#114

As the craft flies overhead, Mark and Susie are engaging a pair of mutants.

Susie has to admit that though she's afraid of the mutants, as she was when they first attacked the farm, when she was first taken off by the Emperor, but she's not scared now. She's feeling too mean to be scared; she just feels sorry for these creatures and wants to kill them, not only to free them, but to drive the point home that the maker of these things is going to die as well. Her Tommy gun clip never seems to empty; she just keeps firing into the creature, until at last it collapses. Mark's knife also overcomes his foe.

That's when a bomb blasts them apart, in the same (non-lethal) fashion as the Berkleys.

Mark tumbles backward. The arms of the hovercraft seize him, to complete the ritual.

Though she can't hear it (or at least believes she can't hear it), Susie echoes Mina's cry of rage as Mark is taken away. Alive, unhurt, but a prisoner of the people—of the man—who tortured her, who drove her family apart, who has smashed civilizations, killed brothers, destroyed schools, destroyed universes, and doesn't intend on stopping.

Susie is angry. She feels anger in the stead of Jacob and Mark, but she senses that they, alongside Mina, feel the same rage that she has. But only Mina's fury is equal to hers.

Mina's, and that of one other.

Then, the collection of assembled enemies in New Cenabum suddenly lifts into the air—and explodes, into swarms of flying doves.