Dr.William Birkin
The nightmare just got worse. David was convinced he was in hell, doomed to see everyone he either cared for or began to trust slaughtered in front of his eyes. He turned to Alex, half afraid that when his eyes met hers the red, swollen veins that were the signal the virus had reached its final stages would be glaring back. Instead he saw the same blue, if not a little pale, eyes that he had come to know. "Okay...lets start moving..." said Jarred, and they all began to walk off. Except for David. "Dave..? Is...is everything okay?" said Alex, concerned even as the mutagen toxins built up in her own cells. "No....no there is something horribly horribly wrong,......what...what if there's not enough of the vaccine for both of you...there's a very good possibility of that...hell we don't even know if it'll work in time!". "THIS ISN'T THE TIME FOR THIS..." yelled Ryan, not so much angry as terrified he might be right. "What happens if we have to choose one of them.....I mean...what then? who do we let die and who do we save...?". They all began walking, the question David posed weighing heavily on their minds....
Joker
"Well, let's get to the God damn hospital already and stop wasting time", Ryan said quite impatiently. "I don't want another person's blood on my hands..."
"Oh, that's rich. The nobleman doesn't want to get bloody," Winsor said, seizing the opportunity to get Ryan back.
"Are you so stupid that you have no idea what a metaphor is, Winsor?", Ryan asked ominously.
"Wait... what do you mean 'on your hands'?", Jarred asked, curious about Ryan's choice of words. It almost sounded as if he was responsible for something. Something like someone's death or someone's near-death state...
Ryan said nothing, only waving them forward in the direction of the Medical Center.
While the group made their way to the Medical Center, Ryan glanced at the lethargic Vanessa and couldn't help but feel guilty. He had run off when she needed help and now she was paying the price for his mistake. It just wasn't God damn fair. He glanced over at John and saw much the same expression. They had tried to be the heroes of the day, but instead only left Jarred, Alex and Vanessa alone with that fucking spider. If Paul were alive, he might be feeling the same way.
"But that was another failure", Ryan thought, the feeling of defeat hitting him like a point-blank shot to the face. Every time he tried to help, he only got someone in trouble. He tried to help his classmates, they got killed because he couldn't do a damn thing. He went to help Alex, now she was turning into one of the very abominations that pursued them at every turn. He went to help Winsor, he got Paul killed and Vanessa was going that way soon enough as well.
But he didn't do anything to them, did he? Was he really at fault? His father would have probably told him that he handled the situation quite well for 17. Then again, he also would have told him that youths and guns didn't mix, so what the hell did he know? Well, he knew enough to give Ryan a basic foresight into the use of weapons and tactics of the Gaines PD SWAT. Foresight or blind luck, Ryan didn't know, but he did know that both were very useful right now.
It was about now Ryan thought, "Thank God these people never got to know me better. If it had have been someone I actually knew, I would have lost it completely by now..."
Ryan cursed under his breath for such a selfish thought. He knew that he cared far too much about people, no matter who they were. Sure, these people would have normally ignored him, just like everyone else did, but this was something he wouldn't have wished upon anyone. In fact, he never even thought it possible until now.
But here they were, stuck in a city that was about as close to the bowels of Hell as one could experience without letting one of the minions disembowel them.
"Oh, but that would not be the case", Ryan thought, his mind starting to corrupt with a bloodthirsty vengeance. "Now they're going to see just what lies on the other side of the horizon."
All this time, Ryan had been completely oblivious to the conversation around him. John had noticed that Ryan was staring off into space with a blank and almost glassy expression.
"Hello in there?", John said jokingly as he waved his hand in front of Ryan's face.
Ryan roughly shook his head and looked toward John.
"Yeah, what?"
"Oh, good. For a minute, I thought your mind had taken a wander off into uncharted territory..."
Ryan laughed slightly as he thought to himself...
"You're more correct than you think..."
City of the Dead
"You're not out of the woods yet!!!" Piers yelled, frantically hitting buttons on the control board. His whole plan had failed. Thanks to Nathan, the creature once known as David Law had suffered a huge setback. Piers managed to salvage the corpse, but now he wasn't even sure rejuvenation was a possibility. Piers almost didn't notice the ringing phone.
"What is it?" He said bitterly answering the phone.
"We've lost contact with squad B, they were supposed to secure the park," Markenson said.
"What the hell happened now?" Piers asked.
"I don't know, their last transmission sounded like a huge gun battle," Markenson replied.
"Could have been the zombies," Piers said shouldering the phone while scanning the monitors.
"No, before the transmission faded, a monstrous roar was heard, and I was thinking maybe you would know what could wipe out a whole squad of experienced soldiers," Markenson said with an aggravated tone to his voice.
