Maybe they aren’t chasing me. Maybe they’re running away from something.
“Hello?” Wade’s voice echoed in the darkness. “Jennifer? Susan?”
The footsteps stopped just a few feet away from him.
“T-Tony? Is that you?”
Something snorted. Wade took a deep breath and smelled that all-too familiar reptilian stench. He heard something—claws or perhaps scales—slither against the rocks.
“Oh no—”
Roaring, the fleeing Dark One fell upon him in a flurry of talons and teeth. Wade’s scream lasted until the beast tore his bottom jaw from his face, but he lived for a few more minutes after that. The pain was enough to make him forget all about his missing fingers or the ache in his head. With each strip of flesh that was flayed from his body, with each organ or limb that was ripped away, such trivialities became less important.
TWENTY-TWO
“Let me get this straight,” Tony said. “You want me to say the magic words, kill Clark, then say them again, along with that other nonsense, and then Dagon will go the fuck back to wherever it is he came from?”
“That is correct.”
“Tony…” Clark took another step forward. “You can’t seriously be—”
“Shut the fuck up.” Tony turned his attention back to Amethyst. “Why can’t you or Diamond do it? Or why can’t we just use Ruby or one of the Dark Ones as the sacrifice? I mean, they’re already dead, right? Their blood was spilled here.”
“Leviathan can only be bound or banished by one of The Seven. This is no minor demon or paltry deity we’re dealing with. He is one of the thirteen beings that existed before this universe was created. As for Ruby and the Dark Ones, the sacrifice must be made after the initial words are spoken, and it must be made by your hand.”
“Tony?” Jennifer’s tone was shocked. “What are you doing? Tell me you’re not actually considering this.”
“I don’t see that we have a fucking choice, Jennifer. These Black Lodge guys have been right about everything so far. I mean, sure, I’ll admit—I was skeptical at first, too. It all sounded like bullshit to me. But standing here, seeing that thing actually floating there in the air, I’m convinced. My fucking head hurts. I want to get the fuck out of here.”
“But he’s your friend!”
“Not really. A guy like me ain’t got many friends. I had one, once. Vince. But he ain’t around no more. This guy, Clark, originally sought me out just to fucking use me. Story of my life. Marano. The Feds. I’m sick of being used.”
“But that was then,” Clark insisted. “Okay, yes. At first, I was going to use you. Hell, I admitted it to you. But not now. She’s right,
Tony. Maybe we’re not friends, but we’re certainly not enemies. I’ve had your back this whole time.”
“And I had yours. And that don’t mean shit. It’s a fucking war zone, Clark. You do whatever the fuck you have to do to survive. And that’s what I’m doing now.”
Spittle ran down Clark’s chin. “Goddamn it, Tony, don’t do this!”
“What fucking choice do I have?” Tony yelled. “You think I fucking like doing this, Clark? You’re okay. You deserve better. So did a lot of other people that I’ve killed over the years. You need to understand something. This is what I do. This is what I’m good at. This is the only thing I’m good at. It’s like that old song by The Police. I can turn my heart to stone and then turn killing into an art.”
Jennifer made a choking sound, as if she were about to throw up.
Amethyst spread his hands in an almost apologetic gesture. “As I said back at your apartment, Tony, when you insisted on bringing Clark along—his blood would be on your hands.”
Clark lunged, but Diamond seized him. The two grappled, struggling with each other at the edge of the portal. Diamond’s sheer size and strength won out. He held Clark in a bear hug and planted his feet.
“So what do I have to do? Stab him with a sacrificial knife or some shit like that?”
Amethyst shook his head. “No. Shooting him will suffice. Quick and painless. The point is he has to die by your hand.”
Jennifer spat. “How can you be so clinical about this?”
“I’m not,” Amethyst replied. “Believe me, I don’t like this anymore than you do. Mr. Arroyo is an innocent in this struggle, just as you are. Unfortunately, a sacrifice must be made. I dare say Mr. Genova would refuse to have you fill that role. Therefore, it must be Clark who dies for the betterment of all mankind. Humanity’s protection is writ in the blood of innocents. It’s a necessary, if unpalatable, part of what we do. Tony understands this. Indeed, because of his past, he is uniquely suited to understand this better than most.”