AUTHOR'S NOTE PLEASE READ.
Hello to all of you wonderful readers! I would like to start off by saying this is a story I've had in the back of my mind for a very long time. The reason that I haven't gotten around to it is because I was focused on finishing my Fallout FanFiction, New Wars are Fought by Old Warriors. To all of my readers that are currently on the author alert list and are waiting for the New Vegas sequel, Battle For True Democracy. The story is a work in progress. The first chapter will be up May 1st. I also promise that Battle For True Democracy will have consistent regular updates.
To my usual readers, if you're not a fan of Dying Light, I understand. Again, chapter 1 for Battle For True Democracy will be up May 1st.
Now for everyone that isn't familiar with how I write, I'll give you a little insight. I like to keep the stories as grounded as possible. By that I mean I just want it to feel as real and as logical as possible. (Even though the grappling hook in Dying Light defied logic, but whatever! It was still awesome!) I also tend to write long chapters! Anywhere between 6,000 and 15,000 words. So if you enjoy long reads. You may enjoy this story.
For all of you Dying Light fans. There are some changes to this story. Especially the ending. Let's face it, the endings to The Following expansion pissed a lot of us off. This story will give a lot of us a better ending that I hope you all like. There are some other changes you'll see as well, just read to find out. I just ask you give the story a chance and read through the first chapter. If this isn't something you like, I understand and I appreciate you taking a chance.
I also welcome constructive criticism. So if you have something you'd like to say in a review, go right ahead. As long as its not derogatory!
I do not own Dying Light. All rights belong to Techland.
Well, that should be about it. Without further ado. Welcome to the story!
Chapter 1: The Aftermath and Moving Forward
Harran Slums: August 4, 2014 8:24 P.M.
Kyle Crane let out a long sigh of relief as he clutched Zere's research data close to his chest. 'Finally.' He thought. 'It's over. It's actually fucking over.' Kadir Suleiman, aka, Rais was dead. The ruthless fucking warlord of the Harran Quarantine was finished, along with all of his flunkies. Now, the only thing left for Crane to do was to find a way off of this damn sky-scraper before getting back to the Tower. But first…
Crane looked up as the GRE helicopter flew by again. He grew annoyed as he heard them calling him on his earpiece. Crane reluctantly answered it. "What do you want?" He asked them impatiently.
The voice on the other end of the call was his GRE handler. "Rais already told us he had that dead scientist's data." She informed Crane. "All we're interested in is the cure. We're offering you a chance here! Get the rest of the research and come with us."
Crane knew she, along with the entirety of the GRE were desperately clinging to the hope that the cure research would save their reputation from the wrath of the world. Especially after the exposure of their classified file and how it revealed their intentions to weaponize the Harran Virus.
They were going to suffer worse than Rais was suffering in hell. "You know I can think of a lot of reasons to tell you to go fuck yourself, but why don't we just pretend for a minute that you don't think I'm stupid?" He asked his handler, but not giving her the chance to answer. "You need the cure. It's here, in the city…somewhere. And as long as it is, you won't try to pull any Ministry-style bullshit."
"Crane, why do you even give a FUCK what happens to these people? You don't belong here! This is just a job for you!" His handler exploded, showing her true colors once again while reminding Crane that he was just a contractor for them.
Crane shook his head with both a smug and disgusted smirk on his face. Smug, because he managed to piss off her off again, and disgusted, because of how much her inhumanity pissed him off. "No, not anymore, it's not…I'll be in touch when I've decided what to do next." Crane told her, immediately ending the call and leaving no room for argument. He watched as the helicopter took off in the horizon away from Harran. No doubt his handler was beyond pissed, but Crane had a feeling she was more worried about the political shitstorm and backlash that was about to hit the GRE.
Crane's earpiece rang again. He answered it. "Crane? Hello Crane? Can you hear me? It's Camden!" Doctor Camden said.
"Yeah Doc, I hear you. What's going on?" Crane asked.
"The analysis just finished on the tissue samples!" Camden informed Crane. "The results are…well, I don't think the word "phenomenal" is too strong!" Camden stated positively. Crane looked at the disk with Zere's research. "Crane, if you can recover Zere's data, I'm CERTAIN a cure is within reach!" Camden told Crane with one-hundred percent absolute certainty.
Crane smiled. "All right!" Finally feeling confident that the survivors of Harran were one step closer to making it through this nightmare. "Hey we'll talk about it next time I see you." Crane said hanging up the call. He stood up from his spot and admired the setting sun in the distance for a moment.
Wait a minute…The sun was setting.
"This is Ayo speaking. Get to the nearest safe-house and wait until dawn! Good night and good luck." Ayo announced through Crane's walkie-talkie.
"Shit." Crane hissed. The time for relaxation was over. He needed to get back to the tower ASAP. Crane looked at his watch and it read 8:31 PM. He had less than thirty minutes before the Volatiles started flooding the streets and he certainly wasn't taking his chances of waiting out the night on top of this sky-scraper. Looking down over the edge, Crane saw a massive trash container at the bottom that was filled to the brim with garbage bags.
Crane thought about it for a minute. 'Ok if I jump will I survive? I mean I did jump off of a freaking a dam and made it…Then again, the jump from the dam was less than a hundred feet…give or take? This fucking sky-scraper is a good ten, maybe fifteen stories taller than Brecken's Tower…Yeah, nope, no way in hell I'd make this.' Realizing that jumping off the top of the building would be just as suicidal as traversing his way back through the hoards of infected. Plus, Rais destroyed the crane he used to get to the building.
Then a thought hit him. "Crane," Kyle looked up at the tower crane that was set up on the sky-scraper. "that's it." He ran over and climbed up the crane to get to the control panel. "Ok, let's see." Crane looked at the controls and instantly had no idea what the hell to do. 'This is ironic. Crane operating a crane.' He thought humorously. "Let's try this one." Pushing a button that caused the cable to retract until the container attached to it hit the top. "Alright, take two." Crane pushed another button that detached the container from the cable and sent it plummeting to the ground. The loud thud could be heard all the way at the top of the tower.
"Ok, that's progress. Please, let third time's a charm be the case." He said pushing a lever forward. The crane cable slowly started to lower down the side of the building. "Yes!" Crane shouted doing a little fist pump. He checked his watch. 8:38 PM. "Time to get the fuck out of here." He jumped down from the crane control and ran over to the cable. Something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He saw a duffle bag with Suleiman's insignia on it.
Crane walked over and opened the bag to check its contents. Inside the bag was a Glock 19 with four 15 round magazines, a Medkit, a USB drive, and a small blue container. Crane holstered the Glock and the magazines, finding them to be a good replacement for his Sig that was lost when he was fleeing the Volatiles in the tunnel system. Crane then cracked opened the Medkit and used its contents to treat the wound on his shoulder from the throwing knife Rais used. He then pocketed the USB before opening the blue container. His eyes widened in shock from what was inside. It was a GRE container filled with Antizin. Twenty-five vials of Antizin.
'This will definitely help the people of the Tower.' Crane thought as he placed the container and research data in the bag, zipped it up, and slung it over his shoulder. The cable from the crane came to a halt, signaling that there was no more cable to dispense. He peered over the edge and saw the cable was only halfway down the building. That was still too high to survive the jump. Looking around, he spotted a bundle of rope that was at least fifty feet long. Crane tied a strong knot at one end before wrapping it around his shoulder. "It'll have to do." Crane looked towards the horizon. The sun was setting fast and he had to go now!
