Chapter 2: Echoes of Blood

The smiling faces. Hearts jumping from the love. He loved. A fracture. Cracks over the soul. Labouring breaths. A truth uncovered. Red lighting. The fall of the sky. He'd… hunt them… down...

The land was dead. The bodies of the undead roamed. The sky was forever dark, and the living continued to fight amongst themselves. The world. This world had fallen further into itself. Everything had gotten worse. A lake of blood. Radiation. Several collapsed buildings. Dead wildlife. The sound of gunfire echoing in all directions. A flash of light within the blood lake. Like a slow Heartbeat.

"Shit! Captain we got a man down! I repeat we got a man down! Griggs is dead. It's just me and you left!" Gunfire from all sides. Bullets grazing the metal upon the vehicle. The captain that handled the wheel swore. He applied pressure upon the pedal and the dying engine gave another roar of life accelerating in speed.

"Whatever you do son, keep your head down! I'll shake em'."

He hit a hard left left as best as he could. The wheels had been caught up on a cracked sidewalk and the whole front of truck plowed into glass and into a building. "Kid in the front with me now!"

"Where are we even going!?"

"Just leave it to me." The older man bit his lip swerved out and through another building. "And get on the front seat!"

The younger male looked frightened for a moment then he gritted his teeth. The truck shook and reared right and he stumbled.

"Kid!?"

"I-I'm fine sir!"

"Good. Hurry it up now..." his words died in his throat. The old man shot a peak behind his chair as best he could, but snapped it back to the cracked windshield. He spotted an all black visage creeping up the side of the passenger side. It was on all fours and in a dead sprint. His eyes wide and he growled.

Turning the wheel hard and the truck smacked hard into the black furball. Causing it to lose control and it flipping several times.

"Haha! Haha! That's how you do it!"

"Huh…!? What was that for!?" The young male was all over the place in the back.

"Shit… didn't I say get up here!?"

"I'm trying!" The old mam sighed then he looked out his window. The snapped back narrowly missing the bullet fired at him. Damn Sangvis! Almost took his head off.

"S-sir!" The young male finally made his way into the front and he sat down holding a weapon

"Don't stutter boy. Don't even hesitate. And how much ammunition you got left?"

"More than enough for the both of us sir."

"Quick learner. Like always." The old man thought with a grin. He was breathing in and out, trying to calm himself down. Kid was getting the hang of it. The old man chuckled and it got the younger males attention.

"Something wrong sir?" He kept the amount of speed and didn't respond initially. A smile. Then a grin.

"Kid. Not gonna lie, I feel like we're gonna die. Ain't much we can do but fight like dogs till the bitter end. Whatcha think bout' that?"

He was hesitant for a moment. "I-I…"

Course' he didn't like it, but he did sign up for the life of a soldier. "Alright then. I know where you stand. But tell me something, this old man wants you to say."

The kid looked down in shame. Staring at his combat boots. His lips quivered and he liked them trying to get ahold of himself. "Sir. We fight like dogs."

He gulped down a wad of saliva. He was scared. But he at the same time began to build up some courage. "Say it again why dontcha'? Let me hear it."

"We fight like dogs…?"

"Nuff' with that slow response and shout that shit!"

"W-we fight like dogs sir!"

"That a boy! Say, tell me your name again before we kick the bucket. Rank, reason for joining. Ya'know the whole nine-yards." The truck they comindeard had bounced and the captain looked out the window again. The young man blinked in surprise at the request. The captain always, if hardly, would remember the names of thoes under him. He never bothered to ask again after the first meeting.

This was literally with everyone. Even thoes above him wasn't an exception. The old truck bounced and the young soldier placed a hand onto of the top of his hat. So when it came down to honoring what his captain asked of him, he was indeed skeptical. And the doubts he had was too much.

"Hey boy duck!" The captain screamed as he threw his left arm over him. The truck was knocked off balance. "Shit! Brace!" The young boy could only grit his teeth in fear.

The old captain turned right, shifted left. Did the tire go out!? "No! No! No!" Both males flinched as the top of the truck caved in and growling could be heard over the noise of the shouting and now raining bullets.

"Sir what the hells going!? I-I don't want to die!"

"Stay calm I got this under-" His words died in his throat as his eyes caught the sight of a black furred arm. It held claws that gleaned from the setting sun's reflection, and the windshield. "Control. Kid aim up and shot this thing now!"

