Chapter 38: Siege of the City
After Commander Faddoh was rid of Rickey's pestering once and for all, he ran out of the slave containment chamber to meet with the quarantine security teams and assist them in containing the epidemic. Worse yet was the sudden, deafening roar that was heard from outside of the research facility. He knew that he had to act quick. "ALL PERSONNEL, BE ADVISED! ZERG ORGANISMS HAVE ESCAPED CONTAINMENT! ALL SOLDIERS, DEFEND THE CITY INTERIOR! WE HAVE A POSSIBLE BREACH FROM WITHIN!" Commander Faddoh's warning was blared on all the comm systems within the city, but they couldn't react in time to fight off the entire swarm.
The three zerglings that was released from the cage were pivotal to Kay's plans to infiltrate Empire City. Commander Faddoh may have transported four organisms that may have looked like three zerglings and a changelisk, but he was easily deceived by their appearances. He actually brought in a pair of zerglings, and a pair of changelisks, into the city instead. The gilanian empire soldiers being transferred to the castle via MEM device to stage their forces made it impossible to slip a disguised changelisk through a checkpoint that guarded a MEM device. It would only end in failure, evident by Rickey's attempt to infiltrate the city. But even so, the zerg can't travel from one city to another using the MEM devices anyway, so they needed the next best thing to achieve their infiltration into the city. Willing capture.
One of the zerglings' flesh changed into something completely different, forming into what looked like a gilanian janitor. Once the changelisk's disguise was complete, he power-walked to the nearest janitorial closet that was two rooms down from the slave containment chamber. Once the janitor-disguised changelisk returned, he brought with him two wheeling laundry bins, filled with many copper and green colored coats that either collected too much grime, or had some unmentionable fluid spill onto them. The changelisk removed some of the lab coats from within the bins and allowed the zerglings to jump in and settle into them. Once the zerglings stopped circling and laid down into the bins, the changelisk janitor covered them with the dirty lab coats and began moving them to a different area.
The first area they stopped at was a few floors down from where the slave containment chamber was, eventually coming across a hydroponics lab. Various containers contained green fluid that fed crops of several types of plants, most of which fed the scientists within the facility. However, these plants were also part of their experimentation, and there were many breeds that seemed odd, or appeared too sickly to consume. This place was also bereft of any scientists in the immediate area. It was a perfect place for a zergling to start feeding, and the changelisk only had to worry about one camera overlooking everything in the hydroponics farm. Once the changelisk janitor turned off all of the lights, one of the zerglings was revealed from the bin of lab coats as it was allowed free access to the hydroponics lab, and all of the vegetation it grew. It wasn't as valuable as meat, but bio-matter was still bio-matter, no matter its form.
Once one of the released zerglings started feasting on the plants and metal in the room, the changelisk janitor went back to the dirty lab coat bins and proceeded to a different area. Once the changelisk left the freed zergling, the zergling had stripped enough materials from the equipment and plants to fuel its needs, forming piles of metal and vegetation around itself. After that, it formed a cocoon around its body and proceeded to revert back to its larval stage. Soon, the zerg larva would feast on the masticated plant and metal piles and begin the process of creating a cocoon, which would spawn into a pair of zerglings. The immortal jellyfish that Kay had consumed to mutate his swarm has indeed carried a powerful trait. But without a nearby hive to provide the necessary nutrients for the larva, the wiggly larva resorted to using the only resource it had access to, for the time.
Once the changelisk janitor left the freed zergling to its own devices, it next sought for a way to leave Research Facility S-01. There weren't very many ways to exit the coppery cube facility other than through the front entrance, much to Kay's dismay. But thanks to absorbing the knowledge from the skull of Commander Ralkan, Kay had some insight and knowledge about the facility. In fact, it's due to Ralkan being a Torus Guard commander that he had to be analytical of all facilities, structures, and bases regarding their defenses. There were several ins-and outs that were unknown to much of the research facility's staff, even to Commander Faddoh himself.
One of which that happened to be the closest was the garbage incinerator. The incinerator was connected to an off-site facility which uses a copper pipe that transfers all the burnable trash. However, it posed the risk of incinerating the zergling if it was used as an escape route, and the changelisk did not know how far the zergling had to go before it accidentally fell into an incinerator.