He ran towards the ledge of the building and jumped. Crane caught the cable and slowly started to shimmy his way down. He found the climb down difficult with his bad shoulder, but he wasn't stopping here. After a couple minutes of climbing down, Crane's foot touched the hook at the end of the cable. He removed the rope from his shoulder and slid the knot through the hook, allowing him to continue his descent. Crane had about five feet of rope left when he heard an unsettling sound. Looking up, his eyes widened in fear as the rope slowly started to break. "Oh shit!"
Thinking fast, Crane looked at the unfinished sky-scraper and spotted a huge piece of rebar sticking out of the concrete. He pulled his grappling hook from his belt, twirled it and let it go…right as the rope snapped.
"SHIT!" Crane shouted as he fell towards the earth until he felt his body jerk towards the building, causing him to smack into it! "AHHHH FUCK! Ugh that's going to hurt in the morning." He looked up and saw the grappling hook latched onto the rebar before he could plummet to his death. "Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Lord! Thank you, thank you, thank you." He repeated as he slid down the rope.
When he reached the end, he saw that he was less than twenty feet from the ground. He looked around and spotted the massive trash container. Crane placed both feet against the wall and pushed with as much force as possible, launching himself in the air. The moment Crane let go of the rope, he turned so he would land on his side instead of his back. The last thing he wanted was for any of the Antizin to get destroyed.
When he hit the bags of trash, Crane cried out in pain as he felt something stab into his left arm. He lifted his arm up and saw a rusty looking kitchen knife protruding from a garbage bag. The knife had pierced deep into his forearm.
Crane hissed through his teeth. "Sonuvabitch I fucking knew it!" He said in a mixture of disbelief and shock as he recalled the concern that he voiced to himself after jumping off the dam. He climbed out of the container, tightened the duffle bag straps to his shoulder and took off in a dead sprint towards the Tower. He made it a point to avoid any and all infected he came across. Logically, Crane would've booked it to the closest safe house and waited out the night, but the Tower had run out of Antizin yesterday and all infected survivors in the Slums were depending on the suppressants.
'No.' Crane thought as he dodged a group of biters that tried to grab for him. 'No more people are going to turn. I won't allow it. I'm going to get the Antizin to the Tower, then I'm going to get the research to Camden and we are getting a cure.' That fire, that determination inside him grew and he picked up the pace.
Crane hopped up on top of a car and jumped over a horde of infected. Landing on his feet next to a burning barrel, he kicked it over to slow down the infected. Crane continued to run towards the Tower as several of the infected started to catch ablaze from the barrel. Several more infected were blocking his path. With his bad arm, he couldn't climb on top of the buildings and jump across the rooftops and he didn't have any firecrackers left. He spotted one of Spike's car traps. Pulling out the remote, Crane activated the trap and the blaring car alarm drew the infected over to it. Crane got a good ten feet away before the car exploded, killing all of the infected within the immediate area. Unfortunately for him, the explosion drew the attention of several Virals towards him.
"Shit. Time for quiet has passed." Crane said as he drew his Glock. Even with the duffle bag, Crane could easily outrun them. The one's in front of him were another thing, however. Three Virals were sprinting right at him. Crane raised the sidearm and fired three shots, nailing two of them in the head and the third one in the chest. The first two fell over dead while the third started to stagger. Using his full strength, Crane rammed his good shoulder into the Viral's chest and knocked it to the ground.
As Crane kept running and dodging past the Biters, a Bomber crashed through the door of a tin shack and started jogging towards him. "That's right, keep coming towards me!" Crane shouted as he ran around the mutated infected. Once Crane was out of its range, he turned and fired a round at the Bomber, making it explode and killing all of the pursuing Virals.
Crane stopped for a second to see that he wasn't being chased anymore. He sighed with tremendous relief and took a moment to catch his breath. "Holy shit. Whew, that fucking sucked…wait a minute." Crane looked up and saw the sun was almost completely hidden.
And that's when he heard the dreaded sound.
The beeping alarm on his watch going off, followed by the sound of the high-pitched screams of Volatiles all over the city. The hours of darkness had come.
"Fuck!" Crane pulled the only UV flare he had left and lit it as he took off for the Tower again. With less than a mile to go, Crane pushed himself beyond his limits. He had to get back to the Tower. He couldn't fail them. He couldn't fail Brecken, or Rahim, or…Jade… "I won't let her down again."
His running attracted the attention of a nearby Volatile standing on the roof of a house. The mutated nightmare jumped down to streets in front of Crane and roared at him, making the runner stop in his tracks. The roar started to draw more Volatiles towards them.
Crane glared at the Volatile. "Not today asshole!" He shouted as he ran at the infected monster while holding the flare out in front of him. The UV rays from the flare instantly started burning the Volatile's skin, forcing it to retreat by climbing back up the building it jumped down from. Crane continued this method until the flare ran out. He tossed it aside and hoped he would make it.
Meanwhile at the Tower
Brecken was sitting in an armchair lost in his thoughts. The Tower had run out of Antizin and after Rais and his goons bugged out to Old Town, Brecken had sent his runners to search the bandit compounds hoping to locate more of the antivirals. Sadly, they all came back empty-handed. On top of that, he hadn't heard back from Crane and the Saviors had started attacking the local settlements. Thankfully, Crane's warning about the group's betrayal gave Brecken time to warn everyone to strengthen their defenses. So far, the Tower Guards and local settlements had killed thirty of the Saviors, wounded several more, and only had a few wounded on their end.
"Brecken!" A voice called from the doorway.
Brecken looked up and saw one of his scouts standing there with a panicked look on his face. Brecken grew concerned. "What is it Yasan?"
"I just spotted Crane to the West. He's heading our way, but he's got loads of Volatiles on his tail!" Yasan informed the British National.
Brecken jumped to his feet in alarm. "WHAT?!" He ran over to the table and grabbed his 9mm Beretta. "Gather all the guards and tell them to set up a perimeter around the Tower Entrance! Use UV flares! GO NOW!" Brecken ordered. He loaded his gun and hurried towards the elevators with several guards in tow. The elevator ride down felt like an eternity.
Back in the streets of Harran
Crane fired the remainder of the magazine into a Volatile that tried to pounce on him. The shots barely did any damage, but they did cause it to temporarily retreat. He ejected the empty magazine and loaded his last one as he continued running through the field that was across from the clinic safe house. Towards the Tower, Crane spotted several UV flares being thrown around the entrance as well as in the courtyard.
They knew he was coming. Brecken and the others knew. He was almost there! All he had to do now was get across the canal bridge and…A Volatile jumped from a rooftop and landed in front of him. Startled, Crane quickly raised his gun and fired a single shot that hit the Volatile right between the eyes. That one shot alone managed to kill the mutated infected.
This left Crane completely stunned. "Holy shit! Never gonna be able to do that again." He said, continuing to run until another Volatile jumped up and tackled him onto the bridge. Crane rolled over and fired into the Volatile's stomach until he was completely out of ammo. The nighttime infected didn't back down though. Crane raised a foot up and placed it against the Volatile's chest to keep it at bay. Its mandibles were open, trying to rip Crane's face off.
Crane's strength was starting to fail him. After his fight with Rais, his descent down the sky-scraper, and his trek through the city, he didn't know how much longer he could keep fighting. The Volatile raised both its claws up, intending to bring them down on the former GRE Operative. Crane raised his arms up to shield himself, but suddenly, he heard the familiar sound of a blade connecting with flesh. He opened his eyes and saw a machete sticking out of the Volatile's face.
