CHAPTER 1 - DESOLATION
March 9, 2011
11.34
Several days ago...
It was just one normal day for Kate. The 29-year-old AMS Agent is just enjoying her precious free time in Ballard Ridge, a small but crowded city, just a couple miles from DC. The sophisticated young woman had suffered a lot during her work, and the AMS was kind enough to give her a "vacation".
Vacation. That's something she hasn't experience for quite some time, and Kate plans to spend and enjoy every last second of it.
She had it all planned. She's planning to visit the ever famous Ballard Mall to get the finest clothing she could get her hands on. Her fashionista side just can't resist the urge to buy some clothes. Then, she plans to visit a well-known spa near the mall. Later that evening, she plans to visit the shopping district near her safehouse to get her hands on more clothing.
Kate had it all planned out, and it seems everything just went fine for her...
But then, she heard an explosion at the distance.
The city soon plummets into a mess. She saw people running away from the source of the explosion. She saw one of those people who ran. They looked terrified as if they saw something straight out from hell.
Before she even knew it, a man with a military outfit, a soldier, already stands in her way, asking her to leave. There are plenty of soldiers like him as well, ordering and helping the people to get to safety.
"Ma'am, you need to get to safety, now. This is a code red alert." said the soldier in an ordering manner.
"Kate Green, AMS Agent. I need an explanation," says Kate. She took out her badge and ID and show it to the soldier. The man saw the badge and quickly recognizes it. He gives a nod of approval.
"Mrs. Green, I need you to get to safety immediately." said the man.
"No no no, not until I know what is going on," Kate said firmly.
The soldier reluctantly gives her his binoculars. Kate took it from his hands and uses it.
Kate can't believe what she saw.
From the distance, she saw people running away from the creatures she and the AMS fought for years. A terrible monstrosity from the messed up mind of Dr. Roy Curien, they have been the cause of death of more than a billion lives. They're dangerous, infectious, move in packs, and too stubborn to die properly.
Now, they came for Ballard Ridge.
"No... Not again." Kate spoke silently.
"Well, fate's a bitch, isn't it? That's why you need to get to someplace safe. We've got orders from the AMS HQ to get their agents to safety no matter what. That, includes you, Mrs. Green."
"You've gotta be kidding me," Kate said. "No way the HQ give such orders.
"Orders are orders, Mrs. Green. Can't deny that," said another soldier.
"Don't worry about us, we can handle this." The soldier said with confidence.
"Oh come on! Enough with the 'we can handle this' bullshit." said Kate as she instinctively tried to get past the soldiers. She wanted to grab a gun and fight alongside them. She knew they weren't ready for this.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Green. You cannot do that." The soldier said while blocking her way.
"Let me go!"
"Mrs. Green!" The soldier told Kate again, this time very loudly, effectively stopping her movement. "I understand you wanted to help, but orders are orders. We're not allowing you to take part in this fight. Never. Get to safety as soon as possible."
Kate stared at the soldier. Deep down, she really wanted to help. She really wanted to see him and his comrades make it out alive. They essentially walking towards their doom, and she's powerless to stop it.
Kate stopped at her attempts. She let out a big sigh.
"Alright. I'm leaving. Be careful out there," said Kate, though she knew they wouldn't be able to make it out alive easily.
The soldier, instead of feeling scared and horrified, actually let out a faint smile, as if he accepts his horrible fate. He makes a salute to her, and Kate instinctively salutes him back.
Slowly, she walks backward and begins to jog, and then run, as fast as she could, back to her safe house, to prepare for what's to come.
Kate looks back for a while. She saw the soldier and his comrades ready their guns, aiming toward whoever comes to them. She saw a group of armored vehicles moving towards the battlefield. The cars stopped and form a makeshift barricade. A few more soldiers coming out from the cars. Some of them carry large weapon crates and drops them on the street, planning to set them up. From afar, gunshots can be heard all across the city. The battle has begun.
"It's happening, all over again," Kate spoke to herself.
She continues to run as the city fell into chaos.
March 12, 2011
13.20
"Thank you," Kate spoke to Rogan. "Thank you for saving me."
"No problem," Rogan replied back.