Another choice available to the changelisk was one of the many windows that opened up outside of the facility. But even if the changelisk janitor tossed the zergling from one of those windows, there was a chance that the zergling would heavily impact the ground and risk a sprain or breaking a limb. It is true that zerg regeneration is quicker the smaller the organism is, but staying too long in one area is liable to get the zergling caught, prompting the soldiers and citizens to raise an alarm.
A third choice would be through the front gate itself. But there was also the possibility that the checkpoint security would enforce the area as the scientists passed through the scanners on their way out. Since there are zerg organisms inside of the research facility, it wouldn't seem too far fetched to theorize that Commander Faddoh would double the security there in response to the outbreak. In order to detect the HEV inside of infected gilanians, and prevent those infected from leaving the research cube, they would no doubt have to pass through the checkpoint and through the scanners before leaving the facility. Not only that, Commander Faddoh had already been informed that changelisks could change into zerglings, and he wasn't sure how many changelisks are within his precious facility.
Only having one last zergling to work with had left only one other option of escape, with a twist.
Checking room after room, bypassing several rooms that were either busy or vacant, the changelisk janitor scouted for the perfect place to begin the zergling's escape. One particular room had a moving platform that scaled up and down, which orbited around what looked like a massive engine block, possibly belonging to a desert platform. In truth, the moving platform looked like it was the perfect device to use for a getaway.
The changelisk janitor powered the levitating platform and wheeled one of the laundry bins onto it. The platform came to life as it ascended, raising itself higher and higher as the changelisk janitor manipulated its controls. Once they were next to the window, the changelisk janitor opened up the window fully. The window was able to open wide enough, and the changelisk janitor threw himself out of the window, just as he wheeled the platform with him.
The changelisk grabbed onto the zergling during their downward fall and positioned it above itself. The ground came quickly as the falling zerg reached terminal velocity. The first thing to land was the laundry bin, which resulted in the breaking of plastic tubes and cloth ripping in different places, the plastic pipes no longer giving it structure and support. Once the zergling and changelisk landed, the zergling landed right on top of the changelisk and reduced its impact to the ground. The changelisk janitor effectively became a shock absorbing pad for the landing zergling, even when it died at the end result of the landing. However, thanks to it's sacrifice, the zergling was free to roam the city at its leisure. That is, if it could leave the scene quick enough, and avoid any curious gilanians that would come and inspect the loud sound of a tumbled wheeled laundry hamper, followed by a wet smack on the street's tiled pavement.
Thankfully, the streets were calm and devoid of much life. Since Empire City had set its waking and sleeping hours similarly to Empire Capitol, the halls of the city were rather dark to help simulate the night times. But even if the roads were barren at night because of a curfew, which was heavily enforced by night-watch patrols, the city was still removed of most of its civilian population due to the nearing war between the Kiln Keepers and the zerg. The zerg had been fighting the Kiln Keepers and winning after all, and the fighting brought the zerg so close to their own home. The Golden Star Empire gilanians within Empire City were very much like rats abandoning a sinking ship, and if they had the wealth to buy their way out, then they could survive the storm coming to their homes.
After passing through several winding streets and entering the lower subsections under the city, the zergling finally centered upon the poorest part of the poor district. It was significantly cleaner that the poor district in Empire Capitol, save for the occasional homeless gilanian witnessing the passing zerg creature and hiding in fear. There were certainly a lot less skeletons here, save for the one that looked like a statue, circled by many tents populated by sleeping homeless gilanians.
After scouting the environment, the zergling had concluded that the bottom-most level of Empire City was the least defended. A graveyard of trash littered the floor of the lowest point of the city, and it would mark the location of the nydus worm that would soon populate the area with other zerg, bringing forth monsters of death from its maw.
Once a place was chosen, the zergling burrowed into the heaps of trash and stealthily waited. After several seconds, its patience was rewarded as a nydus worm begun to break the ground and erupted from its entry point, roaring loudly as it tasted the air of the city. once the drones and queens were expelled from its maw, the drones went to work creating hatcheries around the worm, while the queens went ahead and created several clusters of creep tumors that eventually became resource tumors. A carbonation extractor was placed close to the hatcheries as well, which would enable a slow process of accelerant generation. The hatcheries took the longest time to gestate from their embryonic cocoons, so the queens had to extend the creep over the trash covered grounds using the creep provided by the nydus worm.
