Project Plague

Just thought that I'd restart my rewrite of Sir Jaked stroy A Plague.The way the orginal Project Plague was going... I just didn't like it. So I made some changes, cut some characters and made some changes to the plot. Hopefully this verson will be better than the old.

To the fans of the old: Sorry but I just can't continue with the old because... well I just can't

Now it's time for my spin on an overly used and I guess classic idea.

Quick warning: Alex and Merissa (Main Charaters of story) are in the next chapter.

Not So Festive Festival

(Main POV)
(Johto Heritage Festival, Ecruteak City)

The atmosphere in Ecruteak was ecstatic. The festival that had started early in the morning at the beginning of the week and was set to go on for a full week, from Sunrise to midnight every day was ending tonight and everyone wanted nothing more than tonight to be the most memorable night in Johto's history.

People all over the streets were dressed in traditional Johto garments, eating traditional foods and cheerfully singing along to old folk songs. Little kids in masks giggle playing games found at the booths, watching the plays of old, historic Johto Warriors that explored and conquered the land ages ago or taking part in Pokémon battles for prizes. Everyone was having the time of their lives… well almost everyone.

A young lady with blonde hair tied up in a pony tail, wearing a traditional Johto kimono in blue sat down at booth and sighed. Dispute all the cheer and joy, she just didn't feel very festive today…

"(Sigh) …Why did I let them talk me into coming here?" She asked herself. She just sighed and asked the man behind the booth for some sushi. It was as cliché one could get when it came to traditional foods… but she was hungry and didn't care what she ate as long as it was editable.

While the young lady was waiting for her meal, two young men sat down next to her. Both men were dressed in red kimonos and seemed to have opposite personalities; one was silent and claim and dispute the cheerful atmosphere, kept a serious and unamused face while the other, younger man was as loud and cheerful as can be.

"Hey, what's a matter with you, little lady?" The younger and louder man cheerfully asked the young lady. "You lied…" She solemnly said. "…You said that coming here would cheer me up … but now I feel even crappier then I did before." The young lady whined.

The younger man was still confused as to why his friend was upset but the older man fully understood why she was so sad.

"Hey don't blame me." The younger man shrugged. "It's not my fault you're crying more than a Bonsly getting hosed down." He laughed earning him a smack across the back of his head courtesy of the young lady.

"OW! What the hell was that for?!" He shouted. "For being an asshole!" She responded, somewhat more cheerful. "Hey, you know what?" The girl suddenly asked. "Hitting you makes me feel better." The girl grinned. The young man grumbled something and was about to retaliate when his older friend stopped him.

"That's enough you two!" The older man sternly said. "You two are drawing unwanted attention to yourselves. We're here to have fun and relax… after all it's been weeks since we last had any down time and I don't want to spend it arguing with you guys." He bluntly stated, not really showing any emotion other than annoyance.

The younger man chuckled. "You having fun? HA! That's a laugh. Michael, be honest when was the last time you've ever had any fun?" the younger man laughed. "…However Mikey's got a point. Now I know this ain't the most exciting thing we've ever attended… but the least you could do is have some fun."

However before the girl could reply, several planes flew over the festival. Normally people wouldn't pay but the planes were flying too low to be any commercial airliner. Another thing that set these planes apart was the fact that they weren't jets but old propeller transport aircraft.

The very festive mood that filled the air was in quickly replaced by confusion and worry. Murmurs could be heard as people wondered aloud why there where so many lowing flying planes. The voices grew louder as they witnessed armed soldiers jumping out of the planes and parachuting down to the festival.

Once they landed, the mysterious soldiers released their Pokémon, loaded their weapons and open fired at the crowds. Panic and fear filled the air as people either ran for cover and safety or ended up being shot to death and left to bleed on the ground. Trainers released their Pokémon and either used the creatures to escape or, out of bravery or foolishness, tried to fight the unwanted newcomers in fights. The only people who were not panicking were the blonde hair lady and the two men at the sushi bar.

"Tck… there goes the festival…" The young, blonde hair woman sighed throwing off her Kimono, revealing a grey military like uniform underneath the cloth. "Too bad… I was about to enjoy myself." She admitted before drawing a pistol, taking the safety off. "Oh well… at least I'll be able to vent some of my frustration."

