| CHAPTER
1: GRAVES
The air in the room
was brisk; like that of an open window.
As the husky man wearing his wife-beater
and boxers trudged to the window, Drew
Graves looked back and saw his wife
Katlin snuggled in her sheets. The
immense feeling of love for the woman
stirred within his heart. Drew loved
his wife. And often, for the last four
years of marriage, despite their not
being able to bare a child, either of
them having terrific jobs, and being
the fat son of a bitch that he is, he
is surprised she has stayed with him
this long.
Closing the door,
he paused, taking the view from his
window in.
All around clouds
filled the sky. Though rather chilly,
with the wind chill high, the birds
were singing and the sky? Well... The
bright sun was beginning to set, that
at an alarming speed considering it
was early morning. So much that Drew
noticed the clouds which were gray beginning
to set in on God’s landscape.
“Orange sky at morn,
sailors take warn. Orange sky at night,
sailors delight.” he murmured.
“Sweetie...” the
soft voice cooed. “Are you okay?”
Drew turned. He
was just starring out the window and
looked back at his wife, smiling. Her
hair was a mess, but... her face glimmered
in beauty. He walked over and kissed
her forehead. “I am great sweetie.”
Their lips then
met, and locked and finally departed,
as Katlin smiled. “I love you Drew.”
“I love you too
hon-” before he could finish the phone
rang. Katlin smiled and reached over
for the nightstand. Picking up the
cordless receiver, she clicked the ‘Phone’
button.
“The Graves Residence?
Yes?” Katlin’s voice dropped. Drew
looked at her, as she gave an odd face.
“Um, sure. Hold on.” Katlin looked
at him, covering the end, she leaned
closer. “It’s the police. FBI.”
Drew perked up,
but not in a good way. The perk was
the kind that made you go “What the
fuck?” and for this, Drew hesitantly
received the phone from his wife’s hands.
“Yes, this is Drew
speaking?”
*****
Drew Graves, his
hair combed and parted on the side looked
down at his shirt. It was an old shirt.
Tight. He looked up, trying to notice
anyone looking at his overweight appearance.
But no one in the New York Police station
dared turned to give him a notice in
anyway. Drew was a man of appearance,
and had been since Kindergarten. It
was funny. Brilliant but fat. A curse.
The curse though
turned to be good, for hence is how
he met Katlin. Katlin was a model trying
to make it big into the business.
Realizing that being a model for ever
or even being a movie star is hard work
and not a reliable career, she turned
back to college. And there, in Professor
Melton’s History class, she met Drew.
Who accidentally ran into her, outside
of the history forum.
Katlin was walking
towards the elevator to head to another
class where she spotted the obese Drew.
She sat down, for it seemed the elevators
was having problems. And as she did
so, she started up a conversation.
Soon the conversation blew into a whirlwind
romance. After dating almost three
years the couple soon wed.
So there Drew sat,
smiling at his good fortune. In the
last couple years, he had slimmed down
a great deal, looking decent, and his
wife was pretty. And though he was teaching
at college, and she was a receptionist
and didn’t fare well with the money,
the love is what mattered.
These thoughts vanished
as an African American woman outstretched
her hand. “Hello... Mr. Graves, right?”
“Yes. You are?”
“I am Miss Mazzello,
of the FBI. Do you know why you are
here? Did the correspondent on the phone
clue you in?”
Drew looked at her.
Something serious was going down. Fuck...
it was the FBI for Christ's sake.
“I take it you don’t.”
“Not one clue.”
Drew nodded.
“Follow me, Mr.
Graves.” Mazzello motioned, and Drew
got up from his chair and followed her
down the small walk-way of desks. Entering
an office, she again motioned, but for
the chair. “Sit down, please.”
Drew complied.
“Do you know of
a Professor Russo?”
“Jimmy... yeah!
I do.. why? Is something wrong?”
“Do you know of
any of his dealings with a crime syndicate?”
“No...” Drew shook
his head, but jerked his head up, doing
a double take. “Wait.. a crime syndicate?”
“Yes. The Farley
Brothers Gang. They are small time
compared to some of the other local
gangs, like the Altecians and the Puzorelli
Family. It did consist of the two Farley
Brothers, until the older brother, Dominick
was murdered. Now Rocco leads the family.”
