The helicopter is violently thwooping now. His time is short, and the nuclear blast is imminent. The source of his determination sprouts from his guilt and responsibility knowing that if the nuke goes off now, all of New York will be doomed. The only option he chooses turns out to be the most risky and dangerous. Is it worth putting himself in harm's way for a scruffy, cold city that hurt him throughout the entirety of his life? Yes…
The chopper ascends into the air, carrying the nuke with it. Aiming away from New York city, the best bet would be to dump the nuke into the water somewhere off shore. Would this be the end of Alex Mercer? The sudden realization causes him to recall all the memories he once lived. From growing up in severe poverty, to dying in Penn Station. These memories seemed familiar… Yet none of them belonged to him.
The truth as it turned out, was that he wasn't the real Alex Mercer. No, in fact Alex Mercer died when he was shot in Penn Station, the virus he threw to the ground before he died merely used his dead body as a host along with obtaining the bodies memories. Even though he wasn't really human… Just some sentient virus, he still acted and carried on like Mercer did. Including feeling things that humans would, and right now he felt truly pained. Moving farther from the city there are flashes of lightning amongst the dark clouds blinding him. No sound is made but you could tell it is there. Would he die like that? Knowing the bomb went off, but dying in an instant?
Alex Mercer's sister Dana Mercer was the only thing in his life that he was going to miss. Even then, if he somehow did survive. What would she think if she found out her real brother died, and that a virus was using her dead brother's body as a host? Of course there was the option the lie to her. But how could Alex bring himself to lie to someone as dear as Dana?
The helicopter alerts him that time is of the essence. Dropping the nuke into the water Mercer has an epiphany. There was a small chance that if he were to ditch the chopper and jump back to shore at the docs he could survive. Was there enough time? Was it worth it? Did he even deserve to live?
The original Alex Mercer was the whole reason he was in this mess. The man was selfish, greedy, and a loner who cared for no one but himself in the end. Because of his actions the virus resurrected. Yet that wasn't this Mercer's fault. The fault was to be placed in the hands of the original Alex. This Alex Mercer was different. Sure he was a loner at times but he started to care for Dana again. Not only that but his actions saved this city.
Jumping out of the helicopter the sound of thunder in the distance can be heard. The water is cold, unforgiving like recent times. Disorienting flashes of lightning distract him but he has no choice but to keep going. The splash of the helicopter sinking can be heard, distracting Mercer for a brief second. NO he must not look back. Unless he's focused he is surely to fall into the grim grasp of death itself. The movements were getting repetitive now. Jump up from the water and dash, repeat Jump up from the water and dash. Being drenched in moisture the prototype lets out small shivering breaths with each jump out of the water. The combined New York wind and New York water, both were making him feel somewhat unhopeful.
The docs were still easily miles away. The dark New York sky is bleak and foreboding, warning him that his life may very well come to a short stop at any second now. BOOM! The nuke goes off catching Mercer off guard. His ear drums ruptured. The pain hurts but he has already learned long ago that physical pain can heal, but emotional pain cannot. His ears were ringing… And his body sent flying from the shockwave. He was more forward now but still not close enough to the docs…
Was this how it ends? At least he could take pride in the fact that he became stronger now and beat the corrupt military. These past few months his body evolved, he had no choice but to do so in order to defeat both the infected and the military. He was the prototype for Pariah. He could have helped the infected that was his destiny but he refused. He could have chosen to side with the military but he resisted.
In the end Alex Mercer beat the odds. He was outnumbered, the opposing force was almost uncountable! Yet he somehow found a way to the truth, solving the conspiracy. He somehow found a way to stop the infected from warping the world into some twisted, dark, place that could only be inhabited by infection filled creatures. He somehow found a way to stop the military from wiping New York clean off the map. That 'somehow' was going to prove to be the end of his life very shortly.
He closes his eyes. Defeat washes over him. Pure unrelenting anguish knowing he'll never see Dana again, or learn to love anyone else besides that witch who backstabbed him known as Karen Parker. The nuclear blast tears into him, eating away at his once thought indestructible skin. Sure he could take pride in the things mentioned before but he didn't. He felt ashamed knowing that Dana was going to live in a world without her only parental figure who was Alex.