Retracting his left hand away, the old man spotted the boy jolt into action and he aimed up. The barrel of his gun began to light up and the bullets punctured through the roof of the truck. The claw then slammed into the windshield cracking it. Everything was still. The young soldier, felt his weight shift and then weightless. What happened? Why was everything upside down? And…

Why did he see the blood lake? It came closer. And closer. And closer. His eyes were stricken in fear. His began to hyperventliate. "...Jack Shaw…" All went black.

Hunter grumbled under his breath. Upon his shoulders sat his baby girl. Around him the girls from his daughters school. They, as a group, had departed from his home to begin the trip. In his honest opinion this wasn't going to be too grand. After all the most they'd do would be looking at fish, and pizza. At most.

"Hey daddy lookie. It says that plankton are so small that we'd need a microscope to see them." The girl brought down the very book she was looking at to show him. He raised a brow at that. Looking at what his child pointed out in some intrest, he had read it and was quite intrigued. He may of been here within this world for three years now, achieved collage level academics as fast as he could possibly grasp, and gained an I.D, but he was still learning.

This world, in Hunters own words, would be. and is more advanced in its research then anything he's probably come across in Byrgnwerth.

"Daddy…?" His daughter's voice plucked his attention. He notched his head up a bit to show he was now paying attention to her.

She seemed to hesitate a bit. He wondered why. "What would you do if I…" where was she going with this?

He felt her chin connect with his head. Ah. Hunter chuckled.

"W-wha?" He began to giggle. "D-don't laugh!" He was was laughing.

His pace picked up and he began jogging ahead of the group.

Hey… he loved his daughter.

Jackson Shaw, a nineteen year old private. A new recruit for Granger And Embers Institute of War and Technology, or GEIWT.

A minor PMC yes, yet a leading benefactor in development and manpower for Griffon Kruger, alongside IOP. And to simplify it, they were in cahoots on the down-low.

Jackson Shaw was reassigned to Black List, on behalf of punishment for disobeying direct orders.

He was a short guy supporting brown hair and light soft features. He wore the dark blue uniform to the "T" and usually followed orders without question.

So some would ask, why didn't he this time?

Simply because he wanted to save lives. Because he had the chance and took it. Because it was the right thing to do. His superiors understood. Jackson knew they did, as they were very close to the personnel. But he didn't get off lightly. So he was reassigned to the Black List. A team of effective, yet deranged, uncooperative, and braindead idiots, who were to good at being violent and knew it.

How he got along with them? He… honestly never knew.

Jack didn't really know much of the team and when he tried, the first thing he saw was teeth inches away from hitting his noise off.

That reminded him of a crazy T-Doll he had the unfortunate possible chance of meeting. Let alone work with. But as time passed. And mission stacked up. And life and death situations brought them closer together. He'd say for certain as of the moment, he'd cry for one of them if they died. And… he was vastly sure they'd do the same for him.

But right now.

At this very moment.

He finally woke up.

In his own split second observation, which consisted of noting where everything is in the vicinity of where his brown eyes could even look to, and himself, he was underneath a piece of the truck.

Gas was leaking. Good thing he didn't have his seatbelt on.

The irony in thinking that…

He coughed and realized he was laying right outside of the truck. On his chest. Must've flew out the windshield once the truck collided with the lake… Funny thing really really.

The lake, at least by name, was a frozen lake.

How?

He didn't known, but what he did know was the history behind it.

A second later, the voice of his captain echoed in his head.

"Oh no. No no no…" he picked himself up as best he could. "Captain!"

He lugged himself back over to the flipped over truck with a severe limp. His cowboy hat jumped all over the place as he got closer with each step and limp. From his own vision he saw the truck wasn't just overturned on its side, but half of it was sawed in friggin half!

Skidding a bit he got close enough and placed his hands on the shards of the broken windshield. He lowered himself and saw the old man. His heart raced in his ears as he saw the old fool with his eyes closed and not moving.

"Oh no… oh no. Captain. Come on captain! Don't be dead. Come on!" He spoke to himself as he grabbed the old man's shoulders and tried to pull him out. He couldn't. Shit! If he couldn't move him… then… He began to check his pulse.

Jackson's chest heaved. He swallowed. He blinked away the tears. Swallwing it down and hitting himself on the head. He slowed his thoughts and began to think.

He looked at the weapon his Captain held. It was a heavy machine gun. One known to the Russians as the PK. He moved to pick it up and found it wasn't too heavy. That and it held a full case of amo.

