.484 --> 00:12:06.644 Speaker 1: He watched it, then grimaced. Was this really the only option? 142 00:12:07.524 --> 00:12:12.544 Speaker 1: He watched a few different simulations, most of which ended with him mangled at the 143 00:12:12.624 --> 00:12:16.484 Speaker 1: foot of the building in front of him, next to the burning wreckage of his 144 00:12:16.564 --> 00:12:22.420 Speaker 1: motorcycle. He got the feeling his second mind showed them more for emphasis 145 00:12:22.540 --> 00:12:27.840 Speaker 1: than actual strategy. This was his only option. 146 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:30.480 Speaker 2: I better not get a ticket for this. 147 00:12:31.260 --> 00:12:37.040 Speaker 1: Time unfroze. Ethan's second mind helpfully notified him that if the old world laws 148 00:12:37.140 --> 00:12:43.120 Speaker 1: still applied, he had already accrued 73 traffic violations. But since this was 149 00:12:43.160 --> 00:12:49.140 Speaker 1: the side of a building and not the road, he was safe up here, legally speaking 150 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:54.740 Speaker 1: anyway. The building flew at him. Ethan leaned back on the bike and extended his 151 00:12:54.800 --> 00:12:58.380 Speaker 1: heels. He waited for the moment of impact and... 152 00:12:58.380 --> 00:13:03.420 Speaker 1: [motorcycle revving] [building crashing] He fired the hydraulic 153 00:13:03.500 --> 00:13:09.080 Speaker 1: heels. Two sets of three-inch steel plates shot out of his heels and smashed into 154 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:15.040 Speaker 1: the building. 37 tons of crushing force counteracted the impact. The side 155 00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:20.720 Speaker 1: of the building imploded. Head-sized chunks of concrete showered the interior. 156 00:13:22.060 --> 00:13:25.720 Speaker 1: There was a quick zipping sound on the other side of the building as the flying 157 00:13:25.800 --> 00:13:31.180 Speaker 1: demons were diced into pieces, the sudden force causing the wire to cut through them 158 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:36.880 Speaker 1: like a scalpel. Even if they were dead, there was enough mass to act as a 159 00:13:36.960 --> 00:13:42.860 Speaker 1: counterweight. He hung off the side of the building, suspended by the 160 00:13:42.940 --> 00:13:48.740 Speaker 1: tether next to the gaping hole he'd kicked in. His second mind warned of hairline 161 00:13:48.800 --> 00:13:54.580 Speaker 1: fractures through his titanium endoskeleton in his legs, hips, and spine. 162 00:13:55.520 --> 00:14:00.600 Speaker 1: He ignored them and, still gripping the motorcycle between his 163 00:14:00.700 --> 00:14:06.540 Speaker 1: unreasonably powerful thighs, pulled back on the throttle. The machine 164 00:14:06.780 --> 00:14:11.040 Speaker 1: roared. [motorcycle roaring] The spinning tires met concrete, and he used the 165 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:16.420 Speaker 1: counterweight of the tether to pull the motorcycle against the wall. Then he drove 166 00:14:16.540 --> 00:14:22.100 Speaker 1: up the side of the building. He raced past blown-out windows toward the open sky, 167 00:14:22.620 --> 00:14:27.780 Speaker 1: where the rest of the flying demons circled above. Ethan smiled. 168 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:32.360 Speaker 1: They were just more corpses waiting to happen. 169 00:14:38.140 --> 00:14:42.180 Speaker 1: [upbeat music] Part five, Almost Invincible. 