A couple years passed, no sign or trace that they follow after them as Alex was alleviated to live a new life with Lucy. Despite the third wheeling Dana, life was pretty good now as they were far and away in a hidden part of Russia, on top of a building that now they owned as Mr. and Mrs. Ruskha.
It was cold and hidden in the depths of the Russia, almost non-populated until Alex helped out to make the city Kemerovo in Russia. The building was now inhabited by 30 residents, a six story apartment complex to which Alex, Lucy, and Dana came to know. Thankfully both Alex and Lucy consumed dangerous Russian folk that wanted to mug them the moment they came here but they proved to be very helpful in knowing the language.
Dana of course didn't even try to learn it and became a shut in to study and learn more of what Blackwatch, Gentek, and the Blacklight virus could give them as well any surviving factions that could be after Alex or Lucy. Meanwhile, the two superhumans made simple jobs and took rent from the inhabitants as well go out there to get a living. It was easy for them as they avoided any attention at all.
The three celebrated the freedom they had and relished how morning would come then spend an entire day working, resting, or just plainly watching TV without the need to watch behind their necks or close windows to hide.
Nothing was coming after them.
That's why now Alex and Lucy were laying together on a mattress outside, watching how it snowed and they could see the greyish calm sky.
It was a blessing to have spend 3 years as such dressed in comfy winter clothes and see the days pass by with a calmness to match. Eat and sleep like this was the life he wished could come true, was now here to stay.
"... Snowy days like these make me feel grateful to still live. Don't you feel the same, Alex?" Lucy asked while being snuggly on top of him by the side as Alex couldn't agree more.
"Wonder what is happening outside? They may have no clue where we are but... those guys won't stop experimenting and doing who knows what." He said, worried and showing an ambition that Lucy understood. He wanted to stop them.
She giggled as she found it so hero like. It was cartoonishly similar even. She could even envision him with a cape too.
She raised her right arm to brush her fingers to his lips "I know. Love. But we can't go out there and find out... especially since..." She whispered, making Alex giddy and feel his stomach jump from excitement.
He brushed his hand over her torso and hugged it close.
"Cuz we have our own little trouble maker right here... hmm?" Alex smiled and rubbed her stomach as Lucy blushed at how happy he was when he found out. He literally jumped out the building and landed head first to then go on and around to leap over buildings like a mad man, the night Illuminated by a half moon as he could be seen as a silhouette. He was the happiest man right then and there.
She was happy too and couldn't believe the test so she took it three times only to see each one bare the two symbols of a positive sign. But also with it... she was scared.
Never did she imagine to be a mother. Not even in the wildest dreams she had. She felt like she just wasn't ready, that she would horribly fail. She was scared for the child that she could feel grow.
Another strange thing is how the voices she once heard now were non-existent. She couldn't even hear a groan or lisp anymore even if she tried to tap into herself and used her vectors.
That was a good thing but by far Alex's joy is what drives her to have a very open and positive outlook to have a boy or girl in a couple more months. She doesn't see her own belly grow but Dana said that many women have different and varying times of how a belly grows. So who knows when she will grow, more so considering that she was now a different organism entirely.
Whenever that was, Alex couldn't care less and gladly waited to see his child with high hopes.
It was fine to have silent days and not be heard or recognized here.
That's when Alex and Lucy jumped from were they where resting to hear the back door of the roof open with a hard bang.
"Can you be any louder, sis-!?" Lucy yelled with shark teeth as Alex giggled at her blatant use of that. He found it so weird to have a girlfriend that knew his family.
Dana however didn't share the same enthusiasm, instead she threw a small radio that had a channel broadcasting a new alarming information happening halfway across the world.
"... 𝘉𝘳𝘳𝘻𝘻𝘻𝘵... 𝘉𝘳𝘳𝘻𝘻𝘻𝘵... -𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘮 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘈𝘵 4:36𝘢𝘮 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵 13, 2009, 𝘢𝘵 𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘶𝘴. 20 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩. 𝘈𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘥 '𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘥 𝘡𝘰𝘯𝘦' 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 '𝘠𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸' 𝘢𝘯𝘥 '𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯' 𝘻𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘨𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘶𝘴. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴, 𝘢𝘵 6..." The radio trailed off and whinning started to be shut off by Dana as Alex had a gaunt look.
He looked down to his feet on the floor as he sat on the edge of the mattress as Lucy got beside him to hug his left arm.
"They never change... since 1964. Ever since Gentek created the Blacklight virus and began to expand that research to create the abominations I fought... What I've become... I fear things will never change. There truly are people that won't stop until they're punched in the face. Or in my case... Blasted by a point blank devastator." Alex said, tired to deal with the real monsters that want to take over with their little virus that seems to mutate further and further.
Lucy brushed her hands up and down his left arm, smiling as she knew what he would say. And she 100% supported him.
