Chapter 1 - Infection of patient zero
He hated waiting, he also hated when people were late. Of course it was only 2 min past twelve, but to him it was 2 min's too late. He needed the vial now, so that he could test it. He'd already chosen a target. A high school teacher, the perfect kind of target. He lifted his head from the collar he had wrapped around his chin and watched as someone walked nervously towards him.
The man was dressed in a business suit covered by a lab coat, which in turn was hastily covered by an over coat. He tried to perfect an air of confidence but he admitted he was scared. He walked quickly to the alleyway where the meeting was to be held.
"You are late," the stranger said walking out of the shadows. The new arrival spun around and glared at him, "You should do that! I could change my mind," he hissed pulling his coat closer to his body. The stranger smirked, "Do you have it?" he asked walking closer to the other. The new arrival nodded and reached into his pocket, he pulled out a thin box that looked almost like a pen box. He handed it over to the stranger. The stranger smiled as he opened it. Inside it was a small dart and a vial containing red liquid. "Good, your money is in that black bag near the door," the stranger replied closing the box. The new arrival looked around and then headed for the bag. After he claims the bag he walks back to the stranger. "It's not contagious unless the victim bites or scratches somebody else. The time it takes before the victim starts feeling the effects varies, mostly depending on their immune system and other factors. Have a nice day," he says and then walks away.
"Yes, I will have a nice day," the stranger whispered to himself slipping the box into his pocket. He looks up at the full moon and smiles, "I'll have a wonderful day."
***
Barbara sighed as she waved good by to Dinah and watched her join Gabby near the doors. "And that sigh?" asked a voice behind her. She smiled realizing it was Cris. "I was just thinking about how far Dinah has come since Helena and I first met her," Barbara replied. Cris stood next to her watched Gabby and Dinah pointing to a guy standing near the road. "To me it looks like you two have done a good job," Cris said as she resumed moving along with Barbara. She didn't know Dinah all that well and she had only met Carolyn Lance once as herself and then again as the Black Canary and even then she respected the woman. To Cris, Dinah seemed head strong, intelligent and confident without the smart-ass attitude most of the kids had today.
"Ouch," Barbara exclaimed bringing Cris back to the present. She looked down and saw Barbara rubbing her neck, "What?" she asked. "Something just stung me," Barbara replied. "A bee?" Cris asked. "No, it was something else." "Perhaps a mosquito," Cris said shrugging. "It probably was," Barbara said and started moving forward.
He watched her from a far, lowering the dart gun. "Bingo," he said to himself. He packed the gun into a case and then walked out of his hiding place. He climbed into his car and left. If news of a virus plaguing New Gotham High leaked out then he knew his weapon had worked.
***
"Go on!" Gabby encouraged Dinah. She shoved Dinah gently forward smiling. Dinah glared at her, "Okay, okay," she said softly. Dinah walked slowly towards two guys, who stood talking to each other. One of them turned around and smiled at her, waving her over. Smiling back she walked up to them. "Hey Tommy," she said greeting the one who had waved at her. "Hey," he greeted back, then he turned to the other guy and said, "Dinah meet Vernon, Vernon Dinah." Vernon smiled at her as he greeted her. Dinah felt as if her legs would collapse, "He has the cutest smile," she thought to herself. They spoke for a while until the bell rang, "Oh hey Dinah," Vernon said turning around and walking backwards, "We're having a party tonight, just a few friends at my place. Mom and Dad are in the Caribbean so I got the house to myself. Wanna join us?" "Oh, yes, okay!" Dinah blurted out. Vernon smiled, turned around and walked away. Dinah rolled her eyes as she joined Gabby, "Oh, yes, okay?! I'm such a dork," she said. Gabby laughed, "Did he ask you out?" Dinah smiled and nodded. "And all I had to do was give you a little push," Gabby said as they walked inside. "Mhm, and that push is called Tommy right? What did you do? tell Gina she had to tell her brother to get to date for me with his best friend?" Dinah asked. "Kinda," Gabby replied. Dinah smiled and then walked into the classroom.
