Mars: 2089

[align center] Mars: 2089 Written and Developed by Noah Wasserman-Tapias [[Click to Begin->Introduction Part 1]]

The year is 2089. It has been decades since interplanetary travel has become possible. In that time, colonies have been set up on previously inhabitable planets. One such planet is *MARS*. After the invention of artifical oxygen domes, these colonies grew and flourished on a scale similar to the cities of earth. One such city was built in the *Bacquerel Crater*, now known as *B.Q. City*. But beyond this great city lies a desert land filled with automatic manufacturing plants and mechanical agriculture farms. Outside of the city, there are few humans left but the struggling farmers who fight for survival. This is the story of one such farmer. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Introduction Part 2]]

You are a small farmer on the brinks of civilization struggling to feed your family. The automated agricultural sites encased in expansive oxygen domes outproduce the small plots of barely-fertile red dirt you tend to. You could only afford so much square footage for your oxygen dome, so it covers only your house and half of the farmland. Luckily, some produce does not need oxygen, so it can be tended to outside the space of the dome. But the winds of Mars are unforgiving, and the yields tend to be destroyed by weather or wild anarchists wreaking havoc on the few family-run farms in the valley. The agricultural comglomerates constantly "offer" to take your land off your hands, but you always refuse. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Introduction Part 3]]

When you wake up, you make breakfast for your wife and two children-one son and one daughter-before they wake up. You scavenge for your tools in your small, wooden cabin. You get outfitted into your hazmat-esque suit, which protects you from the planet's frequent storms. It is worn from time, but you can't afford a new one. You grab your toolbelt and your respiration mask-a gas mask that allows the user to breathe in a land with no atmosphere. You put your hand on the front door handle, but just before you open the door and step outside, your daughter rushes up to you and clings on your leg. "Can you stay home for one day, daddy? Please?", she asks in an innocent tone. You lift your tired eyes and see your wife and son leaning by a bedroom door in the hallway. You need to work if you hope to feed your family, but the futility of it all at this point makes you question if it's even necessary when you could live off the land you produce yourself.. Your choices: [[Stay home with your family.->Stay Home]] [[Go out to the farm.->Work]]

You move your hand off the door handle and put your respiration masks down on the table by the door. You hold your daughter close. The farm can wait for a day. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Stay Home-Mercinary Arrives]]

You pat your daughter on the head. *Not today, my dear.* You pick up your respirator mask and pull the door open. Your daughter pouts as you close the door. You gaze upon the small plot of land you've been working on for years. It has certainly seen better days. You adjust your respirator and get to work. *** Hours later, you've done as much as you could on this plot. It still doesn't look great, but there's only so much you can do. You have a few smaller plots-unoxygenated, of course-near the outskirts of the valley. It'd be a relatively short trip if you take your beat-up speeder-a long, narrow hovercraft-but the crops need to be checked on, so you whip the tarp off your rusty, old speeder and hop on. *** After about a ten-minute ride, you arrive at one of your outskirt plots to find charred crops. You shut off your speeder and approach the crops. You kneel down and feel them. There's a chance that it could've been caused by a nearby lightning storm, but something feels off to you. It seems too perfect, and there's none of the crystalized sand that often accompanies a lightning storm. You could check on your other crops, but if someone is targeting you, your family may be in danger. Your choices: [[Check your other crops.->Work-Crop Check]] [[Return home.->Work-Return Home]]

You smile as you watch the rest of your family eat breakfast. Your kids smile giddily. You are content... But it won't last. *Knock! Knock!* You turn your head to the door. *Knock! Knock! Knock!* No one ever comes out this far in the valley. Your family freezes. You slowly rise from your chair and sneak up to the door. "Is anyone home?" a muffled, deep voice speaks from the other side of the door. You shoot your wife a quick glance. She quickly stands and pulls the two children up. They rush into a bed room and quickly close the door. You take a deep breathe before pulling the door open ever so slightly, open only until the chain lock stops it. You look through the crack in the door and see a man dressed in a western cowboy-inspiried outfit; a red poncho over black armor. There are clearly enhancements to his armor, as there are glowing red bits along the lining of the suit. He wears a slick respirator and a clean cowboy hat on top. The man looks up at you. "Hello there. Can you help me out, sir? I'm looking for the owner of this fine plot of land." [align center] [[Click to Continue->Stay Home-Massacre Ending]]

You huff your chest and stay silent. The man just tilts his head and smiles sinisterly. You rush to close the door, but the man manages to KICK it open, breaking the chain lock. You stumble back. The man quickly whips out a futuristic revolver and points it at you. You rush at him and push his arm up as he fires a laser shot into the ceiling. The man knees you in the stomach. You stagger back into the dining table. The man raises his gun- *BANG!* He fires a laser shot right through your gut. You crumble to the ground. He slowly steps forward, making sure to crush your fingers with his boot as he walks over your body. You look up, see him walking towards the bedroom, and instantly try to push yourself up, but the laser shot did too much damage to you. All you can do now is watch as the man kicks open the door your family hides behind. You hear a scream followed by three shots. Then it all falls silent... ...all but the heavy steps of the man's boots. He walks back out to you as you lie in a pool of your own blood. He chuckles. "You really should've given up the land, my friend," he says. He lifts his gun and points it at your head. You huff, growl, scramble with all your strength to get up- *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

[align center] You have died. Do you wish to try again? [[Click to Restart->Title Screen]]

You hop on your speeder and take a five-minute ride to the next of your plots of land. When you arrive at the next one, you don't need to get off your speeder. You instantly see another patch of ash-burdened crops. This confirms your suspicions: someone is targeting you, and that means your family may be in danger. Your choices: [[Return home.->Work-Return Home Extended]]

You quickly hop back on your speeder, but before you fire the engine, you spot a trail of dust in the distance. You focus on it for a few seconds and realize that it's another speeder riding towards the city. You pull a pair of binoculars off your toolbet to get a better look. Something seem wrong, though. Not many come out to the valleys, and that speeder looks to be faster and sleeker than your crumbling lemon. It's matte-black surfacing and glowing red highlights are unlike anything you've seen. You lower your binoculars and latch them back on your belt. You quickly fire the engine and speed back home as fast as you can. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Work-A Broken Home]]

You turn your speeder around and immediately start heading back home. *** On your ride back, you spot something peculiar. In the distance, you see another speeder riding away towards the B.Q. City. Something seem wrong, though. Not many come out to the valleys, and that speeder looks to be faster and sleeker than your crumbling lemon. It's matte-black surfacing and glowing red highlights are unlike anything you've seen. You rev your speeder and drive as fast as you can. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Work-A Broken Home]]

You finally return home. You skid your speeder to a halt; it sputters as you hop off without shutting the engine off. You instantly notice that your house's door is hanging ajar. You rush inside... ...and inside is a broken home. Splatters of blood stick to dented walls and broken chairs. You pull your respirator mask off and let it clatter to the ground. You do not see your family, but you do see a slowly growing pool of blood emerging from inside of your bedroom. You rush into your bedroom, and the sight you behold instantly brings you to tears. Your family lies dead on the bed. From the way they lie, you can see that your wife died trying to protect your children from whoever was sick enough to take upon this vile act. You stumble towards your family. You climb onto the bed and hold their cold bodies close. Tears flow. You don't care if you get blood on you anymore. Your choices: [[Bury your family.->Work-Buried]] [[There's a box of matches in your toolbelt.->Work-Burned]]

Later, you bury your family by the side of your house, where you once put your speeder. Three broken chair backs serve as tombstones. You sniffle and stick your shovel in the red dirt. As you stand there staring at the graves of the only people you ever loved, you begin to boil with rage. Someone did this to you, to your home, to your family, and they deserve an unimaginable suffering. You walk back inside and grab your respirator mask. You need nothing else. You get on top of your speeder. There is no decision: you will find the man who did this, and you will bring him to justice. You look back at your family's graves once more while you put your respirator on. You crank the speeder's engine and drive off. You will get revenge, and that will take you to B.Q. City. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Journey]]

There's a box of matches in your toolbelt. You pull them out and pull a single match out before dropping the box. You stare at the match, then look back at the bodies of your wife and children. Your choices: [[Drop the match.->Work-Buried Extended]] [[Light it.->Work-Burned Ending]]

You drop the match too. You can't bring yourself to end things. You hold your family close again. *** Outside, you bury your family by the side of your house, where you once put your speeder. Three broken chair backs serve as tombstones. You sniffle and stick your shovel in the red dirt. As you stand there staring at the graves of the only people you ever loved, you begin to boil with rage. Someone did this to you, to your home, to your family, and they deserve an unimaginable suffering. You walk back inside and grab your respirator mask. You need nothing else. You get on top of your speeder. There is no decision: you will find the man who did this, and you will bring him to justice. You look back at your family's graves once more while you put your respirator on. You crank the speeder's engine and drive off. You will get revenge, and that will take you to B.Q. City. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Journey]]

You strike the match and drop it on the floor. *** The house is engulfed in flames. The speeder still sits outside, idle. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

You ride through the desert valley towards the gargantuan oxygen dome that encases B.Q. City. It is quite the sight, but you still have a long way to go. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Journey-Crossing the Border]]

After a couple of hours, you finally arrive to the metal gates that provide as entrances into the oxygen dome. You park your speeder by a wall and turn the sputtering engine off. You likely won't need it again. *** You walk into the initial gate. One other desert-dweller stands inside. He looks to be in worse condition than even you; he is thin-malnoursihed, his skin looks dry, his back is curved almost to a ninety degree angle, and his sand-suit and respirator mask look to be on their last legs. The gate closes behind you. Now, the two of you are enclosed in a tube with soft blue lights on the ceiling. A female A.I.'s voice speaks through an intercom. It says, "`Oxygen chamber now pressurized.`" Exhaust steam pours through vents. Then, the door in front of you slides open, and two armed guards-decked out in futuristic military armor-stand by the sides of this entrance. You take your respirator mask off and hang it on your belt. You begin to walk forward when you notice the other man slowly dragging his feet as he walks behind you. You only stop for a moment, but you can't help but feel pity for him. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Journey-Customs]]

You arrive to the short line leading you into the customs officer stands. As you wait in line, you look around and see dozens of lone people and a few families being held back behind a red, laser-fenced wall. Three guards stand watch in front of the fence. One fenced man pushes up close to the fence. He sticks his arm through a gap in the laser bars and hits the back of one of the guards. "Let us through, man. We have a right to be here!", he says. The guard, without hesitation, passes through the laser bars-his suit gives gim access. He whacks the but of his rifle into the man's head, causing the man to fall to the ground. The other captivees gasp. The guard gives them an intimidating glare through his mask before stepping back through the laser fence and resuming his post. You immediately divert your gaze. Luckily, it is your turn to step up to the customs stand. A an unarmored customs officer-with a light pistol on his hip-stands behind the desk. He nods for you to look forward, and you willingly do so. This is not your first time entering the city; you were born here, but chose to leave. Each time you had enough crops to sell for a decent price, you brought them back, but never stayed for more than a day. As you stand still, a laser scanner rotates around you. After a second, it clears you with a delightfully annoying *BING*. The customs officer grunts and tilts his head for you to move along. You walk forward, but not before looking back at the cage once more. This time, you spot that same man that shared the oxygenating chamber with you. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Enter B.Q. City]]

You finally make it through the border and step out into B.Q. City, a vibrant, neon metropolis with skyscrapers that reach all the way from the tip of the dome down to the lowest depth of the crater the city rests in. Glowing holographic advertisements crowd the sides of buildings, and hover-highways circle the airspace around the main part of the city. Beneath the high, fake-grass-covered plazas connected to the middle sections of these highrises is the undercity in the depths of the crater, a cold, dark subcity where the unfortunate 99% of society lives. They don't have the priviledge of hover-highways, either; they are stuck with unmatinenced subway trains. As you look out at the city from the border, which rests perfectly on the crater's rim, you find a parted pathway. One path has a holographic sign reading: [align center] `TO CITY CENTER` [align center] `SCAN REQUIRED TO PASS` [continue] The other path has a rusty metal sign that is nearly falling off its posts. It reads: [align center] `TO THE UNDERCITY` [continue] You know you do not have access to the city center; you've only ever dealt within the undercity, it was where you were raised. But, you could try to go to the city center; perhaps they will let you through. Your choices: [[Attempt to pass to the city center.->Enter B.Q. City-Paths Extended]] [[Go to the undercity.->Enter B.Q. City-Paths]]

You decide to try and enter the city center pathway, but before you even make it to the entrance, two armed guards step in your way. One pipes up, "Where do you think you're going? You don't like you'd have a single reason to be going this way, bud." You regress and walk away from that pathway. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Enter B.Q. City-Paths]]

You walk up to the undercity path. You give the sign a disheartened gaze before walking down the steep steps down to the undercity. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Undercity]]

You look down over the edge of the seemingly unending staircase and see the Undercity come into view. Neon green streetlights do their best to light the dark base of the crater, but the volume of dark alleys and shaded walkways is immense. Hundreds of homeless civillians line the streets and alleys, begging for scraps. Thugs strut down the street. You remember your time here. You were born here, of course; fell in love here, and decided to leave when the crime and surprisingly high costs of even the undercity became too much for you. You thought you were lucky that your father was giving up his small farmland to return to Earth, but you thought wrong. Even so, this place looks a lot worse than you remember. *** After a long trek, you finally reach the end of the stairs and step onto the concrete brick floors. You breath in the smell of smoke and despair and begin your journey forward. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Undercity-Where to Go]]

You stroll down the street with your hands in your pockets. Different colors of light glow on the side of your face as you walk past various shops and stores, all cramped into small shop spaces. As you walk, you think about your options. Down the street is a police precinct with red and black graffiti splatted on the dirty white walls. In the past, they never did anything to help you, but they could have information you are looking for. Your only other option is to delve into the dark, cramped alleys and clubs to find information the old fashioned way, but you have to remember that you don't have any protection on you. Your choices: [[Go to the police.->Undercity-Police Precinct]] [[Go into the alleyway.->Undercity-Into The Dark]]

You step inside of the precinct and bask in the eerily white flourecent lights hanging from above. The building is dead bar a few officers transporting small-time thugs and a single attending officer at the front desk. A large, light blue laser barrier shields the entire desk. You walk past the empty belt barrier line and step in front of the officer, who is slothfully typing away on a holographic computer. He doesn't even look at you while he speaks, "Here to report somethin'? Fill out one of those tablets and bring it back." You look to your right and see a line of holo-tablets. You grab one and sit down in the waiting area. *** You finish filling out the report. As soon as you're done, the tablet reads: [align center] `Thank you for filing a report. We will get back to you in 5-6 business days.` [continue] You sigh. You drop the tablet on the coffee table in front of you and storm out. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Undercity-Into The Dark Extended]]

You look down the alleyway. After a second of lingering, you decide that your best choice is to take the plunge. You slowly make your way down the alley, passing overflowing trash bins and a few blanket-covered homeless people. You come across a blue-tinted window next to a metal door on the side of the alley. A woman with short, wavy hair and a heavy black coat over her body leans by that door, glances at you as you walk. She takes a huff from the cigarette in her hand. "Hey there," she says, "Lookin' for a place to stay for the night?" She gives you a distinct gaze. You stop for a second, though. [["I'm looking for information."->Undercity-This Choice Will Matter]]

You walk out of the precinct disappointed, but you couldn't have expected anything better. Now, you only have one other option. You slowly make your way down the alley, passing overflowing trash bins and a few blanket-covered homeless people. You come across a blue-tinted window next to a metal door on the side of the alley. A woman with short, wavy hair and a heavy black coat over her body leans by that door, glances at you as you walk. She takes a huff from the cigarette in her hand. "Hey there," she says, "Lookin' for a place to stay for the night?" She gives you a distinct gaze. You stop for a second, though. [["I'm looking for information."->Undercity-This Choice Will Matter]]

"Depends on what you're lookin' for, maybe. But it'll cost ya'," she says. Your choices: [[Trust her offer and take the risk.->Business Transaction]] [["Nevermind."->Into the Depths]]

You nod your head. She smirks and pushes open the door to let you in. You walk through, and she quickly swings the door shut behind you. Her living space is flooded with a soft blue light and minimal furniture. She points you to sit on a long couch, but you prefer to stand. "So, what are you lookin' for?" , she asks. [["I'm looking for a mercinary."->Business Transaction-A Sudden Turn]]

"Your loss," she replies. She pulls open the door to her living space and slides in. You will never see her again. You continue on your way down the eerily silent alleyway. Your feet splash in the small puddles of condensation drip from the pipes above. This place isn't what you remember. Maybe it's because you lived a bit above the lowest pit of the city, but things have gotten worse. You emerge in another street. There's nothing much notable here except for what looks like a bar, which has a glowing-red neon sign barely hanging from some wires. The windows are covered in graffiti, and the decrepit walls look like they have not been so much as dusted in at least a decade. You guess that, if anyone is to know something, it'd be in a place like that. [[Enter the bar.->The Bar]]

"Sorry, but if you're lookin' for a hit, I can't get you one," she says. [["I'm not looking for a hit, just information."->Business Transaction-A Sudden Turn 2]]

"Huh. Never heard that before. You must not be from around here." She looks uneasy. You start to get nervous. "You a cop?" she asks. You shake your head. She nods agreeingly. You notice how tense she is. A drop of sweat rolls down your own forehead, too. "Can I ask why you're lookin' for a merc?" You remain silent; you don't know if you can trust her, not yet. She lets out a dry chuckle. Suddenly, she whips a pistol out and points it at you. You don't even have a second to move. "This is a bit too much heat for me. Now, time for you to hold up your end of the deal. Empty those pockets," she demands. You slowly reach a hand down towards your pants pocket. She inches closer and presses the gun into your chest. Your choices: [[Give up your wallet.->Business Transaction-End of Conversation]] [[Grab her gun.->Business Transaction-Fight Back]]

You silently reach your hand into your pocket and pull your thin wallet out. You lift it up and toss it on the coffee table besides you. "Good," she says, "Now, get outta here." [[Leave.->No Spare Change]]

You keep moving your hand down to your pocket. As soon as she shifts her eyes down for a second, you quickly snatch the gun from her hands and turn it around on her. "Woah, woah!" she exclaims. Your choices: [[Kill her.->A Dark Route]] [[Spare her.->Pacifist Route]]

You have the gun aimed at her, finger over the trigger- -and yet, you don't pull it. You've never pulled the trigger before. Even the woman is surprised. But she can't mistake your hesitance for kindness, the city never taught her any better. She knees you in the gut, and you drop the gun when you grab your stomach in pain. You look up and see the gun pointed at your head. Your choices: [[Take the gun back.->Pacifist Route-Wavering]] [[Do nothing.->A New Friend]]

You pull the trigger. BAM! Smoke puffs out of the gun's nozzle. Your ears ring, but you can still hear a muffled *thump* on the ground in front of you. You look down. Blood pools at your feet. [align center] [[Click to Continue->A Dark Route-Blood]]

You quickly shoot your arms up and push her arms up. The gun points to the ceiling, but the woman doesn't fire. You headbutt her, and she drops the gun. You scramble to pick it up. You grab it before she does. You raise the gun and point it at her head. Your choices: [[Kill her.->A Dark Route]] [[Spare her.->A New Friend Extended]]

The woman has her finger on the trigger, and yet- -she hesitates too. You stand still. All is silent... ...until the gun clatters on the floor. You look up at her and see her sorrowful expression. "Shit, why didn't ya' shoot?" she asks, almost tearfully. [["I'm not here to hurt you. I'm just looking for information."->A New Friend-Names]]

You see the look in her eyes, the fear. You remember why you're here. She isn't the one you're here to kill. You drop the gun and put your hands up. She almost tears up, but she keeps it in. She quickly kicks the gun away. "What the hell? Why?" she asks. [["I told you, I'm just looking for information."->A New Friend-Names]]

"I know that, but why didn't ya' pull the trigger? Have you ever been in a gunfight 'fore?" she asks. She curls onto her knees. You just stand there and look at her. "I-I'm sorry. Not too often you find someone here that ain't tryin' to kill ya'," she says. She seems a bit awkward now that her guard is down. "Uh, the name's Ash, if you were wondering." [["Can you help me out?"->A New Friend-Information]]

You drop the gun. It splashes in the blood; some splatters on your shoes. You grab your pulsing head. *What have you done?* You turn your head when you hear a small commotion begin to grow outside. You look around frantically and speedwalk towards the other exit. As you lay your hand on the doorknob, breathing heavy, you look back at the body. You did this, and you can never take it back. [[Leave this place.->In the Depths Without a Light]]

"Ain't you straight to the point," Ash says. She stands up. "I'll help you as much as I can, but no promises. My ties ain't that deep." [["I didn't see him, only his speeder. It was black and red."->A New Friend-Let's Go]]

"That's all you got? And you were expecting to find the guy off just that?" she laughs. "You're lucky I think I know who you might be talkin' about, but I'm not sure. Even if I was, finding him won't be easy." She holds herself a bit. "But if you really need to find this guy, I might be able to take ya'. I owe you that much, at least," she offers. [[Accept her offer.->A New Friend-Let's Go Part 2]]

"Glad I can help," Ash says. She looks around her living space. "We should probably get goin'. This place'll get a bit tough to deal with at night," she says. [[Leave with Ash.->A Guide to the Deep]]

You both walk out of Ash's apartment. She taps her finger on a small screen by her door to lock the apartment up. "Alright, let's get goin'," she says. [[Follow Ash.->A Guide to the Deep-Bazaar]]

You rush out of the back exit and let the door swing behind you. You spot a growing commotion peeking into the alleyway from the street, so you turn the other way and head towards the darker depths of the alley. As you go deeper in, it becomes harder to see the light. [[Continue through the dark.->The Dark Below]]

Outside of the same door you entered, the woman shoves you out. You fall into a sopping puddle on the floor, and before you can even turn around, the woman slams the door shut. You hear the lock hinges swing closed behind that door. So much for that. [[Move on.->No Spare Change-Moving Forward]]

After you walk through the dark, you see a soft green glow at the end of the alley. You speedwalk towards it and emerge in an abandoned loft. A half-broken green luminscent light glows above dozens of homeless citizens wrapped in blankets. They all lift their light-abscent eyes and stare at you. Your breath slows. You slowly step between the feet of the impoverished, making sure not to step on them. Suddenly, though, a cloaked woman leans forward and reaches her thin, bony hands before you. You just stare, despair in your eyes. You look up and see another door at the end of the room. You hurry past the beggars and pull the door open. The beggars watch as you slam it closed behind you. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Dark Below-The Bazaar]]

When you finally get out of there, you grab your pounding chest. In your head, those few seconds replay over and over again. *Why did you do it?* You snap out of it when you hear the roars of people all around. You glance up and find yourself somewhere completely new: a plaza, a gathering of the poor citizens of the undercity in a sidestreet full of stand-up shops made of sparce metal scraps. Orange streetlights hanging between the margins of the buildings help keep the place out of the dark. You begin to calm down a slight bit. You walk forward and browse the stands; some sell rare jewelry and trinkets, some sell advanced machinery chips, and one even sells rare fruit-most likely stolen from the surface. With the sheer number of people, you assume there must be someone that can help you find what you're looking for. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Dark Below-Asking Around]]

You step up to one stand. The man running it looks tough-he's built, covered in scars, and looks more wary of his standing than some of the other people around here. His stand displays cybernetic enhancements, all kinds. "What can I do for you?" he asks in a gruff voice. [["I'm looking for information."->The Dark Below-Asking Around Part 2]]

He looks around the sides of his stall and leans in. "You a cop?" You shake your head. You reach down to your pocket, which makes him flinch. You slowly pull out your wallet and grab a $100 bill. The stand owner quickly pushes your hand down. "You must be stupid or new around here. Get away from my stall," he commands. [[Walk away.->The Dark Below-Criminality]]

You shove your wallet back into your pocket and step away from the stand. The owner glares at you as you back up. *Whatever. There must be someone else here that can help you.* Suddenly, a loud *CLANG* echoes through the bazaar. Murmurs begin to erupt, and you watch a crowd of people part as three armed police guards step through. Your heart immediately sinks. The officers look around. The people give them nasty glares, but the show of arms scares enough people to back away. The lead officers steps up. "Listen up, scoundrels, we don't want to be here either, but a woman was just killed a block away. Some witnesses say it was an outsider, but we aren't sure. The suspect is considered armed and dangerous. Any information leading to an arrest will warrant some semblance of a reward," he says. Your face goes pale. Clammor erupts amongst the people. "Get the fuck out of our town!" one dweller shouts. The officers raise their weapons as some of the bazaar-goers think about doing something. "Hey, this'll all be a lot easier if you cooperate. The sooner you give up the rat, we'll get out of your hair. Otherwise, we're gonna have to do sweeps." You breathe heavily. That image of the dead woman flashes in your head. As the commotion gets louder and the walls start to feel like they're closing in, you are faced with- Your choices: [[Turn yourself in.->Repentance]] [[Run.->Chase]]

You don't even think, the guilt makes the decision for you. You slowly step between the crowd with your hands up. Gasps erupt from the crowd. You stand before the officers. They tilt their heads. "Gotcha, punk." *BANG! BANG! BANG!* The officers all fire right into your chest. You fall to the ground. All you hear as it goes to black is the uproar of the citizens of the undercity. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

You look around. The undercity dwellers don't seem like they're going to stand down, but from your few interactions here, you don't know who you can trust. You quickly turn around and book it down the bazaar path. The cops spot you running. "Hey, HEY!" one exclaims. They push past the citizens and shove a few to the ground, which causes another uproar. The officers rush after you, and a chase begins. You make a quick swerve down another dark alley, but the cops are hot on your trail. Up ahead, you spot a metal plate perfectly aligned as a ramp for you to jump over a fence. You take it and leap over the fence, but the cops still chase you. Ahead of you lies a forking path. You can take a turn down one and try to ambush the cops, or you can keep going straight and hope someone helps you. Your choices: [[Keep running.->Chase-Run]] [[Try to fight back.->Chase-Fight]]

You keep running straight, hoping someone else will come to help you, hoping someone will come do what you don't want to... ...but you know that no one else will, and when one cop fires a laser shot at you-barely missing-you realize you only have one choice. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Chase-Fight]]

You quickly turn down another narrow alley. As soon as you hit the turn, you find a stray pipe on the ground. You pick it up and press your back against the dirty wall behind you as you wait for the police to make the turn. Their footsteps get closer...and closer...until- The first makes the turn, and you WHACK him in the face with the pipe. He drops his gun and falls down. The other cops raise their weapons, but you swiftly swing the pipe at one of their weapons. Before the last cop can shoot, you SMACK the pipe into his head, and his head slams into the wall. The final cop backs up, but you can't let him go easily. You hit his head with the pipe, and he falls down to the floor with the rest of his buddies. You huff, look down at the cops lying there; pieces of their cracked masks splay on the cool, wet floor. One of them is still awake. He shields his face with his hands. "Please...please, I won't chase you. It was a mistake. Please-" You *SHOUT* and slam the pipe on his head. It all goes quiet. You don't know if they're dead or not, but you know you have to move fast now. But you can't move yet. You stare down, that image of the gun sitting in a pool of blood drawn by your own hand never leaves. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Further Down]]

The pipe clatters to the floor, the echo of its metal shell reverberating in your ears. As the echo dims, you run off from the scene you left and turn further and further into the dark. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Further Down-Revolutionaries]]

You emerge beneath an unused bridge. You check behind yourself to make sure no one comes before stepping onto a mostly empty sidewalk. You put your hands in your pocket, lower your head, and walk forward, making sure to garner no attention from the few passerby. But for each fleeting moment your blood-stained shoes briefly step into your view, your eyes get colder and colder. Suddenly, you hear the rev of a loud vehicle, along with the chants of what sounds like a young teenager. Your eyes widen. You quickly duck into the recessed frame of an abandoned storefront. After a few seconds, though, you hear it pass. You carefully peek your head out. You see the flashing blue-and-red lights of a police hovercar cutting through the dark green hues of the undercity streets. You take a breath and step out from the doorway. You sneak towards the street intersection, pressing your back up against a building. You slowly move your head around the corner and see three cops-all with weapons ready-standing against two young men. *BANG!* A cop shoots one of the young men dead. The other-sporting a faux hawk, an open, orange parka jacket, and wielding a homemade electric staff-pulls a pair of disc-shaped devices from his belt and flings them at two of the cops. The devices stick on the officers armor and immediately fries them in a cage of electricity. The last officer fires a laser blast into the young man's leg. He screams in pain and falls on one knee. "You think I'm just gonna let you get away with killing my people?" he yells, filled with rage. You see that he is vulnerable, just but a child, but do you want to risk your safety for his? Your choices: [[Try to help.->Redemption?]] [[Do nothing.->Further Down-Witness]]

Inside is even worse than out. Red tints from the luminescents on the ceiling bathe all of the inhabitants of this place. When the door swings open and the beeping bell *RINGS* above you, every bar-goer's gaze focuses on you, an outsider. After a few seconds, though, they all go back to their drunken conversation. You carefully walk up to the bar and take a seat on an uneven-footed stool. You put your arms up on the cold metal surface and glance around. There are a lot of people here, but you don't know the first place to start your questioning. It doesn't help that your social skills are not very up-to-par. Suddenly, you watch a man at the end of the bar get up from his stool, walk over, and take a seat right by your side. *This cannot be good.* You see his long, pushed-back-and-messy hair, his thick beard, and his heavy coat-which is in remarkably good condition considering the location. He signals the bartended for two drinks and turns to face you. As the bartender places a pair of rocks glasses over two napkins, the man nods to you. "You look to be new around here," he says in a slightly-latin accent. You say nothing in response. The man smiles. "I get it, you don't know me. But please, take the drink, it is my treat." You glance at the drink for a second, but you don't pick it up. "Listen, I can tell stuff about people from a mile away, and I know you're looking for something," he says. [["What does it matter to you?"->The Bar-Conversation]]

He lightly chuckles. "I know a lot of things around here. I may not look it, but I grew up in the undercity. Whatever you're looking for, I can help you. For a price, of course," he offers. You don't know if you can trust this man, but you need all the help you can get. Your choices: [[Take up his offer.->The Bar-Cassian]] [["No thanks."->No Help]]

You begrudgingly pull your wallet out of your back pocket. "It's two hundred for whatever you want to know." You sigh and pull out a few bills, most of what you have left. You place them on the bar counter, and the man happily slides his hand over the stack. "Pleasure doing business with you. The name's Cassian, by the way," he says. "So, what are you looking for, my friend?" [["I'm looking for a mercinary. I don't know what he looks like, only what he rode."->The Bar-Information]]

"Are you sure? I'm sure I can find whatever it is you are looking for, and I know you must be looking for something. We all are down here," he says. You remain silent, though. You have to be careful of who you can trust down here. The man waits a second before scoffing. "Suit yourself, mister," he says before hopping off the barstool and walking away. [align center] [[Click to Continue->No Help-Leave]]

"A mercinary? Sheesh, I should've charged double," he jokes. "But seriously, I know some guys. What kind of a job do you want?" [["Not a job. I just need to find him."->The Bar-Information Part 2]]

"Are you sure you want to go down that road? I've heard many people try to do what I think you are going to do," he asks cautiously. You glare at him. "Alright, fine, fine. What do you know about him?" [["He has a black speeder with red lights. All I know."->The Bar-Information Part 3]]

"Sheesh, you really do know nothing about him." Cassian thinks for a few seconds, after which he nods to himself. "Well, I have an idea of who you're talking about. But this is still a risky move, my friend. Are you sure-" You cut him off when you slam your fist on the counter and give him a stare deep into his eyes. "Okay, okay, fine," Cassian relents. "Let's go, then. I'll take you where you need to go." [[Leave the bar with Cassian.->Searching]]

You step out of the bar with Cassian behind you. You walk ahead a bit when you notice that he is staying back a bit. He nods at you. "I need to make a call," he says while tilting his head to the small, holo-phone console by the side of the door. You sigh and turn away. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Searching-Call]]

"HEY!" you yell. The cop turns his head and stares dead at you as you angrily walk towards him. While he's distracted, the young man pushes himself up, groans in pain. He raises his staff, lets out a war chant, and- *BANG!* Without looking, the cop fires a laser blast through the young man's heart. He staggers forward with his staff raised over his head. He looks down at the bleeding hole in his chest. He looks up one time to stare into your eyes, and collapses to the floor. "Fucking revolutionaries," the cop grumbles. He points his gun at you, and before you can move behind cover, he shoots a laser shot straight into your chest. You grasp at the new hole, gasp for air, and crumble to the ground. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

You try to move, but your body doesn't budge. All you do is watch as the officer aims his rifle with one arm and blasts a laser shot through the teen's chest. The young man writhes on the ground, choking on his own blood, when you finally look away. But before you walk away, you hear something that sinks to your very core. "Yeah, the kid's dead, thank God. It'll be easier to find the rest of these punks now", the cop says into his built-in comms system. Your choices: [[Keep walking.->Further Down-Pain]] [[You become enraged.->Enraged]]

Your chest burns with pain, that memory of losing not one but two children, but all you think of is the life you took unjustly. You hang your head in sorrow and leave the scene of the crime. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Dark Bar]]

A fire burns in your chest. Even though you remember the life you took, the memory of holding your wife, your children, blinks in your mind until you *snap*. You step out from behind the building and walk with thundering footsteps towards the cop. He doesn't notice you until you are right up behind him. He turns and backs up. "Hey, HEY! Back it up!" he commands. He starts to raise his gun, but you grab onto it. The two of your struggle to gain control over the weapon. "Let go, you piece of shit!" the officer yells. But your rage is stronger than his compliance. You tear the weapon from his hands and kick him to the ground. He puts his arms up to guard himself, "No, NO!" You raise the gun, point it at his head, and- *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Revolt]]

On your despair-filled stroll back down the seemingly darkening street at the bottom of the city, you come upon a neon-green sign that reads `BAR` hanging from a post on the side of a small building. You look inside the window, at the most empty interior, and decide that you need a release from your unimaginable struggles. *DING!* A bell rings as you push the door open. It swings closed behind you. No one takes notice of you; they're probably trying to hide away from their pains same as you. You step to the bar counter and raise a finger for a drink without saying a word. The bartender seems to get a lot of that around here. She places a napkin down and a mug of beer above it. You take a sip and sigh. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Dark Bar-A Foe Approaches]]

You stand tall, chest heaving with each heavy breath. You don't even give a second thought to the pool of blood now by your feet; you only focus on the slain boy laying a few feet away. You walk to him, kneel down, and hold his body, dropping the officer's rifle in a small puddle of blood. He did not deserve this. "Well, I sure was not expecting this," a mystery voice exclaims. You turn your head around to look at where the sound came from, but then a bullet grazes off your cheek, leaving a small slit of dripping blood. "I wouldn't move any more." From the dark shadows cast under a bridge, a cowboy decked in futuristic armor with a deep-red poncho, glowing red eyes, and a pitch-black hat steps out to discover you covered in this boy's blood. "Did you kill that boy?" he asks. He then spots the fallen officer. "Ah, I see." [["Who the hell are you?"->Revolt-A Killer]]

The further and further you sink your lips into the beer, the less you take notice of the bar-goers shuffling out of their seats and out the door. The ring of the doorbell doesn't even alert you. It isn't until you empty the mug and attempt to call the bartender by raising your finger the same way that you notice that everyone disappeared-even the bartender. You look around. Everyone is gone. Suddenly, the lights go out. All that illuminates you is the glow of the green sign outside. You don't care much, though, at least until you hear- *DING!* The silhouette of a futuristic cowboy with glowing red eyes stands in the doorway, the door swinging behind him. You don't look at him yet. His spurs clack on the floor as he walks towards you. He pulls up the stool right besides you-the legs screech on the floor-and sits down calmly. He lifts a cigar from his belt and a lighter from his pocket. He lights it, the orange glow of the lighter burning through the dark. You get a side-eyed glance at his scarred face before he clicks the lighter closed and returns it to his pocket. He pulls his smoking cigarette from his mouth. "I've been looking for you," he says. You still pay him little mind. "I've seen what you've been doing around here. Running from cops, seeing that kid die...killing that innocent woman..." he continues. You clentch your fist. "For only having been here a few hours, you sure have made a name for yourself. My employer is impressed. He assumed after the scene you left at home, you'd end it." Your eyes widen. It's him, the man you've been hunting, the man who took everything from you. You quickly whips around and grab him by the poncho. He smirks. "He's gotten all he needed out of you, but he wanted me to...make sure you were done," he claims. "So, are you ready for this?" Your choices: [[Do nothing.->End the Suffering]] [[Do what you came to do.->The Dark Bar-Fight]]

You lower your head. You release your grip on the cowboy and place yourself firmly back on the stool. The cowboy nods. "Good choice." You close your eyes, tighten your fist. Soon enough, you'll be back with- *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

