We are definitely spread too thin, thought Da Godfadda, studying the computer screen.

The screen glowed with the current map of New Idaho, and the boundaries of the factions who have callously sliced up countryside for their own personal use.

Definitely, too thin, he thought again as his eyebrows furrowed. He glanced at the Thompson machine gun leaning in the corner of the room to reassure himself that the Family was ready for anything. Not a very reliable gun, Da Godfadda knew that, but it had... sentimental value. A smile knifed its way across Da Godfadda's face.

The ToneMeister had returned to the homelands of New Idaho from the reconnaissance in Cali a few months ago, but the weaponry he brought back... The BoneHeadz knew it was tasty. The recreational herbs and fungus' were tastier. But most importantly, the ToneMeister brought back a new recruit. That was good, because right now, the Family was in need of extra hands.

Da Godfadda was worried though. It has been a while since Uncle and D. went east in search of new recruits. The last the Family had heard was that they had two new pennies... and that their training has begun. But that was months ago. And still no word.

But what really worried Da Godfadda was the flashes received on the puter from the Commander. The Commander was south on reconnaissance also, and apparently, he had gone further south than the Family expected. The crudely encrypted squirts over the line about beverages, women, and Hell.

He's gonna get himself killed, thought Da Godfadda.

His fingers danced across the keyboard, and the puter pulled up the last message from Commander Bonehead, and it quite simply read, after decryption: Top o' the world Godfadda.

Da Godfadda's eyes became hooded.

Yep, he thought, he is definitely gonna get himself killed.

* * * * *

The shapely, topless, dark-haired girl in a g-string danced on the bar, darkly grinning at the dead man on the floor. The broken mirror behind the girl reflected a twisted, broken world. The bar was nearly empty.

"Dammit, Scar," the bartender told the lone figure at the end of the bar, "there ain't no more large mirrors in this fuckin town anymore."

Commander Bonehead grinned at the mention of his new name. It has been a while since he had shown up in Helltown. He liked the color of red it had become. He knew he should return back north, but Scar was having too much fun in Hell. Ripping the Old Corruption from this town like a lion tearing the guts from a zebra, the Commander had finally installed his New Corruption. Hell was his.

The girl stepped down from the bar, to a stool, and jumped down. The Commander carefully noted her grace, then took a sip of his Wild Turkey.

"Scar," the bartender said, "I am getting tired of gluing this goddamn mirror back together. The town is running out of glue. Do you know what the price of Elmers is anymore? And that's the cheap stuff!"

The girl slipped on a shirt and walked down to the end of the bar.

"Scar," she said, wrapping her arms around his chest, then sliding off to the side to sit on the stool next to him, "tell me, again, how much you love me."

"Ariana," the Commander said, "I love you more than you will ever know."

He turned and looked at her, and she smiled at him.

"When are you going to marry me," Ariana asked him, slid her hand down his back.

"Darlin'," the Commander said to her, "I have always been married to you, you know that... now, please put the knife away."

Her eyes went scared and two shots rang out from beneath the bar.

The Commander tucked the 9mm Beretta in the waist of his pants and looked down at Ariana, then at the hunting knife that laid a few feet away.

The bartender leaned over the bar and said, "Scar, I thought you loved her?"

"I did," replied the Commander.

Silence.

"You okay?" asked the bartender.

"Yeah," said the Commander, "but what worries me is... where did she hide the knife?"

* * * * *

Da Godfadda sat in the chair, sleeping in the darkness, as the puter kept humming.

The puter squeaked, and Da Godfadda jumped out of his chair, pulling the Mini-14 assault rifle from his lap, and the red laser sight swept the room.

He tapped the keyboard.

It was a new message from the Commander

The screen went black, and slowly a revolving skull appeared, then faded away. And in the middle of the black screen, three small words appeared.

It simply read: life is hell.