The young man chuckled. "Looks like these guys are looking for a fight." He smiled also removing his Kimono, revealing a similar uniform underneath it. "Well I'd say they've found one. It's about damn time something exciting happened." The young man smiled also drawing a sidearm.

The older man just removed his kimono, showing that underneath he was dressed in the same uniform as his comrades and drew his sidearm. "…Looks like the festival's ending a little early this year… Thomas, Rachel! Are you two ready?" Michael asked his teammates.

"Of course we are, Captain Array!" Rachel spiritedly answered, aiming her weapon at one of the soldiers. "I've been ready to kill since the day I was born!" Thomas menacingly smiled, wishing that the Michael would just shut up and let them fight already.

"Alright then…" Michael loaded his weapon and pushed the safety off. "Mirage team… Let's raise hell!" Their captain shouted firing his weapon.

(Meanwhile)
(Unknown Location)

"Isn't it beautiful, ladies?" My boss, Katashi Akashi smiled, watching the festivial go up in smoke and flames.

"Yes it is, sir… tell me how many of them are going to be killed?" The stuck up bitch and completely insane 'scientist,' Noako Mori curiously asked. "Because I have a new formula I've been dying to test out…" She paused for a moment and looked at me with her mixed set of eyes, one red the other blue. "And since a certain some is too afraid to test them out for me…"

I was quick to respond. "With all respect, sir, I just would like just like to take the time to point out that I'm no lab Rattata." I coolly said, restraining myself from out bursting and killing Noako in a blind rage.

"Professor Joy is right, Miss Mori… perhaps you should save that formula for our new… 'volunteers' if you will." Akashi sneered, pleasing the woman standing next to me. It took every ounce of energy I had from out bursting. I had to force myself from attacking the sick bastard and his little prostitute and stay quiet.

He calls the innocent people we experiment on 'test subject' and 'volunteers' when in reality they're no more but toys and later pets for Akashi and his plans.

"Sir?" I called our boss. "Yes, Joy?" He simply asked, gazing in awe at the burning festival. "Tell me exactly why are you sending soldiers to attack some festival? It doesn't seem like-" Akashi laughed and stopped me mid sentence. "Ah, Joy, Joy, Joy… I knew you wouldn't understand right away… this is show Johto that we mean business. That we are not afraid to kill civilians. That we will stop it at nothing to get what we want." My colleague applauded the insane man as if he gave some big speech. I just silently stood there, containing my anger and resentment.

"Ah… look, girls." Akashi smiled as he pointed to multiple, military grade helicopters entering the airspace over Ecruteak City. "Pretty soon we will have our army… and this time no one will be able to stop us… even legends Ho-Oh and Lugia will fear us."

He turned towards me. "Professor Joy, you are my top scientist, physician and genetic engineer. I trust you more than anyone with my new project." He told me. "I wonder why…" I sarcastically asked myself under my breath, while one of my hands rested upon a metal collar locked around my neck.

"Make the project a success and the world will be ours!" The over ambitious general laughed. "You mean yours." I quickly mused aloud. "Why no, my dear, what I'm doing now is for the benefit of all humans and Pokémon." The man attempted to assure me that his actions were just.

I quickly glanced at the burning city. The 'benefits of all humans and Pokémon' Yeah, right… burning down cities and murdering innocent civilians is real beneficial.

"What about me?" Noako asked. "Noako, until you prove your creations are at least half as good as Joy's, you are forbidden to be anywhere near her and the project." The man coldly ordered. "B-b-but sir!" Akashi quickly silenced the other scientist with a cold, unnerving glare. Noako got the message clearly and silenced herself before she pushed Akashi any further.

"General Akashi!" A soldier suddenly rushed into the observation deck. "We have an unexpected development in the Ecruteak City Attack!" We all turned to face the soldier. "Unexpected development? What do you mean?" Akashi asked, narrowing his eyes on the soldier. "It's the JSF sir… they knew we were coming and had three of their top agents waiting for us hidden in the crowd."

