OSW // ISSUE #003
Normal life since the gang days was day after was farm and family for Jack Morgan. For what felt like years, he'd lived on this farm with his son, John, and wife, Mary-Beth.
Jack found himself on this day finishing up cleaning his barn when a dust storm began to whip up. Before he could make a break for the house, the storm was on him.
But it was wrong... all wrong. The dust was crimson and tasted of iron, like blood, in the distance, a glowing red light had sprung up as if Satan himself were beckoning to him.
Jack pulled his bandana over his face and affixed his hat on his head and began to stumble in the direction of the light when he heard it, a scream that cut through him, causing his skin to crawl.
It was at that moment that Jack would come to know as a Cyberdemon burst through the thick red cloud of dust.
Its visage was enough to stop Jack in his tracks, his hand quickly dropped to his six-shooter and unloaded all six shots into the creature.
But all the Cyberdemon did was load up for a shot with the energy weapon grafted to his arm.
"Duck, Jack." A voice rang out in his head, acting on that message, Jack dropped as the laser went over his body.
"Run." The voice in Jack's head urged, and he bolted, moving toward the crimson light in the distance as crimson lightning struck the ground in front of him.
"Who're you?" Jack asked breathlessly.
"We are the Doomed, much like you... Deadeye." Jack stopped dead in his tracks. It had felt like eons since he had heard that name... since the Gang.
Jack pushed the thought out of his mind and desperately pushed forward through the rust-colored dust storm, dodging monsters and fire through this hell that'd descended upon him so suddenly.
His thoughts go to his wife and son, and for an all-too-brief moment he turns to see his house a blaze through the hazy dust storm.
"They're gone, Deadeye, they've been gone for some time." The Doomed's voice rings in his head.
Suddenly, Jack felt weak, he staggered as he looked down and saw blood... "Bullet holes?"
Jack thought to himself as he clutched his gut before dodging a swipe from a Dread Knight as he pushed himself toward the pulsing red light.
Jack dove into the light, closing his eyes tight, and fell into darkness.
"Welcome home, Deadeye." The voice said as the darkness consumed him.
Deadeye opened his eyes, and he was breathing on the edge of a cliff as the sun was setting in the west.
He looked down, his shirt and jacket were filled with holes and ringed in dried blood.
"You're one of us now." The voice echoed in his head for a final time as a fire burned like flickering candles behind his eyes.
What had become of him, and was he in fact... Doomed?