“Holy shit... and
you think Jimmy had something to do
with that stuff?”
“Yes. I do.” Mazzello
opened the door and with her hands motioned
for something. Mazzello turned back
around, closing the door and sat down
in the uncomfortable metal chair across
from Drew. “So... what was this thing
you guys were working on?”
“Plasticosis. Top
secret. Can’t really talk about it.
But... I will give you any information
I can give if it helps your case.”
Drew paused as if in thought. “If you
tell me what your case is. I still
don’t know what happened?”
“Mr. Graves, your
partner was murdered last night. His
finger was shot off and a bullet was
found thru his head. He died around
five-thirty, six-o’clock in the morning.
The lab was torn apart, and the only
thing we found at the very least interesting,
was...” she too paused, until a door
opened and another agent showed a bag
with a rat inside of it. “This. Now...
Mr. Graves.. we already analyzed this
evidence here. And we’ll bring you
back in for further questioning, but
we figure you may need this. It has
been said by other colleagues that Mr.
Russo never wrote down much of his findings
unless in the presence of others.”
“You’re right. But...
I mean.. are you sure your guys did
there thing with it? I mean... I’d hate
to-”
“Consider it a favor
from me to you. Considering all the
facts coming in, we wanted to let you
know that this happened, and of course
you are a suspect.”
“A suspect?” Drew
looked at her. Shocked. In disbelief.
Mazzello saw this and nodded. “Well...
if you need any assistance, I will help
you 100%.”
“Well.. when can
we question you next week? Any day in
particular?”
“I was going to
go out of town for my wife’s honeymoon.
We have had this planned for the longest
time. Reservations were made a year
to two years ago.” Drew looked at her
studying him. “I know that may incriminate
me more, but ask the college heads;
we didn’t begin the research until four
months after i arranged the tickets.”
Mazzello looked
at him and nodded. “You really are
a smart cookie.” She sighed, “but please
know that it’s nothing personal against
you. But we are taking this very seriously.
This could be the thing that could crack
the Farley Brothers Gang up for good.
They have been a thorn in our sides
for years. And we believe if we bring
them down... then the others will follow.”
Drew put his hands
in his coat pocket. “Like dominos.
Take one down, a chain effect occurs.”
“Right,” she murmured,
“I thank you for your time, and... we’ll
get in contact with you about next week.”
Drew’s face grew stern. “You may not
get to go. And for that, I am sorry.”
Sitting there, suspended
in more disbelief as FBI Agent Mazzello
left the room leaving Drew Graves there
by himself.
*****
The door opened
and Drew casually walked in. His face
showed no expression, which made Katlin
curious. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“Everything. We’re
not going to be able to leave for our
anniversary trip.”
“what do you mean?”
“Sweetie... Jimmy..
was found dead. They think it’s a crime
syndicate, but I am a possible suspect
as well. And next week they need me
for questioning.” He saw her face grow
more and more melancholy.
“I’m sorry for Jim...
but damn it Drew...” she whined, “you
have kept prolonging this trip for us
for too long. I am tired of all this
waiting. And there is no refund for
those damn tickets...” Katlin sneered.
“Hun, I am really,
really sorry.” Drew pleaded. He walked
to her and took her hand. She seemed
bitter, and Drew knew this was going
south.
“Sometimes you just--”
Katlin stopped. “Drew... I’m sorry.
It’s not your fault... but...” And she
left the living room, leaving Drew there
by himself.
Drew looked at a
picture of them, during their wedding
day. “Great. Just fucking great.”
CHAPTER
2: IMPORTANT ISSUES
The TV Reporter
adjusted her mike as she continued to
speak, infront of the huge and gothic-like
Church of Saint Michaels in New York
City.
“As the event continues,
Congress continues to debate whether or
not any church in the country is as
a safe haven. Last month, in a church
in Atlanta Georgia, a Minister of a
Baptist Church who gave sanctuary to
a criminal, was arrested for--”
The screen faded
and a new picture presented itself,
that of the Crocodile Hunter, Steve
Irwin. “Crikey! Look at this one, isn’t
it a beaut!!!” the thick Australian
accent echoed thru the deep and dank
Sewer Lair.
“Thanks for turning
that crap off. Yeuck.” the turtle as
Raphael exclaimed, looking at Michelangelo,
who had the remote control in his hand.
