DEBUGGING Chapter 8: r7, a prototype fanfic

r7
(CW: Flooding, Cave in)

Never did Alex think he would be happy to feel the cold glass of a test tube pressing against him, but here he was. He sent a ripple across his entire formless body, and was delighted when it responded like it should have. He'd spent a lot of time wondering what it was like to be truly human when he'd first learned about his true identity, and after yesterday, he could conclude that being a human fucking sucked.

And today, he was hungry and full of energy-the urge to lash out all the frustration and anxiety built up from his brief time as a human was almost overwhelming. The only thing keeping it in check was a humming sound, putting him at ease despite his current state of mind.

He broke the test tube in one swift move, reforming far quicker than he had any other day. Dr. Mercer was already here-what time was it? Didn't matter. He could barely keep his form, tendrils thrashing off his limbs and a sharp-toothed grin across his features. He didn't even manage a few seconds of standing still, already pacing what little space he had between the lab tables.

"I'm going somewhere today." It was matter-of-fact, unsettling when paired with the smile that had yet to fade. "Where's the nearest Blackwatch base?"

Although Dr. Mercer had absolutely expected Alex to be stir crazy, he had no way to predict exactly how much. No doubt it could be compared to the euphoria he'd experienced upon drifting awake and seeing again- Alex'd certainly seemed quite uncomfortable yesterday so returning to his natural form was probably the source of all the rampant energy. He managed a surprised half smile, usual dour expression pushed aside.

"Morning to you too." Dr. Mercer pulled out a sticker riddled map, and tapped the base barely 4 blocks from the GENTEK grounds. "Not far. You after breakfast before we try to convince Cross or something?"

He drew closer, pale eyes flicking across the map (he could actually see the damn thing!) before he started nodding to himself. Perfect. His mind was buzzing with ideas-maybe he'd go in disguise, maybe he'd go in guns blazing, maybe he'd take an actual gun and blow the fuckers sky high-displayed in numerous ripples across his frame. They wouldn't see him coming, whatever he chose.

"Something like that." Breakfast and a show, to be specific. "I'm hungry, and if I kill enough of their men, Cross'll come and check it out. Gives us a clear shot at him, and fucks with Blackwatch." That, and he wanted to destroy as much as he possibly could just to use his powers again. Never missed something until it was gone, as the saying (probably) went.

"Sounds like a wonderful plan," Dr. Mercer grinned, eager to see Alex truly at work. The threatening presence from the first time he met him was quick to fade under even a little bit of affection- as proved by the fact he was trusted enough to plan murders with after a single week of time had- not quite passed. With a soft hum on his lips, the vague tune of a catchy rock song he'd heard somewhere, he set off down the hall intending to exit quite subtly- only to nearly walk into a tall man whose face he recognised from Dana's pilfered data, Alex not far behind. He stopped his walk, looking them over with a scientists' eye to keep the rising panic from showing.

The man in question regarded the apparent twins with a calm, almost blank expression, save for the slight raise of a scarred brow. His formal attire made it obvious he'd just stepped from a meeting rather than a standard military mission; in much the same way, the manner in which he stiff rolled his shoulders made it obvious this wasn't his usual mission.

"Morning, Dr. Mercer." Robert Cross' voice wasn't friendly nor aggressive, strictly professional-a tone Alex recognized plenty well. Why the actual hell Cross was in Gentek was beyond him, but he remained quiet, despite the excited gleam in his eyes at the familiar face. "I was told you wouldn't be here for another few hours. Sorry to interrupt you."

Dr. Mercer shook off the surprise at the meeting, and decided that, rather than make a fool of himself, he'd let Alex handle this. He stepped back, and gestured to him, noting the tendril mess of the back of his coat- the guy really couldn't stay still, huh. "It's not a problem. In fact, it's quite convenient. My twin here has been wanting to meet you for some time-" he cut himself off, forcing down the urge to add some sarcastic snarl to the 'polite' tone he'd taken, settling for a grimace of a smile.

Shit, they were doing this now? Okay. He tried to get the tendrils flaring just out of sight under control, briefly surprised at how much fighting he had to do for it to work-probably an excitement thing. Either way, here was Cross. He met the man's gaze, tone as quiet and unphasing as ever as he decided to give him the rundown.

