I have a confession to make... Being a full-of-violence writer, I can't really write a detailed fight scene to save my life. So here goes absolutely nothing. And Rift, your wish has been fulfilled. Enjoy Reading! ;)
"I don't smell anything that's not meant to be there," Heller spoke as they walked through the streets of Oakhurst, following the pair of girls in front with Mercer by his side. People had actually stopped and acknowledged their presence, expressing it by pointing, screaming and running away. But then again, what normal citizen would react in a normal way if they saw ZEUS and others walking calmly on the road? They might just be walking but any wrong move and you're crushed bones and that's what happened to the troopers who got a bit too close to Heller while they used the Airbridge. As they reached Fairview Dana's face grimaced and she coughed, having the rest of them turn their heads to look at her.
"Well," Hazelle said after taking in obvious evidence and shaping her hands into her dual-blades. "Guess we're near it... The emitters should be surrounded by black sitting ducks on the rooftops. Dana, you're with me, Heller you're taking weird guy over here. Once that's over, we go to the depot and take care of the rest."
"Hope you're talking about yourself," Alex murmured, eyes shining darkly but when he went to reach for her hair, he found himself on a random rooftop and blinked. "What the—"
"Come on, Mercer, time to go!" Heller shouted, leaping into the air and performing the famous air dash and the demon grinned, skipping across three buildings before joining in the slaughter. The pair grunted as they hacked and slashed away, Mercer taking care of the troopers firing at his ally while Heller was defacing the emitter.
"Red Crown, I have order on a-" The commander's voice was crushed as Alex gripped his neck and left him to gag, before striking the top of his helmet with a palm and hearing his heartbeat falter, consuming him a second later. With one last blow of a Hammerfist and the blacks frames dealt with, grey smoke seeped out of the emitter and Alex choked violently, holding his throat and Heller was forced on his knees alongside him.
"What the fuck is in that?" Heller muttered, finding the chance to get back on his feet and roll his shoulders.
"I don't fucking know!"
A couple blocks away, Dana had gotten used to her claws, not freaking out when she killed her third batch of troopers. She just needed to realise that she was a Runner: a biological weapon just like the others. Enhanced hearing, incredible speed, unlimited supply of stamina... Sounded like immortality to her. The gnawing irritation hit her again and her face cringed, hand over the mouth to protect her from inhaling the toxin. Something moved and Hazelle bounced on the rooftop, rolling before letting out a long grunt. "Holy fuck, that hurt."
"What is it?" she asked, trying to diffuse the gas into the air by flapping the floating particles around her.
"A Juggernaut..." the Runner replied, getting on her feet and dusting her clothes off. "Slow to attack but pack quite the godly punch. Don't wanna be so close to those fatasses."
"A whaa?" The building shook and Dana gasped, revealing her new enemy and her heart sank completely. It's plump yet firm body managing to stay up on its chubby legs and mighty arms with his knuckle-spiked Hammerfists, ready to attack and deflect anything. Its jaw, separated in three places and red muscles giving it's oily, grey skin the appearance of molten lava ready to disintegrate anyone willing to touch it. It beat its chest once in a threat, letting of a sort of strangled gargle afterwards. "Oh. My. God."
"To get the Hammerfist power, you need to consume that."
"You're not joking."
"If I was, would I have to do this?" Silver eyes widened when it witness her acquaintance gritting her teeth, looking like she was ready to unleash a devastator. But instead of shooting out tendrils or launching groundspikes, her back started mutating and Dana watched in horror as what appeared to be claws stretched out of her back like Freddy Kruger's knife-hand. Glints of silver, black and red started showing and the claws extended, making even more blades and when the whole process was complete, the sister of the Mercer virus stepped back.
They looked pretty cool in fact, but the way it was designed and detailed gave it the infectious impression. The shape of angel's wings but the insignias of a demon's and it glimmered red diagonally, like a shooting star flying through the night sky. Her dangerous wings stretched out in arrival, the sound of metal grinding delicately against each other and Dana just had to say something. "How did you get that?"
"Consumed a bunch of Flyers... You know? Them infected birds that go kamikaze on your ass if you get too close. There's ain't clawed but I got the variant."
She raised her hands quickly before dropping it, "And how the fuck is this gonna help us?"