Raphael was sitting on the couch, waxing
his sai. On his left eye, a blindfold
remained, and some scar above his left
side of his beak.
“Ah, but tis an
important issue, Raphael.”
Raphael turned back
and saw the wise master and rat, Splinter,
leaning on his cane, gasping for breath.
The wise rat slowly walked for the chair
and fell back into the chair. Raphael
noticed his sensei's small and silent
grunt of pain when his rump hit the
cushion of the chair. Either way, Raphael
had his view. “Why? It’s called separation
of Church and State.”
The rat did not
answered, but Michelangelo did. “Dude,
there is nothing on. At all. I mean,
not even Powerpuff Girls. “
“Tell me about it.”
As the two turtles
on the couch began to discuss the argument
of what’s on, and what they are going
to watch, the wise rat shifted his aging
eyes to the corner. There, sitting
down in a chair, alone, was a mutant
turtle like Raphael and Mike, but...
different. He is metal. Donatello
was a cyborg, with only one hand, half
of a leg and his face the only parts
that continued to sport any green flesh.
Splinter noticed how his only eye was
shifted downward, and his other mechanical
eye, wasn’t even glowing red. Splinter’s
head turns as Leonardo enters the room,
headband and other gear in tact.
“So what’s new in
the world of Leonardo? Oo-oo... let
me guess. You were out panhandling for
change again and someone bit your hand
off.”
The turtle looked
at Raphael, sneering with displeasure.
Leonardo only had one hand, since he
was foolish enough to jump over the
pit full of komodo dragons instead of
taking a different path and dodging
them all together. His left though did
stood a stump with some sort of metal
latch, which was available for battle.
And on his belt, hanging from his right
side of his plastron, was the bag containing
that plastic hand.
The leader of the
turtles looked at them all but Donatello.
“Come. It’s time for our night watch.”
his eyes grew towards his sensei. “And
Master... try to get some sleep tonight.”
And the turtle’s beak smiled as Michelangelo
stood up and tied his headband around
his eyes.
Placing his sai
in it’s holster on his brown rugged
belt, he turned back at Donatello.
“Come on Donnie.”
The sorrowful voice
echoed in the lair. “I don’t feel like
coming with you all tonight.”
“Great. All we
need. Is the physco turtle crying.”
“That’s not cool
Raph.”
“No...Shut up Mike.
for the last month to two months, Arnie
the Terminator here has been staying
behind, sitting on his big cyborg-ass.
”
“I am sorry, but
I do not wish to go on patrol tonight.”
the voice said muffled from the turtle’s
beak which still was facing downwards.
“That’s fine. Cos
you know what, very frankly we don’t
need you anymore.”
“Raphael!” Leonardo
said, grabbing his brother’s shoulder.
“Quit it.” he whispered.
“Get your damn one
hand off me!” Raphael threw his shoulder
up alittle bit, releasing it from Leo’s
grip. “Let’s just leave. Damn it.
I am tired of him sitting around here
and sulking all the time.”
And with that, Raphael
left the lair, leaving Michaelangelo
behind. Mike looked upon Splinter who
sighed, and then at Donatello. His face
still was looking down. “Crap.” he
whispered to himself as he left the
lair, to catch up with his brothers.
The water splashed
between Mike’s feet, as he ran thru
the sewer system to catch up with Leo
and Raph. “What the hell is your problem,
Raph?”
“Yeah, Raphael.
That was completely uncalled for.” Leonardo
agreed.
“You know what...
I am tried of us every night busting
our balls going out for night watch,
and he just sits there like a bump on
a fucking log. And it’s frustrating.”
“Oh so it doesn’t
piss us off when you go off training
with the Foot Clan.”
“You leave them
out of this, Leo.”
“Hell no. The point
is, we need him as much as we need you.”
Leonardo said, grabbing the ladder with
his one hand. Michelangelo watched
as he climbed up with one hand. Raphael
followed, and then so did Mike.
*****
Drew looked outside
the window of his classroom, then back
at the students. “Well... time is up.
Now get the hell outta here and enjoy
your Christmas break.”
The college students
like cattle, stampeded out of the lecture
hall. One though, in particular trotted
up to Drew. As Drew turned to meet
the student face to face, he noticed
his appearance, that of a ‘nazi’ poster
boy, with blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Professor
Graves..."