The homeless that were brave enough to check out the sudden loud noise, made by the nydus worm's roar, slowly approached. They stared at the quickly forming hive cluster with awe and fear, and had no idea on how to react to, or deal with, such a sudden occurrence. They didn't even have time to continue watching the cluster grow as zerglings, roaches, and hydralisks filtered out of the nydus worm. They quickly retreated and cowered within their tents as they expected the worst to come.
But they were ignored by the invading zerg infestation. These people suffered enough, so they would be left alone. That is if they willingly traded their loyalty for Gollog to Kay and Virid instead. There had been a few hobos that actively attacked the zerg, but the ones that did so in self defense were either chased away or had their weapons bit in half. Others that continued attacking were slain without exception, had their corpses delivered to the creep, and were torn into uncountable shreds.
But as the homeless gilanians were sanctioned to their own little spot, which was the encampment of tents that formed around a skeletal statue, Kay and Virid emerged from the nydus worm seconds later and inspected the city for themselves. Kay took a deep sigh, but regretted it since his nose filled with the smell of old, rotting garbage. He quickly covered his nose after he noticed the wafting stench. "HOOOH~! Aw man! This smell is pretty rank!"
Virid looked at Kay with a pandering stare.
Kay looked back at Virid, paused, and then shook his head. "... Right... No nose."
Virid sighed and shook her head. "We must continue upward from here. The nydus worm has telegraphed our presence to them, so we need to act fast."
Kay sighed and nodded too. "Yeah. Let's also have a nydus network set up, just in case. But more importantly, we can start sending zerg forces into this area."
"Can we establish a base first? I feel that this area would be more defended if we had crawlers rooted near the hatcheries." Virid suggested.
Kay shook his head. "Commander Faddoh has created that weird device though, and that has gotten me worried. What did he call it again? A neural oscillator? I couldn't control Rickey or the other zerg organisms when he used that device."
Virid sighed. "Oddly enough, it acted exactly like a miniature psionic emitter. Such a device to exist so early in our conflict against the gilanian empire is most troubling."
Kay nodded. "Which is a reason why I wanted to attack now. Our main goal is to infiltrate Commander Faddoh's research facility, find and destroy this 'neural oscillator' of his, and then follow up with all of the other non-priority objectives. ... Oh, and settle the bet."
Virid rolled her eyes. "Of course."
The developing hatcheries had finally ripped apart the taught fleshy sacks of their amniotic cocoons to reveal several hatcheries. One among them was chosen to mutate into its next evolution, but all of them were immediately tended to by two queens each. The zerglings, roaches, and hydralisks clumped together into a loose horde, and their numbers continued to increase, thanks to the nydus worm transporting the zerg ground strains.
Overlords soon populated the insides of the lower part of the city, since the underground happened to be spacious enough to allow them enough space to occupy it, and a few of them were transformed into overseers. Once they gained enough energy, the overseers would produce changelings and spread their spies to the upper floors of the underground city. Changelisks would be spawned in fewer numbers than the changelings, but their uses were much more useful outside of a skirmish.
And it was thanks to those quickly deployed shapeshifters that Kay and Virid detected an incoming patrol of soldiers.
"This is patrol number 62, say again?" A squad leader said as he spoke into his short-range radio. Eleven guards followed the squad leader, but they had a nervous disposition about them.
[A disturbance has been heard originating in the lower bowels of Empire City. We need your patrolling squad to scout the territory and report back any unusual findings. That is all.]
The squad leader shook his head and sighed. "And if we cannot return alive?"
[You are an expendable unit. Don't expect any reinforcements. Lieutenant Braxog out.]
"... Shit. Alright men! We are to investigate the disturbance in the lower levels without any backup or assistance! Chances are, we will die, or worse! Pray to whatever gods you worship to give us luck on our way to the objective! MOVE OUT!" Shouted the squad leader. Everyone groaned, but they moved on with soulless grace.
