S3E12: Part 2

Murphy POV

"Our way of life is envied." He said to the blends he'd rallied after the power had gone out, he knew Warren was behind it. "Hated even, by desperate fearful individuals. Living without fear is within reach for all of us. But sadly, some find comfort in chaos, death and terror. We knew the day would come when we would have to defend our way of life. And each and every one of you is worth that sacrifice. Protect each other. Protect this beautiful place that we have built. And remember, be careful out there."

The majority of them left after that only Will, Wesson, Auerbach and 10K remained.

"We're still trying to reach Bowden at the dam." Wesson said.

"I want both of you up in the tower." Murphy instructed and they left at his command. "I need power restored. Thomas, escort Auerbach to the power station." He said but couldn't help but notice the kid looked a little out of it. He blinked a few times before making clear eye contact with him. "Are you up for this Thomas?"

"Yes Murphy."

"Good." He said and the pair left. He turned to the window knowing at some point today he'd see a battle raging out there.

"Okay Roberta. Let's dance."

10K POV

He got Auerbach to the bridge just outside the power station, he had his handgun ready just in case of any attacks and just as they got to the opposite side of the bridge they heard gunfire. There were small pings as the bullets ricocheted off the metal rail and he and Auerbach ducked behind a concrete slab at the end of the metal bridge. 10K returned fire and ducked as their attacker fired then he returned more fire. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw another body from the opposite side of the building peek out with a gun. He and Auerbach moved to take cover behind a cement column just outside the power station.

"We should talk to them." Auerbach said.

"Stay down." 10K ordered watching the two shooters.

"If they knew this is what Murphy wants –"

"I don't think they care what Murphy wants." He turned and snapped at the man as bullets hit the column.

"Something's clogging the water intake." Auerbach told 10K as he returned fire, "The turbines could be permanently damaged if I don't get in there and turn them offline. We've got to get in there."

Then they heard snarling and 10K saw Z's coming across the bridge, he remembered Warren injecting him and knew he could be at risk of getting attacked. As he was thinking Auerbach jumped out from the column with his hands raised.

"Hey! Hey get back here!" 10K shouted but stayed crouched behind the pillar.

"Hey! I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding." Auerbach shouted.

"Auerbach!" 10K called but the engineer ignored him.

"Mr. Murphy tasked me with the maintenance and the operation of this power station. I'm the one who restored the electricity –" but a gunshot cut off his sentence and Auerbach stumbled back holding his chest. He pulled his hand away and 10K's eyes widened seeing the blood on his hand. Auerbach looked shocked too before another gunshot went off and hit him in the head and he fell to the ground dead. 10K returned fire moving out from the pillar and killing one of the shooters then the second gunman got him in the shoulder, he groaned in pain and leaned against pillar sinking to the ground grabbing his wound. Left shoulder, the thought ran through his head, left shoulder, the Z, her cry of pain, Bailey's left shoulder, the image of it bloody and torn apart flashed through his mind. He shook his head and focused, there were four Z's getting closer drawn in by the gunfire. He tried to go around the pillar and flee but another Z caught him off guard and grabbed him by the jacket slamming him against the pillar. He caught just a glimpse of something red and 2 bodies behind the zombie in the distance before he twisted and fought some more as the bridge Z's caught up. A second zombie grabbed him and he started having trouble keeping their teeth away from him. In his peripheral vision he saw the second shooter go leaving him for dead. A moment later a large red weapon was swung and one Z dropped mercied. The second Z dropped from a gear to the skull shot by 5K, as Red grabbed 10K and pulled him away before the rest of the Z's could catch up and he heard 5K caw to them.

"You're bleeding." Red said as they ran to 5K on the hill.

"Are you really here?" 10K asked.

They caught up to 5K who kept cawing happily as they ran. They kept going headed up a path and away from the power station into a more wooded area.

"We can stop." Red said, "We lost the Z's."

He caught his breath as they slowed their pace to walking and he looked her up and down, "You look good for a hallucination."

"What are you talking about?" she asked but before he could answer a voice ran through his head.

Thomas! Murphy called and 10K looked away from Red and in the direction of the compound, "Murphy. I have to go."

"Where are you going?" she asked as he began to hear gunfire in the distance. He made his way through the woods taking a shortcut back.

"Go back." He heard as he passed a tree and turned to see Bailey standing behind the tree trunk. Frack, he's losing his mind just like he was before, damn booster shot and its side effects. "Go back to Red."

"She's not real, like you. Both of you are dead." He said as he kept walking, passing her by. When he looked forward there she was again.

"Go back. Go back to Red."

"I need to go, Murphy needs me." He said walking right through her as he headed back to the compound.