Your story will not end here. You know what you came here to do, and you intend to see it through. The cowboy seems to think you've given up until you punch him in the nose. His head cocks back, blood drips. "Hrng, I was hoping you would make this easy," he growls. He reaches for his revolver, but you quickly headbutt him onto the ground. He kicks himself up and puts himself in a defensive stance. Unfortunately for him, your rage stretches far beyond his fighting ability. You *SCREAM* and charge at him, tackling him into a table. As he lays on the surface, you beat down on his face a few times until he finally gets the strength to kick you back. You stumble a bit, but still stand. "You fucking idiot. You should've been there when I killed your wife and child." He whips his revolver out and aims at you. You stare down the narrow barrel, the dark where your end could come, and reject the dark. You roll to the side as he fires a laser shot. It bounces off the far metal wall in the back and reflects RIGHT BACK into the cowboy's gut. He staggers back, grips his stomach. You charge him again and slam him into the bar counter. His back *CRACKS* on impact, and he crashes to the ground. His legs lay limp, he breathes heavy, and blood drips all down his face. Despite this all, he can't help but chuckle at the sheer irony. "It didn't have to be this way. You could've given them what they wanted, and then maybe your wife and children would still be here." [["Who?"->The Dark Bar-The Man Above]]

"Who the fuck do you think? Who runs those giant agriculture farms that keep you out of business? Why didn't you just give it up, give them what they want? They have it now, there's no point to any of this anymore," the cowboy says. He coughs up blood. "Those bastards at Kain Inc. That's what you want to hear, right? Who set the hit." You kneel down to him and pick his gun from his hand. You pull back the hammer. Your choices: [[Leave him.->The Wrong Choice]] [[Do what you came here to do.->The Dark Bar-Finished]]

You look at him; the man is already dying. You decide to leave him there to suffer. You push the hammer back and place the gun back down on the blood covered floor by the cowboy's legs. You stand up and begin to walk away. You now are faced with a choice- *BANG!* You freeze, look down. There's a growing splotch of blood in the middle of your chest. You look back and see the cowboy, gun in hand, smiling as the barrel smokes. "You thought I'd let you go free after this?" You fall to one knee. As the blood pours, the world goes dark, and you collapse. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

You can't leave until you see the job done, until you see him as still as he left your family. You raise the gun, aim it at his head. "You don't have the balls." The images of all that you've seen flash through your head, of the death you've both seen and caused-but when you reopen your eyes, those images disappear. All that's left are you and him. The cowboy chuckles. *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Dark Bar-Choice]]

As the cowboy's body lies dead and still in a pool of his own blood, you stand again, drained and exhausted. But what he told you-that there's someone more to this story-doesn't leave your mind. Your choices: [[Return home.->Done]] [[Make them all pay.->Unfinished Business]]

You let the revolver clatter to the floor. You're tired. You did what you said you would do. And now, you've been through enough. You step back through the bar door, listening to the *RING* of the doorbell as you exit. *** After a trek back up the stairs from the depths of the undercity, you return to the border. There's no security watching who leaves, so you get through without speaking a word to anyone else. While you walk out, you see the cage of immigrants. You wish you could do something, but your body doesn't let you speak out, and your legs push you to the oxygenation chamber. *** You step out to the desert-respirator back on, of course-and locate your trusty old speeder. You hop on it, light the chuttering engine, and make your way back home. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Home Ending]]

Your hand grips to the revolver tighter. *No.* You will not let their crimes go unpunished. As tired as you are, all you've seen, all you've been through, to let it go on a whim of "peace" would be to let the true killers of your family go free. You walk out the door to the bar. The *RING* of the bell doesn't echo in your mind anymore. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Started From the Bottom]]

After a few hours of driving, you return to where your farm once was, but the cowboy did not lie. The oxygen dome is gone, the farmlands are surrounded by construction equipment, and your house has been crippled into but a small pile of smoldering ash. You can't even see the tombstones, let alone the graves you set for your family. You get off your speeder and softly step forward. Everything you fought for, everything you had is gone. You open your mouth to speak, to shout in anger, but all that comes out is silence in the winds of the desert. You collapse into the soft embrace of the sands and slowly let the life drift out of your eyes. As the sand rolls over your soon-to-be corpse, you resemble the small graves you made for your family. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

You trudge down the street with a fire lit in you. You've only encountered Kain Incorporated in the few letters they've sent to bribe you into giving up your land, but their actions have now started a war of their own creation, and you intend to finish it today. After just a few minutes of walking, you come upon the bottom floor of Kain Inc., one of the many skyscrapers that relents its unseen horrors to the bottom floors that reach down to the undercity. Thankfully, companies like it don't hide themselves just as how they don't hide the oppression they breed. You stand in front of the door, gaze at your own reflection in the dirty and stained glass window, and push through the doorway. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Started From the Bottom-Elevator]]

You glance at the touchscreen floor display that showcases the literal thousand floors. You know where your target resides, though; you press the top button. [align center] `ERROR: ACCESS KEY REQUIRED` [continue] You grunt. Fine. You'll just wait for someone to come along and give you what you need. And sure enough, one second later the elevator beeps and shoots up a couple hundred floors. The doors slide open, and a slick, black-haired man in a well-fit navy blue suit steps inside with an earpiece in his ear. He lightly scoffs at the sight of you. He turns around and presses on a higher floor. When he taps the screen, the man's finger illuminates. You assume it must be a literal DNA scanner, which'll be easy for you to deal with now. For a second, the two of you stand in silence, until he chuckles and swivels his head a bit to give you a nasty side-eye. "You know, the manufacturing floors are on the bottom of the tower," he says smugly. [["Do you have access to the top floor?"->Started From the Bottom-Easy Way]]

"Why do you care?" he sneers. You smirk. You quickly grab his head and smack it onto the wall panel above the touchpad screen. He groans as you twist his arm and press his finger onto the top floor. Sure enough, it reads: [align center] `ACCESS GRANTED` [continue] The elevator speeds up and reaches the top floor after approximately five seconds. As the doors slide open, you drop the man onto his ass on the cold metal floor. You step out into a huge, long, dark hall with two armored guards standing by an office's double-entry doors. They glance at each other as you stomp down the cold, dark floor. They lift their weapons; "Hey, how'd you get access up here?" one guard asks. You remain silent and keep walking. The guards aim their weapons- *BANG!* They can't even comprehend the speed at which you whip out the revolver. A laser shot pierces one guard in the chest. The other one-shell shocked-freezes, and you fire a shot right into his head. He collapses instantly. You press on, tuning out the sound of the first guard choking on his own blood. Your boots ripple through the pools of blood bleeding into the crack at the bottom of the door. You place your hand on the door handles, and- [[Open the door.->Confrontation]]

The doors slam on the sides of a blank office wall after you push them open. You step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "I made a bet with the mercinary you killed. He believed that, after he confronted you, you would let him kill you willingly. For one of the best trained killers this city had to offer, he was unbearably naive. And for a man of such low origins, you have faired even better than I imagined," the figure says in a calm, calculated voice. You scowl and take a few steps forward, raising your gun at the man. He seems completely unphased, though. In fact, he takes a few steps forward to reveal his half-cybernetic face and red eye to you. "I'm sure you know who I am: Kravitz Kain, and I'm sure you know now that I am the one who hired that foolish mercenary and destroyed your home," he says. "But now, I come to you with a peaceful proposition." [align center] [[Click to Continue->Confrontation-The Proposition]]

You hold the gun tight, but you prepare to hear out his words. "In your short tenure down in the undercity, you have killed two and beaten how many cops? No regular man could do that. Only a man fueled by pain could succeed in his goal, which is why your stack-chasing nemesis met his demise at your hands. You would make a perfect mercinary," he offers. [["You brought me here to offer me a job?"->Confrontation-The Final Choice]]

"Well, I didn't intend for that when I sent out for you and your family to be killed. No, I simply needed your land," he explains. You rush forward and grab Kravitz by the tie. You pull him close and press the muzzle of the gun into the metallic side of his head. "Slow down, my friend, I needed your land AT FIRST. But when I heard that my man failed to kill you, I wanted to see how far you could go. And boy did you go far. You became the same thing that took your family's life: a cold-hearted killer," Kravitz claims. Your eyes widen, and your grip on the gun loosens. Kravitz nuzzles back out of your grip on his tie. You stand frozen, remembering the death you've witnessed along the way. You have become a monster. "So, in the spirit of my business interests, I will give you an offer that you most certainly won't refuse: work for me, and help my empire become unstoppable," Kravitz says, his voice echoing in your ear. Your choices: [[Do it. Become his lackey.->The Worst Ending]] [[Another option.->Finish What You Started]]

Your head splits, every void and crevace in your mind filling with the splitting images of your family, of bloodshed, of death. You grasp your head in pain, drop the gun, and fall to your knees. As the screams get louder and louder, you hear one thing that cuts through: "Give it up." Suddenly, the only thing in your mind is the memory of your family, of their smiles, of the warmth and love taken away by violence bred by corruption. You stand up with the gun in your hand. "So, what do you-" *BANG!* A single bullet tears straight through Kravitz's metal eye. He wobbles for a second before collapsing onto his desk, slouched. No blood pours from his body. Monsters like him aren't human. You walk around the desk and look out at the expansive city behind the window. The billboards around the building turn yellow, basking you in a warm memory of sunlight. You take a breath. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

[align center] THE END Do you wish to try again? [[Return to Title Screen->Title Screen]]

[align center] THE END Do you wish to play again? [[Return to Title Screen->Title Screen]]

After that strange bar-goer walks off, you glance around at the various scumbags and drunks around you. There's little chance that you'll actually find someone who knows the specific person you're looking for. You hop out of your barstool and walk to the exit of the bar. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Revolutionaries]]

You continue on your way down the eerily silent alleyway. Your feet splash in the small puddles of condensation drip from the pipes above. This place isn't what you remember. Maybe it's because you lived a bit above the lowest pit of the city, but things have gotten worse. You emerge in another street. There's nothing much notable here except for what looks like a bar, which has a glowing-red neon sign barely hanging from some wires. The windows are covered in graffiti, and the decrepit walls look like they have not been so much as dusted in at least a decade. You guess that, if anyone is to know something, it'd be in a place like that. [[Go inside.->Broke in a Bar]]

You still barely get to see him, as his threat has you frozen in place. The only movement you make is to lower the boy's body back to the concrete ground. "You don't recognize me? Really? I've been guiding you the whole time! At least, what I did back at your home did," he says slyly. Your eyes widen. You feel on the ground for the rifle you dropped as you swell with rage beneath the surface. "I expected you to look for me, but I didn't expect all this. Well done. If you had a chance of survival after this, I'd say you'd make a great fit for the undercity," he states mockingly. "Alas, these are your final moments. My employer wanted all loose ends tied up," he says as he spins the chamber of his revolver. [["Who's your boss?"->Revolt-Someone Else]]

"Who do you think was trying to get you off your land for the last year-and-a-fucking-half? Kain Inc. Jeez, I thought you were brighter than that." You have the rifle in your grip. "Well, I'd say it was a pleasure, but you were really worth nothing more than the paycheck you will bring me," the cowboy chuckles. "Say hello to your family for me." Your choices: <del>End your suffering.</del> [[Get revenge.->Revolt-Vengeance]]

*BANG!* The cowboy's devious smirk shifts to a dismayed, open-jawed groan. He looks down. A hole digs perfectly through the center of his poncho. He looks back up and sees you holding the rifle aimed straight at him; the barrel is still smoking. "H-ha, ha-ha. Th-that was u-unexpected," he squeaks out. He wobbles for a moment before collapsing onto the ground. You grip the rifle and walk over to the cowboy's body. You feel no sympathy for his death, only the slight relief of an almost completed task; the key word being "almost". You have even grown numb to the expanding wash of blood approaching-the smell has lost its distinction as well. You technically could return home; your mission is complete. But knowing there's someone else behind all this bloodshed gives you pause. Your choices: <del>Return home.</del> [[Make them all pay.->The Man at the Top]]

No. No one will escape your wrath today. The boy that died before you, the life you took, your own family; all these debts must be paid in blood. You lift your arm and slide the rifle down the back of your musty shirt. The searing muzzle doesn't even make you flinch. You walk down the street, brimming with determination. You've gone on too long allowing the ripple of violence to push through this city. You must deal with it from the source, and luckily for you, companies like Kain Inc. don't hide themselves just as how they don't hide the oppression they breed. After just a short walk, you come upon the bottom floor of Kain Inc., one of the many skyscrapers that relents its unseen horrors to the bottom floors that stretch down to the undercity. You stand in front of the door, gaze at your own reflection in the dirty and stained glass window, and push through the doorway. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Man at the Top-Elevator]]

"Why do you care?" he sneers. You smirk. You quickly grab his head and smack it onto the wall panel above the touchpad screen. He groans as you twist his arm and press his finger onto the top floor. Sure enough, it reads: [align center] `ACCESS GRANTED` [continue] The elevator speeds up and reaches the top floor after approximately five seconds. As the doors slide open, you drop the man onto his ass on the cold metal floor. You step out into a huge, long, dark hall with two armored guards standing by an office's double-entry doors. They glance at each other as you stomp down the cold, dark floor. They lift their weapons; "Hey, how'd you get access up here?" one guard asks. You remain silent and keep walking. The guards aim their weapons- *BANG!* The guards couldn't even comprehend the speed that you whipped the rifle off your back. A laser shot pierces one guard in the chest. The other one, shell shocked, freezes-and you fire a shot right into his head. He collapses instantly. You press on, tuning out the sound of the first guard choking on his own blood. Your boots ripple through the pools of blood bleeding into the crack at the bottom of the door. The sound doesn't phase you anymore. None of it does. You place your hand on the door handles, and- [[Open the door.->Kain Inc.]]

"Well, I didn't intend for that when I sent out for you and your family to be killed. No, I simply needed your land," he explains. You rush forward and grab Kravitz by the tie. You pull him close and press the muzzle of the gun into the metallic side of his head. "Slow down, my friend, I needed your land AT FIRST. But when I heard that my man failed to kill you, I wanted to see how far you could go. And boy did you go far. You became the same thing that took your family's life: a cold-hearted killer," Kravitz claims. Your eyes widen, and your grip on the gun loosens. Kravitz nuzzles back out of your grip on his tie. You stand frozen, remembering the death you've witnessed along the way. You have become a monster. "So, in the spirit of my business interests, I will give you an offer that you most certainly won't refuse: work for me, and help my empire become unstoppable," Kravitz says, his voice echoing in your ear. Your choices: <del>Do it. Become his lackey.</del> [[No.->Kain Inc.-End It]]

The memories of your family, the death you've witness, and the lives you took shoot off in your mind. It doesn't take you more than a second to make your decision. "So, what-" *BANG!* A laser shot pierces through the cybernetic half of Kravitz's face. Sparks twitch, and after a second, he slumps over onto his desk. No blood comes from a monster like him. You stand there, still pointing the smoking gun for a second or two. After that, you lift your arm and place it back over the back of your shirt. The billboard lights outside now glow a purple-ish color, and with the view of the city opened up to you, you take a breath. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

After a minute or two, you finally hear a pair of boot-fitted footsteps sloshing through the puddles. You turn your head and see Cassian step through the steam of a manhole cover as he heads your way. "Okay, let's go," he commands. He takes the lead, you follow. [["Where are we going?"->Searching-Where To]]

"I know a guy who knows a guy who knows who you're looking for. We'll meet up with him and figure out how to find your guy," he answers. You grunt. [[Click to Continue->Uh-Oh]]

You've spent almost an hour walking down random intersections. With each pass by a store, with each glimpse at your reflection in the murky windows, you question more and more why you are here. You glance at Cassian ahead of you, strutting with a confidence unknown to you. You want to question where he's taking you, but you just sigh instead. *** After what seems like an eternity, he turns you down a dark alley that seems like it's seen some better days. In fact, it's so dark that it's hard to see the end of the alley. You're guessing that Cassian's guy is here. "You know, I understand why you're doing this. I have a family too," he says shakily. You freeze. You never said anything about your family. "You must understand, I'm doing this for them," he whimpers. Suddenly, you see a pair of deep, red eyes pierce through the dark at the end of the alleyway. Cassian steps aside, and a bullet quickly whizzes past him and digs into your shoulder. You collapse from the shock and pain. "Good job, my friend," a sinister voice says from the dark. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Uh-Oh-The Mercinary]]

From the black steps a cowboy mercinary decked in futuristic armor with a deep-red poncho and a pitch-black hat. Cassian sneaks behind him. "You can go. You did what I needed," the cowboy says. Cassian gives you one last solemn look before retreating into the dark. You grit your teeth. Of course he betrayed you. "Don't worry about him. Just focus on me." [["You're the man who took my family??->Uh-Oh-Fight]]

"Wasn't that obvious? What other reason would I have had to shoot you?" You squeeze your bicep to try and stop the spilling blood. You let out a slight growl mized with a groan as the cowboy steps closer. "Easy, easy. You don't want this to be more painful than it already is, do you?" he says snarkily. He spins his revolver around his finger and walks right next to you. "Was it worth just not taking their fucking offers, man?" You have no idea what he's talking about. You were offered money for the farm, but not nearly enough to match its value. Were those bastards behind all of this? It doesn't matter now. The cowboy presses the muzzle into your head; the front sight digs into your skin. Your choices: [[Let it happen.->Bad Choice]] [[Grab the gun.->Uh-Oh-Tables Turned]]

You close your eyes. The last thing you hear is the light chuckle of the cowboy and the click of a trigger. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

The cowboy cackles, and in that brief moment of hesitance, you let go of your bicep and shoot your hand up to push the revolver. It fires just slightly above you, grazing through your messy hair. The laser shot bounces off a metal panel and reflects back into the cowboy's shoulder, knocking him on his ass. His revolver clanks on the ground. You rush over and grab the revolver before the cowboy can. You quickly stand and point it at him; you click the hammer back. The cowboy puts his arms up to cover his head; at least, as much as he can with an injured shoulder. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down buddy," he pleads. You push the gun closer. He gets more tense. "Let's talk about this. If you want to kill anyone, it should be that Cassian guy, or the guy who hired me!" [["Who hired you?"->Uh-Oh-Choice]]

"You haven't put it together yet? Who's been trying to buy your farm the last year-and-a-half? There's no point to this anyways, they have what they want!" he cries. You press the gun into his forehead. For a mercinary, he's surprisingly jumpy. He's right in your grasp, the man who took everything from you. You pity him slightly, but will that change what you will do next? Your choices: [[Let him go.->Shouldn't Have Done That]] [[Kill him.->If You Kill a Killer]]

You press the gun further into his head, almost piercing his skin with just the ferocious fury within your strength... ...but you don't go through. You can't. You drop the gun. The cowboy looks up, dumbfounded. You turn your head and walk away. You've decided thta vengeance- *BANG!* You stop dead in your tracks. Blood drips down the side of your mouth. You look down and see a growing blood stain in the middle of your chest. Behind you, the cowboy smiles with the revolver back in his hand, where it belongs. "You shouldn't have done that," he sneers. You wobble as your head gets light and your vision gets blurry. You collapse, and the last thing you feel is the cold of the undercity floor. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

*BANG!* The cowboy drops on the ground with a gaping hole in his head. Blood spurts out. You don't care, though. It's what he deserved after what he did to your family. Your mission is technically done, but after what he told you, maybe there is more to your mission. Your choices: [[End your journey here.->Finished]] [[There's more work to be done.->Cassian]]

No. You wish it could be over, you really do, but if there's more to this tangled conspiracy, you have to deal with it. And first, you have to start with Cassian. You look to the deep dark down the alley. You grip the revolver for a moment and shove it down the side of your pants. You walk forward. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Cassian-Found]]

You let the revolver clatter to the floor. You're tired. You did what you said you would do. *** After a trek back up the stairs from the depths of the undercity, you return to the border. There's no security watching who leaves, so you get through without speaking a word to anyone else. While you walk out, you see the cage of immigrants. You wish you could do something, but your body doesn't let you speak out, and your legs push you forward to the oxygenation chamber. *** You step out to the desert-respirator back on, of course-and locate your trusty old speeder. You hop on it, light the chuttering engine, and make your way back home. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Home Ending]]

It doesn't take you long to find him. Down the dark alley after a minute walk, you find Cassian sitting by an overflowing dumpster, his arms wrapped around his knees like a child. "Shit. You actually killed him," he says quietly. "You really are crazy." He sniffles. "I guess you're going to kill me now. I get it, after all of that. But before you do, I just want to say that I'm sorry. I needed the money. My family is very poor, and my contact offered me a good sum to bring that mercinary anyone who was looking for him." [["Do you have children?"->Cassian-Guilt]]

"A daughter. Just a few years old. My wife is pregnant with another." You clentch your fist. You should be fuming, furious...but you cannot help but sympathize with this man. You know better than anyone what a man can be willing to do for family. You step closer. He looks up, eyes widen, as you offer a hand to him to pick him up. [["Help me deal with the people who ordered my family to be killed."->Cassian-A New Ally]]

He takes your hand. "I owe it to you, don't I?" He lifts himself with your help. "The company that hired him, Kain Incorporated, they're one of the biggest and most well guarded companies here. Are you sure you want to do this?" You nod without a second thought. "Then I will help you, if for no other reason that to fight to make this place better for my family," he says. "I can show you the way. It's not too far from here." [[Follow Cassian.->The Tower]]

It doesn't take you two long to find what you're looking for: Kain Inc., one of the many skyscrapers that relents its unseen horrors to the bottom floors that reach down to the undercity. That bottom-most floor is where you find yourselves now. "We're lucky these bastards don't hide themselves very well," Cassian says. You look at yourselves in the reflection of the dingy glass windows on the front doors of the building. For you, at least, it's nice to be going through this with a friend-in one sense of the word. "You ready?" [[Go inside.->The Tower-First Floor]]

The bottom floor lobby is-as expected-dirty and dingier than what should be acceptable for a company of Kain's standing. But they don't need to put work or money into what they already have when leaving it to rot is so much easier. There's only one half-functioning light illuminating the space, and there isn't even a receptionist. Laying before you is your goal: the elevator that should hopefully take you right to the top. "I'm guessing the guy we're looking for will be at the top," Cassian says. You both walk towards the elevator; you press the button. After a second, the speedy elevator *DINGS*, and the doors slide open to reveal a perfect "utopia" of an elevator interior. You and Cassian give each other a disapproving look before stepping inside. The doors slide closed in front of you. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Tower-Up]]

You both look at the touchscreen floorplan displaying the actual thousands of floors to choose from; but you know where your target will be. Cassian presses the button all the way at the top of the screen. [align center] `ERROR: ACCESS KEY REQUIRED` [continue] "Really?" Cassian groans. Thankfully, you won't have to wait long. Another button on the holo-screen lights up, and the elevator quickly shoots up. *DING!* The elevator comes to a quick stop, and the doors slide open. A man with slicked-back, black hair in a well-fit navy blue suit and an earpiece in his ear steps inside. He lightly scoffs at the sight of you two and immediately turns to face the now-closed door. He presses a button to a higher floor; his finger illuminates when touching the screen thanks to a special DNA scanner. Seems like your way up. The man swivels his head a bit just to make sure you can hear him say, "You know the manufacturing floors are at the bottom of the tower, right?" You and Cassian glance at each other. "Do you want to handle this?" Cassian asks. [["Go ahead."->The Tower-Handled]]

"Do you have access to the top floor?" Cassian asks the man. "Why do you care?" he sneers. Cassian smirks. He quickly grabs the man's head and smacks it onto the wall panel above the touchpad screen. The man groans as Cassian twists his arm and presses his finger onto the top floor. Sure enough, it reads: [align center] `ACCESS GRANTED` [continue] After approximately five seconds, the elevator reaches the top floor. Cassian drops the office worker onto his face as the doors slide open. You both step out into a huge, long, dark hall with two armored guards standing by an office's double-entry doors. They glance at each other as you stomp down the cold, dark floor. They lift their weapons; "Hey, how'd you get access up here?" one guard asks. Before the guards can even react, a laser shot whizzes into one of the guard's necks. The other guard watches in horror as his ally falls to the ground. He looks back and sees you holding the cowboy's repurposed revolver. *BANG!* A laser shot cracks through his skull. The second guard falls to the ground. Cassian stares, slack-jawed. You don't give it a second thought after the cowboy. You walk forward. Cassian hesitantly follows. Cassian winces at the sound of the guard on the ground choking on his own blood, but you just seem to tune it out. You put your hands on the office's door handles. You take a breath, and- [[Open the doors.->At the End with a Friend]]

The doors slam on the sides of a blank office wall after you push them open. You and Cassian step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "I made a bet with the mercinary you killed. He believed that, after he confronted you, you would let him kill you willingly. For one of the best trained killers this city had to offer, he was unbearably naive. And for a man of such low origins, you have faired even better than I imagined," the figure says in a calm, calculated voice. "You've even seemed to make a friend." "Just end this now," Cassian says. You walk forward and raise the revolver. The shadow-sheathed figure is unmoved. In fact, he steps out from the dark to reveal his half-cybernetic face and glowing red eye. He wears a clean, black suit-and-tie. "Oh, come on. You don't want to hear what I have to say?" the man offers. Your choices: [[Shoot him.->Quick Ending]] [[Give him his last words.->At the End with a Friend-Listening]]

*BANG!* A laser shot tears through the robotic side of the man's face before he can get another word in. He immediately slumps onto his desk; no blood pours from this non-human monster. "So, that's it?" You nod. "What now?" Cassian asks shakily. "I don't know," you reply. The holo-billboard lights shift from a blue hue to a green. You both bask in it, now unsure of where to go from here. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

Your eyes narrow, but you don't fire yet. "Perfect. Let me introduce myself: my name is Kravitz Kain, and as you probably know well, I hired the man who killed your family. Yes, my purpose-at first-was to take your land, but this situation seems to be favorable for the both of us." "Perfect? Really?" Cassian exclaims. "I think it's within your best interest to stay quiet, Mr. Suero. I could do to your family what I did to this man's with the snap of my finger," Kravitz threatens. Cassian shuts up after that. "As I was saying, you managed to kill a highly skilled mercinary; in fact, one of the best in the whole city-top and bottom. If that doesn't show skill, I don't know what does. So, I want to offer you-and by extension, Cassian Suero-a job," Kravitz says. Your choices: [[Shoot him now.->Slightly Less Quick Ending]] [["What if I say no?"->At the End with a Friend-Misspoke]]

*BANG!* A laser shot tears through the robotic side of the man's face; that's your answer. He immediately slumps onto his desk; no blood pours from this non-human monster. "He deserved worse for threatening my family," Cassian says, nearly tearing up. "What do we do now?" For the first time, you speak: "I don't know." The holo-billboard lights shift from a blue hue to a green. You both bask in the glow, now unsure of where to go from here. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

"Oh, oh, I must've misspoke. It wasn't an offer." *BANG!* You don't even register what just happened. You see Kravitz holding a smoking pistol, but you didn't get shot. And then, it hits you. You look to the side. Cassian slumps down, blood soaks from his stomach. "Now, let's resume-" *BANG!* A laser shot from your revolver flies through Kravitz's metallic half of his head. He instantly slumps over from his desk. No blood pours from his inhuman body. You drop the revolver, panting, and slide on your knees to hold Cassian. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Another Loss Ending]]

You hold Cassian's almost-limp body. He looks up, weakly. "I'm sorry. Tell my family..." He doesn't last any longer. His head and hands hang over the floor. You lower his body onto the cold floor. You could've avoided this. You shouldn't have even let Kravitz speak. Cassian was not a perfect man, but he did what he could with what he was born into. The holo-billboards outside emit an orange glow into the office. You sit on your knees, hanging your sorrowful head over Cassian's lifeless body. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End-Loss]]

[align center] THE END Do you wish to play again? [[Return to Title Screen->Title Screen]]

The bar doorbell *RINGS* as the door swings closed behind you. As soon as you take one step, you hear the rapid fire of automatic laser rifles. You look to your left and suddenly see three cars, two police hovercars and a spraypaint-covered and four-wheel van, barrelling down the road. A teenager sporting a faux hawk, an open, orange parka jacket, and wielding a homemade electric staff clings to the roof of the van and dodges the rifle fire as best he can. He must be no older than 16. A loose laser shot zips through one of the van's back tires, and it suddenly begins to tumble out of control. The teenager on the roof of the van flies off and crashes onto the ground; he rolls on the floor and barely scrapes by as the van flips just above him. He doesn't let the scrapes and bruises get to him though; he seems to be a resillient young man. He pushes himself up on his knee and raises his electric staff. You shift your attention to the four armored officers stepping out of their hovercrafts; two raise laser rifles, two raise pistols. The boy remains unstirred. If anything, he grips his staff tighter. He's ready to fight, but you know what might happen here. This boy cannot handle these four officers on his own. Your choices: [[Do nothing.->Just Watch]] [[Help the boy.->Revolutionaries-Help Him]]

He lightly chuckles. "I know a lot of things around here. I may not look it, but I grew up in the undercity. Whatever you're looking for, I can help you. For a price, of course," he offers. You don't know if you can trust this man, but you need all the help you can get. Your choices: [["I don't have any money, though."->Broke in a Bar-Rejected]] [["No thanks."->No Help]]

"Oh, nevermind, then," the man replies. He slides off his chair and begins to walk away. [["I have to find someone. I have to avenge my family."->Broke in a Bar-Good Luck]]

The man halts for a moment. His back is still turned to you. "I hear that a lot. I have a family too, and I need money to take care of them," he replies. "Good luck with whoever you're looking for." He walks into the mass of other bar-goers. You sigh. Another dead end. You're guessing that if every one of these other drunkards and scoundrels is the same as that guy, you're probably in the wrong place. You hop off your barstool and walk to the exit. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Revolutionaries]]

Your mind says to move, but your legs stay planted. Why? Why won't you do anything? You ask yourself this while you force yourself to watch. The boy dodges a few laser shots, does a quick roll dodge, and tosses two electric disk devices onto two of the officers. They suddenly light up and fry the cops with an electric pulse. As the other two cops watch their comrades fall to the ground in a wisp of smoke, the boy rushes up to one and bats his electric staff into one's helmet. The strength of the staff combined with the teen's determination cracks the helmet and flips the cop onto his face. The boy raises his staff one more time, but the last cop remaining already has his rifle pointed right at him. The boy pants and grits his teeth. He tenses up and swings down. *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Just Watch-Dead]]

The boy dodges a few laser shots, dodge rolls next to one of the officers, and flings two small mechanical disks at the two nearest cops. They stick to their metal suits and engulf the officers in a pulse of electricity. They fall down; smoke plumes off their suits. The boy then swings his electric staff into the third officer's skull, cracking through his metal helmet and flinging him to the ground. The boy jumps towards the final officer, but he already has a rifle pointed straight at him. The boy holds his staff tightly over his head. He wants to swing, but he can't. The cop chuckles. He clicks his safety off, and- You rush up to him and slam your fist into his metal armor. You jerk back your hand in pain. The cop staggers into the door of his hover-cruiser. He raises his rifle to shoot you, but before he can pull the trigger, the boy revolutionary smashes his staff into the other side of the cop's head. He falls forward, out cold. The boy looks up at you and nods. Suddenly, the sound of sirens grows, even among the chatter of onlookers. The boy glances over to the overturned van. From one door climbs out another teen with a buzzcut and a thin cotton sweater, covered in sut and bruises. To your surprise, the boy tugs your shirt. "Come on, we have to get out of here!" he commands. [[Follow him.->Revolutionaries-Follow]]

You don't blink once. Your eyes are transfixed on the revolutionary lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood. The cop stares down with the rifle tightly within his grip. Everything stands still: all the bystanders, the cop, even the flames building on the overturned van's engine, they all stand as still as the boy's body. You breath heavy. The image of your own son, your own daughter, lying just like him. Your mind begins to split... [[Move.->Just Watch-Action]]

...Your legs walk without you thinking. Your fractured mind can't control your instincts, your instincts to fight, to protect. The cop is too shocked to notice you step behind him. You grab the fallen electric staff and stand tall. You grip the staff, and its electric charge grows stronger. The cop hears the crackle of the staff, and as he turns around, you smash it into his head. He collapses; his helmet cracks just enough for you to see his eyes. You don't hesitate to raise the staff again and smash it down on his head again, and again, and again... You pant after a few seconds of clobbering. You don't even notice the splatters of blood on your face. You look up to see dozens of onlookers gasping and murmuring at the sight of what you've done. You hold the staff tightly. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Just Watch-Escape]]

The sound of sirens begins to fill the quiet air. The sound grows, not just in proximity. You have no idea what to do now. Suddenly, another teenager-this one covered in sut, sporting a short buzzcut, and wearing a much more inconspicuous cotton longsleeve-pulls your arm. You look down at him. "Sir, please, we have to get his body back to his people. You help me, I can get you somewhere safe," the boy says. You glance at the flaming van and see its outermost door ajar. This must've been the driver. You nod and holster the electric staff on your back. You kneel down and pick up the fallen revolutionary. "Come on, we have to go." The boy rushes down an alleyway. You follow as fast as you can. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Hideout]]

You hasten behind the boy and rush down a narrow alley. He squeezes easily, but you have to be more careful, especially with the revolutionary's body in your hands. You look over your shoulders and watch dozens of police hovercars skid to a halt through the narrow alley opening. Suddenly, the boy tugs your shoulder and pulls you down another sidestreet. After another quick burst of running, you both find yourself in front of an opening to an abandoned sewage tunnel. "Come on, this way," the boy says. [[Climb through.->Hideout-The Forgotten]]

It stinks in here, but right now you have no other option. You wade your feet through a thick, slimy sludge. You hold your breath, but you hear the boy in front of you taking deep breaths; he's been through this a lot, and by the looks of it, he's probably smelt worse. You hear the clammor of officers rush by the sewage pipe opening. You look back and see all of them pass by. Thankfully, not a single one looks inside. "We should be okay now. Our hideout isn't too far from here," the boy says. *** You finally emerge from the other end of the sewage pipe. You scrape the sludge off the bottom of your boots onto the concrete floor. You then see the boy walk up to a thick metal door with a sliding opening at eye-level. He knocks twice, pauses, then knocks another three times. The door's locks *CLICK*, and it swings open. The boy nods at you to follow. Through the door, you enter a half-crumbling, desecrated building. Inside, the walls and floors are lined with dozens-no, hundreds of homeless children, women, and elderly through the various levels of the building; the floors are cracked open enough so that you can see more of these unfortunate souls through the gaps. As you walk in, gasps erupt from the crowds. A few select teens stand up. They're all marked with a crater-like insignia sprayed and painted onto their clothes. "What did you do!?" one shouts furiously. The boy that led you steps to your defense. "The cops did this, those bastards. This guy killed the last one and helped me bring Sam back," he says. Hearing the thought that you killed someone seems surreal to you. You've never been a killer. But now you know the name of the poor boy you carry: Sam. You hardly think of the life you took after hearing that name. "You brought an outsider here, Gabriel? How do we know we can trust him!?" the fuming teen declares. Gabriel is the name of your defender. "I saw him out there. No cop would've done what he did," he says. "Oh yeah? How do we know we can trust you?" The teen shifts his anger directly to you. [["I'm sorry for your friend. He was killed just as my family was. I came here to avenge them."->Hideout-The Revolution]]

"We've all lost people here," Gabriel says solemnly. The other teen starts to back off a bit. You place Sam's body down on the ground. One of the childless mothers unwraps the dirty blanket around her and lays it over Sam's body. "What do we do now? He was our leader," another teen comments. "I don't know," Gabriel replies. "We'll have to figure something out." Gabriel turns to you. Tears well in his eyes. "You're free to stay if you want, but I understand if you have to leave." Your choices: [[Go out on your own again.->Alone Again]] [["Listen, I need help finding someone."->Join the Cause]]

You shake your head and turn away from these unfortunate survivors. You pull Sam's electric staff off your back and drop it on the floor; the clattering ring it lets out upon contact with the concrete ground echoes in the silent derelict. You don't look back as you walk out of the exit from which you came. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Alone Again-Where Now?]]

