Answers to reviewers statements or questions
Prologue: A Brand New Day
Disclaimer: I do not own Prototype 1 or 2 but I liked the story enough that I'm making a fic for it. I own the OCs. Because there must be OCs.
Speech – "Hey, I'm Ethan."
Thoughts – 'It's dead.'
Situation Briefing: Here it begins.
Occupation: New York Zero
Date: 2009, June 14th
Time: 1800
Summary: The Infected Population in the Red Zone has increased by 19% in the last 3 months with a 32% increase in casualties to combat the threat. Sweep hot spots and Infected Lairs to minimize spread.
Alex Mercer, codenamed "Zeus", has been spotted in the Area
Deep within the Red Zone
"Hostiles, 3 o'clock!" A young man's voice echoed in an abandoned mall, gunfire following shortly after. 8 soldiers in black battle uniforms, tactical vests, and gas masks were spraying at a group of people. The people were horribly disfigured with boils and tears all over their bodies. They didn't care for the bullets pelting their comrades as they kept running and the last person snarled; about to tackle a soldier but a bullet going through their skull stopped them. The men didn't let their guard down when the last body hit the floor, observing the area for a minute before relaxing.
"Thompson, charges." A man in a yellow marked uniform commanded. The mentioned soldier nodded and placed his assault rifle in his holster before kneeling. He took off his backpack and opened it, taking out futuristic looking charges. The soldiers walked towards the center of the mall and came to a dried up fountain. The fountain had weird red tendrils running along its side, the top where water originally came out now plugged. A soldier took a C4 and placed it on the fountain, walking away to a safe distance. They blew it and the entire fountain shattered to bits, pieces of the red tendrils going everywhere.
"Christ…" The men grimaced at what they saw when the fire and smoke cleared. A large hole remained and the drop was deep, darkness was all that they could see. Yet it wasn't the depth that disgusted the men, it was the countless red tendrils that glowed and pulsed on the walls. They squirmed like they were alive and seemed to slowly increase in size. The young man from before, Thompson grabbed his cross necklace and tried to pray but his commander stopped him.
"Don't go bringing God into this kid. He wants no part, believe me." The man pointed at the grotesque sight. "Get to work." Thompson reluctantly let go of his necklace and walked forward with the charges, peeking over the edge. He had to hold back a gag at what he saw. Countless mangled corpses laid at the bottom of the pit, the tendrils wrapping and crushing their remains. Car sized boils were lying around and Thompson could see how the tendrils seemed to bring the corpses closer to the boils. Like giving nutrition to an egg sack. Hating himself for thinking that, Thompson tossed all the charges in the hole and the group made their way out of the mall.
Outside laid the wasteland that was the lower half of Manhattan Island. Toppled cars, skyscrapers and human bodies were in abundance. Fires were constantly occurring with the same red substance from earlier littering every street corner. While screams were typically part of the package deal, this was one of the few times in the day where the infected go underground and relative peace was brought to the streets. A small reprieve before the anguish picks up again.
'Am I the only one who thinks that just makes it all the worse?' Thompson thought bitterly as his unit walked a couple blocks down before stopping.
"Blow it." The commander leaned against the wall, the rest of the soldiers going behind their own cover. Thompson crouched behind a car and pressed a button on his vest. A massive explosion was scene in the distance, the ground shaking even from their distance and the cloud of dust reaching sky high. One soldier whistled.
"Damn, now's that fire power! Gentek may be full of geeks but they sure know how to make shit that blows up!" The soldier stared in awe and the commander snorted.
"If you're done getting your pants wet over there then let's go. Our window is almost over." Everyone got serious at those words and fell into formation, making their way back to the command post. They made their way past multiple ruined buildings, hoping over many obstacles and avoiding the areas with the red substance all over the place. The trip was mostly quiet, with the occasional sound offs that the way was clear, and they were half way to their destination.
"…So…" One soldier didn't seem to enjoy the current silence and looked around curiously. "Do you think we'll get to see him?"
"Oh fuck you Charles, don't say shit like that!" Another soldier glared in the direction of his companion. Charles shrugged.
"I'm just curious."
"Well, you know how curiosity killed the cat? Your curiosity will rip you limb from limb before mind fucking you and forcing you to kill us all, so shut the hell up!"
"Jesus man, chill! I was just play-"
"How about you two ladies knock it off and walk!" The commander yelled at the both of them and they fell silent, restoring the previous calm. Thompson shook his head at the exchange. While he understood Charles's impulse to see the "Zeus", he also understood the other's argument that it was a very bad idea. Everyone from Blackwatch to the Marines and even the general public has heard of the Mercer Virus's creator. His presence was actually the reason why the majority of the infected in the area went underground; even mindless animals still retain their survival instincts and they don't want to piss off the highest predator. It was the butt of the joke of many religious and non-religious personnel.
When Hell stops, it's because the Devil wants some peace and quiet. Problem is no one finds it funny. Being in an area where Mercer roamed was immensely dangerous, but it also gave Blackwatch the chance to go in the Red zone undeterred by the mobs of infected and hit key points. The fountain in the mall was one such point. It was a budding lair and if left alone, it would become a hive that spawns unholy creatures like Brawlers and Juggernauts. While destroying one potential lair didn't seem like much in the grand scene of things, one less monster on the street meant one more life saved and that was plenty reason to move. After stopping and checking around another corner for hostiles, the commander looked back.
