-Jen-

Paul has been acting strange lately... almost like he's hiding something. He also somehow knows where Darksteel has been hiding out. Something's up. I'm gonna confront him. I walk across the hall and knock on his door a few times.

"Hey, Jen," he greets me as he opens his door. "What's up?"

"Hey, can I ask you something?" I ask.

"Yeah, sure. Come on in," he answered, gesturing for me to come in. I offer him a polite smile as I sit down on his bed.

"Shoot," he told me.

"How did you know where Darksteel was?" I ask bluntly. His face goes pale. He's obviously recalling memories. It was silent for a second, then he sighed. Paul handed emptied his trash can and tied off the bag in it and replaced it with a new bag. He then handed the can to me.

"Why are you giving this to me?" I ask curiously.

"Trust me, you'll need it," he says. "Remember how we had arrived from the firefight with an alien onboard?" I nod yes. "And how med center was closed for a few days?" I nod again. "That was me."

"What do you mean?"

He sighs again.

"Paul, what did you do?" I ask worriedly.

"I tortured that alien until he told me. I... I pulled on veins in his arm, I burned the palms of his hands, I stuck toothpicks under his nails, I pulled his fingernails out, and I surgically removed his kneecap. I sang 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year' by Andy Williams while doing it. Once he told me, I slit his throat."

As soon as he finished, I barfed up everything I had into the garbage can he gave me. Dear God, he's got a violent, scary, dark mind. It explains a lot, though. 

"Paul... I don't know exactly what to say... " I mutter.

"Other than 'Can I get a napkin to get this vomit off my face?'"

I then noticed the crappy taste left in my mouth and the warm, chunky, disgusting liquid still on my lips. I could tell he noticed my expression, too. He chuckled. "I'll be right back." 

He returned with a warm, wet towel and handed it to me. I pressed it against my lips, wiping them. "Thank you," I said. "Now, all that's left is the taste. Must've been nothing compared to what you saw." 

"Yeah, I'm sorry I did that. I was just so pissed at Darksteel, crushing innocent people's lives. That bastard is gonna taste my mud-caked shoe once I find him, god damn it."

I chuckled and gave him a hug before I left his room. Well, got that off my chest.