"I'm the distraction; you fight it while I piss it off. Good luck, Mercer." Hazelle took off, biomass floating out in a condensed form and Dana controlled her breathing as the virus altered the size and shape of her hands, including the amount of digits on each. Glaring at them, she looked back at the Juggernaut which was still standing there and charged, concrete already spitting out behind her.
The beastly thing staggered back as she leapt, simultaneously scratching it with all her might and roared, throwing a punch but missed. She came up wide-eyed and swiped again, having her hand caught in its grasp and threw her downwards, almost smashing her through the rooftop. She moaned as she rolled out if the crater, steadily standing up and the winged figure in the air ejected spikes from her wings. The Juggernaut cried out, pivoting to face Hazelle as she discharged more and Dana smirked, running towards it and swiped hard and fast. She heard it's heartbeat slow down a bit and blinked, assaulting it with charged kicks and bladed punches. It swung its Hammerfists but she flipped over it, almost being hit when the other fist went to attack her. Rolling behind it, the claws found purchase and she clawed it, watching it's skin start to lose it's normal bond and it roared in frustration.
Going for another deadly scratch, the Juggernaut blocked it with succession and slapped her away, resulting in her going airborne. Somersaulting in the air, she brought all of her power to her elbow and the whooshing sound swarmed her ears as she fell. Hazelle somehow watched, impressed, as Dana slammed back down to earth and elbow-dropping on it's head, hearing sickening cracks. "I always thought claws were useless against Juggernauts... Guess you just overruled that."
She jumped on it, stamping on it's head and slicing aggressively until she felt herself consume the BLACKLIGHT monster and she dropped on one knee, a hand across her trembling stomach. Hazelle settled beside her, spikes on her wings moving to her arms and she turned her head, waiting for a reply but got none. "Dana?"
The woman groaned as she tried to stand upright but her hands started evolving, fists going black and red and quadrupling in size, rock-like detail extending the lengths of her arms. Spikes appeared on her knuckles, just like the Juggernauts, and when she beat them together a shockwave almost threw Hazelle to the next building. "My God, those Hammerfists... The amount of damage you can do with those."
"They're really heavy..." She impulsively slouched over, Hammerfists by her side and letting off a reddish hue.
"Which is why they're called Hammerfists. You're trading speed for power, and the heavier they are the more force you put into your attacks."
Her hands came back and she straightened, "Thanks for the life lesson, Withers."
She smiled, "Happy to help... I think the boys are getting rid of the rest." Dana looked out for them, catching the two cause chaos to the shooting troopers and emitters, not weakening as much when the BLOODTOX escaped into the air.
Alex and Heller joined the women and the Prototype asked "Now what?"
"Now, we go to the depot and blow it to hell."
"Huh, I can do that... How you holding up, D?"
"Fine, actually. Got my Hammerfists already."
"I knew you'd get used to this."
"Can we go fuck some shit up?" Heller interrupted them and Alex smirked, not being able to negatively reply to that.
"Why not?"
OoOoO
Disguised as scientists and troopers, Hazelle used the hand scanner and the doors opened, revealing the labs and open areas. "Okay guys," she whispered as they walked through the depot, Alex already sensing more infected beings. "We need to destroy the barrels holding the toxin but we need to stay in disguise so that we don't inhale it. This is the only depot and more might sprout on the map if we don't do something about it."
"And we better be fast about it too," Mercer added as they took the steps down to the open room holding the barrels. "I think we have company."
"Remember: stay in disguise. These are the only forms which have masks." Heller hummed in agreement, being the first to break a barrel and every other trooper protecting the BLOODTOX started wasting rounds on him. Joining in, Alex threw a barrel to a group of black-clad fools and grinned under the mask when it exploded on contact and Dana took a grenade launcher conveniently placed on a rack, having to flip in mid-air when she jumped up and pulled the trigger.
The sirens finally went off and more troopers were called to the disturbance, only for their lives to be cut short when they set foot in the room. Hazelle kicked the barrel beside her, bursting it instantly and her 6th sense found something under the grey cloud, feeling gloved hands lift her up by the throat. "Dr. Mercer wants to see you... Right now."
"I don't think so." She went to lash out but the anonymous grabbed her hands and strained her arm, having her cry out and voices called out to her. "Make a sound and I'll kill you."
"Alex!" The demon turned, changing to thermal vision and witnessing Hazelle struggling against another figure, who had her off her the ground with one hand. Without thinking, he blasted into a sprint, hopping over rails and distracting them by latching onto their leg and slamming them into the nearest wall. Hazelle was let out of hostility and as she got back on her feet and was a couple steps away from Alex, two Whipfists laced around her torso and peering at them, she screamed. He went to run towards the noticed Evolved but she stomped her feet, sending the latter soaring to the other end of tthe room.
