The night seemed to go on forever as he crouched down on the edge of the building, looking up from the hoard that stood at the front of the large building. The sign that once was legible now hung off to the side, held by nothing but simple cables. The sign read Paradigm Inc.

He smirked as he tightened a bandage at his forearm, stopping the bleeding as he looked at the top f the tall paradigm building and pulled his hood down over his eyes. "So you were serious about going after the, huh Kyle?" The hooded man looked behind him and saw a shadow, half its face was nothing but hives of bumps, the other clear with a single yellow eye cut through the night. The clouds slowly uncovered the bright moon, revealing the man's long tongue slowly retreat to his mouth. Kyle smirked, revealing sharpened teeth.

"Yeah… They took Ellie, Will…" Kyle said as he looked at his claws and then to the building. "Plus they did this to all of us… our friends… our enemies…everyone besides those immune… Hell yeah I was serious…" He stood to his full height and looked back at William. "They seriously pissed off the wrong guy…"

"Heh… You mean Hunter?" William countered as he tossed an M-16 at Kyle with ammo. "Don't forget there are more than one of your kind."

"And?" he asked as he aught the weapon and slung it over his back. "If it wasn't for Ellie, I would be more like them… That's why I gotta get her back…"

William laughed, coughing and feeling the smoke puff out of his mouth and nose. "That's why -hack- I'm going with you -hack cough-" He popped the collar on his jacket and instinctively reached for his chest pocket and sighed. "I keep forgetting I can't smoke anymore… really annoys the hell outta my throat…"

It was Kyle's turn to chuckle as he took a few steps back. "Told you smoking was a bad idea, Will." He crouched down and stretched his legs and growled lightly. "You ready?"

"Yeah. Let's do this." William said as he took up a leaning stance, looking over to his friend. "On three… One…"

"Two…' Kyle counted.

The two took a deep breath as they both growled the final number. "Three!"

Kyle Hunters and William Olson rushed off the edge of the building, the Hunter catching the Smoker by the collar of his neck as he leapt high into the air. The duo rushed at the paradigm building at neck breaking speeds as Kyle and William gave off their most fierce, Special Infected screams into the night….

OPERATION: LOCATE AND OPEN "FILE: INFECTION"---

--------------FILE LOCATED!

OPENING FILE----------------------------------------------------------

/ // /// //// ///// ////// /////// //////// ///////// ////////// /////////// //////// 100%

OPENING FILE SUCCESSFUL!

CHAPTER 1: PROLOGUE

-------DATE: 20121217, One Week Before Infection-------

Kyle's eyes grew heavy as he leaned on one arm, propped on the desk in the classroom. His brown hair covered his eyes as his head bent downward, the droning vice of his tutor drowned away as he began to sleep, next feeling pain flood his face as he opened his eyes and found his face on the desk. "Sunuva…"

"And you wonder why you're failing?" The droning voice was filled with a sort of life as Kyle looked up to his tutor, a well kempt man with slick black hair that pointed upward at to bangs. He wore a green windbreaker with the collar popped and a white shirt under it. William stood and ruffled Kyle's already messy brown hair. The twenty year old growled and pulled the hood of his gray sweater over his head.

"It's not my fault the friggin' classes are so boring! I mean I thought collage was gonna be fun but-" Kyle complained and was interrupted by a wave of William's hand.

"Look, nothing you're gonna do is more interesting that what you're doing now. Besides, it isn't about finding anything interesting during your stay here, it's about becoming a somebody when you get outta here." William nodded as he walked to the window within the library and leaned outside into the warm sunshine. "Well… I guess we can stop here for today… I'm not gonna be able to get anything in that thick skull of yours if you're gonna keep sleeping."

"Finally!" Kyle said as he stood and stretched. "Geez, this stuff is hard though…" He walked over to his friend and rubbed his eyes. "God! I'm so tired!"

"Maybe you shouldn't party s much…" William smirked.

"Oh har har. So funny bro." Kyle said sarcastically as he received a punch in the arm from his older friend, rubbing his arm. "Hey!"

"I'm gonna go for a smoke. You coming?" He said as he left the window and headed for the exit. Kyle rushed to the table and gathered his books and pack.

"Hey! C'mon Will! Wait up! I don't wanna be caught in this place alone!" He roared as he rushed out with a librarian hot on his trail, shushing him and wielding a ruler as he dodged out the door and down the hall.

Once outside, William dug into his shirt pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, flicking his wrist and catching the cigarette in his lips, pulling out a lighter and lighting the tip of it. He inhaled deeply and pulled it away, exhaling the smoke with a smile. "That tastes good…"

"You know that's a bad habit, right Will?" Kyle said as he emerged from the building and took a seat near his friend and away from the smoke. His friend shrugged.

"What I do is my business. How I die is my business… and how I get my fix is my business."

"Not that again." He stood, spun the chair around and leaned his head in his crossed arms on the top of the chair's back. "Okay, okay, you got me."

"Good you see things my way, friend." William took another hit and let it out slowly, savoring the taste. :Things can't get any better than this, my friend."

"Yeah for you. I still gotta figure out what that lesson you were going over was supposed to mean…" Kyle spat as he hid his eyes in his arms. "Stupid school… Hell the only reason I'm here is because my folks put me through.."

"Sure your parents expect a lot out of you, and that's why I came along." William drew another breath before letting the cigarette drop to the pavement and crushing it under his foot. "I'll be going to my room now. Go to bed soon because you look tired… dead tired…" He said as he stood and walked towards the dormitories.

"Whatever." Kyle said as he stood and walked in the same direction, not bothering to catch up to his long time friend.