170 00:14:44.660 --> 00:14:50.480 Speaker 1: Xorkek the Imp, servant of The Chained One, bowed before the possessed human 171 00:14:50.540 --> 00:14:56.520 Speaker 1: who called himself The Stalker. Xorkek was almost three feet tall, which was 172 00:14:56.580 --> 00:15:02.500 Speaker 1: tall for an imp, but still dwarfed by the possessed, even when seated on 173 00:15:02.540 --> 00:15:07.900 Speaker 1: his throne. The Stalker's right side, his holy side, 174 00:15:08.500 --> 00:15:14.000 Speaker 1: was beautifully transformed. His right arm was twice the length of a normal 175 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:19.200 Speaker 1: human. The elongated fingers on that hand had a tendency to move around on their 176 00:15:19.280 --> 00:15:25.220 Speaker 1: own, constantly feeling the world around it as if he were blind. Xorkek 177 00:15:25.260 --> 00:15:31.080 Speaker 1: supposed he was, in a way. Even after all these months, the transformation 178 00:15:31.140 --> 00:15:36.560 Speaker 1: was still incomplete. The left side of The Stalker's body was that of a normal 179 00:15:36.660 --> 00:15:42.320 Speaker 1: human, the remains of the original host. Annoyingly, that man 180 00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:46.860 Speaker 1: barred one of The Chained One's children from entering this world. He could not 181 00:15:46.920 --> 00:15:52.700 Speaker 1: understand why The Stalker was delaying in such a beautiful process. What 182 00:15:52.800 --> 00:15:58.600 Speaker 1: purpose was there in holding on to human weakness? There were still so many humans 183 00:15:58.660 --> 00:16:04.420 Speaker 1: crawling around in this city. Had they done anything redeeming recently? No. 184 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:10.080 Speaker 1: The strongest of them had died decades ago. Perhaps that was why The Stalker was 185 00:16:10.140 --> 00:16:14.540 Speaker 1: losing his territory war. Still too human. 186 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:21.080 Speaker 1: Well, whether Xorkek served this host or the next, it didn't matter. 187 00:16:21.900 --> 00:16:26.640 Speaker 1: A child was ready to be born, and he would see it into this world. 188 00:16:26.940 --> 00:16:32.240 Speaker 2: Get up, Xorkek. You said I should bow. I said you should show 189 00:16:32.300 --> 00:16:38.080 Speaker 2: respect. I am. You're incapable of respect. I 190 00:16:38.219 --> 00:16:40.500 Speaker 2: am here to serve you. 191 00:16:40.580 --> 00:16:43.200 Speaker 1: Then The Stalker snatched Xorkek off the floor. 192 00:16:43.300 --> 00:16:43.600 Speaker 2: Ah. 193 00:16:43.660 --> 00:16:48.960 Speaker 1: A mix of emotions flooded him, elation at being noticed by his holy half, 194 00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:55.900 Speaker 1: and terror that his elongated fingers wrapped around him, threatening 195 00:16:55.960 --> 00:16:56.620 Speaker 1: to crush him. 196 00:16:56.980 --> 00:17:02.880 Speaker 2: What happens if I [Xorkek grunts] kill you again? Uh, war. I'm 197 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:08.900 Speaker 2: already at war. I am an emissary, protected. The hordes will converge 198 00:17:09.020 --> 00:17:12.880 Speaker 2: on you, expunge you like human cancer. Ah. 199 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:18.220 Speaker 1: The Stalker opened his hand, and Xorkek fell to the floor. He let the arm drop to 200 00:17:18.260 --> 00:17:22.920 Speaker 1: his side, so long the elbow nearly brushed the floor. 