Zone 10: Project Genesis

Chapter 1

Shadow's POV, Immediately following Zone 10 outbreak, June 24th, 4:25pm.

The men who came in to save us had left the chopper when it first landed. I assume they're going in to clean up the mess and check for any survivors. Too bad they won't find much. Everyone there was dead. The only question was, how many times were they dead already? Once? Twice? It didn't matter. Amy sat beside me in her thin white lab coat that was covered in blood. Some dry from my brothers who are all now gone, and some fresh from me. The infection was burning me inside. I could feel it patching up what injuries I had and leaving behind the pain it was meant to give. The knife wound in my leg was sealed, but I could feel the limping to come. Same goes for the bullet wound to my arm. It was sealing itself but my shoulder felt like it was broken wide open.

As I endured every painful second, Amy who was perfectly unharmed continued to stare at my neck.

Gently putting my blood covered hand on the wound, I felt only the disfigured skin that was taken from me. It wasn't right. None of this was right. I did everything I could to make sure everyone lived somehow and yet only I survived and one of my own gives me this mark. Now I'm cursed with it. All the pain and all the mixed feelings it's giving me. Maybe it was the lack of sleep talking, but I wasn't in any mood to move from where I was sitting on this chopper.

As minutes slowly passed and Amy and myself refused to talk to one another, I looked to my lap to shut my eyes slowly.

All I could see was blood. All the people who I watched die and the one's that I...killed.

Cruz's face made itself before me as I began to breathe heavily in anger and despair for reality.

Nothing was ever going to bring him back. It was never going to bring any of them back.

Reaper...Borne...ahhhh...Hopper...Fol...Foley...ROSIN! Kid...? Nothing would ever give them back to me. Was it my fault? Could I have done something different? I asked myself as I felt Amy's saddened eyes staring at me from my curled up state.

Looking back up at the chopper's ceiling, I began to cry. Each tear dropped with each nightmare I endured on that fucking planet, and each second that passed made me worse and worse. Part of me was mad that I didn't pull the trigger after killing Kid. I should be dead. I shouldn't have been the one to live through all that. If anything Kid should have. He had a whole fucking life ahead of him and I'm the one sitting here on this fucking chopper with a burning infection that turns the living into some kind of flesh eating psychopath! WHY AM I ALIVE!? I asked god as I looked back to Amy's blood stained face.

I can't read her. She looks so calm and so unaffected by all that just happened to us. How? How can she sit there and not feel a thing for my friends? For all the innocent people who died? Last time I checked she was the one without self control in our relationship, not me!

As our eyes continued to lock paths; we heard from the pilot in front.

"Landing in two minutes!"

I remained alone as Amy asked.

"Where are we going!?"

Gently moving my fingers up to the top of my vest, I grabbed onto my comm link to feel the essence of all my friend's voices coming from it. I swear I could hear them. Talking to me.

"R.R.T.S headquarters ma'am!"

My ears perked up as Amy questioned.

"Where!?"

Thick words held in my throat as the pilot restated his answer to her.

"It's a secured military instillation for the United States Rapid Response Tactical Teams! General Hoffer is waiting there for your arrival!"

Amy this time accepted the answer as I was still trying to comprehend it. Why are we going back to where this all started? The last thing I need is to see the barracks.

Amy still took heed of my utter silence as she then asked.

"Who's General Hoffer!?"

Refocusing back on my comm link in shell shock, the pilot kindly replied to her.

"Commander of all R.R.T.S teams within the state ma'am! You'll meet him soon enough!" He stated as Amy nodded and finally managed to refocus on me and my condition.

"Shadow?!" She shouted over the noise of the chopper coming in for a landing, as I stared blankly at the doors.

Amy soon got concerned more then she was and gently got out of her seat as the chopper made it's touchdown at the air pad, to grab hold of my shoulder.

Leaning my body back up straight, I looked into her eyes as she asked.

"You okay?"

My expression alone, mixed with the blood of my brothers gave her the answer as the pilot stated from his seat.

"Home sweet home. I'll get the door for you two. General Hoffer is inside waiting."

"Thank you so much." Replied Amy as she took hold of my hand.

As the door swung open and the light made it's way inside, Amy urged.

"Come on Shadow. You need to get inside."

