Kill them... The voice out of the blue while booted feet traversed the grounds splayed out before him with the men of Alpha team... the men he'd finally been returned to. The first mission since the day, since the beginning of all of this, since the beginning of the failed operation that led to his disembodiment. Nothing there among them was living, the dead filed through the streets, but not dead. They weren't the dreaded t-virus, no they could never hope for that, creatures slow and predictable. No, this was what the world unleashed as a plague Alpha team, it was Piers' personal hell; people with their motor functions still intact but their minds gone. Redemption. Chris had given him this, the chance to return to the field and make amends for what had happened, even if he hadn't believed he could do it. He'd seen it clear as day, his captain was a step from locking him away inside the loony bin. A step away from resigning him to death at the hands of some thousands of doctors who would cut him open wide, remove his insides and study him for further research. The only reason he'd signed those papers was because that look on his. Chris had signed it and was ready to turn him in, but he'd been caught in the act; ruining his resolve. Fear and doubt that it was the wrong decision was ever present, fear that Chris was right and he should never have been out here, but the doubt started when the voices did. It was time to show him he was better than that, time to educate the captain he could pass by and survive this hellish visitation of his last mission, the last failed op. There were creatures all around them, but their unit was perfect, uniform just as it had been that day, it was perfection, and so was he, machine pistol cold and delicate in those fingers, cradling it as a child before a cracked mask raised, machete in mitt, raised and lunging over the counter tops within and over head. No hesitation. Finn beside him gasped and recalled how to breath when four shots rang out, two to the skulls, the first broke the mask and the skull, the second sent a splatter of blood covering the filth-some place in giant globs of brain matter, gray and infected, his brother following before it hit the floor. No hesitation. The J'avo that walked beside him was speaking again, speaking, walking, morphing with the youngest of the Alpha team; the most harmless of them all. We all changed you know. You should kill them before it's too late, before they all become like me.
"Thanks Piers..."
"Head up Macauley, you've got a gun for a reason." Ignoring that Finn's face had briefly in his peripheral starting to paint itself white with red gory stripes on the ceramic that was bulging from his features; Piers shook his head once and it was over. Taking time to check the bodies, the sniper squatted down over the corpse, fingers finding the pulse, checking the holes that concave its face like a crater. Its right eye had gone first, leaving a nice finger width hole through the socket, the second through the mouth took all the teeth when it blew through the face. Finn was avoiding eye contact, nudging the other dead body with his foot as though he'd catch something by breathing it's air. He probably could and would, but he kid needed to man up. Even after falling off a roof Piers didn't have that kind of hesitation, at least not the kind that he was complaining about. Piers didn't have anything holding him back, he was born in the battle field, even sick and unable to focus he could go through the steps like it was first nature. Rising and tapping forefinger and middle to his thumb, observing the slickness of the iron between his fingers the sniper nodded please, two fingers pointing toward the elevator and slashed at his throat, his silently gagging rookie copying and taking up place behind. The ace hooter didn't enjoy people at his six he didn't know, but Chris didn't approve people that were incapable. There wasn't time for slow and steady in the S.O.U., it was everything fast passed and though it seemed like an eternity moving through this single building it was more like seconds between the threshold and the base of narrow steps, wide enough for only one at time and that was only men of smaller size, Piers had to twist his body so his back was to the wall, crossing steps over and gunning down another fleeing j'avo, this time partially mutated before the bullet took the brain stem. Finn's quiet steps were just behind him, in the corner of hazel, eagle sharp eyes, taking up his position just like they were all trained their first day rather than stepping up and covering the backs. Ignoring the fact that this young man was less trained than a pen toting secretary was getting more difficult, but he did the trick, that was all that mattered, and his weak trembling voice was keeping Piers' own thoughts in the game. Babbling on about some mother that was back at home waiting for his letters, things normally Piers would reprimand him for, but the constant droning on was working to keep his nerves down. It wasn't like he couldn't do this with his eyes closed, but he needed the distraction when there were those moments of silence.