Kate looks at Rogan. He has short brown hair and a very thin beard. He wore a long brown trench coat, cream-colored shirt, and what seems to be green military combat trousers and boots.
Kate never met Rogan before. She only knew the fabled legend of the duo Thomas Rogan and G, two men single-handedly stopping Dr. Curien's inhumane plans. While she has met and worked with G before, she never worked with Rogan, let alone see him in person. Alongside G, the man is a myth among the agents.
However, from his mannerisms to his choice of clothing, Kate knew she's with the real deal. He is indeed Thomas Rogan, in the flesh, saving her life. And now, she's working together with him to take down whoever he's coming after.
Rogan tries to calm things down, "Well, this is our first time meeting each other, eh?"
"Yeah," Kate replied back. "At first, I doubted that it was you. But now I know, it is you. I mean, it's an honor to actually meet you in person, let alone work together."
"Haha, take it easy," Rogan replied with a smile. "So, you have any questions or anything? Seems like from our conversation last time you had plenty of questions."
"Oh yeah..." Kate told Rogan. "I had plenty of em. First of all, how do you get my number?"
"I had my sources." Rogan simply replied. Kate looks at him with suspicion.
"He's an AMS agent like you, so stop looking me like that." Rogan quickly replied again.
"Ooooookay..." Kate accepts his answer. "Secondly, how do you know my location?"
"I'm sorry to tell you this, but my sources have granted me access to your phone by remote hacking. I had your location, emails, files-"
"What?! Are you serious right now?"
"Calm the hell down Kate! I just want to make sure you're not working for him."
"Him?"
"Cobalt. The terrorist that I mentioned? I suspect him as a member at AMS."
"Did you just accuse that a member of the AMS has gone rogue under our noses? That's some serious accusations right there."
"Yeah, I did. That's why I need your help to stop him."
"Tell me about this 'Cobalt' first," Kate asks. "What did he do? Why he's here?"
"Cobalt is the one behind several outbreaks, for the last couple of years," Rogan explains. "Jakarta, Pyeongchang, Rio, Melbourne, you named it. It's all his fault. He covered his tracks very well, that's why the AMS is having trouble finding out the cause of those outbreaks. You guys assume that it's accidental; that the creatures got into the city through the sewers, how a guard got infected and spread it to others, and whatnot, but in truth, he's spreading the virus on purpose. As you know, I'm already retired, by the book. Well... I'm actually not. I've gathered pieces of evidences for the last 4 years, to prove that he's doing this, with no government strings attached to me."
"I see. That's why you suddenly 'retired'. To gather evidence without the intervention of the AMS."
"Yeah, that's pretty much why I 'quit'," Rogan said.
"Why is he doing this?"
"I don't know. I suspect he's working together with someone, for money. He spreads the virus, and he gets the big bucks."
"Ahh... I see." Kate replied.
"Anything else?" Rogan asks Kate.
Kate thought hard to come up with a question. "Since you've hacked my phone, can you tell me what happened to my pick-up crew?"
"I killed them." Rogan simply told her.
"What?" Once again, Kate looks at Rogan with suspicion. "Why?!"
"Those 'pick-up' crew you ask? Those are actually mercenaries hired to kill you. I killed them before they come and get you."
"Are you telling me right now that the AMS Director is Cobalt? No way it'll be him."
"I had my doubts too. The new Director is Andrew Schaeffer, right? From the looks of it, he's no corrupt man I suppose." Rogan told Kate.
"Maybe it's one of his men who secretly working against him?"
"Maybe. The only way to find out is to look at it by ourselves." Rogan assured Kate.
"Yeah..." Kate calmed down a bit.
"So? That's all?" Rogan asks Kate. "Seems like you've run out of questions."
"Uh... One more question. I think." Kate told Rogan. "Where are we going?"
"We're heading to this place," Rogan told Kate while pointing at the GPS at the car. " We're meeting Valentino Hammond, a source of mine. He's an arms dealer who agreed to work with me in exchange for his safety. He had some intel about Cobalt's whereabouts. We get to his apartment, get what we need, take him with us, get Cobalt, and we all can go home. Sounds good?"