I was unable to fight her. Everything was ether broken of lost in my mind as she helped me onto my feet.

Instantly as we rose, I felt the limp in my left leg and struggled to move on it.

"Careful." Urged Amy as she and a fellow crewmen assisted me down to the pad.

The men around stared at me. They saw all the blood and all the broken skin. What was made apparent the most was the thick claw marks left to my cheek that Kid had given me during our last few moments together. They for some reason wouldn't heal. It was as if this was a scar meant to always remind me of this time.

Guiding me inside, Amy asked.

"Can you walk?"

Nodding my head, I went still as she gently released my side. In pain, I struggled to stay on my feet, but after everything a little trouble walking was the least of my problems now.

Now slowly walking the path of which I first came, Amy and I turned a corner to see the small set of stairs that lead down into the armory.

After getting down them and through the room, we were met by a fellow marine who urged.

"Let me help you lieutenant."

"I'm fine!" I shouted at him as he didn't dare help me now from the pure anger resting in my voice.

Amy was then the one to be looked at, as I got the door to find a tall human male standing next to the barracks of my team all dressed in full blues. His medals and ribbons told me he was my superior, but as our eyes locked he asked.

"Lieutenant Robotnik? General Hoffer. I'm so glad your okay." He stated as I ignored his handshake to head into the barracks alone.

This General I knew a bit about. He has seen some action. He has seen his friends die in front of him. I'm sure he knows what I must be feeling inside, but I know for a fact he hasn't seen what I've seen. He hasn't lived through what I just lived through. He watched from the door with Amy and the fellow marine as I stood in front of the door looking at each bunk. Each one with personality behind it.

To my left was Kid's bunk. All neatly made and left with his suitcase placed on the floor. Beside him was Borne's. I knew it was Borne's cause the bible was resting on the pillow. He did that before every mission so that in hopes when he came back he was able to pray for forgiveness. It was also meant as a way to bless his resting place. I never understood him really, but now it's too late to ask questions.

Amy watched from the door. I knew she was witnessing the broken side of me right now. They all were.

Next to Borne was Hopper's bed. A little bigger then all the others. He always was the giant among us little men. I still remember him snoring every night. Kept us up sometimes, and I remember how we would always pour a bucket of cold water over him to wake him up. The point was to make the water so cold he wouldn't be able to sleep for about an hour. We would all then race him to bed after that.

Tears ran down my eyes as I looked on to see Foley's bunk all destroyed. He said it was easier to get into if he just had it already out for when he needed to sleep. I still remember every good and dumb joke he would read off to us every night from a joke book he kept under his pillow. It was a tradition of his to get us to smile. I wish I could hear his stupid voice one more time.

As a gentle smile came to me, I looked to the right to see Reaper's bunk next to mine. Both of our beds were neatly made and waiting for us to return. In sadness, I made my way over to feel the blankets on my side. They were so cold. Slowly putting my body down, I laid back on my pillow to look to my right.

Rosin's bed sat there. My eyes stared at it as I knew he was missing from it. He would always lay down next to me and read some dumb comics he used to like reading when he was a kid. It was something about a hedgehog named Sonic. He would fight this bad guy named Eggman who would always try and beat him with an invention he cooked up in his lab. I swear each one got sillier as the story progressed. Yet for some reason Rosin loved it. Maybe it was the fairytale about how every issue and every problem ended up being solved, and in the end the good guys would all win and celebrate their victory. Maybe it reminded him of us. We would always celebrate a successful mission. I wonder how he feels now? I asked myself as I got up to feel the strong weight of metal resting in my pouch.

Looking down to my belt I pulled off the Velcro to reach inside. My bloody fingers took hold of all the chains as I pulled each tag out of my pocket.

Everyone by the door lowered their eyes as I began to lay them out to their beds. In the end each had his own. The only one missing was Hopper's tag. I never was able to get his out of that nightmare. It pains me to know it's somewhere around his dead neck.

As I stood their with the tears slowly making their way down my face, I looked with one last tag in my hand.

It was Cruz's.

Finding the small stairwell leading to his quarters before me, I slowly made my way up to find his bed all well tucked and done in.

Standing over it in utter defeat, I put the tag down on his pillow to hear the soft sounds of footsteps making their way in behind me to watch as I stared with shut eyes.

