Disclaimer: I do not own either Saints Row or Prototype
Chapter 1: Pariah
- One Week After The First Outbreak...Vandenberg Air Force Base-
Calling this base a highly secured facility was an understatement. The United States Military ensured not even a fly entered without authorization, the security was strong and for all the right reasons. For inside this base sitting was a large glass cell filled with various pieces of furniture including a bed, bookcase, a desk, a sink, and a toilet. It was in this cell a man in his early thirties sat wearing nothing but an orange prison jumpsuit with the upper half tied around his waist and a black tank top while his feet remained bare while his shoulder length raven hair hung loosely covering his eyes from the elderly male scientist watching the prisoner from the other side of the glass with a file crooked under his arm. "Good morning Doctor Sherman." The prisoner said casually resting his back against the glass next to the panel from where the man was watching him.
"Good morning Pariah." Sherman said holding up his clipboard. "I trust you slept well?" he asked receiving a small laugh in return.
"Yeah sure, as well as one can being bred in captivity." Pariah remarked turning his head to the doctor who only shook his own in response. After all the time and resources they expended to help educate him, sustain him, and prevent his execution the man still chose to scoff and belittle them.
"You shouldn't be so ungrateful Pariah. If the viral eradication division of the military known as Blackwatch had any say you would have been aborted from your mother at the start. I think we both would not prefer that wouldn't we?" Sherman questioned gaining another chuckle back.
"If you say so Doc. Now what is the occasion to force you away from your work to visit me?" Pariah inquired. As Doctor Sherman was the head of the top secret program known as Project Crusade he was normally too busy with other daunting tasks to come and see its prime test subject, Pariah. "Am I finally getting out on good behavior?" he inquired as the doctor only narrowed his eyes as he adjusted his glasses.
"It's about your mother Pariah, she has been killed it would seem." Sherman said grimly while the man behind the glass did not move from his spot nor show any change in expression. "This news is not causing you any emotional response Pariah?" he questioned intrigued by the lack of response.
"It's hard to mourn over a woman I never knew Doc. I never saw my mother after the day I was born and the only time I have been able to picture what she looks like was after I saw photos of her. The only time I heard her voice was through brief whispers in my mind when she spoke to all creatures of the virus through her telepathy. Yet I lacked the ability to speak back to her no matter how hard I tried. In answer to your question Doc, no I feel nothing over her passing. Though it has gained my curiosity on the circumstances surrounding her death so what happened? Did you finally go too far with your experiments on her?" Pariah asked with a small tilt of his head pulling his hair back behind his back to reveal his emerald green eyes.
"There was an incident in New York City," Sherman began sliding the file he was carrying through a small shutter designed to deliver food to the man. "An outbreak of the Blacklight virus, a similar one that courses through your own body," the old man continued as Pariah picked up the file and opened it reading over the information that wasn't blacked out stopping on the dossier of a man. "It was caused by a man known as Alex J. Mercer. Former lead researcher for Gentek a company that was conducting research on Blacklight, something that Blackwatch was tasked with covering up."
"Which means killing everyone who was a security threat and who wasn't," Pariah added in casually looking over Mercer's extended information before whistling. "Damn I'll take it he succeeded according to this." Impressed by the info concerning the powers Blacklight gave Mercer after infection.
"Exactly, Mercer in his paranoia attempted to flee smuggling a vial of the virus out for insurance purposes. Unfortunate for our friend he was cornered in Penn. Station by the soldiers whom gunned him down on sight." The doctor said adjusting his glasses. "Not before shattering the vial of the virus he possessed onto the ground out of sheer spite. Alex Mercer was declared dead on the scene."
"But."
"Mercer's corpse fell atop the contents of the shattered vial. The Blacklight virus entered Mercer's body through his bullet wounds and rewrote every cell within the body and assumed possession of it. The virus had gained a host." Doctor Sherman said with a hint of disgust in his voice at the mere thought of the walking abomination Mercer had become. "Your mother Elizabeth Greene was able to escape captivity and further the infection increase that is before Mercer subdued her…."
"Thus my mother was torn apart by this man and all of her biomass was absorbed in the process killing her. Sounds painful but listen Doc I love storytelling as much as the next test subject but you are avoiding my question." Pariah said closing the file shut and setting it down next to him. "Why are you visiting me? You normally let me know in advance when you are going to start shoving needles into my body for the sake of science," he said with a bored tone in his voice. Once long ago when he was but a child Pariah protested, screamed, kicked and even killed several men to avoid the experiments. None of it worked though for the men in white hazmat suits won in the end and subjected the child to more pain than any endured for his age at the time.