"Alright, we're almost home but don't drop your guard. Danger can come from anywhere." Everyone nodded and gripped their guns tighter, marching on. The tension in the air was palpable and everyone was on high alert, ready for any infected. At the end of the day, there were always some rabid beasts did not care that Mercer was around and would attack anything in sight. Thompson cautiously looked around and breathed slowly, hoping that the base would soon come in sight. He couldn't wait to get home, take a hot shower, and call his parents to see if they were all right. Not to mention that heavenly lasagna his girlfriend made for him still in his fridg-
'Hm?' Thompson's train of thought ended there and he stopped, looking down the street. He blinked a couple times to see if his eyes were playing with him. They weren't. 'Is that a…'
It was a man. A man sitting on a bus bench. The man had short blond hair, green eyes and a slightly big nose. He was wearing black pants and shoes with an open blue sweater that showed his Jack Skellington shirt underneath. He was currently eating a bag of chips with a walkie talkie lying next to him. The man continued to eat before looking in Thompson's direction and stopping. They locked eyes for a second before the man nodded in hello and resumed peacefully eating his chips in the bio hazardous area.
No matter how many times Thompson blinked the man did not disappear.
"Thompson!" The young Blackwatch soldier jumped and looked at his irritated commander. "What are you standing around for? Let's go!"
"S-Sir, there's a-" Thompson tried to inform his commander about the man but when he looked back to the bench, the man was gone. Thompson was lost for words and tried to explain what he saw but his companions just looked at him weird.
"I think the missions are getting to you, kid." Charles smirked and padded him on the shoulder. "Let's go, when we get home you can tell your story over a couple of beers. On me."
"Well would you look at that, God must want something to do with this because no one else can make Charles that generous!" The other's laughed and continued marching, Thompson's worries set to the side. The young soldier knew he saw that man but chose to let it go, wanting nothing more than to get home. They crossed a couple more streets and saw the base in the distance, bringing relief to the men.
That relief was quickly crushed. An ear piercing roar was heard and a blur charged at the men, forcing them all to roll out of the way. The new arrival saw that it hit no one and picked up a car, chucking it at a Black Watch soldier. The soldier became paste on impact.
"Shit! It's a Brawler!" The Commander cursed and stood up, aiming at the monstrosity. The Brawler didn't like that and swiped at the commander, forcing him to retreat. The other men got their bearings and started shooting, putting dozens of bullets in the creature. It roared in pain and ran around, dodging the bullets with graze that did not belong on such warped flesh. Using a car as a boost pad, it flew in the air and lunged at Charles. He couldn't dodge in time and the Brawler landed on top of him, crushing his arm in the process.
"Argghhh!" Charles screamed in pain as he held his severed arm. It looked ready to bite his head off but Thompson put his barrel in the Brawler's opened mouth and emptied his clip. The Brawler stumbled back in pain as it barfed up the bullets and Thompson grabbed Charles, pulling him out of the way.
"We're clear!" Thompson yelled as he tied a piece of cloth around Charles's severed arm to stop the bleeding. The commander used this chance to take out a grenade and chuck it at the still dazed Brawler, putting a smoking hole in its side. It glared in the commanders and charged in a blind rage. Exactly how he wanted it too.
"Now!" The commander leaped to the side to show two soldiers holding an RPG and they fired. The rocket hit the Brawler dead on and it blew half its face off, sending it flying back. It slammed into a car, crushing it and it laid there prone. No one moved as the Brawler's body didn't move and seemed dead. But the word "seemed" didn't exist in their profession and they had to check. Thompson chose to be the brave one and after checking that Charles's bleeding stopped, slowly walked over to the Brawler. He had his pistol out and shot at its head when he got a better angle.
"Argh!" The Brawler didn't like that as it sprang to life and clawed at Thompson's arm, making him fall back. The other Blackwatch soldiers started firing at the Brawler and to the near dead monster that was the finishing act. It swayed before falling to the ground, the concrete cracking under its heavy weight. After seeing what happened to Thompson, the commander chose to no longer be celibate and told every soldier to empty their mags. After a minute of firing, the Brawler became shredded remains and they all breathed easy.
"Come on; let's get out of this hell hole!" The commander yelled and everyone packed up, getting ready to do just that. He walked over to a kneeling Thompson. "Hey kid, get off your ass lets-" He stopped when the young soldier looked up. His eyes were reddened with the claw marks on his arm becoming bloated. "…The Brawler's claws became bloody from its wounds." The commander immediately figured out what happened and saw how the boils started to fester.
"A-Am I going to turn?" Thompson asked shakily and the commander kneeled, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"No, you won't. There's testing being done on soldiers with the Mercer Virus, they can do something with this." The commander smiled and stood up. "I won't let you turn." Thompson looked visibly relieved and looked down at his wound. It was horrible and disgusting but he trusted his commander's words. He wouldn't turn into one of those monsters. He would be fine.
"Thank you-" Thompson looked up once more to his commander and was met with the barrel of a pistol. A gun shot was the last thing he heard. The commander's face, unseen because of his mask, was passive as Thompson's body hit the floor and looked over to another gun firing. Charles's body had three bullet holes, two in his chest and one in his forehead.
"Was he also infected?" The commander quirked a brow at the soldier standing over Charles's body. He put the gun away with a huff.
"Maybe, I just always wanted to do that. He was an annoying fucker." The soldier nodded at Thompson's body. "Shame about the kid though. He was good, if not a bit naïve."
"What can you do? At least I kept my promise." The commander did stop him from turning into an infected. He never said he would live though. "Let's head out." The commander leaned down to get Thompson's dog tag and walked to the base.