"Or... we can deal with it ourselves and be done with that quicker than either can do alone. Have a small trip, blast tanks apart, put down the evil corporations, and come back home safe?" She suggested, smirking as Alex immediately was against the idea.
"I know, I know. I'm pregnant. But..." Lucy said, raising her left arm to make it a claw "Something tells me this and you coming for the ride... makes it nothing more than a small tinsy hassle that won't intrude at all in our mission. Remember, we can't feel safe if those fuckers out there are still alive, can we?" She asked as Alex didn't have a retort.
Who knows what pregnancy can do to Lucy. She hasn't had any of the normal symptoms besides emotional turmoil. Everything else is... just fine.
And she was right on the second point too. He...
No.
They couldn't let those guys get away with their dark experiments and creations go wild. They have to be stopped.
He looked to her eyes as Lucy kissed his lips.
"So, ready to go?" She said, as Dana madr a UwU face, proud to see Lucy be so confident and mentally paired to Alex like that in such a short time.
"Wait wait. You two aren't going anywhere without Aunt Dana blowing down and robbing choppers alright!? I'm coming too-!" Dana said, not wanting to waste here in this cold hell they chose as a 'honeymoon' refuge.
"Dana..." Alex contested before Dana walked over to slap him three times comically
"I'M NOT GOING TO STAY IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, COLD, AND GETTING SICK FROM THE TENANTS THAT SOMEHOW ARE ALIVE HERE-!!! I DON'T EVEN SPEAK RUSSIAN FOR GOD'S SAKE-!!!" Dana defended her decision as Lucy nodded.
"Granny Dhusra can get the payment monthly from the other tenants?" Lucy kindly offered as she wanted her whole family to go and stop this threat. Yes, they were monsters the both of them but a third aid out there can make the difference in the tightest spots.
Alex sighed. Rubbing his temple he looked to his woman and knew that contesting it would be pointless.
"Remember. You are not immortal. You can heal from the most grievous wounds and evolve to even beyond anything that has lived in this world can do. You above me, are the peak of humanity. Always remember why humans are known for more by their actions rather than their words. They can kill anything they put their minds into. Even us. So if you are careful and cautious, then I won't stop either of you. Plus old lady Dhusra is reliable to keep this place in order. Fine" Alex said as he heard Lucy run up from the bed to jump towards Dana who did the same to high five in mid-air.
"Ye-AH!" The women rejoiced as Alex looked to the radio strapped to Dana's hip and wondered... who started this now?
Sadly, he knew no questions he could make now would be answered sitting here or doing anything else besides going out there to investigate what was happening.
Soon the three would leave their far away home to settle the matter against those rude bastards of Gentek and their goons of Blackwatch, knowing damn well they will find many monsters out there in NYC that can possibly be another grasp of power for those bastards.
🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑
Months later:
Inside an armored transport, surveying the deceased land of the Red Zone, a soldier looked in front of him with soldiers sitting in rows beside him. He sat in the back where his arms leaned to his knees and held a knife to check how sharp it was against his own fingers. It made slicing air sounds as each of the soldiers here didn't like being on this patrol mission at all.
But they all had one thing in common. They wanted to die. They had nothing to live for. However despite this, some knew that in this zone a fate worse tha death is more than assured with the Mercer Virus out there.
Not even a year has caused the red zone to slowly morph into an alien like atmosphere upon the destroyed city.
"Ninja Three-Three. This is Shogun, How copy?" A radio buzzed loudly enough for every soldier to hear the one leading their operation.
The soldier driving clicked in his vest held radio "Ballista One-One is Oscar Mike, Eta is two minutes. Maintain present course." He responded as the radio shut off as two soldiers next to the one in the back sharpening his knife huffed in annoyance.
"Why're we even here? Were supposed to be peacekeepers. Handling civilians n' shit. Give this Red Zone bullshit to fucking Blackwatch-!" He said in disdain to the messed up orders and chaos within this whole military operation with Gentek and Blackwatch.
"Shiiiiit... You wanna leave a patrol mission to those fucking Baby killers-!? They'd just as soon blow this city to kingdom come!" The other soldier said, knowing well that Blackwatch had the worst to make sure their missions were accomplished.
The soldier on the back sheathed his knife to the vest sheath he had, annoyed by the talking of these two idiots.
"Yeah, yeah. I heard that man." The soldier acknowledged until the entire armored transport began to have beeping sounds before everyone on the transport felt rocked by what seemed to be a thrown car. This smacked right into the military vehicle to make it flip, disaster ensuing as the soldier with the knife held tightly to not be rattled and dragged across the entirety of this transport, seeing some soldiers have died by the mere collision.
A explosion occured and the world went silent for everyone as sounds of monsters could be heard outside.
Shortly after, the knife soldier opened his eyes to see the horizon like sky and flesh growth near a building. He felt hurt and soar from his body, stained in blood both his and that of his comrades before leaning up to a crouch.
