Grave of a Thousand Nuclei - Part 1

The streets were cold and unforgiving on the night in question.
They were slick, fake, and solid cold like the future in a car commercial.
I met Hazel around the corner at an atomic vomitorium.
I think the place was called Sal’s or Ace’s or something like that.
Anyway, when she walked in, her skin was rich with all sorts of protrusions and lacerations, and decadent bruising.
I was shocked. I couldn’t believe the Operative partnered with her would do something like this. And she was way too good to be caught behind enemy lines.
So, what gives?

The horns of an insect queen burrowed into my consciousness.
Some demon had taken hold.
Begging for the rare steam of deep space travel.
Lonely in my dull and tattered infections.
I ached and moaned for the release of a nightmarish death.
Something had made me...corrupted.