"Going to give that to his family?" A soldier pointed at the dog tags.
"Yeah, they live near me so I might as well. Besides, his mom is pretty hot."
"You're a sick fuck you know that." The soldier amusingly said and the commander shrugged. The soldier looked ahead and tilted his head at what he saw. A man was standing on the far end of the street with what looked like...a car door? "Hey, what's th-" The soldier never got the chance to finish because the car door came flying and bisected him. The commander's eyes widened in shock as the upper half flew in the air and a second later, a car came flying at them. Two soldiers were crushed to paste and everyone dived for cover. The commander peeked over to where they came from but nothing was there.
"Sir! What do we do!?" A soldier called out in fear.
"Just stay low and use the cars as cover! Whatever's doing this should come out soo-" A gas canister dropped in the middle of the road and exploded, flooding the surroundings in smoke. The commander's vision was blocked but he didn't panic and moved to stand up. That's when the screams began.
"Arghhhh!"
"Oh God, what are-"
"It's got me! It's got-Arghh!"
The screams of his men sent a wave of fright down the commander's spine and he ran out of the smoke into a nearby store. Hiding behind the counter, he tried to use his walkie talkie to call for him. He never got to as a body was thrown over the counter and landed right in front of him, showing the mangled corpse of the soldier who killed Charles. Then he felt a pair of hands hold his head.
"Karma's a bitch, ain't she?" The hands twisted.
I didn't look at the Blackwatch commander hitting the floor and walked out of the store. The street was incredibly bloody, with the entire team wiped out and body parts laying everywhere. I walked over to the young officer and kneeled by his body. I sighed.
"Sorry kid, I didn't expect them to do that. Heh, I honestly should have with all the stuff they've done…I'm sorry." I placed both the soldier's hands on his chest and stood up. I wasn't originally going to bother with the Blackwatch patrol, more than happy to let them go by but I changed my mind after what I saw. It's one thing to give people false hope, it's another to mislead them and feel like you did nothing wrong. That's pretty much Blackwatch and Gentek's entire MO but the captain was going to talk to his family like he didn't kill him (not to mention what he was going to do to the mother).
It wasn't my job to save him and I'm no saint, but that's another level of depravity.
"Ninja Three Three, this is Shogun, how copy?" A man's voice came through the walkie talkie in my pants and I grabbed it, holding it up. "Ballista One One is Oscar Mike, ETA two minutes. Maintain present course."
"Time to go." I stood up and dusted off my pants. Crouching, I jumped high in the air and started to run up the skyscraper. Reaching the top in under a minute, I stood next to the edge and looked out into the Red Zone. I don't know where Heller met Mercer but it shouldn't be too hard to find. I just needed to find a massive creature with an unbreakable bone arm and I'll be close. Not finding anything (you'd be surprised how hard it was to find a building size creature in New York City) I leaped off the side and started to head deeper into the Red Zone. Running along a collapsed skyscraper, I hoped over a hoard of infected and ran through the streets. Moving with speeds that would leave a cheetah jealous, I heard my destination.
"Sergeant Heller, you are trespassing on Blackwatch territory. You are to hold your position. A personnel carrier is in bound-" I barely made it to see Heller dodge the helicopter and the roar of the Goliath vibrated throughout the block, Heller booking it down the street a second later.
'Wow, he sure can run.' Crouching on a building overlooking it all, I was impressed with Heller's speed. I know the game showed he was really fast before turning into a prototype; it was still something for a human to run that fast. Before they could run out of sight, I saw Heller dodge into the rubble and Mercer stealthily jumped on the other side. Everything was going exactly as it should. A couple minutes passed and Mercer left, forcing me to stay out of sight. I watched as a helicopter came in and extracted a comatose Heller, leaving in a hurry. I let go a breath I didn't know I was holding. 'Even with full control of this body, I still can't handle my nervousness.' I gave a bitter smile and looked out the destroyed city.
It was crazy really. Of all the things I thought I would have to deal with, making sure that an anger fueled man turned into a literal murder machine to have a happy ending was not one of them… Oh good God, I just realized how that sounds like a cheesy romance/action movie. Or a porno.
I groaned, combing a hand through my hair and standing up. It was too late to complain (not like it would do any good), I needed to stay calm and wait for Mercer to explain how Heller's new powers work. I couldn't risk Mercer finding me at the very beginning; I didn't know for sure but he was most likely following that helicopter. I would be better informed if only Galloway wasn't such a lazy ass.
'Speaking of lazy…' My phone started ringing and I picked it up. "You know, I would prefer it if you didn't wait until the show was over to call."
"And I would prefer a partner that would tell me why he's in the same area as the guy who can squash him like a bug. We can't get everything we want in life." A sarcastic voice answered.
"He couldn't squash me." I snorted, slightly insulted.
"Yeah you're right. He would slice off all your limbs, beat you to death with them, and scrap off the left over bio mass on the concrete to consume."
"...But not squash." I said matter of fact and smiled at the sigh on the other end. "Mercer made another Evolved."
"Really? Who?"
"A sergeant. From what I've seen, I would keep an eye on him." Not that you could, but I left the hint. Galloway hummed in agreement.
"Alright, I'll try to sense for him later when I can. You got what I asked for?"
"…You're a slave driver, you know that right?" A snort was all I heard with a small "I know" and she hung up. Rolling my eyes, a roar was heard and a massive Goliath hand came at me, forcing me jump to the side. It destroyed the building I was standing and tried to swing at me again, only to miss as I ran away. It chased after me but I didn't worry as I moved the bio mass in my body and two tendrils sprouted from my back. They quickly formed into wings and I took off in the air, the Goliath roaring in rage at its prey escaping. I ignored the creature and flew above the skyscrapers, reaching the clouds over head.