***
Her headache had gotten worse, Barbara sighed as she rubbed her forehead. She made a note to herself to ask Alfred to get stronger painkillers. She heard the elevator doors open and lifted her head. Cris walked in dressed in a long black dress with slits on either side of her dress exposing her legs. A closed Chinese collar covered her neck and the sleeves were short. The dress almost looked like a Chinese dress. "Hey is Dinah ready?" Cris asked approaching her. Barbara winced slightly, Cris was too loud, "Almost, she's just choosing shoes," she replied. Cris frowned, "What's the matter with you?" "Headache," "That's why I'm insisting she should rest," Helena said descending the stairs, "I can handle myself for one night without Oracle." Cris turned to Barbara, "She's right you know," she said. Barbara sighed again, perhaps they were right, "Okay, you both win, but I'm staying up until Dinah comes home," Barbara replied, sternly. Cris shrugged, "If you want, but you've got nothing to worry about, Matthew and I will pick her up a 11 again, nothing can go wrong," she said. "You and Matthew?" Helena asked frowning. Cris grinned, "Didn't you notice the limo outside?" "He's here?" Barbara asked. Cris nodded, "In the car." "Who's here?" Dinah asked appearing on the balcony. All three looked up, Barbara's jaw dropped open, "You're going like that?!" she said and then winced. "Yeah, anyway Helena helped me out, also there's nothing else," Dinah replied, "So who's here?" "Matthew, now we gotta go," Cris replied, she turned to Barbara and said, "See you just after 11." "Cool," Dinah said and followed Cris, while waving at Helena and Barbara. Helena shrugged, "It was either that or that suit she wore when she was after that Matt guy." "Then I like this one better," Barbara said smiling.
***
Matthew had the limo pull up right in front of Vernon's house. Dinah thanked Matthew and waved good-bye at Cris. Tommy joined her as she walked up to the door. "Hey was that Miss Stone and that Harper guy?" he asked letting her in. Dinah nodded, "Yeah they gave me a lift." "Wicked," Tommy exclaimed. He led her to the pool, where everybody was dancing. Vernon met up with them and then looked Dinah up and down, "You look great!" he said and then led her to the dance floor.
***
Barbara blinked as she tried to look at the time. She could just barely make out the time on the computer, it read 10:15. The headache had gotten worse; she tried napping she even tried a wet cloth on the forehead, but nothing worked. She scratched the back of her neck and then cried out. There was a bump on her neck. As she moved towards a mirror she suddenly felt very dizzy. She then fell to the floor, convulsing and started foaming at the mouth.
He hated waiting, he also hated when people were late. Of course it was only 2 min past twelve, but to him it was 2 min's too late. He needed the vial now, so that he could test it. He'd already chosen a target. A high school teacher, the perfect kind of target. He lifted his head from the collar he had wrapped around his chin and watched as someone walked nervously towards him.
The man was dressed in a business suit covered by a lab coat, which in turn was hastily covered by an over coat. He tried to perfect an air of confidence but he admitted he was scared. He walked quickly to the alleyway where the meeting was to be held.
"You are late," the stranger said walking out of the shadows. The new arrival spun around and glared at him, "You should do that! I could change my mind," he hissed pulling his coat closer to his body. The stranger smirked, "Do you have it?" he asked walking closer to the other. The new arrival nodded and reached into his pocket, he pulled out a thin box that looked almost like a pen box. He handed it over to the stranger. The stranger smiled as he opened it. Inside it was a small dart and a vial containing red liquid. "Good, your money is in that black bag near the door," the stranger replied closing the box. The new arrival looked around and then headed for the bag. After he claims the bag he walks back to the stranger. "It's not contagious unless the victim bites or scratches somebody else. The time it takes before the victim starts feeling the effects varies, mostly depending on their immune system and other factors. Have a nice day," he says and then walks away.
"Yes, I will have a nice day," the stranger whispered to himself slipping the box into his pocket. He looks up at the full moon and smiles, "I'll have a wonderful day."
***
Barbara sighed as she waved good by to Dinah and watched her join Gabby near the doors. "And that sigh?" asked a voice behind her. She smiled realizing it was Cris. "I was just thinking about how far Dinah has come since Helena and I first met her," Barbara replied. Cris stood next to her watched Gabby and Dinah pointing to a guy standing near the road. "To me it looks like you two have done a good job," Cris said as she resumed moving along with Barbara. She didn't know Dinah all that well and she had only met Carolyn Lance once as herself and then again as the Black Canary and even then she respected the woman. To Cris, Dinah seemed head strong, intelligent and confident without the smart-ass attitude most of the kids had today.