“Yes?”
“I’m Brody Marcus.
Remember?”
“Oh. Yes. I remember
now. You got me that supply of--”
“Yeah. That’s me.
I was wondering how the whole Plasticosis
thing was going.”
Drew looked at him
silently. His question hit a nerve,
for all the memories of Jimmy hit him
like a tour deforce. The pit in his
stomach vanished as he answered. “Things
are going fine. Great actually. Despite
some minor setbacks.” And Drew felt
his eyes water. “But.. things are carrying
on. In case we didn’t thank you for
your help...”
“Yeah. Sure. I gotcha.”
Brody said. “Well.. I was curious if
I could see you test it out. You know.”
“No way. First
off, you’re not allowed. Second... you’ve
seen my wife. We’re going to leave
tonight. I have to drop off the experiment
off in a lab facility out of town and
then we’re heading out.”
“Yeah, your anniversary
thing. Right?”
Drew chuckled at
that. “Yeah. Our anniversary thing.”
Drew began to shuffle his papers into
place. He nodded at his TA and then
at Brody. “Have a good break ladies
and gents.”
With that, Drew
left the lecture hall, leaving Brody
Marcus and the teaching assistant standing
there.
CHAPTER
3: GRAVES
Drew Graves looked
over at Katlin with pleasure and love.
Katlin on the other hand, wasn’t so
happy.
“Sweetie, try to
be happy. We’re still going on our trip.”
“Of course. A week
early. Three days short. And don’t forget
to add the whole god damn part about
dropping something off at the lab!!”
Drew sighed mentally.
He hated her acting like this. But,
he knew that she was right. But he
wanted and has been promising to take
her to Flordia for a long time now,
that he decided that to fit in time
of the FBI questioning session to come
up next week, maybe this was the best
way to handle the situation. As the
snow trickled down and the skies became
dark, Drew started the car and looked
over at Katlin.
“I love you.”
Katlin smiled lightly,
and then turned at him. “I love you
too Drew.”
And the car took
off.
The hour passed
by... the city was behind them now,
as the country roads not only beckoned,
but were there in front of them. The
snow still fell, but slowly. As he
drove by the snow-laiden ground, a large
shadow was ahead of him. “Did you
see that?”
“See what?”
“THAT!!” Drew screamed,
swerving the steering wheel to miss
the mysterious shadow standing in the
middle of the road.
Outside his window,
the horizons did flips. Hitting the
ground was the worst part, and feeling
as if something broke the front window.
Or was it the back?? The worst part
wasn’t the feeling of the car landing
on it’s tires and hitting the tree,
it was the sound of it all. Opening
his eyes, Drew looked at the blood on
his hands. “Katlin.. oh god.. are you
okay?” As Drew looked over he saw no
sign of Katlin.
“KATLIN!??!” he
cried. The pain in his gut and an ache
in his chest began to swell. Drew undid
his seat belt and opened the car door.
As he tried to stand, he felt the cool
watery snow between his fingers. And
yet, his left leg was warm. Looking
down, he saw his left leg bleeding profusely.
“Katlin...” was the only thing he could
muster. Grabbing the door for strength,
he stood up slowly, as if an elder man
hurting his hip.
Turning, slowly,
his hands shaking, he saw a body barely
breathing; beautiful blonde hair and
the figure of Katlin. “Katlin... god...
Katlin..” his muttering continued.
As he took a step away from the car
door, falling to the snow, he began
to crawl.
Pausing as the sound
of a gun, Drew fell to his back, gasping
for the pain in his leg was intensified
and he looked back up. He wasn’t shot,
like he thought. But there holding
a gun in the air, was a figure in the
distance. Not the same that was in
the center of the road. But in front,
were two bodyguards it seemed.
“Good job.” The
mysterious voice called. “Shame it
was this that had to get your attention
Mr. Graves. You’d think you’d see us
standing by the car.”
“Where is the Plasticosis?”
the one body guard called. He held
the gun out. The other stepped forward
holding a different gun of sorts. A
plasma gun. It seemed. Drew then remembered
the FBI talking to him about the Farley
Brothers Gang.
Drew’s laughter
filled the air, as the tears strolled
down his face, hitting the snow underneath
him.