Crane kicked the dead infected off of him and found himself being helped to his feet. "Come on Crane!" A female voice said.
Kyle recognized the voice. "Jade?" He asked in total surprise as his memories from the Museum rescue came flooding back to him.
Flashback: Harran Museum. Yesterday
"Crane just take it!" Jade said shoving the jet injector into Crane's hands. Both of them were infected and they only had one vial of Antizin, or so Jade thought. Before she could react, Crane injected her with the suppressant. She looked to him with complete shock. "Crane…"
He reached into his cargo pocket and pulled out another vial of Antizin. He had gotten it off of a dead Savior. He disposed of the old vial before using the new one on himself. Crane looked up at Rais with a smug grin. "Bet you didn't see that one coming did you asshole?"
Rais growled in outrage. He looked to Tahir. "TAHIR, KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH!" He ordered his second-in-command. "AND BRING HER TO ME!"
Tahir and four of Rais's bandits entered the room to kill the two runners. Jade focused her attention on the bandits while Crane focused on Tahir. Though they were still weak from almost succumbing to the infection, they got to their feet, facing off against their enemies. Jade swiftly dealt with all of Rais's thugs, while Crane was taking on Tahir. Though Tahir was much bigger and stronger than Crane, the Tower runner had the speed, agility and skill. Every time Tahir swung his machete, Crane would parry the attacks. The fight seemed like an even match until Tahir tossed a smoke bomb that completely filled the room. Crane looked around him, trying to see through the smoke. Without warning, Tahir knocked Crane to the ground and proceeded to impale him. Crane desperately held him back as the tip of the machete was a few centimeters from his face.
Jade jumped on Tahir's back and put him in a choke-hold, forcing him off of Crane. Tahir reared his head back, hitting Jade in the forehead. The Scorpion was dazed from the hit, but didn't relinquish her hold. Tahir quickly ran backwards and slammed her into a support pillar, the force of the impact caused her to let go. He turned around and wrapped his hand around Jade's throat, lifting her off the ground. She struggled to pull from his grasp. "I'll deal with you soon!" Tahir snarled as he tossed her into a museum display case, breaking it apart and knocking her out cold.
Crane let out a battle cry as he stabbed Tahir in the back with his machete. Rais's second-in-command shouted in agony and dropped to his knees. Crane ripped the blade from Tahir's torso and placed it against his throat. "Where. Is. Rais?"
Tahir gave Crane a murderous look as blood spilled from his mouth. "Go to hell Crane." He gasped out.
"Killing you would be too easy." Crane grabbed Tahir by the hair and pulled his head back, holding the machete against the man's throat even tighter. "I should just leave you here to suffer! That's what you deserve."
"Yes? …Then why don't you?"
"Because you're not the kind of loose end you leave untied." Crane growled as he dragged the machete against Tahir's throat, spraying blood across the floor. Crane shoved Tahir's lifeless body to the ground and spotted the bag Rais left behind. It had the samples, but not Zere's data. "Shit."
Crane pocketed the tissue samples before running over to Jade's unconscious form. Blood was running down the side of her head. He put a hand to his earpiece. "Troy do you copy?" He asked as he picked Jade up and carried her out of the Museum.
"Go ahead Crane."
"I've got Jade. She's in bad shape. Can you send someone to look after her while I call off the Ministry? She'll be at the safe-house closest to the museum." Crane told the Ember leader.
"I'm sending help now." Troy told him.
Present
The memory passed by in a split second. Crane took one good look at his savior, his flashlight helping to see her more clearly. Her brown eyes, black hair, her flawless features…it really was Jade. Crane was in disbelief. He thought she was still in Old Town recovering after the fight with Tahir. "Jade, how did yo-"
Jade instantly cut him off by grabbing his wrist. "We have to go now Crane!" She insisted, dragging him away. Crane and Jade started running towards the Tower, where Brecken and several guards started shooting at any Volatiles that tried to go after the two. Some of the infected were dropping after a few hits.
Brecken lit more flares and started tossing them in all the directions to keep the mutated freaks away. "JADE, CRANE, HURRY!" He shouted as he shot at another Volatile that tried to charge through the UV flares, forcing it to withdrawal. Crane began to feel fatigued and tripped climbing up the stairs to the tower. Brecken ran down to help Jade get Kyle back on his feet. "Come on mate I gotcha!" He told Crane as they helped him up to the entrance. He looked to all of his guards. "Back inside! Hurry! Go, go, go!" Brecken ordered. The guards all fell back inside, climbing up to the second floor. Crane, Brecken, and Jade were inside the building and saw a swarm of Volatiles coming towards the entrance.
Crane pulled the trap remote out of his pocket. "Eat this you fuckers!" He said pushing the button, activating the electric fence trap at the entrance, frying every last one of them. The group watched in satisfaction as all of the Volatiles, too stunned by the electric shocks to move, were cooked by the UV perimeter lights. The guards on the bottom floor immediately sealed and barricaded the doors.
"Let's go." Jade said as she and Brecken helped Crane climb onto the second floor with the assistance of a couple guards. The two runners climbed up and helped Crane back to his feet.
Brecken took one good look at Crane. "You alright mate?" His voice laced with concern.
Crane nodded. "Yeah." He breathed out.
Brecken nodded. "Good, in that case." He smacked Crane in the back of the head. "What the hell were doing out there?! Why didn't you just get to a safe house and lay low?" Brecken asked in a very irritated manner. He turned his attention towards Jade. "And you," Jade raised an eyebrow at Brecken. "how the hell did you get back here from Old Town and why didn't you do the same?"
"One of the Embers found a hidden passage that leads directly from Sector 0 to the Slums. Faster, safer, easier." Jade informed him. 'Well, that answer's my question.' Crane thought. "Troy told me Crane was going after Rais when he found out the GRE was going to fly him out of the city with Zere's research…I wanted to make sure Crane was alright."
A small smile formed on Crane's face. 'At least she isn't pissed at me about Rahim's death anymore…or is she?" The death of her younger brother was still upsetting to them.
At the mention of Crane going after Rais, Brecken looked at him with one question on everyone's mind. Everyone in the Tower saw the helicopter take off from the sky-scraper. "Where is he Crane? Tell me Rais didn't escape the city."
Jade and all the guards looked to Crane waiting for the same answer. Crane shook his head. "We don't have to worry about Rais anymore Brecken. He's dead, along with his entire crew."
"And Zere's data?" Jade asked.
Crane unslung the duffle bag and opened it up, pulling out the container that held the disc with all of Zere's research on the Harran Virus and the potential cure. He held it out to Jade. "Right here."
Jade took the data and everyone in the room let out a long sigh of relief before a lot of the guards erupted into celebrations. Elated that Rais and his men were dead and that Zere's research was secured. Thing's were looking brighter for the survivors of Harran.
Brecken waved his arms to get everyone's attention. "Alright settle down! Settle down you lot and listen up! Rais may be out of the picture, but we've still got the Saviors to deal with. On top of that we still need to find more Antizin."
When Crane heard that, he pulled the blue container out of the duffle bag. "About your earlier question." He opened the container, revealing the Antizin. "I wasn't going to wait another night to bring this back."
Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. "Crane…where did you get this?" Brecken asked as he saw all the vials were surprisingly in tact after Crane's perilous journey through the Slums.
