Everything Grimes said, made it hard for me to believe him. However, what else can we do? Grasp for straws for whatever may be there? My mother has been doing that for too long and now we have more information than we could ever imagine.
Hopefully it's not too late.
There were gunshots and yelling coming from outside. Just listening and not being out there to help made my skin crawl. I shifted against the bed, trying to calm my nerves. There was a rumble in my chest, whatever was in me was trying to get out and I couldn't let it happen.
Not in front of Ashley, but maybe for Grimes.
Just to rip his head off.
There was another rumble and I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Max?" Ashley said softly, sitting on my bed and taking my hand, "Are you alright?"
I opened my eyes and looked to her with a smile, "Yes. I'm fine."
"You don't need to lie to us, Maxie." Grimes piped up, "We can tell when you're not feeling yourself."
"Shut up!" I snapped, cutting my eyes to you, "Don't make us get the duct tape."
Grimes mimed zipping his mouth shut and shrugged his shoulders.
He may be right, but he can fuck off. I don't need him with his smart-ass mouth to tell me what I do and don't feel like. It felt just like it did when he was in my head and it didn't feel well with my stomach. Poking around in my head and using my memories and friends against me was low, even for a scumbag like him.
He didn't deserve to know my feelings after he forcibly removed them the first time.
There was a scream and more gunshots. Ashley stood and went to the window, looking out. Worry creased her brow and her lips were tight.
"There's so many of them." Ashley whispered softly. Her head turned to Grimes, a scowl forming on her face, "What did you do. This is your doing."
Grimes mimed upzipping his lips as he raised an eyebrow, "I what?"
"The zombies outside. The car blowing up." Ashley approached him, "You arranged this. How?"
That only caused Grimes to laugh, "You really think that I could conjour up something like this?"
"Yes." Ashley and I both said in unison.
"Okay, I guess you got me there." Grimes nodded, "I am a slippy snake, I admit. However, it isn't me." His eyes locked with mine as he quirked an eyebrow, "It's you, Max."
I blinked for a second, staring at him, "No. No, you're bullshitting me. How can I be doing this?"
"You're basically the queenbee of the hive, sweetheart." Grimes shrugged, "I injected you with the serum when you were back at my lab. A new experiment I'm working on to see if these things can be controlled by a central body, AKA you."
He was saying all of this so casually that I found it hard to believe him. But, thinking more, I remembered being injected with something when she arrived to his lab. Ever since then, she has felt weird. Never felt like she was alone.
"That's why you told us everything. Gave my mom the flashdrive." I said, "You don't think they'll survive."
"You will survive." Grimes pointed out, "And me, of course. I added my DNA so that they won't harm me and those with your DNA won't be harmed. Your dad, I don't exactly care for, but your mother will be fine. A good thing too, I don't want a genius like that to go to waste."
Anger surged through me, causing me to pull against the straps. I felt heat behind my eyes, but I forced it down. Taking in a deep breath, I stared at him.
"How do I stop it?" I asked, "Since I am the 'central body' then can't I control them?"
Grimes shrugged softly, "Possibly, but it is still in experiment phase. I can't really give you a specific way to help."
There were more screams echoing from outside.
With everything happening, I had to do something. If it was my fault they were out there, then I have to be the one to get them away.
"Ashley, let me go." I looked up to her, "Please."
"But what if you-" Ashley stopped herself from speaking, but I could tell that she was about to end that sentence with lose control.
I nodded, "I know. I know. But I'll be okay. I promise."
Hesitantly, Ashley came to me and undid the straps. I rubbed my wrists, slight burns reddening my skin. I got to my feet, feeling the cold tile on my skin. Ashley took my arm and helped me up as I wobbled softly. After laying down for so long, it was hard to stand and walk on my own.
"I'll be alright." I patted her hand, "I promise. I-I need to go before people get hurt. More."
Ashley took off the leather jacket and handed it to me. I shrugged it on with a smile and brought her in for a kiss. Her heart was beating quick, pounding against me. I could almost hear it.
"Young love." Grimes sighed blissfully, "So promising."
I ignored his comment while pulling away from her and nodding to her with a smile, "I love you."
Ashley nodded back, "I love you."
With another quick kiss, I turned to Grimes and pointed to his face, "Fuck. You."
Then I left the hospital room. My pace picked up as I went down the hallway. Many of the staff members gave me sideways glances, but didn't dare stop me. I weaved around people to get to the stairwell. Throwing the door open, I gripped the railing and threw myself over it. My hands caught the next floor's railing and I couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief.
Gotta hand it to Grimes, these abilities are pretty bomb-ass.
I kept hopping down, gripping the railing and pushing off to the next one each time. My feet hit the ground and I pulled open the door for the first floor lobby. The staff of the hospital were running around rapidly with different patients, getting them away from the windows and doors. Some able-bodied people stood at the doors, guns at the ready.