"I don't know if we can help you right now," Gabriel answers. [["The mercinary who killed my family needs to pay."->Join the Cause-Conversation]]

"What do you know about him?" [["All I know is that he rides a black and red speeder."->Join the Cause-A Name]]

"Jesus, you mean Donny Blaze?" Gabriel exclaims. [["Who's that?"->Join the Cause-Name to a Speeder]]

"He's the deadliest mercinary in the whole city. Dresses like a cowboy, rides a speeder unlike any other, just like the one you described. Half of the people here lost someone to him. Every sick corporation at the top uses him for their bidding. Killing him's impossible," Gabriel explains. [["Help me take him down."->Join the Cause-Allied]]

"We can't risk anymore of our lives, not after Sam..." Gabriel says. "Like hell we can't, we have an advantage. If Blaze killed this guy's family, chances are he'll still be looking for him. We can set a trap and kill the bastard!" the angry teen exclaims. "It's too dangerous!" Gabriel retorts. "All of our missions are dangerous, but now we have a chance to strike back. We have to take it!" [["I'll help you do it. Just let me be the one to end him."->Join the Cause-Member]]

Gabriel pauses for a second to think. "Are you sure you want to do this?" You and the other teens nod. A few of the revolutionaries clang their weapons as a show of fury. "Fine, then. Let's kill the fucker, for Sam," Gabriel relents. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Plan]]

A few hours later, you walk along the few short rooftops in the undercity. Most buildings stretch to the peak of the oxygenated dome, but some of the smaller businesses in the city are relented to rot down here, so they can't afford a taller space. You're surrounded by three revolutionaries: Gabriel, Briggs-the teen who was initially against you-and Zero-one of the teens who stood when you arrived. "You sure you got the plan?" Briggs asks you. You nod with complete confidence. "Good. Lure him out here and we'll squash him," Zero says. Gabriel pats you on the back. "Thank you for doing this. After losing Sam, we need a win like this. We'll finally get to strike back at these assholes." You pat him back. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Waiting]]

You now sit alone on an empty, dust-covered roof. You sit slightly slouched on a metal crate. It's silent... ...that is, until you hear the *CLICKS* of boot spurs echoing between the building. You look up. You see a dark figure hanging off the side of a pipe on a taller building; his eyes glow red. Donny Blaze drops down to your level, now visible to you. Sure enough, he's dressed like a cowboy, decked in futuristic armor with a deep-red poncho, glowing red eyes, and a pitch-black hat. On his face, he wears a perpetual sinister smile. "Well, well, I was expecting it to be a bit harder to find you. Looks like you wanted to be found," Donny sneers. [["How'd you know where I was?"->Waiting-Converse]]

"When I heard of an outsider who brutally killed a cop over another dead kid, I just took a wild guess," he answers. He whips his revolver out of its holster. "So, do you want this to be quick? Or do you want it to be slow like your family's?" [["Neither."->Waiting-Trapped]]

Two electric disks clatter besides Donny's feet. He glances at them and tilts his head. Suddenly, they light up and create chains of lightning that brace Donny to his knees. He tenses in pain, and his smile fades. His revolver drops to the ground. As the three revolutionaries emerge from hiding, you pick the gun off the floor. You admire it for a moment. Then, you point it right at Donny's head. "Wait, wait! Let's make a deal, okay? We can both get what we want here!" Donny pleads. Your choices: [[Finish him.->What You Came to Do]] [["What do you mean?"->Discovery]]

*BANG!* One shot leaves a bloody hole in the center of Donny's head. The electric disks shut off, and his body limply collapses. It is done. You kick him once for good measure. "Good riddance," Briggs says. Gabriel walks up to you. "So, what will you do now?" he asks. You shrug. This was your mission. It's done now. "If you plan on staying, we could use some help here. The fight isn't over for us," Gabriel says. Your choices: [[Return home.->Done-Alternate]] [[Make a new home.->What You Came to Do-New Duty]]

"You think I was the only one involved with your family? Why would I give a shit about some stragglers in the desert?" he squawks through his clentched teeth. You tighten your grip on the revolver and squint as Donny continues. "I was hired! Kain Inc., the same people who've wanted your farm for the last year-and-a-half!" Donny cries. You press the revolver into Donny's head. "Whoa, whoa, I gave you what you wanted! Now, hold up your end of the bargain!" [["What I wanted!?"->Discovery->End Him]]

You let the revolver clatter to the floor. You're tired. You did what you said you would do. You shake your head. Gabriel looks down. The other revolutionaries look disappointed too. But they understand; you've been through more than they could know yet. You pat Gabriel on the back one last time and reach your hand over your back. You pull Sam's electric staff off its holster and hand it to him; he deserves it. He smiles at it with a sense of admiration and a hint of melancholy. You climb down the ladder of the roof. With that, your journey through the undercity has come to a close. *** After a trek back up the stairs from the depths of the undercity, you return to the border. There's no security watching who leaves, so you get through without speaking a word to anyone else. While you walk out, you see the cage of immigrants. You wish you could do something, but your body doesn't let you speak out, and your legs push you to the oxygenation chamber. *** You step out to the desert-respirator back on, of course-and locate your trusty old speeder. You hop on it, light the chuttering engine, and make your way back home. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Home Ending]]

You look up at Gabriel, at the other revolutionaries. You've seen their suffering. Now, you have a chance to stop it, to protect them like you failed to protect your family. You look out to the streets below. They could use some fixing. You pull Sam's electric staff off your back holster and grip it tightly. You will join the revolution, and you will fight for a better life for the forgotten of the city. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End-Uprising]]

[align center] THE END Do you wish to play again? [[Return to Title Screen->Title Screen]]

You pull back the revolver's hammer. Donny lets out a surprisingly pathetic cry for a mercinary... ...And then, you push it back. You spin the revolver around your finger and shove it down your pocket. The revolutionaries stare in disbelief. The electric disk charges short, and Donny falls on his palms. Blood drips from his lip. You turn your back to him. Then, you reach your hand over your back and pull out the electric staff. Donny doesn't realize yet. "Thank you...," he gasps. But when he looks up, he sees you huffing with the staff crackling in your hands. "No, no, I told you what you wanted!" [["You think that will spare you?"->End Him-Bye]]

You crack the staff into his head, searing his skin with small bolts of electricity. He tumbles to the edge of the roof. You shove the edge of the staff under his chin. He groans from the pain of the burning end of the staff. He crawls further and further over the edge. The fear of God is in him. You could be done now. He knows what he's done...but he's done it to more people than your family, and you know he'd do it again. You pull the staff back. Donny leans forward, grasps at his charred throat. You swing the staff back... ...and smash it into Donny's head, sending him falling off the edge of the roof. You watch him fall all the way down. [align center] [[Click to Continue->What Now]]

The revolutionaries sneak up to the ledge and look down. You holster the electric staff on your back and turn away. The teens look to you. "What now?" Briggs asks. Your choices: [["I'm done."->Done-Alternate Alternate]] [["There's one more person I have to deal with."->What Now-Next Step]]

"Are you sure? We could use your help here. Your fight may be over, but ours isn't," Gabriel says. You shake your head. You pull the revolver out of your pocket and toss it off the edge of the building. You're done; you're tired. You pat Gabriel on the back one last time and reach your hand over your back. You pull Sam's electric staff off its holster and hand it to him; he deserves it. He smiles at it with a sense of admiration and a hint of melancholy. You climb down the ladder of the roof. With that, your journey through the undercity has come to a close. *** After a trek back up the stairs from the depths of the undercity, you return to the border. There's no security watching who leaves, so you get through without speaking a word to anyone else. While you walk out, you see the cage of immigrants. You wish you could do something, but your body doesn't let you speak out, and your legs push you to the oxygenation chamber. *** You step out to the desert-respirator back on, of course-and locate your trusty old speeder. You hop on it, light the chuttering engine, and make your way back home. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Home Ending]]

"Those corpo' buildings aren't easy to get into. Are you sure?" Zero asks. You nod without hesitation. "Then we have to help you. Gotta make sure those bastards up in their towers pay," Gabriel says. "Kain Inc. isn't too far from here. Let's go," Briggs says. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Enter The Tower]]

After spending some time getting down from rooftop back to the ground level of the crater-dwelling city, you sneak down various substreets and alleyways until you arrive at the front door of Kain Inc.; at least, you arrive at the entrance to the bottom-most floor. Most of the biggest corporations have buildings that stretch from the nadir of the undercity to the peak of the oxygen dome, and they relegate most of their dirty work and manual labor to these lower floors. You and the other revolutionaries gaze at yourselves through the grimy glass windows of Kain Inc.'s bottom floor. "Let's go," Gabriel commands. You take the lead and push through the front doorway. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Enter The Tower-Ground Floor]]

The bottom floor lobby is-as expected-dirty and dingier than what should be acceptable for a company of Kain's standing. But they don't need to put work or money into what they already have when leaving it to rot is so much easier. There's only one half-functioning light illuminating the space, and there isn't even a receptionist. Laying before you is your goal: the elevator that should hopefully take you right to the top. You and the others walk forward. When you press the up button; a soft white ring glows around it while you wait. After just a few seconds, it *DINGS*, and the elevator doors slide oopen into the perfect white utopia of a high-class elevator. You all step inside and stand together like a group of unkempt scoundrels, which is a perfect style for the revolution. The doors slide closed in front of you. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Enter The Tower-Going Up]]

You glance at the touchscreen floor display that showcases the literal thousand floors. You know where your target resides, though; you press the top button. [align center] `ERROR: ACCESS KEY REQUIRED` [continue] "Ah, shit. That's not good," Briggs grumbles. Whatever. You'll just wait for someone to come along and give you what you need. And sure enough, one second later the elevator beeps and shoots up a couple hundred floors. The doors slide open, and a slick, black-haired office worker in a well-fit navy blue suit steps inside with an earpiece in his ear. He lightly scoffs at the sight of you. He turns around and presses on a higher floor. When he taps the screen, the man's finger illuminates. You assume it must be a literal DNA scanner, which'll be easy for you to deal with now. As the elevator shoots up, the office worker swivels his head just enough to sneer, "You know, manufacturing is down a couple hundred floors. Plus, stinking kids like you aren't allowed anywhere near here." [["Who wants this one?"->Enter The Tower-Ding]]

"I got this," Briggs says as he pushes you and Gabriel aside. "You got access to the top floor, big man?" "Why do you care?" the office worker snarls back. "I'll take that as a yes," Briggs says. He quickly grabs the office worker by the wrist, twists his arm around his back, and slams his face into the laminate side panel of the elevator. As the office worker groans, Briggs grabs his other arm, pulls his finger up, and presses it on the button for the top floor. The holo-panel lets out a white glow around the button. [align center] `ACCESS GRANTED` [continue] The elevator speeds up and reaches the top floor after approximately five seconds. As the doors slide open and a *DING* sounds out, you drop the man onto his ass on the cold metal floor. You step out into a huge, long, dark hall with two armored guards standing by an office's double-entry doors. They glance at each other as you stomp down the cold, dark floor. They lift their weapons; "Hey, how'd you get access up here?" one guard asks. The revolutionaries smirk. You step back; let them handle this. Zero quickly whips out two of those electric disks he used on Donny. He flicks them at the two guards, and suddenly, an electric pulse shocks through them and brings them to their knees. Briggs pulls a rusty pipe, skips up to the two, and knocks them out cold. They fall to the ground as the electric disks run out of charge. You and Gabriel walk forward to join them. "Ready?" Gabriel asks you. You put your hands on the double-entry door's handles. [[Open the door.->Unexpected Confrontation]]

The doors slam on the sides of a blank office wall after you push them open. You step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "Well, this certainly is a surprise. Seems like you've found some new children to care for. The fatherly instinct within you must be quite strong," the figure says. You're not amused. "So, you're one of the bastards that controls this city, huh?" Briggs snarks. "An oversimplification, but yes. I am Kravitz Kain, heir of the Kain fortune and a man with a big stake in this city," Kravitz explains. "You know, the man I sent to kill you and your family bet me a large sum that when he found you, you would willingly let him kill you. Not only was he completely wrong on that, but he must've been so afraid for his life that he led you here before he died. What a misfortunate event. But I always say that within misfortune is an opportunity." [["What the hell are you talking about?"->Unexpected Confrontation-The Offer]]

"Now, now, I know what I did to try and get your farm land-while successful-was...unsavory, but seeing you here now makes it all the more clear that you have a spark in you that Mr. Blaze did not: drive, dedication...fury. You would make a perfect mercinary. I mean, you've already killed two. Why not a few more for a good buck?" Kravitz offers. "You had his family killed and now you want him to work for you? What kind of monster are you!?" Gabriel screams. "Monstrosity is subjective, boy," Kravitz says as he steps out from the shadows to reveal his half-robotic face, a terrifying sight for the young teens. "What makes you think he'd do that!?" Briggs shouts. "Because if he doesn't, then I'll kill every single one of you wretched kids," Kravitz snarls as he pulls a pistol from his suit jacket. The revolutionaries all cower back, but you stand firm. Your choices: [["Let them go..."->Accept]] [["You're bluffing."->Denied]] [[There's a revolver in your pocket.->A Secret Third Option]]

You look back at the fearful teens cowering behind you. In your mind, the memories of your time with your children flash, the memories of helping them when they got hurt, when they got scared. "Let them go and I'll do it," you declare. "What? You can't!" Gabriel cries out. "He's bluffing, you can't believe a word this snake says," Briggs adds. Kravitz shakes the gun around. The teens step back again. "Keep talking, kids," Kravitz says. You step forward to Kravitz's desk and place a hand on the wooden surface. Kravitz reluctantly lowers his gun at the exhortation of your gaze. He places it softly on the table. "You rats can leave now," Kravitz barks. The kids stare at you with tears in their eyes. They've suffered so much loss, so much death, but this betrayal cuts just as deep. You look back at them one last time... Your choices: [[Grab Kravitz's gun.->Swift Turnaround]] [[Look away.->Accept-The Worst Choice]]

"Am I really?" Kravitz says with a raised eyebrow. He cocks the hammer of the pistol and fires a quick laser shot into Briggs' knee. He falls to the ground and cries out in pain as blood spirts from the hole. Zero and Gabriel drop down to hold and shield him as Kravitz aims his gun at the boys once more. "So, you want to talk about bluffing now?" Kravitz barks. Your choices: [[Use the revolver.->Kill Him Dead]] [["Fine. Just...don't hurt them anymore."->Acceptance]]

*BANG!* A gaping metal hole tears open on the cybernetic half of Kravitz's face. He slumps over on his desk, dead. No blood pours from him-he was no longer human. You stand opposite of him a few feet away with Donny's revolver in your hand, smoking at the end of the barrel. You breathe heavily. The revolutionaries sigh. "Thank God," Zero sighs. You drop the gun. Your mission is complete. Now, the holo-billboards outside of the large glass window panes glow a light green. "What are you gonna do now?" Gabriel asks you with a twinkle in his eyes. Your choices: [[Give him the staff.->Mission Complete]] [[Join the revolution.->Can't Kill a Revolution]]

You raise the electric staff from your back holster and present it to Gabriel. He takes it in his hands and holds it proudly. "Keep fighting," you tell them. You nod and turn away. The revolutionaries stand in a mournful silence as they hear your footsteps get quieter and quieter as you walk away. You are done. You can't go back home, but your family has been avenged, and the ones that took them from you will never hurt anyone again. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

You stare at these three revolutionaries. You remember your family, what you lost, but also the life of the revolutionary that was taken. These fighters have suffered much, but it won't end anytime soon, not unless they finally achieve their freedom. You walk to the end of the office and look out of the giant window. "The people here are suffering. I'll join your fight to make sure they don't suffer anymore," you declare. The revolutionaries smile. You smile a bit, and a tear rolls down your cheek. You have found a new purpose beyond the death that defined you. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End-Uprising]]

Kravitz smirks, prepares to shoot again, and- *BANG!* A laser shot tears through the metal plating of the cybernetic half of Kravitz's face. He slumps over onto his desk; no blood pours out from his head-his bodily advancements have truly made him beyond human. You hold out the smoking revolver in front of you, panting as you let it fall through your loosening grip. You slide down on your knees and quickly forget about Kravtiz; you just focus on Briggs now. He winces and his eyes well with tears, but the other two boys managed to tie a torn sheet of shirt fabric around his leg to stop the bleeding. "I think he's gonna be okay," Gabriel sighs through his tense face. "Hrng...I...can't feel my leg...," Briggs rasps. As the holo-billboards outside shift to a yellow-ish green tint that floats throughout the office, you think of what to do now. A small voice within you tells you to leave, tells you that you've done your duty, but the larger voice within you echoes to stay, echoes to tell you that your fight is not over, and that these kids need you. Your choices: <del>You are done.</del> [[Help the kids.->Staying Where You're Needed]]

"What? You can't!" Gabriel cries out. "He's bluffing, you can't believe a word this snake says," Briggs squeaks through his pain. Kravitz shakes the gun around. The teens shuffle back on the ground. "Keep talking, kids," Kravitz says. You step forward to Kravitz's desk and place a firm hand on the wooden surface. Kravitz reluctantly lowers his gun at the exhortation of your gaze. He places it softly on the table. "You rats can leave now," Kravitz barks. The kids stare at you with tears in their eyes. They've suffered so much loss, so much death, but this betrayal cuts just as deep. You look back at them one last time... Your choices: [[Grab Kravitz's gun.->Late Switch]] [["Go...get out..."->Acceptance-Final]]

You look at the revolutionaries. They don't have anyone. They may be okay on their own, but when you think of abandoning them, you feel as sick as your would if you thought about leaving your own kin behind, You wrap your arms around Briggs and lift him from the ground like an injured soldier. You turn away from Kravtiz's cold, dead body lying on the desk and march back where you came; the other revolutionaries hop up in tow. You walk back to the elevator; its open door that will lead you downward shines like a beacon in the night. You have avenged your family, but you have a new purpose now: to care for these teens and to fight to give them a better future. You all step inside the elevator, and small droplets of blood seeping through the cloth around Briggs' leg drip on the perfect white floors of the elevator. Gabriel presses the button to the bottom floor, and the elevator *DINGS* as the doors slide closed. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End-Uprising]]

Kravitz has a sinister smile wiped on his face. "Splendi-" *BANG!* Cracks form on the glass windows behind Kravitz. He stands still. With that stupid smile still on his face, he looks down to his chest, where he sees a bloody splotch grow on his white undershirt. He looks back up to find you holding his own pistol against him; the muzzle smokes. Gabriel, Briggs, and Zero watch in disbelief. They probably thought you were gone for. "Well played...," he weakly chuckles. He falls back into his chair, slouching lifelessly as the pool of red grows on his chest. You pant. You slowly loosen your grip on the pistol, and it falls from your hands. It clatters on the wooden desk, chipping a splinter of oak off the surface. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Swift Turnaround-The Right Choice]]

"LEAVE!" you command to the revolutionaries. They can't believe what they see, they don't understand that you're doing this for their survival. As tears well in their eyes, you face Kravitz. You can't bear to look back, even as you hear the dimming pattering of adolescent footsteps. "Together, we will make this city greater than it has ever been," Kravitz says, smiling. He turns to the window and looks beyond as the holo-billboards radiate a now-red glow into the office. Your heart wears heavily in your chest. What have you done? [align center] [[Click to Continue->What Have You Done?]]

The holo-billboards shine a green-ish light into the office. Everything stands still for a moment, and in this brief, fleeting silence, you have no purpose. You are free. "Holy shit," Briggs mutters. You snap back to reality and turn back to the revolutionaries. They shuffle forward. "You did it. You killed him," Gabriel says. He's surprised, but also relieved. You all are. "What now?" Zero asks. They all stare at you, awaiting your answer like pets awaiting to be fed. Your choices: [[You are done.->Gone Without a Purpose]] [[Join the revolution.->Can't Kill a Revolution]]

"You...you can't!" Zero says. Their eyes well with tears. You turn away. You can't bear to look back. "Get out of my office or I'll take more than a knee!" Kravitz snarls. Tears drip down the faces of the teens you swore you would protect, but you can only hear their haunting cries. You stare down. You hear Briggs groan as the other two presumably lift him. You shut your eyes tighter to the dimming sound of scurrying footsteps and slowly dripping blood. "Finally. Together, we will bring this city to highs it has never thought of reaching, and we will start by eliminating all the waste seeping into the cracks," Kravitzs schemes. The holo-billboards eminate a neon-red glow into the office. Your heart wears heavily on your soul. The pain is unbearable. What have you done? [align center] [[Click to Continue->What Have You Done?]]

You slide down on your knees and quickly forget about Kravtiz; you just focus on Briggs now. He winces and his eyes well with tears, but the other two boys managed to tie a torn sheet of shirt fabric around his leg to stop the bleeding. "Why'd...ah...you wait...so long?" Briggs chuckles through his pain. "I think he's gonna be okay," Gabriel sighs. His little quip even manages to bring a slight smile to his face. "Hrng...I...can't feel my leg...," Briggs rasps. As the holo-billboards outside shift to a yellow-ish green tint that floats throughout the office, you think of what to do now. A small voice within you tells you to leave, tells you that you've done your duty, but the larger voice within you echoes to stay, echoes to tell you that your fight is not over, and that these kids need you. Your choices: <del>You are done.</del> [[Help the kids.->Staying Where You're Needed]]

You look around. You're proud of these young men. You raise the electric staff from your back holster and present it to Gabriel. He takes it in his hands and holds it proudly. "Keep fighting," you tell them. You nod and turn away. The revolutionaries stand in a mournful silence as they hear your footsteps get quieter and quieter as you walk away. You are done. You can't go back home, but your family has been avenged, and the ones that took them from you will never hurt anyone again. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

As you step out of the same sewage pipe you had to trudge through earlier, a part of your mind screams at you for leaving. The image of that boy sears into your mind just as the image of your family did. You press your hand against the side of your temple; your mind feels like it's starting to fracture. Your choices: [[Go back.->The Return]] [[Find a place to drown your sorrows.->Drowning]]

You shake your head and steady your mind. You have to go back, you have to make up for the action you failed to take. *** After another trek back, you find the young revolutionaries reeling in the same places they were when you left. The electric staff lies still on the ground just where you dropped it; Sam's body lies frozen beneath the cracked and crumbling roof. The outcasts raise their heads to meet your appearance. You look around at them; the sorrow within your heart grows ten sizes. You lean over and pick the electric staff off the ground and place it on your back holster. [["I need help finding someone."->Join the Cause]]

Your head feels like it's splitting, and you just want the pain to be over. You slog down the sidestreets, hoping that eventually you'll find something to numb the pain. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Drowning-The Deep]]

After what feels like an eternity of walking, you happen upon a seemingly-abandoned storefront with a solid-metal door that has a narrow observation window at eye-level. Spraypaint covers the whole front. The average passerby would think nothing of it, but you know exactly what kind of establishment this is. You step up and bang on the thick, metal door. The observation window slides open, and a pair of eyes surrounded by tattoo-covered skin peers out. "The hell do you want?" You pull a pair of hundred-dollar bills from your wallet and wave them in front of the window. The eyes squint, and the window slams shut. After a few seconds, you hear the creaking and clicking of locks, and then the door swings open. You take a breath and step inside. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Drowning-The Pit]]

As you slog inside, you find yourself in a dingy, decrepit club. The few green and purple lights create a ring of shadows around everything besides the bar. You step up to this bar and slide a stool out; you take a seat, and green light washes over your dusty skin. The other bar-goers seem confused at your presence, but you don't give it a second thought. You don't even give a notice to the bartender giving you a raised eyebrow as he wipes off a glass. "Well, isn't this a funny coincidence," a voice booms behind you. You raise your head and slightly turn it. You see the silhouette of a man in a cowboy outfit with glowing red accents and beaming red eyes sitting on a metal throne with a purple backlight behind him. "You're exactly the man I was looking for, and you just happened to stumble into my bar," the cowboy says. He hops out of his throne and steps towards you; his spurs clack on the floor with each step. [["Who the hell are you?"->Target]]

"You haven't figured out who I am? Does this remind you of anything?" he says slyly as he displays a revolver for you to see. "I guess I can't blame you for not knowing me. After all, you weren't where you supposed to be when I met with your family." It clicks in your mind. Your mark, your target is standing just a few feet away. The man you came to hunt is here, and he's here to hunt you too. He waltzes to your stool and wraps his arm around you like an old friend, making especially sure that you feel his revolver tapping on your shoulder. "I was expecting a more fun chase, but this is an exciting new turn. I've never had a target come to me like this, but it makes things a lot easier." You hear the click of the revolver's hammer on the other side of your head. A drop of sweat rolls down your temple. You see the cowboy place his other hand on the bar's surface. "So, are you ready to join your family?" Your choices: [[Give up.->Let It End]] [[Fight back.->Target-Home Advantage]]

You close your eyes and lower your hands peacefully on the bar surface. You hear a light scoff, and soon enough you feel the barrel of the revolver pointed to your skull. "Thank you for making this easy." *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

*BANG!* A bloody hole opens in the cowboy's head. He collapses to the floor, lifeless. You let the revolver fall from your hand; the clatter it makes as it hits the ground drowns out the sounds of murmurs from among the few bar-goers. You did it. You took a life. You took the life that took your family. Now, you're done, you're free to- "HEY!" a gruff female voice shouts. You suddenly get decked in the face and stumble into a wall. You lightly touch a throbbing red spot on your cheek as you lift yourself. You turn to see four bar-going henchmen stand before you. The tough woman that faces you cracks her neck in preparation for a fight. Your choices: [[Fight your way out.->Combat]] [[Try to escape.->Escape]]

"Oh, come on, you don't want to know who hired me?" the cowboy squeaks through his teeth. You hesitate to pull the trigger. "That's right, I know you want to know. You NEED to know, don't you?" he snickers. Your choices: [["Who hired you?"->A Startling Discovery-Hired]] [[Shoot him.->A Tough Choice]]

You begin to swell with rage. You suddenly slam your fist onto the hand that rests on the bar, cracking the bones in four of his fingers. The cowboy yelps in pain and fervently shakes his dangling fingers around. He drops his revolver and wraps his other palm around his throbbing hand. You watch him flail around like an idiot while you kneel down and pick up his revolver. "You fucking- *CLICK!* He halts in place at the sight of his own revolver pointed back at him. "Woah, woah, let's talk about this," he whimpers. Your choices: [[Shoot him.->A Tough Choice]] [["What's there to talk about?"->A Startling Discovery]]

You put your fists up. As much as you loathe the idea of fighting these people, you have little choice now. The buff woman-who sports her hair in a tight bun and wears a scar down her eye-shuffles towards you and swings a punch at you. You smoothly dodge beneath it and hit her in the gut with a one-two combo, causing her to reel back in pain. The skinny blonde henchman lifts a chair and chucks it at you, but you roll out of the way. When he reaches for another chair, you rush up to him and deck him in the face. He falls back and lands on a table, which you immediately after have to kick back into the knife-wielding, tattoo-sporting enforcer you dealt with earlier. It slams into one of his knees, breaking it completely and causing his leg to invert. He screams in pain, only shutting up when you jump up and crack your fist into his face to knock him out. The fourth henchman, long-haired, tries to throw a punch from behind. Your choices: [[Sidestep it.->Dodge]] [[Hit him.->Hit]]

You look towards the bar exit. You think, *if I play my cards right, I can get out without hurting anyone.* You and the four henchmen stare in a deadlock for a few seconds; both sides wait for the other to make the first move. And then, one takes a hesitant shuffle forward with a single foot. You burst into a dash and run against the wall. The four henchmen-startled-rush to catch you. One of the thinner, blonde henchmen kicks a metal table towards you, but you skip away in time for it to crash into the wall, leaving a heavy dent. Suddenly, that buff woman-who sports her hair in a tight bun and wears a scar down her eye-shoulder charges into you. Your body slams into the wall, and you hit the ground hard. She kicks you in the stomach, pushing your back into the wall again. When she tries to go for another kick, though, you grab her foot and twist it; now, she's the one going down hard. You push yourself up and rush for the exit, but one of the henchmen-the tattooed enforcer from the door, in fact-circles around you with a pocket knife. He twirls it around his fingers before jabbing it towards you a few times. On his third stab attempt, you grab his arm and swing him into the other two cronies. As they all get back up, you book it to the exit and kick the metal door open. The woman limps over to the now-ajar door, but you're long gone. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Escape-Final Choice]]

You run and run and run down the street until you're sure you could not have been followed. You press a palm against a building and pant, resting your other arm on a bent knee. Now, you're done. It doesn't feel like it's over, though. Between the revolutionaries you left behind, the man you just killed, and a newfound sense of overwhelming emptiness, you have no idea what to do. You only have two thoughts in your mind. Your choices: [[Return to the revolutionaries.->Final Return]] [[Go home.->Done and Tired]]

You wish you could feel fufilled, you wish you could forget what you saw here, go home, and rest... ...but there's still work to be done here. *** After a decent-length journey, you arrive back at the rickety doorway leading you to the revolutionary hideout. You find them all still huddled on the ground for warmth, still reeling after the death of their leader. Gabriel is the only one to look up at you. You lower your gaze to see Sam's blanket-covered body still lying there, as well as the electric staff. "What are you doing back here?" Gabriel asks mournfully. "I'm here to help," you declare. You lean down and carefully lift the electric staff off the ground. You pat it in your hands and stand proudly. You have found a new purpose. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End-Uprising]]

You're tired-no, exhausted. You did what you came to do, and you can rest easy knowing you did what you came to do. You family has been avenged. *** After a trek back up the stairs from the depths of the undercity, you return to the border. There's no security watching who leaves, so you get through without speaking a word to anyone else. While you walk out, you see the cage of immigrants. You wish you could do something, but your body doesn't let you speak out, and your legs push you to the oxygenation chamber. *** You step out to the desert-respirator back on, of course-and locate your trusty old speeder. You hop on it, light the chuttering engine, and make your way back home. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Home Ending]]

You shove the gun into the cowboy's face. "Alright, alright, it was Kravitz Kain! He hired me!" the cowboy cries. You recognize that name. The same company that's been harrassing you to sell your farm for the last year-and-a-half, they're the ones responsible. "Okay, now I gave you what you wanted. Please, just leave," the cowboy pleads. A quartet of bar-goers suddenly circles around you in preparation to protect the cowboy; they must be his henchmen. Your choices: [[Leave without a fight.->Half-Measures]] [[Shoot him.->Full Measures]]

You narrow your eyes suspiciously. He deserves to die...but you can't pull the trigger. In some sick and twisted way, he's not the one that killed your family; he's but a symptom of the sickness permiating through this city. You lower the gun. You shove it in your pocket and turn around. You give the henchmen nasty looks; they soon back off. You held up your end of this bargain. "You're not gonna give that back?" the cowboy squawks. You push the heavy, metal door open and slam it shut behind you. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Half-Measures-New Target]]

*BANG!* A bloody hole opens in the cowboy's head. He collapses to the floor, lifeless. You let the revolver fall from your hand; the clatter it makes as it hits the ground drowns out the sounds of murmurs from among the few bar-goers. You did it. You took a life. You took the life that took your family. Now, you're done, you're free to- "HEY!" a gruff female voice shouts. You suddenly get decked in the face and stumble into a wall, dropping the gun. You lightly touch a throbbing red spot on your cheek as you lift yourself. You turn to see four bar-going henchmen stand before you. The tough woman that faces you cracks her neck in preparation for a fight. Your choices: <del>Try to run.<del/> [[Fight your way out.->Full Measures-Fight]]

You step outside in the street and take in the thick, musty air of the undercity. Your heart feels torn in two. You promised yourself to avenge your family, and you had the killer right there, but you let him go free. But you can't think about that right now, because if you succeed in killing your new target, you could stop a bigger monster from consuming more lives. You begin to walk down the street, and with that, you begin the hunt for your new mark. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Marked]]

It doesn't take much of a walk to find Kain Incorperated's base of operations; they have it signalled with a large neon sign above the front door of the bottom-most floor, and-just like their obviously corrupt and malicious practices-they don't much care about themselves being out in the open. You stare at yourself in the dirty windows of the door, a perfect reflection of your feelings inside. You take a breath and push through the door. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Marked-The Tower]]

You glance at the touchscreen floor display that showcases the literal thousand floors. You know where your target resides, though; you press the top button. [align center] `ERROR: ACCESS KEY REQUIRED` [continue] You grunt. Fine. You'll just wait for someone to come along and give you what you need. And sure enough, one second later the elevator beeps and shoots up a couple hundred floors. The doors slide open, and a slick, black-haired office worker in a well-fit navy blue suit steps inside with an earpiece in his ear. He lightly scoffs at the sight of you. He turns around and presses on a higher floor. When he taps the screen, the man's finger illuminates. You assume it must be a literal DNA scanner, which'll be easy for you to deal with now. For a second, the two of you stand in silence, until he chuckles and swivels his head a bit to give you a nasty side-eye. "You know, the manufacturing floors are on the bottom of the tower," he sneers smugly. [["Do you have access to the top floor?"->Marked-Up]]

"You don't have authorization to be up here. Turn around or we will shoot!" one guard shouts. You tense up. You don't want to hurt these people. As far as you know, they're just working this job to take care of their families. [["You don't have to do this. It isn't worth protecting that monster."->Marked-Point and Shoot]]

"Back the fuck up or we will shoot!" the other guard commands. They won't listen; they can't listen. Your choices: [[Shoot them.->Violence Begets Violence]] [[Walk forward peacefully.->Make Peace]]

You close your eyes tight. They have their orders...and you have your mission. *BANG!* One of the guards collapses with his back pushes against the back wall of the hall. He claws at a gash of blood in his throat. The other guard watches in horror as he chokes on his own blood. You stand in the elevator with a smoking revolver in your hand. You just killed for a second time; but this time was not of rage, out of defense, but out of necessity. The other guard raises his weapon to you, quivering. "Drop the gun, you BASTARD!" the remaining guard shouts. *BANG!* A laser shot digs deep into his head, instantly killing him. He drops to the ground, lifeless. You sigh wearily and begin to walk forward. The elevator doors slide closed behind you, leaving you in a hall of darkness. Your boots slosh through thick puddles of blood left on the ground. You try your best to tune out the sound of the choking guard. You place your hands on the double-entry door handles and- [[Open the door.->No Peace]]

You decide not to reach for your gun. You instead walk forward with your hands up. The guards begin to approach you with their weapons hot and ready. "Get on your knees, NOW!" [["Don't defend him."->Make Peace-Choice]]

They march right up to you. The first guard cracks the butt of his rifle into your skull. You fall to your knees. The other kicks you in the gut; you've been through worse than a gut punch, so it barely phases you. One guard digs the end of the rifle into the top of your head as you look down. "Should we do it?" one guard hesitates. Your choices: [[Do nothing.->Violence Was An Option]] [[Fight back.->Base Violence Necessary]]

You close your eyes and brace for impact. You wish you could've gone further, you really do, but as much as you needed to kill the man responsible, you can't bring yourself to kill even these two men. You hear the calm breathing of the two guards. They won't regret a thing. *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

"Let's kill this poor piece of shit," the gun-pointing guard laughs. But just as he pulls the trigger, your arm shoots up, and you push the gun up. The laser shot fires just above your head, bounces off the slowly closing elevator doors, and reflects right back into the guard's head. He drops dead. Blood splatters on your face. The other guard staggers back, shakily raising his gun. "What the FUCK!?" he cries. You pull your revolver out of your pocket. You click the hammer back and point it at the guard. He points his weapon at you. Neither of you want to shoot, but both of you think you have to. Your choices: [[Do what is necessary.->Base Violence Necessary-Bang]] [[Spare him.->Pacifist Attempt]]

You burst through the office doors. You step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "I've been waiting for you," the figure says. You point the revolver at him. "Not so fast! Don't you want to hear what I have to say?" he offers as he steps from the dark to reveal his half-robotic face, slicked-back hair, and black suit. This is Kravitz Kain, the man the cowboy spoke of. "It is amazing what you have done in such a short time here. Killed a cop, killed two of my guards, and survived my best mercinary. For a lowly farmer such as yourself, you have some terrific skills," he says. "That being said, I heard whispers that after all you've been through, you couldn't bring yourself to kill the man who took your family. What a shame. You know, I was actually quite excited to hear the outcome of that confrontation, because the man who you spared, Donny Blaze, bet me a large sum that you would give up as soon as he found you. I took that bet because I wanted to see how far you could go. But it seems like both of us were wrong." He walks around his desk and takes a seat on the front edge of it. "I was disappointed at first, but can you imagine how excited I was when he called me to tell me how furious he was at you breaking his fingers and taking his gun? Now this, my friend, is going to be the rematch of the century." Suddenly, you hear the discreet click of spurs on the ground behind you. [[Turn around.->No Peace-Rematch]]

*BANG!* The echo of a laser shot rings out in the now-dark hall; the elevator door is closed, and the light fixtures are kept incredibly dim. Your eyes are closed, and at the end of the revolver comes a plume of smoke. The last guard collapses. A hole of blood and torn pieces of brain and skull is dug into his head. You wince at the sight, but you can't grieve your actions for long. You stand up and walk to the double-entry doors at the end of the hall. Your boots track blood with each step. The silence turns to a deafening scream in your ears. You place your hands on the door handles, take a breath, and- [[Open the door.->Necessary For Change]]

You brace for impact. The guard does too, but you don't realize this until you open your eyes. Neither of you have chosen to shoot. The guard drops his rifle and puts his arms up. "This job isn't worth it! Please, just let me go!" he pleads. You lower your revolver. He almost smiles before scurrying off to the elevator. You hear a *DING* and the sound of the metal doors sliding open and closed once more before you are left in a dark hall. You stand up. Time to do what you came here for. You walk forward, put your hands on the door handles, and- [[Open the door.->Fighting Demons]]

You burst through the office doors. You step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "I've been waiting for you," the figure says. You point the revolver at him. "You've come all this way. You don't want to hear what I have to say?" he asks as he steps from the dark to reveal his half-robotic face, slicked-back hair, and black suit. This is Kravitz Kain, the man the cowboy spoke of. "It is amazing what you have done in such a short time here. Killed a cop, killed two of my guards, and survived my best mercinary. For a lowly farmer such as yourself, you have some terrific skills," he says. "That being said, I heard whispers that after all you've been through, you couldn't bring yourself to kill the man who took your family. What a shame. You know, I was actually quite excited to hear the outcome of that confrontation, because the man who you spared, Donny Blaze, bet me a large sum that you would give up as soon as he found you. I took that bet because I wanted to see how far you could go. But it seems like both of us were wrong." He walks around his desk and takes a seat on the front edge of it. "I was disappointed at first, but can you imagine how excited I was when he called me to tell me how furious he was at you breaking his fingers and taking his gun? Now this, my friend, is going to be the rematch of the century." Suddenly, you hear the discreet click of spurs on the ground behind you. [[Turn around.->Necessary For Change-Fight]]