Kate once had doubts with Rogan's intentions, but after listening to his explanations, she's sure that Rogan isn't lying. He genuinely needs her help. However, she needs reassurance.
"Why me?" Kate asks Rogan. "I mean, you suspect someone from the AMS to be the perpetrator. It could be me, but you instead trust an AMS agent, to help you. Why?"
Rogan thinks for one moment before answers her question with confidence. "Because I believe you're not a person who does something like that. My source believes in you. In fact, he's the one who suggests that you should accompany me."
"I've put my trust in you. You better don't break it." Rogan then told Kate with a serious tone.
Kate thought about it for one moment. She has a feeling that he's similar to her former partner James, only this time, more naggy and persistent.
Kate replied with a smile. "I won't let you down, Sir Tom."
Rogan replied back with a smirk. "Just call me Rogan, please."
"Alright then, ...Rogan."
"By the way, I thought you want to ask one question, not two," Rogan said jokingly.
"I know. Should have said two." Kate smiled.
The GPS beeps. Kate and Rogan look at the GPS. They were about to arrive at the apartment complex.
"Well, about time," Kate said. "Shall we begin?"
The car makes a stop in front of the apartment complex. Kate and Rogan exit the car.
"Ok, here's the plan," Rogan explains. "Valentino's room is 2113. Room number 21, on the 13th floor. The place is overrun by the creatures, so proceed with caution. You understand?"
"Roger that," Kate replied. "By the way, just wondering, what are you gonna do after all this was done and you get me out of the country?"
"Me? I had some unfinished business in AMS HQ. I don't want to involve you any further than that."
"Ok, I guess." Kate sounds a bit disappointed. Rogan seems to notice that Kate wants to help him all the way through.
"You ready?" Rogan asks Kate.
"Sure. Let's go." Kate replied back.
The two moved into the receptionist area. There are bloody footsteps on the floor, leading towards the hall on the left of the receptionist desk, which leads to a swimming pool on the back of the area. They saw a door on the far right of the room, leading towards the stairs. They also saw two bodies, sitting lifelessly on the sofa on the far left of the area.
"Kate, wait here," Rogan told Kate. "I'm going to take a look."
Kate nods in agreement. Rogan slowly moves towards the swimming pool area.
Rogan took a glance at the swimming pool in front of him. Seems like somebody had a pool party. It didn't end well, as he saw a group of creatures has infested the area. He saw a couple of dead bodies being devoured by the creatures.
Rogan quickly went back to the receptionist area. Kate is waiting for him.
"Well? Are we good?"
"Uh... no. There's something you'll never want to see up close." Rogan told Kate. His face looked slightly pale after looking at the disturbing sight. Kate's expression changes from cautious to slightly worried.
"There's a lot of them, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Rogan nods. "But we should keep moving."
"I didn't like this," Kate told herself.
The two backs away from the hall and head towards the emergency stairs instead.
Rogan checks the emergency stairs. No one's around.
"We're good. We can go up from here. Let's go." Rogan said to Kate.
Rogan begins to climb the stairs. Kate meanwhile, looks at the seemingly endless flight of stairs.
Kate complained silently. "On second thought, why do I have to climb 20 or so flights of stairs?"
Rogan, noticing that Kate hasn't climbed the stairs yet, told Kate from above. "What are you doing Kate? What's the problem?"
"Uh, nothing!" Kate told Rogan.
"I shouldn't agree on this," Kate complained again.
Kate unwillingly climbs the stairs.
Kate has climbed 12 flights of stairs. She has just climbed 6 floors. She still has 7 floors to go. She's worn out, tired.
Rogan's already waiting for her on the 6th floor. He arrived earlier than Kate. He seems tired but has recovered some energy.
"What's wrong Kate?" Rogan jokingly mocks Kate while panting. "You're not very good at climbing stairs I see."
"Hey it's not easy even if you're a 20-ish-year-old agent," Kate replied back. She sounds slightly pissed.
"Well, that's what happens when you go shopping for a living."
"Alright, you went too far on that one."
Suddenly, Rogan's expressions changed from playful to cautious. Kate immediately knew that something is nearby.