Getting to the doors, I could see all that was happening. People were fighting with the infected with both guns and melee weapons. There were too many to count and more coming from the barrier.
"Open the doors." I said to a man blocking the doors.
He looked at me, startled. His eyes went over my form, confused. Realization dawned in his eyes. He quickly unlocked the chains around the doors and took them off. Waving his hands to the doors, he nodded to me.
"Thank you." I said to him and pushed out into the cold.
My breath fogged out in front of me as I looked around the lot. There were some familiar faces, but I couldn't see Steve or Thor. In front of me, there was a woman who was struggling with an infected woman grabbing her rifle. I marched up to it and pulled it off of her.
"Stop!" I yelled at it, "Go! Now!"
The infected woman stared at me for a moment before turning and walking back towards the broken barrier. I turned to the woman, who stared at me in disbelief. She then quickly nodded before raising her rifle and firing off a few rounds at more infected.
There was a yell that sounded familiar to me. I ran in the direction of the yell to find Thor on the ground with an infected on top of him. I gripped the jacket of the infected and ripped him away. Standing, I stared into it's eyes before pushing him away. A spray of blood came form his head and he dropped. I looked behind me to see Thor with his pistol up.
Quickly, he got to his feet, "Max. What the hell are you doing out here?"
"I have a plan." I nodded, "Don't worry. Just, stay alive and stay away from me."
Before Thor could question me more, I ran towards the broken barrier. As I ran, I pushed zombies away from people, making them follow me or give the people enough time to put a bullet in the infected's head. My feet ached as I braced myself against the wall of the alleyway. I looked to the fight. Even with the small group with me near the alley, the people of the Homestead were still outnumbered.
"Hey!" I yelled out to the infected.
Nothing happened. My voice couldn't carry over the fight. People were getting overpowered and taken to the ground. My heartbeat quickened and I felt the heat behind my eyes. At first, I try to push it away, but I slowly let my guard down. If I were to control them, I should let it happen.
Right?
Closing my eyes, I breathed in and out. The heat spread throughout my body and entered my lungs. I inhaled deeply and opened my eyes to yell.
"Listen to me!" My voice bellowed across the lot, shaking the car next to me. My fist slammed down onto it, crumpling the hood underneath. "Now!"
All at once, the infected paused and turned their heads to me. That gave people enough time to shoot some. The rest started to sway my way, slowly. People stopped and watched in wonder as they all came to me. I pointed to the alleyway and the infected filed into the alley and out to the woods. There, they stood, staring at me.
I looked back to see all of the infected in the alleyway, only the people left out in the lot. They all scrambled to the wounded and dead. Turning back to the infected, I rose a hand.
"Uhm, stay." I stood for a moment and watched them. They stayed at the forest, swaying and standing at attention. I nodded, "Good."
Turning back, I saw Thor and Hawkeye jogging my way. Disbelief formed on their faces as they stared at the horde staying behind me. Hawkeye raised his rifle to me, eyeing the horde behind me. I rose my hands and watch them approach cautiously. The heat sizzled down inside of me.
"What the fuck was that, Max?" Hawkeye demanded, "How did you do that?"
"Blame Grimes." Was all I could say, panting. My knees buckled softly and I caught myself against the car, crushing the hood more.
"Max." Thor came to me and helped me back on my feet, "That was phenomenal!"
A groan came form one of the infected and it took a step towards us. Hawkeye quickly put a bullet in it's head and that caused the others to stir. He put down too more and they all started to us.
"No!" I held up a hand, causing the horde to freeze. I also held a hand up to Hawkeye, "Please. Stop. Don't provoke them. They'll stay."
"You want these parasites to stay alive?" Hawkeye scoffed.
I shook my head, "More will come. I can control them. Just hold on for a damn sec. Jesus."
Thor steadied me and I gently pushed away from him. Giving the infected one last look, I started off towards the lot to help others. There was crying and yelling. It echoed in my ears as my eyes scanned the faces of others. None were Steve or anyone else that I knew.
Blonde hair flashed to my left and I looked over to see Steve dropping to his knees. On the ground next to him was a body. As I got closer, I saw that it was Amelia. Gasping, she held at her side as blood seeped into her clothes.
"Amelia!" Steve exclaimed, holding his hands over her and moving as if she wasn't quite sure what to do. He looked up to me with pleading eyes. "Max. What do I- What do I do?"
I knelt next to him and reached for her shirt. Slowly, I lifted it up to see scratches, deep into her flesh. Black blood speckled her skin and mixed with her own blood.
"Max..." Amelia gasped softly and took my arm, making me look up at her, "Max, please, don't let me-"
She coughed aggressively, blood speckling her lips as he body convulsed. Gently, I put a hand under her knees and another under her head. I lifted her from the ground, causing her to groan.
"Hold the wound." I told her as I started off towards the hospital.
Steve kept up with me, "Max...Max, she's-"
"I know." I nodded, "I know, but we need to do something."