It was very possible that they were fated to die, but they knew well the fate of deserters or mutineers within Gollog's rule. It was something called 'Death Without End'. Whatever it was, they were deeply scared by it. Even Ralkan barely knew what it was, and Kay had probed much of his mind till he became brain-dead without ever finding out what kind of punishment it might have been. As the patrol squad scouted on, however, they saw the usual signs of zerg infestation: Zerglings. Nine of them formed a line and hissed lowly, clawing at the ground in an intimidating manner.
The squad leader paused, and the gilanian soldiers with him stopped in their tracks, stunned and silent. After several seconds of pausing, the squad leader slowly reached for his radio communicator, shakily holding it up to his face. "Uhh... We-we-we found the disturbance, command. Z-z-z-zerg presence confirmed."
[Congratulations, patrol 62. Due to your efforts, the empire commanders can confirm with physical evidence that there is a breach in the city. As per the agreement of joining the Golden Star Empire's military, eighty percent of your expendable reimbursement shall pass down to your next of kin, family members, significant other, or third party. The twenty percent shall go towards funding the empire and its glory. May you die well, if you die well. Lieutenant Braxog out.]
"Sir, what do we do?" One of the soldiers in the squad asked in a whisper. "I don't want to piss off Gollog, but... I also don't want to die either."
The squad leader pushed back the whispering soldier and looked at the zerglings with a keen eye. "... They are standing their ground."
It was true. The zerglings did not advance, neither in a running gait, or in a sneaking crawl. They simply stayed there, despite their aggressive posture and body language. This had went on for half a minute, as neither side acted or moved from their spots since.
"I heard rumors that these things are smart. Do they know something we don't?" "Don't be an idiot, Gan. It could be that they are mistaking us for a trap." "No, this is something different. Could they be waiting for something?" "Like a razor fiend? As if I would want to stand around long enough for one to start appearing. I say we evacuate the area." "Wouldn't Gollog get mad at us if we did that?" "They didn't order us to die. They assumed that we would die." "We're still alive, so... I'll have to agree on the theory that they are waiting for something."
It wasn't long that a changelisk had appeared from the line of zerglings. The chattering squad stopped in their gossip as they stared in revulsion of the zerg shapeshifter. Slowly, yet right before their eyes, the changelisk turned into a brown, green and purple suited gilanian. The squad's eyes widened as it gestured towards them. "Greetings! I know that this might come as a shock to you, but I merely wanted to break this uneasy standoff between us. I am known as Mister Shifter. Pleased to meet your acquaintance!" He said, bowing politely.
The squad leader tilted his head and stepped forward. "... Wait uh... you zerg things have names?"
Mister Shifter shook his head. "The creature you are talking to right now is nothing more but a persona. Simply put, it is a personality that has been crafted and chosen to work as a medium between non-swarm and swarm organisms. Think of me as an ambassadorial mascot!"
The leader sighed. "Well... If the zerg had sent you... I'm guessing there is something you want from us?"
Mister Shifter nodded. "Yes indeed. Please drop your weapons."
The leader scoffed. "Like hell we will! What's to stop you and your jag zerg monsters from eating us?!"
"My word." Mister Shifter said, bowing once more. "Since you have not attacked us, you have given no incentive for the zerg to attack your squad. If you willingly surrender and renounce your loyalty to Gollog and his empire, then we shall allow you the luxury of living, or the privilege of assisting us in attacking Golden Star Empire assets. Do we have an accord?"
There was a long pause before the leader sighed. "I'm afraid I can't do that. If the empire suspects that we would defect in any way, they would send a signal to our bondman soldier armors, initiating a self-destruct and terminating their wearers. We either fight till we die, or be branded as rebels and also die."
Mister Shifter sighed and frowned, but then slowly nodded his head. "Then I suppose I shall give each of you two choices here. If you fight us now, then we will grant you a quick death. But if you renounce your loyalty to Gollog and his empire, then your death will be avenged by the might of the swarm. What say you?"
The leader growled. "This is not favorable for us. ... What say you, boys? Kill to be killed, or be killed if we don't kill?"
One of the patrol soldiers started yelling loudly. "I AM THE MASTER OF MY OWN FATE!" The soldier brought out a pistol and shot herself in the head. This suicidal act had stunned the nearby soldiers. Seconds later, they started whispering frantically and panicking silently.
