The Mutatio Disease

Sector Twenty-Five

- - - - Sector Twenty-Five - - - -

- - - - Part One - - - -

You Have To Listen First

    The wind whistled and tore at my hood as I fell, arms and legs spread in a skydiver position. The railing of the fire escape nearby detached and flew toward me, wrapping around my wrist. I swung with it onto the roof of a smaller building, rolling to my feet and racing for the other edge. My eyes were locked onto the burning building a block away. Someone began to scream in the alley beside my location. Without hesitation, I switched targets and leaped off of the roof and landed on the ground below, my metal-soled boots slowing my fall.

   Luke whirled around with a snarl, dropping into a crouch and baring his teeth. His hair was matted down and soaked and his eyes as white as his t-shirt. The couple he had cornered in the alley shrank back, the woman sobbing into the man's arms. Neither looked infected. I straightened, putting my hands up slowly. Luke was wearing his mask. How? How could he have been wearing it during a dream haze?

   I didn't have time to question it. "Luke, Luke calm down. It's me. I need you to wake up."

   His lip curled further and he stepped backwards. The couple shivered away from him. Hearing the siren of a fire truck race past, I knew I couldn't stay long. "Luke, listen! You've hazed over and you're attacking innocents. You need to get back your control--"

   Something about what I said triggered him. He snarled and swiped his hand. My body stiffened up like a board, jaw snapping shut. I growled and the trash-can flew into his head. My body eased up and I swung the bo-staff at his head harshly. He went down, dazed. His eyes stubbornly remained white.

   "Get out of here!" I ordered the couple. They didn't hesitate, bolting out of the alley. Luke staggered to his feet, white eyes narrowed as he lunged. I froze again and his hands locked around my throat. My bo-staff repeatedly hit him over the head until he staggered away. Gasping in air, I threw my rope forward and tied it around him. "Luke, wake the hell up! Remember how you promised me that soda two days ago? I'm still waiting on it!" Trigger human memories. Come on.

   That gave him pause, his body tightening and eyes shifting toward me. Their regular brown started to come through. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the reminder of his memories had triggered it. "Good. Remember Lan? He beat you at that game, too. You owe him too--"

   The smell of smoke filled my senses. Before, it was the scent of the burning buildings. This time, it had a certain tang I recognized as Logan. Relieved, I turned to face him. "Thank God! I was worried I was the only--"

   Arms caught me around my throat tightly. Shocked, I bucked my hips and threw my elbow back. It hit my attacker's face, but he didn't let go. Panic seeped into my head as I staggered, trying to free myself. My lungs burned for air. A fuzzy crack appeared across my vision. My memories flashed back a year, to the Underground. To when I hazed over. Screeching, I fisted both hands and flung them out.

   My attacker was thrown away by the metal on them. I fell onto my knees, sucking in air, and looked as Logan stood up. His mask was on, too. His eyes stood out against the black mask -- entirely white. I growled, staggering up. "You idiot. You just about -- you know what? How about I just kick some sense into your ass, huh?" Then I lobbed the whole trash can at him. He vanished into smoke just as I froze up, thanks to Luke. Logan reappeared beside me and tried to catch my throat again. I threw him backwards by the metal zipper on his jacket. Luke lunged and I barely knocked him aside with another dumpster.