TO HELL WITH GIVING UP! He could have died so many times before, why quit now? Pushing forward Alex sends his body to the brink. The pain he is indulging himself in is unbelievable. Jumping faster and higher than he thought he could, along with dashing farther than he thought he could. He was still blinded by the white flash, and his eyes are beginning to be ripped away. The skin on every crevice of his body is gone now, the blast is still going and he's within it. There was no POSSIBLE way he could make it yet he tries anyway.
The surge of adrenaline and endorphin surge through his body. At times like this if he were in battle and he felt this feeling he'd know that his muscle mass was drained fully, and his life source itself was depleted. Yet this feeling could allow him to use to ONE single devastator and would grant him invulnerability for a brief period of time. He referred to this as adrenaline surge.
An idea pops in his head. Tactical thinking like this was learned by consuming people who had years of military experience, and people who had years of scientific knowledge. He knew he could only use ONE devastator but perhaps his body could evolve to allow him to instead us this opportunity to boost his agility. Trying this his body shrouds his legs with tendrils, and an aura of redness glows off him as he gives one ALMIGHTY jump, and two glorious dashes in the direction of forward.
Did he make it? Surely it was impossible, there's no way in hell he survived. Did he?
A carcass lands next to a bench. The thing looks almost unrecognizable. Just a small sack of meat. A crow passing by notices the delicacy. The chance to get easy food was always a good idea. So the crow swoops down, elegantly landing next to the small sack of meat and rips a chunk off. Flying onto the park bench to safely enjoy its meal something is wrong…
This piece of meat is too hard to be eaten! The crow drops the meat on the bench to rest its tired beak before trying at it again. Wait? What's this? The meat has sent two strands of tendrils onto the crow. In panic the poor animal screeches twice before the two thin strands pull it down to the center of the chunk. From there the unlucky creature is ripped apart by several other tendrils that dissolve and absorb the pieces of meat it ripped off. In just four seconds the crow thought it was in control, but alas it has become the prey. All it took was seconds for it to be completely consumed as well.
The small chunk on the bench is growing larger now, and slithers back down to the original pile. The sound of splicks and splacks are released as blood forms and meat forms. His bones form, each one giving off cringeful snapping noises. The outline of a meaty blood colored person can be seen now, his head arches back as his teeth rip out as they have just formed. The pain is similar to that of braking his bones, and cutting skin. When his teeth formed he could have sworn it felt just like that time he was a small child and his adult teeth were painfully forming.
Standing on the sidewalk naked his eyes widened as his body begins to form the fabric that was his original outfit. Sure he knew that it was biomass, but it was still impressive. Silence fills him, his head looks to the left as he hears the meaty sounds of his fingers still regenerating. It was finally over, but would his pain be over? No….
Thinking back to what had just happened his hope is left shattered, he had just survived a nuke… He was a monster… Heavy rain begins to fall on him, the sidewalk, and the rails beside him. Alex calmly inserts his hands into his pockets, he has no idea why he is not curling into a ball giving up for real now. His only source of illumination is that of the street lights beside the sidewalk, but they are not enough to suffice for a good amount of light.
The rain hits him and his jacket. The only feeling that is real right now is the pain he feels… Mercer begins to let his mind dwell in a pool of despair. His brows begin to knit together. 'I looked for the truth, found it. Didn't like it. Wish to hell I could forget it.' Mercer turns to the railing viewing the water, looking back at the direction of the helicopter. He turns to the side again and begins to walk down the sidewalk with his hands balled inside his coat pockets. Passing each street light, stepping into the light, and then back into the shadows, stepping into the light and then back into the shadows…
'Alex Mercer. This city suffered for his mistakes, for what he did at Penn Station. And whoever he was that's a part of me…' Continuing to walk down the path, the rain still hits him and his hood. 'Cause when I close my eyes I see the memories of a thousand dead men, screaming as I take their lives….. Moments I'll relive forever.' He has no idea where he is walking but that doesn't matter to him. 'What have I become? Something less than human. But also something more.'