I made a small smile as I looked out in the distance. It was a dreary day (probably in part from all the smoke) but above the clouds were a peaceful white and an endless blue. The sight almost lifted my spirits. Then remembered what's to come and sighed once more. There was no going back; Mercer turned Heller, Heller will escape from the base, and the game will kick off. A game with an extra player.
Me. Yes, I knew this was a game and I don't think I have more than one life.
'In the one video game where someone dies every 20 minutes.' I thought bitterly. I don't have a problem with killing, it's the fact that everything wants me dead or eaten or both. And why am I in the world's most violent video game? Because I died from the one of the oldest creations ever made in the history of mankind. The thing every man, woman, and/or child (at least accidently) has tried and the reason I'm now in a video game where the main characters have murder based superpowers.
Alcohol. I blame the influence.
Flying past the clouds, I saw the Green Zone in the distance and remembered my first day ever in my brand new life.
2 Months Earlier
"Gah!" I jumped up in my bed, hurriedly looking around. That was a mistake because a wave of nausea hit me that forced me to lay back down and take labored breathes as a migraine joined the party. I stayed like this for a minute, hoping for whatever was happening to die down long enough for me to get up. The pain did eventually stop and I blinked away the blur in my eyes, getting a good view of my surroundings. I quickly recognized that I was in my room, all my stuff lying around me. My desk with my shitty computer on it, my bean bag in the corner and my forever open closet. I picked up the blanket and saw it was the same furry, black one I always slept with at night. I let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank God." I was in my room. I was safe. I wasn't piss poor drunk on the street with a taxi heading for me. 'What the hell was that dream?' It was the most realistic one I've ever had. From the smell, to the lack of balance, and even the noise; I could still feel my ear drums go numb from the taxi's horn. Choosing not to think about it, I took off my clothes and grabbed the towel hanging on the door. I entered the bathroom and took a long hot shower. I groaned in contentment as the hot water washed over my aching body, though I noticed I felt more heavy then sore. Thinking I slept in a bad position, I hopped out of the shower and headed back to my room.
"Hm?" I noticed when I entered my room how my clothes from last night were gone. I placed them on the bed when I took them off but they weren't there anymore. I searched around the room to see if they fell down or something but I couldn't find them. 'Did I put them in the laundry?' I looked over to my laundry basket in the corner but shrugged and took out some other clothes. I was hungry and kind of groggy; a walk to Five Guys for a bacon cheeseburger should clear that up real quick.
Grabbing my wallet and jacket, I walked to the living room of my shared apartment. Just in time to see my roommate, Mike, come in with a coffee in his hands and look in my direction. He was wearing protective gear for some reason but his reaction was what really confused me. His eyes widened to the size of saucers and his body went stiff. Before I could ask what was wrong, he dropped his coffee and it spilled all over the floor. Mike never even reacted.
"…"
"…"
"…I'm not cleaning that up if that's what you're waiting for." I frowned when he still didn't move. "Hey man, you alright?"
"E-Ethan?"
"That's my name." I watched as he blinked a couple times before running to the window in the living room. He peeked outside and closed the blinds, me in confusion the entire time. He faced me again with an incredulous look.
"How are you here? Pete said some scientists in lab coats took you and some people away last night. Did you escape? What did they do to you? What about…" At this point, Mike was just rapid firing questions and I watched this all with a quirked brow. He noticed this and narrowed his eyes. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I'm wondering when you became a conspiracy theorist."
"Conspiracy theo-Dude!" Mike said in annoyance. "Be serious! Pete knows better than to lie when it comes to this shit! Especially with what's been going on."
"Well sorry to tell you this but Pete did lie. I wasn't kidnapped by some scientists last night. I went to get a couple beers with Sam, we drank more then we can handle, and I ended up wasted. I don't know how I got home but I did. And don't say some scientists put false memories in my head, I'm too hungry to play along." I ended the conversation there and walked to the door.
"Wait, you're going out like that?" Mike said in shock and I deadpanned at his outfit.
"Yeah, no offence man but I don't feel like wearing full body armor today. But you make it look good though!" I walked out and Mike quickly followed after me, saying it was to get another coffee. I would have believed him more if he wasn't analyzing me up and down, trying to find something. We left the building and came to the side walk. "What the…" I frowned at crowds of people that were out today. Everyone was wearing protective mask and gloves like Mike with tents pitched on the opening across the street. Trailers were also taking up space with them being on both ends of the street.
"Damn it, there's more of them." Mike scuffed at the scene. "I thought they would clear out by now. This zone is getting worse every day."
"How long have they been there? Are they squatters?" I asked and Mike gave me a weird look.
"They've been there for the past 3 weeks. Do you mean the trailers? Because they came in this morning with more people." It was my turn to stare at Mike in confusion. 3 weeks? I would have definitely noticed if there were a bunch of people squatting across the street. While a part of me wondered where the authorities that dealed with squatters were (they weren't exactly being discreet), it really wasn't my problem and headed to get my burger. It did stink though.
As I walked down the street, I started notice more tents in parking spaces, parks and even places I remembered buildings being. The road was packed full of cars, constant horn honking and people getting out of their cars to see what was the hold up. The side walk was even worse; people were walking without abandon and kept bumping each other to get by. Oddly enough, whenever someone bumped into me I hardly felt the impact and one man almost fell to the floor when he tried to shove me out of the way.
