Precinct 13
5:45pm
Suspicion clouded Freddie Veins as soon as he got out of his car and started up the precinct steps. "The team ready?"
Amoriah took a breath. "Not exactly. We have a problem."
"What's the problem?"
He entered the precinct to see the commissioner surrounded by other government officials.
"Commissioner."
"Veins." The cell replied stiffly. "Your officer Osmosis Jones is partnered with the virus, is he not?" Slightly behind the official Jones stood, worry evident.
"Yeah… and?"
"Where is the virus now?"
Veins couldn't stop himself from glancing over at Thrax's empty desk, all around the virus's colleagues watched, silent. Many of them only just becoming comfortable around the El Muerte Rojo.
But is it tight smiles or honest comradery? Veins didn't know.
"He was compromised on a routine call, I had him taken to Cerebellum."
The commissioner studied him, coolly. "Daniel Veins, you wouldn't want me to remove you from chain of command now would you?"
"And what would call for you to do that?"
"Lying to a Frank City official for one." The cell stepped closer. "Now I'm going to ask again, where is that virus?"
Veins held the commissioner's gaze, refusing to blink.
"This has nothing to do with him, does it? There were a few of you bureaucrats who tried barring me from assuming command here because I got sick during the Ehrlichia Crisis." He paused. "So, is Stoma up your ass or are you willing kissing his?"
"How dare you!" The commissioner hissed.
"Go ahead and remove me, see how Colonic takes that."
"Tom Colonic is soon to be old news."
"Why, because he's not corrupt like you?" He tsked. "It's amazing to me how you government cells have been so intensely focused on him, what Thrax is doing, where Thrax is… this body was screwed up before he even got here. It just took me this long to see it."
"You're done!" The cell snapped. "Your badge and gun."
"You can demand it, I don't have to give it. You can bet your ass I'm going to fight this."
"Then Precinct 13 is shut down until further notice!" The commissioner sneered. "Are you really going to do that your officers? You can make it easy with just your badge or you can screw this entire Immunity station."
Silence.
"Don't give it to him Chief." Boone stood. "I'm with you and Thrax."
"Me too." Jones stepped forward.
As if with one mind, all the officers stood in unity.
"Go ahead and shut us down." Amoriah baited.
Unease flickered through the officials, giving a telling clue they were not in agreement with the commissioner.
"You're going to regret this."
"Somehow I doubt that." Veins replied. "You know the door."
Seething, the cell stormed out, the officials following him like chicks with a hen.
"What do you want to do about the tactical team?" Aorta, commander of the tactical unit, asked.
"Hasn't changed." Veins said. "Cerebellum Hall is under attack, we're only doing what we do best…Immunity."
…
Cerebellum Hall
6:02pm
"So what's your plan?" Thrax asked. "If you even have one."
Daemon studied the front door. "Do you?"
Thrax hated the silence as he acknowledged to himself he didn't. "I used the elevators to get to the top levels last time."
Daemon didn't answer as his eyes travelled to the lifts climbing up and coming down.
During the silence, a thought suddenly struck the younger virus.
Thrax glanced sideways, the chain Daemon had lied about looped around his wrist.
Daemon noticed. "What?"
Thrax looked away. "Nothing."
He heard a scoff.
"You're thinking I'm going to take this opportunity to do what you failed to do?"
"I didn't fail," Thrax hissed. "Frank flat-lined. I was just interrupted and had to improvise."
"Spoken like a true El muerte roja… Improvise." Daemon scoffed. "Interesting description of taking the mayor's aide hostage." He tsked. "You thought I didn't know about that. I've taken my short time here to learn a lot about you."
Thrax rose to his full height. "You done?"
A slight smile spread across Daemon's face. "I suppose. Smart though, using the elevators. I'm assuming you didn't ride one the conventional way. That might have been a little too obvious."
"Held on to the bottom."
Daemon nodded. "Lead the way."
Getting into the shaft terminals was easy. Cells too busy talking amongst themselves about the evacuation and subsequent lockdown of Cerebellum Hall.
Thrax ignored the chatter, the crying and rants. Pulling his hood up, he kept his head down, hoping no one would take notice of his and Daemon's stature. If anyone noticed, they didn't say anything.