He looked around for danger but saw nothing. He did though heard the radio among the dead soldiers that seemingly got thrown outside the transport including him.
"Three-Three. What is the status of your squad?..." The radio buzzed as vulture like infected creatures soared over this area. The soldier kept going to get the radio to shut the mouth of the idiot that was going to get him killed if this continued.
"Ninja Three Three. This is Shogun. Radio Check."
The soldier with difficulty stood up and coughed to the side before going to the dead driver to see the radio still strapped to his chest
"Ninja Three Three. Do you need Cas-evac?" The radio said before the soldier clicked in to respond
"Shogun. This is Ninja Three-Three." The soldier said as he kept looking around to see some cultures far apart eating dead soldiers. They were too busy with their meal to notice him.
"Copy, Three Three. What's your squad status-?" The radio blipped more quietly as the buzzing stopped. Heller walked passed the dead driver to peek over the destroyed armored transport to see fire and destruction around him. No monsters visible besides the vultures.
"Verifying..." He said, grasping his knife just in case to see anyone alive from his squad but he knew better.
The radio remained silent as then a vulture landed on a car, only to be spooked and immediately flap his wings to get airborne before something seemed to be descending towards the desolate street.
It was a red with golden streaks of mist that blurred he view but upon landing to cause a shockwave, the soldier gritted his teeth in anger to recognize who this was. He was pushed back to his ass but he straddled back to a crouch, angrily pondering what he could do against the man he now as well the rest of the world blames for everything that was happening.
"Holy shit..." Heller radio in his perspective "Alex Mercer." He reported as Shogun gasped and couldn't believe his words.
"Alex mer--!?!?! Oh SHIT-! Red Crown, we've got Alex Mercer in RZ Grid Three-Four-! Repeat: Alex Mercer in AO- RZ Grid Three-Four-! We are waiting for your command!" He reported to high command as the radio made a cryptid shift in tones to then take over for the knife soldier's radio.
As it did, heller saw Alex Mercer carry and knock one handed a destroyed upturned tank stuck in the street to walk over and check soldiers of something he was apparently looking for.
What angered the soldier was that he wasn't serious, angry, or emotionless. In fact... He was mumbling to himself like some kid as he was apparently speaking to someone himself.
Heller got determined and planned to attack.
"Ninja Three-Three, this is Red Crown. We are sending reinforcements to your location. Do not pursue Mercer. Repeat--" a robotic female voice sounded as the soldier wasn't having any of that. He wasn't letting this chance go after all the shit he had to do to finally find him and get his revenge.
He clicked off the radio "Be advised, Red Crown. I'm not in fucking Blackwatch-" he said, running to his target as the unaware Alex was now just making a heart in the sand, a bit depressed that he and Lucy haven't been together as they had been assigned different missions by Dana. She had to go undercover, take someone's place, and tend to the operations going on to know who is in charge while he had to stop the monsters as well as learn from his side who was in charge by fighting Blackwatch goons and military battalions.
Whoever he was also having fun talking to his sister as minutes before being attacked he asked Dana
"-Say... What's a great name for a girl? I was thinking Sasha... Caroline... Or Clementine? And don't you dare say-" Alex said as too late Dana butt in
"How about DANA YOU DOOFUS-!!?!? BEST NAME EVER YOU DUMB VIRUS TWIG-!!!" She insulted as Alex huffed in annoyance.
"Look we both know mom was drunk and somehow thought 'Diana' without an 'i' would sound cool but much how Dad said 'She can learn from her mistakes by going through one' WAS THE MOST FITTING NAME TO A FOREVER ALONE TECH GIRL I'VE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE-!!" Alex childishly roasted out of pure anger as Dana felt heart struck by that.
"WEEAAAAAAAAHHHH-!?!? THAT'S GOING TOO FAR YOU WALKING TUMOR-!!! AND NOW I AM DEFINITELY CONVINCING LUCY TO NAME HER LIKE ME, IDIOT!!!" Dana spat back, having a comedic teary eye before Alex heard footsteps and felt his neck severed, cut through and blood exploding out before he clicked off the comms in his ear.
He didn't say nothing and instead let the soldier see him tense up as his clothes and skin of his neck absorb the blood to heal everything back.
"What the fuck-?!" The soldier exclaimed in disgust and horror before Alex let off a shockwave from his back, the tribal red viral mark shining as he stood up slowly to face the soldier.
The poor combatant was knocked back into the upturned armored transport, falling to his face first and thudding to silence as Alex was on guard but lowered it to see that his knocking shockwave may have knocked him out.
He nodded a no in shame to himself to be so open to attack and walked away, knowing that here none of his questions could be answered.