"I am here to talk to you about the future Pariah." Doctor Sherman said reaching into his lab coat for something. "You are the only child of Elizabeth Greene, you were born following her infection with the virus and as a result you are a perfect incarnation of the Blacklight Virus. What took years of research to create the strain Mercer was infected with to develop his powers; you can perform naturally despite being tested negative for it and all other strains. Though your virus would need a push to fully awaken its potential and additional DNA to stimulate its properties." The doctor continued as Pariah rose from his spot on the ground to his full height of 6'2 to look directly at the elder who only smiled from the other side of the glass. "You have no idea the potential you possess to do great things…" he began removing a small handheld case from his coat and opening it gazing at the contents within as he released a pent up sigh. "Or very terrible deeds." He said removing a small pill from the case.
"Doc what's going on?" Pariah asked confused while Sherman smiled back to him holding the pill up.
"Project Crusade is being shut down my boy. The outbreak in New York was all the panic the people in Washington needed for the plug to be pulled. I have done my best to stop it but we are out of time now all me and several of my allies can do is prevent your destruction. While I cannot say it is for good behavior, yes it is time for you to escape before it is too late and this pill is the key to it all." The doctor said sliding the pill through the slot on the floor to Pariah.
"What are you talking about Doc? How is a pill supposed to help me?" Pariah asked wary of Sherman's behavior or the enticing offer of freedom dangling over his head at the moment. "How do I know this isn't your way of shutting me down?" Before Sherman could reply however an alarm began to ring out through the building.
"It seems they are aware of what I am up to." Sherman groaned looking towards the source of the siren. "Listen please take the pill quickly it's designed to re-stimulate the virus within your cells and awaken your dormant abilities. It will neutralize the countermeasure the drugs responsible for pacifying the virus to begin with. So hurry and take it before several squads of soldiers come in here and kill us both!" Sherman urged as Pariah looked down at the pill for a moment before the doctor, then with a single motion placed it in his mouth and swallowed it. Pariah had little reason to trust anyone including the panicking scientist before him but if what the man said was true it may be his only chance to survive and finally escape this place.
The pill burned as it travelled down his throat like a hot piece of coal making the man grit his teeth and cough slightly. "Good, now then we have little time." Sherman spoke sliding his security card through the lock on the cell wall before entering a seven-digit code. "Once the pill takes affect follow your instincts Pariah they will help you escape this facility." The doctor said before placing his hand on the fingerprint scanner as the sounds of soldiers rapidly approached the room. "I have people waiting for you at the helipad on the far side of the base from this location." He said as the soldiers entered the room just as the cell door opened.
The sound of gunfire rang out as Pariah watched the doctor's blood splatter against the glass of his cell before the scientist fell to the ground blood pooling around his remains. Now standing before the door to Pariah's cell was five marine soldiers armed with rifles all pointed at him. "Colonel Temple, Doctor Elliot Sherman has been neutralized." The lead marine said into his radio as Pariah slowly raised his arms up in surrender.
"Excellent work Sergeant Roberts," Another more gruff voice said over the radio in response. "What about the test subject?"
"Present sir. Sherman managed to open its cell before we arrived but were able to stop it from escaping," the sergeant said as Pariah's eyes narrowed slightly insulted being labelled a thing instead of a person. "What are your orders?" he requested.
"Pariah is scheduled for termination…do the honor." The last thing Pariah saw was the sight of muzzle flashes before falling to the floor in pain and his vision blurring while a faint voice whispered in the back of his mind.
"Get up Pariah."
"Subject has been terminated sir." The sergeant said over his radio as the men turned their backs to the corpses. Not noticing as Pariah slowly rose back to his feet blood still seeping from the bullet holes slowly closing up on his body as his eye's bled red.
"Not quite" Pariah muttered as the soldiers spun towards him guns raised as he dashed towards the men slamming his fist into the cheek of one the whiplash snapping his neck in the proccess before Pariah grabbed another of the soldier by his neck and using him as a human shield against the other three who's first reaction was to open fire and riddle their comrade with bullets by accident. Pulling his shield's pistol free of his leg holster, Pariah unloaded the gun's entire clip but only managed to kill two of the men while grazing the sergeant in the side. Dropping both the gun and the body Pariah stepped forward kicking the sergeant's rifle off to the side as he glared down at the man.
"N-no please wait!" the man panicked as Pariah picked him up by the throat and slammed him against the wall. Glowing red irises pierced the panicking fearful eyes of the sergeant as he clawed in vain at the hand choking him. Again the voice whispered inside Pariah's head.
"Consume"
"That's odd…" Pariah said tilting his head feeling a strange sensation flooding his body, it felt like an intense hunger one that had to be sated immediately. "Trust my instincts..." Pariah muttered recalling Sherman's last words before grinning at the soldier. "Payback time." He muttered before thrusting his hand into the sergeant's chest as tendrils exploded from his back tearing the soldier apart breaking his body down and the biomass absorbed into Pariah leaving nothing left of the man. Gasping and taking a step back from what he had just done he could do nothing else but grip his head in pain as memories not his own began to assault his mind.