201 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:25.880 Speaker 2: Report. I hate looking at your kind. 202 00:17:26.560 --> 00:17:32.420 Speaker 1: And not for the first time, Xorkek wondered if he'd chosen the wrong human as 203 00:17:32.520 --> 00:17:38.520 Speaker 1: host. Gaining inside knowledge of a human stronghold had been an offer too good to 204 00:17:38.600 --> 00:17:44.500 Speaker 1: pass up. It wouldn't matter in a few more months anyway. No host could 205 00:17:44.600 --> 00:17:45.800 Speaker 1: resist forever. 206 00:17:46.140 --> 00:17:51.280 Speaker 2: A human priest gave an unholy sermon in your territory. He desecrated a building 207 00:17:51.340 --> 00:17:53.880 Speaker 2: with it. He was looking for you. 208 00:17:54.200 --> 00:18:00.160 Speaker 1: Though his transform half continued its blind, ambient touching, the human half 209 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:05.700 Speaker 1: of The Stalker went unusually still, just for a moment. 210 00:18:06.040 --> 00:18:11.320 Speaker 2: Did he seem unusual in any way? [growls] 211 00:18:11.380 --> 00:18:16.640 Speaker 1: How was he supposed to know? What did it matter anyway? The Stalker stood 212 00:18:16.700 --> 00:18:17.400 Speaker 1: abruptly. 213 00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:23.064 Speaker 2: Send an emissary team. Ah. Bring him straight to me, unharmed. That is 214 00:18:23.104 --> 00:18:23.784 Speaker 2: important 215 00:18:24.084 --> 00:18:29.904 Speaker 1: Xorkek waved his barbed tail around nervously. This was not good. He 216 00:18:29.984 --> 00:18:35.944 Speaker 1: was becoming less and less certain this possessed would honor his pact. Um, I 217 00:18:35.984 --> 00:18:41.604 Speaker 1: have bad news, Holy One. He destroyed half of the riders I sent to kill him. 218 00:18:42.204 --> 00:18:47.464 Speaker 1: Some mixers were there as well. The stalker grimaced. Such a human expression. 219 00:18:48.184 --> 00:18:52.944 Speaker 1: Even though half of his face was covered in bone plating, he brought his human hand 220 00:18:52.984 --> 00:18:58.764 Speaker 1: to his face, contemplative instead of furious. Fortunately- In that 221 00:18:58.844 --> 00:19:04.484 Speaker 1: case, send the strongest demon we have. That would be the spine eater, 222 00:19:05.224 --> 00:19:10.444 Speaker 1: which was insane overkill. This was the kind of weapon you used against buildings, 223 00:19:10.884 --> 00:19:14.004 Speaker 1: not people. The spine eater. Send it. 224 00:19:15.884 --> 00:19:21.824 Speaker 1: Holy One, forgive me, but it's just one man. The stalker narrowed his eyes and 225 00:19:21.924 --> 00:19:27.383 Speaker 1: Xorkek considered running. This one was unhinged, even for a 226 00:19:27.424 --> 00:19:33.124 Speaker 1: possessed. Not anymore. And if he's what I think he is, we're going to need 227 00:19:33.184 --> 00:19:38.824 Speaker 1: more spine eaters. Xorkek bowed again, still uncertain whether that won him any 228 00:19:38.904 --> 00:19:43.804 Speaker 1: favor, then rushed off to release the weapon. He didn't relish the thought of having 229 00:19:43.864 --> 00:19:49.064 Speaker 1: to round it up again later, but at least he wouldn't have to feed it for a while. It 230 00:19:49.144 --> 00:19:55.024 Speaker 1: was a pain gathering living humans every day. They were so 231 00:19:55.204 --> 00:20:01.104 Speaker 1: fragile, and the spine eater wasted so many of them. But he wasn't gonna be the one 232 00:20:01.164 --> 00:20:04.924 Speaker 1: to tell it to stop playing with its food. It sucks. 