"Rais was planning on taking this with him when he tried to flee the city. I guess this was going to be his final fuck you to us." Crane told Brecken.
Brecken looked over and counted every vial. "This is enough to keep all infected survivors going for at least two weeks. That gives us some breathing room to scour the city for more. That's unless Camden creates a cure." He closed the case and handed it over to Yasan. "Get the Antizin to Lena!" Yasan took the crate and hurried to the elevator to deliver the crate to the Tower doctor. Brecken looked back at Crane with a huge smile on his face. He clapped him on the shoulder. "Job well done mate. You've bought us all some time."
Crane nodded and smiled back. "Crane you're bleeding." He turned and saw Jade inspecting his arm which had blood dripping down his hand and onto the floor. She had a look of worry.
Crane tried to wave off her concern. "It's nothing. Just a scratch."
Jade wasn't buying it though. She gently lifted up the sleeve of his shirt and saw the angry stab wound in his forearm. "That," She pointed at it. "is not a scratch." She stated obviously as blood drizzled out of the wound.
Brecken immediately grew just as concerned. "Fuckin' hell Crane. Let's get you to Lena." He said as he and Jade led Crane to the elevator, leaving no room for argument.
As they rode the elevator up, Crane started getting lost in his train of thought. Even if Camden was able to find a cure, their next concern was finding a way out of the city. That is, if they were ever going to get out of the city.
United Nations Security Council New York City. August 14, 2014
(Author's Note: I don't like to get involved with politics, so all political figures in this story will be fictitious, meaning there will not be any past or current politicians in this story. Secondly, I don't know how the political meetings, discussions, and decision making of the UN work, so please bear with me here. If you want, just skip this segment and move on to the next. I did say I like to add realism to stories.)
It was 2:34 PM in the Big Apple. The time in Harran was ahead of New York by seven hours. Inside the UN Building, leaders and representatives from the nations that were part of the Security Council, plus a few other nations, as well as a representative from the GRE, were in a very heated debate over a few important topics. The Turkish Ministry of Defense's decision to try and firebomb Harran while hundreds of survivors were still trapped inside the Quarantine Zone. The Ministry lying to the world about there being no survivors left in Harran. The Global Relief Effort's attempts to exploit the virus and use it to gain profits from Black Market bidders. After the GRE's classified file was published for the world to see, many people were foaming at the mouth, demanding the GRE be dismantled and brought to justice. The final and most important topic, what to do about the remaining survivors in Harran.
"Defense Minister Homan, it was you who gave full authorization to Colonel Taner to launch the firebombing of the Harran Quarantine. How can you possibly justify trying to murder hundreds, if not thousands of survivors?" President Marcell, the President of France asked the Turkish Minister of Defense furiously.
Homan folded his hands together in front of him. He sighed. "The information that was given to me by Colonel Taner at the time supported the evidence that there were no more survivors in the city and the immediate firebombing was the only option left. When new information was received that there were still survivors in the Quarantine, I had Colonel Taner stand down and cease operations."
Prime Minister Conall, Britain's Prime Minister, shook his head, not accepting a word that came out of Homan's mouth. "With all due respect Defense Minister, I'm finding it very had to believe that you had no knowledge of there being any survivors in Harran. You are the Minister of Defense. You always have more information than your own military advisors!"
Homan glared at the Brit. "Alright, then tell me Prime Minister, what would you do if it was your own country at risk of being destroyed by a contagious virus outbreak? Would you sit around and hope for a cure to be found, yet have to risk the infection escaping the quarantine? Or would you do what is absolutely necessary and make the difficult decision that could spare the rest of your country, and possibly the world, from a terrible fate that one city has suffered?" The Minister of Defense challenged.
"I'm sorry, I'm going to have to stop you right there, Defense Minister Homan." Canadian Prime Minister Vance said, not looking up from his copy of the reports on the Harran Virus and the efforts to contain it. "Ever since you gave the order to withdraw your troops out of Harran and establish the Quarantine Zone, you've been adamant in taking radical measures to destroy the city. Not once did you try and launch any search and rescue operations to extract the survivors out of Harran. Your military has the manpower and the resources to do so, yet you didn't. The survivors have had to rely on supply drops sent in by the GRE," Prime Minister Vance looked up from the report and glared at the GRE Representative and his assistant, who looked like they'd rather be stranded on a remote island than in this meeting. "to keep them alive."
Minister Homan sighed in defeat. "Over fifty thousand people have been killed in this outbreak. In the first hour of trying to contain the virus, we lost over one thousand soldiers. Too many people inside the city had already died, our soldiers did their best, but it was not enough. I did not want to see this virus consume the rest of the country as well as the world. I ordered Harran to be quarantined and requested the city be destroyed to prevent such a disaster. I was only looking out for the best interests of humanity."
Prime Minister Conall's features softened. "Defense Minister Homan, I understand your devotion to your country and wanting to protect it from the Harran Virus, but we have to remember that there are still survivors inside the Quarantine Zone. Human survivors who have been suffering for almost four months. We as human beings ourselves, must do what is right and come together for our fellow human."
Russian President Petrovsky looked to the British Prime Minister. "If I may interpose Prime Minister Conall?"
"Yes Mr. President?" Conall allowed.
Petrovsky cleared his throat. "I agree with what has been said here by the Prime Minister. The world we live in today is not getting any better. Humanity is faced with many ongoing issues. Warfare, terrorism, disease, famine, disasters. For too long we've stopped focusing on what could be done to help the people affected by these tragedies. The ongoing situation in Harran, this is one of those moments where we need to focus our efforts on helping the people affected by the virus and do what we can to save the survivors in the city." Murmurs of agreement were heard throughout the council. "Defense Minister Homan, I believe I speak on behalf of everyone on this Council when I say you were right to focus your attention on stopping the virus from spreading. I believe we all would've taken the same measures if we were facing the same situation. However, the way I see it, we have a much more important topic to discuss. Mainly, the Global Relief Effort." All eyes landed on the GRE rep.
The President of the United States, President Nathan Wilson finally spoke up after remaining quiet through most of the talks. With him was Secretary of Defense Harris, and Army Chief of Staff, General Erickson. "I concur with President Petrovsky." He spoke to the GRE rep. "Mr. Sanders, could you please explain to this Council how one of the best global disaster relief organization's in the world suddenly found it's way into the bio-weapons business?"
Mr. Sanders stood up from his seat, feeling like the piercing stares he was receiving from everyone were going to stab him at any moment. He cleared his throat to begin his argument. "Mr. President with all due respect, these allegations agai-"
His argument was immediately shut down. "Do not insult our intelligence Mr. Sanders! That is a very unwise move." President Petrovsky interrupted with a subtle warning that almost felt like a threat.
Sanders cleared his throat again. "I wasn't trying to insult your intelligence Mr. President. I was simply trying to state that the file that was published, the GRE has reason to believe that it was a falsified document meant to tarnish their reputation." The man said hoping that somebody would believe him.
President Wilson raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really Mr. Sanders? Because, my NSA analysts say differently."
"My MI5 analysts are saying the same thing." Prime Minister Conall agreed.
President Petrovsky leaned forward in his seat. "Mr. Sanders, none of us see you as the enemy."
"Speak for yourself." Prime Minister Vance murmured under his breath.
"You are simply a representative here on the GRE's behalf. We will not, what is it the Americans say? Shoot the messenger. We are here to discuss the facts. And the facts are your organization was attempting to replicate this virus and sell it on the Black Market." President Petrovsky stated as he had gone over the reports on the file several times.