He turned a sharp corner to a small maintenance door, a slight blackened sear ran the length around its face. He paused, tracing the burn mark with the tip of his finger.
"What are you waiting for?"
Thrax ignored the question and yanked the door open. "Go." He waited for the older virus to duck in before following and shutting the hatch quickly. "Careful with the cables, you don't want to clothesline yourself."
Daemon glanced around. "Sounds like you know from experience."
Thrax thought about overlooking the comment, but then allowed himself to share in the amusement a little. "That's what I got for being an arrogant asshole."
Daemon snorted.
Following the electric crackles flowing through the shaft cables, the noise of the lifts grew louder the closer they came to them. Thrax put out a hand to stop Daemon from getting too close as the elevator came down and locked into place. He waited for the docks to release and the shaft coils to tighten, pulling the lift up again.
"You going to be able to hold on?"
As the elevator started to pull up Daemon grabbed on and tightened his grip. "Yeah."
…..
Past
Despite his reservations, Thrax stuck around Judd if anything, for strength in numbers. The germ had been correct in saying he was a walking target. All around, others sat, their hard gazes on him as he stuck close to Judd. It was enough to irritate the shit out of him.
"Can I help you?" He finally snapped to one particularly smug microbe.
"You bett'a change your tone, you insignificant worm."
"Don't use big words you don't understand." Thrax growled. "Makes you sound stupid."
The big germ stood abruptly.
"Aw now, he new Filaria. Cut him some slack." Judd came to his rescue, cutting off contact from the younger virus. Behind Judd, Thrax stared vehemently over the microbe's shoulder at his would-be attacker.
The germ-Filaria- stomped away muttering under his breath.
"Makin' enemies everywhere you go, huh kid?"
Thrax ignored the sarcasm. "I don't need your help. Where are we going?"
"Well, you want to do your thing, take down bodies, right? You gotta learn some microbe common sense first. Otherwise, you'll suck in your aspirations."
"I don't suck."
Judd snorted. "So you say." The microbe veered a hard right and sat in a booth. "What are you? You got to have some sort of name of what you are."
Thrax barely glanced his way, only grudgingly taking a seat across from his new found ally. "Been called El Muerte Roja."
"El Muerte Roja, eh? Interesting."
"What?" Thrax demanded.
"You seem so normal… docile really." Judd accepted a cup from a waiter. "All the Rojas I've met are crazy motherfuckers."
"You've met others?" He forgot to be mad.
Judd shrugged. "A few. Like I said, crazy motherfuckers. I didn't stick around."
"What makes them crazy?"
"The 24/7 fixation of burning bodies to the morgue. You don't have to smite the host the moment you step foot into them. Why kill immediately upon entry? You're wiping out the city without taking a moment to live a little. A constant nomad."
"Isn't that what viruses do?"
Unexpectedly, his thoughts turned to Vinicius and Spyrah, each reveling in their combined power. He ditched them the moment he had a chance, escaping George to land on some lady who brushed against him as he hacked a cough.
"It is." Judd agreed. "But don't you think that's a little much? A stupid obsession with hitting the medical books is what the last one said."
"Medical books," Thrax repeated. "So we're in competition with each other?"
Judd shrugged again. "Guess so." He narrowed his eyes. "You're not thinking of joining this crap obsession are you?"
"No." Thrax glanced around. "But my itinerary is awfully empty.
"Forget I said anything." Judd took a long swig of his drink. "You Rojas are all the same."
"I'm nothing like them."
Judd paused. "Oh really, why's that?" He leaned closer. "You know what I think?"
"Enlighten me."
Judd smirked. "I think you were raised by cells."
Thrax felt his insides flip.
"I've come across a few. You body-jump enough times kid, you see all sorts of shit. I've come across tortured microbes who were clearly raised by ignorant cells who think they're doing the good thing."
"They weren't ignorant." Thrax hissed before he thought about it.
"No?" Judd challenged. He grinned, showing cracked teeth. "Then where are they and why are you running?"
That mental wall was crumbling quickly. Thrax felt light headed.
"Get out of my face, now." He let his claw light up to make his point.
For his credit, Judd straightened in his seat. "Did you kill them or someone else?"
"What are you, clairvoyant?"
"Intuitive."
"Well you're too intuitive, stop asking questions."