"You don't remember me, but we're friends in the future. My sister-I told you about her-and I were sent back in time somehow, and now we're stuck in a loop of the same day over and over. Doc got caught in the loop on the third day." A pause, to make sure Cross was listening. "We're going to get you into the loop, too. First, though, you need to stop being part of Blackwatch."

Cross stood there through the entire explanation, unyielding, his expression revealing nothing but what seemed to be a growing tiredness the more Alex said. He'd heard his fair share of shit about Gentek's team, with all the ridicule the general tended to send their way behind their backs; but the detailed sci-fi fantasy of the head of the Blacklight's sudden twin brother was definitely a new one. What was he even supposed to say to this. After a moment of awkward silence, Cross decided on what he believed to be the best plan of action in this situation.

"...Alright then." He turned around, and proceeded to start walking the opposite direction. The "twin's" anti-Blackwatch stance, amongst the other things, wasn't good. He wasn't going to call his team on some confused kid, but it was better for both of them if he simply left them be, kept the target off their heads.

Dr. Mercer gave a vague shrug in response, and after scouring the hall for prying eyes, he muttered to Alex, "Well, now you've met him. We'll just have to go steal you a raincoat then you'll get your breakfast."

As far as Alex was concerned, that worked perfectly. Just another two days of running into Cross, then. In the meantime… fuck, it was raining, wasn't it. The Blackwatch base wasn't that far, he could live with that. While his smile had long since faded, the glint in his eyes hadn't. Raincoat… he had his senses back, and he'd consumed one a few days back. It wasn't embedded in his mind, but his memory was good enough for him to track it down. He didn't worry about getting caught like Doc did, moving right along at his usual, superhuman pace until he could find a coat rack near the door-where a raincoat was hung. He pulled it off and over himself, flattening the biomass beneath it so he could wear it without the bulk.

Maybe he was moving too quickly. His mind was racing, he was so damn eager to fuck Blackwatch over, to feed (the hunger from yesterday hadn't left him, only worsened), he just couldn't help it. By the time Doc finally caught up with him, he was rapidly pacing the front door, the floor cracking beneath the force of his steps. He stopped in place when he saw Doc, and stepped toward him, speaking in a low murmur.

"I won't be able to shapeshift into a disguise that's believable with this on. I'm planning on going in with armor on. Makes sure they're not looking for your face."

Dr. Mercer nodded, not even trying to prevent the shapeshifter from wrecking GENTEK. He really didn't care about his workplace, when Alex could leave it. He had no reason to want it to stay intact- especially considering how he felt about their attitudes to him. "This works. Perhaps you'd like to go ahead? I realise now exactly how fast you can go, and it might help you to… burn some of that energy, before you arrive."

Nothing else needed to be said. Alex was out the door at the suggestion alone, kicking off from the ground and immediately breaking into a glide mid-air. He went through the map Dr. Mercer had shown him in his head, noting where he was and where he'd need to go next. It hadn't exactly occurred to him that Dr. Mercer would be interested in following-after all, he was just getting breakfast and doing a little good. This was an ordinary day in his life, far more ordinary than anything else had been.

Once he started to lose altitude, he dropped onto the nearest rooftop, giving him a clear view of the Blackwatch outpost (rain aside). He needed more of these raincoats, though. Patrols, vehicles, no tanks and no viral detectors… oh, this would be easy. He dropped into a crouch, eyeing the commander of the patrol, watching his path and marking where would be the best spot to consume him in his head. Others from inside had the scent of tanks, of artillery and specific weapons he could learn to use if he consumed them. Oh, today was going to be a fucking buffet.

Dr. Mercer followed on foot, and waited perhaps half a street away from the guards, keen eyes looking through their fancy gates. Today, he could witness Alex's true strength- his behaviour in combat- so many things. Unbidden, a smirk slipped onto his face. As Alex would feast on soldiers, he would feast upon Alex's performance. Today would be a buffet.