President Marcell spoke next. "Now you can stand there, Monsieur Sanders and try to argue the facts and continue to treat us as if we know nothing. If you do, you're just as liable as those that made these decisions to try and profit from a deadly virus that has already claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. I suggest you stop wasting everyone's time and tell us the truth!" The French President said growing angrier at the GRE Rep.
Mr. Sanders sighed lightly. He was hoping to stall the UN Council long enough to receive word from his superiors that they were able to acquire the cure research in Harran so they could use it to their advantage and clear their name.
His assistant gently slid her phone over on the table so he could see the screen. Sanders looked down and his heart plummeted. Kadir Suleiman neutralized by Kyle Crane. Our obtainment of the cure research has failed.
Mr. Sanders closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, which didn't go unnoticed by the Council. "Something you'd like to tell us Mr. Sanders?" Prime Minister Conall asked.
Sanders shook his head. "No, Prime Minister." He had no choice. Sooner or later they would all find out. "What does the Council wish to know?"
"Why was the GRE trying to weaponize the virus and sell it on the Black Market?" President Petrovsky asked.
"The GRE wasn't planning on selling the virus on the Black Market, Mr. President. They were hoping to find a country that would be willing to pay the most amount as well as additional yearly funds. Every year the GRE continues to lose money needed to conduct relief efforts across the world and not enough donations go to our cause to keep us funded. The Harran Virus outbreak was the first time in a long time that the GRE received a constant and steady supply of funds to keep the organization going. Selling the virus to a country that was willing to help increase our funding was to prevent our disbandment." Mr. Sanders informed the Council.
"Producing and selling a bio-weapon of this magnitude is nothing but madness Monsieur Sanders! This is inexcusable!" President Marcell stated, gaining many nods of agreement.
President Wilson was next to speak. "How did the GRE get their hands on the file containing the full genetic structure of the virus so they could weaponize it?"
"When the outbreak first hit. The GRE dispatched two scientists, Dr. Imran Zere and Dr. Allen Camden to research the virus and potentially find a cure for it. They were under the protection of Turkish Army Colonel and local political figure, Kadir Suleiman and his forces. Both scientists were about to send the data they had on the virus to our headquarters for further studies, but unexpected events happened." Sanders sighed as he sunk back in his seat.
"Go on Mr. Sanders." Prime Minister Vance pressed.
Sanders folded his hands together. "Colonel Suleiman made a request to the GRE that we evacuate his paraplegic younger brother, Hassan, out of the city. The GRE denied his request and Hassan died in the outbreak. Suleiman abandoned his orders and turned into a warlord. One of our operatives, Amir Ghoreyshi, was tasked with extracting our scientists out of the city. Camden and Zere were separated and any efforts to evacuate them from the city were called off. How Suleiman managed to get his hands on the file, we do not know. When he threatened to publish it, to expose the GRE as retribution for his brother's death, we established communication jammers to prevent any and all forms of contact out of the Quarantine Zone."
President Petrovsky looked to President Wilson. "That explains why no one has been able to hear anything from the survivors in the city."
President Wilson nodded and looked to Sanders. "What efforts did the GRE take to reclaim their file?"
"The GRE dispatched an American operative to try and recover it. Kyle Crane." Mr. Sanders informed the President.
President Wilson looked to General Erickson, who nodded and started researching the man in question on his laptop. "Please proceed Mr. Sanders."
"Mr. Crane's orders were simple. Get in, locate and confirm the identity of Suleiman, then recover our file. At first, he was doing what we asked of him, but eventually went off the rails."
Prime Minister Vance raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "What led to Kyle Crane's abandonment of his mission?"
Mr. Sanders knew the GRE was already going to be facing hell for their intentions to weaponize the virus. Might as well air out the rest of their dirty laundry. He took a deep breath and spoke. "When Suleiman turned into a warlord, his soldiers followed him along with several bandits, they've been killing several survivors across Harran and stealing Antizin drops. Suleiman had created a pit where others fight for their amusement. He was the only one in the city who had Antizin and Crane went in to the compound hoping to acquire some for survivors in need of it." The next thing he had to say would cause chaos in the room. "Suleiman wanted one of the survivors in the city to fight in his pit, Jade Aldemir, a Turkish National and world champion kick-boxer. Suleiman told Crane he would supply the Antizin if he handed Ms. Aldemir over. Crane refused and when he informed the GRE of this, they told him to do what Suleiman asked in order to get the file."
As predicted, the whole Council erupted into an angry outcry.
President Wilson waved his hand in the air to gather everyone's attention before focusing on the GRE representative. "I don't believe I heard you correctly Mr. Sanders. Did you just say that the GRE was endorsing human trafficking with a warlord?" The venom in the President's voice could have killed the representative right then and there.
Mr. Sanders gulped nervously. "Yes, that is correct Mr. President."
President Wilson leaned back and shook his head in absolute disbelief while trying to collect his thoughts. President Petrovsky spoke next. "What about the rumors of a possible cure inside the Quarantine Zone?"
"Dr. Zere and Dr. Camden had found enough data to potentially create a cure for the Harran Virus. It's somewhere in the city." Sanders told the Russian President.
"What is the status of Kadir Suleiman and his group of bandits?" Prime Minister Conall asked.
"We have received reports that Kyle Crane has managed to neutralize Suleiman and his party." Sanders informed.
President Wilson regained his bearing. "Is there anything more you have to tell us Mr. Sanders?"
Sanders shook his head, feeling like he had aged ten years throughout this meeting. "No, Mr. President. Any and all information I have has been given."
All eyes in the room turned towards the UN Security Council President, Marcus Dunning. He had remained quiet through the entire Council meeting, wanting to hear all information that would be given on the current situation with Harran, the Ministry of Defense, and the GRE.
President Dunning stood from his seat and spoke. "After going over all of the evidence and information that has been presented to the Council today, it is now clear to all of us, that certain actions must be taken." Mutters of agreement were heard across the Council room. Dunning looked to Homan. "Defense Minister Homan." The Turkish Defense Minister straightened his posture. "After listening to your argument and reviewing the reports on the Harran Quarantine from your advisors, the attempt you made to have the city firebombed on behalf of the safety of the world is deemed justified. No actions shall be taken against you or the Ministry of Defense."
Homan let out a long sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding. "Thank you, Mr. President."
Dunning gave the Defense Minister a nod before looking to Mr. Sanders. "Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Global Relief Effort. Mr. Sanders, the evidence we've been given against the GRE, plus your testimony on their activities surrounding the situation in Harran, have signified that your organization has violated Article 1 of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972. Along with that, your testimony on the GRE wanting your now rogue operative to conduct human trafficking is a violation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. As head of the United Nations Security Council, I hereby order the Global Relief Effort to cease all operations worldwide and that an investigation is launched effective immediately. I am also declaring that the GRE be treated as a criminal organization."
Mr. Sanders sunk back in his seat, his face paler than a ghost. The declaration came down on him like an anvil that the rest of the GRE would soon feel.
"President Dunning." President Wilson stood from his chair to get the UN President's attention.
"Yes, President Wilson?"
"With your permission, I request that the United States Military be given consent to mobilize and launch search and rescue operations for any remaining survivors in the Harran Quarantine." President Wilson stated respectfully.