"I don't have a clue, I'm mostly in charge of the lower level B. O. W." Piers said.
"Hmmm...Call me if you hear anything," Markenson said hanging up the phone.
"Bastard," Piers said slamming the phone down.
Markenson did propose a perplexing thought, what could have killed an entire squad of experienced soldiers? He has seen the cleaners take out a whole pack of hunters without breaking a sweat. Something wasn't right, and he didn't want to be confined to the basement security office anymore. He got up and shot a glance towards David Law inside the cultivation tank.
"Those bastards ruined my plans, now I'm going to ruin them," He said setting a course for Downtown Gaines...
Nathan sat in the hospital lobby by the large glass wall. From there the city seemed so far away. It was an eerily beautiful sight. Two large smoke clouds billowed out from the downtown streets; the only sounds that could be heard were the ominous low moans of the restless undead. Really, it was the first time he's seen the city since he's been at Warren. He had entered the hospital's back entrance earlier.
I wonder if they're still alive out there.
Nathan toyed with the antidote he had obtained earlier. He couldn't believe it; he could have helped Alex a long time ago if he had only known. He put the antidote back into his pocket and stared out the window.
"What the hell?" Nathan said, spotting something in the streets near the hospital. They were moving way too fast to be zombies, and there were about seven of them...
"Holy shit, it's them," Nathan said jumping out of the chair. They had made it, he could save Alex. He darted across the huge lobby/waiting room, jumping over several chairs and couches heading towards the entrance. He turned a corner and ran through the doors. Nathan stood out in the street as they came running for the entrance.
"HEY GUYS!!!!!" Nathan yelled waving his arms.
"Nathan!!??" He heard Jarred yell.
"Yeah man; come on hurry up," Nath yelled to everyone.
Nathan's smile quickly turned to a look of confusion, something wasn't right. Jarred had Vanessa's arm over his shoulder, she seemed out of it. He waited until they got to the entrance.
"Hey what's wrong with..." Nathan began to say.
"We have no time; we need to find an antidote for the both of them," Jarred said going past Nathan into the lobby.
"What happened?" Nathan asked.
"The spider bite," Jarred said laying Vanessa down on one of the couches.
"Quick, we need an antidote, Alex doesn't have that much time left and neither does Vanessa," Jarred said to Nathan.
"Well, long story short, I've had the antidote all along, it was in my blood stream, I just found out about it, here, take it," Nathan said handing Jarred the vial.
"...There's only enough for one," Jarred said staring at the vial.
Jarred walked over and looked at Vanessa and Alex.
"I'm going to go find more, there has to be some around here somewhere," Jarred announced.
"What the hell?" David said getting up from a chair.
"David, give one of them the antidote, I promise I'll be back with some more," Jarred said.
"How do you know there is more?" David asked.
"Because I just do," Jarred said recalling the document he read earlier. It had said that viral antidote research was conducted at the hospital.
"I'm going with you," Nathan said suddenly.
"Me too," John spoke up.
"Count me in," David said.
"Okay, Ryan, Winsor, Um, wait here until we get back," Nathan said.
"Oh boy, I get to stay here with sleeping beauties," Winsor said referring to the unconscious Vanessa.
Jarred, Nathan, and John walked through the emergency room double doors and looked around. The hospital was a mess.
"Okay, what would be the best area to look?" Jarred asked.
"Let's check the lower levels, that's where all the things like blood and medicine are stored," David said.
The four nodded and walked over towards an elevator...
Carlos Oliveira
"Jarred! We don't need to look for it man. I told you I've got it in my blood!" said Nathan.
"What do you mean in your blood?" asked John.
"Listen ok it's a long story but I'll try to make it short. I'll tell you on the way ok." Nathan replied.
The three took off following Nathan as he ran through the hospital.
"My father David is....was A CIA agent. He was onto Piers and Isis all along...He created this outbreak by accident while trying to bring Isis down. He managed to escape and make it home. He slipped a vial into my pack of smokes. He told me to come to the school that I would be safe here. I...He made me shoot him....he had the virus and I didn't know what to do. Then Piers made a mistake. While I was in here I found a computer all about the virus. I learned how to mix it. There's a machine that's making vials of it right now man."
Jarred stopped dead in his tracks.
"What?!? There is more of it?" asked Jarred.
"Yes! Lots of it!"
"Whoo! Hoo! We're in business now!" yelled John.
Turning the corner Nathan leaped over a chair and stopped in front of a door. Opening it he rushed to the computer and brought up the screen.
"There's more Jarred. Read this while I get the Antigen ok?"
"Alright but hurry!" answered Jarred.
"John give me a hand here." asked Nathan.
Nathan scooped up four vials and began filling them with his blood. Looking over he saw the look on Jarred's face as he read the file.