Crossing the second story, Piers took a place at the window, glass splattering everywhere as his elbow blew out the lower window pane and he flashed three fingers out at his partner below. Body count of the building thus far. They wanted to know just how many had been turned and how many had merely died. So far the two man cell had had the unfortunate experience of encountering no stoic dead, instead, only j'avo. Chestnut brown met his own, flashing the okay at him to continue up, before they were moving quicker than before. He could do this fine, he wasn't down yet, wasn't out of the game, and that look on his captain's face was a reassuring one to see. One they'd shared so many times before this whole diabolical event occurred. It was getting harder to move on, his was out of conditioning and there were a matter of the voices, but Chris had been reassuring. Calming in the matter. 'You'll be okay partner. Just take it one step at a time, we've got an entire team, and there's nothing mysterious about this. Its response that's all. A break out we need to level. Point a shoot, and you're the best shot we've got.' The captain had been more than reassuring, he'd been supportive. Almost thirteen full dry practice runs with him and 100% of them passed without a stray bullet. He was nervous, and he was seeing things, but Chris just kept a hand on him the entire time, physically and mentally goading him that it would all be fine. He would know, Chris was a survivor of long standing P.T.S.D. so it would only make sense taking his direction on the matter. 'The visions will go away after you work through it, the voices take longer, but you'll get there. Just remember I'm right here, if you can't do this I'll call the mission. Trust me Piers.' He would be fine. For certain. Chris said it, and even if he'd resigned him to the nuthouse, he was trying. They were out on a mission, and if anyone else knew what was going through his head they'd scream, but Chris was sure. That was enough for him.
Still, it was becoming harder for Piers to do. To clear his mind using the steps his captain had gone over with him; closing his eyes for a split second wasn't working anymore. The zombie-like creature would still be there; its arm slowly morphing and becoming a grayed dead wand of mortified flesh that was gruesomely reminding the sniper of the beast that had branded him of the infection. Noises overhead jarred him back out of it; Finn's spooked doe eyes flashing at him like a complete tool. The thuds of feet spoke who was above, his fingers stroking the curved trigger before foot over foot, crossing up the rickety doomed steps to the third landing; leaving their explosives expert at his back telling him to kill Alpha team. While the silent thuds trembled under his feet, his eyes and weapon raised above the dais of the room, two more single shots and another body landing at Piers' feet while he jogged the remaining stairs. Leaping the stinking mutilated body and following the set of fleeting steps to the next room, Piers slid onto his knees through the door way as silver broke the air where his scarf covered neck use to be. Rolling to the tattered tan flak back, both legs, heels to the ground braced for shots, the J'avo lunging to the side and into the first led shot puncturing the thigh and tearing dark sinewy muscle; collapsing the remaining body over his shins. Knife flailing seeking purchase and blood, Both were a whirl of grunts and howling to find the clear shot. Tightness gripped Piers chest; his head spun, kicking his leg out while gnarled nails dug into his fatigues and into his leg; scrambling against the pounding of blood through his ears. The world softly disappearing and then his gun sounded a second time limp body hugging him, smiling with blood sloughing from its mouth while blank, dead eyes laughed out at him. Piers' heel colliding with the mashed skull, smashing it from its soft sagged neck and freeing himself all in one swift movement. 'Deep breathes and squeeze your eyes, everything will right itself.'
Jerked to his feet the wooden floors bowed under his weight and threatened to throw him back to his knees, but resolve stole over and he followed his pass. "Come on Macauley, we don't have all day." Neither does he... soon he'll be a beast... a mutated version of himself trying to tear your flesh from your bones. "Shut it." His soft tenor was callous, sharp and biting while the bomb maker made his meek entrance, eking around the corpse on the ground, grimacing at the sniper with a pulled mouth, his tongue poking out in brief appearance while flashing Chris the number through the window panes. His shoulders were quaking before pulling his own 9-0-9 to the ready; Finn whimpering in return of seeing the blood soaked material on his partner's legs; grunting from behind the 'J'avo mask' he wore in regards to its own kind before being returned to Finn with a quick shake of Piers' head. "We don't have time for you to be afraid rookie. Get up there and set the charges." 'This will get easier Piers okay? I'm right here.'