Prime Minister Conall stood up. "I request the British Military be allowed to do the same Mr. President."
Prime Minister Vance spoke up on behalf of the two country leaders when he saw the surprised, yet questioning look on President Dunning's face. "Mr. President, when the outbreak hit, it was just before the Global Athletic Games." The Canadian Prime Minister informed. "People from all over the world were visiting at the time. America, Europe, Canada as well. We've been receiving reports from concerned citizens who state that they had family and friends in Harran during the outbreak."
President Dunning nodded in understanding, now knowing why the US President and British Prime Minister made the request. He looked to the rest of the Council. "Is there anyone else that would like to make a similar request?"
President Marcell spoke up. "Yes, President Dunning. I'm ready to activate the army to help out in any official capacity."
"The same for the Canadian Army, Mr. President." Prime Minister Vance stated.
After a few more seconds, no one else made the request. President Dunning looked to the Turkish Defense Minister. "Do you have any objections to these requests Defense Minister?" He asked.
"No objections, Mr. President. The offer is more than welcome. On the condition that we be allowed to firebomb the infection once confirmation is received that all survivors have been evacuated from Harran." Defense Minister Homan said with his own request.
President Dunning nodded. "Fair enough. I am granting the authorization of a US-led coalition to begin search and rescue operations for all survivors in the Harran Quarantine Zone. Once operations are completed, the Ministry of Defense is cleared to launch their destruction of the city. This concludes today's council meeting."
As all the leaders and representatives got up to return to their countries, mainly to begin their own investigations against the GRE, President Wilson turned to his SECDEF. "Harris, I want the FBI and Homeland Security to shutdown and secure all GRE sites in America."
"Understood Mr. President." Harris acknowledged.
Prime Minister Conall spoke to the President. "I'll have to go over this with Parliament, but I feel they won't have any protests."
President Wilson nodded. "I understand, in any case, we will get those survivors out."
"President Wilson my friend, it was good to see you again." President Petrovsky said shaking Wilson's hand. "I would love to extend the help, but the actions of the GRE have caused great concern in the world. I'll be focusing my efforts on helping to put an end to the organization."
Prime Minister Vance walked over to Wilson. "While I talk this over with my advisors, I've got Air Force personnel in Italy. I'll have them send an Antizin drop in the Quarantine Zone along with anything else that may help. It should buy the survivors some time."
Wilson shook the man's hand and bid him farewell. He looked to General Erickson. "General, let's get back to Washington. We have work to do."
Erickson followed close to the President along with the President's security detail. "Yes, Mr. President. Sir, I have the information on the rogue GRE Operative, Kyle Crane."
(AN: Ahhh, if only world politics could get along with each other and make decisions like these. Wishful thinking. Oh well, onto the story!)
The Tower, Harran. August 14, 2014. 9:41 P.M.
Inside the Tower Clinic, Crane was sitting shirtless on one of the beds as Lena treated his injuries. Most of his body was covered in small scrapes and bruises.
"So, what's the prognosis Doc?" Crane asked Lena as she finished stitching up the stab wound on his forearm.
Lena grabbed an elastic bandage and wrapped it around the injury. "Lucky for you it looked worse than what it really was. The knife only pierced a few inches into your arm. The one on your shoulder may take a little longer to heal, however." She told the runner.
Crane nodded then asked her. "Does that mean I'm still good to go out for supply runs?"
Lena pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. She had a feeling he would ask that. "Normally I would say no and tell you to let your injuries heal, but seeing how you're just as stubborn as Brecken, you probably wouldn't listen." Lena said, making Crane scratch the back of his head sheepishly. "If you insist on going out to look for supplies, I only ask that you don't overexert yourself. You still need to let the wounds heal. Remember the Tower still needs you."
"I know Lena." Crane said as he stood from the bed. "I promise I'll try my best to not get hurt out there." The runner said giving her his word.
Lena snorted in amusement. "Somehow I doubt that."
Crane pursed his lips in an effort to hide the smile. Who was he kidding? He couldn't stay out of danger if he tried. He turned and bent down to grab what was left of his shirt. It was torn up, covered in blood, and the sleeve was cut off so Lena could get to work on his injuries. He discarded the ruined shirt in a nearby trashcan.
There was a knock at the door. They turned and saw Brecken standing there. "How is he Lena?"
"He's good to go. Make sure he doesn't get into more trouble." Lena told him.
Brecken raised his hands up. "That's easier said than done Lena." Crane chuckled at that. Brecken turned to Crane, all humor gone and replaced with a serious look. "Go get a shirt on and come on up to the HQ. We need to have a talk mate."
Kyle instantly knew what they were going to talk about. Jade must have told Brecken. "Yeah. I'll be right up Brecken."
The Tower leader gave Crane a nod before leaving the room. Lena looked to Crane with a confused expression. "Talk about what exactly?" She asked.
Crane sighed. "Head on over to the HQ. I don't want you left in the dark."
Lena's brows furrowed, but she left to go meet with Brecken while Crane went to his room to get changed. He put on a plain black t-shirt and let out a long sigh. He knew they were going to ask a lot of questions. Whatever they had to ask, he would answer. He was sick and tired of the secrets.
When Crane entered the HQ, he was met with other familiar faces. Jade, Brecken, and Lena were waiting by the table with the map of Harran. Ayo and Timur, two of the Tower's guards were standing in the middle of the room. Lena, Ayo, and Timur had no idea what was going on, but they were about to find out.
Brecken cleared his throat. "Jade told me what happened at the University. I'm glad you're both alright. I'm also glad you put Tahir in the ground."
Crane simply nodded before speaking. "Look Brecken I-"
Brecken cut him off before he could finish. "Before you speak Crane, I just want you to know I'm not mad at you. None of us will be once you explain. But I need you to level with us mate." Crane's eyes looked around to everyone in the room before nodding. "Why didn't you tell us you were working for the GRE?"
The stunning revelation surprised everyone in the room, minus Jade and Brecken. Lena and Ayo had a look of shock written all over their faces while Timur narrowed his eyes at Crane.
The man in question rubbed a hand against his forehead before speaking. "What was I supposed to say Brecken?" He asked as his hand fell back to his side.
"Just start from the beginning Crane." Brecken said calmly.
And Crane did. Everyone listened as he informed them of his task given to him by the GRE. Locating the file that was stolen by Rais, the GRE wanting him to secure Zere's research before being flown out of the city, everything. Once he finished, Crane exhaled, glad to finally get this weight off of his shoulders. "For what it's worth, I wanted to tell you. I wasn't trying to stab you in the back if that's what you're wondering."
Brecken spoke up to get his attention. "I know that Crane. Hell, after everything you've done for us, after all the supply drops you've recovered during the day and night, all the survivors you've rescued…I know you're weren't trying to screw us over. The one thing that's got me baffled the most is if you were working for them, then why didn't you ask them to help us."
Crane scoffed and rubbed a hand across the stubble on his chin. "The GRE wasn't going to help us Brecken. The GRE didn't even help me out after they dropped me into the city."
Timur cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean they weren't going to help us?"
"I radioed for GRE support multiple times! I requested Antizin drops closer to the Tower to help us out, especially after the outbreak on the eighteenth floor. Every time I asked, they basically told me to go fuck myself and locate their damn file."
The guard just shook his head in disbelief. "Jesus. Assholes."
"Why was the GRE so interested in this file?" Lena asked getting Kyle's attention.