"Captain Trevor…" He nodded his head. "I'll get the mission done."

What else could he do now? What else but hope to survive and get home with the Intel?

He limped back. Then he turned. He looked back. He shook his head. He needed to get back to base.

Right now he stood on the Blood Lake alone in hostile territory. His team was dead. Killed by Sangvis. His mission was coming to a close. He just needed to get back. But how…?

First he needed to survive the night. Second would be to hope that the other teams would get to him. If they didn't get recalled that is, and assumed killed in action.

And... he wondered why his captain suddenly began to go crazy with the truck. And that order… Shoot the roof?

Jackson did so yes, but that's because a piece of a billboard had fallen from the firing of a rocket round.

Jackson shook his head. He needed to get in contact with either GK or GEIWT.

He needed extraction and being by himself wasn't going to be a way he'd finish off this mission. He stopped after a bit.

He looked up to the setting sun a noted something strange happening below him. Looking down the boy freaked out and fell back. The… lake. The entirety of it. Looking back he saw the glow even reach as far as the recksight of the truck.

"What the…? What's going on…?" He sound curious. And less fearful. He looked around the entire area. Was he dreaming? No… maybe? The sound of cracking. The feeling of weightlessness. Then. He fell in. As the frozen lake of blood shattered.

It boiled. The hate fucking boild. It boiled. And it boils. His eyes twitched. His fingers flexed and cracked. Why… did… he… Hear them!? All of the crying! The sorrows! He'd kill them! Kill them all! All off them!

The sound of knocking. Knocking on a wooden door. It alerted the only occupant within the room.

White hair. A glass monocle. His hands were interlocked and his lips were upon his knuckles. He wore a red uniform. The knocking continued. Then he grinned. A row of shark like teeth. "Come in."

The door clicked open.

From the depths of the blood he crawled out.

A howl that gave forth madness.

A howl resonating with the inner beasts.

Rage.

All of it was rage.

Plastered upon the skin.

His face drowned in the blood.

Those cry's of angst. He heared them all around.

Chained upon his skin now.

Dried.

The billions of echoes.

They raged for blood.

One man's blood.

He too would cry out his name.

From the lake of blood.

He was reborn again.

Brought from a forced dream.

Living a nightmare.

Dreaming of a hell.

Forced to fall into the fracture.

To hear the cry's of his baby.

It played over and over.

Upon his skin.

Hate them.

"I see. So this is the report? All of it?"

"Yes commander. Most of, if not all, were gathered by three recon Echelons."

"And these are the modified teams correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Then recall them immediately."

"Sir?"

"The only team I want going in any closer will be 404."

"The defects? Are you certain that is wise commander?"

"Never before. Radio them their next mission now. Give them a brief synopsis on the land. We want boots on the ground asap. Fingers on triggers."

"Understood sir." The sound of a door closing echoed. It was silent. Only for a moment. The door opend back up.

"Jericho? What is-" Before she could speak another made themselves known.

"Sir! Echelon Falcon has rejected the order and have informed of a strange anomaly had occur! They've also reported that they've spotted a member of GEIWT alive and active. They've made arrangements to converge on his locoation for emergency extraction!"

"What…? Damn! Jasmine, inform 404 stat that this will lead into a forced ground assault. And get the leader of Falcon on the line now. I want to hear from her myself."

Emerging from the blood, Jackson gasped for air as he kept himself afloat, as best he could. His sights were blurry and he furiously rubbed his eyes while splashing around. His noise and ears was full of the thick liquid, and in response to his mind catching up, his noise scrunched up.

"Ew... Disgusting...," He thought, Jackson wasn't the type to be in needless messy areas. Be it a dirty rooms or a situation like an accident resulting urine accumulating on the floor. But this… this was something he truly wanted to be exempt from.

Through his gasps, he tried swimming over to what he believed to be the parts that didn't seem to shatter. Like small islands if he could best describe them.

They were scattered abroad resulting in him having the choice to pick one out of the many. But instead of choosing the stable one's, he B-lined it to the nearest one.

As he swam, he took note of an a larger mass of unraveled dark red. It seemed to be denser as well since he saw the truck Captain Trevor had "fixed".

It for a lack of better term was destroyed beyond recognition. The entirety of it was in flames. So it exploded? Yes there was leaking gas, but something had to ignite the damn thing before it should of went up in flames.

Right…?

He did his best without panicking. No need to loose his head now. Being alone wasn't his choice. He just needed to get the mission done.

