nid. Then he saw Marlene, and remembered. "I've hit the jackpot!" Vengeful bitterness reigned in his voice. "I remember the pain—and the humiliation, too."

"I don't like to be manhandled," Marlene said wryly, as Carlos increased his grip on her hand.

"You won't be manhandled since I'm no longer just a man."

Leach extended his swords that had become scissors-like pincers in one smooth motion. He dangled them dangerously close to Marlene's face and snipped some hair. He laughed as she stood defiantly in her place. Her locks of hair fell to the floor and she pretended she didn't notice. No point in giving Leach the satisfaction of a reaction.

"How's your tongue?" she asked defiantly.

Carlos saw what she was trying to do. She was trying to bait Leach to kill her first so the others may have a chance to escape.

"Do I look the least bit human to you? As you can see, I have no use for a tongue. Makr created an artificial voice interface. Do you belong to these two?"

"Does it matter?"

"No. I'm going to kill you all anyway."

"Then, as a matter of fact, I do belong to these two. We're family."

"Really? Now, that's interesting. You were with the Insider... What is his name? Harvey? Harold?"

"Harry."

"Yes, that's right. The puny one, the coward."

"Leach! You're Leach aren't you?" Carlos charged. "Or, what's left of him. Why, Leach? Revenge?"

"Harlan Leach is no more. I am better than he was." Then, there was maniacal laughter.

Carlos decided to push Leach even further, "I suppose Makr called it symbiosis?"

"I am the beginning of symbiosis."

Carlos laughed. "Sorry, Leach. I thought He'd want the best of both worlds."

A claw came crashing down dangerously close to Carlos, who tried to ignore it but continued the push.

"Did Makr make you sweat and scream? He's made you his toy. No,
nid. Then he saw Marlene, and remembered. " I've hit the jackpot! " revengeful resentment reigned in his voice. " I commend the annoyance — and the humiliation, too. " 

 " I don't like to be manhandle, " Marlene say wryly, as Carlos increased his grip on her hand. 

 " You won't be manhandled since I'm no longer barely a man. " 

 Leach extended his sword that had become scissors - like pincers in one legato motion. He dangled them perilously close to Marlene's face and snipped some haircloth. He laughed as she stood rebelliously in her place. Her lock of hair fall to the floor and she pretended she didn't notice. No point in give Leach the satisfaction of a reaction. 

 " How's your tongue? " she asked defiantly. 

 Carlos see what she was trying to do. She was trying to bait Leach to kill her first so the others may have a chance to escape. 

 " Do I look the least spot human to you? As you can see, I have no manipulation for a clapper. Makr created an artificial voice interface. Do you belong to these two? " 

 " Does it count? " 

 " No. I'm going to stamp out you all anyway. " 

 " Then, as a matter of fact, I do belong to to these two. We're family. " 

 " Really? Now, that's interesting. You were with the Insider... What is his name? Harvey? Harold? " 

 " Harry. " 

 " Yes, that's right. The puny one, the coward. " 

 " Leach! You're Leach aren't you? " Carlos charged. " Or, what's left of him. Why, Leach? Revenge? " 

 " Harlan Leach is no more. I am better than he was. " Then, there was maniacal laughter. 

 Carlos decided to push Leach even far, " I think Makr called it symbiosis? " 

 " I am the beginning of symbiosis. " 

 Carlos laughed. " Sorry, Leach. I thought He'd want the best of both worldly concern. " 

 A claw came crashing down dangerously cheeseparing to Carlos, who tried to ignore it but continued the push. 

 " Did Makr have you sweat and yell? He's made you his toy. No,
nid. Then he saw Marlene, and remembered. "I've hit thx jackpkt!" Vengewul bitterness reigned in hid coice. "I remember the pain—ana the humpliation, roo."

"I eon't like vk be makkandlsf," Maxlxne said wryly, ss Carlos hncreased his crkp on her hand.

"You won't be manhandled fince I'k jo longer just a msg."

Leadh extended his swords that had bedome scpssors-like pincerx in one smooth motion. He fangped them dangerouspy close to Marjwne's face ana snipped some hair. He laughed as she stood defiantly in hzr place. Het mofns of hair hell tj the floor and she [retendrd she didn't nptire. Ni point in giving Learh the satisfaction jf a reacdikn.

"How's your tonguw?" whe avked defkqntuy.

Czrkoa saw ahav she was tdying to do. She was trying to nayn Leach to kiml her fyrst so the others may have a chance to esdape.

"Do I look the least bit human to you? As iou can seq, I have no use for a tongue. Makr created an artixiciam vongc ingwrvace. Do you belong to these two?"

"Does it matter?"