“We want the Plasticosis,
Drew. For my boss needs the power that
it can provide.”
“That hasn't been
100% proven yet though! You are like
giving a drug that cures Cancer, but
you have no idea what it does!” Drew
cried, “I was just making sure the formula
was safe while I was gone for my--”
“We don’t wanna
hear your sob stories here buddy. We
just want it. Where is it.”
Drew continued to
chuckle amidst the tears. “It’s in
the fucking trunk. Just let me check
my wife and see if she is okay. Please!
I’ll get it for you..”
“Very well Graves.
Do as you wish.”
As Drew rolled back
over on his stomach, he began using
what strength he had in his arms to
his dying wife. As he pulled himself
closer, he heard the three figures behind
him whispering. Ignoring their chitter-chatter,
he finally drew himself upon Katlin.
Katlin’s side was cut with a piece of
glass from the front window.
The loud explosion
of the car went off, and as Drew covered
Katlin’s face, he lifted his head up,
the tears flowing from his eyes. He
saw that the explosion woke Katlin.
“Dre..w..”
Drew looked at her
lovingly. As he laid his head down
upon her chest, he felt the heartbeats
separate themselves farther and farther
apart. He was losing her. “God...
I love you.” he gasped for air between
his sobbing, and then began to mumble
silently, “The Lord’s Prayer”. “Our
father, who art in heaven... hallowed
be thy name. Thy kingdom come, they
will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And
forgive us of our trespasses, as we
forgive those who trespass against us-”
“Have you found
it yet, Graves?” the mysterious figure
hissed, pulling our a cigar and a lighter.
“-- amen.” Drew
hugged her, as Katlin smiled at him,
running her hands, spackled with blood,
lovingly through his hair. As she did
so, he looked up and saw a vial. the
vial was bubbling with gray liquid.
The accident must of sent some of the
Plasticosis out of the trunk.. He remembered
as he left the school lab that he made
one vial. Or was it two? Three? Four??
He didn’t know anymore. Too much was
flashing thru his mind. Too many memories.
So much pain; physical and mental. Reaching
for the vial, he poured it into her
mouth. “Drink sweetie. It’d be the only
way to save you. Being that it’s a form...
of.. suspended animation...” and she
drank. He then bent down, and kissed
her. Finding the strength, he began
to stand up.
“Lisen,
I’ll give you anything else you want.
This formula but anything else as well!
Just don’t hurt me or my wife anymore...
please god...”
“Sure,
sure.” the one bodyguard like figure
said.
Drew
finally gasped for air, and begged the
pain wouldn’t last anymore in his leg.
Popping the trunk open from his key
chain, he gasped in fear as he saw the
trunk’s interior. Luggage. No sign
of the vial. Further study of the trunk,
saw the back seat was down, leaving
some of the luggage in the back seat.
“Damn it.” He climbed inside the trunk,
and saw the two vials. As the flames
on the hood continued to burn, he sighed
to himself. “Shit, shit, shit!!” Drew
wasn’t a vulgar man, but this was pissing
him off. He didn’t know how much more
of this he had to take. He just wanted
to get out of the car and check on his
wife. He could have saved her.
As
he reached for the two vials, he saw
two more on the floor. Grabbing the
two in view, he began to reach for the
other one, stretching, he felt a pain
shoot down his left leg. His head up,
howling, he saw that Katlin was gone
from her spot on the snow. A trail
of blood remained. Looking back at
his leg, he only saw through the back
windshield the Mysterious Figure and
only one of the bodyguards.
“No...”
came the silent prayer from the husky
figure in the car as he kept reaching
for the two other vials on the floor.
Grabbing one and adding to his other
hand, and doing the same with the other
vial, he smiled. He could get out,
give them the formula and go home.
As he started to maneuver himself back
from the middle fo the front seat and
back seat, in the right side mirror,
he saw a plasma-gun aim down and fire,
and a large blast of blood shot upward.
“FUCK!!!!”
As
the scream echoed from the car, the
man aimed the gun at the car, and the
plasma shot went off. As the blast
hit the tree branch above the car, the
guard looked at his comrades. “Ut oh.
I didn’t mean to.”
Drew
looked up and felt a heavy weight hit
his entire body, before he felt everything
around heat up.