"So where are we headed?" I heard Mike ask.
"Five Guys." I simply said and I could hear Mike stutter.
"F-Five Guys!? But that's past the checkpoint!"
"Checkpoint?" I looked back at Mike as I walked. "What checkpo-"
"Ethan!" Mike's eyes widened in fear and he grabbed to stop me but I already hit something in front of me. I looked ahead and lowered my gaze, seeing a man sitting on the ground. The man had a black uniform, a gas mask with a hood and pieces of armor on his arms. It took me a second to react to what I was seeing.
'…Is there a Cosplay Festival in town?' I shook my head at the thought and reached out my hand. "Sorry about that man, I wasn't loo-" The man slapped my hand away and stood up.
"You did that on purpose you little shit!" The man got in my face and I frowned.
"No, I didn't."
"Like hell, how could you?!" The man in cosplay waved his hand and I looked around. The packed street had a small gap that no one got close to, around this guy and his friends who were also in Prototype cosplay. I saw his point.
"Okay, but I really didn't mean to. I was looking somewhere else before getting close to you guys. Honest."
"Oh yeah? Well I don't fucking believe you! Show me your papers!" I made an amused smile at the man's words.
"Papers? Really? Look man, your outfit is pretty cool but I think you're taking it a bit far." While I couldn't tell through his mask, his head tilting showed that he wasn't getting it. "Well I got to go but have fun at the event." I walked pass the cosplayer and headed back into the crowd. People stepped aside as I passed and I could faintly hear the guy said "what the hell?".
"Ethan!" Mike eventually caught up with me and grabbed my shoulder. "What the hell was that!? Were you trying to be killed?!"
"…Okay man, what's going on with you today? You haven't been making no sense since I woke up."
"I haven't been making sense!? I'm not the one bumping into Blackwatch soldiers and talking to them like they're crazy!"
"So they have some cool cosplay, so what? What's the big deal?"
"Cosplay!? No one in their right mind would dress up as Blackwatch Officer!"
"...I mean sure, the officers are fodder in the game but I think they looked pretty cool." They weren't Super Soldiers or Cross but I liked their designs. Mike looked at me like I was crazy.
"What are you talking about?"
"What are you talking about?"
We stood in the crowded street, people shoving by as we looked at each other. I didn't understand what was going on with Mike today but whatever it was, it was getting on my nerves. I kept walking and turned a corner, hoping to deal with his weird attitude later. I stopped at what I saw. The street was closed off with big metal fences, what looked like sentry guns, and there was even a tank just sitting on the side. A big line was forming in front of the one entrance through the fences, personnel padding down and searching every entry. They were all wearing the same outfit as the cosplayer I bumped into earlier. My brain short-circuited.
"I knew the line would be long." Mike stood next to me and looked at the checkpoint. "People can't go a couple streets in the Yellow Zone now without seeing a checkpoint or 2, it's ridiculous. You sure you still want that burger?" I didn't answer and instead looked around. Signs and banners with the Blackwatch symbol from the game were everywhere. Every corner had a group of men in black outfits and other's with Marine looking gear. I only now noticed how people in the street acted; they were all walking with their heads down and many of the stores weren't open, looking condemned. I took this street everyday to go to work. Or to get a drink. Or just to get groceries at the nearby Grocery store (which I saw was also closed so early in the morning).
This wasn't my street. Then what Mike said finally registered.
'…I'm dreaming.' I had to be. I must still be in my bed, that drunk taxi dream turning into this. There's no way I was in the Yellow Zone. If I was then that meant I was in Prototype. A video game where an immortal monster is trying to fuse all of humanity into one body to "save" the world. '…I'm never drinking again.' In my denial, I never noticed the group of Blackwatch soldiers walking towards me. I did when they grabbed me by the shoulders.
"This is the one sir! The suspected infected!" The man from earlier spoke as he forced me to kneel and a commander stepped forward. He looked me over and nodded.
"He's definitely infected; take him to a quarantine site." The men tried to force me to stand but I shrugged them off easily, making them fall on their backs. The other men aimed their rifles and the commander told me to stand down, saying they will fire. Mike tried to step forward and say that I wasn't infected, taking out papers for them to see. They weren't having it.
"Hey!" I yelled as a soldier smacked Mike with the butt of his rifle and I walked in front, shoving the attacker back. I watched in shock as the soldier was sent flying across the street and head first into a car. Even in the busy street, a clear snap was heard and the soldier's body fell to the floor, his neck in a very unnatural position. The silence was deafening.
"You fuck!" The commanding officer yelled in rage and took out his pistol, putting it in my face. All I saw was a bright flash, an instant searing pain, and then total darkness. I died. I wasn't even able to scream before it happened and my mind was completely blank. Funny thing was that I could feel my body hit the concrete and people screaming from someone getting shot. Was this death? I could still hear and feel but never do anything? Will I be buried and forever hear nothing underground? Will I be cremated and feel the burns? Will I-
'Oh god please let this be a dream. Please, please, please.' It's only been a couple of seconds and I was already freaking out. I did not want to spend the rest of eternity like this. I could hear the soldiers cursing about their dead friend and one even kicked me.
Then something happened. Something was moving in my body and it traveled up my chest, reaching my face. I could feel it…rearranging pieces of my face and a second later my sense of smell came back, along with the feeling of my nose. Then I could see. I blinked a couple times, making sure that my eyes that were just blown off were working and looked up. The street was still packed but no noise could be heard because everyone was staring at me in horror. I raised my arms and saw red glowing tendrils running across them before disappearing. Then a woman screamed.
