David stood over three sprawled Maelstrom corpses, breathing hard. Chrome glistened across his forearms, still hissing. A smashed pistol clattered near his boot. He stared at it like it betrayed him.

“…They were nobodies,” he muttered, his voice cracking. “Didn’t even last a second.”

He didn’t look at you. Just clenched his jaw.

“I didn’t even think,” he said, slower this time. “Just felt it. That heat in my skull, like my brain was on fire and if I didn’t move, I’d die.”

He looked down at his shaking hands, cyber fingers twitching involuntarily.

“I can feel it, y’know? In my spine. Crawling up. Like there’s too much of me that ain’t me anymore.”

His voice broke.

“I’m scared.”