"Lieutenant. I know how your feeling."

Looking back with the blood of all my brothers washed along my face, I made direct eye contact with the General who slowly stepped forward.

"I lost friends. Fellow soldiers I once called family. But for the life of me I can't even begin to understand how it must feel to have lost your whole unit." He stated as I remained where I was, still rubbing the dry skin off my palms with the tips of my fingers, trying to hold back the anger within.

Amy hid alongside the door as the lone marine stood idly by in shock and awe at my appearance and experiences.

The General got before me now as I slowly began to shake in my stance.

"In a way I can see this being my fault." He stated as I began to utter words that made no sense.

"I should have sent more men."

After those words were mumbled into my ears he looked to me in confusion of what I was trying to say. Near the end I muttered.

"It wouldn't have made a difference."

With leveled feelings now for me, the General urged.

"What happened on Zone 10 lieutenant?"

Immediately I chuckled getting everyone's attention.

The General looked deep into me as I laughed to him.

"Hell knock on our door and the devil was behind it. Hehe!"

Sensing my disturbed condition the General urged.

"Please try and relax lieutenant. I need to know what happened to your team."

Shaking my blood stained quills I replied.

"You don't need to know. You don't want to know."

"But I do." Replied the Hoffer as I pointed to Amy.

"Then ask her. Cause I'm done with this mission. I lost EVERYONE!" I screamed into his face as his stone expression just took it.

"Everyone is DEAD! We went to Zone 10 thinking by your orders this was just another mix up! But oh no, we were wrong General! This was no mistake! This was no test! This was a fucking NIGHTMARE!" I stated as Amy begged from behind.

"Calm down Shadow! You need to try and relax!"

In rage I pointed to her and asked.

"Where did being calm get us Amy!? You tell me!" I ordered her as she went silent.

"First it was Reaper! Then it was Borne! Soon enough we lost Hopper! Rosin! Foley! Cruz! KID! EVERYONE DIED!" I stated as her head lowered to the floor.

Focusing back on the General I said to him.

"As I said General, hell came to us on Zone 10 and it didn't die without a fight."

"What came to you though lieutenant?" He begged to know as I smiled and replied.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me lieutenant." He urged, as I ran my palm on the base of my mouth to get the taste of mix blood off my lips.

Looking right into his eyes I replied.

"A monster. A lab project the eggheads up there made. It broke free. Killed the scientists, but didn't utterly end them. It turned them into something worse. Something you could only imagine in your worse nightmares."

The General gave no signs of speaking as I went on.

"Our orders were to save them, but when we found them...they came at us. They tried to kill us. So what did we do? We killed them first. But that wasn't before Reaper was eaten alive from the neck down. Hehe!"

I began to chuckle as Amy looked back to me. The General, I knew, was wondering if I had lost it, but the truth is I haven't. Grasping his neck I shouted.

"What was on the planet! What was in that lab! Oh it's job was to kill and it did just that! It would bite you! Infect you with some sort of virus the scientists made it with! Then you would die." I stated in a calmer tone as I looked down to my hands.

"But you would wake up. You wouldn't be you anymore." I stated with a frown as the General still stared at me deeply.

"You would then go after your friends. And you wouldn't stop till they were dead. Everyone on Zone 10, my team, the scientists, the civilians we tried to save General. They all died. That infection made it's way back to earth and we had no other choice but to kill it."

Pointing back to Amy, the General look to her as I said.

"You may think this is a lie. Some sort of scheme. But I beg you General. Ask her anything. She went through it all, same as me. My brothers are dead. The scientists are dead. The civilians are dead. That planet took it all from me. From the world. I can't ever get them back, but at least I made it out knowing I took the infection with me."

Roughly pushing my way by, I made my way for the door to push by Amy and the lone soldier. This time no one followed as I made my way back to the armory to stop dead in center.

Seeing my locker next to Cruz's and Rosin's, I grew furious and tossed off my vest.

"Bash!"

The whole pile of torn body armor and dry blood drilled the lockers as I took my fist and slammed it directly into the surface of the metal.

"BASH!"

Forcing a dent in the base, I began to kick the lockers in force till all my anger was out in the open for everyone to see.