"Hazelle?" Dana called out, running cautiously through the smoke and finding Alex sprawled on the floor. "Alex, where is she?"
When he looked at the area where Hazelle was, the figures were gone. "An Evolved took her..."
"What?!"
"What? You think I didn't try and get her back?"
"I knew you tried... But not hard enough."
"Hey! Don't put all this on me, alright? Of course I goddamn tried, Dana, but obviously it's my fault because she's gone."
"I didn't say it was your fault."
"But that's what you're trying to say. You're trying not to hurt my feelings by then again, what feelings do I have in which you can harm?"
"Okay," Heller cut in, pushing Dana away from her brother. "You two break it up. She might be gone but we can track her. I can track her." He glimpsed at the woman, then the man then back at the woman again.
"Fine, whatever."
"And look, the barrels are destroyed now. We could just set this building alight, just in case."
"Where's the petrol?" Alex asked, standing up and flexing his fingers, gazing at the space again and widening his eyes when there was a bloody bandage, no longer than the span of his arms, drooped on the floor.
"Ain't that Withers?" He walked towards it and took it from the floor, closing his palm.
"Yeah, it is."
"We need to leave... And burn this place as well." Dana took a blue barrel and punched the top, pouring the contents on every available space and got the red barrel and threw it, having it combust and the flammable liquid caught on fire. The flames started spreading and the two men stared at her, receiving the shrug of her shoulders. "What? I was being serious."
Heller leaned towards Mercer, voice going low as a mumble. "I think your sister is taking the whole infection thing much more calmer than I thought."
OoOoO
"Alright," pulling the pin with her teeth, she blindly threw it upwards, hearing a shout and a mere explosion. "Sending location coordinates..." She walked up to the Blackwatch corpses, scanning them with her red contacts. Hearing more cries being called, she prepared herself of what's to come.
She took cover and peered at her surroundings, and saw a Blackwatch soldier in the jaws of a virus-made Brawler. "Please! Get the fuck off—NO!" As disturbing as it seemed, she kept on looking in shock. What kind of fucking virus makes these? There was a squelching sound and her face changed to a grimace, and when the monster left, she walked out of cover almost barfing at the torn body of the soldier.
She walked into an empty alleyway, using her climbing skills to get her off the ground in a short amount of time. "Coodinates found," her earpiece responded as she was squatting low on a hidden building and watching Walkers aimlessly attack each other.
"Updating report... And..."
"Phase, you're near Dana's Safehouse."
"I know, but there's something off about this place. Like really off. Like BLACKWATCH's trying to purify the city... Like that's gonna happen."
"Welcome to the Red Zone."
"Aww," she said in a sarcastic tone, rebounding off walls and stopping when she found the correct fire exit. "I'm touched."
"They're distracted as it is; you have at least 10 minutes to see what you can find. Anything that's significant, you take. Got that?"
"Sure... Whatever."
"Just watch your back while you're at it."
"No problem... Douche."
"You do realise I heard that?"
"No, you did? That's a shame..." She opened it with little difficulty, having the gauntlet on her right arm light up a neon blue as she closed it behind her and climbed cautiously down the stairs.
"I've gone blind; give me updates."
"Well, it's a safehouse. What do you expect?"
"What's in there?" Reaching the bottom, she found a hole in the wall, jogging towards it and tracing the cracks with her fingers.
"Something happened... Like, either someone was deliberately thrown out the window or someone came crashing through from the exterior of the building." Predicting the arc of movement, she looked ahead and saw a couple displaced bricks and poked her head out, the bricks laying shattered on the ground.
"Phase, concentrate!"
"Oh, right, sorry." Moving towards the laptop on the desk, she moved the mouse and the screen lit up, revealing something Phase never thought she'd see. It was two images of two Mercer, both looking almost exactly the same. "What the fuck?" Sitting down, she clicked and typed at light speed, finding more evidence.
"Phase..."
"You know that time I was captured and you found me but I was hallucinating and shit..." She dived into her pocket without looking, taking out her memory card and sliding it into the correct slot in the laptop.
"How does that prove anything?"
"Don't get me wrong but I'm seeing double. Two fucking Mercers, this ain't no joke."