That's all.

He threw his arms upon the red like stone island after sorting his thoughts to focus on the objective at hand. Hoisting himself up, Jackson did what he could to spit the taste of iron out his mouth.

Nothing he could do with the smell however. Next was his equipment. The gun he had taken from his Captain would be useful for sometime. The ammunition that it held wasn't enough for drawn out battles if he found himself in one.

Holding the PK in both hands, a thought crossed his mind. Dropping the weapon and letting it hang from the strap that was over his shoulder, Jackson began to dig into his available pockets. One second later be pulled out a candy bar. Something he swiped from Griggs' body.

Back when he was alive… Jackson sent a prayer for his fallen brother.

Most would look at him if they saw him do such a thing. His teammates would even ridicule him. But he didn't care. He loved them and he did the act because he loved them. Inscribing the memory in his heart, Jackson Shaw, expressed himself.

Simple as that.

"What the even was that." He commented still in a confused state. Using his arms he pushed himself up. "And is that… screaming?"

He thought to himself as he began to rub his face. Ugh! It was literally everywhere. He was brought out of his mental questioning when the noise of howls began to sound off.

Jackson for the life of him was begining to freak out.

He didn't need any of this as of right now, and the longer he seemed to live, the longer that his life got a bit more crappier as of the start of this mission.

Trying to get up to his feet - which he found out was a bad idea - He quickly made his way back down onto his back.

To much movement indicated to the young soldier that his life preserve, wouldn't last too long.

"Damn it I gotta make do with what I got." He voiced aloud his thoughts and the screaming didn't seam to die down. He looked around the visible area and noted that the current lake had been significantly reduced. The original level of the lake - when it was still frozen solid - wasn't measured, but he could tell from based on sight alone that the level dropped at least more then 50 feet deep. He saw some pipes that would lead to a big underground system as well.

Maybe he could use-

A ripple effect in the blood like water.

It caught his attention. He reached for his gun and made sure it was ready to be fired.

Whatever the hell made a ripple effect that big set off alarms in him.

Silence.

More of it.

His body shook.

"RAGHHHHHHAAAAAA--!!" It lunged out with blood all over its black barely notable fur.

"What the fuck!?" He scurried back into the blood river, forsaking to shoot as the thing that screeched at him took a massive sweep at his whole figure.

By a literal hair on his head, he had made it out and into the red.

His hearing was numb and the... whatever it was seemed to go ballistic.

Air...

Damn he needed Air!

He came up for air quickly. Gasping and keeping himself afloat.

The bastard was huge. It's body deformed. It's fur red, either naturally or soaked from the blood it came out from. It roared once more.

He got a good look at it even more. Looking like a humanoid wolf. Big as well. Insanely so.

It's elongated limbs tried to keeps itself afloat as it tried to rush him again. It's maul opened taking in a great deal of the blood.

"Stay away! Stay away!!" Jackson tried to plead with it. He couldn't get away as fast as he'd like. His gun wouldn't be able to fire. No way of fighting back.

No. No. No. No. Please. No!

In a flash.

"!?"

His eyes darted up. The moon. Wait… It was night?

A human. Clothing torn and tattered. The arms of the figure were bare with dried blood staining his brown skin. Black slacks. A white button up.

His face was wrinkled up in a beast like expression that indicated unbridled anger.

His eyes were white. No pupils.

He landed upon the blood beasts back. His eyes were wide. Effortlessly, with his bare hands, he began to swing his fists into its neck. The beast began to try going under to get the unknown off it's back.

It went wiled.

He himself was caught in it's erratic movement. Throwing him everywhere, and smacking into the slushing and rushing islands. The blood began shift and pull. He was caught within its currents.

Then his left shoulder made contact.

Jackson forced himself to turn so he wouldn't hit his head.

His combat knife got loose and continued on with out him.

Then… He was violently tugged on. Then he began to ascend. A muffled noise. Like a engine. Rooters. He saw a figure. Multiple.

He was free from the ocean of blood.

He was gasping.

He couldn't get his words out.

"Shhhh... it's alright now." So... lovingly.

"W-what-" A hand was placed over his mouth.

"Shhhh!" The voice was now harder, and feminine in tone. "It's alright now. Were with Griffin and Krugyer. We picked up your teams distress signal before it went dark."

His eyes widened. "Y-you all, are all of you from GK ?" He spotted a smile.

"Why yes we are~."