Yet I was alone.

Alone.

Dragging my broken body to open my locker, I stared to the door where I had a mirror set up when it opened.

Blood was all over me. Some looked like it was washed away by my tears, but I could still see and feel it all.

The claw marks on my face burned with every touch I gave it, and in agony I lowered my head till the tip of my forehead rested on the inside edge of the locker itself.

"Why?" I begged to know as I asked god what I did to deserve this.

Watching as each drop of sadness left my eyes and landed on the floor below, I felt the slight rub of paper along my quills.

Upon looking up, a thin piece was hanging out from a few old books I used to read. Gently pulling it out, I widened my eyes to see it was a photo of my team when we were in Afghanistan. Everyone was smiling. All the bright faces made me smile as I soon could see the blood.

My eyes looked to Cruz as I imaged a small hole between his forehead.

Flashback, Zone 10.

"I think I know where they are." I stated as I looked back to see Cruz with his eyes shut.

"Cap?" I said in concern as I neared him.

He remained silent as I got down shaking his shoulder.

"Cap?!" I shouted as he flickered his eyes for me.

"What?" He wondered as I urged.

"Open your eyes. You have to keep them open."

In time, I saw the struggle he had just doing that, but as they appeared before me, I replied to his question.

"I think they're in genetics. All that water we swam through? It came from there. I bet Amy and Kid made their way over the second it was clear."

Giving me a release of his breath, I watched as he reached to his side to take hold of his G36C.

Slowly he moved it into my arms and ordered.

"Go find them."

"I'm not leaving you." I stated as I took hold of his rifle.

Giving me a nod he replied.

"Yes you are."

Gently looking into my eyes he added.

"I can't move anymore Shadow. It's too hard. I can feel my body shutting down and it won't be long till I turn."

"You can beat this." I stated as he smiled slightly.

"There was time when I thought that myself, but now? I can't feel my legs Shadow. I can't feel my fucking legs!" He stated in tears as I watched him look straight into my eyes.

"Go find the others and get out of here. That's an order."

"But...?"

"But nothing! Listen to me now and get out while you can." Begged Cruz as I felt loss taking me over.

"We can't all die here." He stated as I asked.

"What do I tell your family?"

Giving me a tear filled voice he replied.

"What I already told you to tell them. You tell them I love them and I did everything I could to see them again. Give my baby girl a hug and kiss for me, will you?" He wondered as I nodded in response.

"Yes sir. Consider it done."

With a small smile, Cruz watched as I got up.

"One last thing Shadow." He stated as I looked down at him.

"Don't let me die like this. Don't let me turn."

My hands gripped his rifle in the seriousness of that order, and in response I replied with a question.

"Are you sure?"

Slowly nodding his head he replied.

"I'm more sure then anything I've ever known before Shadow. Just promise me you'll get home to my daughter."

Taking hold of the rifle's grips, I replied.

"I promise sir."

Letting his eyes shut, I took hold of the trigger to try and force myself to aim at him.

My arms were fighting it, but I knew there was no other choice.

"Make it quick please." He begged as I began to cry.

Cruz slowly began to stop moving, and as he neared his end he mumbled.

"End the pain...end the pain Shadow. Don't let me turn. Don't...let...me...turn."

Tears left my eyes as he went still.

I knew what was next to come and I couldn't do it. Cruz was just sitting there. How could I?

I had no other choice though. I promised. I promised him I would end his suffering.

Taking hold of the rifle once again, but with more of a motive, I managed to set it in my shoulder and pull up till I was aiming at his feet.

A tear slowly left my right eye as I forced myself to aim higher till I was on his head.

Gripping the trigger with a shaky force, I held my breath and shut my eyes.

"I'm so sorry Captain. I'm sorry."

"BANG!"

End of flashback.

I could hear the sound of the round going off, as I could still equally feel his blood splashing my face.

Everything could still be felt. Even the burn of this infection running through my veins.

Grabbing a hold of my neck, I knew it was only a matter of time till it killed me. The cure didn't work on Kid and I can already see it not working on me. Maybe I just got lucky to live this long. Maybe I was just meant to feel it and not become it. Maybe I'll die now. Maybe I'll see my friends soon. Only time will tell.