Youthful face nodded and ran. Finn was a new member of Alpha. The replacement they'd considered for the sniper until they'd heard of his return, until they'd argued about it. Ben had taken the captain's side, that whatever headquarter's admitted would be followed through to the letter. They had stood steadfast by one another. Marco had been reluctant, but had not divulged what had happened between the sniper and himself, despite the fact that it had been him first to suggest their ace take more time, silenced by their captain in one fell blow. When it had been Andy, the argument had begun. There had been many hours, warring over the security of their team. Everything was brought to light by then, told to wait in a hall while his peers discussed it in 'private' for him to hear every word through muted walls. 'An unstable right hand, accountable to no one.' That had been the words that had hit home. Chris had battled him out of the room to have this discussion but that was the straw that broke the camel's back. That bound his body and his mind; sent him hurtling through the door despite orders and throttling Andy, his fingers winding in the fabric about his throat and throwing him up against the walls. Chris had smoothed it over with the brass, but it didn't stop the fact Walker refused to be paired with him. He couldn't blame him after all this, but nothing would smooth over what had happened like a successful mission.
Keep the kid alive. That was his job. Cover him while he gathered up top four different buildings; set the charges, blow the tops, and get that boy home in one piece like he failed to do for himself. Burying glove clad palm in his eye socket to grind away the thoughts, he rose his head clearing his mind. Andy had all rights to doubt him after seeing what had happened with the bathroom when he'd narrowly slit his own neck trying to pull something out of him that wasn't all him. He was sure it was one of the reasons Finn was tripping on himself. Being out in the field with the thing inside him working so uncomfortably like snakes coiling within the confines of his throat, releasing whatever perverted grasp they took on people and drawing the small rookie to look and stray places he damn well had no reason to. He saw the eyes go more than once to take a once over his superior officer. Even if he was physically ready for this..., he wasn't. He was compromising this mission just by being part of it, just by being a lure to this poor pansy. He wasn't ready for this, Chris had been right the first time. He was going to serve the rest of his days in psychiatric rehabilitation and serve them maddened until he pressed a muzzle in his mouth and pulled the trigger. No..., no he wasn't. He would get passed this, just like his captain ensured him. This creature in his windpipe, suffocating him every time someone got close, flooding his system with the impulse to do things he never would, would slowly deaden and he would feel no need to react. Piers Nivans had great resolve, wonderful resolve, he could push it away and shove it back. He'd get this boy home and in one piece, he'd prove to everyoneon this team he was the best they could get. He'd get Finn home. Grinding away the visions, full lips curled into a small smile, wiping away his fear at this and his resignation in another before following his ward up the precipice.
Footfalls carried him up the dilapidated wood and over to the ventilation shaft where his comrade knelt, pressuring him with the outside of his foot to Finn's knee. He heard an audible groan while crossing over some wires, from concentration or from lack of it, Piers wasn't sure, but it was weak either way. MP-AF was lifted at the ready, eyes down the barrel and hugging the weapon, doing short semi circles around him in a pace that seemed to serve only to make the explosives protégé nervous. He'd forgone his rifle. At least that's what he was telling himself. Captain Redfield had been the one to secure it and say it was overkill on this mission. What was a sniper without a damn rifle. Finn's hands were shaking with discomfort, but sureness that moved him just like the sniper's eyes moved him. If only those eyes weren't constantly trying to play tricks on him and pretend the boy he was protecting was his mind's eye monster, grinning with pleasure waiting for him to break. Piers just glanced at the rotting skinned man, thinking about taking it's head off before thinking twice on the matter. Giving Finn a reassuring pat on the shoulder, he felt himself channel the leader below, "Doing good soldier, just keep it up and we'll be out of here in no time." He could hear the other teams shouts. Marco on the other set sweeping the roof with Walker at his side. The captain was ground level with Airhart, fielding the ground troops. There were times he didn't know what was real or not, and this was one of those times. The man closed his eyes tightly to see if it would work and the cessation of noise from the man on his knees beside him jarred him awake again; becoming painfully aware of the eyes on him. "You done Macauley? That was the last one."