"Springfield! Get him in his seat we need to get out now!" The two looked to the one who shouted this.

Then he realized that there were others. More girls firing their rifles and guns in general.

Wait… he was on a heli…?

"Shit! Moving! Hold him!" The one named springfield hoisted him up and into a seat. And he looked out the opened side door seeing the rest of the girls, either reloading their guns, or firing at the… beast.

He was stark silent. Silently in awe.

"Do you have any idea what that is sir?" Came the voice of Springfield.

"...?" He looked to the woman his one eyes dilated. "N-no first time seeing something… like this…"

"Hey Vector you see that? The guy right there? Told you he was alive! Look at him go." He caught the sight of a girl holding an AK-47. Blond hair. Nice chest.

"Shut up and shoot it." Came the harsh tone of the one named Vector. She reloaded.

"Guy…?" So he was saved by someone after all?

"Indeed. However he seems to be doing more damage to whatever that thing is then Vector and AK are."

"Yeah with a knife no less!" Jackson moved to get a better look at what they were talking about. And what he saw was…

"Amazing." Jackson thought as he watched on. A male with black hair and brown skin, indeed held a knife in hand. His shirt was a white button up caller shirt tainted in red. He stood on top of a massive piece of the unbroken area of the Blood Lake. The beast tried swing at the man only for him to skip back.

The claws that made contact with the blood ground cracked it and it tried pulling its arm back to reveal that it was stuck.

The man moved quicker then the eye could see and began to stab and slice at its core.

His attacks swift and decisive.

He exploited this moment as if his life depended on it.

But to the man down there, he himself was just… doing what he did best.

He monster yelled and jumped back like before.

The monster pulling on its arm while the girls, Vector and AK-47, fired at its claw appendage that was still stuck. The bullets didn't seem to do much, and that alone was a something worth of taking note of for Jackson.

He glanced over to the one holding him upright and could tell she noticed to. But in the man's back step, he twirled at the same time like a living saw-blade.

Landing back to where he first saw the man began his attack, he moved forward again, and cleaved at the claws of the beast. It held enough force to knock the thing back and into a daze.

It's wolf head had fallen limp then… With his off left hand… He plunged his fist into his eye socket. With inhuman strength he then stabbed it's other eye.

Both his arms within its eyes.

And with a animalistic howl…

The monstrosity had been torn in two.

Jackson flinched and recoiled both physically and mentally from the sight. He couldn't handle it. He fainted.

"Woah…" the pilot said. She wasn't… never thought. "What he hell is going on…?"

"..." Vector looked on with shock. Her lips stitched shut and her weapon lowered.

"S-so how do we explain what we saw to Command?" Asked AK she looked to Vector for an answer but the woman in question could only look on at the sight before her.

That man… He was yelling at the top of his lungs.

Anger in his sky-bound expression.

She was pretty sure her bullets wouldn't work on… whatever the hell he was.

"Hey vector?" No response.

"Vector! Snap out of it will ya!?" AK had reached out and pushed the girls should violent like.

Ah. That got a reaction out of her.

"What." Came the her response. She gave her attention to AK-47.

"You seemed out of it. First time for anything am I right?" Vector only returned a glare. Then the howling began to die out into sobs.

Their attention was back upon the lone man. He now was on his knees and elbows. His forehead touching the road.

"Hey leader. What do we do now?

"..." Springfield was quiet.

"Well?" The pilot said. Springfield sighed.

"A decision needs to be made. And right now, leaving him alone would be the right way to go."

"That's too big of a chance to take."

"You are right Vector." "

Then what? Take him back to base?" Springfield smiled.

"Your intimidated I see."

"W-well ya!"

"Hey girls. Make up your mind now before we lose anymore fuel. We've gone above and beyond already. If we go to pick him up that'll be it."

The girls went silent. A sigh.

"We'll have to leave him."

"Well. Let's get-" the radio flared to life. A transmission was being broadcasted.

"Echelon Falcon the do you read over?"

"This is falcon over, who is this?"

"This is 404, we are requested by Head Commander Griffin to group up with you asap as these locations. Your in bigger trouble~"

A grunt from Vector indicated her dislike of the mention. "Of course…"

The pilot sighed and began to shift gears in her seat. With no time wasted, the metal machine began to hover away. Leaving and not looking back at what happened.

Unfortunately, the lone man held his hatred filled sights on the retreating heli. He swore he heard echoes. Millions of echoing cries.

And he shook recognizing one.

"Ukio…"

End