You burst through the office doors. You step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "I've been waiting for you," the figure says. You point the revolver at him. "Oh, come on, we both know you aren't going to shoot me just yet. I only heard one shot out there, and I know it wasn't yours," he says as he steps from the dark to reveal his half-robotic face, slicked-back hair, and black suit. This is Kravitz Kain, the man the cowboy spoke of. "I must be honest, I'm a bit disappointed. I would've thought that, if anything, your anger would force you to kill at least my mercinary, Mr. Donny Blaze, but you couldn't even go that far, could you?" He walks around his desk, leans his bottom on the front edge of the desk, and places his hands on the wooden surface. "Him and I made a bet to see what you would do. He said you'd just give up when he found you. I accepted, not just because I could afford to, but also because I thought you'd kill him. I guess we were both wrong." You tighten your grip on the gun. "That being said, you have no idea how excited I was when I very recently got a distressed call from my favorite head hunter." Suddenly, you hear the clack of metal spurs get louder and louder behind you. [[Turn around.->Fighting Demons-Rematch]]

Right before you can turn around, the cowboy-Donny Blaze-wraps around you and pulls a metal wire to your throat. You pull your hand in front of your neck just in time to grab the wire, but he still yanks you back. "You didn't think I'd be mad!?" Donny snarls. He throws you to the ground. He weaves the wire around your arm and tugs back, slicing deep cuts into your arm. You try to pull back, but with each fraction of force, more blood spills out of your arm. "Finally, I get to finish the job!" Your choices: <del>Let him do it.<del/> [[Finish your mission.->No Peace-What You Should've Done]]

As your body strains like your arm is being torn from your body, you lift the revolver up. Donny's eyes widen. He tries to move, he even releases the wire. You close your eyes... ...And do what you should've done before. *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->No Peace-Bloodshed]]

The wire unwinds off your arm and slides onto the ground. You pant and look to the ground in front of you. Donny's body lies still with a bloody hole in his head. His cowboy hat flew off him when he fell to the ground. While all of this happens, Kravitz onlooks with a sinister smirk wiped on his chin. "I knew you could do it." He slow claps like a crazed psychopath. "You see, when I first sent Mr. Blaze to kill you, he didn't find you there. We made our little bet in anticipation of you arriving to the city, but I had some alterior plans. You see, I wanted to see how far towards me your rage could take you. If you hadn't killed Mr. Blaze, my experiment would've failed, but him along with the line of other bodies you left has proven my point. You shall become his replacement; my newest mercinary," Kravitz declares. Your choices: [[You swell with rage.->No Peace-End]] <del>Accept the offer.<del/>

An unmistakable anger fills in every crevace of your body. This man-the man who took your family and so many more-dares to try to offer you a job. You stand up. "So, what do you say? Shall we begin a beautiful partnership?" *BANG!* His smile soon wipes away. He looks down at the bloody splotch in his chest. Behind him, the window cracks from the laser shot's overflow. "That wasn't very ni-" *BANG! BANG! BANG!* You unload the last laser rounds in the revolver's chamber. Kravitz jerks back with each shot to his body. Blood splatters on the desk behind him, and with the last shot echoing out into the night, the window shatters, and wind howls within. Kravitz slumps back on his desk. He chokes as his lungs empty with air and blood...and with that, he lies still. You drop the empty revolver to the ground. The sound of it hitting the ground is overpowered by the artificial winds of the oxygen dome. The howl of the gusts surrounds you, wraps you in a blanket of serenity. As the holo-billboards around shine a pink-ish light into the office, you take a breath. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

Right before you can turn around, the cowboy-Donny Blaze-wraps around you and pulls a metal wire to your throat. You pull your hand in front of your neck just in time to grab the wire, but he still yanks you back. "You didn't think I'd be mad!?" Donny snarls. He throws you to the ground. He weaves the wire around your arm and tugs back, slicing deep cuts into your arm. You try to pull back, but with each fraction of force, more blood spills out of your arm. "Finally, I get to finish the job!" Your choices: [[Let him do it.->Weak]] [[Finish your mission.->Necessary For Change-Bang]]

You let your arm go. The pain of wire tearing through your skin becomes all but an illusion to you as you close your eyes. You're tired. "How weak. You wouldn't have even been able to protect your family if you tried," Kravitz says. Your choices: [[You open your eyes.->Rage]] <del>You let it all end.<del/>

Your eyes burst open, and within them the fire of fury burns even stronger. You grab the wire around your arm, spin yourself around, and fling Donny over your head and onto the ground. His back cracks on contact with the hard, ceramic floor. He roars in pain. You unravel the wire from around your body and grip it from two ends. You walk over to Donny as he writhes in pain, and you wrap the wire around his neck. He tries to grasp at the wire. but his hands glance off it with each failed swipe. You pull back tightly and listen to Donny slowly choke to death; blood seeps from the growing gash in his neck. You pull tighter and tighter until- [align center] [[Click to Continue->Rage-Congratulations]]

You feel Donny spin around you and wrap the metal wire around your neck and body, entangling you in a web of blood and metal. He pulls it tighter and tighter until- [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

The wire unwinds off your arm and slides onto the ground. You pant and look to the ground in front of you. Donny's body lies still with a bloody hole in his head. His cowboy hat flew off him when he fell to the ground. While all of this happens, Kravitz onlooks with a sinister smirk wiped on his chin. "I knew you could do it." He slow claps like a crazed psychopath. "When Mr. Blaze and I made our silly bet, I was hoping for a more lively confrontation, and you provided it. I knew when you came here, your rage would take you far, and it has brought you exactly where you need to be: to me. So, I offer you this: since I am down a hired gun, take his place, and become what you are meant to be, a killer," Kravitz proclaims. Your choices: [[You swell with rage.->Necessary For Change-Final Kill]] [[Accept the offer.->Strange Ending]]

An unmistakable anger fills in every crevace of your body. This man-the man who took your family and so many more-dares to try to offer you a job. You stand up. "So, what do you say? Shall we begin a beautiful partnership?" *BANG!* His smile soon wipes away. He looks down at the bloody splotch in his chest. Behind him, the window cracks from the laser shot's overflow. "What the hell do you th-" *BANG! BANG! BANG!* You unload the last laser rounds in the revolver's chamber. Kravitz jerks back with each shot to his body. Blood splatters on the desk behind him, and with the last shot echoing out into the night, the window shatters, and wind howls within. Kravitz slumps back on his desk. He chokes as his lungs empty with air and blood...and with that, he lies still. You drop the empty revolver to the ground. The sound of it hitting the ground is overpowered by the artificial winds of the oxygen dome. The howl of the gusts surrounds you, wraps you in a blanket of serenity. As the holo-billboards around shine an orange glow into the office, you take a breath. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

Your mind begins to fracture under the weight of the lives you took, which after all this time begin to take their toll on you. You crumble to the ground, grasp your splitting head, and scream into the heavens. Kravitz looks away, completely uninterested. The memories of your family are overtaken by images of blood, of death...of your future. You begin to breathe again. You stand. "Feeling better?" You nod. As the holo-billboards outside shine a red light inside, you take your first steps towards Kravitz under your new destiny. [align center] [[Click to Continue->What Have You Done?]]

Kravitz slow claps at your performance. You look to him and slowly begin to loosen the constricting wire around Donny's dead body. "There he is...there's the killer within you, reawakened!" Kravitz says through a devious grin. "You see I had an alterior motive to my end of the bet. I mean, any of the outcomes would've worked for me, but I wanted to see how far your rage could bring you, and it brought you exactly where I need you to be. As you just saw, there's a new opening-" *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Rage-End]]

Right before you can turn around, the cowboy-Donny Blaze-wraps around you and pulls a metal wire to your throat. You pull your hand in front of your neck just in time to grab the wire, but he still yanks you back. "You took my gun and broke my fingers; you didn't think I'd be mad!?" Donny snarls. He throws you to the ground. He weaves the wire around your arm and tugs back, slicing deep cuts into your arm. You try to pull back, but with each fraction of force, more blood spills out of your arm. "Finally, I get to finish the job!" Your choices: [[Let him do it.->Failure]] [[Finish your mission.->Fighting Demons-Killer]]

You seemed to have blacked out for a moment. Your eyes slowly open, and you begin to push yourself off of the floor. You look forward. Slumped on the table-dead-is Kravitz. A laser shot hole in the middle of his head-split between his metal half and human half-is dug deep, but not completely through. A bit of blood seeps out onto the wooden table, embedding itself within the open scratches and dings on the desk's surface. You walk around the desk and look out the giant window. The holo-billboards outside shine a yellow-green color into the office. You did it. You're done. The anger you felt is gone, and it's time to begin again. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

The wire unwinds off your arm and slides onto the ground. You pant and look to the ground in front of you. Donny's body lies still with a bloody hole in his head. His cowboy hat flew off him when he fell to the ground. While all of this happens, Kravitz onlooks with a sinister smirk wiped on his chin. "I knew you could do it." He slow claps like a crazed psychopath. "There's the confrontation I was hoping for, the fury I wanted to see. It's part of you, and you can't deny it any longer. And now that you have accepted your fate, it is your time to take your place as my newest mercinary." Your choices: [[You swell with rage.->Vengeful]] [[Accept the offer.->Strange Ending]]

An unmistakable anger fills in every crevace of your body. This man-the man who took your family and so many more-dares to try to offer you a job. You stand up. "So, what do you say? Shall we begin a beautiful partnership?" *BANG!* His smile soon wipes away. He looks down at the bloody splotch in his chest. Behind him, the window cracks from the laser shot's overflow. "What the hell do you th-" *BANG! BANG! BANG!* You unload the last laser rounds in the revolver's chamber. Kravitz jerks back with each shot to his body. Blood splatters on the desk behind him, and with the last shot echoing out into the night, the window shatters, and wind howls within. Kravitz slumps back on his desk. He chokes as his lungs empty with air and blood...and with that, he lies still. You drop the empty revolver to the ground. The sound of it hitting the ground is overpowered by the artificial winds of the oxygen dome. The howl of the gusts surrounds you, wraps you in a blanket of serenity. The holo-billboards shine a solid green when a lingering thought moves to the front of your mind. Those kids, the forgotten of the city, are still alone. Even though you've killed a significant source of their strife, their suffering will not end that easily. Your choices: [[Return to the revolutionaries.->The Good Fight]] [[You are content.->Nowhere Left To Go]]

You take one look at the city from above, at the seemingly boundless buildings and neon landscape, and turn around. You wish your fight could be over, but there are people in need that you must help. You step back out in the hall and walk towards the open elevator doors, which allow white light to shine in the dark hall like a beacon; a signal of your next steps. You will become revolutionary. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

At the end of the day, though, it was just a fleeting thought. The steps you've taken have exhausted you, and while you do not know your path now, you feel a strange sense of contentment. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

You step to the side and put a leg out. He trips over your well-placed foot and hurdles over the table, crashing to the ground. The buff woman steps up to you again, rises her fists one more time...before relenting and dropping to sit on the ground. She frustratedly turns her head away from you. Now, you are free to go. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Escape-Final Choice]]

You sidestep his punch and neck chop him. His foot slips, and when you hit his neck, he falls over onto the on-its-side table. *CRACK!* His neck hits squarely on the side edge of the table. He goes limp and slumps onto the floor...and everything goes silent. You realize what you've done. As the other henchmen stare at the body, you rush out of the building. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Innocence]]

You run and run and run down the street until the only sound louder than your aching, beating heart is the sound of your heavy breaths. You lean by a building and slowly collapse into a broken mess. You've already taken a life before, yes, but not like that; not a life that should've been taken. The weight of it sets in heavily on your shoulders. You don't know what to do with yourself anymore. Your choices: [[Return home.->Home Ending-Corrupted]] [[Seek repentance.->Repent]]

You don't want to think about it anymore. The overwhelming weight is too much for your fracturing mind to handle. You look up to the distant top of the oxygen dome; it's time to go home. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Home Ending-Corrupted Part 2]]

Your crusade was just supposed to be against the ones who took your family, against the overlords that desecrate humanity, but you snuffed out that humanity from someone who didn't deserve to die. You wish you could say they were a cog in a greater machine, but you can't lie: he was but another victim of the cruel system of the city. *** After an arduous return up the steep steps of the undercity, you arrive back at the parting gates from which you entered. You don't go back to the border customs, though; you instead stand by the edge of the platform and look out at the city: a beautiful facade. You shift your attention back down to the dark depths of the undercity. You take a breath- [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

After a trek back up the stairs from the depths of the undercity, you return to the border. There's no security watching who leaves, so you get through without speaking a word to anyone else. While you walk out, you see the cage of immigrants. You feel even more sorrowful at the sight. You wished you had the power to do something-hell, the power at least speak up, but you just can't. Each time you get close to opening your mouth, you feel a lump in the back of your throat that nearly pushes out a horrific cry, so you keep your mouth shut. All you do is walk forward to the oxygenation chamber. *** You step out to the desert-respirator back on, of course-and locate your trusty old speeder. You hop on it, light the chuttering engine, and make your way back home. *** After a few hours of driving, you return to where your farm once was, but an unruly sight beholds you. The oxygen dome is gone, the farmlands are surrounded by construction equipment, and your house has been crippled into but a small pile of smoldering ash. You can't even see the tombstones, let alone the graves you set for your family. You get off your speeder and softly step forward. Everything you fought for, everything you had is gone. You open your mouth to speak, to shout in anger, but all that comes out is silence in the winds of the desert. All you think is that this was a cruel act of retribution for what you did. You collapse into the soft embrace of the sands and slowly let the life drift out of your eyes. As the sand rolls over your soon-to-be corpse, you resemble the small graves you made for your family. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

You rush out and quickly duck into an alley besides the bar. Luckily, no one even tries to follow after you. You slide your back down the metal wall which you lean upon and plop down in the filth on the ground. You're exhausted. You'e technically done what you came to do, to add. But knowing that there's one man behind your family's death that still stands, it gives you pause. Your choices: [[Return home.->If You Insist]] [[Your story is not over.->The Hunt Resumes]]

At the end of the day, you think to yourself, you killed the man that pulled the trigger. Going further would bring more pain, and now, you just wish to rest. It's time to go home. You stand up, clasping a stabbing pain in your side, and walk into the darker depths of the alley. *** After a trek back up the stairs from the depths of the undercity, you return to the border. There's no security watching who leaves, so you get through without speaking a word to anyone else. While you walk out, you see the cage of immigrants. You wish you could do something, but your body doesn't let you speak out, and your legs push you to the oxygenation chamber. *** You step out to the desert-respirator back on, of course-and locate your trusty old speeder. You hop on it, light the chuttering engine, and make your way back home. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Home Ending]]

You really wish this could be over, but the thought of someone pulling the strings that led someone to murder your family permeates in your mind. You cannot let it go, as much as you wish. You stand back up, sigh, and feel around your pocket. You forgot that you dropped the revolver back inside, but there's no point in worrying now. Your hunt begins again, and you now have your new target: Kravitz Kain. Luckily, you know where to find him. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Hunt Resumes-Found]]

It only takes a few minutes for you to find the building you're looking for; it's incredibly lucky that the upper echelons of the city care so little of the infrastructure in the bottom that they accidentally designed a walkable community. You stand beneath Kain Incorperated's headquarter tower, a building stretching from the pits of the undercity all the way to the tip of the oxygen dome; the bottom floors are where they relent their dirty work to, though. It wasn't hard to find the place; you didn't even realize you had passed by it earlier. Luckily for you, these companies care as little about disguising themselves as they do disguising the corruption and death they cause. As you put your hands on the front entrance's door handles, you look at yourself in the dirty reflection in the window. You take a breath, and- [[Enter the tower.->Towering]]

You glance at the touchscreen floor display that showcases the literal thousand floors. You know where your target resides, though; you press the top button. [align center] `ERROR: ACCESS KEY REQUIRED` [continue] You grunt. Fine. You'll just wait for someone to come along and give you what you need. And sure enough, one second later the elevator beeps and shoots up a couple hundred floors. The doors slide open, and a slick, black-haired office worker in a well-fit navy blue suit steps inside with an earpiece in his ear. He lightly scoffs at the sight of you. He turns around and presses on a higher floor. When he taps the screen, the man's finger illuminates. You assume it must be a literal DNA scanner, which'll be easy for you to deal with now. For a second, the two of you stand in silence, until he chuckles and swivels his head a bit to give you a nasty side-eye. "You know, the manufacturing floors are on the bottom of the tower," he sneers smugly. [["Do you have access to the top floor?"->Towering-Up]]

The elevator door closes behind you after you step out with your hands slightly raised above your stomach line, leaving you and these guards in a dark hall. Remember, you don't have your gun. The first guard pipes up with a slightly squeaky voice, "Do you have an appointment?" He seems to be a bit new. The second guard, more heavy-set and a bit older than his coworker, elbows him before aiming his gun at you again. He speaks with a deeper voice, "Does this guy look like he's got an appointment? He's a thug off the streets." [["I need to get in there."->Towering-A Fight?]]

You do nothing yet; you're reminded of the thugs at the bar, simply drones forced to serve a bigger machine. This choice turns out to be counterintuitive, though, as the guards get more enraged. The older, heavy guard steps closer and presses the end of his rifle into the side of your head. "Come on, MOVE IT!" [[Fight back.->Aggrivated]]

You sigh. There's no escaping it. You quickly raise your hand up and push the older guard's gun upwards. He reflexively fires a shot, but it zips into the ceiling, just as you planned. You tear the rifle from his hands and swing the stock into the guards jaw. He crumbles to the floor. You turn around and see the other guard with his gun aimed at you, shaking with fear. He looks scared, terrified. You lower your arms to prove yourself as no threat to him. He lowers his gun as well. Suddenly, you hear a rallying cry behind you. You turn around and see the second guard charging at you. Your choices: [[Shoot.->Cold Blood]] [[Knock him out.->Out Cold]]

*BANG!* You pull the trigger. It was purely reflexive, but what does that say about you? The guard collapses. Blood pours from his chest. He breathes heavily. You and the remaining guard watch in horror. You see the reflection of your silhouette in the growing pool of blood. You suddenly hear the clatter of the other guard's rifle on the floor. You turn around and see him backing away from you, shaking his head with tears in his eyes. Your choices: [[Let him go.->Not Bad But Not Good]] [[Shoot him too.->Menace]]

You lift the gun and swing it into the guard's head again, and with a resounding thud on the floor, you know he's out cold now. You turn back to face the other guard. He still holds his gun shakily, but the barrel is pointed to the ground rather than you. "Just go. This job isn't worth it for me," he quivers. His rifle clatters to the floor, and he gloomily walks towards the elevator. You sigh a breath of relief. You didn't want to have to hurt him. You slap the rifle in your hands and turn to the office doors. You step towards the nexus of your fate. You place your hands on the door handle, and- [[Push the doors open.->Nexus]]

You burst through the office doors; they swing open and slam on the sides of the wall. You step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "Well, well, well. Look who finally made it," the figure says. You know who this is: Kravitz Kain, just as the cowboy told you. You grunt and lift the rifle to aim it at Kravitz. "I don't think you're going to do that just yet. In fact, I don't think you want to. I only heard one shot out there, and I don't think it killed anyone." He steps out from the dark to reveal not only his formal black suit and tie, but also his half-cybernetic face. [["Why would I want to hear a word you have to say?"->Nexus-Elaborate]]

"Because if you truly didn't, I would be dead already," he snarkily replies. You scowl. "You know, the mercinary I sent to kill you and your family-yes, I'm not denying it-made a bet with me that when he eventually found you, that you would be so distraught that you would willingly let him kill you. I took the bet because, hey, I've got money to spare, but also as an experiment of sorts. And for an experiment, you have done remarkably well," he says. You walk forward. "You see, I knew he would get sloppy. He proved it when he failed to hit his intended mark. So, I was planning to tie up that loose end and find a new gun for hire, but an opportunity presented itself: you." [["The fuck are you talking about?"->Nexus-Offer]]

"All the killers here are motivated by money, slobs that have grown fat and complacent. None of them have any drive to do what must be done. That is, all the killers until you. You killed a cop and my own hired gun just out of pure rage." The memories stab inside your mind like a jagged blade. You never thought about it like that; that the violence you took into your hands, the lives you took, were all part of a churning machine. Now, the distance of those images of dead bodies seem imaginary. You were never a killer. What changed? Everything. "You are the perfect killer. Not driven by money or fame, but by an insatiable need-" [["I wouldn't kill anyone who didn't deserve it! Only those who harmed my family!"->Nexus-Deserve]]

"Yet, who is to say who deserves what? Did the cop you kill who was-in his mind-simply following orders deserve death? Perhaps. My mercinary? Maybe. But what about the targets that take lives and families just like them? Wouldn't they deserve it, and wouldn't you be willing to pull that trigger?" You unknowingly lower your gun. Your mind begins to fracture, the weight of Kravitz's words mixed with the images of the blood of your family and the blood you took fills every crevace of your head until you are left with nothing but rage. "Join me. Together, we can rid this city of the filth of the deep," Kravitz offers. Your choices: [[Accept.->Those Who Deserve]] [["No."->Fate]]

Suddenly, your mind cracks under the pressure of everything. Your eyes go blank. You feel like a drone. "Ok," you answer. A sinister grin grows on Kravitz's face. The holo-billboards shift to a blood red light. "Perfect." Your rifle clatters to the ground. You no longer know who you are. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

"What?" a dismayed frown builds on Kravitz's face. "Everything that happens in the undercity is your fault. You want relief from the violence, but you don't accept that you're the true cause of it all," you say. You raise the rifle. "How disappointing. I expected better of you," he snarls. Suddenly, he pulls a pistol from his suit jacket. Your choices: [[Shoot.->End The Violence]] [[Don't.->Twist of Fate]]

*BANG!* A laser shot digs itself into the robotic half of Kravitz's skull. He swings around and collapses back into his chair. His pistol clatters on the desk, chipping the wood. You stand still with the smoking rifle still pointed at where Kravitz once stood. Soon, you drop it on the floor, where it will remain until your story ends. You walk forward and place a hand on the desk. You've never felt wood before. It's nothing special, to be honest. Then, you look at Kravitz's body. No blood pours from his head; he was beyond human. You take a few final steps to face the window looking out to the city. It's a breathtaking view that not many others get. The holo-billboards outside shift to a yellow glow that shines inside the office. Your rage has subsided, but the memory of what you have done hasn't. One question lingers in your mind: what now? [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

You both have your fingers on the trigger. *BANG!* You both stand still. The air stands silent. For a moment, you don't know who pulled the trigger. But the dripping of blood by your feet tells you exactly what happened. You drop the rifle. "I should've killed your family myself for all you've put me through." That is the last thing you head as everything goes black and your body goes limp. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

You close your eyes and nod for the guard to scurry off. You hear the pattering of his quick steps and the ding of the elevator. You reopen your eyes when the screeching silence returns and shift your gaze to the office doors dead ahead. You walk forward, rifle in one hand, place your hand on the door handle, and- [[Enter the office.->Bloodstain]]

*BANG!* The other guard falls to the ground. Blood spills out from his chest. He coughs weakly, "Why?" before the life drains from his eyes and he ceases to move. You let go of the rifle. The crack it makes when it strikes the ground echoes in the silent hall. Why did you do it? You had a choice. Why didn't you take the other route? You begin to slouch. You walk like a drone as you move one-step-at-a-time towards the office doors. You place your hands on the handles, and- [[Push into the office.->What You've Done]]

You burst through the office doors; you swing one open, and it slam on the side of the wall. You step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "You finally made it," the figure says. You know who this is though: Kravitz Kain. You immediately aim the rifle up. "Calm your trigger finger. Don't you want to hear what I have to say?" [["Why the hell would I want to?"->Bloodstain-Speech]]

"I'll keep it short. I know your angry. I assure you, what I hired that dreadful mercinary to do was completely necessary for my business, but I did not entirely anticipate what transpired today. But it works out for all of us. Your rage proved to be a perfect catalyst for killing. Most hired guns today are fat slouches seeking a paycheck, but you kill with drive and determination. You would make a perfect mercinary by my side." [["You think I'd accept a job from you?"->Bloodstain-Offer]]

"It's not about the job. You're a natural-born killer. From the way you killed that officer, to my hired gun, to my guard just outside. I've seen it all. You're exactly the kind of mercinary I need: ruthless and driven," Kravitz says. The weight of what you did sinks into your soul. Your mind begins to split underneath the memories of the bloodshed, the feel of the bloodstains on your skin. You lower your rifle. "So, will you accept your destiny?" Kravitz asks. Your choices: [[Accept.->Those Who Deserve]] [["No."->Wiping The Blood]]

"What?" a dismayed frown builds on Kravitz's face. "I refuse to be your slave. I came here to avenge my family. I may have lost my way, but I won't let you hurt anyone else," you say. Kravitz scowls and pulls a pistol from his suit jacket. "Then you'll have to take another-" *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->End The Violence]]

You lightly shove the doors open. You stumble inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "Finally, you're here," the figure says. This is Kravitz Kain. He steps out from the dark to reveal his half-cybernetic face. You simply stare at him. You have no weapon. "I hope you didn't come here expecting to kill me with just your fists." [[Say nothing.->What You've Done-Silence]]

Kravitz tilts his head. He expected pushback. He recieved nothing. "I admire you stoicism. Regardless, I've been watching you during your tenure in the undercity; I'm sure you expected that. And what you've done down here is extraordinary. You've killed so many just out of your rage. That's what's missing from many of my hired guns, like the man I hired to kill your family-that's right, I'll own up to it. But that's besides my point. All these mercinaries are slobs leeching off the wealth of those at the top. But you...you get things done purely from anger. You are exactly what I need to shape this city's future." [["You brought me here...to offer me a job?"->What You've Done-Choice]]

"At first, I didn't intend for this meeting to ever happen. I was willing to let my mercinary finish the job he failed. But we made a bet as to your chances down here, and I was intruiged when I saw how far you've come. You are a natural-born killer who doesn't hesitate, who does what must be done," Kravitz says. You don't show it with your despair-ridden face, but your mind is fracturing from the weight of the blood you drew. Your choices: <del>"No."<del/> [["Ok."->Those Who Deserve-ALT]]

"That was easy," Kravitz snarks. You don't know who you are anymore. The blood you took, even if they deserved it, feels like a stain on your soul. You weren't a killer before this. You became one. As the holo-billboards shine a red glow into the office, you fall to your knees. "Welcome to the beginning of your new life." [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

Once outside, you slide into an alleyway. You duck behind a trash dumpster until you're sure no one followed you. You slump down besides the dumpster. What have you done? You killed the man responsible, but you also took an innocent life. He was simply a follower deceived into believing whatever that killer told him. Now his blood is on your hands. Does that make you as bad as that mercinary? You look at your bloody knuckles. You clentch them, hoping for some semblence of punishment through pain. But it doesn't come. You feel nothing but a deep, dark despair in your soul. You hang your head back and hit it onto the wall behind you. Your choices: [[Return home. End this violence.->Devastated]] [[There's work to be done.->Pick Yourself Up]] [[Seek repentance.->Repent]]

You know the name of the man behind all of it...but you don't think you can do this any longer. The blood on your hands is too heavy a burden. You stand up and walk back to the street, beginning your ascent to the border. *** After a trek back up the stairs from the depths of the undercity, you return to the border. There's no security watching who leaves, so you get through without speaking a word to anyone else. While you walk out, you see the cage of immigrants. You wish you could do something, but your body doesn't let you speak out, and your legs push you to the oxygenation chamber. Tears spill from your eyes. *** You step out to the desert-respirator back on, of course-and locate your trusty old speeder. You hop on it, light the chuttering engine, and make your way back home. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Home Ending-Devastated]]

You slam your fist into the dumpster besides you. Spirts of blood splatter on the green metal of the bin. You wish you could be done. You wish you could return home and bury the pain, but the man behind your suffering still stands with every second you take sitting around. You stand up, tighten your bloody fists, and walk deeper and deeper into the dark of the alleyway. You know your final target: Kravitz Kain. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Dark Tower]]

You glance at the touchscreen floor display that showcases the literal thousand floors. You know where your target resides, though; you press the top button. [align center] `ERROR: ACCESS KEY REQUIRED` [continue] You grunt. Fine. You'll just wait for someone to come along and give you what you need. And sure enough, one second later the elevator beeps and shoots up a couple hundred floors. The doors slide open, and a slick, black-haired office worker in a well-fit navy blue suit steps inside with an earpiece in his ear. He lightly scoffs at the sight of you. He turns around and presses on a higher floor. When he taps the screen, the man's finger illuminates. You assume it must be a literal DNA scanner, which'll be easy for you to deal with now. For a second, the two of you stand in silence, until he chuckles and swivels his head a bit to give you a nasty side-eye. "You know, the manufacturing floors are on the bottom of the tower," he sneers smugly. [["Do you have access to the top floor?"->Dark Tower-Up]]

The elevator door closes behind you after you step out with your hands slightly raised above your stomach line, leaving you and these guards in a dark hall. Remember, you don't have your gun. The first guard-tall and slim-pipes up with a slightly squeaky voice, "Do you have an appointment?" He seems to be a bit new. The second guard, more heavy-set and a bit older than his coworker, elbows him before aiming his gun at you again. He speaks with a deeper voice, "Does this guy look like he's got an appointment? He's a thug off the streets." [["Please, let me pass."->Dark Tower-Confrontation]]

"Not a chance, bub," the heavy guard says. Both of them step forward and enclose you on both sides. You lower your hands a bit. "Now, you wanna' get moving, or do you want us to move ya'?" The heavy guard walks up to you. You still have your hands up, but that isn't enough for him. He kicks the back of your knee, and you drop to your knees. You put your hands on the back of your head. Your choices: [[Do nothing.->On Your Knees]] [[Fight back.->Combative]]

You wish you didn't have to fight these men, but you're left little choice, especially with one of the guards pressing the barrel of their rifle into your head. You sigh. "Should I do it?" the heavy guard jokes. Suddenly, you grab the end of the rifle and force it upwards. Out of pure reflex, he fires. A laser shot zips right above your head, bounces off a wall, and ends its trail by bouncing into the ceiling. You jerk backwards and tear the rifle from the guard's arms. The force pulls him onto the floor; he rolls on his side. You stand up and look at the other guard only to see him quivering in his boots, barely raising his rifle at you. He doesn't look harmful. You lower your rifle as a show of peace. Suddenly, though, you hear the huffing of the older guard behind you. You glance over your shoulder and see him charging at you. Your choices: <del>Hit him.<del/> [[Shoot him.->Combative-Wound]]

After a few hours of driving, you return to where your farm once was, but an unruly sight beholds you. The oxygen dome is gone, the farmlands are surrounded by construction equipment, and your house has been crippled into but a small pile of smoldering ash. You can't even see the tombstones, let alone the graves you set for your family. You get off your speeder and softly step forward. Everything you fought for, everything you had is gone. You open your mouth to speak, to shout in anger, but all that comes out is silence in the winds of the desert. All you think is that this was a cruel act of retribution for what you did. You collapse into the soft embrace of the sands and slowly let the life drift out of your eyes. As the sand rolls over your soon-to-be corpse, you resemble the small graves you made for your family. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

*BANG!* The air fills with silence after the shot, a silence that is soon cut short by the thud of the guard's body as it falls on the ground. He gasps for air, coughs up blood, and reaches his weak arm up to you before going limp and still. You stand frozen with your finger hovering over the trigger; you stand so still you even forget to breathe. Why? Why did you do it? Was it reflexive? Did you have a choice, or have you taken so many unsavory turns that you've become something else completely? You hear a whimper behind you, and you snap out of your trance. You turn and see the remaining guard shakily aiming his rifle at you. His finger hovers over the trigger. Your choices: [[Let him go.->Merciful]] [[Shoot him.->Rifle]]

The guard shakes his head. Tears fill his eyes. He expects death...but he's surprised when it does not come to him. He peaks an eye open and sees you turned away, eyes closed.. You wait as you hear the scuffle of worried footsteps rushing away. After the ding of the elevator goes off, you reopen your eyes and turn to the end of the long, dark hall. You walk up to the doors, put your hand on one handle, and- [[Open the door.->Respect]]

*BANG!* The other guard falls. A laser shot dug through his head. *At least it was quick,* you think. But as you see your reflection in the spreading puddle of blood, you begin to question who you are. You've taken five lifes during your time down here. Why? Was it always necessary? Did these two guards, who were simply forced to be here, deserve this? Why did you do it? Is this just who you are deep inside? [[Continue forward.->Rifle-Doors]]

You burst through the office doors; one swings open and slams on the side of the wall. You step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "Ah, you finally made it," the figure says. He steps out from the dark, revealing his high-class attire and his half-cybernetic face. This is Kravitz Kain. You raise the rifle. You could end this now. "You're not going to hear what I have to say?" Your choices: [["No."->End Things Quickly]] [[Don't shoot yet.->Hear Him Out]]

"Wait, what?" *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->End Things Quickly-Done]]

You tighten your grip on the rifle's handle, but you don't shoot yet. "That's what I thought," Kravitz says. "You know, after my mercinary failed to kill you when he went to your home, he made a bet with me as a way of cutting down the disappointment I had. He knows I can't resist throwing money at a bet. Anyways, he assumed that when he found you, you would be willing to die by his hand. I was going to take the bet anyway, but part of me deep down wondered if you could actually kill him. I mean, he was getting on my nerves anyways, so it wouldn't have been a terrible loss, but when you actually did it, a whole realm of possibilities opened up. You've proven with each step you've taken here that you are a natural killer. So much more driven than any of these greedy mercinaries; your rage makes you an unstoppable force. You would be a perfect ally to have by my side." [["You led me here...to offer me a job?"->Hear Him Out-The Offer]]

You stand in silence once more. In front of you, Kravitz's body sits slumped back in his chair, blood seeping from the gunshot square in the middle of his forehead. Your rifle clatters to the ground. The holo-billboards outside shine orange light into the office. You take a breath. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

"Is it really that unbelievable? Do you think you're so incorruptable that you could never accept it? You've killed four people down here-that's right, I have eyes everywhere. You are not as perfect as you seem. You see yourself as a hero fighting for a noble cause, but you take lives just as the man that killed your family did," he retorts. You grunt. You could kill him now if you wanted. "You have it in you. By my side, you could help me wipe the filth from this city." [["Why would I do that?"->Hear Him Out-Finale]]

"Because you have very little choice." He suddenly pulls a pistol from his suit jacket and aims it dead at you before you even have a chance to react. "So, will you take your destined place by my side, or will you join your family?" Your choices: <del>Let him shoot you.<del/> [[Shoot him.->Final Gunshot]] [[Accept the offer.->Destined]]

*BANG!* You stand still. Suddenly, Kravitz collapses into his chair. A bloody, gaping hole sits in the middle of his chest. He laughs a bit before coughing violently. "I knew you had it in you..." are his last works before he fades away. You drop the smoking rifle. Your fingers twitch as if you were still holding the gun. Shooting him was necessary...but it felt instinctual. This is the fifth life you've taken. Can you ever go back now, or are you truly what he said you were? You walk around the oak desk and step in front of the expansive glass window, staring down at the city from one of its highest peaks. The holo-billboard lights outside turn orange. You bathe in the glow. You may have become a killer, but you stopped the man who truly caused all the bloodshed. That tiny glimmer of hope is the only thing keeping you standing. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

You release the rifle from your hand. It clunks on the ceramic floor. Kravitz raises his human eyebrow and slight lowers his pistol. You look up at him; your eyes are covered in shadows, like you have become a soulless husk from everything you've been through. "Okay," you relent. Kravitz smiles. He shoves the pistol back in his suit jacket. "Perfect. Now, my empire will be unstoppable," he smirks and turns around to look out at the city. The holo-billboards shift to a red glow. Your mind feels fractured, your heart feels cracked. You are not whole. You think you're what he says you are. You have chosen to become what you swore to destroy. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

You drop the rifle. You do not wish to use it anymore. No matter what faces you inside, you refuse to take the gun. You stand up and walk to the double doors at the end of the hall. You place your hands on both handles, breathe in, and- [[Open the doors.->Path of Least Resistance]]

You lightly push through the office doors. You step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "No weapon? Do you plan to kill me with your fists?" the figure says as he steps from the dark to reveal his formal attire and half-cybernetic face. This is Kravitz Kain. You grunt. Kravitz shrugs and begins to walk around his regal wooden desk. [["What do you want from me?"->Path of Least Resistance-Question]]

Kravitz raises his one real eyebrow. "Straight to the point, then. I've seen what you've done down here. Five dead as of a minute ago. Not for money, not for pride, but bloodshed just out of pure rage. It's so strong within you that it allowed you to kill my most skilled mercinary. Violence, it seems, is in your blood. And for that, you will make a perfect replacement for the hired gun of mine that you killed." [["You led me here to offer me a job?"->Path of Least Resistance-Choice]]