Judd laughed. "You were…wow. What was that like?"
Thrax fumed, his silence noted.
Judd grew somber. "Must have been better than this shithole. They showed you what life could have been like if you weren't what you were." He tilted his head. "But fate sucks kid, you were born a virus and no matter how much you try to out run it, it'll follow where ever you go."
"So what are you saying? Embrace my virus nature and spread havoc."
"Or you just continue being one of those who walks that thin line between good and bad." Judd nodded to his now cooled claw. "Annihilate the fucks who come in here thinkin' they can take over. Incinerate them with that claw of yours. Of course, you'll have to be discrete or otherwise you'll have Immunity on your ass."
"So an elusive vigilante."
Judd shrugged. "Why not?"
….
Present
Cerebellum Hall, outside
6:15pm
Veins got out of his car and lost no time joining the other chiefs, ignoring those who shot him disgusted glanced. Precinct 14's chief, Joseph Lash, a veteran Immunity officer and well-known to be outspoken, nodded his greeting.
"There something we can help you with?" Lash barked at the other officials and chiefs as they stared in Vein's direction. "Gossiping, nosy fucks." He hissed once they all turned to look busy.
"They're just jealous you got a virus on your squad and they don't." Precinct 1's Matt Spleen was grinning.
"That's precisely why they're not jealous of me and want to see my ass thrown off the force." Veins grumbled.
"Well, fuck 'em." Lash lit a plaque stick. "They can keep wanting. It ain't gonna happen. Precinct 13 was lucky to have Charlie and it's even more fortunate to have you as his successor."
Veins turned his attention to Cerebellum Hall. "Any news?"
"No. Everyone's evacuated out except the twelfth floor." Lash was hidden behind a cloud of smoke for a moment before waving it away.
"Shit." Veins hissed. "The mayor's floor. How many unaccounted for? Do we know?"
"Four office workers, three aids and one secretary, Leah Estrogen and Tom. Precinct 2's tactical is going through a back hatch now, their squad is best equipped for this kind of operation."
Matt Spleen tsked. "Funny how that force has had two corrupt chiefs now. I can't believe they're trusted to go in there."
"It's not the officers, Spleen." Lash stomped out his plaque stick. "It's their commanders. The cops are just as fed up with them as we are."
"Leah's still in there?" Jones appeared by Vein's shoulder.
"What the hell is this!" A yell interrupted the T-cell's reply.
At the command center unit, one of the officials straightened abruptly, his eyes bulging. "Veins!"
"What did you do?" Jones.
"What haven't I done?" Veins drew closer to the cluster of cells around several monitors all patched into the City Hall's security system. "What?" He asked louder.
"You told the commissioner that virus was at the hospital!" The official jabbed a stubby finger at a screen.
Veins took his time answering as his attention fell on the monitor. On screen were two figures, unmistakably virus, one pulling another up through a burnt hole in the floor of an elevator.
"I guess I lied."
The cell's face reddened with barely contained fury. "Now is not the time for smart ass comments, Daniel Veins."
Another cell chimed in. "Taking less care I see than his first time breaking into City Hall."
"Well unlike those of you who took your sweet time getting here, Thrax has a sense of urgency. Let him burn as many fucking elevator floors as he wants, at least I have full confidence he'll get Tom out alive, and as a bonus fry the terrorist shitbag in there." Lash was quick to retort.
A radio buzzed.
"Sir, we have a visual on two suspects, possibly three…up on the catwalk leading to the mayor's offices." There was a moment of silence. "Actually I think it's Precinct 13's virus…. He's not alone."
"-If they have a visual, take it."
"What the fuck are you even doing here?" Lash snapped straightening from his lean against a crusier. "This is an Immunity operation."
Brad Stoma ignored the inflammatory question, yanking on his suit as he stepped away from his chauffeured car. "You heard me Patrick."
The Immunity official stood frozen. "Take what?"
"Take. Out. The Viruses."
Time froze.
…
Present
Cerebellum Hall, Twelfth floor
6:20pm
"You've been here how many times?"
"Shut up Daemon."
There was a slight sound up ahead, pausing Thrax.
As if powered by something other than himself, Daemon followed it, leaving Thrax. After a moment, he trailed after the older virus.
