"...Jenna..."

Glory Gal didn't want to turn; she couldn't bear the thought of what she would see, to see the giant that had fought and protected her for so long... was not getting up. The tigress slowly turned with her eyes red hot, tears coursing from each.

"... Goliath..."

She stared into the one, beaming eye of the machine, which flickered on and off randomly. Sparks flew from his shattered head, and down his body. Armor had been ripped away to reveal circuitry and hydraulic fluids splattered his rust red frame like blood. He dwarfed her, now, even when he laid crumpled on the ground.

"... Do not... let them... see your tears..."

Goliath rumbled weakly at Glory Gal, his one, functioning hand scraping against the ground as it went to her. It fell onto the back, palm up, and Glory Gal immediately climbed into it. THe hand gently curled about her, and the tigress sobbed as she held onto the machine's index finger. Goliath kept speaking.

"Stand... strong. Stand... proud. You will live..."

The hand began to uncurl. Glory Gal kept clinging to his finger and cried onto the metal. Her tears washed away the dust on his finger.

"Goliath... must... rest..."

Glory Gal shook her head rapidly and pleaded.

"Goliath, don't leave me. Goliath, please!"

A mechanical sigh; a last sign of function. The machine's hand went limp, and his optic went dark.

"GOLIATH!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Space Marine rises up, his black and red armor torn and rent by the blows of his enemies. Elijah Vanderbilt looks over the corpses of both friend and foe, many of whom having died by his own hand. The Astartes closes his brilliant green eyes.

" Ave Imperator..."

He raises the combat knife clenched firmly in his left hand. Elijah whispers.

"Forgive me."

The knife plunges into his chest plate, and into his twin hearts. The eyes go blank, and he falls onto his back without another sound.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We... die...

You... live....