A rage he had been questioning as a character flaw since he awoke in the swarm, something he had been attempting to massage or beat into some sort of human personality, now returning and giving him the seeds of strength to push on. He knew he had been getting soft, he’d seen all the signs but ignored them. He’d lowered his guard and allowed an amateur like Mark to outplay him multiple times.

Exacting punishment on a world that took her away was his only motivator before now, but he’d cursed his old self as too violent or disconnected from humanity. That old self, now his only remaining ally in this war, would be refocused, aimed precisely at one target. Blind destruction now honed and pointed at a single objective.

Steve: Mark… You