The other man nodded in agreement, clasping gloved hands with the sniper and hauling himself to his feet. "Red flare right?"
"When the job is done. Rose and Walker haven't checked in yet. We get ground level, alright rookie?"
They descended faster than the ascension had taken, feet sliding down the steps rather than taking them one at a time, weapons ready but unnecessary until they hit the street, blinding light boring into the senses while the muzzle flash from two weapons threatened and then retreated, Airhart and Redfield, covering the mass automatic fire that was thundering through the streets. "Cover!" Baritone his his senses, Piers' hand snapping out, jerking Finn backward and up against the wall of the building they'd cleared two canisters of mass destruction hurtling through the air, the first blowing apart with blinding light, the second exploding with metal and bits of shrapnel tearing through the sky, a blasting explosion taking the windows of every buildings first floor with it. A wave of heat covered their faces, holding Finn back with his arm tight over his chest to keep him secured up. The burn was enough to make sweat evaporate off their features before the seconds were over and their tension released, Finn slumping against the wall while Piers tossed a third in accompany to Chris, round the corner of the building where the cross fire came, shoving the kid back. It was getting easier, his captain wasn't kidding. A few more minutes and they'd blow the Finn a tap on the shoulder, he flicked two fingers over round the corner where the explosion had occurred, following after it to finish the work, one bullet for each downed corpse in the face. Don't leave him behind... Chris left you behind and remember what happened? What I did to you? Mmm, you tasted so sweet... Eyes shot back over his shoulder and was met by nothing, the voice so close in his ear he was sure that someone had been there, MP-AF lifted to a head that wasn't there. Maybe he would like it. Do you think so? Do you think he'd moan like you did?
"Sir?"
"Holy!" Piers jumped out of his skin, turning on his heel when the voice of younger years hit his canals. He'd come around the other side, just like a proper soldier, didn't make it make more sense that Finn's voice had turned into a European murdering, bulging eyed monstrosity's gurgle for that brief second. "Macauley! get the hell out of here, NOW!" Finn jumped and ran, almost stumbling over himself, leaving Piers alone in the alley. He scared you? That little boy? What's the matter soldier, are you losing your edge? His heartbeat picked up, falling against the wall of the building beside him, the siding crunching under the added weight after having just been assaulted by grenade. The wad of muscle was pounding in his chest, getting quicker and larger, destroying reality as the menacing voice nibbled at his earlobe, head reeling. His breathing went with it. Fingers numbed, hands shaking, their machine pistol with them; while his head did a complete 360 trying to visualize everything Chris had said. He can't help you, no one can help you. Chris and the others were like family to him and being with them while this was happening was worse than having been alone in the house while Chris avoided him. His mind ran a mile a minute along with the voices crept closer, licking and biting his senses unconsciously shaking his head back and forth in sporadic jerks. They all have it. They are all infected. Every one of them. Take them out Nivans, bury that pistol tip in each one of their heads and remove our sickness. You'll make them free Piers. Burn away he humanity. You see the way they look at you, they know. They know you are going to kill them, that you are going to be their end. They know about your infection too, you are their kin. Brothers in arms and brothers in death. He knew damn well they hadn't turned, they couldn't have though the impulse was slowly rising within his psyche. You touched them, you scarred them each one. You infected them. Do you want them to become like those creatures? Poor Finn he's already changed, you can see it in his eyes. The things you've done for the captain, you know he's been doomed since the first day he laid his hands on your disgusting body. "No... I didn't, I haven't hurt them. It wasn't-" Marco when you slacked your tongue down his throat, caressing his with us. And poor Walker... you know its in him. All the blood. Its only a matter of time before Airhart discovers what you've done. Its time Piers, lift your weapon, end their sufferi-
"Whoa," Chris voice cut in softly. "Take a breath partner." Hazel eyes widened, breathes trapped in his chest, the captain's large palms on top of his shoulders, holding him stationary from bolting. "Its okay... come on now, we talked about this okay? Suck it up." Chris tried the tone of the demanding captain, but instantly it died away, raising one hand to pet the soft contours of youthful countenance. "Sshhhh... Piers, I'm right here okay? Walker and Rose just reported their last roof clear, they're coming down right now. You're going to be okay. Almost made it alright?" He was getting a bit concerned about his young sniper, the last time his partner seemed to be this out of control he'd almost cut his throat out trying to pull the thing out of his neck. Chris' hand cupping that young face immediately set olive skin at ease, all the well knit features coming lax while he stroked the flesh under his thumb. "There you go..."