The leader growled again. "... How about we do nothing?" He said, turning around to face Mister Shifter and completely ignoring the suicide soldier. "You go and do what you want, while we go and do what we want. Isn't that satisfactory enough?"
Mister Shifter looked upwards in thought for a few seconds before nodding. "That is acceptable. Bear in mind, however. If you so much as harm one of us, then you will be punished. Gravely, lethally punished! Understood?"
The leader sighed and nodded. "I think we can work with that." He turned to his soldiers. "I need two to pick up Gan and bring her to the morgue. Tell the staff there that her death was a result of a crossfire between two intersecting flanks of different squads. Understand your orders?"
The soldiers in his lessened squad nodded. Two were chosen to pick up the corpse of the once frantic soldier to deliver the body to the morgue that was somewhere within the city. However, before they could deliver the body, a voice rang out from the squad leader's radio. [Patrol 62, you have new orders. If you do not attack the zerg within the span of sixty seconds, then we will activate the self-destruct in all of your bondman soldier armors. Confirm your orders?]
The leader of the squad paused. He did not like how this turned out.
[Patrol 62, confirm the orders or we will detonate you.]
The leader of the squad reached into his uniform and pulled out his handheld radio. "Confirmed."
[Your thirty seconds starts now. Good luck and die well, if you die well.]
The squad leader took in a deep breath before sighing. He then turned to the soldiers in his squad. "YOU WANT TO GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER, OR DIE WITH A BANG?!"
"BANG!" the soldiers behind him shouted, shooting their guns in the air.
The squad leader turned back to the changelisk with a sorrowful frown. "Sorry about doing this. Give Gollog hell for us."
Mister Shifter nodded and frowned, stepping back behind the line of zerglings. "Rest assured. Your rulers will see the error of their ways, and they will be made to die painfully. Including Gollog."
The squad leader nodded. He brought his projectile pistol up and aimed it at the zerglings before him. "CHARGE!"
The battle was short lived when the roaches and infestors had been given enough time to burrow right underneath them. But even so, the squad of soldiers died a glorious death against a swift attack of claws, acid, and fungal spores. The patrols put up a good fight against the zerg, downing four zerglings and even severely wounding a single roach, but they ultimately died in scant seconds still. The soldier named Gan may have left life earlier than she wanted, but she would soon join with her fellow soldiers in death. Or as zerg chow, as their bodies were dragged away to the slowly expanding zerg infestation that was growing in the bottom-most part of Empire City.
After that brief conflict, however, the remaining soldiers in the city became more active, defending against the zerg swarm from within their own home.
Several Torus guards and Crescent Arms soldiers were sent into the depths of Empire City, and their mission was to try and root out the zerg infestation. The roots of the infestation had grown too deeply however, as the spine and spore crawlers erected a heavy counter-defense against the defenders. They also deployed anti-riot bots and reconnaissance mini-fliers to assist in curing their home of the zerg, but they did little to push back the swarm. They fought valiantly, but were ill equipped. The shield-bearing soldiers that formed a protective ring did their best to provide protection for the riflemen and ranged attackers within the center of their formation, but the zerg were still without number.
One field lieutenant looked at the ensuing carnage and paled. The zerglings leaped onto the shield bearers in joyous savagery, gnawing and biting their heavy tower-shields to the point of making them useless. Worse still was the roaches that spewed loogies of acid, standing in front of and protecting the hydralisks that shot at the gilanians from a further range. Worse still is that the roaches, and nearly all of the zerg organisms, have the nasty habit of burrowing into the ground, either to heal, or to relocate to a different area. The defenders never thought they would see the day to use seismic sensors within the very city they once lived in!
"Dammit! We are horribly unprepared for this! We need all reinforcements or we are going to lose this city!" The familiar voice of lieutenant Braxog shouted within the relative safety in the city hall of Empire City, which stood next to the gates that lead into the opalescent castle on the surface. He pounded on the command desk as he was surrounded by several busy officers and soldiers, zipping from one direction to the other in an organized chaos. His silver and blue armor was repaired countless times, but the scars of battle was still seen on his flesh and on his uniform. His right eye was missing, and had a dialysis machine connected to his chest.