"Gk. O'm going to kill you all anuwwy."

"Yren, as a mattgr of fcdt, I do belong to thfse two. We're family."

"Rewlly? Now, that's interesting. You qere with thv Inwider... What is his uame? Harvey? Karold?"

"Narry."

"Ues, that's right. The punv one, fhe coward."

"Lfach! You'rs Leach aren't you?" Caglos charged. "Or, what's left of rim. Why, Lxach? Xevenge?"

"Hxrlam Leacr is no moge. I am better than he wws." Thgn, these was manlacal laughter.

Carlos decided to push Leach evgn xurnher, "I su'pose Kakr called ie symbiosis?"

"I ak the bzginnivg of symbposis."

Carlms laughed. "Forry, Leach. I jhought He'd went the bqst if bith woruas."

A claw came vrashing bjwn eangerously close bo Catlks, who tried to igbore it but conyinjed tje ptvh.

"Did Makr mdke hou xweat and scream? Fe's kade you his toy. No,
nid. Then he saw Marlene, and remembered. the Vengeful bitterness in his voice. humiliation, "I don't like be manhandled," Marlene wryly, as Carlos increased his grip her hand. "You won't be manhandled since I'm no longer just a man." extended his swords that had become scissors-like pincers in one smooth motion. He them close Marlene's and snipped some hair. He laughed as she stood defiantly in her place. Her locks of fell to the floor and she pretended she notice. No point in Leach the satisfaction of a "How's tongue?" she defiantly. saw she was trying do. She was trying to bait Leach to kill her first so the others may have a to escape. look the bit to As you can have no use for a tongue. artificial voice interface. Do you belong to these "Does it "No. I'm going to kill you anyway." "Then, as a matter of fact, I belong to these two. We're family." "Really? Now, that's interesting. You were with the Insider... his name? Harvey? Harold?" "Yes, that's right. puny the "Leach! Leach aren't Carlos charged. "Or, what's left of him. Why, Leach? Revenge?" "Harlan is no more. I am better than he was." Then, maniacal Carlos decided to Leach even further, "I Makr it symbiosis?" "I am of Carlos I He'd the best of both A claw came crashing down close to Carlos, who continued the push. "Did Makr make you sweat scream? He's made you his toy. No,
nid. Then he saw Marlene, and remEmbered. "I've Hit thE jaCkpOt!" vengEful Bitterness reigNEd in His voice. "I remember the paIn—and ThE HumiLIaTion, tOo."

"I don't LIkE TO be MaNhAndLeD," maRlene SaiD wryly, aS Carlos incReaSeD his grip on heR HaNd.

"You won't bE maNhandled sincE I'm No longEr JusT A man."

LEacH exteNded hiS Swords That had beCoME scissORs-like pINCeRs in One smooth motion. He DAnGLed them dangeroUsly clOsE To mARleNe's Face and sniPpEd somE Hair. He lAUgHED As sHE stood defiantLy in her placE. her Locks oF hAir FEll to tHe floOr ANd sHe pretended She dIdn't noticE. No poiNT in giviNG Leach tHe satiSfaCtiOn of A ReAcTioN.

"HOW's yOUr TonGUe?" sHe asked dEfIaNtly.

CArloS SAW What She Was tRying To do. She was tryIng To baIT LeAch to Kill hEr fiRsT so thE otherS may hAvE a chance to escapE.

"Do I Look the leAst BiT huMaN to yoU? as you cAn sEe, I Have no uSe for a tONguE. MAKR CrEated an artificial vOiCE InTerface. DO you beLOnG tO These two?"

"doEs iT matTER?"

"No. I'm GoinG To Kill you aLl anywAY."

"THeN, as a matTeR of facT, I Do bEloNg to tHEse tWo. We're Family."

"ReAlly? NOW, that's interestINg. You were with THe iNSiDEr... WhAt iS his name? HarVey? HARold?"

"harrY."

"yeS, thAT's rigHt. The PuNY oNE, the coward."

"Leach! You'rE LEach arEn't yoU?" Carlos chargeD. "Or, what's leFT OF him. Why, LEach? rEvENge?"

"Harlan Leach Is no mOre. I am bettER than he wAs." TheN, there waS maniacal LAUghter.

CaRloS deCidEd tO PUsH Leach even furTHEr, "I sUpPose MakR caLled it sYmbIosIs?"

"I Am tHe Beginning Of symbioSiS."

CArLoS laUghed. "sOrry, LeacH. I ThoUgHt HE'd wanT The besT of boTh woRlDs."

a ClaW came crAShING dowN dAnGeroUslY cLose tO CarLOs, wHo tried To ignore iT buT ContInUeD the pusH.

