Arthur took too long preparing. The trio grew restless, the tension between them boiling over. Every second stretched into eternity, their anxiety suffocating. Then, a sudden explosion shattered the night, lighting up the sky with fire and chaos. Gunfire followed in an unrelenting storm, shaking the earth beneath their feet.

  “It’s time,” Tommy growled, his voice hard and guttural.

  Without hesitation, they leapt into action. Using their enhanced legs, they vaulted over the towering walls of the residence, their movements eerily inhuman. But something was wrong. Almost immediately, they were met with a flood of enemies—far more than expected.

  “Fade, cover us!” Rita yelled, her voice sharp with urgency.

  Fade’s arm cannons roared to life, spitting searing rounds that tore through the first wave of guards. Flesh and bone disintegrated in bursts of blood and ash, the stench of burnt bodies thick in the air. But more forces kept coming, well-armed and relentless.

  “That son of a bitch played us so well!” Fade screamed, his voice raw with fury.

  Tommy’s blood ran cold. The implication hit him like a thunderclap. “No... Arthur wouldn’t...” His mind reeled, the thought of betrayal too bitter to swallow.

  Before he could process it, a blur of motion caught his eye. A man with long, flowing hair and twin swords appeared, moving with an unnatural speed. He descended on Fade like a whirlwind, severing the cannon from his arm before slicing the limb clean off. Blood sprayed in a grotesque arc, and Fade stumbled back, his screams of agony lost in the chaos.

  Tommy rushed to help, but his reflexes took over, forcing him to dodge as a shotgun blast tore past his face. He turned to see a hulking figure—a man with a blond beard, a metallic jaw, and glowing red eyes. This was no ordinary man; this was a machine, a beast designed for one purpose—death.

  “Those two…” Rita hissed, her voice shaking. “Mr. Bird hired them.”

  Tommy’s heart sank. “Why weren’t they in the files?!”

  “Because,” Rita spat, “the bastard hired them after the assassination attempt. Damn it, he’s qui—”

  Her words ended in a wet gurgle. The swordsman’s blade sliced through her neck with such speed that her head flew cleanly into the air before her body crumpled. Blood spurted like a geyser, staining the ground in crimson.

  “RITA!” Tommy roared, his voice cracking as rage took hold.

  Fade, clutching his severed arm, managed one desperate shot with his remaining cannon. The bullet pierced the swordsman’s chest, shattering bone, but he didn’t go down. The blond giant raised his shotgun to reload, but Tommy moved faster.

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  Fueled by a primal fury, Tommy rushed the giant, grabbing his hands and tearing them off with a sickening crunch. Blood poured from the stumps as the man screamed, his metallic jaw snapping uselessly.

  Tommy’s face twisted into something monstrous. He slammed the man’s head into a jagged rock over and over, each impact shattering bone and splattering blood. The skull caved, but Tommy didn’t stop. He roared like a beast, lost in his rage, pounding what was left of the head into a pulpy mess.

  Fade staggered back, his face pale with horror. “Tommy… what the hell are you—”

  Before he could finish, Tommy turned on him. Weakened and bleeding, Fade had no chance. Tommy pounced, pinning him to the ground with terrifying strength.

  “Tommy, wait—!” Fade choked, his voice desperate.

  But Tommy’s grip tightened around his neck, his knees pressing into Fade’s chest. The larger man struggled, his one remaining arm clawing at Tommy, but it was useless. Fade’s eyes bulged as his life drained away.

  Tommy’s face was unrecognizable—wild, savage, inhuman. He rose from Fade’s lifeless body, blood dripping from his hands, and grabbed a fallen shotgun. Without hesitation, he stormed deeper into the mansion, his steps leaving bloody prints on the polished floors.

  Guards fired anti-tank rounds at him, the explosive shells ripping into his enhanced body. Chunks of flesh and muscle were torn away, and his belly was left gaping open. But he kept going, his screams not of pain but of unbridled fury.

  He kicked open a door and found a woman, two children, and an infant huddled together. Mr. Bird’s family. Their terrified screams echoed in the room, but Tommy didn’t see them as people. They were obstacles. Without hesitation, he raised the shotgun and fired.

  The woman fell first, her body crumpling in a pool of blood. The children screamed, their voices shrill and desperate, but he silenced them with two more blasts. The infant wailed, its tiny cries piercing through the chaos. Tommy aimed, his hands steady, and pulled the trigger.

  The door burst open behind him, and a guard fired, blowing off Tommy’s leg. He fell to the ground, blood gushing from the stump. Gritting his teeth, he turned and fired, the shotgun blast tearing the guard’s chest apart.

  Then came the jolt. Electricity coursed through his body, paralyzing him. He collapsed, writhing and screaming.

  “It’s not over!” he roared, his voice hoarse. “I want blood! I hate this world and everyone in it! I just wanted a good life, but even that was refused to me! If I can’t have it, I’ll take everything from all of you!”

  Arthur stepped into the room, holding Mr. Bird over his shoulder. He aimed a pistol at Tommy, his face heavy with regret.

  “I’m sorry, kid,” Arthur said softly. “Life doesn’t owe you anything. The Dustland isn’t fair—it’s not unfair either. It just is.”

  Tommy’s eyes burned with betrayal. “You... You lied to me! I trusted you!”

  Arthur sighed. “I know. I’m sorry for that too. But this is my chance—a chance to start over, to be a butterfly in a world that cuts your wings.”

  Tommy’s screams grew weaker as Arthur continued, “I talked to that woman. She said after Mr. Bird’s death, even if we die here, your family won’t suffer any harm. I’ll make sure of it. I promise.”

  Tommy, trembling and in pain, seemed to finally accept his fate. He looked at Arthur with tear-filled eyes. “Kill the man before I die… and please, show my mother the snow. Take her and my sister over the wall. Let them see the life there… please...”

  Arthur nodded, his expression resolute. Without hesitation, he turned and fired at Mr. Bird, killing him instantly. He looked back at Tommy and said firmly, “You have my word, kid. I will show her the snow.”

  Tommy’s body began to dissolve, fading as though it had never been there. His face, etched with pain and sorrow, remained turned toward the ceiling. He was like a butterfly in this world—living fast and dying young, his fleeting existence marked by a dream so pure, like the untouched snow. But there are no butterflies in the snow, and his dream, like his life, melted away into the cold void.