The room was lit in a soft orange glow, machines hummed quietly. A strange feeling of Déjà vu hit Thrax the moment he crossed the door threshold. He came up beside Daemon who watched the temperature helix spin in its large cylinder case.
"Strange isn't it? One smash… one disruption of the helix sequence and the whole body goes to hell."
Thrax lowered his gaze.
"I have a question."
He waited.
"What did it feel like?" Daemon was studying him.
"Why are you asking me that?" Thrax snapped.
"Should I go first?"
"You already said how you felt. You felt sickened by it."
Daemon shook his head slowly. "That wasn't my first reaction." Yellow eyes too closely resembling his own, slid to the side. "It's an incredible hit of invincibility. You're the one who holds the fate and control of the host. You and you alone."
Thrax stepped away, closer to the spinning helix. "I'd say it's more like the run amok urge of an addict. That hit of invincibility is the rush, the high."
"Fulfillment." Daemon added absently. Then the older virus blinked. "Don't you have a mayor to save?"
They just stepped through the door when there was indignant growl. "You!"
Thrax blocked the swing of the cytokine rifle from hitting Daemon as Anguli-Oris came at them.
Somewhere below a radio buzzed.
Anguli-Oris snarled unintelligibly, raising his rifle, pointing it at Daemon.
Time slowed as Thrax felt himself slip into analytical mode. They were on the catwalk, a steep drop off on either side. There was nowhere to hide.
"Shit…"
….
Past: One year later
Motown, Michigan
The Mole
The music was loud, booming and repetitive but after a few dozen of places like The Mole he learned to get used to it. He moved with a purpose across the bar room floor, not bothering to change his foot path, knowing fully well microbes and germs alike would get out of his way. All around there were exotic dancers, shimmying down poles and teasingly bending around their customers as stupid males hooted and hollered; so he didn't feel bad when he gripped Ned by the shoulder.
"Shouldn't you be in the back, makin' sure everyone is accounted for?"
The burly germ paled. "Sure boss… sorry." Quickly he disappeared into the crowd, hoping to make himself scarce before he felt the burning stab of that virus's finger. He'd seen it in action, he didn't plan on experiencing it for himself.
Thrax trailed after him. The noise level on the other side of the door was almost equal to the din in the bar, an argument of who was the better microbe ensuing. With a hissing breath, Thrax shouldered the door open. Across the table Ned was trying desperately to break up the yelling as two germs, neither much to look at, were jabbing their fingers in each other's faces.
All around members from the germ's underbelly were watching. Some irritated, some sadistically interested, clearly hoping they'd witness a brawl.
In a corner, Judd sat, his eyes glowing in the gloom, a neutral expression on his face. For a split second Thrax wondered what he was thinking.
Thrax rolled his eyes as he noted with a certain amount of pride, others were taking notice of his presence. All the while the two germs kept up their yelling.
"Yer nothin' but a coronavirus, yer useless shit."
"Useless shit?! You're nothing more than a fleck of dandruff… fuckin' allergy!"
One germ tried launch himself at the other, jolting Ned as he tried to keep them apart.
Thrax cracked his jaw and moved towards the two, who paid no heed to him.
"I'm gonna knock your nucleus into next week! You hear-" The coronavirus stopped mid- sentence, horrified eyes turning down as a fiery hole erupted in his middle. "Wh-wha….?" The fire built in strength rapidly. "…ow." He fell in a heap, the smoldering remains making the remaining arguer, Ned and others jump away.
"There…isn't the silence much better? No one bitching, no one moaning." Thrax stepped over the remains of the germ he killed, and up to the speechless opponent. Next to him Ned wilted. "Now take a fucking seat before you join your friend."
The germ glanced down at the dying fire and then sunk into a chair.
"You too, Ned."
His head bobbing, Ned quickly took a seat.
" 'ey, why you drag us in here anyway?" Someone complained. "You're a newcomer… barely been here a week and you're young as hell-"
"Yeah, and look how much shit I've gotten done compared to you stagnant microbes." Thrax shot him a death glare.
The germ scoffed, not easily cowed. "So what's your grand plan virus? Take over all of us?"
"Naw, I'm going to take this body down. Do better than two weeks…." Thrax stared out the frosted window. "And you're gonna help me do it."