Crane reached into his pocket to pull out the USB drive found in Rais's duffle bag. "I wonder." He walked over and plugged it in the laptop on the table. Everyone gathered around him. Crane had a feeling the file was on the drive since Rais had it. Sure enough, the file was there. Probably as insurance if the GRE tried to screw Rais over. Once the file was on the screen, Crane stepped aside and looked to Lena. "Lena, take a look and tell me what you see." He said pointing at the laptop.
Lena stepped forward and began examining the file. It had the complete virion structure, but it also had… The color from her face completely drained away. She put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my God. Crane…is this…"
"A way to weaponize the virus?" Crane finished for her. He jabbed a finger towards the screen. "Yes, it is. This file wasn't meant to try and create a cure to save lives. The GRE was looking to make a profit by selling a weaponized strain to whoever would cough up the most cash."
Everyone felt sick to their stomachs. They couldn't imagine what would've happened if others got their hands on the virus, or worse, what they would do with it.
Ayo looked to Crane. "So, this is why you cut ties with the GRE?"
Crane shook his head. "No, I stopped working for them long before I found out what was on the file. For two reasons." He held up his index finger. "The first reason. After Brecken got hurt and Jade sent me to secure the airdrops, the GRE asked me to destroy any Antizin I came across so it would force an interaction with Rais."
Everyone's eyes almost popped out of their heads. They thought they heard him wrong, but after replaying what he said, he was serious. The GRE actually wanted him to destroy their lifeline for infected survivors. The same lifeline that the GRE themselves was giving to the survivors.
"I wasn't about to destroy any of it. I grabbed as much as I could, but I didn't account for how unbelievably dangerous the Volatiles were, which is why most of it was lost that night." He said recalling the hell the Volatiles gave him during his first encounter. He held up a second finger. "The second reason…" Crane looked at Jade. "Was you Jade."
Jade frowned in confusion at his statement. "Me? What are you talking about?"
Crane leaned back against the table with his arms folded. "After we failed to find any Antizin at the school, remember that second option I talked about?" Jade nodded. "Rais told me he would supply the Tower with more Antizin if…" Crane sighed.
Jade waited for him to continue. "If what?" She pressed.
"If I handed you over so you could fight in his pit." He finished.
Brecken was immediately mad. "He what?!"
Lena put a hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him down while Crane resumed talking. "I told him I wasn't going to do it. When I informed the GRE about this, they told me to do whatever it took to get the file back, even if it meant handing Jade over to Rais. After that I burned my bridges with the GRE and told them to fuck off."
The next question Jade asked stunned everyone. "Why didn't you?"
When Jade asked that, it practically knocked the wind out of Crane. He looked at her as if she had grown a second head. "Wh- what the fuck do you mean why didn't I? I wasn't about to hand you over to that fucking psychopath. He would have just screwed us over again!"
Jade folded her arms and stared hard at Crane. "Crane I would've gone if it meant there was a chance the Tower got more Antizin."
"Not a fucking chance in hell Jade!" Brecken stated irately. "Over my dead body would I have let you go off to do Rais's bidding, no matter how much Antizin he may have offered us."
Crane nodded his head in agreement. "I'm with Brecken on this one. That's the reason I didn't tell you Jade, because I knew you wouldn't hesitate to step up if it meant helping the Tower. I wasn't going to let him throw you in his damn pit."
That last statement for some reason angered Jade. "You don't think I could've handled myself?"
Crane rolled his eyes heavenward in annoyance. "Jade, you are more than capable of handling yourself! I've seen firsthand how capable you are. Ok, but I'm telling you Rais wasn't going to give you a prayer's chance in hell of surviving. His exact words to me were "I'm curious how long it will take for someone of her caliber to break." He would've thrown everything he had at you. Fuck, he threw a god damn Demolisher at me when I was captured trying to save Zere. You. Would. Have. Died." He emphasized in exasperation. "I wasn't going to let that happen to you."
"Like you did with my brother?" Jade asked, catching Crane off guard.
The room had gone so quiet that a pin drop to the floor would've sounded like a crack of lightning. Ayo looked to Timur and gave a subtle nod in the direction of the door. The two guards discreetly slipped out of the room with Lena following after as Jade and Crane continued to stare each other down. Lena turned to give Brecken a look that said "good luck."
'Thanks for the backup you tossers.' Brecken thought as the others left. He stepped in between his two best runners, fearing a possible confrontation. He turned to Crane as Jade looked down at the floor. "She didn't me-"
"Yeah she did." Crane stated, cutting Brecken off. He had an impassive look on his face. Brecken couldn't tell if he was angry or upset. That caused even more worry for the Tower leader. Crane still had his eyes trained on Jade. "And she's right Brecken."
Brecken glared at Crane. "No, she's not Crane! Alright listen, it wasn't your fault." He turned to Jade. "And it wasn't your fault! None of us thought Rahim would actually give us the slip to go blow up that fucking nest!" He reasoned, hoping to defuse the situation.
"It's because of me he got those damn explosives in the first place Brecken!" Crane almost shouted. "I should've left them at the school."
Jade huffed in annoyance. "Crane it's fine, alright? I'm don't blame you."
"Yeah you do Jade. Look, we need to talk about this." Crane said.
"There's nothing to talk about so just drop it!" She shouted.
"I'm not dropping anything Jade!" Crane told her, refusing to back down.
Jade just rolled her eyes. "You are such an asshole."
"If you didn't blame me then you wouldn't be acting this way with me." Crane stated matter-of-factly. "Go ahead and tell me I'm wrong! I dare you!" Crane challenged her. His challenge was met with narrowed eyes from the Turkish native. Brecken knew what that look meant. The Scorpion was getting ready to strike if she was provoked any further.
"That's enough Crane!" Brecken ordered, but Crane wasn't having it.
"No!" Crane moved forward until he was a few feet from Jade. "I get it Jade alright! I don't blame you for being pissed with me! Rahim died because I couldn't get to him in time, because I couldn't stop him from trying to destroy that nest!" Jade refused to look Crane in the eye as she tried to reign in her rising temper. "You're angry with me because I couldn't save your brother! Just say it! I know you're feeling-"
"YOU DON'T HAVE A GODDAMN CLUE WHAT I'M FEELING CRANE! DON'T ACT LIKE YOU UNDERSTAND!" Jade exploded in pure rage.
"THEN TALK TO ME DAMMIT! HELP ME UNDERSTAND! WHAT IS IT YOU'RE ANGRY AT IF IT ISN'T ME?" He yelled back at her. Jade was practically shaking with anger. She needed to get out of here before she ended up doing something she would regret. Jade turned to leave, but Kyle grabbed her by the wrist to stop her retreat. "Jade, jus-"
Before Brecken could react, Jade whipped around and punched Crane in the mouth. She quickly followed up with a kick to the stomach that not only sent him to the floor, but also knocked the wind out of him.
Brecken jumped in between them before Jade could land another hit. "JADE STOP GODDAMMIT!" He shouted as he held her back. She stepped away from Brecken and left the room, slamming the door shut behind her. The Tower leader breathed a small sigh of relief as he turned to Crane and helped him back on his feet. "Jesus H. fucking Christ! Crane you give a whole new meaning to the phrase "poke the bear.""
Crane leaned against the wall and continued to cough as he finally regained control of his breathing. "(Cough) (Cough) I'm just getting started Brecken. (Cough) Where'd she go?" He asked as he pressed a finger to his bottom lip before examining it. Jade's punch had split his lip and was now bleeding. "Shit."