"Ouch," Barbara exclaimed bringing Cris back to the present. She looked down and saw Barbara rubbing her neck, "What?" she asked. "Something just stung me," Barbara replied. "A bee?" Cris asked. "No, it was something else." "Perhaps a mosquito," Cris said shrugging. "It probably was," Barbara said and started moving forward.
He watched her from a far, lowering the dart gun. "Bingo," he said to himself. He packed the gun into a case and then walked out of his hiding place. He climbed into his car and left. If news of a virus plaguing New Gotham High leaked out then he knew his weapon had worked.
***
"Go on!" Gabby encouraged Dinah. She shoved Dinah gently forward smiling. Dinah glared at her, "Okay, okay," she said softly. Dinah walked slowly towards two guys, who stood talking to each other. One of them turned around and smiled at her, waving her over. Smiling back she walked up to them. "Hey Tommy," she said greeting the one who had waved at her. "Hey," he greeted back, then he turned to the other guy and said, "Dinah meet Vernon, Vernon Dinah." Vernon smiled at her as he greeted her. Dinah felt as if her legs would collapse, "He has the cutest smile," she thought to herself. They spoke for a while until the bell rang, "Oh hey Dinah," Vernon said turning around and walking backwards, "We're having a party tonight, just a few friends at my place. Mom and Dad are in the Caribbean so I got the house to myself. Wanna join us?" "Oh, yes, okay!" Dinah blurted out. Vernon smiled, turned around and walked away. Dinah rolled her eyes as she joined Gabby, "Oh, yes, okay?! I'm such a dork," she said. Gabby laughed, "Did he ask you out?" Dinah smiled and nodded. "And all I had to do was give you a little push," Gabby said as they walked inside. "Mhm, and that push is called Tommy right? What did you do? tell Gina she had to tell her brother to get to date for me with his best friend?" Dinah asked. "Kinda," Gabby replied. Dinah smiled and then walked into the classroom.
***
Her headache had gotten worse, Barbara sighed as she rubbed her forehead. She made a note to herself to ask Alfred to get stronger painkillers. She heard the elevator doors open and lifted her head. Cris walked in dressed in a long black dress with slits on either side of her dress exposing her legs. A closed Chinese collar covered her neck and the sleeves were short. The dress almost looked like a Chinese dress. "Hey is Dinah ready?" Cris asked approaching her. Barbara winced slightly, Cris was too loud, "Almost, she's just choosing shoes," she replied. Cris frowned, "What's the matter with you?" "Headache," "That's why I'm insisting she should rest," Helena said descending the stairs, "I can handle myself for one night without Oracle." Cris turned to Barbara, "She's right you know," she said. Barbara sighed again, perhaps they were right, "Okay, you both win, but I'm staying up until Dinah comes home," Barbara replied, sternly. Cris shrugged, "If you want, but you've got nothing to worry about, Matthew and I will pick her up a 11 again, nothing can go wrong," she said. "You and Matthew?" Helena asked frowning. Cris grinned, "Didn't you notice the limo outside?" "He's here?" Barbara asked. Cris nodded, "In the car." "Who's here?" Dinah asked appearing on the balcony. All three looked up, Barbara's jaw dropped open, "You're going like that?!" she said and then winced. "Yeah, anyway Helena helped me out, also there's nothing else," Dinah replied, "So who's here?" "Matthew, now we gotta go," Cris replied, she turned to Barbara and said, "See you just after 11." "Cool," Dinah said and followed Cris, while waving at Helena and Barbara. Helena shrugged, "It was either that or that suit she wore when she was after that Matt guy." "Then I like this one better," Barbara said smiling.
***
Matthew had the limo pull up right in front of Vernon's house. Dinah thanked Matthew and waved good-bye at Cris. Tommy joined her as she walked up to the door. "Hey was that Miss Stone and that Harper guy?" he asked letting her in. Dinah nodded, "Yeah they gave me a lift." "Wicked," Tommy exclaimed. He led her to the pool, where everybody was dancing. Vernon met up with them and then looked Dinah up and down, "You look great!" he said and then led her to the dance floor.
***
Barbara blinked as she tried to look at the time. She could just barely make out the time on the computer, it read 10:15. The headache had gotten worse; she tried napping she even tried a wet cloth on the forehead, but nothing worked. She scratched the back of her neck and then cried out. There was a bump on her neck. As she moved towards a mirror she suddenly felt very dizzy. She then fell to the floor, convulsing and started foaming at the mouth.