The blood has the serum for the anti-viral but it is still incomplete. Subjects die from extreme pain after 24 hours of being injected with the serum. The essence of the drug 'Morphine' has the final testing to be completed tomorrow. The mixture should be 50 parts to a full vial of the serum. Immediately following the test the data with be handed over to Doctor Michael Piers for a full examination. The subject...one Nathan Law will then be disposed of. Further information will follow after my afternoon report.
Signed,
Doctor Peter Barns
Nathan placed each bottle into the machine, making the serum quickly. John looked at him and asked,...
"How do you know this'll work?"
"It's simple...your body mass produces blood ok? Now when something like this is introduced into your blood stream it multiplies leaving billions of this stuff in your system. As long as I'm alive the serum will be in abundance!" answered Nathan.
"Those BASTARDS!!" yelled Jarred as he finished reading..."They had it all along and let all these people die!! Why dammit!!"
Quietly Nathan spoke, "Because Jarred.....when you have a 'hobby' you want to see it to it's fullest potential. These people have no morals and would never pass up a chance to see their creation in action. Their mad that's all crazy fuckin' mad."
"Hey!...What the..?" said John interrupting the conversation.
"What's wrong?" asked Jarred.
"It stopped making the serum!"
"What? That can't be!!" yelled Nathan as he rushed around John.
Staring at the machine Nathan read it quickly....
Morphine required.....please supply machine to complete process.
"SHIT! How many did we get John?" asked Nathan.
"Three. That's it!"
"That's enough for our purpose. Lets go." said Nathan as he grabbed a handful of syringes.
"GUYS!! WE'VE GOT COMPANY!!!" screamed Ryan as he tore into the room carrying Vanessa. Winsor was right behind with Alex in her arms. A very strange sight.
"What are you all looking at. Never seen someone help someone else before?" she spat out at them.
"Just not you! That's all." said John.
"Well there's a first for everything isn't there!" said Winsor.
"Quick! Bring them here! Who did you give the serum too?" screamed Nathan as he filled the syringes with the serum. Walking over to the computer David read it quickly.
"I gave it to Alex!" answered Ryan.
"John hold up her arm." said Nathan as he bent in front of Vanessa.
Nathan stabbed it in and depressed the plunger. Vanessa immediately opened her eyes.
"Quick! Ryan get over here!" screamed Nathan.
At hearing her name David came out of his trace, and looked over.
"Why are you giving it to him?" he asked questioningly.
"Ryan. I saved your ass one time. You owe me! You were hurt by a creature weren't you?" said Nathan.
"What? Why do you say that?" he asked.
"Your leg! I can see the blood you're standing in!" answered Nath.
Ryan looked down and saw all the blood.
"Oh that." he said quietly.
Nathan took the opportunity and plunged the syringe into Ryan's arm depressing it just as quickly.
"OUCH! What the fuck!??!" yelled Ryan.
"Sorry man but you need this too!" answered Nathan as he tossed the syringe aside!
"Come on guys or have you forgotten our company?" asked Winsor.
"Anyone else been hurt? I've only got one syringe left!" asked Nathan.
"No everyone is ok!" answered Jarred.
Winsor walked over to Nathan and leaned in to speak to him while everyone was watching Vanessa, Ryan and Alex recover.
"Nath?"
Nathan looked at her with his piercing green eyes.
"What?"
"I...I...I just wanted to say....well....thanks that's all." she stumbled with her words turning away after having said them. Turning back quickly she spoke again..."And don't tell anyone I said that!"
Nathan smiled slightly,.."Ok. You have my word."
"Their coming! Everyone get ready!" said John as he hid behind a table aiming at the door.
"Vanessa take this and give Winsor your gun." said Nathan as he passed her the Benelli
Vanessa passed the 9mm to Winsor and took the shot gun.
"David take this..." said Nathan handing the rifle to him.
"Thanks Nathan." he said looking down as he took the rifle. He felt bad about leaving Nathan behind thinking he was dead, but not knowing him made it easier. (What if I never met Alex? Could I have left her that easily?) he asked himself.
"Everyone get ready!" said Nathan as he drew the 2 9mm and cocked them both.
"This time we are all getting outta here! They messed with the wrong students!" said Nathan bringing an unexpected smile to Winsor's lips.
Everyone took up position and prepared to stop these bastards once and for all.
Jarred ducked with Vanessa behind the table that John was behind and David took Alex to the other one flipping it over and ducking behind it. Nathan stood in the center aiming at the door. Winsor a step behind him, was crouched behind the machine.
"Guys? Let me just say no matter what happens....It's been my pleasure knowing you all." his gaze passing over them all as they stared at him Nathan smiles suddenly.
"Not even wrestling is this much fun!"
With that they prepared for the men to enter.......