What Alex failed to notice was that his attack had violently removed his knife and a picture, now wet and upturned into the ground as the soldier through sheer will grabbed the photo while on the ground
He reflected on the pain of seeing his family dead, the only photo he could salvage was that of his daughter which now rested in his hand. If he couldn't get up... he could never uphold the memory of his family again in this life.
He ran up, grasping his knife to charge at Alex. The prototype heard the steps mid walk off including the roar of bravery and was greeted with a knife to the ribs as he unmotivatedly swung his right arm to attempt swatting the soldier off.
Then Alex tried with his left as Heller spun around to stab the top of his back on the tribal mark, then he spun again to stab his torso but Alex did not feel a thing to instead charge both hands to throw him off into the distance.
This sent Heller back with the same shockwave yet the soldier fell to the side only to momentarily remain laid down to then stand back up.
Alex walked over to a car and watched below to see eyes of vengeance in this man.
"What else you've got?" He said, egging this rogue soldier which he knew had the wrong idea ever since he set foot here. He blamed him for something abysmal. And he knew that was dangerous.
That's when Alex got shot up by a flurry of bullets, making him summon his shield to block it and be knocked back by a bizarre force that Alex knew wasn't normal.
The soldier dodged and followed after him, seeing the Chopper up ahead was firing with mounted miniguns manned by two soldiers. The strange him to him was that the expelled bullet casings were fuming red mist.
He didn't pay much attention and followed after even as the radio buzzed.
"Sergeant James Heller. Retreat. Blackwatch has full jurisdiction over the area. Ignoring this order can be penalized by-" a voice over the megaphone of someone aboard called to the soldier who did not even wait, getting out of sight to follow after Mercer as the firing stop.
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
The barrage of bullets stopped as Alex changed his arm back to normal and sighed in anger to feel that hurt and even deformed his white bone and red neon shield.
"Those upgrades are a pain... but still it can't pierce me." He said, only to then see the Chopper come over as he changed his right arm to a blade and his left to be a claw.
He dodged a missile to see the explosion shine yellow before emitting a red mist, spreading across like tear gas as he saw the mist taint the ground to then cause the concrete and debris around this abandoned street battlefield to become coated with fleshy growths.
"So that shit has been weaponzied too..." He said, only to then feel the entire area be airstriked by the same Chopper but with what looked like small cysts that fell off a under chute of the vehicle.
He dodged those masterfully and got out of sight, sensing that Heller had not given up and looked all over for Alex. However the Chopper turned to Heller with a spotlight right on him. Alex saw this opportunity and did not miss.
"Sargeant Heller. You are trespassing Blackwatch territory. You are to hold your position. A personnel carrier is inbound to-"
The prototype charged, going over the Chopper to cut off the blades with his own blade and barged into the spinning ones to make them explode out, crossing over to slice the tail rotor off before changing to his whipfist and firing through the cockpit to kill both the pilot and co-pilot by swiping the elongated blade across the cockpit as it caused an explosion and smoke bellowed out.
Heller saw this and raised his knife in defiance regardless of that abominable display of power.
The Chopper though fell, crashing before and about to slide over Heller yet the soldier ran and slid under to dodge the burning Chopper that then exploded into a fiery pile of metal.
Alex was amazed by that and landed on car to see the soldier.
"You done running!?" Heller asked, willing to fight this monster.
Alex was going to respond until the ground shook. A building fell apart and from the collapsing rubble, a giant monster emerged that easily could be over 50 feet.
"Man... they do grow big..." Alex noted, jumping off as he saw Heller book it.
"OH SHIT! OH FUCK!" The soldier raged and ran across, calling the attention of the giant beast as Alex watched through gliding across the air. He observed the soldier expertly jump over vehicles as the giant monster mowed down to get him.
Alex then intercepted the monster, bashing into the head to knock it off into the side if a building with his blade jabbed into it's right socket.
"BLOOOUUUURRRGHHHHHH-!!!" The monster roared as Alex knew what this thing was but never ever thought it was real.
"Now I know why they call you the Goliath-! You fall just like him-!" Alex said, removing himself before the beast swiped it's giant arm across. Then he scrapped the ground in circles as he used tendrils now to tie his arm the beast. The Goliath also used his smaller arm, bringing it over to claw with the sharp spike tip that made multiple impacts across the ground.
The earthquake kept going as Alex swayed and spun around the strike zones without shedding a single sweat drop before he targeted the small bulbous yellow cysts, aiming with his blade that became a whipfist.
It struck the arm and tore it apart in a single strike, making the beasts hurl before dropping to his body which was much smaller than his giant arm.
Alex thought it was down and charged to strike the neck but to his amazement, the Goliath motioned himself upwards by using that big arm as a leg.
"Woah-! Nimble jointed aren't we!?" He said, avoiding the giant body lurching over to jump to over on its arm, dragging his body until Alex backed away to see him attempt make a short fast paced run to then make a gargantuan leap.