"Holy shit, he is infected!" The commander yelled and tried to shot again. Learning from my mistake, I stood up and lunged at the commander. I could feel the concrete crack under my feet and I reached the man instantly. I wasn't used to the sudden speed and stumbled for the gun. I missed, my hand reaching towards the commander's chest…and piercing right through it. I was shocked silly as the commander spit out blood through his helmet and the red tendrils from earlier came out. They wrapped around the commander before crushing him and entering my body again.
Then the memories began. I grabbed my head in pain, kneeling on the side walk as pandemonium occurred. People started running and screaming, tripping over each other in an effort to leave the area. Mike and the other Blackwatch soldiers were caught in the panic while I was assaulted with memories that belonged to the commander. His life as a child, his reckless teens, his military training. I saw everything. I lived through it all. By the time I reached his recent memories (right before I consumed him), I had another migraine and was trying my best not to throw up.
"There he is!" Then the squad of Blackwatch soldiers got their bearings and aimed at me. I bolted as they started to fire, the bullets hitting me but they were like mosquito bites. I ran down the street incredibly fast, passing by people like I was in a speeding car and jumped when a truck blocked my path. I soared over the vehicle and flew into a building, smashing through a wall. I landed in the living of a family having dinner and they jumped in surprise, staring at me in shock.
"Uh…sorry?" I gave a wry smile and stood up, looking out the hole I made. Blackwatch vehicles were coming down the street and I jumped to the building across, making a crater on landing. I ran across the rooftops to lose Blackwatch and after 5 minutes of running, I finally stopped. I traveled more than 30 blocks but I was hardly out of breath and no soldier in the area was on high alert. I sighed in relief and sat on the gravel of a rooftop, trying to make sense of everything. After a minute of thinking, I realized that common sense left exit stage right when I "ate" someone.
'No…consumed.' I consumed someone. I killed someone then relived their entire life right after doing so. 'Oh this is all types of fucked.' I rubbed my eyes. There was no way this was a dream; the feeling of a bullet going through my face was too realistic (not that I would know but the pain was real). My only consolation was that the commander did some pretty messed up stuff in his life and the other soldier I killed was the same soldier I bumped into, he wanted to get back at me. But if I can consume and do all those crazy things then…
'I'm a Prototype?' I raised my arms and stared at them, hoping to see the red tendrils again. The moment I thought that, I could feel the biomass within me react and streak across my arms. I observed it move across my body and noticed how they glowed red whenever it reached my finger tips. I thought it would look gross but it was honestly pretty cool. I traced the red tendrils and they felt like skin, weird spongy skin. I also touched the glowing red part and my fingers sank into the flesh. It was oddly room temperature. 'No, wait! I need to focus!' I stopped playing with my biomass and they disappeared back into my body. I held my chin and tried to think.
I was in the video game, Prototype. As a prototype (thank whatever deity that put me here for that). But in what time? The Blacklight Virus is already a thing if the Yellow Zone was created but is Heller already a Prototype? Did he kill Mercer already? Or is this some weird time paradox where the first breakout just happened and Mercer is still running around, trying to find his memories? I needed information and I think I know how to get it. I closed my eyes and tried to reach out for the echo of the commander I consumed. It was odd. His voice wasn't talking to me or trying to get my attention but I knew he was there. I latched on to his memories and braced myself for another roller coaster ride.
Except, it didn't happen this time. Maybe because I wanted to know how about current events, the memories shown to me were all about secret mission briefings and the news. I was able to peacefully search through the memories and find out what's been going on. The commander, as his name implies, had higher clearance then a regular soldier so he knew more on New York City's situation. Alex Mercer was already around and he already released the virus twice in a row. The second outbreak happened a month ago with more personnel coming in from other parts of the country to handle the more severe case.
James Heller was not around. I frowned when I tried to find information about the vengeful prototype but nothing came up. 'I guess Mercer hasn't turned him yet.' I searched through the memories for a bit longer before coming to. I stared out into the city and noticed how similar but different it looked now.
I died. Not from the gun earlier but from a Taxi in a drunk accident and was transported into a video game with superpowers. I reached into my pocket and took out my phone, staring into the reflection. I was the same person from my "real" life. Short blond hair, green eyes and a face that many called cute but was ruined by a large nose. I didn't get it. Was there another me living in this game and I just popped in when I died in the real world? Did I get here because this me got the Blacklight Virus and became a prototype? I had a lot of questions but none were going to be answered if I don't find somewhere to lay low. There was no way Blackwatch wasn't looking for me after what I did and I don't even want to think about Mercer. But how can I walk around when they know my face?
'Should I change into the commander?' I thought with a frown, remembering how all those soldiers saw me kill their leader and seeing him walking around later would raise a lot of red flags. I looked at my reflection and blinked as I got an idea. My biomass responded to my idea as tendrils appeared over my head and went away a second later. My short blond hair changed to a light brown and my green eyes turned black. My face was relatively the same expect my large nose was now normal size and my face was more angular. One thought came to mind.