"Don't be confused, you don't have much of a choice," Kravitz snickers as he pulls a pistol from his suit jacket. You scowl. "You don't even need to think about this. This is who you are. Together, we shall purge the flith from this city." Your choices: [[Accept.->Who You Are]] [["No."->The Refusal]]

Your mind splinters. He's right. Every life you've taken has felt so natural that you begin to wonder if you truly are just a killer. All the blood you've seen, all the life you've stolen, they're part of you. You break down inside: you are a killer, you cannot take that back. "Okay..." you relent quietly. You look up, and shadows cover your eyes as if you were a soulless husk. Kravitz slides the pistol back into his suit jacket, smirking villainously. "Perfect. With you by my side, I will make this city kneel to me." The holo-billboards outside shine a red glow into the office. What have you become? [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

"Excuse me?" Kravitz snarks. "You cause all of this death. You brought me here. This is on your hands, and I refuse to take part in it any longer," you declare. You're broken inside, but becoming a killer's lapdog is no way to fix what you've done. "So be it," Kravitz growls. He raises his pistol. You close your eyes and brace for impact. Soon, you will be back with- *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

Both teenage revolutionaries rush down an alleyway. You look to the street as the flash of red and blue gets brighter and brighter before running to follow them. You don't have much of a choice here anyways. When you squeeze into the narrow cavity between buildings, you gaze over your shoulder to see half-a-dozen police hovercars skid around the scene of your battle. The boy tugs your shoulder again. You look to him and find yourself in a four-path crossway. "This way," he says, pulling you down one of the paths. After a burst of running, the three of you find yourselves in front of the opening to an abandoned sewage tunnel. "Through here," he says to you and the other teen. The stentch alone makes you question if you want to do this, but you all must push through. [[Climb through.->Teenage Revolution]]

You wade your feet through the thick, slimy sludge, making sure to pinch your nose lest you wish to inhale a lung-full of shit and piss. The two teens in front of you, though, take deep breaths without fear or disgust; it seems to you like these two have been through much worse than a sewage tunnel. You all hear the clammor of officers rush by the pipe opening. You all stand frozen to make sure that a stray flashlight beam doesn't catch any of you. Thankfully, not a single one peers inside the dark tunnel. The stentch steers them away. "We should be okay now. Our hideout isn't too far from here," the revolutionary whispers. *** You finally emerge from the other end of the sewage pipe. You scrape the sludge from the soles of your boots onto the concrete floor. The teens walk up to a thick metal door with a sliding opening at eye-level. The lead revolutionary knocks twice, pauses, then knocks another three times. The door's locks *CLICK*, and it swings open. The lead nods for you to follow, but the other seems hesitant. Through the door, you enter a half-crumbling, desecrated building. Inside, the floors are lined with dozens-no, hundreds of homeless children, women, and elderly throughout the various levels of the building; the floors are cracked open enough for you to see more of these unfortunate souls. As you walk inside, all of these pairs of eyes rest upon you. A few select teens-all marked with a crater insignia sprayed or painted onto their clothes-stand uneasily. "Who the hell is this?" one asks, "You brought an outsider to our hideout?" The leader steps to your defense. "Hey, we can trust him. He saved my ass out there. Gabriel can vouch too." He points to the other lad that escaped with you. Gabriel crosses his arms, "Wait, don't put words into my mouth. I never said we could trust him either." "He punched a cop for me." "So? Maybe he's undercover. You can't trust him that fast, Sam." "Guys," Sam sighs, "Just trust me-him, on this." Everyone looks to you, even Sam. [["I'm not a cop. I'm here to find the man who killed my family."->Teenage Revolution-Join]]

"I understand. We've all lost people here," Sam says. The other revolutionaries back off a bit. "Fine, he can stay," Gabriel sighs. Sam confidently nods. All the other revolutionaries return back to whatever they were doing. Sam taps your arm with his fist. "Walk with me." [align center] [[Click to Continue->Teenage Revolution-Sam]]

Sam leads you to a metal overhang overlooking the main floor of the abandoned hideout. He leans on the rusty metal bars. "I'm sorry about your family," he says. You grunt and rest your arms over the bars, looking out to the horde of the forgotten of the undercity. "We've been holed up here for years. It used to be a small group of us. After our families were...lost...a few of us hid out together here. We knew no one down here would help us...so we helped ourselves, and we made this place a sanctuary," Sam says as he proudly looks at the people under his protection. "We've been fighting those bastards for years, but we haven't made much progress. We need all the help we can get." [["Is that why you trusted me?"->Teenage Revolution-Sam 2]]

"Kinda, but you also punched a cop for me. Plus, you don't look like you're around here," Sam says. He turns around and rests his arms on the bars just like you. "Listen, a lot of people down here lost their families to mercinaries and what-not. I feel for you, and I want to pay you back for saving me back their, but I also have people to look out for. So, we can make a deal: I help you find who you're looking for, and you join me, help my fight." Your choices: <del>Refuse the offer.<del/> [[Accept his offer.->Playground]]

You nod in agreeance. Sam puts his hand out to seal it. "Down here, every deal is sealed with a handshake," he adds. You take his hand and firmly shake it without a second of hesitation. You trust this teen. For such a young man to bear so much responsibility, he garners your respect. "So, who's the man we have to go after?" [["I only know what his speeder looks like."->Playground 2]]

"Well, what's it look like then?" Sam questions. [["Black with red highlights. Thin and fast."->His Name]]

"Oh, that's an easy one," Sam says while wrapping his fingers around the metal guard rail and tightening his grip. He gets deathly serious. "Donny Blaze. He's killed too many of ours. Hell, half of the people down here probably lost family to him. It'd be a pleasure to take him out," Sam explains. "Thankfully, I know just where to find him." [align center] [[Click to Continue->Hunting the Hunter]]

You and Sam sit alone atop a building with a shorter rooftop overlooking the undercity streets below. Your focus is a small, lone tavern with a neon-orange sign of a beer mug barely still hanging from the storefront. To put it simply, it looks like shit. You stand over the edge of the roof while Sam kneels with his electric staff propping him up. "We'll probably find him in there. One of the bastard's favorite places. You know, it's funny that he owns his own bar down here and doesn't even have the decency to never leave it," Sam growls. He looks furious. He doesn't hide it like you do. "I've been fighting down here for years, but guys like Blaze kill more and more of my people and I can't do anything about it." [["Is he...from the undercity?"->Hunting the Hunter 2]]

"Yeah, which is what makes it worse. He kills his own brothers and sisters for money. Some of those enforcers and bouncers have to, you know? The system makes them. But him? He's greed incarnate," Sam says. [["Why haven't you gone after him before?"->Hunting the Hunter 3]]

"He was always too strong for anyone to fight. That's why we hide in the shadows. All those mercinaries pick us off because we don't have the resources to fight like them, and I can't bear to let any more of my people die to them. But this time, I have a plan, and I have you," Sam declares. Both of your attentions are drawn to the roar of a speeder engine turning down the street. Blaze's speeder is loud, and not hard to recognize either. "That's him. You ready?" Sam asks. [["Let's go."->Barstool]]

An old, half-rusted bell *DINGS* as you swing the tavern door open. The distinct smell of mold, rust, and malt fills your nostrils. You step inside a bar constructed mostly of scrap metal panels for floors, walls, tables, and even chairs. An orange fluorescent light runs across the ceiling to give the place a warm-yet-sinister feeling. You slowly walk towards the bar, slowly looking left and right at the dozens of inconspicuous bar-goers. None catch your eyes, and none give you a second thought either... ...except for a shadow-sheathed figure with a cowboy hat lounging in a booth in the corner behind you, where you cannot see him. He looks up at the sight of your turned back; his eyes glow a villainous red. You take a seat on the unsurprisingly uncomfortable metal barstool. You shift your bottom for a moment until you find yourself to be mildly comfortable. You nod at the long-haired bartender, who quickly fills a mug with beer from an unmarked metal container. Tis the way of the undercity. You take a sip while looking over both shoulders. Nothing catches attention. *Where is he?* Suddenly, you feel a pair of hands grip your shoulders. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Barstool-Blaze]]

You hear a cackle, followed by two pats from the hands on your shoulder. "What a funny coincidence that I found you here," the man says. You tighten your grip on the mug's handle. Here he is: Donny Blaze. He lifts his hands off your shoulders and swings around to the seat besides you. From the glow of the bar light, you can see his scarred face, scruffy stubble beard, and cybernetic eyes. He smiles like the devil. "I mean, I was dreading having to go up and down this fucking hellscape looking for you, but here you are," he says. You don't speak. You just wait. This seems to make Donny laugh, though. He shoots the bartender a nod: "Tell everyone to get out of here. Drinks are on me," he winks. The bartender shrugs and walks away. After a few seconds of haggling, the rest of the bar-goers shuffle out. When the doorbell rings out one final time, Donny turns back to you. "So, are you ready to die?" Your choices: <del>"Yes."<del/> [["Not today."->Barstool-The Plan]]

It's up to the kid now, you think. You smirk. This bastard will finally get what he deserves. But Donny's sadistic smile does not fade. Suddenly, he jumps from his barstool, whips out his revolver, and fires a shot at an electric charge disk that was flying right at him. The disk poofs into hundreds of tiny pieces, and the echo of the laser shot rings out in your ear. You see Sam still reeling from the throw, shocked. "You thought I wouldn't have realized it was you?" Donny sneers. You quickly lunge to grab Donny, but he evades your attempt with comical ease. He grabs the back of your scruffy hair and slams your face into the metal bar. With a *CRACK*, he breaks your nose; blood seeps from your nostrils. Donny then grabs your mug, spills as much of the bootleg beer into his mouth as he can in one smooth motion, and chucks the empty glass at Sam's leg. It shatters on impact and flips Sam onto his stomach. He groans when he smacks into the floor. You grab your face in pain. You see Sam curled into a ball, hugging his glass-cut leg, all while Donny cackles like a maniac. He spins his revolver around his finger and shoves it into your cheek; the muzzle end presses deep into your skin. You quickly grab the gun and push it enough so that it isn't pointed right at you, but Donny's push matches yours. "You have a little choice to make here. Either you let me end you really quickly...or I kill the kid and then you," Donny spits. You look to the kid, who's teary eyes shoot up to meet yours. Your choices: [[Save the kid.->Run Sam]] [[Try to fight back.->The Cost of Your Crusade]]

"Run, Sam!" you bark. You lost a son and a daughter already. You will not let another child die for you. Sam's eyes widen. Donny glances back at him. "I'll give you a minute to get out, you know, because I'm known to be fair," Donny says slyly. Sam sticks his staff up and shakily lifts himself. He doesn't leave, though. "RUN!" you shout. This boy shall not die yet. He has done more for this undercity than you even know, and by giving him a chance, you hope that your death will give the revolution a chance to survive. Sam scowls. He limps out the back exit, leaving you and Donny alone. "Any last words?" Donny asks with an inflection of faux sincerity. You growl. "Too bad," he says. The revolver's hammer clicks- *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death-Alternate Route]]

You swell with rage and let out a thundering scream. You push back on Donny and slam him onto a metal table. His arms hang to the side, but he still holds his weapon tight. You begin to pummel his face over and over and over again. His blood seeps into the growing gashes on your knuckles, but you keep beating, all while he laughs like a maniac. Donny attempts to raise his gun and shoot you in the face, but you crack his arm down onto the table again. As you try to dig your fingers into his eyes, he reveals a terrifying smile unlike what you've seen from him before. Then, you realize what his gun is pointing at now. *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Cost of Your Crusade-Sam]]

[align center] You have died. Do you wish to try again? [[Click to Restart->Title Screen]] Or, do you wish to resume as Sam? [[Play as Sam->Sam]]

You limp out of the bar into a dark alleyway. Shards of dirty glass stick out of your leg. Blood drips down into your dirt-covered socks, and the alchohol from the mug burns the small wounds; every step is agony, but you keep moving for that man's sacrifice. You hobble faster and faster until- *BANG!* The echo of a revolver shot rings out through the alley. It causes you to lose focus, and then lose balance. You tumble into the puddle-ridden floor and wince, grabbing your leg again. You crawl to a large dumpster and lean up besides it. As you take a few deep breaths, you realize that the man that just gave his life for yours never even told you his name. How can you honor him now? You look down at your blood-soaked leg. You reach for the shards of glass and begin to pull them out one-by-one. Each pull causes a burning pain to shoot throughout your body. "GAH! SHIT!" you groan with each piece of glass you pull. You've been hit by worse, so why does this feel so bad? After what feels like an eternity of piercing pain and glass clattering on the cold floors, you sit exhausted with a shredded leg. You rub your palms on your eyes to quell the tears, smearing a bit of blood on your cheeks. "GOD DAMMIT!" you scream as you slam your fist into the garbage bin besides you. The pounding of metal echoes through the empty alleyway. That man didn't deserve to die. But you wanted Donny dead. You thought you could use an outsider with a common goal to help, thinking that he'd be less of a loss than your brothers and sisters, but it somehow feels worse to have let a man die for your anger. You've lost too many good people already, yet each body added to the mass grave of the undercity still holds the weight that the first few did, that your family did. You have to get back to your hideout. It's not safe out here anymore. But before you can lift yourself up, you hear a sinister whistle, sloshing bootsteps, and metal spurs clanking on the ground. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Sam-Found]]

You cease your breathing and curl yourself up against the garbage can. It's him, you know it. You pull your staff close, cover your mouth with one hand, and wrap your other arm around your legs, even through the pain. The footsteps get closer and the whistling gets louder until... ...Donny strolls past the can. You must be in his blind spot. You breathe a sigh of relief in your mind, just waiting for him to walk further into the dark... ...Until he stops walking forward. You freeze up. *Oh shit*. Donny slowly rears his head until his blood red eyes lay upon you. "Funny finding you here," he says with a smile cracked on his face. You grab your electric staff and push yourself up. You disregard the pain now; you can't afford to be held back right now. You hold the staff like a baseball bat, ready to swing if Donny gets close. "You said you'd let me go," you say. "That I did...but you've been a real pain in the ass for me ever since you and your friends started playing hero," Donny replies. He suddenly whips his revolver out from its holster. You tighten your hands around the staff handle. "I know what you did to that guy. You murdered his family, just like you've murdered so many more! You deserve to die!" you scream. "Am I really the one that killed him? I mean, technically, he chose to die. And if you really think about it, if you came up with that plan like I think you did, that makes you the one that sent him to die," Donny remarks. "Don't think yourself any better than me." He begins to walk around you in a slow, circular path. "Now, will you make this easy for me?" he asks. Your choices: [[Let it end.->Out in a Blaze]] [[Fight back.->The Same]]

You eyeball Donny's revolver as he toys with it. You tighten your grip on your electric staff... ...And then, you let it fall to the ground. Donny raises an eyebrow. You're sure he wasn't expecting that. "Really? No fight? You'll let your cause die with you this easily?" Donny questions. You wish you could keep fighting. You wish you could still stand and fight for your people. But you have suffered in this life for so long, and the futility of each moment you spent fighting has made your short lifetime feel like an eternity. Donny scoffs and raises his revolver. He clicks back the hammer. "I should make you suffer for how hard you made my job in the past...but for this, I'll make it quick." You close your eyes. Maybe, when it's all over, you'll get to see the family and friends that you- *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death-Sam]]

"Make it easy?" you huff. "Did you make it easy when you killed my friends, my family, defenseless people who just wanted to live? Did you make it easy when you and your murder friends drove us into hiding!?" Donny rolls his eyes. "Oh, here we go..." But before he can lift his gun, you rush forward and smack the end of your staff into his face. He slams into a wall. Blood drips from his nose. A few teeth fall out. "What the FUCK!?" he shouts. He turns to you- -and you swing the staff again, cracking it into his skull. He falls to the ground. Now, you let your rage out, clobbering on Donny repeatedly. Each bloody bash comes with a scream of rage. Blood flies onto walls and drenches your staff. "YOU MURDERER!" you roar. You keep bashing into Donny's bloodied and broken face to the point that it becomes a mangled, deformed mash of flesh. "Wait, wait!" Donny pleads through his torn mouth. "I-I can g-give you information! Anything!" "WHAT THE FUCK WOULD I EVER WANT FROM YOU!?" you bark. "Y-you want the guy that h-hired me?" He says. You halt your staff an inch away from Donny's face. "That's r-right, I know you can't r-resist knowing. You need to know, so you can k-kill him too," Donny says. Your choices: [[Don't listen to him.->Donny's End]] [["Who hired you?"->Sellout]]

[align center] You have died. Do you wish to try again from the very beginning? [[Click to Restart->Title Screen]] Or, do you wish to restart Sam's journey? [[Play as Sam->Sam]]

You scream and raise your electric staff over your head. Donny tries to raise his hands to block, but he can barely move anymore. "Wait, WAIT!" he cries. You swing down and bash the staff into Donny's head one last time. Your chest heaves with your heavy breaths. Your rage finally begins to subside, and you begin to realize what you've done. You stare at the mangled pile of flesh beneath you. Your eyes widen. You push yourself away from Donny's lifeless body and turn away in disgust. You try to stop yourself from vomitting, but it's no use. Chunky bile sprockets from your mouth onto the cold floor. You sit yourself against the dumpster once again. You look once more at Donny's body, at the staff you once held dear sticking into his skull like a sword in a stone. You close your eyes and look away. He deserved to die...but it doesn't make you feel any less like shit. You stand up. The pain in your leg is gone; at least, it's nothing compared to the pain from what you've done. You begin walk away. You still limp a bit, but you don't notice it much. As you walk into the dark of the alleyway and listen to the quiet sound of police sirens begin to fill the empty air, you wonder, *what now?*. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End-Sam]]

"K-kravitz Kain. He hired me to kill that guy in there and a bunch others. P-probably a few of your f-friends, too," Donny spills. You grit your teeth and grab Donny by the end of his poncho and lift him. "How do I know you're not lying to stop me from killing you?" you ask. "I o-only do it f-for the money," Donny chuckles, "I don't care what happens to him." You huff your breath and drop Donny to the ground. He smiles a bit, probably out of relief, or maybe a masochistic sense of joy. Your choices: [[Let him go.->Donny's Redemption]] [[Let vengeance take over.->Ravenous]]

You want to. You know you do. But look at him, look at his gashed face. He's done. This will serve as a good warning for him. "If you hurt anyone down here ever again, I'll make you wish I stuck this in your head," you warn him. You lift the staff and stand up tall. He spits out a bit of blood as he watches you turn and walk away. You feel...surprisingly good. You got vital information for your fight, and you got the retribution you- *BANG!* You stumble over onto the garbage bin and grasp you stomach. You feel a warm liquid pour out. *Oh no*. You rear your head back to see Donny, still laying on the ground, with his smoking revolver in his hand and a sinister smile even on his deformed face. You fall to the ground. Everything starts to go dark. It gets cold. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death-Sam]]

No. You will not be noble today. "You think I'll still let you go after everything you've done!?" you shout. "And r-risk your r-revolution's image?" Donny snickers. A fire lights in your eyes. You lift the electric staff above your head. Donny tries to raise his arms to block, but they're paralyzed by the extent of his injuries. You bring the staff down and crack it into Donny's head. Not just once, but twice, three times...you bang that staff into the ever-growing chasm that was once a mercinary's face repeatedly until your orange jacket looks red. When your arms finally feel too weak to swing again, you stop beating. He was dead a while ago. You roll off of him and sit back against the garbage bin. You let the staff roll on the floor a bit, let the blood mix with the dirty condensation that drips from the old pipes onto the floor. You stare at where Donny's face was and bury your face into your bloody hands. "God dammit..." you whimper. You never liked relishing in violence. It was always a necessity. The upper levels of the city won't listen to protests, to complacency. Sometimes, violence is necessary for change, for protection. If the other side uses it, why not use it yourself, right? But this...you enjoyed it. That is something you never wanted to feel. Can you even recognize yourself? Your choices: [[Go onward. Find Kravitz Kain.->Push Forward]] [[Return to your hideout.->What You've Become]]

[align center] THE END Do you wish to play again from the beginning? [[Return to Title Screen->Title Screen]] Or do you wish to restart Sam's journey? [[Restart Sam's Journey->Sam]]

You look down at your electric staff, now still on the floor. You're tired of the ceaseless violence, the futile necessity of what you do...but at the end of the day, you still must rise and fight for your people. You lost the chance of a good life when your family was taken. All you can do is stand and fight to give that chance to your people. And with Kravitz Kain gone, you could strike down a major force of oppression. So, you must. You grab the staff, press it on the ground, and push yourself up. The pain in your leg still permiates, but you can't let it hold you back. You walk forward with a slight limp-never looking back at the body-and head into the dark. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Push Forward-The Tower]]

You have the name of the man behind everything, behind the killing of the man who just gave his life for yours. But you can't. Not anymore. If you go further, you don't know if you'll be able to hold back again. You've been through so much already. How much more can you really take? You leave your staff on the ground as you pull yourself up by the garbage bin. You close your eyes as to not see Donny's mangled corpse again while you begin to limp away. There's still a bit of pain when you take each step, but it's nothing compared to what's inside. You begin to walk into the dark, to return back to your hideout a changed man. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End-Sam]]

After a bit of a walk, you find your destination: Kain Incorperated; a mega-farm conglomerate with its greedy tendrils rooted into most of the city's infrastructure. You stand in front of the base floor of a tower that stretches up all the way to the peak of the oxygen dome, like an impossible spire stretching to the stars. It should be a thing of beauty, a symbol of humanity's endurance, but it ends up being a painful reminder of the suffering of this city. You look at the dirty windows on the glass doors of the building. You see the dirty child you once were, the child who scrounged for scraps without a bed to sleep in; but you also see the man you've been forced to become, the leader, the protector, and even the killer. You don't know what will happen once you step through those doors, but you know that you must push forward. [[Enter the tower.->Push Forward-Lobby]]

Inside is a decrepit excuse for the lobby of a multi-trillion dollar corporation, but they never really cared about the bottom floors much anyways. Most of the lower floors are stuffed with underpaid factory workers; plus, none of the snobby elites dare step down below the 500th floor, so there's no point for them to try to keep it nice. The dark, moldy walls look even worse with the half-flickering-or-outright-broken sconces, the floors haven't been swept or mopped in at least a decade, and there's not even a secretary at the reception desk; there's just an old computer covered in cobwebs. You walk forward to the elevator. You press the up button, and with a *DING*, the elevator comes shooting down from a higher floor and opens its doors to a pearly-white utopia compared to what you've just walked through. The polymer wall panels paired with the white rim lights give off the feeling of being in heaven, but you know well enough to see through the illusion. You step inside; your dirty boots track dirt onto the previously spotless floors. The doors slide closed in front of you. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Push Forward-Elevator]]

You look at the touchscreen floor display that showcases the literal thousands of floors. Based on what you know about these elitist C.E.O.'s, though, you expect him to be at the top floor; in fact, there's not a doubt in your mind. You press the top floor button, and- [align center] `ERROR: ACCESS KEY REQUIRED` [continue] You sigh, "shit." Fine. You'll just wait for someone to come along and give you what you need. And sure enough, one second later the elevator beeps and shoots up a couple hundred floors. The doors slide open, and a slick, black-haired office worker in a well-fit navy blue suit steps inside with an earpiece in his ear. He lightly scoffs at the sight of you. He turns around and presses on a higher floor. When he taps the screen, the man's finger illuminates. Must be a DNA scanner; of course they have one in here. You know how to get around one of these, though; plenty of experience with that. For a second, the two of you stand in silence, until he chuckles and swivels his head a bit to give you a nasty side-eye. "You know, the manufacturing floors are on the bottom of the tower," he sneers smugly. You tap your staff onto your shoulder and smirk. [["You got access to the top floor?"->Push Forward-Up]]

"Why do you care?" he sneers. You smirk. You quickly whip your electric staff off its back holster. You spin it in your hand and smark it into the office worker's head, knocking him out cold. A bit of blood from his cracked head drips onto the perfect white floor; you like leaving a mark. You lift the man's flimsy arm and slap his palm onto the touchscreen display. With his pointer finger, you tap the symbol for the top floor. [align center] `ACCESS GRANTED` [continue] The elevator speeds up and reaches the top floor after approximately five seconds. As the doors slide open, you drop the man back on the floor. You keep your staff hoisted over your shoulder as a show of force. You step out into a huge, long, dark hall with two armored guards standing by an office's double-entry doors. They glance at each other as you stomp down the cold, dark floor. They lift their weapons; "Hey, how'd you get access up here?" one guard asks. You adjust the staff on your shoulder. "I don't want to hurt you two, but I do need to get in there," you say. Both guards keep their weapons aimed at you as you slowly begin to march forward. "Back it up!" the older and heavier of the two guards commands. You stop and sigh. You glance at him, then at the other, skinnier guard. Your choices: [[Fight.->Push Forward-Combat]] <del>Put your weapon down.<del/>

You're not getting out of this one easily. You have to be smart about this, though; you can't kill them, but you can't let them kill you either. As time slows before you prepare to take your first strike, you make a quick strategy. The bigger guy seems to be more trigger happy and aggressive. The thin guy's hands are shaky; he must be new, or he wasn't expecting you. Either way, he's more likely to hesitate. Back to the present. You pull your electric staff off your shoulder and fling it at the heavy guard's legs. It sweeps him off his feet, and he fires a few rounds into the ceiling as he falls on his back. The other guard shudders with each laser shot. You rush towards him and pull an electric charge disk off your belt. You tap the center button twice to set it to a non-lethal shock and stick it to his chest. The guard is suddenly engulfed in a quick pulse of electricity that takes him out. He falls to the floor, smoking a bit, but otherwise okay. You grab your staff from the ground and use it to bat the heavy guard's gun into the wall far on the other side of the hall. He glances at you. "Don't get up," you command, "It'll make things easier for both of us." The guard lets his head down on the floor and closes his eyes. You step forward to the double doors those guards were trying to protect. You hold your staff tightly with one hand and put your other on one handle. You breathe in, and- [[Open the door.->Sam's Confrontation]]

You push the door open; it's slam on the wall echoes through the near empty office.. You step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk. Of course a rich bastard like this guy would be able to smuggle wood into the city, especially with the destruction of most trees on the Mars colonies to fuel the ambitions of these greedy corporations. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "Well, this is a surprise," the figure says. He steps out from the shadows to reveal a clean, black suit and a half-cybernetic face. Looks like the best cyber-enhancements you've ever seen; most of your people have to try their best to make scraps work as limbs instead. They don't have the luxuries of these people. "You must be Kravitz Kain," you say. "And you...you must be one of those revolutionaries I hear about, correct?" Kravitz asks. He seems genuinely curious. "You don't know me?" "You have never cost me anything, so I'd have no reason to." You scowl. "Well, I'm the one who just killed your mercinary, and I'm here to finish this." "Ah, I was wondering why Mr. Blaze didn't answer his calls. I assumed the man he was actually sent to kill fufilled his purpose, but given your presence, I assume that it's the other way around." "What do you mean, 'fufill his purpose'?" "Well, I was expecting his target to kill Mr. Blaze instead and arrive here, which is when I would convince him to take his place as my right hand man. Mr. Blaze had become a nuisance, and I assumed his target's fierce determination would make him the perfect killing machine. But I must've miscalcuated along the way," Kravitz says while picking at his nails. You lift the electric staff up like an ancient baseball bat, wrapping both hands tightly around the handle. "He was a good man. He didn't deserve to die. You do," you declare. "You think you can kill me? A child with dreams of playing hero?" Kravitz snarks. He suddenly whips a pistol out from his suit jacket and aims it dead at your head. "None have stopped me before. You will just be another in a long line of fools who dared to stand against me." Your choices: [[Do nothing.->The Guilt of a Revolutionary]] [[Take him down.->The Duty of a Revolutionary]]

You want to step forward, to raise your staff again to fight Kravitz, to fight the oppression he has birthed for decades...but you can't bring yourself to move an inch. Kravitz sees your shaking knees. "You're a foolish child. You wish to fight for a better world, but know nothing about what it really takes to create one," Kravitz says. "You're wrong," you say. A few tears drip from your eyes. "If I was wrong, wouldn't you be trying to kill me by now? You kill to fight for a better world just as I do," he says. You still can't move. Paralyzed, not by fear, but by the bearing weight of your actions before. He's right. You've killed without remorse. It was a necessity for survival. Or maybe it was a cowards way out of solving problems. You are not sure which it is. "Don't worry, I'll give you a semblance of peace for all you've suffered: a quick death," Kravitz says. You drop the staff by your feet and close your eyes. *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death-Sam]]

"I'd rather die trying than die letting you get what you want," you snarl through your teeth. Kravitz scowls and grunts, "Fine." You both stand in a deadlock, frozen in the cold silence at the peak of the city. A bead of sweat rolls down your temple. You see Kravitz begin to constrict his finger on the trigger... ...and you strafe to the side as Kravitz fires a laser shot. You grab two charge disks off your belt and fling them at Kravitz; one sticks to his jacket, one bounces onto his desk. They both set off and form a lightning chain that pulls Kravitz's arm towards the desk, but through either pure strength or more unseen cybernetic enhancements, he still raises his arm and continues to fire at you, although, his shots lag behind you a lot. As soon as the shock charges shut off, you rush up to him and smack his gun out of his hand with your staff. It clatters a few feet away. You swing the staff back into Kravitz's face, and he falls back onto the side of his chair. You swing again into his head, and his falls back onto the floor. You drop over him and swing your staff harder and harder, covering the human half of his face in blood and breaking apart the robotic half. With each swing, he laughs. You stop swinging at that piercing sound; it reminds you of Donny. "You think yourself a hero, yet you beat me senseless. You're just as bad as me," Kravitz squeaks through his grin. "I'm NOTHING like you!" you scream. Your choices: [[Keep beating him.->Duty]] [[Stop.->Rethink]]

You drop the staff and begin to use your bare hands to beat Kravitz. Each punch paints the floor with more red and stains your blackened soul more. "I know I'm no hero. I never was. I was just trying to survive, just trying to give my friends a better shot. The good in me died with all the people you took from me!" you yell. You continue punching. Kravitz has stopped laughing. "My chance for a better life went out the window when had to take up violence to stop people like you, I won't deny it. But it is my duty to do as much as I can to make sure my brothers and sisters won't have to do what I do," you say. You punch again and again until Kravitz's cybernetic red eye begins to flicker and fade. "This...will solve nothing," he whispers. You raise your fists, cry out, and slam down on Kravitz's face once more. Then...it all goes quiet. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Duty-Blood]]

You drop the staff onto the floor and prepare to smash your fist into his cracked robotic-half, but you stop just inches away from the metal shell. "What's the matter?" he questions playfully. You slam your fist into the ground just centimeters away from Kravitz's face. "I won't let you do this to me. I won't let myself fall like this. I'll let you live, but I'm warning you, if you come anywhere near my people, if you hurt anyone else, I'll come back and finish the job," you declare. Kravitz tilts his head. You push yourself off of him and begin to walk away, leaving the staff as a symbol of your choice. You almost feel victorious... ...until you hear Kravitz's shoes tap on the ground as he stands. [[Turn around.->Rethink-Necessary]]

You now sit above a cold, dead, bloody body. Your hands are scraped, bruised, and covered in a mix of your blood and his. You finally manage to breathe again. The memories of your violence are gone. Your mind is empty. You did what was necessary. You are no hero, but you are no villain either. You are not a child anymore. You are a revolutionary, and you did what you had to for the sake of your people. You stand up. The holo-billboard lights outside shine a yellow glow inside. The red of the blood still cuts through the bright, neon color, though. As you hobble back towards the entrance of the office, blood drips from your hands onto the floor, making a trail. You leave your staff there, right next to Kravitz's body. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End-Sam]]

As soon as you turn your head, your own electric staff comes spinning at you. It cracks into your head, and you fall to the ground. Kravitz steps to you as you feel the giant gash in your head and groan in pain. He slowly lowers his arms to pick up the staff. "You thought you could threaten me? A child like you?" Kravitz mockingly asks. He plays with the staff in his hands. He holds it daintily, as if he feared it would give him an infection just by touching it. "Do you know why no one has ever touched me before, and why I did not fear for a second whatever punishment you threatened me with?" he asks. He suddenly strengthens his grip around the staff, raises it, and slams it back down into your stomach. You grasp it and convulse in pain. "Because I do what is necessary when no one else will," he whispers to you. Then, he swings again, and again, and again, and again... Blood splatters all over his face, all over the staff; your blood drawn by your own weapon. With each crack of the staff, your eyes go darker and darker until you are consumed by the darkness of your failure. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death-Sam]]

You look to the side and see Sam, just risen, grasping at his chest as a splotch of blood grows in the middle of his chest. You shake your head fearfully. He looks to you one more time before taking one step and collapsing. For a fleeting moment, you stare at the fallen revolutionary, all while that sinister cackle eminates in your mind. The fire within you begins to engulf your soul, and you quickly start beating down on Donny harder than you've ever beaten anything. Blood flies and splatters all over the table, all over your jacket, all over your fists. You cannot hear your own screams over the fury in your mind. As Donny's face gets more cut, more bruised, more mangled, his smile starts to go away. He tries to raise his hands to block your punches, but your anger is too strong for him. "Wait, wait! STOP!" he cries. You don't stop. Donny tries to talk, but each punch stops him before he can ever start. "This is for my family," you shout. You raise both bloody fists high up and smash them down on Donny's face one last time. Donny's pleads cease. All that remains is a loud buzzing noise in your mind. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Cost of Your Crusade-Blood]]

You rise from over Donny. You stare down at his disfigured corpse...you feel nothing but an empty hole in your chest. The man who killed your family is dead, but at what cost? You kneel down to Sam's cold body and shed a tear. He did not deserve a death like this. He was young, but he was a hero to his people. You lift the body, allowing his blood to stain your clothes further. You leave his staff on the floor. You stumble towards the bar's exit with the boy in your hands. That buzzing still sticks in your mind. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

The two of you walk for a few minutes through various dark alleys, substreets, and sketchy pop-up shops. Compared to your somewhat hesitant stride, she acts as if nothing scares her. Perhaps this is the mask she wears to survive down here. Eventually, the two of you reach a half-decimated concrete building. You both walk through the rubble, which seems like it's been here for decades. Dozens of homeless and misfortunate souls line the walls, wrapped in moldy and torn blankets. One older, thin woman reaches her stick-like hand up towards you in a desparate motion. You stare sadly at her. Your choices: [[Give her money.->Virtuous]] [[Do nothing.->Conserve]]

You reach into your pocket and pull out your wallet. You pull out your remaining cash, $200, and softly place it down in her palm; she needs the money more than you, you have little use for cash now. She quickly pulls her hand back and hides the cash under her cloaking blanket. She lowers her head. You do not know if she is thankful or not. "C'mon, we're here," Ash says as she points to the only solidly-standing door in the abandoned building. "Stay close and follow my lead. The people here can be a bit...wary of outsiders," Ash warns. [[Enter the door.->Virtuous-Bazaar]]

You press a finger into your back pocket; you are about to pull out your wallet, but something stops you. You sigh and remove your hand from your back. You lower it to your side, and the woman soon retracts her malnourished hand beneath her torn blanket. "C'mon, we're here," Ash says as she points to the only solidly-standing door in the abandoned building. "Stay close and follow my lead. The people here can be a bit...wary of outsiders," Ash warns. [[Enter the door.->Conserve-Bazaar]]

Ash pushes the door open and leads you into the bazaar: a gathering of the poor citizens of the undercity in a sidestreet full of stand-up shops made of sparce metal scraps. Orange streetlights hanging between the margins of the buildings help keep the place out of the dark. "Welcome to the bazaar," Ash says. She walks forward. You follow. You glance around at the standing shops all around. Most seem to sell homemade goods, some sell food, and some sell cybernetic enhancements that were very clearly gained through unsavory methods. Some people seem friendly enough, but most of the store owners look suspicious of you. You don't want to tangle with them anyways, so you keep your head down as best as you can. "There's my pal. He might know about the guy you're lookin' for," Ash says as she nods towards a pop-up bar a few feet away. [[Approach Ash's contact.->Virtuous-Meet and Greet]]

Ash leads you up to the bar and stands behind a bar-goer with scruffy black hair, a think beard, and a remarkably nice tan coat considering the location. He sips on a rocks glass and sighs, likely at the sound of two people behind him. "I'll get you the money soon, just give me a chance," the man says with a hint of a latin accent, something you thought was long gone due to the extensive discriminative practices of the founders of B.Q. City. "Who the hell you think you're talkin' to?" Ash questions with a raised eyebrow. The man turns around hesitantly and looks at you both. He breathes a sigh of relief upon the sight of Ash, who has her arms crossed. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were someone else," the man says. He glances at you with a raised eyebrow. "Who's this guy?" he asks. "A friend. He needs help finding someone," Ash says. "And you brought him to me? He sticks out like a sore thumb. I don't need that kind of attention." "I hope you remember that you owe me one." "I was thinking it would be something small, like watching your apartment, not doing a job." "Just hear the man out, Cassian." Cassian turns to you. "How much money do you have on you?" he asks seriously. You glance at Ash. "You owe me, Cass," Ash insists. "Whatever I'm going to end up looking for, it won't be good for me. I run a business. So either he pays, or I'm out," Cassian demands. [[Pull out your wallet.->Virtuous-Cassian]]