The Goliath aimed his arm downwards as Alex fired his whipfist to grasp the head and changed his arms into claws to tear into the eyes of the monster.
Momentum lasted but a second before Goliath crashed down and Alex tore his head off at the moment of the collision.
The prototype successfully killed it and absorbed the Goliath to feel his claws strengthen, becoming sharper as he looked to see the soldier wasn't anywhere to be seen.
"Phew... nice run. But still, fitting name" Alex said, walking about behind the mid-construction building where he last saw him hide into. He tread the abandoned construction site and saw the dead body of one of the brawlers he met not so long ago. This one though was more edged, spikes coming off his back and the claws having a more intricate design. Also it glowed when it clearly was dead.
However he was shocked to see Heller was down. He seemed to be bleeding and coughed blood all over. Alex immediately started to work on him until he saw that despite claw marks... He had something sticking out of his chest and beeped soundly.
"... A tranquilizer-? No..." He said, tearing the thing out to see that the wound did not stay open. Instead, he was astonished to see the blood form tendrils and cover the wound. Heller grumbled and now spasmed on the ground as his wounds caused by claw marks began to close too.
Mercer then saw the casing leak out the last of a liquid he could tell what it was.
"Blacklight... No doubt." He said, patting Heller as he was going through a similar metamorphosis just like his. However he was dead when it happened so he didn't know when Heller would regain consciousness.
However he soon heard incoming Helicopters and worse live fire. Then his ears really tensed as he felt he was surrounded.
"ALL UNITS-! FIRE-!!!!" A soldier shouted out of the blue, a flash of gunfire illuminating the area as Alex wasn't expecting a dozen even less with what appeared to be new weapons.
However before he could react, suddenly the gunfire was stopped mid-air. The bullets bounced off by seemingly nothing as Alex gave a snide
"Might wanna stop flexing like that-! You're making them look bad, sweety-!" Alex said as he stared above him and the soldiers did as well only to see someone descend down with a helicopter about to crash on them being slammed down by dozens of semi-transparent hands. That's when Lucy appeared, showing her horns had elongated and now shined with a red shine as well her hands were claws and the ghostly hands that slammed the helicopter on the soldiers before causing an explosion.
Lucy landed near Alex and gave a warm smile that replenished Alex's well being who missed her so much.
He hugged her behind her back and pecked her cheek as she got lost in the feeling of longing until she snapped out of it.
"Gyuh-! Alex! We can do that in a few minutes-! First we gotta get out of here! Dana said so!" She said as Alex wondered what she was planning.
He wanted to take Heller but... He was now infected with the Blacklight virus. He didn't trust anything combined with that except Lucy as he literally invented a new strain to make her into someone like him.
So even though his instincts screamed to take him with them, he decided to keep close watch and let them take the soldier.
Heller on the other hand felt like dying, despite the wounds healing he felt a insufferable pain within his organs and blood. He wasn't even conscious to scream as he was taken by Blackwatch Operatives.
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Time passed as Heller barely saw that he got glimpses of white and black to a lab, being cut up and experimented on by scientists while protected by Blackwatch soldiers.
He saw two possibly high ranking members and a old man who was marveling on the results as Heller felt every slice, cut, and draining of his body.
One of the possibly high ranking individuals stepped up. He was bald and had a look of disgust in seeing Heller.
"No man should have survived this. His system is flooded with the virus. Which is why you're going to run these experiments, doctor." He said as the old man gave a disapproving look.
"-And if you don't like the results, Colonel Rooks, then what-?" The old doctor asked.
Colonel Rooks answered right after "Heller is Gentek property now. Things go sour, burn the room." He ordered as the doctor was outraged.
"-BURN the ...!? No! Absolutely not-! This specimen is priceless-!" He ranted and wanted to maintain this specimen alive at all costs.
Then the other high ranking official grasped the old doctor's lab coat to get him away from the Colonel as he was adamant to change his mind "The Colonel said burn it! That's what you are going to do." He demanded of the doctor to stick to the orders of the Colonel or else.
Heller huffed in pain and saw the old doctor raise a hand to wave at the rest of his staff and soldiers.
"It's time to begin." The doctor said, dissatisfied but knowing he had to listen to the orders given.
Heller suddenly felt his bed move and rise much like a crucifix, the bindings becoming undone as everyone had left the room and he became free to slam down to his front side.
He slowly got up as he heard the speaker sound off.
"First off... a survival stimulus." The old doctor echoed as Heller got up.
He somehow felt that despite all the wounds, he could move and sense something was way different in his body.
He then saw the first gate of this lab open, the long cargo like metal doors winding upwards to reveal infected individuals inside that soon turned to Heller. The soldier raised his fists and began the attack.
"Rooks-! Open this fucking door-!" Heller voiced, angry and looking for a way out.