"Shhh! Quiet down." Rogan quickly told Kate.
Above them, they hear a door open. A man can be heard moaning in pain, as he crawls to the stairs. His agonizing screams can be heard loud and clear. It seems that he's got bit and he's bleeding so much that he couldn't be saved.
"Heeeelp me..." The man cried. "Somebody, anybody... help me..."
"What should we do?" Kate whispered to Rogan. "I think we should go and help-"
Before Kate even finishes her sentence. Somebody, or something, bust through the doors above them and grabbed the poor man. The man cried in agony as he got pulled away from the stairs.
A faint scream can be heard. Followed by the pleas of mercy.
"No please! Stop! STOP! AHHHHHH!"
The screaming stopped.
There was silence in the stairs. Rogan didn't move a muscle, while Kate slowly puts her hand on her mouth in shock. Both struggled to process the situation.
Rogan breaks the silence. "...Shall we?"
Kate didn't speak a word, but she nods in agreement. She still looks shocked about what happened.
They both slowly moved upwards towards the 7th floor. The floor is covered with a trail of blood coming from the door. Kate took a small peek from the door. She can't see clearly, but she could tell that the man was devoured, eaten by... them.
"We should just go," Rogan told Kate.
"Yeah. The more we stay the more we get ourselves in-"
Suddenly, two creatures bust open the door. They must have heard their conversation and start coming at them. Kate was pinned down by one of them while the other tried to grab Rogan.
"Kate, hang in there!" Rogan told her!
"I'm trying as hard as I can!" Kate frantically told Rogan as she tried to keep the creature from biting her neck.
Rogan quickly took out a knife out from his coat. He quickly stabs the creature once in the throat, and once more on the head. The creature, still alive, tried to bite Rogan again but Rogan quickly stabs him again in the throat, this time slicing his neck open. The creature died afterward with its blood spewing out all over the place.
Rogan quickly came into Kate's aid. He grabs the creature's neck and throws the creature to the wall. Before the creature has a chance to attack Rogan, Kate quickly took out her pistol from the holster and shoots the creature in the head.
Rogan was impressed by Kate's quick thinking. "Not bad."
"Thanks," Kate said while getting up.
Their moment of victory is cut short when they heard a distinct, loud, murderous roar.
Rogan looks through the door. A horde of creatures are heading towards them. Kate looks down and saw another horde coming from below.
"We have to go! C'mon!" Rogan hurriedly told Kate.
The two quickly climbed the stairs. The creatures soon followed them.
Rogan and Kate quickly climb upstairs, Kate opened fire towards the creatures, buying them some time.
They soon arrived at the 13th floor. Kate and Rogan quickly get through the door.
"Kate! Hold the door, I'll find something to hold it up!" Rogan hurriedly told Kate as he ran off to find something.
The creatures were about to swarm in. Kate pushes the door to hold them up. Their immense number and strength began to overwhelm her.
"Rogan. Hurry!" Kate screamed.
Rogan quickly arrives with a steel pipe he found. He pushes the door down, replacing a worn out Kate.
"Put the pipe on the handles, Quick!" Rogan told Kate while holding the door.
Kate quickly pushes the pipe and place it unto the handles. The pipe manages to hold the door in place, preventing the creatures from getting out from there. They tried to bust the door by pushing it but failed. The two lets out sighs of relief, as they slowly sit on the floor, completely exhausted.
"We're alive. What a relief." Rogan said
"I shouldn't fire my gun," Kate complained.
Rogan looks at Kate, he can tell she felt guilty for nearly getting them devoured.
Rogan tries to cheer Kate up. "It's fine. I mean, we've made it to the top, and still alive, right?"
"...yeah."
Rogan gets up and lends a hand to Kate. "C' mon. Let's get in contact with Valentino."
With Rogan's help, Kate gets up and they both walk towards Valentino's room.
14.38
"Something's... off" Rogan muttered.
The two inspect Valentino's room. The door was left open, unlocked. The two entered his apartment with caution.