The memories of the sergeant running drills in boot camp as the drill instructor shouted at his group to work harder. The sounds of war as mission after mission from his career increasing his experience as a soldier on the battlefield.
"Damn!" Pariah uttered as the onslaught finally ceased as he stumbled backwards trying to regain his balance. That, whatever just happened to him not only showed him but a portion of the experiences of the soldier but it had assimilated that knowledge into Pariah's own. Glancing down at the nearby assault rifle he picked it up examining the weapon in his hands feeling as if he had held one for years. "Thanks for the crash course Roberts." Pariah mumbled as an image of the soldier flashed through his mind before a surge of energy passed through is body as well. Looking down at his hands watching as his biomass altered his appearance to where instead of wearing his prisoner attire he now wore the fatigues and combat gear of a United States Marine soldier feeling the bones in his face restructure into that of Roberts. "I can get use to this." He spoke to himself with a grin of the fun he could potentially have.
"Sergeant!" Temple shouted over the radio. "We heard additional gunfire within Subject Pariah's cell report!" the colonel ordered as Pariah rolled his eyes.
"Yes-"Pariah quickly coughed realizing it was his own voice. Right focus or this escape will be short lived for the would be escapee. "Yes sir, Colonel Temple. Sergeant Roberts reporting" He now spoke using Robert's voice.
"What is the current situation soldier?" Temple ordered as Pariah cut off the radio and silently swore under his breath. Right there was three soldiers originally and now there was a missing corpse. "Robert's do you copy what is your status!" the colonel demanded with agitation in his voice.
Screw it, he'll wing it!
"Copy sir, Doctor Sherman briefly feigned death and was armed. He managed to kill both Privates Jenkins and Ferguson before I could stop him." Now all Pariah could do was pray this Colonel would be stupid enough to fall for that rushed excuse of a story.
"The doctor…was able to kill two of your trained and experienced men at point blank…before you were able to react in time." The colonel slowly spoke in disbelief as Pariah rolled his eyes. "And what of the test subject?" he asked
"Pariah has been neutralized sir. His body is unresponsive an-"Pariah's words died in his throat. Crap. Roberts referred to him always as an object never by name or the proper pronouns. "You know what screw this." Pariah spoke using his real voice. "I'm leaving goodbye Colonel Cyrus Temple. Your hospitality has sucked and I will not miss it. " He added before shutting the radio off his body reverting to normal once again garbed in his prison attire through a ripple of Biomass.
Right now all Pariah had to do was fight his way through a heavily fortified military base. Reach the south gate where Sherman's associates were waiting and…well that part he'll figure out later. The sounds of footsteps rushing down the halls brought Pariah back to the present as he checked the ammo in the assault rifle he still held in his hands before grinning. "Time to go to work," he spoke before breaking into a superhuman sprint down the hall. The soldiers that were approaching caught sight of the viral being before they were tackled and shoved out of Pariah's way falling to the ground in a mixture of pain and confusion.
Bare feet came to a screeching halt as Pariah dove onto the ground as a rocket roared overhead from the man standing guard at the elevator leading to the surface. The assault rifle in Pariah's hands fired round after round hitting the man with the accuracy of the soldier he consumed. Then with an audible click what ammo that remained in the weapon was gone. Of course Roberts had used a large portion of the clip in an attempt to murder him and what was left was just used to kill the rocket man. Pariah could not help but swear under his breath wishing he had taken additional ammo as he rose from the floor discarding the empty weapon in the process.
The lights inside the base flickered before suddenly cutting off prompting the man to blink in the darkness for a moment. 'Sherman's associates must be responsible for the power outage,' Pariah mused approaching the elevator with a frown clenching his fists he slammed it into the door creating an impressive dent in the metal then his other hand connected with it and both doors went flying down into the elevator shaft. "Two hits? Guess my strength is not back to its full potential," he sighed in disappointment before jumping into the shaft, running up the interior towards freedom. "Now I just need a quick snack." He said
-Outside-
"Think he will make it Simmons?" a soldier asked his comrade as they stood guard at the helipad watching as every helicopter save there's was mobilizing and patrolling the area. "Five bucks says he's caught." He betted
"Five bucks he makes it Tucker," the marine responded with a grin as they stood watch guarding the vehicle which officially was awaiting Colonel Cyrus Temple hence why it was not yet airborne, it's a shame Cyrus wasn't aware of that little fact.
"Wait…" Tucker said seeing a soldier approach in the distance using the darkness for cover narrowly avoiding the spotlights from the search choppers. "That…could be anyone." He defended before watching the soldier shifted into the man they were really waiting for. "Crap"
"I win." Simmons chuckled as he was flipped off by his associate.
There you have it ladies and gentlemen Pariah is on the loose and next chapter we'll see him met his new friends and head to Stillwater. Hope you enjoy and please leave a review.
-Dead