As Doctor Koening noted the power Heller had, Colonel Rooks saw the danger he posed as the doctor kept rambling about the notes he was taking. More gates opened as Heller attacked with superhuman abilities, knocking zombies away to splash the room in red and corpses. He immediately gave the kill order and Lieutenant Riley obliged, turning on the burn button and incinerated the entire room.
Pillars of fire rose from each corner and then everything went white.
Heller saw this and expected to die, burnt to a crisp. That was until despite burnt like a coal, he wasn't dead. He was far from it even with such appearance. Instead he acted on the verge of dying as he heard rambling from the speaker above but couldn't make it out with burnt ear drums. Shortly two Blackwatch soldiers came in.
One aimed and looked to Heller's motionless body, kicking his leg "No signs of life, sir." He reported
"Make sure. I don't need another Mercer running around." Rooks ordered as the soldier aimed and fired rounds into Heller.
Despite this, Heller did not move and felt that even bullets did nothing. It didn't feel like it used to at all.
He then suddenly stood up and grasped the soldier by the neck as the buddy next to him was shocked to see Heller move.
"SHIT-!!!" The soldier screamed but it was too late
"Shoot him-!" Rooks ordered but he knew that wasn't going to happen.
He nor the partner could react as Heller slammed the soldier down and beat him down raw fisted before consuming him via tendrils that came out his body.
"Dammit it-! Release all specimen groups-! Do it now!" He commanded Riley and other doctors as Doctor Koening was astounded to see him absorb the soldier.
"Oh Jesus fuck-! Get me outta here-!" He other soldier said, shooting around him as the infected came running out. The bullets weren't enough to even stop one as the soldier was struck down by the fists and claws of those zombies.
Heller on the other hand became refreshed and the once black and white world became color ridden once more.
"Incredible. It healed him." Dr. Koening said as now Heller faced outward to the infected and began to attack them, trying to find a way out.
"Holy shit. What the hell did he do to me-!?!?" Heller cussed and believed Mercer did this to him. However he knew now wasn't the time to think. He had to fight and consume.
That he did, fighting for his life. He punched, kicked, and tore through the zombies as he consumed some to gain back energies and blood to see he felt much stronger now. He even heard the doctor advise him to consume more as Rooks talked him down and began to order a perimeter shut down, a pilot responding.
"That's my cue to leave." Heller voiced as then Riley spoke.
"Fight through this, freak-! WUUAHAHAHA-!" The Lieutenant crudely laughed as he presses the burn button again to incinerate the room one more time. This caused the same explosion and killed every other infected except Heller, who stood back up with severe burns that healed in a second.
"You're gonna pay for this..." Heller said, as Riley saw the button wouldn't work anymore.
"Shit, the burn controls are dead-!" He said, raising his assault rifle to aim below from the observation deck.
"You guard that control room, Lieutenant" Rooks ordered. He took out his pistol as the lab had been evacuated including Doctor Koenig as reinforcements were on their way.
"Oh, don't you worry. He isn't getting out this way." Riley said aiming to the exit doors of the control room.
Heller now saw an exit through a more simple way. He grabbed the mounted operating table and threw it to the glass, shattering a new escape route as Riley backed up to have a good vantage view with enough space to riddle the specimen with bullets.
"Okay-! You fucking come up here-! COME ON-!" He challenged as Heller was more than ready to leave now before the Chopper came.
Heller jumped up and ran across, getting to the staircase as fast as he could as he felt shot by Riley and even other soldiers that he knocked out of the way.
He ran and got out of sight as fast as possible, not looking behind or picking a fight as he knew even like this he wouldn't stand a chance against missiles.
Soon enough he got out of the lights to be in a dark alley and he warily sneaked a peek every now and then to see Blackwatch soldiers far away patrolling by foot, making him take quicker steps. He thought he was free as the Chopper flew over and he hid by the sides of a building to continue jogging until he got slammed by the body of a Blackwatch soldier. He straddled on all fours but then saw the soldier did not tackle and instead had been thrown, apparently beat up as now Heller and that soldier were not alone.
Alex was now present as then Lucy glided down to land on the opposite end.
"This guy? But who would want to infect someone who wasn't even in Blackwatch? And with what?" Lucy said, using her viral vision to see he did have the virus but a different kind.
Alex just shook his head in wonderment "Who knows. I was close but didn't see or sense anyone around to fire that round. The vial however did have a strain of blacklight. My body absorbed to distinguish it from many other creatures I've consumed" He said as Heller was pissed.
"What the FUCK did you do to me!?" Heller yelled as Lucy huffed and made an angry face. She wanted to kick his ass
"Nothing" Alex said, looking to see his wounds have healed and the bandages were wiped clean of blood except for the black tarnish and grime of dirt.
Lucy calmed down and let Alex act in a mediator way. However she ahd two vectors out that Heller couldn't see.
