Each slam and crunch and shout and crash serves as reminders to the unbridled chaos that never seems to stop erupting--until it does.

Kieran isn't sure how to respond to Ben's call. Is he alive? In the most basic sense of the word, yes. Does he want to be alive right now? No comment. It's tough to articulate even an iota of what he's feeling, especially since he's far too tired to try and discern those emotions for himself, let alone for anybody else.

So he settles for a defeated grunt, still gently petting at Princess Thug, counting on the texture of soft fur to keep him from completely shutting down.

But hey, it can only get better from here, right?