You pull your wallet from your pocket. You spread it open only to remember that you gave your last bit of cash to that beggar outside of the bazaar entry. You flip the wallet to show Cassian the empty interior. "Nothing? Really? I'm sorry, but that's too bad then. What I do is risky, and margins are already thin enough. You're going to have to look somewhere else," Cassian says. "C'mon, Cass, help him out here," Ash pleads. "What's he looking for, anyways?" "A mercinary," Ash says while looking down and crossing her arms. Cassian scoffs. "Really? You expect me to risk my ass like that for an outsider? I'm sorry, Ash, but you'll have to find someone else," Cassian says. Your choices: [[Step away for a moment.->Scam Likely]] [["He took my family from me. I have to make him pay."->Cassian's Help]]

"C'mon, Cass, be serious," Ash says while you turn away from Cassian. She quickly notices the shift in your demeanor. She sighs, holds up a finger for Cassian to wait a moment, and huddles besides you. "What's wrong?" she asks. You shake your head disappointedly. "We need someone to help us find this guy. He can do that," she argues. Your choices: [["Fine."->Trustworthy]] [[Stand firm on your uneasiness.->Untrustworthy]]

Cassian's eyes go blank, and he sits still for a moment; he's thinking about something. Suddenly, he grabs his glass and chugs the rest of his drink. He winces as he slams his empty rocks glass back down. "Ah, shit," Cassian whispers, "Who are you looking for?" [["I don't know his name, but I know he rides a black speeder with red lights."->Cassian's Help-Identity]]

"Seriously, that's all you know?" Cassian chuckles. "Do you know who it is?" Ash asks frustratedly. "If it's who I'm thinking of, you may want to turn around while you can. This man is no easy target, and whatever you think you'll do to him won't work out like you think," Cassian warns. You step close to Cassian and press yourself up to him. He backs down a bit; compared to you, Cassian looks like a twig. "Fine, fine, but I'm only helping you to locate him. That's it," Cassian says. "That'll probably be enough," Ash says, "Let's get goin', then." [align center] [[Click to Continue->Cassian's Help-Call]]

The three of you now step through a different door to leave the bazaar, now emerging in a smog-filled alley. Cassian spots an old-school holo-phone booth by the exit. "Give me a minute. I need to make a call," he says as he nods for the two of you to go ahead. You and Ash walk slowly through the semi-transparent fog, both of your pairs of boots slosh in the slick and puddle-covered floor. Ash keeps her hands in her coat pockets. "Sorry about him. He can be a bit rough around the edges," Ash says. She looks back at him as he makes his phone call. You glance over your shoulder too. Even using the phone booth, he looks hunched and cautious as if the holo-phone itself could be his enemy. [["Do you trust him?"->Cassian's Help-Trust]]

"I do, and I don't trust many people down here. You know that. I know Cass acts like a bit of a doofus most of the time, but he's a good guy deep down," Ash says. You nod. Her trust matters to you; strange, considering you've only known her an hour, but she's the only person you do know down here, so you have little choice. Finally, Cassian hangs up the holo-phone and jogs over to you two. "Sorry, it was important business. Now, we can go," he says. He walks ahead of he two of you. Ash quickly follows. You, though, are a bit hesitant, but you follow nevertheless. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Who Is He]]

Cassian leads the two of you down a maze of twists, turns, alleys, and service paths. To a point, it seems like even he has no idea where he's going, but Ash follows with a fierce determination, so you don't say anything for now. Currently, you find yourselves in a dakr, dew-reeking matinence tunnel; the floors squish with each step. "So, what can you tell us about this merc, Cass?" Ash asks. Cassian takes a second to answer, "His name is Donny Blaze. He works for a bunch of companies, but mostly Kain Inc." Kain Inc. That name sounds familiar, but you can't put your finger on it right now. "He's fast, dangerous, and has quite the personality. I don't recommend ever going near him, but you guys seem to be determined," Cassian continues. "How long until we find him?" Ash asks. "We should be close. This isn't an exact science, you know," Cassian snarks back. You all emerge at the end of the tunnel to another intersection of alleys. At the relatively bright end of one alley in the distance, you see the barely-still-hanging neon red sign of a bar. By that edge of the alley, you manage to see just the end of a matte-black speeder; it might be the one. Cassian confirms your suspicion when he points in the direction of the partially-visible speeder and says, "That's it. Your guy will probably be in there." You nod and walk forward. Ash walks by your side. But you quickly notice that only two pairs of footsteps walk down the alleyway. You both stop and glance back to see Cassian fumbling with his hands beneath his overlong jacket sleeves. [["You're not coming?"->Who Is He-Dispute]]

"Am I coming? Are you serious?" Cassian exclaims. "C'mon, Cass. It'll be fine," Ash says. "You must be kidding. That man in there is one of the most feared mercinaries in the city, and you think you can just walk right in and kill him? Cassian says, trembling. Ash looks at you with a hint of hesitation. You understand why she would be scared. This isn't her fight, and she has helped you plenty enough. Cassian looks dead at you. "I know you must yearn for death, but I won't die today, and neither will she," he says. [["I understand."->Who Is He-Rumble]]

"Good. We helped you as much as we could. I think it's time-" Cassian is suddenly cut off by the blaring screech of police sirens. "Oh shit," Ash says. You all rush against the metal walls of the alley; you brace yourself behind one end of the alley while Ash and Cassian hide across from you. You peek your head out enough to get a glimpse of a rustic van blurring by the alley as two police hover-cars chase it. Suddenly, you heard a rumble and the ear-piercing sound of metal scraping on concrete roads. You duck your head back at the sound; when it ceases, you slowly peak back out. "I don't think they're here for us," Ash says. Your choices: [[Ignore it.->Ignorance]] [[Check it out.->Investigate]]

You shake your head. Ash nods in agreeance. You continue sneaking down the alley towards the bar's back door. Cassian still staggers behind you. "Ash, where are you going? You don't have to go with him!" Cassian exclaims. "I know, but it's the right thing to do," she replies as she looks back over her shoulder. You hear Cassian's breathing get faster and rougher. Then, you hear hesitant footsteps trailing you at last. You reach the bar's back door, quietly pull the handle, and sneak in one-by-one. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Empty Bar]]

You slide away from your cover and sneak along the alley wall. Cassian and Ash both peek their eyes to watch you. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Cassian whispers aggressively. You pay him no attention. You keep looking forward, but you do hear Ash whisper, "C'mon," and hear the shuffle of her feet as she speedily sneaks up behind you. You also hear Cassian whisper, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," before doing the same. You all make it to the opening in the alleyway. You peek your head out and finally see the cause of the commotion. As the red and blue police lights flash into the dark pits of the street, four police officers-all armed-approach an overturned van with a crater-like insignia spraypainted on. In front of the van stands a teenager-no older than 17-wielding a metal staff with electricity crackling on the end. He sports a faux-hawk and wears a puffy orange parka jacket with that same crater insignia on the back. But most importantly, this teen is about to try to stand up to four armed-and-dangerous police officers, and that is a fight he cannot win alone. "Damn, someone's gotta do somethin'," Ash whispers. Your choices: <del>Do nothing.<del/> [[Help the kid.->Do Something]]

You remind yourself of the scene you left behind, of your own son and daughter being taken. You will not let this child be taken, no matter what the reason is that he is in this position. The boy stands his ground against these four cops. In fact, the sight of them aiming their weapons makes him grip his staff tighter. Even with all the scratches and bruises, he remains undeterred. The cops close their fingers on the triggers, and then, the boy smirks. The cops fire a few laser shots, which the boy dodges with relative ease. He dodge rolls next to one cop and flings two small mechanical disks at him and one other officer. The disks stick to their metal armor and engulf them both in a pulse of electricity. After a few seconds, the disks fry themselves, and the cops fall down as smoke puffs off their suits. The boy then rushes forward and swings his electric staff into the third officer's helmet, cracking through the metal and flinging him to the ground. The boy whips around to the final officer, but he already has the rifle cocked and aimed right at him. The boy holds the staff over his head, ready to swing, but he can't. The cop lets out a muffled chuckle beneath his metal mask, beneath a suit of armor that makes him feel invincible. He clicks his safety off, and- You suddenly rush up to the cop and slam your fist into his metal helmet; your strength manages to shatter the enhanced plexiglass visor, but it leaves you reeling from the pain of punching straight into metal. The cop groans and raises his rifle towards you, but before he can pull the trigger, the teenager smashes his staff into the side of the cop's head. He falls forward, knocked out cold. The teenager looks up to you and nods; you nod back. The screech of the sirens slowly begins to grow. The boy glances to the overturned van and watches another teen-this one with a buzzcut and a thin cotton sweater-climb out of the side door covered in sut, scratches, and bruises. Despite that, he seems to be okay. Ash rushes out to get ahold of you. "We have to get out of here, now," she says. To your surprise, the boy tugs on your shirt. "Follow us, we can take you somewhere safe," the boy commands. [[Follow him->Do Something-Follower]]

The boy watches your gaze shift back to Ash and Cassian, who still peek out from the alleyway. "They can come too," he says. You quickly motion for them to join you. Ash runs quick, but Cassian shudders. "Cass, what are you waitin' for, let's go!" Ash says. "No way!" Cassian cries back. The sound of sirens grows louder. "If you don't come with us, the cops'll arrest you along with everyone within a half-a-mile radius," The boy warns. Cassian rubs his eyes, hesitates before stepping out from the alley and rushing to join you. Now, with Cassian, Ash, and the other teen huddled around, the jacket-wearing revolutionary leads you down another alley just before police hover-cars flood the street. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Do Something-Run]]

They quickly turn from the alley into a narrow crevace between two buildings. They weasel through with ease, but you, Ash, and Cassian have a bit of trouble squeezing inside. Luckily, you manage to push your way through. Cassian's coat gets caught on the rusted edge of a metal panel when he tries to squeeze through. He tugs a bit trying not to tear his coat until he looks back and sees half-a-dozen police hover-cars skid to the scene of the battle. He quickly pushes forward, cutting a sizeable slit into his coat and slightly grazing his skin. He winces, even as drips of blood drop onto the inside of his coat, but he pushes along with the rest of you. You all finally emerge at a three-way intersection of substreets. The boy tugs the elbow of your jacket and leads you all down one. After a short burst of running, you all find yourselves in front of an old sewage tunnel opening. It seems like it should've been sealed years ago, but none of the upper-level engineers must've desired to do such lowly work. Cassian's eyes widen fearfully. "There's no way we're actually going in there, right?" he whimpers. "If you wanna survive, I'd say there is a way," the teenage revolutionary says. He and his comrade are already making their way into the entrance of the tunnel. [[Climb through.->Safehaven]]

You all wade your feet through the thick, slimy sludge. Cassian tries to stomp through the tunnel, but it's much harder to raise your feet out of the sewage than it is to simply push through. The stentch is almost unbearable. You hold your breath as long as you can, but even the slightest whiff of the piss and shit nearly makes you gag. Everyone else holds their nose. Despite it, you must push forward. As you make it about halfway through the tunnel, you hear the clammoring of footsteps from the end you came in through. "Against the walls, quick!" the boy revolutionary whispers. You all rush and press your bodies against the thin layer of slime and dust covering the tunnel walls. "Ew, ew, ew," Cassian whimpers. "SHH!" Ash shushes. Cassian forces his mouth closed. Soon enough, a barrage of cops rush past the tunnel. Two slow down to peer inside; one holds a flashlight, but he keeps it pointed at the ground. It's too dark to see inside otherwise. You hear the dim echo of their conversation: "Should we check it?" one asks. "Nah, I doubt they're in there. Smells like shit anyways," the other says. They quickly walk away without a second thought. When their footsteps fade, the boy revolutionary nods. "Alright, let's move," he whispers. You all push yourselves off the wall and continue forward. [[Exit the tunnel.->Safehaven-Door]]

You finally exit the other end of the sewage tunnel. You all-with the exception of the two revolutionaries-lift your legs, balance against walls, and scrape the putrid filth off the soles of your shoes. Cassian wipes sludge off his face and coat as quickly as he can. While you finish cleaning up, the teens walk up to a thick metal door with a sliding opening at eye level. The lead revolutionary knocks twice, pauses, then knocks another three times. The door's locks *CLICK*, and it swings open. The lead nods for you all to follow, but the other seems hesitant. As you walk through, you notice Cassian's muffled groans. He holds his abdomen tightly, and you see specks of blood on his hand. You pay it little mind past that. Through the door, you enter a half-crumbling, desecrated building. Inside, the floors are lined with dozens-no, hundreds of homeless children, women, and elderly throughout the various levels of the building; the floors are cracked open enough for you to see more of these unfortunate souls. As you walk inside, all of these pairs of eyes rest upon you. A few select teens-all marked with a crater insignia sprayed or painted onto their clothes-stand uneasily. "Hey, who the hell are these people?" one teen asks, "You brought outsiders here?" The leader steps to your defense. "We can trust them. This guy saved my ass out there," he says pointing to you. "Gabriel can vouch too," he continues, pointing to the other lad that you escaped with. Gabriel crosses his arms. "Don't put words into my mouth, I never said we could trust them," he retorts. "He punched a cop for us." "So? Maybe he's undercover. You can't trust him that fast, Sam." Sam sighs. "Guys, they needed our help. This is meant to be a safehaven for people like us, like them," he says. Everyone looks to you all, even Sam. They all await for you to speak. [["I'm not here to stay. We're looking for the man who killed my family."->Safehaven-Join Forces]]

"I understand that. We've all lost people here," Sam says solemnly. The other revolutionaries begin to back off their aggressive expressions. "Fine, they can stay for a bit," Gabriel relents. Sam confidently nods. All the other revolutionaries return to their tasks. Sam then taps your arm and motions to Ash and Cassian. "Walk with me," he says. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Safehaven-Objectives]]

Sam leads the three of you to a metal overhang overlooking the main floor of the abandoned hideout. He leans on the rusty metal guard rail bars. You and Ash stand by his side, but Cassian lingers by the doorway. "I'm sorry about your family," Sam says. He grips the guard rail. "I know what that's like. I lost my family a long time ago. That's why I helped set up this place," he says while looking around with a glimmer of pride in his eye. "We're real sorry 'bout intrudin'," Ash says. "Don't worry about it. This place is meant to be a safehaven for anyone in need," Sam replies. He turns around and leans his back on the rail, now facing you. "So, you're hunting down a mercinary, right? Most of us down here lost our people to mercs and shit. It's dangerous to go after them," "Well, we got this guy over here who was takin' us to find him," Ash says while pointing a thumb back towards Cassian. He keeps his head down. That's strange. Sam glances at Cassian suspiciously for a moment before returning his focus to you. "Who are you hunting?" [["Donny Blaze."->Safehaven-Blaze]]

Sam's eyes light up with surprise. "Donny Blaze?" he asks to be sure. You and Ash nod. He scoffs. "He's one of the worst. Took too many good people from me, from us. I'm glad to hear you're going after him, though," Sam says. Cassian finally perks up, "Speaking of which, we should get going now," he spurts out. "Hold on, stay a bit. If you're going after him, I want to help. I've been dying to make that bastard pay for what he's done," Sam says. "I think you should stay. You have a lot of people to take care of. Now, we should get going qu-" "Nah, with all of us there and a good plan, he won't know what hit him," Sam says while cracking his knuckles. You and Ash both notice Cassian's shaky hand still holding his abdomen. "No, we need to go NOW!" [align center] [[Click to Continue->Cracked]]

Sam seems puzzled. "Is your guy okay?" he asks with a concerned tone. You and Ash get closer to Cassian. He flinches as if he doesn't know who you both are. "I messed up," Cassian says, "I needed the money, I had to do it. I thought you two would just go there, but now he's coming for-" "Cass, what're you sayin'?" Ash asks. Cassian raises his head and looks deeply, sorrowfully into Ash's eyes. You turn to Sam and see his eyes widened fearfully. Suddenly, you hear a heavy metal pounding noise eminating from the base floor with the melody of a playful tune. Sam rushes to the edge of the overhang and looks down. One of the other revolutionaries peeks out from below. "There's someone at the door!" he says. Sam turns to you all, filled with rage. "What have you done?" [[Head to the main entrance.->Cracked-Defenses]]

You, Ash, and Sam all rush down the steps to reach the hallway leading to the main entrance. Now, you hear the playful knocking much clearer. Half-a-dozen revolutionaries, including Gabriel, stand with arms ready. "Don't open that door no matter what!" Sam orders over the pounding. He turns to you and Ash. He is about to open his mouth, when the knocking stops, paralyzing everyone with fear. Sam rears his head at the door. The revolutionaries prepare their weapons. You all wait in a painful silence. You hope that this is simply a poorly-timed prank...but you know better. *BOOM!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Cracked-Explosion]]

The door blasts off its hinges and flies into one of the revolutionaries. Sam is about to cry out when an explosive shockwave knocks everyone down. Your ears ring painfully, but you can still hear the faint thud of bootsteps and spurs clacking on the floor. You groan and slightly raise your head when you see the man you've been hunting: Donny Blaze. He wears a black cowboy hat, spurred boots, and a large poncho to cover an armored suit. His eyes glow red, and a sinister smile sticks on his face. "You will not believe how annoying it was to find this place. I mean, I thought you guys were late until I heard the commotion outside the bar. But I guess it's worth it since now, I can kill two pain-in-my-ass birds with one stone," Donny says. You feel like steam is floating from your head. You're about to explode. But you can barely move after the explosion. Donny tilts his head. "You know, because I think myself a nice man, I'll give you a few extra moments before I kill you," he says to you. He pulls his revolver out of its holster and-rather than point it at you-he aims it at one of the injured revolutionaries. You look to Sam. He is just opening his dust-covered eyes when he sees Donny aim the weapon at his friend. "No, NO!" Sam cries out. He uses his little remaining strength to try and crawl forward, but he won't make it. *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Cracked-Gunshot]]

The sound of the laser shot crackles through the air. The fallen revolutionary lies even more still than before. Blood leaks from his head onto the ground. Tears flow from Sam's eyes...and Donny still laughs like a hyena. "It feels so good to finally not have to deal with you all ruining my business," Donny chuckles. You look at Sam. He digs his fingers into the rubble-covered ground. He reaches his hand out and feels on the floor until he finds his electric staff, and he grips it tight. He groans and pushes himself up. He stands with wobbly knees. Donny hears the shuffle of Sam's feet and looks to him. Donny shakes his head at the sight of the fuming revoltutionary. "Are you really going to make this difficult for me? Today?" Donny asks, annoyed. He doesn't care enough to actually fight Sam, so he raises his revolver and aims it at the boy's head. Sam keeps limping forward, but he has no chance of winning this alone. [[Grab Donny's leg.->Cracked-Fight]]

You quickly push your bruised body a foot or two forward, just enough so that you can grasp Donny's leg with your callus-covered hand. Donny shifts his eyes down to you, but you pull his leg out before he can do anything. He tumbles onto the rough bed of rubble and drops his revolver somewhere in the mess. He tries to claw his way back onto his feet, but Sam quickly knocks the back of his leg with his staff. "GAH!" Donny screams in pain, "You little shit!" Donny flips onto his back and rapidly kicks out his other leg to try and deter Sam from stepping closer, but Sam isn't intimidated. He swings his staff and cracks it into the side of Donny's other knee, snapping the joint sideways. Donny cries out in pain again and grabs his leg. You finally manage to push yourself up while still holding onto the partially-caved-in wall. While Donny is still down, you hobble over and kick him in the head while Sam begins to beat down him with his staff. Blood begins to splatter on the cracked stone and twisted metal around you. Both of you, fueled by the pure rage of the losses you've suffered, of the lives he took, keep beating and beating until Donny reaches his hand around and grabs ahold of his revolver. He whips it up at you and cocks the hammer. "STAY BACK, I'M WARNING YOU!" he screams. Your choices: <del>Stay still.<del/> [[Grab the gun.->Donny's Weapon]]

Before Donny can pull the trigger, you swing your hand forward and snatch the gun from his shaking palm. He staggers back against the wall while both you and Sam slowly hobble towards him. You cock the gun and point it at Donny. He raises his hands in a futile attempt at defense. "Wait, WAIT! I'll give you anything! Money? Information? Women?" Donny offers tearfully. You and Sam find it enjoyable to see a monster heel before you. "What would we possibly want from you!?" Sam cries. Donny flinches at merely the sound of Sam's scratchy voice. "Don't you want to know who hired me? You think I kill you guys for fun? Someone wanted them dead. I can tell you," Donny says. [["WHO WAS IT?"->Donny's Weapon-Kain]]

"Kravitz Kain! It was him. He wanted you dead, and I don't even remember how many of your helpless friends he wanted me to kill either," Donny confesses. "Now, please, let me go! Have it in your hearts to show me mercy." Your finger hovers over the revolver's trigger. Your choices: <del>Spare him.<del/> [["My heart died with my family."->Donny's Weapon-Dead]]

"No, NO, PLEA-" *BANG!* Donny slumps over. A hole sits in the middle of his hat. Blood spills out. Pieces of brain and skull splatter behind his head like a psychopathic painting. Your hand goes numb and tingly. The revolver falls out of your grip and clatters to the rubble-covered floor. Sam lowers his staff and takes a few heavy breaths. "He deserved worse," Sam mutters. Maybe he's right. But as much as you wished this, the empty hole in your own heart does not vanish. This killer deserved the death he had coming, but now that you took this life, what makes you any better? Does his own status as a killer make this act virtuous? You do not know yet. "Where's that fucking snake?" you hear Sam snarl before he grabs you by the shirt. For a young man, his grit is undeniable. Suddenly, Ash lifts herself. She too is covered in ash, but she seems otherwise unharmed. "Look," she says while pointing to a trail of blood droplets leading away from the hall. Sam releases you and begins to hobble past Ash. She holds her arms and shivers. You begin to follow Sam, but you glance at Ash before walking too far forward. "I trusted him," she says. [[Find Cassian.->Betrayal]]

It doesn't take long to find Cassian. The blood leads you to a small spot beneath a staircase. Cassian, still gripping his side, has tears in his eyes. "You had a safe place here. I couldn't even find another exit," Cassian softly jokes. Not a great time for one, though. Sam stabs his electric staff into the wall right besides Cassian's head. Cassian feels the crackle of electricity by his scruffy beard. He shudders. "You came to my safehaven, my home, and you brought death. You got one of my brothers killed. Tell me, why shouldn't I do the same to you?" Sam asks through his gnashing teeth. "I can think of no reason why not," Cassian replies quickly. Sam's eyes widen as Cassian's head swings down. "I have a family. A wife and a daughter. And like most people who live in this godforsaken city, we needed money. So I worked these streets, I took any job that would provide for them, even if it lead to death. I didn't care. I couldn't care. I only contacted Donny to tell him that I had people looking for him, hoping he would pay me for it. I didn't know he would find his way here. And for that, I'm sorry," Cassian explains. You stand dumbfounded and entirely conflicted. This man betrayed your trust, nearly got you killed, and got one of the poor revolutionaries down here slaughtered, but you can't bring yourself to hate him. He deserves it, right? But he has a family, and you know all too well the impact of that love. Sam pulls back his staff and pats it in his hand. You may be conflicted, but he certainly isn't. "What punishment do you think this man deserves?" Sam asks with a furrowed brow. Your choices: [["It's your choice."->Sam's Action]] [["Kill him."->Cassian Is Gone]] [[Take Sam's staff.->Stop Sam]]

Sam scoffs. He pats his staff in his hands. Cassian looks down. Ash turns her head away. You, though, keep staring at what is about to happen. You could've stopped what will happen. But you don't think it to be your choice to make. Sam takes a few steps towards Cassian. He hears a slight whimper from his quivering jaw. "Please, I am so, so sorry," Cassian whispers. "Sorry doesn't cut it here. You have to pay," Sam says. Cassian closes his eyes and braces for impact. A few tears roll down Ash's cheek as she tries to look away. You still watch, completely still. Sam pulls back the staff...and the moments before he takes a swing feel like a painful eternity. Sam clentches his teeth and takes the swing. *CRACK!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Sam's Action-Spared]]

Sam's jaw sits slightly ajar. His eyes remain widened. Surely Sam knew this was an option, right? "Hold on now, you can't be serious," Ash pleads, "He said he had a family!" You stare at Ash, both of you on the brink of tears. You shudder. "No, she's right. I won't do this," Sam says, "As much as you deserve, you are not the killer here." Cassian breaths a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank you...I'm so sorry," Cassian whispers. Suddenly, Sam sticks his electric staff into the wall right next to Cassian's head. "But you are going to make things right," Sam declares as she removes the staff from the wall and turns to you, "Kravitz Kain. He's behind all of this. Together, we have to take him down." You nod. Ash lightly nods. Sam puts out a hand for Cassian to grab. He firmly grasps it and pulls himself up. Then, Sam pulls him close into earshot. "One slip up, though, and I won't hesitate again," Sam threatens. Cassian quickly nods as fear shoots through his body, "I understand." Sam walks off. Ash steps up to Cassian and takes him in a warm, friendly embrace. Then, Ash glances to you while buried in Cassian's arms. "I can't believe you...nevermind," she whispers just enough for you to hear. "Alright, let's get going," Cassian says. [align center] [[Click to Continue->To The Tower]]

You place a hand on the end of Sam's staff and hold it tightly. He stares at you as if you stabbed him in the back. "What the hell are you doing?" he asks. "You asked for his opinion," Ash says. She says what you will not. "You think he doesn't have to pay? Did you see what happened out there!?" he screams. "I deserve to pay, you're right, but maybe I can make it up to you. Give me the chance to help you make things right," Cassian says. Sam scowls. He tugs the staff out of your reach and prepares to swing at Cassian. Cassian draws back and closes his eyes, anticipates a swift and painful impact, but feels nothing. He opens his eyes to see Sam frozen with fear. Sam huffs with rage. As much as he wants to kill him, he feels the same as you deep inside. Sam lowers his arms. "Then you're gonna come with us to hunt Kain. One mistake, one slip up, and you're done," Sam warns. Cassian nods, "I understand. I won't let you down again." Sam reluctantly puts a hand out towards Cassian. Cassian looks up at Sam and lets out a slight appreciative smile. He takes his hand, and Sam pulls Cassian up to his feet. "You gonna be okay with that cut?" Ash asks. "I'll be fine. Now, when are we going?" [align center] [[Click to Continue->To The Tower]]

About a half-an-hour later, the four of you arrive at the doorstep of Kain Inc. You are lucky that the design choices of the undercity unintentionally made it a walkable cityscape. The tower you find yourselves in front of is one of B.Q. City's many impossibly tall skyscrapers that relents its unseen horrors to its bottom floors in the undercity. You recognize their logo; you've repeatedly recieved queries to sell your land to this company. It makes sense why they would want you dead now, but they killed the wrong people. The entirely glass exterior is shockingly dirty, most likely because the executives only care about keeping the higher floors clean. You gaze at your own reflection in the dirty glass windows of the door. "Shouldn't we have brought more guys?" Ash asks. "I'm not risking any more of my people's lives," Sam answers. Sam puts his hand on the push bar of one of the double doors. You walk forward to the door; with each step, you feel the light jiggle of the revolver that you scavenged off the floor in your inner jacket sleeves. You press your hands onto the bar of the other door. "Ready?" he asks. [[Enter the tower.->To The Tower-Lobby]]

Ash peeks the edge of her eye towards Cassian. You are both surprised to see the staff not covered in blood, but jammed into the wall mere inches from Cassian's head. Cassian slowly opens his eyes. He looks at Sam, still shivering with fear. Sam pants and pulls his staff back closer to him. He presses it into the ground and uses it to prop himself up. "I should do it. I should. But I can't. You have a family. And what you did was horrible, but so many people down here are forced to do worse to survive, and I can't punish you for that," Sam says. Cassian lets out a sigh of relief, "Thank you, thank you so much. I know I don't deserve it. I'll do whatever it takes to make things right." "You will. Because now we're going to find Kravitz Kain and take him down, and we're gonna need help," Sam declares, "But one slip up, one mistake, and you're done. Got it?" "I understand. I will try not to let you down," Cassian answers. Sam nods. He reaches his empty hand down for Cassian to take hold. Cassian looks up, lets out a slight smirk, and grabs Sam's forearm tightly. Sam pulls Cassian off the floor and onto his feet. "So, are you two with me too?" Sam asks while looking at you and Ash. "I'll stick around," Ash answers. Your answer is a simple yet confident nod. Your goal feels more selfish than Sam's, though, as you are not doing this to help protect the undercity, but to fill the ever-gaping hole in your heart. "Then let's go," Sam orders. He begins to walk down the hall. His limp seems to be going away; he's been through worse pain. Before you follow, you watch Ash walk up to Cassian. "You gonna be okay with that cut?" she asks him. "I'll live," he says. She nods. Suddenly, she wraps herself around him in a warm, friendly embrace. Cassian holds her tightly as well. You don't know the extent of their relationship, but they care about each other deeply. Those kinds of bonds cannot be lost in such dark times. [align center] [[Click to Continue->To The Tower]]

The bottom floor lobby is-as expected-dirty and dingier than what should be acceptable for a company of Kain's standing. But they don't need to put work or money into what they already have when leaving it to rot is so much easier. There's only one half-functioning light illuminating the space, and there isn't even a receptionist. "Does anyone even work here?" Cassian asks as he looks all around. "Unfortunately, yeah. Most of the bottom floors are sweatshops and factories. The people here don't deserve these conditions," Sam explains. Laying before you is your goal: the elevator that should hopefully take you right to the top. You walk forward and press the up button; a soft white ring glows around it while you wait. After just a few seconds, it *DINGS*, and the elevator doors slide oopen into the perfect white utopia of a high-class elevator. All four of you step inside and let the elevator doors slide closed in front of you. [align center] [[Click to Continue->To The Tower-Up]]

You glance at the touchscreen floor display that showcases the literal thousand floors. You all know where your target resides, though; you press the top button. [align center] `ERROR: ACCESS KEY REQUIRED` [continue] "Well, shit. What do we do about that?" Ash asks. "We'll wait," Sam says. Eventually, someone with access has to come along, and sure enough, a second later the elevator beeps and shoots up a couple hundred floors. The doors slide open, and a slick, black-haired office worker in a well-fit navy blue suit steps inside with an earpiece in his ear. He lightly scoffs at the sight of you. He turns around and presses on a higher floor. When he taps the screen, the man's finger illuminates. You assume it must be a literal DNA scanner, which'll be easy for you to deal with now. The four of you glance at each other to see who will make the move. Suddenly, though, the office worker chuckles and swivels his head to give you a nasty side-eye. "You know, manufacturing is down a couple hundred floors," he sneers. "Do you have access to the top floor?" Cassian asks. "Why do you care?" he questions smugly. Cassian smirks, "He's all yours." Suddenly, Sam pulls his staff off back holster and sweeps the office worker's leg out. He falls on his ass and groans in pain. "What the f-" Before he can finish, Sam bonks his head with the staff, knocking him out cold. You lift the man up and press his finger onto the holographic button for the top floor. [align center] `ACCESS GRANTED` [continue] The elevator speeds up and reaches the top floor after approximately five seconds. You drop the unconcious man back onto the floor. *DING!* The elevator doors slide open. [[Exit to the top floor.->To The Tower-Hallway]]

You step out into a huge, long, dark hall with two armored guards-one young and thin, the other older and a bit larger-standing by an office's double-entry doors. They glance at each other as you all stomp down the cold floors. The guards lift their weapons. The thin one seems a bit shaky compared to the older one. "How'd ya' get access up here?" the older guard asks. You all halt. Sam takes a few extra steps, but he eventually stops too. "We don't want to hurt ya'," Ash says. Sam cuts in front of Ash; "We need to get in there," he demands aggressively. The older guard walks forward a few feet. The younger guard shuffles along. "Afraid I can't let you in 'less you got an appointment," the older guard says. "This can either go the easy way or the hard way," Sam says. He twists his staff in his hands. The guards tighten their grips on their respective weapons. Your eyes dart between Sam and these two guards. If Sam had it in him to spare Cassian, these two should get the same treatment, right? Or do their direct positions as guards make them active cogs in this despicable machine to Sam? Your choices: [[Stop Sam.->Stop Him]] [[Let Sam take the lead.->Sam's Lead]]

You step next to Sam and place a loose hand in front of his chest. He swiftly swats it away and gives you a raised-eyebrow glance. "What are you doing?" Sam asks. You nod an eye towards the younger guard, alarming Sam of the young man's hesitance. Sam's eyes soften from their furrowing. You don't know exactly what he thinks of, but you know he recognizes the fear in the guard's eyes. Sam puts a gentle hand up as a sign of peace. "Listen, you don't have to do this. The man in there isn't worth it," he says. The younger guard is wavering. Sweat rolls down his temple. He slowly lowers his gun. The other guard, though, doesn't buy into this sentiment. The second guard marches forward and aims his gun at Sam, then at Ash, then you, then Cassian, and then back to Sam, rapidly. "I've heard enough, hands up NOW!" the guard shouts. Cassian's hands shoot up. Ash holds hers at half-length. You and Sam stand firm. The guard shoots a look at the nervous wreck besides him, "Get a grip, we have a job to do!" he commands. The young guard reluctantly raises his rifle and stares down the ironsight. Sam clentches his teeth and holds his staff even tighter. You know what will happen. For the brief time you've known this young man, you know he doesn't tolerate inaction. Sam springs forward and whips his staff into the older guard's rifle. It flings the gun out of his hands. Sam kicks the guard to the ground, causing the back of his head to crack on the hard floor. Sam kneels above him and beats his staff into his head, harder and harder- Your choices: [[Stop him.->Blood on His Hands]] [[Do nothing.->Inaction]]

You reach a hand forward to stop Sam from going ahead, but he brushes past it, to your dismay. He starts to pick up his pace walking forwards. The two guards stare down their ironsights. "Back it up, kid!" the older one shouts. You see the fear, the hesitance in the younger guard's eyes. But in Sam's, all you saw was rage. He lets out a battle cry and sprints forward. The guards begin firing poorly-aimed laser shots, blasting the ground all around Sam. Perhaps they aren't poorly-aimed; maybe they are intentionally trying to miss, but you can't tell the difference much. Sam strafes around the younger guard before taking a huge swing into his skull with the electric staff. It lets out a deafening crack, and the young man instantly falls to the ground, to your continued horror. Sam then shifts attention to the other guard, who has frozen up at the sight of what Sam just did to his comrade. "No, no...it was just his first week on the job!" the older guard says while gripping his rifle tighter. Sam runs around the guard again, sliding, strafing, and somersaulting around as laser shots bounce around him. He quickly jabs the staff's electric end into the guard's large gut and sets off the charge, giving him a stunning taze that makes him drop his rifle. Then, Sam swings from below and bashes his staff into the guard's chin. He rolls onto the floor, clearly out of commission for a long time, but Sam doesn't seem to be done with his anger. He drops down over the guard and beats down on his head with the staff, over and over and over. You start getting concerned. You start walking towards Sam; your walk turns to a jog, which turns to a rush. [[Stop Sam.->Sam's Lead-Bloodshed]]

You rush over and grab Sam's forearm before he swings again and goes too far. He snaps his head to you, panting and crying and covered in blood. His legs quake and collapse, and he falls besides the guard he just beat. He looks to the other guard, who hasn't been able to move at all. Ash walks forward and pulls the guard away. She leads him to the elevator and presses the down button. Sam watches him up until the doors close, stares into the eyes of someone who's life has just changed. Sam's staff clatters to the floor. You hold his hand tightly, and he doesn't let go either, like a scared child holding his father's hand. Everyone looks to the guard on the ground. He looks impossibly still...until he lets out a weak breath. Sam sighs with relief. Cassian hovers around, "What are you so worked up about? Was it not self-defense?" he questions. "When I started this crusade I promised only to hurt the worst of the worst, the irredeemable, because of what they did to our people. They turned us against each other. They slaughtered us. But with time, their system has become so constrictive that it's necessary for these people to survive. This guard...was doing his job. He had to. And I hurt him for it," Sam says through his slowing tears. He grabs the staff off the ground and pushes himself up. He steps away from the rest of you. He sniffles. "I've become something inhuman. Everything I've done has taken away my chance to live a normal life. So I'll do what I have to so others can be free. I'll kill the man in that office," Sam declares as he clasps his staff. He turns towards the office double doors. Cassian and Ash struggle to keep up, but you push forward as well. Both of you are filled with an insatiable rage that can only be quenched with blood. You and Sam each put your hands on one of the two double doors. At the same time without speaking a word to each other, you both- [[Open the doors.->Insatiable]]

As much as you need to, you can't move. All you can do-all any of you can do-is watch as the blood pours from the guard's head and Sam slowly weans off his violent outburst. You glance at the other guard. If he wasn't already shaken, he certainly is now. He drops his rifle faster than the beads of sweat on his forehead drop to the floor. Sam shoots him a grimace of rage and pain and sorrow. The guard immediately scurries away, boarding himself in the elevator as the doors slide closed and the white light beaming from it drains out of the hallway. Now, in darkness, you all collectively allow yourselves to breathe again. "Are...are you...okay?" Cassian carefully asks Sam. Sam stands up, clutching his staff like a scared child clutches his parent's hand. "Let's go," he says. You, Ash, and Cassian all glance at each other with pairs of fearful eyes. You walk forward and step up to the doors at the end of the hallway. Ahead lies your final destination, ahead- "Come on, open the doors," Sam commands impatiently. [[Open the doors.->Sam's Mind]]