"Don't lie to me-! I woke up with the most fucked up shit in my body! I burned alive and sizzled yet I could heal faster than even I could realize it-! What messed up shit did you do to me asshole-!?" Heller asked again only for Lucy to pierce a vector through his back and lift his body with a vector anchoring him up.
"Look bad mouthed soldier-! We could've killed you and consumed every ounce of your disgusting body and brain back there but whoever changed you to an infected being did this in silence! We have no idea why they turned you into a freak with a virus that shouldn't be around to be weaponized!" Lucy said, slamming him back down as Heller struggled in pain to heal before crashing down and Lucy jumped over him to slam her foot on his head.
"Now stop cursing and listen for once-! I don't like your eyes glaring at my man like that!" She said, making Alex walk over to pat her shoulders but upon hearing her words, he blushed and rubbed the back of his head. However he shook his head and got her off him.
Heller said nothing as he did not believe a single thing they said.
"I know you have eaten up the garbage Gentek and Blackwatch have spit out. But come on. Look at the history. This is the second outbreak of the same virus. And here again the same Blackwatch. Wake up. The Blacklight virus now renamed to blame me as 'the Mercer virus', is all but a bioweapons test. Designed by Gentek. Controlled by Blackwatch. Blame on me." He said, only getting a snarking Heller to repudiate his reasoning without even thinking about it.
Alex knew this wouldn't be enough to calm him down. He let the soldier stand as he made a fighting pose, igniting Lucy to summon six vectors now and pose in a two hand fighting style pose too
"Look Heller. Let's just forget Lucy impaling you and instead let me prove to you that this virus wasn't my idea. Instead, I am a victim much like you and a lot of others out there. This peon is gonna prove it to you. Sargeant Heller, meet Blackwatch Lieutenant Mark Simon." He said, dragging the soldier up from where he rested on the ground.
"FUCK YOU-!" He repeated over and over as Alex got close to present him the Blackwatch operative. He then touched Heller's arm that made it become infected into a different limb, a tendril, as Alex narrated what he wanted to show him.
"Now listen. For once, push away that anger. Let it come to you. Let the truth sink in" Alex said as Heller was confused to how he felt his arm change and slowly lifted it to the Blackwatch trooper then the limb absorbed him, making Heller feel the surge of memories snap like synapses and the Sergeant was struck with the knowledge.
Lucy didn't see this but upon seeing the Blackwatch scoundrel disappear in screams and Heller took his appearance, she sighed and saw Heller fall to his knees and hands. He rubbed his scalp as Lucy saw now Heller was more calm.
"What the hell was that?" He asked, as Alex was going to explain but Lucy decided to talk.
"Every living thing you consume makes you stronger. You take their shapes. And you take their memories." Lucy explained as she showed her arm that became a blade.
A helicopter passed by as Heller still had no idea what to believe. His reasoning was shattered.
"I've heard you talking. And I've seen your weird virus shit. But I haven't seen nothing that will make me believe you over them-!" He pointed to Alex in anger as the prototype sighed.
"No? They cut you Heller. Put you in a cage with 50 starving infected. Then they tried to burn you alive, TWICE. I didn't release the virus. And I didn't kill your wife and child." He said, touching his shoulder as Alex felt his pain in that snippet of power transfer he gave to Heller.
Heller mellowed down as Lucy now understood why he was so against Alex. She still wanted to kick his ass for attempting to slice his head off. However Heller knocked his hand off his shoulder
"So what do you want to do? Fight them?" He asked as Alex made a serious face.
"I want to destroy them. Erase the virus. Destroy Gentek and Blackwatch as well any other creatures or weapons they have created. And despite me and Lucy having done somewhat of a good job... I believe we owe you a chance." He said, shocking Lucy who did not trust this angry tattered man.
"Alex?" She asked, making faces behind Heller to shut up.
"Chance?" Heller asked in intrigued curiosity.
"We have currently been undermining their moves but their experiments have continued. And now they have become a serious threat. More people like you have emerged and been brought over to the side of those mad power hungry bastards. If this continues, the viral outbreak will become a very real human extinction event. Chaos will destroy this world. And we can't let that happen. You aren't a virtuous or righteous fellow but I can see you want to right the wrong they did against you. Help me save others from your fate." Alex said, extending a hand to hand an ear piece comms to Heller.
However the Sargeant clearly did not want to join at all.
"... If you think a couple words and shared pain will bring us together, you clearly haven't been seeing my memories right. They killed my wife and child...! Don't you get that!? I have to kill them for that-!Couldn't care less in being some hero or savior." Heller said, taking the comms and was about to smash it until he began to hear the voices of his family.
He stopped mid-air throw and Alex's pouty look. Instead of throwing it, Heller suddenly formed a dark green thick jacket where he put the comms on the right pocket.
