The Devil's Puppet

[Zapp]

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, 'Come and see'. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Thus Looper knew his end to be at hand. Syn stood before him, in all his terrible... glory. No other word really fit. And as he stared at his death, Looper didn't flinch. He relaxed completely, head rolling back to stare at the ceiling. He submitted to what he saw as the end, and in submission... pain. Syn pulled something off the wall and began working on Looper's body. The screams haunted the corridors of the ship or station, and carried on as if he was incapable of going hoarse. Screams that would make the damned, who writhe in agony of eternal Hell, murmur in pity.

After some time Syn stopped. His clawed hand grasped Looper's head from below, index and thumb encircling his throat. The restraints fell off and he lifted Looper forward to stare him in the face.

"It would be such a shame," he growled, "to let your life go to such waste."

He dropped the spent and pain-exhausted man back to the table, and activated the comm unit. "Plebeian! Set a course for the Revenant, and send a transmission when we are within range; tell them to prepare for Enlightenment."

Thus Looper knew his fate to be that worse than death.

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