Akashi just shook his head and laughed. "You pathetic fool. Do you mean to tell me that you are afraid of the Johto Security Force?"

"But sir! You don't understand." The man quickly spoke up. "It's been confirmed that this is the same team that halted all of our operations five years ago." The soldier explained.

Akashi's face redden and his eyes quickly filled with rage. "WHAT?!" Akashi retorted. "You mean that ragtag squad of misfits is here in Ecruteak?" The young soldier nodded, confirming our leader's fears. "Even worse sir… their even better than they were five years ago." "…Dammit…" Akashi swore under his breath.

"I want that team dead… focus all units on them!" The General ordered trough gritted teeth. "B-but sir!" The private protested. "What about the units that are being used to capture test subjects? We can't pull all of soldiers-" Akashi glared at the young private once again, silencing the soldier.

"Are you questioning me?" Akashi hissed. "N-n-no sir…" The man stammered. "Then get to it! You have your orders. I want that team dead!" Akashi commanded forcing the grunt out of the room. He then turned his attention towards Naomi and I.

"What are you two still doing here?" He angrily asked. "Guards, take them back to their labs." Four armed guards responded to our leader's order and escorted us out of the room. Once we were out of the room, two guards escorted me down one hall and my associate down a different hall.

As my escorts led me down the hall, I silently prayed to Mew that the JSF team would escape this horrible holocaust. I don't know why I started to pray since I wasn't a religious person… and praying never helped much in the past… but… What other choice do I have? Please, Mew… please help those brave soldiers.

(Back at the festival)
(Rachel's POV)

"Fall back!" One mysterious soldier call to comrades before being shot in chest a couple of times. "What are these guys? Th-they can't be human!" Another stammered as the unit ran away from the Mirage Team.

Thomas had the biggest smile I've ever seen on him. "What's the matter? Not used to the enemy shooting back at ya?" Tommy hysterically laughed at our fleeing enemy. He looked at the floor and spotted a submachine gun one our adversaries foolishly dropped. He quickly grabbed the weapon and without warning fired upon the retreating soldiers.

"Hey, get back here! I'm not through kicking your asses yet!" The boy laughed. Once the bad guys were out of line of sight Tommy turned to face the Captain and I with a big evil looking grin on face. "That was just too much fun… shame it didn't last." He sighed.

I sighed and folded my arms. "Tommy, you're the only person I know who would say charging an entire army with nothing but a handgun and an inexperienced team of Pokémon is fun." I bluntly said. "…Your point is?" The psycho nonchalantly answered. "My point is you need therapy." I scoffed.

"And you don't, little miss 'blow up everything that I see, feel or touch?'" My fellow Mirage taunted me. "Feel and touch are the same thing, retard." I pointed out before insulting him. "Not for you they aren't." The man grinned. "I saw you with that pilot of ours and all I can to you say is 'DAMN!'" Tommy snickered. My face reddened and both of my hands quickly formed fisted. "You rotten little-"

"Enough!" Our Captain shouted, ordering silence. "Will you two stop fighting and focus for five seconds?" He asked us.

"…She started it." Tommy childish whined, pointing at me. I gasped and once more smacked him across his face. "OW!" He cried before making a fist and attacking me.

"When will you two grow up and act like the proud Mirages I know you are?" Tommy's hand shot up and kept say "Ooh, I know, pick me! I know the answer!" Like some kindergartener… I groaned and looked away, silently praying that the little retard would just put his hand down and shut up.

"That was a rhetorical question, Marksman, because I know you two are going to grow up right now or else you both will be demoted and on latrine duty for a year!" Captain Array growled. "Understood?"

Tommy opened his mouth to protest, however he was unable speak because I quickly elbowed him in the ribs and spoke before the little moron could. "Understood, sir. We'll get along…" I quickly turned to Tommy. "Right, Tommy?" I asked, forcing a smile.

"…Yeah, sure… we'll play nice… for now…" Tommy grinned devilishly, signaling that he was planning something.

"… (sigh)Alright then… Scorcher, Marksman," The captain called us by our nicknames as he tossed a discarded assault rifle at me. I caught the weapon and checked to see if the weapon was loaded. "Let's move out!" The captain ordered quickly picking up another weapon carelessly discarded by our mysterious enemy.