Piers looks up at Chris before shaking his head. "I... Don't think I can... Captain..." It was all he could manage to say trying to get his wind back. Anxiety had never been an issue while part of the S.O.U. but it was evidently becoming harder to master, canting his face into Chris' gloved hand while the captain kept watch over him and the alley entrances for both friendlies and hostiles, letting them stay this way as long as he dared before relinquishing his hold on the sniper, his breathing regulating and the world righting, turning away from him.
"Its okay Piers, like I said... it will get easi-
"Captain!" Tenor split the air, gun hoisted and shots ringing out to take three bodies leaping from above, bodies falling with a splat to the ground, bones crunching as each one hit the ground, Jerking Chris out of the way, the captain's own gun flying out to take two more for the opposing roof top, tipping with gravity to come falling from the sky around them both, bodies crumpling with limbs scattering, brains oozing out. But there was no time to think on it, just more gun fire from their own men, darting from the alley way to see the flooding in the streets. "Alpha team move out!" Chris was belaying ordered the same way, all six cover firing for each other while hoards of creatures came toward them. At least two dozen. A hail of fire was surrounding hem, none to their backs and all to their fronts. Chris covered while Marco made the escape, Andy and Ben right behind him. Piers folded in when his captain's voice called for it, grabbing Finn by the arm and dragging him, his machine pistol in one arm, auto fire drumming the ears while bodies stacked up. Fire fight was an understatement. By the time they'd cleared Marco rose his switch, counting it off with Macauley while Chris came bungling through into them, the explosions knocking him off his feet while tumbling end over end landing in a half roll with a chuckle as the buildings and shrapnel fell down on those that had opened fire on them smattering the remaining j'avo with blood and gore.
There was that uncomfortable laughter among everyone, chuckling and patting each other's backs. "What did I tell you? Mission successful partner." Chris made a sigh of relief, clapping his hand on Piers' shoulder, his eyes brown eyes smiling at the sniper who stood in front of Finn, finally allowing himself a breath. "There you go. We made it out, all of us. Let's get home."
Piers allowed himself a smile, turning to face the young explosives expert who's face was his own again; gloved hands reaching out to clasp one another in a success. Fingertips slipping apart, color greeting peripherals and canting his head just the briefest. I told you I'd get him. Hazel eyes went wide; palm shooting out and shoving an unsuspecting agent Macauley that was sent sprawling to the ground, dust kicking up as the hand reached for his own. The claws reaching for him moved in slow motion; machine pistol muzzle raising on command of fumbling hands, usual sure with every movement, while the ceramic masked villain lunged for the rookie. The world stepped by stepped, slow motion for the revelations the world made until it was almost inching by, Piers' heart ceased its beating. Strangling fists reached voraciously,sharpshooter's gun moving quicker than the stumble of that monster beside him. Trigger nuzzled the crook of his finger, glove snaring and jerking back as the bullet and hand on his own wrist came instantaneously and a muted scream blessed the air. "ANDY!" Chris' fingers shoved the gun aside and Piers entire body aside, the team splayed out before him. Everything spurring into fast forward. Finn body was collapsed on the ground shaking, scrambling away, cowering from Piers who was failing to breath and meet eyes with the 'j'avo' that had lunged toward him, who now was screaming in pain, clutching his knee cap gushing blood between quivering digits as ceramic changed to goatee and a face he knew too well; haunting eyes clenching shut. "God Piers' what have done!