Warren POV

With the Red Hand's distraction going off according to plan she and Sun Mei ran for the compound. The Red Hand started firing at the blends who fired back, Warren could see Murphy standing in a window on the second floor so that was her goal, right after getting Sun Mei to the lab. With the blends distracted they got in easily even with the zombie moat. They crept up the main staircase without encountering anyone, Murphy must have all his defenses outside at the perimeter.

"Do what you need to. Be quick. I'm gonna go find Murphy." Warren told Sun when they'd located the lab. She then found an office with Murphy's plans laid out on several bulletin boards, maps of the country, of specific states, across the top of one read: Operation Lucy.

"You can't be in here." came a voice and she turned to see a blend, a woman, and her eyes widened when she recognized Warren.

"You. Stop." She said taking out a gun and firing twice, she missed the first shot but Warren marched over to her and by the time she fired the second time Warren was close enough to push her hand aside and drive her machete through the woman's torso. She gasped as blood fell from her mouth.

"Murphy loves you." She said before she fell down dead and Warren pulled her machete out, her eyes a bit wide with shock from the woman's words. Then she shook her head and got to work, she took her weapon and cut out the woman's brain.

"All right Murphy. I got something for you."

She moved through the halls until she came to a lavender painted room where Murphy stood watching the chaos out the window.

"Knock, knock." She said holding the brain behind her back.

"Warren." he said as he turned, "You might want to take a look. Your lost boys are bleeding out." She moved to the window and saw Hopper go down in a pack of Z's still smiling and shooting away.

"They knew what they were in for. Besides, they served their purpose. I'm here alone with you."

"Oh that's cold. You really are turning into an 'ends justify the means' kinda gal, aren't you?" he said as they circled each other in the room.

"I have a mission."

"Oh get a new catchphrase would ya?" he snapped, "It's over Warren. Look around, we did it, we saved the world. Well okay I did most of it but hey, what did you think saving the world was gonna look like anyway?"

"Saving the world are you?" she said with a humorless chuckle.

"I am saving people. I'm transforming their lives. Giving them peace. You know what you need? A nice little juicy bite mark right on your cheek to help you see things more clearly."

See things clearly? She thought as she brought the brain out from behind her back watching Murphy's expression change, his eyes going wide with want like a child looking in a candy store window.

"That's what I thought." She said at Murphy's reaction.

"Where did you get that?"

"Does it matter?" she asked teasing him with a piece she plucked between her fingers. She waved it back and forth and his gaze followed until he lost all control and snatched the piece from her and stuffed it in his mouth making sounds of pleasure as he chewed. She couldn't keep the disgust off her face as he ate and she dropped the brain in her hand as it hit the floor with a squelch.

"Are you creating disciples or your own endless food supply?" she asked as he looked up at her.

"You don't understand." He said.

"If I did I'd kill myself." She said before punching him and he landed on floor. Then the door to another room opened and a little girl ran out. She had a bite on her cheek and her blonde hair was pulled into two little braids as she ran to Murphy and hugged him.

"Murphy, Murphy are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm okay honey." He replied hugging her back, "I'm just having a chat with an old friend." He said looking up at her as she looked at the little girl frozen. She'd never thought Murphy might have families coming to him for help. Desperate parents willing to do anything to protect their children. More blends entered but stayed behind Murphy as he watched Warren's guilty expression.

"Who's the monster now Warren?" he asked getting up still holding the girl, "What's the matter? Reality setting in?" he said passing the girl to who Warren assumed was her father. Before she could respond or Murphy could go into another speech they heard a plane engine and all turned to look out a window. A yellow plane was going by with the words OPERATION BITEMARK written on the tail in big black letters.

"Operation Bitemark? It's Citizen Z. He might have a message about Lucy." Warren said watching the plane.

"Lucy?" Murphy asked his attention immediately drawn to any news of his daughter. Then he turned to watch the plane too as it dropped below the tree line, "He's going down."

10K POV

Sun Mei was packing up all the vials of experimental vaccines when 10K entered the lab raising his gun on her.

"What are you doing?" he asked and she turned startled.

"10K, I can help you. I can help all of these people." She said.

"They don't need help they need Murphy." He said his voice void of any emotion.

"The booster shot Warren gave you wasn't a full dose but I think it's working." She said.

He shook his head, between losing Bailey, losing his soul to Murphy, then being injected, seeing Red and 5K there was too much he was thinking about, "My head is so foggy." He said looking away and lowering the gun.

"I'm so close, 10K. But I need Dr. Merch's research. I need to test the blend vaccine. Will you help me?" she asked with desperation.

"10K?" he heard someone call and turned to see Red and 5K run in. "Are you all right?" Red asked as 5K hugged him.

"Who are they?" Sun Mei asked.