'I have shape shifting powers and the first thing I do with them is make myself better looking?' I wryly smiled at my narcissistic choice and pocketed my phone. I hopped over the ledge and landed in the alley way, walking out into the street. If I wanted to lay low then I needed to find some place where Blackwatch won't look. I obviously can't go back to my apartment since that would be the first place they'd check. Not to mention they might ask Mike where I-
'Oh mother fucker, I forgot about Mike.' I thought in annoyance, realizing I left my roommate back at the scene. They definitely took him somewhere for questioning after I showed prototype powers. While he couldn't be used against me all that much, he did try to help back with those soldiers and I'm not some ungrateful asshole. 'But where?' I tried to think on where they would take him and blinked when the commander's echo reacted to my thoughts. A memory of a facility where they take suspected infected was shown and it was also the station of the local Blackwatch personnel. Well that's convenient. Seeing my next course of action, I made my way through the busy streets and came to a tall steel gate. Blackwatch soldiers patrolled around inside and just like in the game, a hand scanner was on the way to get inside. Not wanting to use the commander's form, I looked around and saw a lone Blackwatch soldier leaning against a wall. I walked by the soldier and swiped a mag on his belt, running into the nearby alley.
"Hey!" I heard the soldier yell and he came into the alley the next second, marching towards me. "What do you think you're doing you little-" My hand pierced his throat, coming out the other end. I held my breathe as I consumed him and waited for the memories to come. Thankfully, they weren't as intense as the first time and I got passing glances at the soldier's memories at best. I looked down at my new form and picked up the rifle on the ground.
'Wait, what happened to my phone?' I stopped and felt around for my phone, not finding it. 'Was that also consumed? But how does that wor-' My thought ended there because biomass appeared on my hand and it retreated to show my phone. I blinked, feeling the electronic up and down before finally clicking the on button. The phone turned on and I could see my home screen, my apps from texting to gaming all there. I was very confused. Planning to test the limits of my powers later, I absorbed the phone again as biomass and entered the facility. The inside was the same as the generic Blackwatch base; soldiers walking around doing patrols, large containers full of whatever horror Gentek's scientists came up with and sliding doors leading to other parts of the base. The commander's echo showed me the path to the holding cells and I briskly made my way there. The majority of the soldiers didn't react to my movements, few giving a small nod in hello but most just ignored me. Reaching my destination, I saw the row of cells they had and found Mike immediately.
"Damn Mike." I grimaced at the bloody and beaten form of my roommate. Placing down my gun on the side, I stuck my fingers inside of the key hole and pulled. The lock was ripped apart by my new superhuman strength, showing these cells weren't meant for the those with infected abilities. My disdain for the "good forces" of the Prototype world was increased by a notch. I opened the cell and tried to stir him awake but pain filled groans were all I got. Peeking out of the cell I saw no one else watching and gently picked up Mike. Slowly walking down the halls, I came to the garage of the base and there were plenty of vehicles to pick. My eyes rested on a small armored truck and a pair of keys that were hanging on the adjacent wall. I've never had experience driving a truck like that before in my life.
The commander's echo bottled up from the surface again and that suddenly wasn't true anymore.
'I love these powers.' Smiling as I swiped the keys on the walls, I placed Mike in the passenger seat and walked around to the driver seat. 'Okay, first I get him to a hospital to get treated and then find a place to hunker down to think things through. Easy pea-'
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
-sy well fuck me.' I internally groaned as I turned around and saw a soldier walking up to me. He was slowly making his way towards me, having to walk around multiple armored cars to get to my position. While a part of me was annoyed at the interruption, I patiently waited for the soldier to get closer to me so I can knock him out. I'll hold back on consuming random soldiers unless I actually needed to. Remembering how the countless number of people Alex consumed drove him mad partly influenced that decision (well crazier then he already was anyway). I sighed when the soldier tripped going between two cars, to his embarrassment, and looked around till he got here. There wasn't much to see, just blank grey walls, the occasional fire detector and...the camera on the corner. '...Oh shit.' My heart rate rose. I knew someone was on the other end, the commander's echo saying it was protocol that someone was to monitor the cameras at all times.
And I don't like my odds that today would be the day those protocols were broken. I started fidgeting as the soldier was about to reach the truck. I had to risk it. I had to knock the man out and book it out of here before the alarm was sounded. Nothing the commander's echo was giving me could help me convince the man to let me take the vehicle and there was no way I was carrying Mike through the front door, that was asking to be questioned.
Then I got an idea. I blinked, my eyes traveling to the soldier's number on their chest and I entered the driver's seat. The moment the soldier reached the window of the truck was the moment my biomass receded into my body.
"This is an unregistered vehicle, your not filed to take it away. What's your unit numb-" The soldier stopped dead, staring at me in the commander's form. I gave him a mocking tilt of the head.
"Is there a problem Corporal?"
"U-Uhh, no sir! I-I just-" He tried to stutter out a response but I continued.
"Good, because I do. I come to this base to take a important key witness in what could be a hidden den of infected with intelligence and what do I find? The witness beaten half to death and left there without medical attention!"
"But sir, t-that's not our-"
"Actually, making sure said witness stays alive long enough to be questioned by the professionals is your job. Or maybe I missed the new orders from Red Crown to sit on our asses and be useless wastes of space?" I smirked at the Corporal's still form before dramatically sighing. "Be it as it may, I now have to your jobs and take this man to the hospital to be treated so we can get anything valuable out of him, no thanks to any of the men in this base. Something I plan to put in the weekly report by the way." I turned the key in the ignition and looked forward. "Now do something right for once and open the damn door for me." He perked up at that and tried to make a last ditch of resistance.
"T-That's not protocol-"
"DID I FUCKING ASK!?" Like many things in this world, it died very quickly. The Corporal stumbled for the button to the doors and I smoothly exited the base. I couldn't hold back my laugh anymore as I looked at the rear view mirror to see the man fall on his ass, appearing visibly winded. Even through the thick armor he wore.
