COMPLETED: Revenge is a dish best served with bullets!

[John]

Max drops his head and sinks further into his hips. His tears now accompanied by minor whimpers, the elf rolls off his knees and brings himself to his feet. The elf shuffles back to his daughter's bed, ignoring the other girls as they cower away from him. Reaching her bed, Max crouches beside it and wraps his daughter in a sheet, and takes her into his arms. Standing with her, the girl looks blankly up at him and the gaze breaks his heart. Max walks gently from the room, stepping over the corpses of the trolls and into the hallway.

The light in the hallway is barren and cold-- looking somehow distant and lonely and giving the impression that the hallway is longer than it truly is. The exit to the building looks miles away from where he stands, but Max marches the seemingly interminable distance cautiously so as not to disturb the young woman in his arms. The bare bulb lights pass over head as Max makes his way out of the solar facility.

Max steps outside and feels the gravel crunch under his feet. The night air feels new against his skin. The elf moves with his daughter to the rover and sets her gently inside, belting her in and brushing the hair from her forehead another time. Max leans in close to her and kisses her again for the first time in years on her brow, whispering to her "I'll never let anybody hurt you again." He closes the door and sits back against the rover on the ground.

[Drew Buddy]

Adams follows Max back to the rover, keeping a distance, and walking silently.

There's a drawn out silence before Doc finally speaks.

"Max... I, um... Can I take a look at her? Make sure she's okay?"

[John]

Max looks at his friend doubtfully for a moment before nodding a tentative consent. The elf stands and moves out of the way, looking on with concern.

[Drew Buddy]

Doc nods, and opens the door to the rover. He lifts the girl's eyelids one at a time, and begins performing as much of an examination as he can, given the circumstances.

"Max, tell me what you know. What's been done to her?"

(( I'd like to roll to see if Doc can figure out--or knows--anything about the memory wipe that was used ))

[John]

Max shakes his head in disbelief,

"They wiped her memory... 'bout a week ago..." The elf's features contort and his fists clench as he continues, "A fraggin' WEEK earlier and I SAVE MY LITTLE GIRL..."

The rest is incoherent as the elf trails off and runs his hand through his hair.

[Drew Buddy]

Doc's face goes slack as uncomfortable memories bubble up. The look in her eyes-

"Oh frag, Max... I'm sorry." He says with a hollow look, "I've-I've seen this before."

He looks back at the girl with pity.

"When we were retaking the bay, the drek we saw left behind by the Japs... Some of the officers had set up brothels, using girls from the local population. When they wouldn't behave, they'd do this," he points at Max's daughter, "to them. We tried to help them--given how few resources we had--but there was nothing that we could do. Nothing we can do."

He trails off and looks Max in the eye. He says four simple words that encompass the helplessness of the situation; and not for the first time:

"I'm sorry. She's gone."

[John]

Max looks at his daughter hopelessly, and then back to Doc. The color has drained from his face and the elf has never looked so lost. Max looks off into the distance and mumbles,

"She was dead-- gone-- for so long. To get her back only to basically lose her... why the frag did this happen? Why the frag did this happen to her?"

Max stares off into the distance.

[Drew Buddy]

Doc puts a hand on Max's shoulder,

"Look, Max, she's gone, but not dead. The memory wipe, it leaves a clean slate behind, but doesn't destroy the brain itself. That girl in there may no longer be your daughter, but she might still have a chance to be someone, if she gets help."

[John]

Max returns his gaze to Doc and does his best to respond,

"I... What can I... I mean, how do I...?"

Max shakes his head and fights off further tears.

"She can live? She's not... dead inside?"

[Drew Buddy]

Adams nods,

"Yeah, the girl in there isn't dead."

[John]

Max thinks and then sees the silver lining,

"She won't remember what happened to her... She won't remember the years of rape... She won't remember that her mother is dead... She can just start fresh."

The elf opens the commlink and calls his old friend.

[GM Nick]

[ Firestarter Headquarters, Seattle ]

A faint hologram of McAlistar stands in the corner of the bar, thanks to the company's new conference phone.

"Alright, Overstreet. I found your daughter a nice apartment in my neighborhood. It's safe and I'll be able to keep an eye on her. She's still a little confused, but surprisingly resilient."

[John]

Max nods and says,

"I'll send you money for her every month. As much as I can out of anything I make."

The elf pauses, and follows with,

"It's probably for the best that you don't ask where I get it."

[GM Nick]

McAlistar rubs his neck.

"Yeah, Max. I'm just going to assume you invested in the stock market. Hey, are you going to be alright?"

[John]

Max takes a drag on a cigarette and says,

"Alright isn't the word for it, but knowing that my little girl-- whoever she'll become now-- is alive and well in some capacity... well.. I'm better. We'll be in touch. And Trent? Thanks."

[GM Nick]

McAlistar nods and dematerializes as the call ends.

[John]

Max walks the grounds of the FRSR compound for a long while as night descends. Max busies himself by checking various security systems and logistical features as best he can, but really he's just wandering. Wandering and thinking. Max had wanted his daughter back so badly, but when he got her back he was faced with a consideration that had never occurred to him.

Since he had never hoped to see her again, the elf had never considered what the situation would be should he have to explain the person he'd become to her. Max didn't know how he could ever broach that subject with her-- the things he'd done, the places he'd been... the people he'd killed. It was perhaps for the best that she would go on to live a normal life not having to know the horrors she'd lived through and the monster it had made of her father. She would be fifteen soon, and Trent had promised to get her back into school. She was behind, of course, but she had always been exceptionally bright. Hopefully she still would be.

Max would play the role of patron to her, and Claire would be oblivious of who he was. Perhaps someday down the road he could be reintroduced into her life. Perhaps once she got stable and adjusted to her new life he could visit her, but Max doubted it. It would be too hard to explain who he was to her, and it would be too hard for him to see his baby as a completely different person. It was probably best that Max just stayed away.

After meandering for a long time, Max comes face to face with Tyros in the hallway leading toward the barracks. The troll practically has to duck just to be indoors. The two of them lock eyes and Max flashes back to their vicious fight just a five days prior. The two haven't said much to each other over the previous few days, and it's time for Max to break the silence. The elf begins,

"Tyros... I need to thank you. Without you, well... Claire and I never would have made it out alive." Max pauses and tries to gauge the look on the troll's face-- something he's never quite been able to do-- before continuing, "I need to apologize. For everything. For all the drek I've thrown your way over the past few months. For the fight. No more bulldrek. I want you to know that you can trust me like I know I can trust you. I want to make this right." The elf extends his hand with feigned confidence in the hope that the troll can't see through to the shame that roils beneath his surface.

[Elliott]

Tyros gives a compasionate half smile and takes the elf's hand, giving a firm shake. "I know this has been incredibly hard for you. We all have our demons to face. It's easier when you have friends by your side. We've been through a lot as a team, and there will likely be a lot more before we are done. I'm glad you have my back as I have yours."

[John]

Max shakes Tyros's hand with growing confidence despite how the troll's hand dwarfs the elf's.

There's nothing more to be said.