Chapter 65

PETER WAS BACK in the apartment building, but something was different. The two children stood before him, though their faces were plain to see, unobstructed by his helmet's thermal vision. With a jolt, Peter realized he wasn't wearing his helmet or any of his armor. He looked down, gasping at his mangled arm in its old sling and the thin hospital shift tied at his back.

"Why?" The children spoke in unison, their voices calling up from a pit of despair Peter's mind could only grasp at. "Why, Peter?"

"I can'tª" he began, but his throat seized up, almost as if someone had poured quick-drying cement into his mouth. "Iª"

High Captain Norse crawled out from under the room's bed, smoothing his uniform as he stood. He folded his arms behind his back and moved to stand behind the children.

"Good work, Bridge," Norse said. "Brave soldiers like you are hard to come by."