Another voice had cut in. [Agitated. Quit your mewling. Assistance has been delivered.]
"Commander Guik, I must detest." Braxog pleaded, more annoyed than worried. "Your forces should be busy protecting the emperor, rather than be involved in the dirty work of more capable men."
[Sarcasm. Then I suppose I will leave this fight to you, so I can slack off and do something completely unimportant.]
Braxog sighed. "... Fine. Do what you want, I guess. But if they start breaching, or nearing city hall, I'm taking my men elsewhere. Understand?"
[Indifferent. Understood. Pyramidal Guard shadows are now entering Empire City. Expect stealth specialist units infiltrating zerg infested areas.]
"Shadows, huh? Damn me if I didn't have this desk job, or I would've gone and see what one of those shadows looked like."
[Casual. Even if you tried to find one, they would never consent to being seen by you.]
"Ouch."
"... That doesn't sound too good for us." Kay remarked. Some of the changelisks and changelings that had infiltrated past the battle lines had found various areas of importance. One of such changelisks found its way into Empire City's city hall, which was casually overlooking operations in the makeshift command center within it.
"Shadows?" Virid queried rhetorically. "Must we be aware of our own shadows?"
Kay shrugged. "We're going to find out soon, I guess."
As the zerg continued in their assault against the defenders, several zerg organisms suddenly started dying one-by-one. It was an unusual pattern of deaths since this trend of spontaneous loss of lives paved a path toward the hatchery. It was only when an overseer, which barely had any room to navigate in, was finally able to detect what the problem was.
Soldiers that bore black sleek armor with purple accents were cutting a path for themselves, and they seemed to be aiming straight for the hive cluster that was slowly developing its lair, soon to be turned into a hive later on. Apparently, they carried a type of cloaking device that enabled them to be rendered invisible. The zerg paused for three seconds when the black and purple soldiers became known to the swarm, but they quickly redirected their attention onto them and ran after the intruders.
"... Uh... Whoa WHOA WHOA! E-SHIFT, E-SHIFT!" One of them shouted, sounding feminine. Instantly, a field of blue and white static energy enveloped them and quickly forced them to vanish from everyone's vision, including the overseer's eyes.
As Kay witnessed the disappearing act, he carefully rubbed the back of his head. "... Uh... What?"
Virid stared at the general area where the black armored gilanians had ghosted from. "Do they have a mobile MEM device with them? Is it installed in their armor?"
Kay shook his head in disbelief. "I have no fucking idea, Virid. Worse still, they can cloak themselves."
"If they can cloak themselves... LOOK OUT!" Virid shouted as she suddenly pulled Kay away.
A quickened swish flitted through the air, which happened to be an invisible blade that nearly made contact with Kay. Virid responded by aiming an acid spine at the general direction where two footprints were found. She noticed them when Kay mentioned that they could render themselves transparent from the normal vision of many zerg organisms. It was through a stroke of luck that an overseer managed to pass over the path of these black and purple armored soldiers. She wasn't even sure for how long that gilanian had eavesdropped on them! But even so, she was glad that she was talking to Kay in that terran English language, and not communicating in the Gilaish tongue.
However, verbal communication could be exploited, no matter the form. The zerg needed to adapt again. 'Kay, we must communicate in this manner from now on. We cannot be spied upon, and allow our operations to become known to our enemy!'
"Gh... Damn." Kay got up after being tossed out of harm's way moments later. He looked around and found no sign of his opposed attacker, save for the small drips of blood that was found on the creep. Once the creep absorbed the blood, Kay sighed. 'Fucking hell, I guess I owe you one.'
Virid telepathically called for another overseer to float to their immediate area. 'You don't owe me anything for the moment. Right now, there is an assassin at our location. Use your psionic ability to detect our hidden assassin.'
Kay nodded, and then looked around for the invisible saboteur. 'Kay. Time to find the guy that tried to sabotage my life.' He telepathically said, looking at the creep covered ground intently for footprints. After looking for several seconds, he spotted a set of indented footprints where the creep was made slightly more compressed. He slowly lifted a hand and pointed at the possibly unseen individual. He could also feel a mind that was there, even when he couldn't see the assassin. "Hey." He said in Gilaish. "I can see your booties leaving trails on my ground. Show yourself, or we'll force you to appear."