'I really loves these powers.'
5 Hours Later, Brooklyn Hospital Center
The age old smell of disinfectant and cleaning solutions filled the hospital room; the steady beeping from the monitor showed Mike's stable condition. The doctor that took care of my roommate said that he wasn't critically injured but he would need a couple days in the hospital to see if his condition doesn't spiral. Thanking the doctor as he left the room, I would have missed the comment on how I was a "despot" if it wasn't for my now enhanced senses. I couldn't argue with that. Coming in with the bloodied Mike immediately drew questions but I told them to mind their business while wearing my Blackwatch uniform. They shut up real quick after seeing it.
'From how the game portrayed it, I didn't think Heller or Mercer had enhanced senses beside the night vision and thermal.' Though if they could get those two powers then greater hearing and smell doesn't seem too outlandish. Staring at the sleeping form of my roommate, I went to the door and locked it. It was only the both of us in the room, something I believe also had something to do with my status as a Blackwatch officer. I needed to think. I paced around the room, re-analyzing my situation. I was in a video game. A very violent video game that has the main protagonist go through literal armies of enemies that ranged from Elite soldiers with highly advanced weaponry to immortal shape shifting monsters.
'And I happen to be one of those monsters.' I wryly smiled as my biomass streaked across my body. I much rather be a monster in a world like this believe me but the chances Heller will rip me apart just for being a Prototype was very high. Mercer on the other hand would try to bring me under him but after seeing the ending of the game and what he did to his Evolved, let's just say I have no plans of ever saying yes. 'Should I leave New York?' It was possible. Mercer easily bypassed the blockades around New York and traveled the world because of his shape shifting ability. Granted, while I was nowhere near his experience level with the power, I could probably learn to pass the blockade before the second game starts.
But would I be safe? I wasn't confident in answering that question. If I did leave New York and went to the other side of the world, there was no guarantee Gentek or Blackwatch wouldn't find me. They were both massive organizations backed by global leaders and its their job to track and contain bio related terrors. Honestly, it wasn't the organizations themselves that scare me so much.
It's the monster that has burrowed his roots so deep into them he essentially controls both.
'Mercer.' I frowned when I thought about the first Prototype. I knew. Even if both organizations couldn't find me, he would. His ultimate end goal is to have every living being on the planet fuse together into one little girl to end all suffering and pain. I doubt he'll let me live if I ask nicely (with how unhinged he is by the second game, I bet he also planned for himself to be absorbed by Maya). The only reason he failed was because Heller stood in his way. But that was fine right? Heller will just kill Mercer like in the game, wipe out the majority of the infected in New York and live happily ever-
"Bullshit." I didn't believe that would happen for a second. In the game he decimated endless waves of Mooks, Tanks, Helicopters, Super Soldiers, Brawlers, Juggernauts, Hydras, Evolved, and a super charged Alex Mercer. All by himself. No matter how you looked at it, Heller was comparable to a regular Evolved that was a bit more brave then most and that bravery brought him far but he got that far because the game developers made it that way. In reality, he wouldn't stand a chance against all the enemies he had to face. Enemies that can thinker better, that can actually make plans of attack and not stumble about. Enemies that will fight tooth and nail or retreat because they want to survive. Enemies that can adapt just as well as he can and won't stay the same throughout his journey.
Enemies that are real. If by some force of God every enemy acts exactly how they do in game then I don't need to worry my pretty little head about any of this and Heller will kill Mercer without a hitch. One look at my body as biomass traveled across it threw that dream right out the window. I killed three men today. Consumed one that allowed me to navigate a military base without a problem and out ran a squad of Blackwatch soldier seconds after healing a bullet wound that put a hole in my face. I was a regular guy whose closes thing to formal combat training was my middle school wrestling league.
And I wasn't even good.
Yeah, Heller was completely, undeniably screwed. I started to rub my face in agitation.
'Heller won't ever get to Mercer, which means that Mercer will find Maya, which means...' I'm going to die again aren't I? I brainstormed for a minute before coming to a final conclusion. I needed to help Heller. If he dies then it's over. Mercer wins and I can't let him win. My second life depends on it. I fell back on the chair, exhausted from the stressful thinking. I stared down at my hands and sighed before smiling. All things considered, it could be much worse. I could have been my regular self with this knowledge and have no choice but watch as this world went to Hell. I could change that with these powers. I play around with my biomass for a little, sending back and forth between my hands. I tried to shape it into different forms to see if I could replicate the powers Mercer and Heller got from consuming larger beasts. Imagine my surprise when my biomass warped together to form long sharp blades that replaced my hands. I gaped at my reflection in the blades. It wasn't the fact that my hands turned into twin blades that shocked me so much. It was the fact that I recognized these blades. They belonged to one type of enemy in the game. The most nimble group Heller ever faces and the enemies that made up the higher ups of Mercer's infected army.
'...I-I'm not a Prototype...' I thought in shock as I willed the blades away, my hands falling to my lap.
I'm an Evolved.
And done. I promise myself I wouldn't do this, I promised that I wouldn't make two fics at once but this idea was just clawing from the depths of my mad imagination, wanting to break free. It's an unpopular opinion but I liked how the Prototype games ended and I always wanted to write a fanfiction about it. So here's a story about my OC's journey into the crazy and dark world that is Prototype. I'm saying this now even though I doubt this will get a lot of views but this will be a side project and I'll mainly be focusing on my DxD fanfic. So if you end up really liking this then sorry but it won't be getting the same upload speed as my other work. Ramblings aside, I hope you enjoyed!