The doors slam on the sides of a blank office wall after you push both of them open. You all step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "Well, this is interesting," the figure says. He stands and steps out from the harsh shadows shielding his identity to reveal a man with half his face turned cybernetic. He has become less than human. This is Kravitz Kain. "I was expecting the farmer to be here, but the rest of you are a...pleasant surprise," Kravitz says. "We'll be the last surprise you ever see," Sam snarls with ferocity. "How cute," Kravitz says. He begins to carefully step around his desk, lightly grazing his fingers on the wooden surface. "So, what's the story here? Did you all band together to come and kill me where I stand, to use me as a target for your frustration with the misfortunes of your lives?" he sneers. Sam raises his staff and points its electric end at Kravitz, "No, we'll kill you for all the death and destruction you caused," Sam threatens. "Ah, vengeance. How noble. Yet you killed the man who really killed your family is already dead," Kravitz says directly to you. You huff. His attitude, his demeanor, it infuriates you more than you ever thought you could be infuriated. You reach into your jacket pocket and pull out Donny's old revolver, filled with five bullets. Kravitz is unmoved by the sight. "Ironic. You wield the same weapon that killed your family." You seize up, begin to shake. You never thought about that. After everything, holding the gun feels natural, but it shouldn't-not to you. Your choices: <del>Kill Kravitz.<del/> [[Listen to Kravitz.->Insatiable-Killer]]

"You are all hypocrites. You accost me for killing for order, yet you kill for the impossible idea of 'freedom'. Revolutionaries? Heroes? No, fools and beggars who seek to leech off those who put in hard work," Kravitz says. "You've never worked a day in your life," Cassian scoffs. "And yet, I work here and you do not," Kravitz snaps back. "You use loopholes and grifts to steal from the people of this city. You're the leech," Sam says. "Because I am smarter. None of you deserve the life you think. You're nothing but criminal scum," Kravitz says. "That's it," Sam says, fed up. He walks forward and pushes Kravitz back onto his desk. He jams his staff beneath Kravitz's neck. It slightly sears Kravitz's skin with the crackles of electricity, yet Kravitz doesn't move. "You think yourself better than me?" Kravitz snarks. "We're both killers. At least I only kill those who deserve it," Sam replies. "And who gets to decide that?" Kravitz says through a grin. Sam pushes into his neck harder. "You see, when you kill once, you don't just stop. It becomes you. It seeps into your blood like a virus. You won't go back. You can't. I'm not saying it isn't necessary, but to call yourselves heroes for doing exactly what we do is ironic. There will always be repercussions. Maybe you don't care about that...but he does," Kravitz explains before looking past Sam and straight towards you. Sam, Ash, Cassian; they all turn their heads to you as you clutch the gun and aim it at Kravitz. [["Move."->Insatiable-Gun]]

Sam steps back fearfully. You walk a bit forward as Kravitz readjusts his tie and sits up. He smirks directly at you. "Lost your family, your home; you have nothing left," Kravitz says. "Nothing stopping me from killing you," you respond. "Maybe. But what will it bring you? More guilt, more grief?" Kravitz asks. "It'll end your reign of terror," Sam says. "Will it really? I know you're a child, but you are unbearably naive. You could kill me, of course, but what will it bring you? Someone else will take my place. Even then, there's hundreds of other executives at so many other companies that will do just as I do to ensure profits won't plummet. You won't gain freedom. You will be hunted, deemed savages, deemed too violent against such a 'good man' as I. They will hunt you. They will kill you. And eventually, you will be absorbed into this machine and live a meaningless life giving someone else a pocket full of cash while your lives wither into a forgotten sand. So go ahead and kill me. I'd love to watch from hell as everything I just said takes place," Kravitz says. You all stand shuddering, chills run down your spines at the thought of what comes next. There is no good move. Even Sam, who was so quick to violence, hesitates. "That being said, you have shown me remarkable potential," Kravitz says directly to you. You are taken aback, offended even. "A lowly farmer with just rage and a memory driving him managed to find my best mercinary, amass and army, and kill him with little trouble. It's admirable; most mercinaries, like the man you killed, are driven by money, but your anger made you the perfect killing machine. I would hate to see it go to waste. The rest of you scum can leave, and I'll give you the parting gift of not immediately having you executed while you leave the building, but you would make a perfect addition to my subordinates." "What makes you think I would ever work for you?" you question. "Have I not explained enough? In this city, you either work for me, or some other man like me, or die. Dread it, try to escape it, that is your fate. I'm giving you a chance to live a lavish life of power, riches, all you could wish for. You could forget the memory of your family and be the most powerful person in this city...behind me, of course." Your choices: [[Betray all you know. Join Kain. Become something inhuman.->Inhuman]] [["No."->Path to Truth]]

Your mind begins to crack not just beneath the weight of your memory, but the weight of this choice. No matter what you do, he's right: if you kill him, you're a stone cold killer; if you work for him, same answer. Your ears drone out all the other noise and leave your mind buzzing like a furious bee. Your gun-wielding arm swings down to the side. You look back to your "friends" with a face dredged with sorrows, and as the holo-billboards outside shift in color from blue to red, you bask in a blood-like light. Your future career awaits. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

"I refuse to become your tool," you declare. "I was expecting you to say that," Kravitz says. He suddenly draws a pistol from his suit's inner pocket. He aims it at you. You tense your grip on the revolver. "Is this all you want? To be different? To ultimately be forgotten? I will remain in history just by my name while history will only see you as footnotes in my story. You could have everything you dreamed of, and you throw it away for what?" Kravitz asks. "It doesn't matter about the money or the fame. Stopping you from hurting anyone else is worth any sacrifice," Sam says. "Any sacrifice?" Kravitz quickly swirves his arms and points the gun at Cassian. You enclose a finger around the trigger. Ash and Sam jump to move. Cassian stands completely still. *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Path to Truth-Wound]]

Your finger isn't pressing down on a trigger. But Kravitz's gun's muzzle smokes. You slowly gyrate your head and see Cassian clawing at a hole in his chest. Sam and Ash quickly hold him up as his legs weaken. They slowly lower him to the ground. "Cass, stay with us," Ash says through a quaking voice. Sam squeeze's Cassian's hand. Cassian squeezes back, but it feels too weak. Sam and Ash look to you for what to do. Why you? "I really would've liked not to do that, but you forced my hand," Kravitz shrugs. You lower the gun and slide down besides Cassian. You shove the gun into the back of your pants. "Oh...shit..." Cassian whimpers. You look to Kravitz with a wildfire in your eyes. "Don't be mad at me. I am simply making your choice easier for you. Now, you could come at me again, maybe even kill me, but then your friend dies. Alternatively, I could call emergency services if you agreed to my deal," Kravitz offers. You look to Cassian, who grows weaker and paler from blood loss with each passing second. You look at Ash and Sam, at the horror dredged on their faces; Sam even, who felt betrayed by Cassian, struggles at the sight. As blood seeps into your poorly-sewn kneepads and drenches your hands, you look to Kravitz. Your choices: [[Let your anger consume you. Kill Kravitz now.->Final Rage]] [[Save your ally. Agree to Kravitz's offer.->Can't Refuse]]

Your mind starts to grow fuzzy. Your heartbeat pulses like a drum beat. Your breathing grows heavier and heavier until you can't bear the overflow of thoughts in your mind. You scream with the strength of all the sorrows in your heart and charge at Kravitz. His eyes bulge. He wasn't expecting you to choose that. You weren't expecting it either. You tackle Kravitz to the ground. His gun rolls a few feet away. You hold him down with a forearm pressing on his neck and a knee jammed into his stomach. You start to beat down on his face; one punch, another, and another, and another... You don't keep count. Your mind remains fuzzy, overloaded with noise that tunes out everything and everyone else. You can't even feel the blood painting over your skin and clothes, or feel every bone in your hand break as you dent further and further into Kravitz's cybernetic skull casing. Slowly, your senses come back, and as Kravitz lies dead and still below you, you hear Ash scream, "WHAT ARE YOU DOIN'!?" Your body jumps up, huffing. You look back. Cassian is still holding on, but still gradualy fading. "Get the phone!" Sam orders. You look down at Kravitz's mangled corpse. You barely manage to keep whatever meal you ate last down in your stomach as the sight of what you've done finally sets in on your soul. "THE PHONE!" Ash cries. You snap back and shuffle through Kravitz's pockets. You rush, but you can't find it. The holo-billboards outside change in color from blue to red. You shove your hand into every single one of Kravitz's pockets. You can't feel your heartbeat anymore. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

"Do it. Call EMS, and I'll be your killer," you relent. Sam and Ash both look speechless. You too shudder at the sound of your own words. But there is no other option. Cassian has a family. He came here to help you, to right his wrongs. You cannot, will not let him die. Kravitz smiles gleefully. He places his pistol onto his desk and pulls a small holo-phone from his pants pocket. He spins it in his hand, flicks the screen on, and dials the emergency number. He places the phone up to his ear. "Send medical personnel to my office. Don't worry about anyone in the hallway. Just come inside," he says into the phone. He shuts it off and places it down on the table. "Now, come be by my side," he says as he picks his pistol back up and waves it at you to motion you forward. You squeeze Cassian's hand once before standing up. Your pants are blood soaked. Your hands are stained red. You plod forward and turn to stand by Kravitz's side. Now, you have become the same thing you hated. You will become a killer, you will become a monster, you will- Your choices: [[Accept your position.->Horrid]] [[Choose another option.->Reversal]]

The holo-billboards outside shift in color from blue to a deep red, enveloping the entire office in the blood-like hue. Your friend may survive, yes, but what will become of you? You are now the servant of a corrupt, all-consuming monster. If only your family could see you now. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

You are standing slightly behind Kravitz. He can't see you well, but you can see his disgusting grin; you can feel the filth of his corruption. You clentch your fist into a ball. Emergency services are coming. Sam and Ash are keeping Cassian awake. And Kravitz is standing right there. You can't let this go. All the rage, all the fury courses through your veins, almost making your blood boil. Your family's loss, the journey to the undercity, the horrid sights you've seen, and the blood spilled on this day, all of these memories fire through your mind. You will not be his servant, his hired gun, his tool. You will do what you came for. You pull back your fist and slam it into the back of Kravitz's head. He falls forward. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he screams. He rolls onto his ass and aims the gun at you, but you won't let anyone's blood other than his spill anymore. You kick the pistol from his hands, and it clatters onto the floor a few feet away. Kravitz tries to crawl away behind his desk, but you pull him up by his suit and throw him towards the window. "Who do you think you are!?" Kravitz snarls. "I am not your slave. I came here to avenge my family. Now, I am here to protect the people you try to hurt," you say. You begin your final beatdown. All the rage, all the suffering passes from your heart into your fists with each punch. Kravitz's head is knocked back and forth with each hit. The human half of his face gets bloodier and bloodier while the robotic half gets more broken and deformed. Kravitz tries to block, tries to kick you away, but he does not have the drive needed to stop you. Ironic; that same drive he wanted to control is exactly what brings him here now. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Reversal-EMS]]

You suddenly stop when you hear the office doors burst open again behind you. You all turn to see two EMS workers rush inside with a single stretcher, a streamlined IV drip, and futuristic medical tools. They push their stretcher next to Ash and kneel down besides her. She and Sam pass control of the situation to them. They immediately pull out a scanning tool and shine it on Cassian's wound. It analyzes the depth and severity of the laser shot instantaneously. One EMS worker looks up to Ash. "He'll live, but he needs to go now," he says. Ash nods. On a quick count of three, the two workers heave Cassian onto the stretcher; one then sticks the IV drip into his elbow crease and places an oxygen mask over his face. Ash stands and holds onto Cassian's hand every step of the way. The EMS workers quickly begin to cart Cassian out of the office. Ash looks back at you one last time. She nods and turns to follow the stretcher. For a brief moment, you see the injured older guard sitting up against a wall in the hallway. He's breathing, at least. After a few seconds, the doors buzz closed. They seem to run on a timer. Must be a safety precaution that you didn't notice before. Now, you return to the task at hand. "Your friend is safe. What now? Are you finally going to kill me?" Kravitz says. The deformed, cybernetic half of his face makes his voice sound lightly distorted after the beating. "Maybe I will." You snatch the revolver from the back of your pants, press a foot onto Kravitz's chest to keep him down, and aim steady at his head. Sam steps forward besides you. He does not speak, but you know what he wants. You know what you want. Ceaseless violence, the loss of your family, Sam's loss of family, allies, and friends, all could end. You know what it takes to kill now. You know what it may do to you. At this point, vengeance has been achieved, yet that aching hole is still drilled into your hear. Doing this would not be an attempt to fill that hole. It will be a neccesity to protect this city to an extent, to stop a tumor from inflicting more pain on the body that is the city, and to stop a child from having to sacrifice his humanity to do what you can not. "So, are you going to take the shot?" Kravitz sneers. Your choices: [[Do it.->The Truth is Necessity]] [[Do not do it.->The Truth is Morality]]

You click back the hammer. Kravitz's one human eye widens. He knows his gambit hasn't worked. "You think this will solve anything? There will be someone else to take my place! And you will receive no sympathy from the upper levels, only disdain and bounties! I will become a martyr, and you will be forgotten in the dust of history!" Kravitz cries in a last-ditch attempt to convince you to spare him. But he realizes soon enough that you already made up your mind. "Maybe most of our problems will still be there, but we can at least get rid of one," Sam says. "No...NO!" Kravitz screams. He weakly attempts to claw forward for your revolver. You close your eyes. *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Truth is Necessity-True Ending]]

It feels like an eternity of peace until Kravitz speaks again. "Are you deaf?" he exclaims. The gun is still pointed at his head. Sam waits for you to do it. You even wait for yourself to pull the trigger. But your finger rests still. Kravitz tilts his head and smiles sinisterly. "You can't do it," he whispers. Your arm falls to your side. You sigh. "WHAT!?" Sam yells. He stares at you with eyes burning with contempt. "You can't let him live after all of this! He has to die!" "I know. But I cannot kill again. I avenged my family. It did nothing to help me. And as much as this man deserves it, I refuse to be as bad as him," you say. You drop the revolver to the ground. "As bad as him? No, no, killing him isn't a crime, it's a necessity! We can only survive if guys like him change their ways or if we take back power, and they never change!" Sam cries. You can almost see steam floating from his ears. "Maybe...but I am not the man to do this. I...just wanted my family, and I will never have them back," you say as you turn away. Sam's silence in unnerving, until- "I...I understand," he says. You didn't expect that. "This path...the path of freedom, it requires everything of us. It makes us do what we don't want to because there is no other way. Not everyone should have to do this. There has to be people left after all this who aren't broken...like me. So you don't have to do this anymore...because I will," Sam says. You tense up. You hear the light sound of the metal revolver scraping off the ground. You lightly turn your head. "No, no! This will change nothing, you IGNORANT CHILD! All you do here is put a bigger target on your back!" Kravitz screams. Sam clicks the hammer back. Your choices: [[Let Sam end things.->The Truth is Purity]] [[Place your hand on the gun.->The Truth is Protection]]

The window behind Kravitz shatters from the laser shot. A storm of glass and blood flies out from the building before it all goes still. Kravitz lies dead with a hole in his head perfectly inbetween the two halves of his body. You let your gun-holding arm swing to your side. You drop the revolver, and its clack as it hits the floor breaks the stillness. Sam slowly looks to you. "You did it. He's...he's gone," he quietly exclaims. You softly nod. You can't remove your eyes off Kravitz. You did what was necessary. This act felt different than before, though. The weight of the lives you took still bears down on your soul, but it is simultaneously lifted by the knowing that what you did here avenged the lives of so many innocent people and saved countless others. "What now?" Sam asks. You look to the boy. He seems relieved. That look, that soft look that reminds you so much of your own son, tells you exactly what you must do. "I'll join your revolution," you say. Sam's eyes widen. He nods confidently and smiles at you like you are a close friend. Sam said that his life became a drone of killing to save others, that he forfeit his chances for happiness for that of others. Now, you will help carry that burden. You will protect this city. You will do what is necessary. You will become revolutionary. The holo-billboards shine a green light inside the office. You look out at the sprawling city, at the impossibly tall towers that stretch from the tip of the oxygen dome to the bottom of the crater it rests in. There is much to do. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

You look away. You can't stand to see any more blood spill, no matter whose it is. You wait, and wait, and wait; you thought Sam would've pulled the trigger by now, but you remember how he was earlier. He has suffered through bloodshed for too long. Now, you wait what feels like forever to hear the cathartic release of a laser shot. "I knew you didn't have it in you," Kravitz chuckles. Sam remains silent. *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Truth is Purity-Branch]]

You quickly shuffle to Sam and place your palm on the top of the gun. You wrap your fingers around the cold barrel and lower it away from Kravitz. Sam grimaces, "Don't try to stop me. Not now," he says. "You're right. Not everyone should have to take these acts," you say. You strip the revolver from Sam's hand. He lets it go with little struggle. "The worlds have asked too much from you. I will protect what little innocence you have left," you say. Sam closes his eyes, sheds a tear, and turns away. You look down to Kravitz. "I knew you couldn't resist. It's why I wanted you by my side. You still have a chance to make the right choice," Kravitz says desparately. You aim the revolver and click the hammer. Kravitz's eyes well with tears, not from his actions, but from the realization that decades of cosmic justice have gathered to bring him where he is now. "No, NO!" he screams, lunging for you one last time. You brace for impact. *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->The Truth is Protection-True Ending]]

The window behind Kravitz shatters from the laser shot. A storm of glass and blood flies out from the building before it all goes still. Kravitz lies dead with a hole in his head perfectly inbetween the two halves of his body. You let your gun-holding arm swing to your side. You drop the revolver, and its clack as it hits the floor breaks the stillness. Sam slowly looks to you. "You did it," he mutters. You did what was necessary. Not just what was necessary for the people of the undercity, but to protect a boy who's life has been corrupted by the violence he was forced to enact. Your heart still wrings heavy, but the weight is slightly buttressed by the knowing that you saved a boy's life, that you have found something new worth protecting. "What now?" Sam asks. You look to the boy. He seems relieved. That look, that soft look that reminds you so much of your own son, tells you exactly what you must do. "I'll join your revolution," you say. Sam's eyes widen. He nods confidently, but he can't bring himself to smile right now. This act will be a catalyst for an uprising. You know that. You must see it through, in honor of those you have lost, and those you have met along the way. The holo-billboards shine a green glow into the office. You bask in the light...and look out. This city will change. In time. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

The revolver clanks to the ground. What you could not do is done. Sam slowly walks away from the body, silently. You watch him step into your view. "Are you okay?" you ask, concerned. "No. But that's okay. This is my duty. These are my people. I couldn't let him stand another second," Sam says sorrowfully. Your heart weighs heavy. You shouldn't have let him do that. You should've taken that burden from him. But the past is the past. You must move forward, and you must make your final choice. "What will you do now?" Sam asks you. Your choice: [[Join Sam's revolution.->True Ending Version 2]] [[Live your own life in the undercity.->Solitary]]

"I understand now. Your fight will not end; at least, not easily. You have a long, hard life ahead of you. You have suffered too much for any child. Seeing what life is like down here, knowing who takes it, I can't stand by anymore. I will join you. I will help you forge a better future," you say. You put out a hand for Sam to shake as a symbol of your new alliance. Sam nods and shakes it tightly. "It'll be an honor to fight with you," Sam says. The holo-billboards shine a green light into the office. You both walk away from Kravitz's lifeless body and step towards a brighter day. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

"I don't know," you respond. You aren't lying. Your journey is complete, the mission is done. All those responsible are gone, whether by your hand or by someone else's. You have no path now. "What about coming with me? We could use all the help we can get," Sam says. "I don't think I can. After today, after everything, after this...I don't think I can fight this fight as much as I believe in it," you say, lips quivering. You begin to shudder, and you crumble to your knees. Sam rushes to your side. "All I wanted was my family. When they were gone, all I wanted was revenge. Now, I have nothing. I want nothing. I don't want to fight anymore. I don't know what I want anymore. I am lost," you explain. "I understand. I've lost my family. I've lost those I love over and over. I keep pushing forward for the ones I have left. You can't, and that's okay. You can stay in our safehavens. You can live a simple life now. You can rebuild," Sam says. He pats your back, lets his unfortunately rough fingers linger on your shoulder. Sam is a good kid with a kind heart. You're glad you met him. "Thank you." Sam nods. He puts his elbow beneath your shoulder and lifts you to your feet. As the holo-billboards outside shine green, you walk together towards the doors of the office, ready to find a better tomorrow. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

You pull your wallet from your pocket. You spread it open and show him your remaining cash: about $200. He quickly snatches the bills out and shoves them into his puffy jacket. "Hey!" Ash exclaims. "I would've gotten it anyways. This just makes negotiation easier. So, what can I help you with, my friend?" Cassian asks. [["I'm looking for a mercinary."->Conserve-Merc]]

Cassian scoffs. "Really? You expect me to risk my ass to help you find a mercinary? Hell no, I'm not your guy." "Cass, you already took the man's money," Ash says. "It was the fee to meet with me. My time is precious," Cassian says. You don't like this guy, but you need help. You step forward and get close to him. [["This man took my family from me. I have to find him."->Cassian's Help]]

You and Ash shuffle back to Cassian. "Okay, before we continue negociating, I must tell you that I'm not gonna do this without some sort of pay," Cassian says. He pushes his hands out as if trying to keep the two of you at arms-length. "Really?" Ash exclaims. "You're not just looking for some guy who didn't pay you back, you're looking for a mercinary. And without pay? Forget it. I'm sorry, Ash, but I have a business to run," Cassian explains. You step forwards towards Cassian and lean near him. He gets nervous, tilts back. [["This man took my family. I have to find him."->Cassian's Help]]

You won't back down on this. You trust Ash; for as short of a time that you've known her, she has proven to be a kind soul in a tough shell. But this man seems like a conniver, a scoundrel, and you can't take a risk like that right now, and Ash knows it. She sighs an rubs her face, "Shit," she mutters. She turns back to Cassian. "What's happening now?" Cassian asks. "We'll find someone else. Thanks for the help," she says, aggrivated. Cassian shrugs, "Fair enough," he says. He lifts his drink and takes a sip. "Do you want to sit for a quick drink in the meantime?" he asks Ash. She rolls her eyes. She takes you by the hand and drags you further through the bazaar. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Cassian look down at his reflection in his drink after Ash stormed off. He seems genuinely disappointed. No time to dwell on that, though. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Just Two]]

You both leas on a dusty concrete pillar near the end of the bazaar; Ash leans on the face pointing out to the bazaar while you stay concealed next to the perpendicular wall of the same pillar. Smoke trails from Ash's cigarette as she stands with legs crossed and a furrowed brow. You can tell what she's pissed about. "I dunno know what to do now. I bet you'd be surprised, but I don't know that many people down here. When I do...my job...I don't try to get to know anybody. It's hard to trust down here," she explains. She flips the cigarette in between her fingers. "Trust is a tricky thing." She snaps herself out of her own thoughts to keep things from getting weird. She drops her cigarette onto the lightly wet floor and steps her heel onto its smoldering ashes. "Welp, I'm shot for ideas. You got any?" Ash asks. [["Want to get a drink and regroup?"->Just Two-Comraderie]]

Ash smiles a bit, "Sure, it can't hurt, can it?" she chuckles. You nod and smile a bit too. *** The two of you sit in a dingy bar somewhere in the undercity. Based on what Ash told you on the walk here, it's probably one of the nicer places down here. Light blue flourecent lights line the walls and the glass-covered bar. The crowd inside seems relatively chill. Like you thought, it's dingy, but it's homey too. A place like this reminds you of why so many people can endure the undercity. The two of you sit at the main bar. Ash rolls an ice cube around in a near-empty rocks glass. You take small sips from a glass of beer. "I ain't say it yet, but I'm sorry about your family. It's a tough thing, losing all them," Ash says somberly. You don't lift a finger much. You don't want to think much about it. [["Do you have family?"->Just Two-Family]]

Ash stops swirling her glass. "Nope. Never did." You raise an eyebrow. "I know. I turned out too damn good to have been alone my whole life," she jokes, "But I've never had anyone. I got left on a cop's doorstep when I was one, shipped around to a bunch of fosters, and ended up all the way down here." She lightly slams the now-empty glass down. You stare down at your beer bottle. You're two birds of the same feather. "Don't worry too much 'bout it. I mean, I turned out fine," she says as she stares ahead blankly. Now you start to understand why she's helping you so much. You put a soft hand on her tense shoulder, a symbol of solidarity and understanding. She lowers her raise shoulers an sniffles a bit. "Thanks," she says. You nod. Suddenly, the lights go out, and your heart nearly drops at the sound of a mechanical doorbell sound dinging as the door swings open. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Man in a Hat]]

In the corner of your eyes, you notice that all of the other bargoers have vanished. Even the bartender is nowhere to be seen. You place your hands flat on the cold bar surface; on your tense skin, the frigid metal counter feels like a thousand neeldles on your hands. Ash leans near your shoulder. "What's happenin'?" she whispers. You try to open your mouth, but your quivering lips don't even let a squeak out. You know what is to come. You aren't ready, and that was probably his plan. The clack of spurs on the floor makes you nearly jump from your skin. The pace of steps is slow, but unnerving. "Well, I wasn't expecting you to be lounging in a bar after what happened, but I won't complain. It makes my job easier," an echoing voice booms behind you. It's him. The man you came to hunt. The mercinary. He slides up to the barstool next to you. His face in entrenched in darkness bar two glowing red eyes, but you can make out the silhouette of a cowboy hat from the low green-ish light flowing from the windows. He whips out a cigarette and shoves it in his mouth. He raises a lighter to it and clicks it on, giving you a brief glimpse of his scruffy beard, futuristic armor, and poncho covering his chest in the flamelight. "So, are you going to make this easy for me now?" [["Why did you kill my family?"->Man in a Hat-Killer]]

The mercinary leans back playfully as he puffs some smoke out of his cigarette. "Given that you're about to die, I'll be honest: it was my boss's mistake. He told me to go to your address and killed whoever lived there. I didn't know you were the target. It doesn't matter though. Even if you were there, I would've killed them anyway," he explains. Your fingers press into the bar counter. "Why him? What'd he ever do to your boss?" Ash carefully asks. "I can't be certain; I just did it for the paycheck, no-questions-asked, but I'd guess it would be because he wants that quaint farmland you held onto so dearly," the mercinary answers. He swings back forward, now placing a revolver onto the bar, "That's enough talking now. There are more pressing matters. I'm sure you want to beat me up right now; it's a reasonable assumption, but I'll make you a deal: you let things go easy, and I might just let your little friend here walk away without a scratch," the mercinary offers. You look to Ash with sorrowful eyes. She stares back. Your choices: [[Fight the mercinary.->Fighter]] [[Let it go easily.->For Ash]]

You stare ahead at the rows of bottles lining the shelf behind the bar. In the corner of one eye, you see Ash's frozen palms resting on the counter. In the corner of the other, you see the mercinary playfully spinning his finger around the trigger guard of his revolver. Shit. As fast as you possibly can, you snap to the side and try to snag the revolver away from the mercinary's clutches. Unfortunately for you, he's faster. He hops back from his seat and chuckles. He points the revolver at your head. "Well, I gave you a chance," he says to Ash, "I'm sorry your so-called friend cares more about revenge than your life." He pulls back the hammer. You stand still, your mind rushing with possibilities, when you spot the barstool you sat on; it's loose from the ground and within kicking range. That's exactly what you do. You kick your leg into the stool and swing it into the mercinary's shin. He flips forward and accidentally fires a laser shot into the ceiling. He hits the ground with a *thud*, and now you have a perfect chance to strike while he's down, especially now that his revolver lies loose in his fingers. You lunge forward, reaching for the gun, but the mercinary spins himself around and swipes your arm away with his foot. He kicks himself back up. "I'll give you that one," he sneers. He prepares to raise the revolver again, but you won't give him an open shot, not again. You charge at the mercinary and slam his back into the edge of a table; he growls with pain. You begin to pummel his face repeatedly, ravenously, which he cannot even attempt to block. The force of your rage beats stronger than any other. [["Who hired you!?"->Fighter-Pummel]]

You sigh and hang your head down. "Let her go, and you can take me," you say. "What do you think you're doin'? What about your family?" Ash exclaims. "I won't let anyone else get hurt over my bounty," you say. Ash is stunned, unable to respond. A tear drips down her eyes. "Perfect. Miss, you may leave now," the mercinary commands, "I won't offer this again." He playfully twirls the revolver on the bar. Ash shudders before lifting herself from the barstool. She slowly steps towards the bar exit. She looks back at you one last time, but you quickly avert your gaze away from her. You hear the mechanical doorbell ring and the door swing open and then closed. The mercinary stares at you now, smiling. "Are you ready?" he asks. You remain still. Shadows drape over your eyes to make you look like a skeleton, already dead. The mercinary picks up his gun and cocks the hammer. "No sudden moves. I'm sure you know I can track down your friend," the mercinary warns one last time. You don't even think about it. Maybe it will be peaceful. Maybe you will get to see- *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

Through a bruised and bloodied grin, the mercinary says, "You think I'd snitch?" You can't even control yourself anymore. Your heart beats of anger, your veins pulse with fire. Your arms move without a thought and wrap around the mercinary's neck tightly. Instantly, you can see his face starting to go purple. He has one trick left up his sleeve, though. You suddenly feel the muzzle of the revolver press into your abdomen. You know he will pull the trigger soon. But this brief moment feels like a minute. Why? Your choices: [[Dodge the shot.->Dodged a Bullet]] [[Take it.->Protector]]

You jut your hip to the side. *BANG!* The shot fires, grazing off your jacket. You release one hand from the mercinary's neck, slap the revolver onto the ground, and return to choking the man. You stare deep into his eyes, telling him to answer you without uttering a single word. But he doesn't answer. Instead, he smiles and laughs as much as his asphyxiated throat can. Then, you notice his eyes staring right past you. In that moment, your heart drops as quickly as your hands do. The mercinary crumbles to the floor, coughing a fit. You slowly turn to face Ash, who was standing behind you the whole time. She stares down. In the center of her chest, blood expands outwards, seeping all through her shirt. She stumbles forward before collapsing at your feet. You quickly drop down and lift her off the floor. You hold her up in your arms, pressing a firm palm into her chest to stop the bleeding, but everything you do puts more blood on your hands. Ash's weak lips quiver for what will likely be their last time. She tries to squeak out a few final words...but nothing comes out. Her chest goes flat, breathless, her arms go limp, and you sit there barely understanding even a fraction of what you just let happen. "Ha, ha, ha...," you hear the weak laughter of a scratchy and bruised throat. You turn your shaky head towards the mercinary, who writhes up against the backmost wall of the bar in an attempt to push himself back on his feet. Each shuffle of his feet seems wobbly and uneven; you did a number on him. "You...you should see the look on your face right now," the mercinary jokes. What a sick man. You carefully place Ash's body on the ground. You push your hands on your knees and stand. You begin to walk towards the mercinary. He raises his revolver in his uneasy hand, but he struggles to pull down on the hammer. You tower above his now-hunched body, intimidating him as far against the wall as he can be. You reach your hand down and squeeze his hand, slowly and painfully breaking every finger on his hand until he drops the revolver. He groans loudly. You finally put your hand on his neck once more. You constrict, but not tightly. [["Who hired you?"->Dodged a Bullet-Answer]]

*BANG!* You hear the revolver fall to the ground. The mercinary chuckles. Suddenly, you feel a warm sensation around your gut, followed by a sharp, jagged pain. You look down; blood drips from a small hole in your jacket. "Oh no," Ash whispers. You look back up at the mercinary. He smiles. "It was a good attempt, but-" You squeeze tighter around his neck, even lifting his spurred boots of the ground. He thought you'd just fall over, but he seems to have underestimated your drive. [["Who. Hired. You."->Protector-Answers]]

"K-Kain, Kravitz Kain. I only did it for the money," he wheezes while pitifully trying to claw your callus-covered palm away from his neck. "I g-gave you answers. Please, s-spare me and you'll never see me again." Your choice: [[Give him a mercy he does not deserve.->Trying to Be Better]] [[Take his life.->No Better Than Him]]

You tighten your hand around his neck just to put the fear of a higher power into his soul, stare deep into his eyes...and drop him onto the ground. The mercinary sucks in as much air as he can. From the corner of your eye, you see the condition you left this monster in. He deserves worse...but you won't be worse than him. You turn away and kneel down to Ash's body. You wipe your fingers over her eyelids to close them; you dread peering into the eyes of a life you let go. You carefully lift her body off the ground and make your way to the exit of the bar. The light peeking through the murky windows of the bars- *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Trying to Be Better-Shot]]

You constrict tighter. The mercinary softly digs his nails into the back of your hand, but it does nothing to hold you back. With his last breath, the mercinary lets out a weak chuckle. Then, his head hangs to the side. You quickly jump your hand away, almost feeling disgusted at what you just did. The mercinary's body swings to the floor. You step back wearily. Your heart begins to race at the sight of the body lying on the ground. He deserved it. He deserved what he got. You avenged your family like you said. He deserved it...right? Why does it feel so wrong? The sound of police sirens begin to cloud the empty air. You stagger back. You turn around only to face another body. Ash. She didn't deserve it, and yet, here she lies. You take special care to not step on her body as you make your escape. [align center] [[Click to Continue->No Better Than Him-Choice]]

You feel your chest get eerily warm. Then, it swells with pain. You glance down. A bloody hole emerges, and burgundy ichor begins to drip from your chest onto the body of the friend you hold. You rear your head back. The mercinary, still against the wall, smiles and drops his revolver. He laughs heartily-yet-raspily. "You thought I'd let you go?" Your head gets muddy. Your legs weaken. As you crumble, Ash's body falls from your arms. This can't be how it ends, and yet, you feel a warm sensation come over you. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

You come out of the dingy bar and immediatly step into a narrow alley upon the sight of flashing police lights. You take large steps further and further into the dark, looking back over your shoulder at the lightest sound, like a drop of sewage from a pipe above. After a minute of walking an making sure you weren't followed, you slide against a metal wall and sink down to the ground. You press your face into your palms. You got the revenge you wanted, but at a dire cost. You didn't intend for it to happen. Yet, you let it happen. Simply put, you feel like shit. Your heart won't stop beating, your mind won't stop racing, and you return to the name uttered by the mercinary that echoes in your mind: Kravitz Kain. The one who wanted you dead, that cost you your family. You recognize the name as well; Kain Incorporated had sent you at least half-a-dozen holo-letters urging you to sell your land. Your choices: <del>Hunt down Kain.<del/> [[Give up here.->No Further]]

As much as you want to, you can't go further. Seeing Ash, seeing what you did, you can't go any further. The memory sticks in your mind, unmoving as much as you try to move it off your mind. You lay your palms face up over your thighs and stare at the blood on your hands. You're done. You did what you said you'd do. The man who killed your family is gone, and you will leave it at that. You don't hear police sirens anymore, so you stand back up and walk away. *** After a trek back up the stairs from the depths of the undercity, you return to the border. There's no security watching who leaves, so you get through without speaking a word to anyone else. While you walk out, you see the cage of immigrants. You wish you could do something, but your body doesn't let you speak out, and your legs push you forward to the oxygenation chamber. *** You step out to the desert-respirator back on, of course-and locate your trusty old speeder. You hop on it, light the chuttering engine, and make your way back home. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Home Ending-Loss]]

After a few hours of driving, you return to where your farm once was, but the cowboy did not lie. The oxygen dome is gone, the farmlands are surrounded by construction equipment, and your house has been crippled into but a small pile of smoldering ash. You can't even see the tombstones, let alone the graves you set for your family. You get off your speeder and softly step forward. Everything you fought for, everything you had is gone. You open your mouth to speak, to shout in anger, but all that comes out is silence in the winds of the desert. Maybe you deserve this, though. At least, that is what you think. You can't get the thoughts of Ash or your family off your mind. All you think is that you led them to death. You collapse into the soft embrace of the sands and slowly let the life drift out of your eyes. As the sand rolls over your soon-to-be corpse, you resemble the small graves you made for your family. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

"Kr-ravitz Kain," the mercinary quickly squeaks. He grabs at your hand; "Let me go now, please," he pleads. Your choices: <del>Let him go.<del/> [[Give him what he deserves.->Gunshot]]

You squeeze even tighter. The mercinary digs his claws into your hand, but it's futile. The life soon drains from his breath. As he dies, he lets out a pitiful, whimpering laugh. His head then hangs to the side, motionless. You drop the mercinary's body to the ground. You step back, slowly realizing what you did. It was necessary, it was deserved...but you have never hurt a soul before. Your rage completely overpowered your fear, your pain... "Are you okay?" Ash asks, concerned. You grab your abdomen. The blood still leaks and the pain still lingers, but you can stand for now. You don't know how long it'll last. "You need to get that checked real quick," Ash suggests. Her voice wavers. She's genuinely scared for you. Your choices: [["No. I have to finish this."->Purpose]] [[Listen to Ash.->Getting Help]]

"Are you serious? You're bleedin' out!" Ash exclaims while crossing her arms. You wince and turn towards the door. You suddenly stumble to a knee. Ash drops to the floor to make sure you are okay. "Ya' see? You can't do this! It doesn't matter anyways, you're done! That man is dead!" [["The man that hired him isn't."->Purpose-Onward]]

You turn to speak, but instead a pained moan comes out of your mouth, and you crumble to the floor. Ash rushes down to help you up. "You'll die if you go any further! Let me help you!" she exclaims. You see a tear go down her cheek. Why? Why does she cry for you? She wraps your arm over her shoulder and lifts you. She helps you hobble towards the door. "You're done, right? You avenged your family. He ain't gonna hurt no one anymore," Ash says. The name Kravitz Kain flashes in your mind a few times, but you know you can't go after him. It doesn't matter anyways. The mercinary is dead, and your family is avenged. Ash pushes the murky glass door of the bar open and leads you out to the street. It's not bright, but a few slivers of light sneak down from the heights of the upper city. As Ash helps you walk down the sidewalk, you smile a bit. You're glad to have found a friend in the undercity. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

"If you keep goin' like this, you're gonna end up just like him," Ash warns. You consider her words for just a moment. You know she's right. But you can't shake the name "Kravitz Kain" from your mind. You reach one arm over your other jacket sleeve and tear the fabric off. Ash watches, a bit confused and concerned. You pull the threads of the sleeve until you fashion a long, narrow piece of fabric. You then circle the fabric around your lower body and tie it tightly. You grimace through the momentary pain. At least the bleeding will stop for a bit. "Oh, man," Ash sighs. You pull away from her and slap a hand onto a table above your head. You pull yourself off the ground. You stand uneasily, but you stand nonetheless. Ash stands up with you. She attempts to hold your arm up, but you shake her away. "I'm just trying to help," she says as if offended. You grunt. She shouldn't come with you for what you plan to do next, but you also can't stop her. Whatever happens, you hope she doesn't get hurt. You begin walking towards the bar's exit. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Bleeding Out-Kain Inc.]]

