Authors note: I know I've been cranking chapters out pretty fast lately, but I have to go away for a little while guys :(
Next chapter roughly sometime next week.

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Chapter 4: Fighting for Control

After Alex left the apartment, he had never felt such sorrow. Dana, his anchor to humanity, the only thing that separates him from the other monsters that resided in NYZ, wanted nothing to do with him. He needed find a way to make her forgive him, but he also needed to give her some space. A more pressing matter at that moment was that he needed to feed as well. He heard a strangely familiar voice in his head say: "Yes. feed Alex we need to feed." His whole face lit up in surprise and anger, as he did a full 360, searching the rooftop he was on for whoever said that. "Where are you! You better hope I don't find you!"

The voice spoke again, this time in a much more demanding tone "It was me! We haven't fed in days and there are so many easy targets on the streets below. Kill them. It's what you were made for." Alex realized why the voice sounded so familiar. It was his voice, but with a much darker and evil tone. His body started writhing in tendrils and his claws were formed without him demanding them. "What are you doing!?" Alex said, straining his voice to speak against such a strong force. "What I have to!" the voice snarled. His senses went into overdrive as he could now smell the soldiers, and heard them walking in the streets, and they smelled good...really good.

Alex struggled to keep from ripping them apart, but his body was fighting him for control. Alex's mind had always been a serenade of haunting voices, but this...this was unlike anything he'd ever seen. His body was trying to become the ultimate predator again and Alex knew that if it got what it wanted, he wouldn't be able to contain himself. He would kill anything unfortunate enough to be in his immediate vicinity and Dana was in his vicinity and he was not going to let anything happen to her, even if she did hate him.

He had to leave the red zone, that was for sure, but he couldn't keep this up forever. He'd never encountered something that could rival his will power, then again he'd never had to fight himself before. He high jacked a transport helicopter and flew all the way to the green zone, the farthest one from where Dana was. He ditched the helicopter and found some abandoned warehouse, in the industrial district. He had to fight it every step of the way, but it was a losing battle, something wanted out.

That day when Alex had fought Heller and achieved the most ultimate power he'd ever experienced, something inside him awoke and now it was tired of being caged in and it was strong. Alex heard outside, the sound of boots against loose gravel and pavement, someone was opening the door. "It seems our prey insists on coming to us" the voice said with a hint of excitement. It wanted Blackwatch to find him in there. Alex could hear their conversation. "We have reports of a stolen bird in the area and we're investigating, now stop asking so many fucking questions, Simmons" was all he heard before they opened the main bay door to reveal a tired, struggling, Alex Mercer.

The six of them immediately called for backup and open fired. Alex felt an explosion that he only knew was a hand grenade. The whole warehouse was filled with smoke and the smell of gunpowder, it was quiet, the soldiers all reloaded and waited for either the smoke to dissipate, or Alex to make a move, it was hard to see in the warehouse with all the dust and smoke, but then, every soldier froze as a pair of bright, luminescent red eyes slowly opened in the darkness.

That small explosion was all Alex remembered before he awoke the next day in a puddle of blood and scattered metal. He took a quick scan around to make sure nobody was around, well, at least nobody alive. It was apparent that he had done this: Soldiers cut in halves, both horizontally and vertically, tanks with huge claw marks along the side, some with the turrets detached from the base, small incessant fires, both in the street and in the smoking wreckage that was once formidable war machines. Alex wasn't necessarily sorry for what he'd done, but was worried it'd happen again.

He looked through his memories to try to catch a glimpse of what he'd become. Private Daniel Simmons shed some light on that matter. Alex watched the memories that the private had experienced hours ago. It was night time, the scene was quiet, he could see the entrance of the warehouse he was in, the inside filled with dust and smoke. Nothing happened, but then he saw those eyes that looked so familiar, and yet so different. Simmons began to open fire and quickly saw that that was a mute point. Being a rookie, he began to run, he could hear screams, gunfire, and a laugh that made Alex shiver. He ran for a good 20 yards before he was abruptly on his back, a smiling hooded figure standing over him, his face too dark to see, except for those eyes. Then the private was promptly stabbed in the face.

Alex shuddered at the memory of those eyes. He looked through a few more memories, it was all the same, screaming, explosions, and that evil laugh. He couldn't take back what he'd done, it's not like he would even if he could, less Blackwatch to worry about. Despite what happened, he felt the need to get back to Dana, to make sure she was ok. He really needed her reassurance right now...If she would even look at him again...

Somewhere in the Green Zone was Blackwatch's F.O.B or Forward-Operating-Base that aided with operations inside Manhattan. Two men, a young man, and an older man who was clearly in charge of things around here, dressed in business ware were talking as they went through a long hallway with only two doors at the end: "So what's this meeting about, sir?" the young man said with caution and respect.

The older man looked over at him and smiled slightly to acknowledge the question, "We are running low on men to put on the front lines against the infection and hunt down the runner at the same time. Alex Mercer needs to be hunted down, with extreme prejudice." he said with a hint of resentment in his low voice.

They finally reached the doors and walked into a dark room, a long table in the center, a video projector revealed several men on the screen, all leaders of their respective countries.

The older man walked into the light so he could be seen and spoke with vigor and grace. "Gentlemen I know you've been waiting for a few minutes, so I'm going to cut right to the chase. As you know, we've been dealing with an infection here in good ole' New York City cause by the bio terrorist Alex Mercer. We require your help to hunt him down. He is the #1 terrorist threat to the United States and all of her allies, including you all here. I ask that you all send in the best in the world to take down the worst it has to offer. Do not take this as a fool's errand, this man is dangerous and we've sent you all an enclosed copy of his work at Gentek and the threat this man is to the world. We ask that you send the best that your respective countries have, this mission is Tier 1."

All the men on the screen are visibly uncertain about the idea of sending their counter terrorism units to combat this Alex Mercer. "Oh and gentlemen, I forgot to mention there is quite the price on his head that the United States is more than willing to pay for proof of his death, the amount is enclosed in your portfolios." Every mans face lights up at the dollar sign on Alex's head. "So do I have your cooperation in this?" he said with a slight smile.

The older man walked out of the room, completely satisfied with his work. The younger man in tow.
"You lied to those men sir. Those men are going to walk into a death trap, Tier 1 or not." The younger man said with a lot less respect than he had minutes ago.

"I didn't lie to them. I just didn't tell them all of the truth. Also I think you're underestimating these men. We're sending in the hunter killers, the best of the best that mankind has to offer, the men that we send against all terrorists. They are going to hunt him down and do what we have failed to do, kill him."

"I hope for your sake you're right." the young man said with hesitation.

"Well the good thing about it is, if I'm not, I won't have to deal with this fucking job anymore."

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