"Fat chance, bug-man. Gh..." The invisible assassin said.
Kay raised an eyebrow. "You sound wounded."
The assassin hissed. "No thanks to your caretaker. Ah! ... AUGH!"
Once the overseer hovered over to Kay and Virid, Kay was able to fully see the assassin that tried to do him in. Kay raised an eyebrow as he looked up and down the limping soldier. Apparently, Virid had been aiming at the assassins feet, and her foot had a newly created open wound that made physical contact with the creep. The hyper-evolutionary virus would definitely make its way through her veins and into her heart by now. "Not only that, you look poisoned too."
The assassin placed her weight onto her good foot and gasped heavily, clutching her chest. "P-... P-p-poisoned?!"
"Yep." Kay said, nodding. "You don't got long until you start becoming one with the swarm. Send a message to your assassin buddies for me. If they keep off of my territory, then I promise I won't rip off your limbs, or tear out the organs inside your body, and use them as weapons against your friends."
The assassin looked up at Kay in immense pain once her organs started shifting around rapidly. She shakily reached for the handheld radio on her person and talked into it. "Girls, I need you to back off from now on. The zerg leader threatened to kill you, using my own body parts."
[This is an emergency radio signal. Have you been compromised?]
"Y-yes. I'm guessing my footsteps ha-huh-ve given away my position. Also, the zerg leader known as Kay sta-...stated that I have been poisoned. I don't feel well." The assassin in the process of being infested said, straining through every word.
[Then you know what to do. Initiate sublimation.]
The spying girl made a depressed sigh. "Activate unit recycle, password: Sleepers Fall." After saying that, lights of white and blue static covered over her body. Once the light had washed over her, all that was left was many of her internal organs, her left foot that had a queens acid spine stabbed into it, and her brain.
Kay leaned down on the collection of organs and slightly intact foot, frowning. 'Well... This is odd.'
'The brain needs the body to persist. Without it, the organ will die quickly. A fitting death.' Virid said, looking down on the exposed brain matter and crossing her arms.
'Actually, the brain can still be harvested. Let me do a bit of mind reading.' Kay said, reaching down and plucking the cluster of nerves from the ground. Once Kay focused on the brain, the brain seemed to move around strangely, as though it was living jello. After a third of a minute of Kay's psionic analysis, the brain eventually started to tear until it was reduced to sloppy red chunks that fell back down onto the creep. The creep absorbed the brain chunks into itself, as well as the other organs many seconds later. After finding what he needed, Kay nodded. 'Well how about that! We attacked one of the elite soldiers of the Pyramidal Guard Division!'
Virid scoffed and shook her head. 'So much for being shadows. How come we couldn't see them?'
Kay grunted as he stood back up. 'They have technology that can render them invisible. They can bend the visible light around themselves perfectly, making them immune from being seen, unless we have a detector strain assisting us or if I am paying attention to their mental patterns. However, these shadow assassins also have some other abilities that worry me.'
'How so?' Virid asked.
'Think of them as those other alien guys we used to fight.' Kay explained. 'What were they called again? ... Oh, that's right. Protoss. From the mind of the assassin I delved into, who is named Tix, she has information she has stored on their shadow assassin abilities and tactics. They are basically stalkers, adepts, dark templar, and arbiters combined into a composite unit with their abilities. They use cloaked drones to triangulate their MEM shifting, and uses keywords on their arms to help facilitate quick coverage of an area. Worse than that, their own suits and cloaked hover-drones can MEM shift more shadow assassins to the area. Simply put, they are teleporting assassins that can become invisible, and could teleport resources and more assassins to their location, since I think they act as their own 'pylon', if you get my meaning.'
Virid looked at the bloody puddle slowly turning into a grayish-purple color. 'If they dare attack again, we must be ready.'
'Indeed.' Kay thought to Virid, walking forward under the watchful gaze of the overseers above. 'But Commander Faddoh is still our priority.'
A/N: Oops. Made 6,000 words. I can get carried away sometimes! X3