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<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DB2TF9yrhCrg&amp;hash=500ea9ac339b2d0ae9e990c6f230f475" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2TF9yrhCrg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">The Beast Within</a><br/>​</div><br/><span style="font-family:Assistant"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#808080">The rattling of the mounted gun ended. It had been emptied by the now panicking last man standing.  Benjamin retracted his power shield into its guard upon realizing their victory. He lingered a palm on his wife’s chest as an indication to wait. The heavy, rumbling steps of the man of steel and wire slowly approached the torn up vehicle littered with bullet holes. The soldier inside frantically tried to manage his clumsiness and escape what he assumed to be an end to his life. Benjamin ripped one of the doors of the vehicles from its hinges and threw it away. He grabbed the poor man attempting to flee by the ankle and pulled him out onto the cold, wet pavement below. The mechanical arm of her terminator sought the fragile throat of the meek security guard, who had basked in a false sense of superiority just moments ago, and lifted him onto his feet before Talia.<br/>
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“We were once like you,” Benjamin’s booming voice began. “We went to work. We paid our taxes. We lived a life unknown to most.” He slowly circled around the last man standing and approached his wife. “We married. We had a child. And we did not bother anyone,” Benjamin said and turned around to face the man he was addressing. “But then something happened. We did not provoke it. We did not ask for it. We did not break any laws that could give us such a punishment.” He rounded the petite blonde and reached his arms around her, holding her tightly to his presence. “Now, here we are. We are tired. We are deformed. And we have sacrificed everything that we own,” he said. The poor security guard was clearly distressed, hyper ventilating, and nearly audibly whimpering. Benjamin let go of his wife and approached the frail man, taking hold of his jaw with the mechanical hand. “And then you come along. You. You who are supposed to be one of us, just an ordinary citizen doing his job. Yet, you contribute to our suffering. You are part of them,” he said. Benjamin’s voice grew ever so menacing and agitated.<br/>
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With a powerful swing of his cybernetic leg, Benjamin shattered the kneecap of the security guard, who screamed in anguish as he fell to the ground. “Shut up,” her terminator said. He slipped one of his daggers out of his harness attached to the belt. A small, plastic container came out of one of the ammo pouches of his vest, as well. Benjamin smeared the contents of the plastic container onto the blade of the dagger. “Do you know what this is?” He asked the man in agony and crouched by his side. “It has a long and boring technical name, but you may know it better as Strychnine. If you don’t, I’ll tell you what it is.” The security guard’s eyes widened when he heard the name. He most likely knew exactly what it was. “Strychnine is a type of neurotoxin. It will attack the nerves of your spine, cause your body to contort and spasm as your muscles contracted against your will. A few seconds later, you will start to cough your guts out and scratch off your skin until you are dead.” Benjamin stood up again and put the plastic container neatly back into one of the ammo pouches of his vest. Returning to Talia, he delicately handed her the dagger by its grip so as to avoid contact with the poison on the blade. “This is the way of nature. We eat or we get eaten. We adhere to hierarchy or we get punished. We serve our masters or we get cast out,” Benjamin spoke while keeping steady eye contact with his wife. No longer did he only speak to the man in pain.<br/>
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The beast inside made itself known. He did not expect it to reveal itself this early. Not even the strongest of wills could resist such a lingering ferocity within. It had not been created by the trauma, only nudged during its slumber. He was well used to cruelty. No amount of it would provoke him, but the acts of others under his command would. His wife knew beyond all doubt what to do. Not only would she prove her undying loyalty and determination to her husband, but she would also fully uncage herself. This was the only obstacle left. After the sacrifice, they had everything they wanted from this wretched place.</span></span>