"That's why..."
"That's why what?"
"I've got footage of the pier from six months ago but it cut off as soon as Alex rebuilt himself... Maybe, the rest of the biomass there was to create another Mercer."
"It just doesn't make sense... I mean, I can understand how he made two of him but why? Was it to cause the Second Outbreak while looking innocent at the same time?"
"You're fucking kidding me."
"Hold on a second... There's two photos, in one he has silvery eyes but in the other, it's much more of a fierce red. And there's a scar. A scar along the left side of his face... Maybe that's the Mercer we're looking for. Isn't it?" There was a very long silence that she didn't appreciate.
"I've... Just been given more intel from BLACKWATCH. it seems that PARIAH, Greene's son, has disappeared as well as ZEUS off the map."
"Hold the phone... Wait, which one should I call Alex Mercer and the other ZEUS?"
"Call the one with the scar ZEUS... He looks more dangerous to mankind as he's the one creating the Evolved."
"Okay, now you've just lost me. Completely."
"The Whitelight that was made to save Manhattan... Well, that's what creating the Evolved. Dr. Archer purposely made it so ZEUS could infect it with his blood culture, right?"
"Yeah, okay, I see where you're going."
"Dr. Archer is also an Evolved... You can't trust any scientist or trooper these days."
"Nevertheless take order from a scientist and place a hit on... Is it ZEUS and co or Mercer and co? 'Cause I'm just bloody confused."
"Mercer and co... Plus, I've got information about the mistaken four. Seems that Dana Mercer, James Heller and Hazelle has joined the BLACKLIGHT Runner."
"For some reason, I feel like taking the hit off... It feels weird having to take it from a scientist. I mean, I've taken hits from drug dealers, ex-hitmans, even thieves but a scientist? Hey, I might just be doing my job but weren't he being... Cautious? Demanding? Suspicious?"
"You gonna take it off 'em?"
"I won't take it off... I'll just improv for now but I need a couple Shadows infiltrating GENTEK... I just need evidence."
"I'll order it." She felt the air suddenly grow tense and shift, but she glared at the hole and nobody jumped in and attacked her. As the hardware beeped once, she smiled victoriously as she replaced the memory card inside her pocket.
"I'll return to base and we'll discuss this further."
"Looking for something, Jessica?" In one fast move the assassin stood, her life flashing before her eyes when she was confronted by Alex who held her knife in his grasp, Heller who just looked at her distastefully and Dana with her fresh Hammerfists. She glared at the hooded speaker, mentally cursing when she realised she left fingerprints on the door. Very unprofessional of her, right?
"Phase, what the hell is going on? You've gone quiet."
"Well, it wouldn't be a shocker if I said the residents of this safehouse are back... And they're not happy at all."
"She looks familiar..." Dana started and Jessica shot a glare at her, tilting her head in confusion.
"Wait, what? Whoa, hold on there. You must have me mistaken for someone else. There's no point in creating an alias on the spot... The name's Jessica Miles."
"Miles," Alex said, raising both his eyebrows when he peered at her pocket. "What you got in that memory card of yours?"
"Oh, nothing. Just some images... I mean, if it was really important, I wouldn't be here and this," she twirled her index finger. "Wouldn't have happened... Definitely placed the hit on the wrong guys, Hawk." It was Heller's turn to say something.
"I say jump her."
"Wait... Just wait! Look, if you kill me then... Then ZEUS will... Will... Shit, lost train of thought." Dana snapped her palms at the air and Jessica met the wall behind her with fatal force and she groaned, hitting the floor and cradling her stomach. Every other Runner watched Miss. Mercer in odd surprise but it wouldn't have been complete if she wasn't in shock herself. "The fuck was that for?!" She pushed herself up against the wall, wheezing when her sides bit into her, burning with all its grace.
"I panicked, okay? I'm new to this; you can't blame me."
"Yeah, whatever... But no seriously, what the fuck was that for? You wanna know what's on my little card, don't you?" She reached into her pocket again, holding out the card in the palm of her hand while her other arm was curled around her midsection. "You really wanna know? Here—catch." She threw it towards the group and lunged fast, swinging her leg and catching the nearest Runner across the jaw.
I'm not sure if Alex can automatically read DNA via fingerprints but I just threw it in there, just because I did. Yeah, her name has been revealed but how is she gonna fight all of them if they're Prototypes? There's only one way to find out...
