The sky was painted in a haze of blood red. That's what Riley Miles was looking at as tears streamed down her face. Below the rooftop that she was on, infected humans piled around the building, sensing her and the still figure in her lap.

She clenched the leather jacket of her friend and screamed," You promised you would be there for me! Forever and ever! Zeus, please wake up! I need you." She peered through tears at the Blacklight Virus Zeus. Her once constant lay as motionless as a doll, not even a rising in his chest.

All around them, infected tried to climb the building. Off in the distance she heard the sound of a pack of Hunters approaching. Fear for Zeus and herself, Riley tried coaxing him out of this death-like state,"Please wake up! You wanted to know what would break me! Well, it's you Zeus. Living without you will break me!"

The roof shook as a huge Hunter ripped it's way up the building. It's fleshy body quivered in anticipation of the kill.

Riley closed her eyes and buried her face in Zeus's neck, awaiting both their deaths.

Thoughts flashed before her, of the life she had.

She mused to herself,"How did I get here?" As the Hunter charged, she whispered,"I love you."

A MONTH EARLIER. ...

Riley Miles was an assassin. Her whole life was dedicated to destroying Templars and any who sought to enslave humanity. It wasn't an easy battle.

More of her brothers and sisters died every day, leaving behind fewer and fewer able bodies. Nowhere was safe and hardly anyone was to be trusted, but Riley tried her best, only because of her younger brother Desmond.

He had saved her from her darkest days of her childhood. Being a bastard to a Grand Master wasn't a cake walk, especially when his wife, Desmond's mom, hated her guts.

Though Desmond and Riley didn't look alike, their sibling love could be seen by all.

But for the last nine weeks, that love was being tested.

Not to long ago, her brother had bumped into a man named Alex Mercer; who was a living virus.

They banded together and saved New York from the infected. Soon after, they fell for each other, and were then glued to the hip.

But something happened and Alex disappeared for months, leaving Desmond worried and depressed. Dana Mercer, Alex's sister, contacted Riley and they both tried to help him through this.

Then the infection happened again, and all hell broke loose. Alex emerged but something was wrong with him. The once gentle and protective Alex was replaced with a crazed fanatic bent on ruling the world and destroying mankind.

Desmond fought to change him back, only to get hurt and infected himself. Seeing his lover hurt, the real Mercer was ripped into, forcing the other entity called Zeus out.

Alex and Desmond forced a powerless Zeus into the Red Zone and quarantined him off from returning.

As long as the infected and he stayed there, they would let him live, against the angered Heller's wishes to kill him.

But these few weeks that Riley spent with Desmond have been torture. Alex hated her and he wasn't afraid to show it. She didn't know if he was being protective of her brother or just down right jealous of her. But whatever the reason, Alex Mercer was making Riley's life shit.

It didn't help that she had nowhere to go and had to stay with them.

And when she thought she had made friends with Alex, Blackwatch had captured her and he had to get her back, which resulted in a massacre. Riley was mortally wounded and Alex had to infect her like Desmond had been. Now he was back to berating her and constantly stalking her like a fussing adult watching a child.

If it wasn't bad enough, Riley couldn't use powers like he could, so her training involved Alex using her as a punching bag.

Hurt from their last spat, Riley slipped away and crossed into the edges of the Red Zone. Alex wouldn't dare step foot in here and Riley was left to lick her wounds and be alone.

She set atop a building, looking over at the safe side of Manhattan. It was funny that so much pain could be felt by one person in such a short life span, but for Riley, she would be here forever. Never changing and watching as her loved ones passed away.

Sure there was Desmond and Alex, but the way things were between them, she wouldn't be able to stand forever with them.

She was alone in a world that didn't want her. She laughed aloud sadly,"the world didn't want me when I was human either."

Riley watched as the stars came out from the powerless side of town. Her dark blue eyes wet from tears. Her black hoodie hid most her short frame and cargo pants covered the rest. Black hair was put up in a pony tail and her pale skin shown in the coming darkness.

As soon as she had thought of going home, a high pitch wail sounded below.

Riley jumped down from the building like a cat, unlike Alex, she could be silent in her desent from a building. Thanks to her assassin family tree, she had learned at an early age when silence was needed. The wailing continued with small child-like gasps at the end.

Riley peeked into the alley way near were she had been perched. To her surprise, it was a small dog sized Hunter. The pitiful thing lay curled up in a small nest of trash wailing like a banshee.

She had seen Alex use it's bigger versions to hunt infected in the city, but this small thing was almost cute. Pink skin and short legs made it similar to a bulldog. It's mouth was made like a halloween pumpkin's teeth. It's wailing stopped as it noticed her presence. It rose like a calf just born, all wobbly and uncertain.

Slowly it made it's way to her sniffling like a child. Riley, feeling no fear of this creature, bent down and extended her hand to it. The mini Hunter sniffed her hand and gently rubbed it's head in her hand like an affectionate cat, making her giggle. She spoke,"Now where is your pack little guy?"

The Hunter whined and tried to get into her lap,"I'm not your pack leader little pup. And Alex would kill me if I brought you home." The Hunter pup backed away and started wailing again as if it understood she was abandoning it.

Riley sighed,"Fine but stop that wailing or Alex will kill us both. How am I going to hide this from him." The pup gave a small purring growl and jumped into her arms.

As she carried the Hunter pup home, Riley dreaded the greeting she would get.

Sometime later...

"No! I won't accept that filthy runt into this house. It's going to die anyways without it's pack leader to feed it. And Desmond doesn't need anything like this abomination living here!," yelled Alex at the red faced Riley. She hadn't even hardly made it back when Alex had hunted her down and found her with the abandoned hunter. He had been livid that she had crossed into the Red Zone and that she had brought the runt home.

Behind Alex, Desmond spoke,"I don't mind Alex and look how small it is. What could it possibly do? Let Riley have it. Please."

Alex's gaze softened at Desmond and he sighed,"fine but it stays in the basement at all times. Trust me Riley, this won't end well."

Riley held the Hunter close, afraid Alex would change his mind and kill it. But he just sighed again and walked away.

A week later...

Tiny, as Riley called the Hunter was sick. It hadn't eaten in days and it just layed in it's bed breathing sluggishly. Riley worried over it constantly, never resting. Alex stood behind her as she watched it fight to breath," I told you this would end bad. He needs the one who created it to feed. It's a runt, a genetic reject from it's pack that's to small to feed on it's own."

Riley snapped at him,"is there anything you can do? He's my friend." Alex rolled his eyes,"that thing knows no feelings. It's a tool to be used. If it's not useful, the pack culls it. That's what I would have done."

Riley dropped her head, shadows covering her eyes,"would you have done that to me if you could? " Alex turned to walk away,"If you weren't Desmond's sister, you would be dead to me. Your nothing but a waste of space. Useless as that filthy beast below you. There's only one person who could help him and that's his maker Zeus. So you might as well kill the damn thing because I forbid you to go there. If you do, don't come back because I'll kill you myself."

Riley heard Alex leave the room and she began to cry. Cry for fear of what she had to do and fear that she was to late to help her small friend.

She finally dried her eyes and made her mind. Wrapping the fragile Hunter into a open backpack, Riley opened a window and looked back in one last time. She smiled, thinking of her brother, and then she jumped.