Mardock Scramble полностью

–You have a hard drive in your head—

“Stop speaking inside my mind!”

Tweedledee seemed surprised. He watched with furrowed brow as Medium crushed his own sunglasses into little pieces. But he showed no sign of fear—indeed, he looked on with interest as Medium smiled a smile that could only be described as brutality personified.

–I was just—

“Get out of my head!” Medium screamed, and the blade in his right hand flashed, light reflecting from it straight into Tweedledee’s eyes.

Tweedledee squinted hard, surprised.

That was the moment. Medium ran toward him and seized Tweedledee’s arm.

The hair on Tweedledee’s arm stood on end at the touch of metal.

He tried to wriggle free from Medium’s grip but couldn’t shake him off.

“I’m going to look after you good and proper. Pet you plenty. Come here. Over here!”

–You know that we’re allowed to deal with violent visitors in a number of ways? Tweedledee explained patiently and politely.

Medium’s expression went blank. His whole body radiated tension.

The very next instant, that tension transformed into something much harsher.

The fist that gripped the knife smashed into Tweedledee’s face.

There was a damp gush sound, and Tweedledee’s nose split open, releasing copious quantities of blood.

Tweedledee turned his face away, not making a sound. He made no effort to cover his face with his one free hand.

Medium said nothing and punched him again and again. Tweedledee’s lips, ears, and eyebrows all split open.

Tweedledee’s face was now a half-swollen mass, drenched in blood.

“I’ll look after you all right, you little brat. I’ll look after you good and proper.” Medium licked Tweedledee’s blood off the back of his hand with his long tongue.

–I’ll put up with this till the point that security automatically kicks in, Tweedledee informed him, raising his battered head. His face was serene—as if he didn’t feel that little thing called pain.

Medium was frozen to the spot in fear and anger.

–I thought I might try and experience pain again—it’s been a while. But it’s not very nice, after all, is it? I just snarced the pain away, to be honest.

Medium gave a piercing cry. He punched again. The skin peeled off Tweedledee’s arm, and more blood came forth.

“Such pretty fingers. Beautiful fingers. Tastes good too. That taste of special blood.” Medium laughed cruelly. He punched the boy again and raised his knife.

Suddenly, Tweedledee was free. He tried to work out why he had suddenly been released from the grip of the man in front of him, and then he found the answer.

His right arm that had been in Medium’s grip had been severed from his elbow down.

It was no longer attached to him. It was in Medium’s hand.

The wound was cauterized, bloodless.

Tweedledee’s throat suddenly wobbled. “Ah…” he said.

Tweedledee’s eyes widened—surprised at the fact that he had just spoken.

Medium stepped forward again. Giggling, he kissed the severed arm and tossed it aside.

His blade came up again. Tweedledee lifted his left arm reflexively to protect himself, and the blade cut through his wrist like so much wax, causing his hand to go flying through the air.

“Now we’re talking… I’m liking your new look,” Medium said, baring his teeth and laughing.

“Ah…ah…” Tweedledee gasped. “My voice…breathing…it’s been a while.”

Opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish, he looked straight at Medium and, incredibly, smiled. His face was swollen and bloodied, and both his hands had been severed from his body. Still, he never stopped smiling. Sweetly, innocently.

Indeed it was Medium who stopped smiling. “What the hell are you…?” He stood rooted to the spot as if he had suddenly been overcome by fear.

–Security’s been activated, I’m afraid. Nothing I can do now.

Medium was startled as yet another sound echoed through the back of his mind.

Suddenly a number of shadows surrounded Medium. Hurriedly he readied his knife. When he recognized the shadows, though, his heart sank.

Silhouettes of what looked like large fish—spinning around him.

Medium looked up at the sky with bloodshot eyes. He gave a short grunt of surprise. His eyes were pinned open by the sight of giant sharks flying through the air.

–Over here, please, everyone, called Tweedledee, raising his severed arms to the skies.

–Security’s given permission, so you can just go ahead and eat this guy.

Tweedledee turned casually to look at Medium from underneath his swollen, battered eyelids.