Valentino's apartment is small but spacious, with a small living room on the front, kitchen, and bedroom on the back, a desk on the left, and a small stair leading to the upper floor on the far right. However, the room is very messy. Papers and newspaper articles were all over the place as if a thief breaks in and ransacked the place. Valentino is nowhere to be seen. His laptop fell on the ground, with a cable still attached unto it.
"Kate, go take a look on the upper floor, I'll go and have a look on the laptop."
Kate nods and slowly walks towards the upper floor while Rogan picks up the laptop.
Rogan tries to dig up Valentino's findings in the laptop. He found a series of notes written by Valentino, detailing his findings. He finds a folder filled with research blueprints and experiment notes. Rogan looks at the desk and found numerous newspaper articles, all detailing the past outbreaks of Jakarta, Rio, and many more.
"This is huge, really huge," Rogan spoke to himself.
Rogan connects his PDA with the laptop and starts collecting Valentino's findings.
Meanwhile, Kate climbs the stairs leading to the upper floor. The room upstairs seems unused. Boxes and furniture covered with fabric were put without care. Kate slowly checks the seemingly empty room. Kate looks at one of the boxes and found old newspaper articles, with some segments were cut out.
At that moment, Kate notices something moving behind the boxes at the far back of the room. Kate carefully moves towards the far back of the room. She saw something hiding among the boxes. She can feel something demented and dangerous behind the boxes.
With one breath, Kate begins to ask.
"...Valentino?"
Suddenly, Rogan heard gunshots coming from upstairs. He can hear Kate's panicked voice.
"Hey! Stay back! What the... WHAT THE HELL-?!"
The ceiling breaks and Kate fell to the ground. A giant scythe-like arm grabs Kate from above.
"Let me go you freak!"
Rogan quickly grabs his shotgun and opened fire to the mysterious creature. The creature soon lets Kate break free from its grasp.
Rogan quickly came into Kate's aid, helping her stand while opened fire to whoever is upstairs.
Kate holds her back in pain. "What the hell is that?!"
"I don't know, come on!" Rogan said to Kate while helping her to stand.
The two quickly fall back. Rogan quickly unplugs his PDA and tried to get out of Valentino's room. Before they could reach the door, they hear a voice speaking to them from behind.
"Hey there!"
Rogan looks at Kate. He gives a subtle message to Kate. Rogan and Kate quickly turn their backs. Their weapons were drawn out.
From the other side of the room is a young, 27 or so year old man with a messy long black hair. His clothing was suspiciously ragged, with a torn shirt and ripped pants, as if he had just gone home from a street fight.
Rogan quickly recognizes the man.
"Valentino?" Rogan said to the man.
Rogan lowers his gun, Kate, however, stayed cautious.
"Kate put down your gun," Rogan told Kate.
"Not gonna do it. I feel something wrong about him." Kate replies.
Rogan then shifted his attention to Valentino. "What happened? You're a mess."
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine." Valentino replies.
"Tell me what happened. There's gotta be a reason for your ragged shirt. I know you're not fine. Not even close." Rogan told Valentino.
Instead of answering the question, Valentino diverts the topic of discussion. "You had my money right?"
"Answer the damn question, Valentino." Kate chimes in.
"I need my money, Rogan."
Rogan slowly raises his gun. "Valentino, answer the question."
Something's not right." Kate told Rogan.
Valentino suddenly walked forward towards Rogan. "I demand extra payment to my account. I just got a call from my mom and dad. They say that what I sent to them isn't enough."
Rogan replied angrily to Valentino. "Hey, I did send some money to your account, more than enough for you to-"
"It's not enough, Rog!" Valentino angrily tells him back. "It never was enough! If it was, why my parents keep telling me that it's not?!"
Valentino continues to walk towards them. Rogan and Kate moved backward. The two walked backward in caution as Valentino walks towards the door and exits the room.
Valentino changes the topic once again. His tone changes from angry to somewhat playful. "Hey uh, do you know that the message I sent you is a lie?
"What?!" Rogan asks. "A lie, you say?! So you're feeding me lies all this time, so you can ask for more money?!"
Valentino reiterates. "Yeah! I mean, I did tell you the truth. The info that you got from me is legit. But you haven't paid me enough, Rogan. That's why I lied of saying Cobalt was here, so I can collect my money."