However before we could move, we heard a faint cry for help in the distance. "You hear that?" I asked. "Sounds like someone needs our help!" Tommy pointed out, running in the direction of the cry. I quickly stood in front of fool, stopping him from marching into off into his grave. "Hey! Rachel, get out of my way!" Tommy shouted. "There are lives at stake!"

"Tommy, listen there's nothing we can do for them." I told my teammate. "We don't have the gear for a prolonged fight, our Pokémon are still tried from the festival and we have no way contacting command for back up. There's nothing we can do."

He glared at me, his mind probably still set on rescuing the poor innocent civilians. "Oh, I'm pretty sure there's something I can do." The idiot retorted.

"Marksman, settle down." Our captain calmly ordered. "settle down? SETTLE DOWN!?" Tommy shouted. "How can you expect me to settle down, Captain, when innocent people are getting losing their lives?" Tommy questioned with fire in his eyes.

"Like it or not, Marksman, we have no choice but to withdraw." Captain Array admitted. "It's like Scorcher said… There's nothing we could for these civilians… we don't have the gear we need to deal with this, our Pokémon don't have the energy for a long fight and even if we were to rescue some of those civilians, we have no way to contact base nor can we safely transport them out of here."

Tommy turned away from our captain and glared at the floor. "…So we're just going to leave them to die?" The boy coldly asked. "We have no choice." Our captain bluntly stated.

While the two men where speaking, several helicopters flew over us. I was quick to act and released one of my three partner Pokémon. Once the Pokémon was free of its capture device, the large bird spread's brown wings and let out a cry. "Recon," I called the Fearrow, checking to see if the small cam-collar I put on the bird was working properly. "I want you to follow those aircarft, can you do that?" I asked my feathered friend, knowing the poor guy was still tired from an early festival battle.

The bird responded with a cry and took off.

The captain was smiling a bit while Tommy was just as clueless as ever. "What up with the birdbrain?" He asked, pointing at a brown spec in the sky. "Recon's running reconnaissance, of course." I stated, smacking my teammate over his head for no real reason.

I opened one of the large pockets on the back of my uniform and took out a small screen. "Recon has a camera attached to his neck." I explained, turning on the screen. "The camera is wirelessly linked to this screen and will show us images of whatever's below the Ferrow, provided that he stays within three hundred yards of our location." I explained as the bird flew around the festival.

Thanks to my feather friend's camera, we were able to see people being tied up and shoved onto large transport helicopters.

"Hey, those are the choppers that flew over us not too long ago." Tommy pointed out. "No really?" I sarcastically asked. "And here I thought those helicopters magically appeared out of thin air." "Scorcher," The Captain called me, ordering me to be respectful… as if that's possible.

"I don't mean point out the obvious… but it looks like their kidnapping civilians." Tommy said.

"No duh… but this really doesn't make sense." I pointed out. "I mean not a half a hour ago these guys were randomly shooting anyone and everyone that crossed their path… why are they taking hostages, all of a sudden?" I asked my teammates as if they had a clue.

"I don't know… but it looks like they're on to us." Captain Array said taking note of a large number of armed men heading in our direction. "Looks like we're for a hard fight… Mirage let's head into the forest." Captain Array ordered. "What?!" Tommy shouted. "We won't able take them all the way we are now… for now we no choice but to retreat. After all, he who runs away lives to fight another day." The Captain explained. "Thank you, Doctor Seuss." Tommy remarked as we followed the captain out of the festival, I lagged behind a bit waiting for my Pokémon to come back.

"Captain… any ideas who those freaks were?" I asked as we escaped the burning festival, hoping to receive an answer. "…No…" Array simply answered. "However I have a feeling this isn't over…" Our captain scowled. "In fact, this might just be the beginning." Tommy smiled when he heard this, while I had a more concerned/worried expression. "Our vacation has been cut short, Mirage…"

This chap's suppose to be a quick over look of the story and prelude of what's to come. Those who read the original project know what'll happen for the most part, but please don't ruin it for those newcomers that are just finding out now.

As always
Love it, Hate it, Just review it
Gunner out.