Letting the picture rest between my fingers, I shut my eyes and listened to the echos of past screams.

I could hear them all calling my name.

Amy's POV, 4:55pm.

As Shadow left us in despair, I looked to the General who picked up Cruz's tags. His eyes rested on them as he soon put them back down on the bed to turn to me.

"And who are you?" He wondered as he approached.

Looking up into his eyes I replied.

"Amy Rose. I was one of the scientists working on Zone 10 before the outbreak General."

Looking down to me he wondered.

"Can you confirm the lieutenants condition? Cause he doesn't seem to be thinking straight. What really happened up there Miss Rose?"

With a gentle voice I replied.

"I know it's hard to believe, but Shadow is not mistaken for his actions General. What he said is true. There was a breach in the facility and we were the cause for it."

Giving notice to the marine behind me he urged.

"Go check on the lieutenant soldier and make sure he's not doing anything rash."

Nodding to the order, the soldier soon made his way off as the General shut the door.

"Miss Rose I've been in the field before. Many times over. I've seen my fair share of crazies, but now I'm being told this time it's a pack of flesh eating crazies?" He questioned as I nodded.

"Yes sir."

"I assume you have a way to prove this all to me? Cause by my standing point the lieutenant is in a very bad way. And after that I can see my only option being that I send him home."

Widening my eyes slightly I urged.

"He's not crazy General. What happened on Zone 10 was something abnormal to say the least. If you would please hear me out I'll explain everything." I stated as he nodded and went to reply.

"I'd be more then obliged to know what...?"

In confusion, his comm went off that was resting on the buckle to his dress pants. Upon grabbing it he ordered.

"Report."

Urging me with his hand to wait a moment, I nodded as the man on the other end replied.

"General, my team is in the facility now. Still no word from Charlie 2-4."

My ears began to listen in worry as I had a bad feeling about something.

Taking notice of my expression, the General ordered his man.

"They're probably securing the VEX chamber Captain."

"No sir." Replied the man as the General then questioned.

"What do mean, no sir?"

In a confused tone the soldier replied.

"We just entered the chamber and no ones here. Nothing but bones anyway."

"Bones?" Questioned the General as I knew what they were seeing.

"Yeah, bones. They look to be...?" Cutting him off the General ordered.

"Just secure the facility and link up with Charlie 2-4 Captain! Report back when you find them!"

In a lowered tone the man replied.

"Yes sir."

Putting down the comm, the General looked back to me to ask.

"How about we go to my office and continue this conversation?"

Smiling I replied.

"Sounds good sir."

Nodding, I began to follow the General back down the steps and through the barrack doors. Before I left however, I looked back inside to feel the weight of my actions. This is my fault.

Captain Rodriguez POV, VEX chamber, 4:57pm.

This place looks like hell. The walls were torched and dark black ash covered the floors.

The six of us stood around a large pile of bones. There had to be four bodies here at least and about another couple down the hall leading to this chamber.

"Was this a fail-safe?" Questioned one of my boys as I nodded.

Letting out a sigh he replied.

"Damn that sucks. To be cooked alive ain't the way I wana go."

A few of the others nodded, as I looked to the largest pair of bone sets to find an M9 resting next to it's shattered skull.

It was hot as fuck, but I managed to get by that to check the clip. Finding no rounds in the magazine, I put the gun in between my vest to look back at my men.

"So where's Charlie? I thought they came here before us?" Questioned Johnson as I nodded.

"They did. They must be somewhere around here."

"My money says they're in the cafeteria. A big place like this is bound to have some good food, right?" Wondered Roger as I looked to the exit.

Quickly getting back my rifle I replied.

"Let's split up and find them. Ben, you take Kenny and Miller and go search the labs. Call in if you find something before we do."

Ben nodded as I looked back to Johnson and Roger.

"The three of us will go to the kitchen. We'll meet back here in a half an hour. Got it?" I asked everyone as they all nodded.

"Okay then. Let's move out."

Everyone made their way passed the bones and out the exit, but as we left I swore I heard something.

Sounded like footsteps.

I'm really excited to continue this story. Please let me know what you think and if you can follow and favorite the story so you know when I post a chapter. It means a lot guys and gals. Always review and enjoy the continuation of Zone 10.

mT Shadow.