233 00:20:04.924 --> 00:20:15.364 Speaker 1: [mysterious music] 234 00:20:15.464 --> 00:20:21.244 Speaker 1: Ethan pulled the trigger of the messenger until the ammo ran dry, and still the 235 00:20:21.304 --> 00:20:26.764 Speaker 1: demons came. Not just the flying ones, but nightmarish crawling 236 00:20:26.924 --> 00:20:32.364 Speaker 1: things like giant cockroaches with human heads growing from their backs. Corpse 237 00:20:32.444 --> 00:20:38.064 Speaker 1: nests, disgusting demon spawn made from human corpses. Ethan 238 00:20:38.204 --> 00:20:42.284 Speaker 1: washed away another wave of corpse nests as they crawled over the edge of the 239 00:20:42.344 --> 00:20:48.304 Speaker 1: building. The burning napalm, consecrated by the nuns, did much more than burn the 240 00:20:48.344 --> 00:20:53.824 Speaker 1: monsters. It simply disintegrated them. Then the 241 00:20:53.904 --> 00:20:59.424 Speaker 1: napalm, dramatically titled Holy Fire on his HUD, ran 242 00:20:59.504 --> 00:21:05.324 Speaker 1: dry too. Ethan searched frantically for more enemies. The hellish creatures 243 00:21:05.364 --> 00:21:11.104 Speaker 1: had swarmed the rooftop in droves. It felt like the entire city had emptied 244 00:21:11.164 --> 00:21:16.884 Speaker 1: itself of monsters to greet him. He was out of ammo, out of grenades. 245 00:21:17.444 --> 00:21:23.004 Speaker 1: He'd even used the motorcycle itself as a makeshift club until it had finally 246 00:21:23.104 --> 00:21:28.464 Speaker 1: fallen to pieces. It was a shame it was too late to contact the manufacturer. 247 00:21:29.504 --> 00:21:35.144 Speaker 1: Ethan would have enjoyed telling them just how far it had exceeded manufacturer 248 00:21:35.244 --> 00:21:41.124 Speaker 1: standards. He waited a moment longer, but blessedly, 249 00:21:41.804 --> 00:21:47.764 Speaker 1: there were no more demons. It was silent on the rooftop, except for the soft 250 00:21:47.864 --> 00:21:52.804 Speaker 1: sound of smoldering corpses. Music. 251 00:21:54.064 --> 00:21:58.824 Speaker 1: He spun the messenger in his hand and holstered it, and spared a moment for a 252 00:21:58.984 --> 00:22:04.864 Speaker 1: simmering look at the horizon. That was enough presentation for 253 00:22:04.964 --> 00:22:05.544 Speaker 1: one day. 254 00:22:07.524 --> 00:22:12.344 Speaker 1: He climbed down the building, careful not to strain his endoskeleton any further. 255 00:22:13.104 --> 00:22:18.044 Speaker 1: The nuns had asked him not to get it too dented, after all. It seemed unkind to make 256 00:22:18.084 --> 00:22:23.604 Speaker 1: them work any harder. Despite the duration of his escapade, it was a short walk back 257 00:22:23.644 --> 00:22:29.644 Speaker 1: to the church. It was evening turning twilight by then. The last rays 258 00:22:29.704 --> 00:22:35.344 Speaker 1: of sunlight bled at the edges of the horizon, turning it a wicked purple by the time 259 00:22:35.404 --> 00:22:40.984 Speaker 1: he started up the stairs to the church. A red warning sign flashed on Ethan's 260 00:22:41.083 --> 00:22:46.904 Speaker 1: HUD. I told you to turn those off. The warning sign turned from red 261 00:22:47.704 --> 00:22:52.984 Speaker 1: to black. His optics switched to infrared and Ethan stopped in his tracks. 262 00:22:54.084 --> 00:22:57.464 Speaker 1: Class A demonic threat. 263 00:22:59.024 --> 00:23:03.684 Speaker 1: Fifty combat simulations ran in the instant it took his human brain to catch up. 264 00:23:05.444 --> 00:23:06.664 Speaker 1: Fifty defeats. 