"Don't worry they're not real." 10K said shaking his head.

"What are you talking about?" Red asked.

"What are you talking about?" Sun Mei repeated looking confused but he ignored her.

"Whenever I'm in a bad spot a vision of you comes and tries to save me." 10K said turning to Red.

"Really?"

"That's sweet, but we really don't have time for this. I need your help." Sun Mei said again drawing their attention back to the vaccines.

"I can't help you, Murphy wouldn't want you to have any of this." He said his voice now deep and determined. He had to do what Murphy would want, Murphy made everything better.

"I need your help." Sun Mei repeated her hand now going to her gun.

"I can't." 10K refused and 5K cawed at him.

"10K, let her help you." Red said bringing her hand to his shoulder.

"I'd like to but you're just a dream." He said shaking his head.

"I'm not a dream. I'm real." She said moving to stand in front of him, "I'll prove it to you."

Then she stepped forward and brought an arm around his neck as she kissed him, automatically his arm went around her middle as a new flood of emotions hit him. He was shocked, not because she'd kissed him but what it did to him. It was different than kissing Bailey, it wasn't like he could close his eyes and pretend it was her in his arms, it wasn't as passionate. Red's kiss was different, her kiss was like. . . a reminder. A reminder that things could get better, that life could get better, no matter how bad he was hurting now.

"I just never thought anything would ever feel good again. After everything Murphy did, everything he's made me do against my will. . . I was starting to think death would be kinder."

"Never think that." She said cupping his face in her hands as he brought his thumb to stroke her cheek. "No matter how bad things get as long as you're alive there's the chance they'll get better. If you're dead. . . " she said looking away and bringing one hand to trail up and down his bare chest not making eye contact anymore, "If you're dead, that's so final, there's no chance for anything anymore. So. . . please never think like that."
It wouldn't be easy, and it sure as hell wouldn't be quick. But Bailey would want him to move on, it wouldn't be today, but maybe one day he could. Right now all he knew was this was real, maybe he wasn't losing his mind as much as he thought.

When Red pulled away and looked at him he couldn't help but grin at the confirmation that he was still sane. "You are real."

"Told you. Is that really you in there?"

". . . Yeah it's really me in here." He said smiling and turned to 5K, "Kid!" he said taking him in a one armed hug, then he looked up at Sun Mei, "The safe, Murphy keeps all the blend vaccines and his tests in that safe." She went over and looked at the keypad, "Try password."

"Murphy's password is password?"

"It's Murphy." He said with a shrug. The safe popped open and Sun took out a bag of Murphy's blood.

"Thanks Murphy." she said before Wesson and another blend entered with their guns pointed at them.

"Put that down. Or I'll mercy you where you stand." Before any of them could make a move a plane went by the window and a moment later Murphy marched in with his other blends as Will dragged Warren along and he ordered them all to where that plane went down.

Third Person POV

Citizen Z's plane had ended up in a field not far from Murphy's compound. The engine was smoking and they'd picked up several tree branches when they'd landed but otherwise it looked okay. Two of Murphy's blends rushed forward and helped Citizen Z and the pilot from the plane holding each by the elbow as prisoners until Murphy decided what to do. Will still had Warren by the arm as he dragged her to the field, another group of blends had 10K, Sun Mei, Red and 5K at gunpoint.

"Citizen Z." Murphy called as they made their way across the field to them, "When I said 'don't call here' it was not your cue to jump in a plane."

"Mr. Murphy. Warren. . .10K." he said turning to each of them, "Wow this is so. . .this is weird. Looks like I came at a bad time but I have a message for Warren."

"For Warren?" Murphy asked.

"Yeah Doc said you went rogue so. . . sorry about that."

Murphy turned to Will and he let Warren go. She walked forward to Citizen Z who smiled at her.

"Hi." He greeted.

"Hi." She moved forward and hugged him. After all, Operation Bitemark would have died way back on the east coast if it weren't for Citizen Z. "Where's Doc? Is he still alive? Addy?" she asked pulling out of the hug.

"I don't know. But he told me Lucy's been kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" Murphy asked grabbing Warren by the arm, "By Doc and Addy?"

"No." Citizen Z said, "Uh, by someone called the Man." He corrected and Warren turned to look at him, remembering the Man very clearly.

"The Man? The Man has Lucy?" Murphy asked his voice filling with emotion in a way none of them had heard before. "Where is he?" he asked getting angry, "Where is he?!"

"I don't know where he is. But I know where he's going. We intercepted a transmission." Citizen Z filled them in.

"Zona." Murphy said turning to Warren, "He's taking her to Zona."

"I'm not certain about that." Citizen Z went on, "But I do know that he's taking her to a top secret rendezvous. And I have the coordinates."