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“Try torelax? You’re not melting from the inside asshole!”

Peacemaker:“If you fight it, it will get worse.”

“Chto ty sdelal, Mirotvorets?”

I can’t focus enough to push the pain down like usual. It’s amplified and coming from everywhere around me. Where’s that passenger seat when I need it, and why did I try living without it again?

“Dyshi, devochka!”

I gasp in a deep breath and begin coughing as I lean forward, bracing my hands on the dashboard.

I can faintly hear Ben snarling to my left, and Mitri has grabbed my arm in a vice grip that I barely feel over the burning.

I tune them both out to check what’s happening. I open my eyes and look at my chest.

A glowing line with three shades of green braided together leads from my chest to Mitri’s and down to each gun.

“What have you done, Sparky?”

It’s snuggled in the center of my chest, just under my breastbone. I notice the green line isn’t the only one and begin to feel dizzy.

There’s a delicate golden chain leading outside of the car that’s tarnished green in places. A tiny black brick pathway also leads straight to Ben’s chest.

“Dyshat'!”

I take another breath and hold it as I turn to see where the gold chain goes. Please, no. Please. It’s connected to a laughing Kimi as he musses Mal’s hair from the back seat, pushing the mohawk into his eyes. He gets slapped in the face with the bone of a wing for his trouble.

“No, no, no. Please tell me you haven’t connected me to people who want to kill me! What are youthinking?”

Mal’s head tilts as he stares at me and holds his palms up as if asking, “What?”

Ben exits the car and paces to Mal’s side, leaning down to talk to him while I’m stuck gaping.

Shit, Ben can’t order food, or the people inside will freak out. I forgot. I had one job here.

“Forty meat burritos, just meat!” I scream out. Ben’s head jerks up, and he hurries to get back into the car.

I fade out after that, fully invested in keeping my mental seesaw stable.

“Stay sane. Ride it out. You’ve had worse. Just stop being a whiney bitch and suck it up.”

I’m talking to myself. Great.

Two hands grip my cheeks and force my head towards Ben.

“Talk to me,” Ben’s eyes have gone cloudy and dark again. His voice is the dangerous echo he’s been getting too often lately.

My mouth opens and closes a few times, but I have no idea what to say. I don’t understand what’s happening here, and it’s scaring the piss out of me, almost literally. The spark seems to have no regrets. It’s preening and building a nest out of all the mess it’s created inside me.

Peacemaker:“It’s okay. Just relax and breathe.”

“Neuzheli eta shtuka svyazala nas vsekh?”

“Who the fuck is that?!”

“Vendetta, be silent.” That voice… it’sMitri’s. And it’s inside my head.

“Oh no.What the fuck did you do, Sparky?!”