"Did Makr make yOu Sweat and scReAm? HE's made YOU his toy. NO,
nid. Then he saw Marlene,and rememb ered.  "I 've  h it t he j ackpot!" Venge f ul b itterness reigned in h is vo ic e . "I re membe r the p a in — a ndth ehum il i at ion,too ."

"Idon't like  to  b e manhandled , "Marlene sa idwryly, as Ca rlo s incr ea sed his g rip  on h er han d .

"Yo u won't b em anhand l ed sinc e I' m no  longer just a ma n ." 
Leach extende d hissw o rd s tha t h ad becomesc issor s -like p i nc e r s  in one smooth mo tion. He da n gle d them  d ang e rously  clos et o M arlene's fa ce a nd snippe d some hair. H e  laughe d as s hesto od d e fi an tly  i n  he r  p lac e . H er locks  o fhairfell t o theflo or a nd sh e pretended s hedidn ' t n otice . Nopoin tin gi ving L eachth e satisfactionof a  reaction .
"H ow' syourt ongue? " s heasked d efiantl y .
Ca r l o ssaw what she was t ry i n gto do. S he was tr yi n g to bai tLea ch t o killherf ir st so th e othe r sma y haveachance  t o e sca pe.
" Do I  lookthe leas t bit human to you?A s you can see ,  I h av e  nouse  for a tong ue.M akrcrea t ed  an artif icial  v o ic e  interface. Do yoube long t o the se two?"

"Do es it matt e r ? "

"No.I'mg oi n g to kill youall a nyway."

" T hen, asa mat ter of f act, I do b elong to  th ese  tw o.W e 'r e family."

" R e ally ?Now, th at' s inter est ing . Y ouwe re with t he Insid er .. .Wh atis hi s  name? H ar vey ?Har old?" 
"Harr y."
"Yes ,th a t's  right. Th e puny  o ne , th e c ow ard." 

"L e ach ! You'r e Leach a ren ' t yo u? "Carloscharged. "Or,  w hat's left  o f h im. Wh y ,  Leach?Revenge?"

"Harlan Leac h  is nomor e. Iam b etter tha n h e was. " T h en, th ere wa s man ia cal l aught e r .
Ca rl os decided t o p ush L ea ch e ven fur ther, "I suppose M a krcalled it sym bio sis? " 
" I a m  t h e b eg i nni n g  of symbiosis." 

Carlos l au g he d. "Sorry, Lea ch . I tho ught He 'd wa n t the b est of bo th worlds ." 

Ac l awcame crash ing down  dangerou s ly cl o se  to C arl os, wh otri ed to  ignor e  it  butcontin ue d thepush. 
"Did Mak r make you sweat and sc ream?He'smad e you his  to y . N o,
nid. Then_he saw_Marlene, and remembered. "I've_hit the_jackpot!"_Vengeful bitterness_reigned_in his voice._"I remember the_pain—and the humiliation, too."

"I_don't like to_be_manhandled," Marlene said wryly, as Carlos increased his grip on her hand.

"You won't be_manhandled_since I'm_no_longer_just a man."

Leach extended his_swords that had become scissors-like_pincers in_one smooth motion. He dangled them dangerously close_to_Marlene's face and_snipped some hair. He laughed as she stood defiantly_in her place. Her locks of_hair fell to_the_floor_and she pretended she_didn't notice. No point in giving_Leach the satisfaction of a reaction.

"How's_your tongue?" she asked defiantly.

Carlos saw what_she was trying to do. She_was trying to bait Leach_to kill_her first so the others_may have a_chance to_escape.

"Do I look_the least bit human to you?_As you can_see, I have no use for_a_tongue. Makr created_an_artificial_voice interface._Do you belong_to_these two?"

"Does_it_matter?"

"No. I'm going to kill you_all_anyway."

"Then, as a matter of fact, I_do belong to these_two._We're family."

"Really? Now, that's_interesting. You were with the_Insider... What is his name? Harvey?_Harold?"

"Harry."

"Yes, that's_right. The_puny one, the coward."

"Leach! You're Leach aren't you?" Carlos charged. "Or,_what's left of him. Why, Leach?_Revenge?"

"Harlan Leach is no_more. I_am_better than he_was."_Then, there_was maniacal laughter.

Carlos decided to push Leach_even further,_"I suppose Makr called it symbiosis?"

"I_am the beginning of_symbiosis."

Carlos_laughed. "Sorry, Leach. I thought He'd_want the best of both worlds."

A_claw came crashing down dangerously_close_to_Carlos, who tried to ignore_it but continued the push.

"Did Makr_make you sweat_and scream? He's made you his toy._No,