They took them away from me.

Every time I close my eyes, every time I walk, talk, and breathe...I remember them.

And how they took them away from me.

My little girl. They took my little girl!

Carla.

My hand tightens on the black sacred book. My only link to her, besides my mind. I hear her laughter when I was with her. How many months ago? Years? It cannot be years. It feels like a century.

I feel like I am going crazy. If I am not already.

I hear her, trusting me, proudly saying when she discovered, that night...that dreadful night, "My Daddy's a spy!"

How I wish I wasn't.

When I hear that, there comes the automatic follow.

Her screams of terror. Her horrified expression, when I tried to save her. Curse the gods! How DARE they take my child, my BABY, when I could have gone there instead of her.

I have no more reason to live.

My hands tighten once more, until I feel the blood almost stop flowing inside my gloves.

Revenge.

They did not help me when I needed their help. I had done my job, but they left me in the time of danger! How DARE they?!

Of course, there is this little matter of Dr. Quest and his pesky kids. They CANNOT possibly understand the feeling of losing a wife and a child all in one day!

I open the Book, carefully running my hand over the pages...

Over the pictures.

They are smiling at me, and I see myself, my arms around them, smiling also. It has been a long time since I smiled. I wonder how it feels now.

I have to find some way for them to stop trying to stop me from getting vengeance.

I seethe, feeling the wind blow across my face. I pull down my hat, and my coat waves with a fluid motion.

That Quest kid...

His hair reminds me so much of Carla. And that girl, Jessie. She's too high-spirited...which is how I imagine Carla to be if she hadn't...

There is a lump in my throat. I should not be caught up in this situation.

I should not dwell too much. They have fooled me more than once...and I have no desire for it to happen once more.

I will get my revenge. I am already acting on it.

This time, I have developed a chemical that if I pour into the main dam, it will spread...killing thousands of people.

I do not care anymore. Ever since they took the people I cared for from me.

I turn around, pulling the hat lower below my eyes, below my scar. My disciples eye me curiously as I make my way back.

"You okay, Boss?" one asks.

I look up, feel the sunlight fall into my face...my scarred face.

I feel something bizarre enter me. I feel giddy, and I have the urge to laugh and tell them that the world, or most of the population of it will soon die.

Instead, I give a grim smile. "I've never been better." I turn to them, raising a hand. "Come! The end of the world is at hand."

I walk towards the truck with them following me.

Carla, I promise silently, this is for you. I won't let them win.

So sayeth the Book of Rage.