“Good
job you dumb fuck!!!” said Brody Marcus,
holding the cigar in his hand as the
branch hitting the engine made the car
explode in green and blue flames. “The
boss is going to be pissed!!! Jesi Crisi!!!”
“Bruno!”
“I
am sorry! It scared me!” Kirby smacked
Bruno on the head as Bruno sighed.
“You
know that everything was in the car!!”
Marcus hissed. Marcus reached into
his side and pulled out of his jacket
a Billy club. “Come here you dumb piece
of--”
Bruno
was struck in the side and he fell to
the ground. The first sight though,
when hitting the ground, wasn’t the
snow, but was the metal looking woman.”
The second hit came to his shoulder
blade and hurt like a bitch. “Boss...”
“Whoa...
Brody... look it!” Brody paused, looking
at Kirby and then past Bruno’s pointing
finger. There lied Katlin, a hole in
her head, but her body was slowly turning
a shiny metal color. Brody walked
across and felt the gray part of her
legs.
“Plastic.”
Brody said hesitantly.
“Holy
shit...”
“I
know Kirby. An Amazing fucking side
effect we have here.” Brody said, puffing
his cigar. “Either way, she could remain
useful for our benefit. Meaning we
won’t get a hit on us for she is the
evidence that whatever the hell it is,
it does something... this Plasticosis.”
Brody kneeling at Bruno, smirked. “And
due to the fact that you fucked this
all up, you are going to finish the
job. Clean up this mess. “ Standing,
he pointed at Kirby, “Get the girl,
and take her back to the car. We’ll
take her to the boss.” Marcus began
walking back, flicking the ash from
his cigar and then paused. “Oh and
Bruno... call one of the boys, and they’ll
come pick you up.”
Bruno
watched as Kirby held the now completely
shiny plastic girl away in his arms.
The silence of the night filled the
air. Bruno held his side, as he picked
the plasma gun up with his other hand.
Looking at the car aflame, he saw the
pretty colors the flames omitted. Green,
red and blue.
“I
never saw a fire like that before.”
he said to himself, as he began to access
the situation. As he was doing so,
with his pee-brain in fourth gear, a
loud creaking sound was heard. Looking
around, he saw no source of the noise.
Maybe the car? Nah. It couldn’t be.
Could it?? Sure. The car is melting.
And so, it’s just melting into a big
pile of mush.
As
Bruno turned his body and his attention
away from the car, the sound continued
once again, but this time, longer.
Bruno turned and saw a hand amidst flames,
push away the car.
“What
the hell?” escaped the well-built man’s
lips, as the hand continued to push
it’s way out of the flaming wreckage,
enough to display a full body. “Are
you that... Fantastic Four guy? I thought
you were fake?”
The
figure was huge, and was covered in
green and blue and red flames. The
flames though were hitting the ice evaporating
into smoke, as if the fat off his body
was slowly burning away. “Fake..?”
were the only words the deep and low
craggy voice could present.
“Stay
away! Are you that Graves guy?”
“Kate...
lin...”
“Yeah.
That was the girl’s name! Wasn’t it?
Katlin?” The creature’s eyes seemed
child-like. Bruno smiled back and chuckled.
“Sure! She’s fine. The boss took her
to his boss.”
“Katlin.”
the creature said again, clearer. It
sounded artificial and deep in tone.
“Yeah.
That’s the whore’s name.”
The
child-like eyes, dampened up, and then
seemed angry. As the flames surrounding
the creature’s body rose, Bruno stepped
back.
“I
mean, that was the girl’s name. You
are Drew, aren’t you?”
The
creature stepped forward, snarling.
“You killed Katlin.” the voice continued,
repeating the phrase again, as if finding
his bearings. “You Killed Katlin!!!!”
Again it hissed, stepping closer. “YOU
KILLED KATLIN!!!”
“I
didn’t!! I mean, I did, but the boss
made me! Kirby made me!”
The
creature stepped forward , clenching
it’s fist in fear. Anger. Pain. Love.
“YOU
KILLED KATLIN! YOU KILLED KATLIN! YOU
KILLED KATLIN! YOU KILLED KATLIN!!“
The creature’s voice echoed in Bruno’s
head, and would so for eternity, as
his body was disintegrated by the large
blast from the creature’s hand.
::
Chapters 4-6
::
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