You trudge down a street with a slight limp in your leg on the same side you were shot. Ash follows closely. You can't see her expression, but you know she's either disappointed, scared, or concerned. "Do you even know where you're goin'?" Ash asks. You stop and look up. Sure enough, you're both standing right below the glowing neon sign for Kain Incorporated. The tower itself stretches all the way from the bottom of the undercity to the highest tip of the city's oxygen dome; to you, the top looks like the tip of a needle. You'd passed the building earlier on your journey down here, so it wasn't too hard for you to find them now. Lucky for you, these big corporations don't try too hard to hide themselves. "So, this is it, huh?" You stare at the bottom floor's surprisingly dirty windows. In them, you see your reflection clouded by filth. You look closer at the reflection and see small drops of blood seeping through the makeshift bandage. How much time do you have? You don't know for sure. All you know is that it's time to finish this. [[Enter the tower.->Bleeding Out-Lobby]]

The bottom floor lobby is-as expected-dirty and dingier than what should be acceptable for a company of Kain's standing. But they don't need to put work or money into what they already have when leaving it to rot is so much easier. There's only one half-functioning light illuminating the space, and there isn't even a receptionist. Most of these big corporations leave their bottom floors for factory work so that the unseen horrors remain unseen. That explains the condition. "Man, this place looks like shit," Ash says. After your initial impression, you pay little attention to the surroundings. Your focus shifts to the elevator at the end of the lobby. You walk forward and press the up button; a soft white ring glows around it while you wait. After just a few seconds, it *DINGS*, and the elevator doors slide oopen into the perfect white utopia of a high-class elevator: white porcelain walls, a spotless metal floor, and soothing music. "How nice," Ash says sarcastically. You step inside, tracking decades-worth of dirt and soot onto that once perfect floor. You let the doors slide closed in front of you. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Bleeding Out-Elevator]]

Your blood drips onto the floor. You glance at the touchscreen floor display that showcases the literal thousand floors. You know where your target resides, though; you press the top button. [align center] `ERROR: ACCESS KEY REQUIRED` [continue] "Shit. What do we do?" Ash asks. You only have one real option. You'll wait for someone to come along and give you what you need. And sure enough, one second later the elevator beeps and shoots up a couple hundred floors. The doors slide open, and a slick, black-haired office worker. in a well-fit navy blue suit steps inside with an earpiece in his ear. He lightly scoffs at the sight of you. He turns around and presses on a higher floor. When he taps the screen, the man's finger illuminates. You assume it must be a literal DNA scanner, which'll be easy for you to deal with now. For a second, the three of you stand in silence, until he chuckles and swivels his head a bit to give you a nasty side-eye. "You know, the manufacturing floors are on the bottom of the tower," he says smugly. You and Ash shoot each other a look of irritation. Ash then looks straight at the office worker. "Do you happen to have a key to the top floor, sir?" she asks with faux politeness. "Why do you care?" the office worker snarks back. Ash smiles. She quickly grabs the office worker's head and slams it into the elevator wall, cracking its surface. She twists his arm back despite the protests of his wailing and presses his finger onto the top floor button. Sure enough, the elevator holo-display reads: [align center] `ACCESS GRANTED` [continue] She drops the office worker onto the cold metal floor. He'll be staying there for the rest of the elevator ride. You give Ash a nod of approval. The elevator speeds up and reaches the top floor after approximately five seconds. The doors slide open to a dark hall-barely lit by lines of dim lights on the ceiling-with two armed guards at the end. [[Step out.->Bleeding Out-Hallway]]

The two guards promptly take notice of you. One guard-a heavier and older one by the looks of it-steps forward and stares you down with a raised brow. "What do you think you're doing up here?" he questions. He slightly lifts his rifle. The other guard-obviously younger and thinner-takes that as a cue to step up along his coworker. You and Ash take a few steps forward before putting your hands up. Lifting your arm brings sharp pain to your wound. You don't pay any attention to the pain, but the bloodstained wrap around you instantly catches the attention of the guards. "This isn't a hospital, you know," the older guard says, "With a shot like that, it's best for everyone if you just turn around and get back to the bottom floors. You understand?" [["I have to speak with the man in that office."->Bleeding Out-Conflict]]

"Yeah, yeah, everyone wants to talk to the big boss. Not gonna happen. Now, turn around before things get ugly," the guard says. He marches forward and waves his gun around brashly. You tense up, squeeze the hair on the back of your head nervously. "What're we doin' here, man?" Ash asks insistantly. The guard hears Ash's utterance and walks towards her. He points his rifle at her head without a thought; you can't tell if he has used a weapon like that before or if he doesn't know what it can actually do. Ash's legs seem to turn to jelly. She crumbles to her knees and gets quiet. Shit. "Don't make this difficult. I'm just doing my job here. Now, get out!" the guard commands again. He may be right. They are just doing their jobs. You see the other guard standing far back, shaking. The older guard moves the gun and points it at your head now, pressing it into your temple. "Don't make me ask again. MOVE!" [[Grab the gun.->Bleeding Out-Gun]]

You suddenly rush your hand forward and grab the muzzle of the rifle. The guard staggers back a bit. He doesn't fire, though. You tear the rifle out of his arms and jam the stock into the guard's stomach. He stumbles back, but remains on his feet. You flip the rifle in your arms and adjust it pointing at the guard. You don't want to use it unless you need to. "Son of a-" the guard mutters before charging you like a slow bull. He latches onto the rifle and trys to tug it from your arms. The two of you stay locked in a tug-of-war while Ash and the other guard observe frozen in place. You and the guard get close. You're weakened, and the guard is surprisingly strong. He nearly rips the gun from your grasp when- *BANG!* A laser shot echoes out. Even you and the dueling guard stand still. Then, you realize where the gun was pointed. You suddenly become aware of specks of blood splattered on your clothes; it isn't your blood. The guard begins to wheeze. He falls to the floor. You let go of the rifle, and it clatters down next to him. You kneel down and squeeze the man's hand, but he doesn't have the strength to squeeze back. All he does is look you in the eyes as the light in his fades. "Holy shit," you hear Ash whisper. Suddenly, you hear the click of a rifle's bolt. You and Ash turn your attentions to the remaining guard. He stands a far distance away with his rifle shakily aimed at you. Even from where he's standing, you can see him chattering as if he was standing in an icy tundra. "Why...why'd you do that?" the young guard whispers. You try your best not to move, not even to put your hands up. While one hand stays with the body of the fallen guard, the other lays right atop his rifle. You all remain in a deadlock-not a sound, not a step, not a breath. Your choices: [[Wait.->Blood Spared]] [[Shoot him.->Blood Spilled]]

You carefully slide your hand off the rifle. Even if he does shoot, it is deserved. This man did not deserve this. He didn't even shoot you when he had the chance. He just had a job he had to do. Most people in the undercity do. You remain calm and still, bracing for a shot...that does not come. The guard, tears in his eyes, lowers his rifle and lets it fall to the ground. "It's not worth it," he says quietly. He slowly strafes around you. You and Ash watch him carefully make his way to the elevator, step inside, and become concealed by the doors sliding closed. You hang your head down. So much has gone wrong down here. Ash wraps her arms around herself. "It...it was an accident, right?" Ash tries to relieve you. It doesn't work. You push your hair back; streaks of blood intertwine with your long, dirty hair. "What now? Are you really gonna finish this?" she asks. You take a deep breath. You grab the rifle, the same one that took this guard's life, and stand up. You can't leave this be anymore. You have to finish this, you have to end this. You track your boots through the growing pool of blood around the guard. You step up to the double doors at the end of the hall, place a hand on the handle, and- [[Open the door.->Bloody Confrontation]]

You see-or your mind tricks you into seeing-the poor boy's finger twitch on the trigger; it is the only permission you need right now. *BANG!* The laser shot rings out in the empty hall. Ash shudders. She looks down and sees that the pool of blood from the first dead guard has already spread to the bottom of her boots. *THUD!* She looks up and sees you panting while holding the rifle in one arm. A few feet away, the young guard lies on the floor, blood splattered across his chest like the horrific abstract painting of a mainiac. "Why...why did you do that?" she asks. You can come up with no response. You know nothing would suffice anymore. She will likely no longer be part of your journey. No, you know she won't be part of your journey anymore. You can tell by the streaky steps you hear moving away from you. You clutch the rifle in your hand. There's only one place to go from here. You've come this far; time to finish this. You stand up and march towards the office doors at the very end of the hall. You track through the blood spilled at your feet, creating a bloody trail leading to your final destination. You place your empty hand on one of the double-door's handles, and- [[Go inside.->Bleeding and Alone]]

The door slams against the wall. You and Ash step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "You're getting blood on my floor," the figure says. You know who this is. This is your final target: Kravitz Kain. He steps out from the dark to reveal a half-cybernetic face. You lift the rifle and aim it at him. He lightly puts his hand up, acting as if you will hesitate to shoot him dead. He may be right. "Don't you want to hear what I have to say?" Kravitz playfully offers. "Why would he wanna hear anythin' you got to say?" Ash replies. Kravitz puts a finger up against his lips, "Quiet, the men are talking. Ash nearly pops a blood vessel. You step forward again, now with another reason to shoot this man. [["You had my family killed. What else do I need to know?"->Bloody Confrontation-Businessman]]

"Technically, I didn't kill your family. I should add that they weren't meant to die either, it was supposed to be you. In fact, I didn't even know you had a family. But that is besides the point. You are hardly innocent here as well," Kravitz explains while he walks around his desk. He slides his finger along the wood surface. "What'd he do that's any worse than you?" Ash snarls. "Once again, I am not talking to you," Kravitz says, annoyed. You lift the end of your rifle again. Kravitz heeds the warning. "As I was saying...I am innocent in this scenario, aside from a charge of attempted murder. Your family was not the target, so that can be attributed to the foolishness of a drunk mercinary, who I might add is no longer with us. Yes, I know all about your journey. I have eyes everywhere. So, I have done nothing, but you...you've killed two men on your crusade down here. A mercinary-so no harm there-and an innocent worker just outside of this door. Tell me, why? For vengeance? Does that make you any better than me? If you think about it, I was taking your farmland to increase our productivity, increase our wages, and increase the amount of goods in this city. You? You killed two men because you were mad." "Quit actin' like anything you do is good for anyone but yourself," Ash says. Kravitz winces as he holds himself back from talking. [["Why do I care?"->Bloody Confrontation-Offer]]

"Because I know you know that-deep down-you are a monster." You keep your fears inside of you. He is right, though. Part of you knows it. "But beyond that, you are a pure, rage-powered killing machine. Most mercinaries, like the one you killed, are ego-driven, money-chasing morons. You managed to kill the best in the city. Seeing as I have a position open, I think you would be a perfect fit," "You brought him here to offer him a job?" Ash exclaims. "Does he have a better option? Where will he go? Home? To his family? He's bleeding out to die any minute now. He has nothing to lose, but everything to gain," Kravitz explains. You stare at the rifle in your hands. Blood from your hands has smeared on the handle. Ash walks up to you, speaks low into your ear, "You can't seriously be considering this! He took your family!" She's right. "You think your family would've wanted a war in their name? You think they'd even recognize you?" Kravitz says. He's right too. The clock is ticking. And to make things more interesting..." Kravitz suddenly whips a pistol from his inner suit pocket. He loosely aims it at Ash. You quickly step in front of her and keep her back. "To be fair, I'm still pretty pissed about you killing the mercinary. So, you will take this job, or I will wait for you to drop dead before I kill your friend," Kravitz says. Your heartbeat feels like a ticking clock. Your choices: [[Accept.->Bloody Handshake]] [[Shoot him now.->Bloody Head]]

You slam your eyes shut and tense. He's right. You're dying, and if you fall, Ash will get killed. You won't let it happen. "No, you can't be serious! After everything?" Ash cries. You turn your head to Ash, look at her with a teary eye, and walk towards Kravitz. "Good choice," Kravitz says while diddling his fingers together like a supervillain. You take your place by his side, rifle in arms, and accept your status as a monster. Ash stares in horror, quaking. The holo-billboards outside shift in color from blue to a deep red, enveloping the office in a blood-colored light. "Your family would be so proud of how far you've come," Kravitz jokes. Your choices: [[End here.->The End]] [[You still have the rifle in your hands.->Bloody Betrayal]]

*BANG!* Kravitz's smirk turns to a look of shock. He makes no other movements. Blood drips from his forehead down onto his human half of his face, and he falls back, splayed on the wooden desk. His pistol drops behind it. You drop your rifle. You didn't want any more bloodshed, especially not by your hands. But working for him, or even letting him stand another second, would bring so much more blood to this city. Suddenly, you feel your own legs give out. You fall to your knees, now realizing that the hundreds of droplets of blood from your stomach have made a pool of crimson beneath you. You start to get tired. Ash rushes down next to you. "No, no, no, c'mon, stay awake," Ash pleads. She looks around frantically. She rushes over to Kravitz's body and begins to rummage through his pockets. Your mind starts to blur. All you can think of is your family. Would they have been proud? Would they have wanted this? You don't know. The holo-billboards shine a pink light inside. Ash finds something in Kravitz's pocket. You can't tell what it is. You wonder if you'll see your family again. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

You squeeze your fingers around the rifle's handle. Kravitz points to Ash, "Now, get out of my office before I take back my offer and just kill you now." He walks back around his desk and presses on a holographic phone set, "I'll call an EMS worker now to get you patched up," he says to you with his back turned. You look to Ash, staring deeply into her eyes. You see her disgust, her fear, and realize the decision you made. You may have been a monster after what you've done, but relenting control will make you no better. Right now, you have one chance to make it right, one chance to stop anyone else from being chained to this wretched tower. While Kravitz keeps his eyes glued to his holo-display, you begin to lift the end of the rifle. Ash sees. Kravitz sighs. "Do I have to reiterate what I will do to you if you don't leave?" he snarks to Ash. Your rifle rests aimed at Kravitz. All you need do is- *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

The door slams against the inside wall of the office. You step inside alone-Ash remains paralyzed in the hall-and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "You're getting blood on my floor," the figure says as he stands up and leans into the light, revealing a half-cybernetic face. You've found your target: Kravitz Kain stands before you now. You quickly raise your rifle, but for the first time today, you hesitate to shoot as Kravitz lightly puts his hands up in an attempt to prevent you from shooting. "Don't you want to hear what I have to say before you shoot?" he questions. "Not particularly," you say. You raise the rifle again, but Kravitz puts his hands up again. "I find that hard to believe." "What could I possibly want to hear from you? You took my family. Now, I take your life," you say. "Technically, I didn't kill your family. I should add that they weren't meant to die either, it was supposed to be you. In fact, I didn't even know you had a family. But that is besides the point. You are hardly innocent here as well," Kravitz quickly explains, "In your short time you've killed three people in rage-fueled quest for vengeance. Hardly makes you much of a hero when you kill two innocent workers right outside of this room. I guess that's why your friend left you-" "You don't get to talk about killing innocent people!" you shout. "Neither do you. Now, that is not the point of this discussion. As much as I wanted you to die, you have proven yourself unable to drop dead, like the cockroach you are. But that proves advantageous for both of us now. You see, as incompetent as he was, I'm still quite pissed about what you did to my mercinary. That being said, you-an old vermin from the outskirts-managed to kill him. That shows power, dedication, tenacity. Most mercinaries down here are fueled by money. But as I said, you are fueld just by rage and a memory. You are a better killer than any. And now, as you stand bleeding out, I will give you a choice: do what you were born to do and take offer, or die where you stand," Kravitz says. You squint. He can't be serious. But at the same time, you know he's right. You've become an unflinching killer. But does that mean you should keep killing? "Tell me, do you really think your family would want what you've brought upon in their name?" Your choices: <del>Accept.<del/> [[Kill him.->Bleeding and Alone-Done]]

Kravitz smirks. He thinks you will accept the offer, doesn't he? *BANG!* A half-bloody-half-metal hole tears open square in the middle of his head. He rocks side-to-side before collapsing back into his chair. It slowly rolls back and taps into the large glass window behind him. You let the rifle go loose from your hand. It falls to the floor. You did it. You're done. As the holo-billboards outside shift to a yellow glow that shines inside the office, your vision starts to get fuzzy. You grab your wound. You didn't notice the trail of blood leaking from the bandage. You collapse. As you lie there, slowly falling to sleep, you think of your family, and you think of Ash. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

You all tip-toe inside. You make sure to hold the door and gently push it closed as to not draw attention. But as soon as you turn around, you realize something is off. The lights are out. The only source of brightness comes from the murky windows by the front of the bar, where the already dim light of the undercity barely pierces through. You sneak forward a few steps only to realize that Cassian and Ash aren't following. They hide behind a wall next to the cutout leading to the main seating area of the bar. It looks like Cassian is holding Ash back. You pay it little attention. You step out to the main area. Now, you see one man seated against the bar. He sits calmly, sipping a beer without a care in the world; from his silhouette, you see a man dressed as a cowboy. You quietly grab an empty glass off a nearby table and clutch it in your hand. Suddenly- "Do you think I didn't notice you? The bar is completely empty. I can hear every breath you take," the man says. You freeze. He chugs the rest of his beer bottle and throws it across the room. Its shattering sound pierces your skull, raising your skin. The mercinary slowly turns his head to reveal two glowing red eyes. "We've had our fun, but it's time to fix my mistake. I'm thankful you have such bad taste in companions," he says slyly. What does he- Your eyes widen. You turn your head and see Cassian standing out in the open. "I brought him to you. Now, you have to pay me," Cassian says with a quiver in his voice. He holds Ash by the stomach to keep her from running. "How could you do this, Cass!?" she cries. The mercinary raises an eyebrow, "Who's the girl?" "She's not a part of this. Money. Now," Cassian demands. "You get your money when the target is dead," the mercinary says. He slides off his barstool; his spurred boots clank on the metal floor as he drops his feet. He stands in a wide stance and grabs a revolver off of his belt. He spins it around his finger in the blink of an eye before pointing it at you. "So, are you going to make this easier for all of us?" Your choices: [[Let the mercinary do his job.->Cassian's Wish]] [[Do what you came to do.->Against Cassian's Wishes]]

You drop the glass from your hand. It shatters into one thousand pieces by your feet. You stand up tall and close your eyes. You can almost hear the mercinary smiling sinisterly. "I wasn't expecting that," the mercinary says. You hear the click of a hammer. "I'm sorry," you hear Cassian mutter, "I had to do it. I had no choice." "I can't believe you!" Ash screams. The voices start to drown out. You won't fight it anymore. You don't have the energy. Maybe now, you'll get to see- *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

You stare into the mercinary's eyes. This man, the man who took your family, begs for your life. It's time to make him beg for his. The mercinary knows its coming. He quickly flips his revolver up and fires a laser shot, but you roll to the side and pull a table down as cover. The shot digs into a wall just a foot away from Cassian. He quickly pulls Ash down and ducks back behind cover. You hear the click of spurs again as the mercinary slowly strafes away from the bar counter. "You couldn't make this easy? I just wanted to fix this mistake as quickly as possible," the mercinary groans. You flip the glass in your hand. You then jump out from behind cover and fling the glass mug into the mercinary's leg. He flips onto his face and lands hard; he accidentally fires a laser shot into the ceiling. While he's down, you charge him, but he's skilled enough to push himself up right before you manage to hold him down. Now, the two of you get into a bout of hand-to-hand combat. He knees you in the gut, but you take it like a champ. You swing a few heavy punches, but he blocks them with ease. He grabs both of your arms and begins to twist. You quickly retaliate with a headbutt, sending him reeling back into the bar counter. You grab the poncho around his neck with one hand and begin to beat down on his face with the other. Even as you punch over and over with all the force and rage you can muster in your heart, with all the blood-both yours and his-splattering along the floors, walls, glasses, and furniture, he manages to cackle like he's enjoying it; not like, he's actually enjoying it. "You make a fun challenge," he jokes through broken teeth and a bloody nose,"Most of my targets don't even lift a finger against me. It's invigorating to finally have a rival!" You scream with rage. You claw your hand around his ear and SLAM his head into the counter. Then, you drag it through the broken glass-scraping his skin as he keeps laughing-until his forehead bangs into the wall intersecting at the end of the bar. He drops to the floor and begins to crawl backwards. "Well, this was fun, but I better collect sooner or later," the mercinary says as he raises the revolver he managed to keep glued to his palm. But before he can pull the trigger with his near-broken pointer finger, you kick his arm down with your thick boot, pin his wrist to the floor, and press all your force into your leg until you hear a resounding SNAP! The mercinary groans. You move your foot down and drag the revolver out of his hand, then slowly reach over to pick it up. The mercinary chuckles a bit more nervously now. You admire the revolver and click the hammer. You raise it, stare straight down the ironsight. "Now, hold on a minute my friend..." the mercinary squeaks. He seems like he wants to say more, but he's too beaten. You won't wait. In the span of a second, your mind pulses with images of your family, of the happy life you had, and of the blood on their clothes. All your suffering came from the gun you hold now. Your choices: [[Kill him.->The Gun You Hold]] [[Drop the revolver.->The Man You Aren't]]

"Wait, wa-" *BANG!* The mercinary was reaching his healthy hand out that now falls flat on his thigh. He lies still, lies quiet. It feels good...for a moment. But your mind does not quiet. You hear the huffing of your breath, each inhale reminding you of your family. Why is the image not gone? You did what...what you thought they would've wanted. You weren't a violent man before all of this. Now that you stare at your work...where did it come from? "Holy shit," you hear Cassian say behind you. You look back and see him and Ash staggering out from behind their cover. "You actually did it. You...you killed the bastard!" Cassian exclaims. He smiles at you. You don't return it. Resounding bootsteps thud on the floor as you march towards him. As you approach, he begins to step backwards until he presses into a table. "What...what are you-" You grab him by the jacket and throw him to the ground. Ash watches silently besides the conflict. She doesn't seem to know who to root for. Cassian slides his back against a wall and puts his hands up to block himself. Suddenly, you lift the revolver and aim it at him. "Whoa, WHOA!" Cassian cries. [["Why did you do it?"->The Gun You Hold-Betrayal]]

As much as you want to, as easy as it would be, you can't shake the memory of your innocent kids from your head. What would they think? Wouldn't they be afraid after they saw you mercilessly beat this man to the point where he won't move for a few months? No. This is not your weapon. This is the weapon of a man you aren't. You lower the gun and drop it by your feet. "I'm done," you whisper. You turn around and walk away. You drown out the sound of the lightly cackling maniac behind you. You just think of the warm feeling of- *BANG!* You stop in your tracks. You feel a warm sensation in your heart-literally. You look down. Blood seeps like an ink blot on your shirt. With your quickly waning strength, you turn once last time to see the bloody mercinary smiling at you with broken teeth. From the corner of your eye, you see Cassian and Ash, frozen, peeking around the corner of the wall. You fall to the floor, and everything begins to go dark. [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

"I needed the money, please, don't shoot me!" Cassian admits with tears streaming down his face. You press the gun closer. "I'M SORRY, PLEASE!" he cries. You are so close to pulling the trigger. Nothing stops you. Ash isn't even fighting it. She can't seem to move, can't seem to think. You tighten your grip around the revolver- Your choices: <del>Shoot him.<del/> [[Wait one second longer.->The Gun You Hold-Family]]

"I HAVE A FAMILY!" he cries. Your eyes widen. Your grip on the revolver loosens. You step back, shudder and breath heavily. Cassian slowly lowers his arms and plops the back of his palms down by his sides. "I did it for them," he mutters, "We needed the money. I had to sell you out or I wouldn;t be able to feed them." You don't even feel as the revolver slithers out of your hand. What did you almost do? You suddenly move without thinking. You head straight for the main exit. You walk away from Cassian and straight past Ash without saying a word. The electronic doorbell rings as you swing the door open. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

As Sam keeps beating down, screaming, crying, you come up from behind him and grab his arms. You pull him away just before he does something unforgivable. While on the ground, he fearfully crawls away from the guard's body, away from the bloody staff that clattered down a few inches away. You kneel next to Sam, hold his hand tight. Sam doesn't let go, like a scared child holding his father's hand. "When I started this crusade I said I'd only to hurt the worst of the worst, the irredeemable, because of what they did to our people. They turned us against each other. They slaughtered us. But with time, their system has become so constrictive that it's necessary for these people to survive. This guard...was doing his job. He had to. And I hurt him for it," Sam says through his slowing tears. Sam stands up, unable to remove his eyes from his work. "I...I...-" "Guys, GUYS!" Cassian cries out. You both turn to him and Ash. When you see what Cassian remarked about, you know Sam's heart dropped just as much as yours. Ash staggers forward with a bloody hole in her gut. Must've been from one of the stray shots. Cassian rushes to hold her up. "No, no, no, you're okay, Ash, let's go," Cassian says panickedly. Suddenly, Ash falls to the floor into a small puddle of her own blood. Cassian keeps her head straight and slowly lays her down before pressing his hand into the wound. He looks up to you and Sam. "We have to get her out of here, NOW!" Cassian screams. You look to Sam. You know her life is more important than what you do here, but Sam...Sam won't stop. He has a responsibility, and you know he can't let anything get in his way. Just like you. Your choi- Suddenly, the office doors at the end of the hall swing open, basking a soft blue light from holo-billboards outside the building that shine into the office that illuminates the near-dark hall. Echoing footsteps boom from the doors. You all look over and see a figure of a man with a glowing red eye, holding two things in his hands: a gun in one and a holo-phone in another. The figure steps forward just enough so the little light that already lit the hall reveals to you all his half-robotic face. This is your target, your enemy: Kravitz Kain. "Well, well, what a fun party we have here." [align center] [[Click to Continue->Hallway]]

You finger the revolver you snatched off Donny's body in the back of your pants. You are about to grab it when you hear Sam scream. You look at him and see a scrunched face rushing towards Kravitz. But before he can even get close, Kravitz raises the small pistol in his hand and points it at Sam, forcing him to hault his assault. "Stay back, foolish boy," Kravitz says. Then, he looks towards you. He almost smiles. "I was originally just anticipating you. The rest of you are a surprise, but you're welcome nonetheless," he explains. You look back to Cassian, who still holds the pulsing wound on Ash's chest. "She needs help, now!" Cassian whispers with fervor. Kravitz raises his head to peek behind you. He spots Cassian and Ash. "What a shame. You know, back in the 20th and early 21st centuries, their guns were primative and shot metal instead of hard light like our guns today," he says while shaking his pistol, "Rather than get stuck in the target, these guns are much more efficient, just going clean through the body. Kills are faster. I expect she only has about two or three more minutes before bleeding out." Your heartbeat gets faster, your breathing gets heavier. Kravitz's eyes shift to his other hand, which holds a holo-phone. He then raises his eyes to stare into yours with a disturbing glare. [[Pull out the revolver.->Hallway-Gun]]

You click the hammer back and aim it directly at Kravitz's head. You don't shoot instantly, though. He shakes the pistol in his hand as a quick reminder of what he can do. "Really? You're going to use the same weapon that took your family?" Kravitz says while tilting his head. That hit you like a bullet. You squeeze the handle, slide your finger on the trigger...but you can't shoot. Not after Donny. Not after what he just said. Kravitz smirks. "Seeing as you won't kill me, I'll give you a little choice. You could just let me kill all of you, end your sufferings on this wretched colony, or I could save your friend...at a price," Kravitz says. "Why would we ever make a deal with you?" Sam snarls. "Silence, child. You'd do it because I've seen every step of your journey, and I know you wouldn't let her die that easily." [["What the hell do you want?"->Hallway-Offer]]

Sam's head spins to you. He looks with a face of disgust. "Wait, what? Why would you-" "Shut up! She needs help! Hear him out!" Cassian barks. Kravitz smiles, "First of all, you killed my prized mercinary. I'll be honest, he wasn't a good worker; drunk, horrendously stupid, and dreadfully dressed. But, he was expensive, and he was the best killer in the city...and yet, you-a farmer from the outskirts-managed to kill him easily. It wasn't luck, either. All the hired guns down here do everything for money. They get greedy, fat with complacency. But you...you kill just from rage. So, that is my offer. I will save your friend...and you will serve me until you die." Your heart drops. "Also, choose wrong and I kill this idiotic failed revolutionary," Kravitz threatens. He pushes the gun's muzzle closer to Sam's face. Now, all eyes rest on you. Your choices: [["I'll do it."->Save Ash]] [[Charge at Kravitz.->Charged]] [[Paralyzed by choices?->Paralyzed]]

There is no good choice for you. No matter what, someone else gets hurt, someone else dies, or you cause more harm. Despite it all, though, you can't subside the boiling rage within you. You huff your chest faster and faster, almost blowing smoke out of your nostrils from the fire within you. You scream and charge Kravitz. *BANG!* You don't know where the laser shot went. You don't focus on anything else except for the man in front of you. You tackle Kravitz to the ground; his pistol slides far away. You deck him in the face once, then a second time, then again, and again, and again... Blood splatters all around. You even manage to dent the cybernetic half of Kravitz's skull, not even recognizing the broken fingers you are giving yourself. You keep going, and going, and going. Every other sound is drowned out. Your choices: <del>Stop.<del/> [[Finish him.->Charged-All This Loss]]

You drop the revolver. The clanking sound it makes as it bounces off the floor is deafening. Kravitz smirks approvingly. He rolls the hammer of the pistol into his palm and shoves the gun back into his suit pocket. Sam immediately steps back, breathing heavy. "Hurry up!" Cassian barks. "Your friend will live, calm down. Now, you, by my side," Kravitz says as he flicks the holo-phone on and dials up emergency services. He presses the holo-phone to his ear. As he briefly haggles with the responder, you look to your once beholden allies. All but Ash, who still fights to survive, stare at you. You just made a deal with the devil. The crushing weight of the memory of your family, of the memory of the horrors you've witnessed bear too much on your mind and soul. Your head splits, and a buzzing sound tears through your ears until nothing else can be heard. Your heart beats out of your chest. The holo-billboards outside shift in color from blue to red, shining behind you and Kravitz now. Your choices: [[End it here. Your friend is safe, but at a tremendous cost.->The End]] [[Opportunity->Last Stand]]

You don't know what to do. Every choice is wrong. Your lips are parted, ready to speak, but you can't bring yourself to even blink. You are overtaken by possibilities and fear. Kravitz rolls his eyes. He walks closer to Sam and presses the pistol's barrel right into Sam's head. "Make your choice, now," Kravitz orders. You raise a finger, but that is all. Sam stares with tears flowing; knowing him, they're not for his own life, but for his people. Kravitz rolls his head around his neck, annoyed. "Fine." You close your eyes. *BANG!* [align center] [[Click to Continue->Death]]

Kravitz has long stopped moving, but you can't stop yourself. Everything you've done, everything you've been through has brought you here, and all the rage that has built up, all the blood that spilled pulses through your mind with each and every punch. After a few more seconds and a few more punches, you begin to slow down. Your senses return, and you raise your head up, panting, as you stare down at the crimson pool surrounding Kravitz. Your mind...your mind is still a mess. All this blood on your hands, all the pain in your shattered knuckles, all of it feels stronger than ever. But then, you hear something that will manage to destroy you. "HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Cassian screams. You whip your head around. You see him clutching to a fading Ash, and in the corner of your eye, you see something worse. Sam lies on the ground, choking on his own blood. The laser shot hit him. Even dead, Kravitz managed to take even more from this city. You crawl to Sam and lift his head over your lap. He looks into your eyes, crying, but unable to speak. He coughs blood onto you and begins to fade. "THE HOLO-PHONE! GRAB IT!" Cassian orders. You look back to Kravitz's corpse. You spot the holo-phone still in his hand and rush over to grab it. You fumble around with it in your hand. You press every button, but you don't know how to use this thing. The holo-billboards outside shine an ominous red light into the office, which overflows into the hall. Oh God. What have you done? [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

Suddenly, your senses come back to you. Kravitz flips the holo-phone between his fingers, "They will arrive within the minute." Someone is coming to help. Ash doesn't have much time, but there is hope. And your greatest enemy has his back turned to you. You will not end like this. You will not take any lives for this man. You will not die a monster. You quickly envelop your arms around Kravitz's neck and pull back hard. Cassian and Sam's eyes expand; they expected subservance from you. "What-ACK-are you DOING!?" Kravitz weasels through a scratchy throat. You scream, build up all your strength, and raise Kravitz above your head. You SLAM him back into the ground, and he cries out in pain. You quickly turn around and kneel over his stomach. You begin to beat down on him with all the force and rage that you've endured over this wretched journey. You hear the elevator doors open again. The white light of the elevator cuts through the weak, red glow from outside. You don't see it, but you hear a hover-stretcher float over, hear the clobbering of hurried footsteps, and hear a breath of relief from Cassian. The elevator doors slide closed behind you again in time, leaving just you and Kravitz where it will all end. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]

The doors slam on the sides of a blank office wall after you push both of them open. You all step inside and find a blankly decorated office with huge windows on one wall, which allows blue light from the holo-billboards lining the sky to pour inside the otherwise dark office. Sitting in the perfect center is a wooden desk-it's the first time you've seen wood here; the unforgiving environment hasn't been condusive to grow trees, so the only wooden materials are expensive exports or smuggled goods. Behind the desk, the tall leather chair slowly spins to reveal a figure cloaked in darkness-bar one glowing red eye. "Well, this is interesting," the figure says. He stands and steps out from the harsh shadows shielding his identity to reveal a man with half his face turned cybernetic. He has become less than human. This is Kravitz Kain. "I was expecting the farmer to be here, but the rest of you are a...pleasant surprise," Kravitz says. Sam steps in front of you confidently, angrily. "We're the last surprises you're ever going to see," he asserts while pointing his staff's end at Kravitz. You put an arm out to your side and push Sam back a few paces, to his disdain. Then, you grab the revolver from the back of your pants and aim it at Kravitz. You're ready to end this. "Really? That fast? You don't want to hear anything I have to say?" Kravitz asks. Your choi- Suddenly, Sam's electric staff whizzes by your head and cracks into Kravitz's face. He grabs his now-bloody-and-broken nose and lets out a pained yelp. "What in the hell-" Before you or anyone else can react, Sam rushes forward, grabs his staff off the floor, and smacks it into Kravitz's head again. Kravitz tumbles to the floor. "You think you deserve a second to talk? YOU THINK YOU DESERVE A SECOND TO BREATHE?" Sam yells. He stands above Kravitz. Kravitz puts a weak arm up; "No, NO!" he cries. Sam raises his staff above his head and beats down repeatedly, denting both Kravitz's skull and his cybernetic-metal casing. Once again, none of you can move. All you do is watch as this poor boy's rage overtakes him, watch as the years of degredation that corrupted his conscious forces him to do what no young man should ever be forced to do. You wanted vengeance just as he did...but not like this. Blood splatters all around him. As the holo-billboards outside shift in color from blue to orange, you're left with a sound you will never forget-the sound of a metal bat breaking through a man's head. [align center] [[Click to Continue->The End]]