"Do something, Rogan..." Kate told Rogan. "I had a really bad feeling about this guy!"
"Listen, Valentino. I did send you money, alright? It's on your bank account. $50000, that's more than an average person makes in a year, now in your account..." Rogan calmed down and tried to talk to Valentino. "Now I hear you want some more, yes? I can make that happen. $50000 dollars you say? That's nothing for me. I can give you more than 50K. Do you want 100K? 150K? or 200K?"
"Do you tried to scam me, Rogan?!" Schaeffer said angrily. His voice turns more and more demonic. "Do you really think that trick would work on me?! YOU CANNOT OUTSMART ME YOU MILITARY SCUMBAG!"
"Rogan, what the heck is going on? Did you owe him money or something? Did he forget to drink his medicine today? Is he bipolar?!" Kate asks Rogan.
"I don't know, but that's not the Valentino I know. He's such a good kid I swear." Rogan said.
"ROGAN!" Valentino suddenly screamed and makes a stopping gesture. "Kill me!"
"W-what?!" Rogan seems flustered.
Immediately after begging Rogan to kill him, his body began to twitch. His body turned pale. Valentino starts screaming in pain. Even in pain, he tried to speak to Rogan.
"Kill... me. I got... infected. Kill me."
Rogan looks at Valentino in disbelief. "...what?"
Valentino became out of control. He slowly walks to the guardrail, tripped, and fall to the ground below.
"No!" Rogan yelled.
Rogan quickly gets to the railing. He couldn't see Valentino's body from above.
"Shit..." Rogan muttered.
Kate realized something is wrong. She heard an odd buzzing sound coming towards them. It's getting closer and closer, coming towards them. She looked down from the guardrails and saw 2 giant scissor-like blades coming towards them.
"Get down!"
Kate pulled Rogan away from the railing and ducks just in time before the blades destroy the railings. A creature flies through the dust and hovers above them.
Kate and Rogan finally saw the giant creature who attacked them earlier: A humanoid hybrid of a frog, a mantis, and a hornet. Its hands have mutated and became a giant scythe-like blade, sharp enough to slice a normal person in half. Its legs were deformed and turned into frog-like appendages with weird webbings around its toes. Its body has mutated and increased in size and mass. It forms a pair of hornet-like wings on it's back, and creates a secondary set of legs on the body, possibly to hold on and walk on surfaces. The head has mutated into a mantis-like shape, with sharp claws on its mouth. Its skin excreted thin slimy layer of protection.
Rogan and Kate looks at the creature. Rogan in particular looks in disbelief as the creature lets out a monstrous roar.
"What the hell are you?!" Rogan said. There's a hint of fear coming out from his voice as if he has seen something as horrifying before.
Kate noticed pieces of fabric on the creature's body. The realization hit her hard.
"Oh god... Not one of you!"
"'One of you?'" Rogan asks Kate. "What do you mean?!"
"I'll explain later!"
Rogan quickly took out his PDA and do a quick scan on the creature, using the files he just collected from Valentino's laptop. The PDA identified the creature as Type P-1104, known as "Zadkiel". According to the PDA, a couple of shots to its unprotected arm should be able to stop the creature.
"The arm! Shoot the arm!" Rogan exclaimed.
Kate agreed and opened fire to the creature. The creature dives down and starts chasing the two. The creature began to swing its arms erratically, destroying nearby railings and doors. Rogan and Kate ran in panic, trying to shoot its arm whenever they had the chance. The hail of bullets from the guns forcing the creature to change its strategy. The creature begins to seemingly fly away but returned to stab the two with its blades. Kate and Rogan manage to duck and dodges just in time. The creature crashes down to a nearby room, but it's not enough to kill it. Zadkiel soon rises up and swings it's scythe erratically, destroying nearby property. Using his blades, he charges upon the agents, swing his blades in an attempt to ambush the agents by attacking through the doors. Rogan, knowing what the creature is doing, shoots it's arm just in time before they got sliced in half. The creature tries to hurl furniture towards the agents with its legs, but Rogan and Kate dodge it before it crushed them. Rogan runs towards the creature and slides under it, allowing her to attack its exposed arm from the back. Frustrated, the creature swings its scythe towards Rogan erratically, forcing him to escape. Rogan shoots a pressurized pipe above her, temporarily stunning the creature with its gas and allowing him to escape safely.