"Crane, Jade doesn't want to talk. Just leave her be mate or else you'll end up getting more than an ass-kicking!" Brecken told Crane.
Crane shook his head in defiance. "Brecken…we both need this, ok? We need to get this out of the way or else it's going to cost us in the long run. If we don't have our heads in the game one of us, or someone else is going to end up getting killed."
Brecken pursed his lips. Crane's logic and reasoning had deflated any other argument he may have had. "Fuck." He breathed out. "Alright, just try not to piss her off like that again."
They both turned their heads towards the door when they heard it open. It was Lena. "You see where Jade went?" Crane asked her.
"Upstairs. My guess is the roof." She walked into the room and saw Crane's split lip. "So much for not getting hurt again."
Crane wasn't even slightly amused. "Ha ha, very funny." He said exiting the room.
"Hey!" Brecken called out, stopping Crane in his tracks. "If she throws you off the roof, don't expect any sympathy from me."
"Noted."
Up on the roof Jade stood by the ledge of the building, staring off at the city lights on the other side of the Quarantine Zone. She was taking deep breaths, clenching and unclenching her fists, all in a futile effort to calm herself down. Jade really didn't want to attack Crane, but when he wouldn't stop trying to press for answers, her anger bubbled over and she lost it.
Her knuckles started cracking from how hard she was clenching her fists. 'Stupid, stubborn bastard!' Jade thought irritably.
"You know if you jump, I'm diving after you."
Jade didn't need to turn around to see who it was. "I don't have any intentions of jumping. Now leave me alone Crane!"
"Not until we've gotten this out of the way." Crane said as he stood firmly.
Jade looked over her shoulder. "Crane… I'm warning you! Back off right now!" She roared through grit teeth.
The man crossed his arms in defiance. "Or what? You going to hit me again?"
"If I have to I will!" Jade snarled at him, almost ferally.
That threat would've made others turn and run, but Crane remained steadfast. "Then do it! Go ahead and hit me, beat my skull in if you think it'll help!" He yelled.
Oh, she wanted to. She really wanted to charge him and beat him senseless until he was knocked out cold. Jade looked away from him. She could feel her emotions were finally starting to get the better of her.
Crane could tell Jade was about to do something. Whether she was going to attack him or finally open up, he didn't know. All he knew was that he had to keep pressing for answers. "Jade… Talk to me! What are you angry at?" He needed to know.
"Go away Crane!" She almost pleaded as the tears built up in her eyes.
"I'm not going anywhere. Answer the question!" Crane demanded.
Jade's lip began to tremble, her breathing becoming ragged. "Please." She begged as the walls continued to crack. This didn't go unnoticed by Crane.
"What are you angry at Jade?" He asked in shout.
"I'M ANGRY AT MYSELF KYLE!" She exploded, turning to look Crane dead in the eyes as the tears fell from hers. Just like that, every wall she had put up came crumbling down. Every last ounce of fight she had in her immediately drained away. "I'm angry at my brother for being such an idiot!" Jade motioned towards the streets of Harran. "I'm angry at this city for taking him from me! I'm angry at the world for leaving us here to die!... But the one thing I'm angry at the most is myself." She said as she took of her headset and let it fall to the ground. She felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. "After our mother died, I promised myself that I would stay strong for Rahim. That I would do everything in my power to protect him…I let him down. I let everyone down. Now…now I have no one left." Jade's voice sounded so broken that Crane's heart shattered for her. Sitting down and leaning back against the air vent on the roof, Jade hugged her knees to her chest and sobbed uncontrollably.
Something she said caught his attention. 'I let everyone down.' It was at that moment right then and there Crane realized something. Up until this point Jade hasn't grieved once since the death of her mother, or Amir, or Rahim. She had been too focused on keeping her brother safe that she didn't mourn their mother. She was too focused on saving Crane's life that she didn't mourn Amir. After Rahim died, she focused on getting Zere's data to Camden when Rais attacked. Every tear she held back was being unleashed now.
'The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of the world, but those who fight and win battles that others do not know anything about.' Kyle thought, trying to remember where he heard that quote from. She had been fighting this battle for so long that it finally became too much for her to handle. Jade was the strongest woman that he had ever met in his life. He couldn't stand to see her like this for another second. Slowly, he walked over and sat down next to her, not once taking his eyes off of her.
Crane slowly wrapped his arms around her. "Come here." He said softly as he pulled her close to him. At first, she made a move to pull away and tried to regain her composure, but it was pointless. The tears kept flowing and Crane held on to her for dear life. "Jade look at me." After a few seconds, she looked at him and could see his eyes were starting to water. "This doesn't make you weak Jade… It just means you've stayed strong for too long." He told her as he choked back a small sob. Jade didn't know if it was what he said or the single tear that fell down his cheek. She finally stopped struggling and accepted the embrace that Crane was offering her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and sobbed into the crook of his neck, her hands gripping into his shirt. Crane comforted her by gently rubbing his hand up and down her back.
Jade sniffled. "I miss my brother Kyle." She said into his shirt.
Crane tightened his eyes shut to keep anymore tears from falling. "I know Jade…I know. I miss him too." He said as quietly cried for his lost friend. "You were wrong about what you said earlier. You're not alone Jade. You've got Lena and Brecken…and you've got me."
They lost track of time as they held onto each other. Jade's sobs slowly turned into quiet sniffling before finally going silent. Crane pulled back to see that she had fallen asleep. Everything that had happened to her since the start of the outbreak had taken its toll on her physically, mentally, and emotionally. She has more than earned this much needed rest.
'She looks so peaceful.' Crane thought as he gently picked her up, making sure not to disturb her slumber. He carried Jade back inside down to the nineteenth floor. A few of the guards looked at the scene with confusion, some with concern. Crane ignored the looks he was getting and continued walking down the hall until he entered the Guards' quarters. Ayo looked up from his radio and his eyebrows shot up in alarm, fearing that something happened. Crane calmly shook his head and nodded towards the bed in his room. The Tower dispatcher then got a good look at the two runners. He saw the tear stains on their faces and look of exhaust Crane had. Ayo knew they had both been through a lot. He simply gave Crane a nod before going back to his radio.
Crane walked into his bedroom and gently laid her down on his bed. He took off her running shoes before pulling a blanket over her. There was a soft knock on the door. Crane turned and saw Brecken motioning him over.
They both stood outside the room. "Everything alright between you two?" Brecken asked in a low voice.
Crane glanced back at Jade before nodding. "Yeah, I think so."
Brecken smiled at his friend. "Good. Get some sleep too mate. We'll talk in the morning."
Crane wished him a good night before going back into the room and taking a seat in the chair at the foot of the bed. He looked at Jade when she turned over onto her side, still lost in her sleep. Kyle sighed as he placed his elbow on the armrest and rested his hand against his head. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, or what struggles they'd face. The one thing he did know…They were moving forward.
"The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of the world but those who fight and win battles that others do not know anything about." – Jonathan Harnisch
If you guys made it to the end of the chapter I really appreciate it. AND YES JADE IS ALIVE!
Now I would like to address something. Yes Jade is one of the toughest characters in Dying Light, however she is still human. Everybody has their breaking points. I wanted to add that real emotion Jade would've felt after reaching hers.
Don't forget to leave a like or review. Remember constructive criticism is always welcome. Just don't be derogatory. I'll see you all in the next chapter.
NCRMC signing off for now.