265 00:23:08.684 --> 00:23:13.324 Speaker 1: It was the sound of chewing that shook him from his stupor. Two bright orange eyes 266 00:23:13.444 --> 00:23:19.284 Speaker 1: watched him with casual interest from the front doors of the church. The splintered, 267 00:23:19.964 --> 00:23:25.764 Speaker 1: ruined front doors of the church. A dark river, nearly black in 268 00:23:25.824 --> 00:23:28.784 Speaker 1: infrared, ran from the pile of 269 00:23:30.384 --> 00:23:34.404 Speaker 1: human pieces next to the demon. It, 270 00:23:35.924 --> 00:23:41.424 Speaker 1: it had killed them. A booming voice rattled in Ethan's mind. 271 00:23:42.364 --> 00:23:48.364 Speaker 1: A metal man. The demon rose from its haunches, standing at 272 00:23:48.404 --> 00:23:54.184 Speaker 1: its full height. Ethan's second mind went wild, dumping information into 273 00:23:54.224 --> 00:23:59.024 Speaker 1: his thoughts. Nine feet, seven inches, six hundred seven pounds, 274 00:23:59.524 --> 00:24:05.324 Speaker 1: four-inch chitin armor, regenerative abilities, psychic abilities unknown, six 275 00:24:05.364 --> 00:24:10.244 Speaker 1: hundred and twelve combat simulations completed, zero percent chance of combat 276 00:24:10.304 --> 00:24:16.284 Speaker 1: success. Shut up. Eight hundred and fifty combat simulations 277 00:24:16.364 --> 00:24:22.084 Speaker 1: completed, zero percent chance of combat success. The demon took a step 278 00:24:22.164 --> 00:24:27.404 Speaker 1: forward, letting the mangled person it was eating fall from its claws. 279 00:24:28.288 --> 00:24:34.128 Speaker 1: Ethan selected Trinity from his weapons list, the only one remaining. 280 00:24:35.588 --> 00:24:40.968 Speaker 1: Three spring-loaded blades shot out of his left arm, the points of a cross 281 00:24:41.768 --> 00:24:46.948 Speaker 1: extending over his hand from the wrist and out to the left and right. 282 00:24:48.208 --> 00:24:53.848 Speaker 1: One thousand twenty-one combat simulations completed. Zero 283 00:24:53.908 --> 00:24:58.188 Speaker 1: percent chance of success. Retreat advised. 284 00:24:59.548 --> 00:25:04.328 Speaker 1: Instead, Ethan stepped forward to meet the monster. 285 00:25:04.328 --> 00:25:45.248 Speaker 1: [rock music] 286 00:25:45.308 --> 00:25:50.088 Speaker 1: Xorcax stepped through the burning portal into the holy realm. Stepping through 287 00:25:50.148 --> 00:25:55.008 Speaker 1: portals wasn't like walking through a door. You were completely incinerated in the 288 00:25:55.068 --> 00:26:00.508 Speaker 1: process. You were remade on the other side, assuming the power that 289 00:26:00.568 --> 00:26:06.548 Speaker 1: resided there allowed it. A portal could be a fast death if you were not faithful or 290 00:26:06.808 --> 00:26:12.568 Speaker 1: useful. So far, the Lord of Darkness itself had deigned to allow Xorcax 291 00:26:12.628 --> 00:26:13.848 Speaker 1: continued existence. 292 00:26:15.668 --> 00:26:21.468 Speaker 1: Xorcax climbed into his seat at the bar. A slave demon poured a glass of blood 293 00:26:21.548 --> 00:26:27.168 Speaker 1: for him without comment. Good. He was above this creature, at least. 294 00:26:28.148 --> 00:26:32.748 Speaker 1: A few minutes later, two more imps wandered in from their own portals, looking 295 00:26:32.828 --> 00:26:38.628 Speaker 1: nearly as troubled as he did. They were about Xorcax's size. A little 296 00:26:38.708 --> 00:26:42.568 Speaker 1: smaller, maybe. Xorcax was pretty tall. 297 00:26:44.128 --> 00:26:49.728 Speaker 1: They sat down in the high chairs on either side of him. Surely, the Holy Ones could 298 00:26:49.788 --> 00:26:55.148 Speaker 1: find more suitable seating than this. A chair meant for a human baby was 299 00:26:56.028 --> 00:26:57.348 Speaker 1: simply not regal. 300 00:26:59.408 --> 00:27:05.068 Speaker 1: He spilled some of his blood drink. Damn it. But the slave demon mopped it up 301 00:27:05.128 --> 00:27:05.588 Speaker 1: quickly. 302 00:27:06.708 --> 00:27:09.508 Speaker 2: Hey, Xorc. Another tough day? 303 00:27:12.808 --> 00:27:15.288 Speaker 1: Oh, you have no idea.