Seemingly angry and agitated, the creature flies around and rams right towards Rogan and Kate. The two managed to dodge it, but Rogan was forced to fall back to a corner. The creature moves towards Rogan, cornered with no way to escape. The creature raises its scythe, ready to decapitate him.
"Hey!" Kate shoots the creature's head. The creature diverts it's attention and starts chasing Kate, leaving Rogan behind.
"Come here you!" Kate yelled.
"Kate, what are you doing?" Rogan asks Kate.
"Making a diversion!" Kate told Rogan.
Kate enters a room, completely destroyed by the creature's blade swings. Kate attempts to distract the creature so that Rogan could attack the creature from the back, that is if Rogan could even understand her intentions.
Kate begins to bait the creature. The creature swings its blade and Kate dodges it. Zadkiel slams it's scythe-like an axe but Kate quickly moved to the left and avoids it with ease. Kate opened fire and attack its arms, hurting the creature. From behind, Rogan seems to notice what Kate was doing and slowly approaches the creature, knife at hand. Kate kept moving, trying to keep the creature's attention towards her. The creature, however, managed to hit her in the arm, injuring her. Kate fell back to a corner. The creature seems happy, finally got its proper meal.
Kate saw Rogan sneaking behind the creature. It appears that Rogan understands her plan.
She begins to smile a bit. Rogan knew it's his opening and attacks it from behind, allowing Kate to get away from that corner. Rogan stabs the creature multiple times. Zadkiel roared in pain as Rogan stabs the abdomen. Rogan uses his knife to climb at the creature and attacks its wings. The creature moved erratically, but Rogan hangs on. Kate shoots it's head, distracting the creature even more. The creature tried to slice her down, but Kate dodges it and get away further to safety.
Rogan cuts down its wings, and the creature can't take it any longer. The creature moves erratically, trying to get Rogan off his back. The creature crashed and hits the wall multiple times, trying to get Rogan off its body. Exhausted, Rogan finally let go of his grip and watches as the creature roared in pain. Zadkiel moved backward, didn't know that he is moving towards its death. Kate fired one more round towards its face and blinding the creature. The creature moves backward and fell to the ground below.
Kate, tired and worn out, mocks the creature. "Do me a favor, and stop bug-ging me." Kate then quickly came over Rogan's aid. "You're alright?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." Rogan replied. "By the way, who taught you about that strategy, huh? Why you left this old man to do the tiresome work?"
"Haha, sorry about that. I'll do the dirty work next time." Kate chuckled. "C' mon, get up."
As Rogan gets up, they hear a familiar roar. The floor shakes a bit. Kate suddenly freezes up. Rogan noticed Kate slowly getting ready to pull the trigger. Rogan looks the ground and sees a shadow behind them, resembling a pair of scythe-like blades. Rogan quickly understands and grabs his shotgun, ready to fire.
The two looked each other on the eyes. They both made a small nod, knowing what they have to do next. In one fell swoop, Rogan and Kate turned around and shoot their guns. The bullets hit straight to the creature's head, bursting it open and revealing its innards.
Rogan looked at the creature. The creature slowly deformed into a humanoid man, ragged and covered in blood. Its head portion has a nasty large open wound no regular human could survive. Rogan looks in horror as the creature turned around and looked at him.
"...Valentino?"
The young man raises his head. Blood spewing out from his mouth. Struggling to speak, the man spoke to Rogan.
"Rogan. I'm sorry."
Valentino fell. Rogan and Kate watch from above. The young man's body fell into the pool below him. The blood from his body contaminates the clear water from the pool. The creatures came to his body and feast upon it.
Rogan looks down and closes his eyes, mourning in silence. Kate clearly felt the pain Rogan has felt.
"I'm sorry kid. You did well." Rogan silently spoke.
Rogan looks back at Kate. "C' mon, let's go. We had a lot of digging to do."
Rogan silently mourns for Valentino as he and Kate walked back to Valentino's room.