"I'll think about it... but for now I won't answer. I have things to do too." Heller said, walking away as Alex nodded.
Lucy on the other hand walked to Alex to tackle him and gain his attention.
"That guy ain't alright. He looks like the kind to blow shit up and call it evens. Even if far exceeds what he suffered." She expressed in worry.
"No. He's... just like me. Yeah more sailor speaker sure... but I understand him. He'll come around."
That's when Alex's comms beeped and Dana voiced out loud
"Alex. Lucy. Come in, I have gathered some more info. It is all bad news. Seems that Gentek and Blackwatch are not playing this time around. They have made staggering innovations and I fear that they may make an army of monsters." She reported as Lucy radio in her own ear.
"We'll be there soon enough, sis. Remain hidden. Also... we might have made a strange ally." She informed as Alex heard Dana yell 'what!' Before he clicked off.
Alex and Lucy jumped away and headed to a set of coordinates given by Dana to meet up and learn what was happening. Mid glide to hover over the city, Alex grasped Lucy's hand and both drifted together. They enjoyed their reunion after several days of hard work without seeing each other.
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Colonel Rooks was now in a different base and beside him Lt. Riley stated at the screen as Dr. Koenig showed him something unprecedented.
It was a human skematic that showed something unusual and mark many details about mutations, genes, and innovative viral enhancements that were nightmarish to think were real documented powers such monster actually had.
"... What in God's name is this, Dr. Koenig!?" Rooks demanded as the old doctor was elated to explain.
"I would say this is the greatest specimen born out of failures-! I couldn't believe it but our CFO Sabrina Galloway has informed us that Red Crown has been in the works of creating and training a soldier with no equal-! Armies would be squashed under this prodigy-! Dubbed by the military as Project Ares; this man could destroy even the best armored vehicles, take missiles point blank without defending himself, and even defeated some of the 'evolved' we've captured. He has not received any challenge despite facing off against waves of Brawlers and even fought a Goliath-!" The doctor said, spooking many soldiers in the room watching diagnostics and results of testing done to what appeared to be a mutant viral soldier that was under their control.
Rooks sweated as Riley was completely against using this freak.
Before either could contest though, the diagram and details on the main screen cleared out to show a video of a live feed to a dim area where a man was sitting down criss crossed over a pile of corpses of humans that seemed to be evolved in reality.
Everytime he huffed, he let out a red mist and his eyes opened once.
He then said one word.
"... Mercer..."
Rooks noted this and now Riley was second guessing, knowing that an infected has a better chance to kill another than a humans.
"He knows what's happening outside!?" Rooks said, treating this as a breach of Intel.
"... no, sir. He said that... even as a child... he says that name even when he kills monsters. You see... back in Hope, Idaho 1968 Gentek began to experiment on live unaware subjects. Most were single or individuals without children but some did end up having children with a rare strain of the Redlight virus. This virus mutated into what we know today and this accidentally created what we dubbed 'The Hope children'. Sadly, most died out of the 27 subjects born. Again, most only lived three years but some even live more to even know this young man you see on the screen. However he is a very especial case. Now he is the last remaining and is the son of the one who broaden our view in biological warfare. Elizabeth Greene."
This chilled everyone in the room as Rooks was now gasping for air. He knew this thing...
"I've heard of this... never thought it was real. Dr. Raymond McMullen said it best. 'It may be the final purpose of all life on earth'. What the fuck is high command thinking!?" Rooks asked as he wondered what the hell was going to happen is such monstrosities meet.
Dr. Koenig just gave an evil snide as his skin flared with viral tendrils for a tenth of a second.
"Evolution. Colonel Rooks. Transcendence to become the ultimate beings that have ever roamed this earth." He ominously said.
Riley stared to the screen and wondered if he could kill Alex. It was dangerous... but if he could the it was worth the try.
"Pariah... huh?" He mentioned as the live feed ended and now just as the screen went black, so did the secret of chaos that would loom in the future.
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Hurray-!
Thanks for reading this story to it's completion-!
It's unbelievable that finally I came around to finish this story but as I was writing, I felt what so many writers swear occured to them and eventually leads them to not finish their stories.
However, I don't quite.
If somehow I began a sequel to this, I will definitely attempt to start to release the first chapters on my patron. And from there, it will tell me if it's worth the risk to continue this story.
I had fun and definitely feel glad with myself to have given Alex and Lucy a good simple love story that has extended this far. (Because help me God, Kouta didn't deserve Lucy 1000%).
Also I used this story to flesh out my own abilities in adding/creating new ideas. In my opinion, it turned out well.
Over time I will edit and even add images to the chapters of this story that I make, as well make comics and other fun stuff over in my patreon.
Anyway, I hope to my readers that you enjoyed this story and come visit by, even bring others to read this as it was one of my first stories. I hope to write much more and as well keep peddling more.