The commander rounded the corner. Alex rolled his shoulders, his upper layer of biomass hardening and shifting into sleek black armor. He held out his arm, shredding the sleeve of the coat to form a massive blade. The raincoat certainly ruined the effect, but Alex wasn't exactly here to look cool. The commander would turn his back in three, two, one-

He dropped. The concrete shattered on impact, knocking the closest soldiers off their feet. All except the commander, who he grabbed before he could even hit the ground. He threw him in the air, and with one swift slice, split him in half-the perfect opening for his tendrils, even if he had to further tear apart his only protection from the rain. Didn't matter, adrenaline was up and nothing could stop him now. Fresh biomass and memories flooded his system, and it was rejuvenating.

His blade shifted to claws, and he dug them into the ground, sending an array of massive black spikes straight through a nearby cluster of Blackwatch. Bullets hit his armor without effect, their frantic cries for help unheard when he freed his claws and tore through their flesh and armor like paper. As reinforcements began pouring out from the base, he held one of their humvees over his head-they didn't get to realize their mistake until he threw it, blowing every single person at the front door to pieces.

It was a massacre. The scent of blood and death hung heavy in the air, mixed with burning flesh and smoke. The ones with knowledge on tanks and the like were still inside. He grabbed the burned remains of the humvee with one hand and tossed it behind him, not even flinching as it blew up the remaining vehicles. He had work to do.

He stepped into the base, turning every head and getting an array of confused, terrified shouts-"What the fuck IS that?!"

"I don't care, just fucking shoot it!"

Gunfire picked up again, but he was already on the move. Split that soldier apart, consume the one beside him, shift to his blade to take off the head of the one approaching him. The telltale sound of a rocket launcher had him forming his shield, blocking the blow with ease even mid-run. He leaped from the ground, bringing the blade down on the head of a second commander, splitting the bastard completely in half. Grab his gun, open fire on the remaining troops, watch them drop like flies. The fight was over as quickly as it had begun.

Why hadn't he been doing this before? If Blackwatch was this easy to kill, he could just start his days like this. Kill every single member of Blackwatch, then Dana and Doc wouldn't have shit to worry about.

From outside the base, however, reinforcements were already inbound. Helicopters soared overhead, dropping down on the rooftops and deploying men. Radios and shouts and engines roared, filling the previously calm morning with complete and utter chaos. Not that Dr. Mercer was given the chance to consider any of it, as the cold barrel of a gun was held directly against the back of his head.

"Done with your little excursion, Mercer?" Cross' voice came as a low, deep growl, and he wrapped an arm around the scientist's throat, making sure he had no chance of moving. A quick glance at the notes told him all he needed to know. The twin was a Runner. "I'd start praying to whatever fucking god you can think of. Tell me how to neutralize your friend, and maybe this won't end as badly as it could."

He didn't even bother trying to escape, all movement stopped as his notebook fell from his hands with the restraint, cold gun muzzle pressed to his temple and the tight grip occupying his thoughts for a solid moment before he realised Cross was talking to him. "And why should I tell you?" He snipped, "I've already been shot to death, and the head's a quicker way to go."

Cross' expression didn't falter, but that didn't stop something in the back of his mind doing it instead. Already been shot to death? Were both siblings delusional? He glanced between Dr. Mercer and where his men were flooding into the base, surely to their deaths if the transmissions he'd received said anything. Cross didn't move-save for the silent shifting of his finger away from the trigger of the gun. Death was important, information more so, and the scientist clearly knew more than he did. He wasn't stupid.

"Because you just released a Runner on the city of New York, and thousands of people are going to die. If the head is too quick for you, I could always aim for the leg." He paused, thinking over his words carefully and quietly. "I'm going to ask you again. How do I neutralize him. Because you don't want to see my method of taking him out if you don't answer."

"Runner?" He barked out a laugh, "Runner's are like children compared to him. He's a wonderful fighter, and he's got the strangest set of morals. He truly does wish to befriend you, Cross, you know." Perhaps he was being too open-lipped, but the soldier holding him, threatening to kill him, merely listened. "I'm curious what your method of killing him would be- he's quite indestructible and it'd take me quite some time to create something to bypass that. Time you don't have, Captain Cross."

Cross glanced away, careful to maintain his composure. What he thought to be a Runner-what wasn't a Runner-and had killed more of his men than he could count wanted to befriend him. Strange morals indeed. There wasn't exactly a chance in hell he was letting Mercer or the entity he accompanied walk off, but if there was a chance to communicate… then again, Mercer could easily be spouting bullshit. He knew how scientists were, particularly when it came to their fucking work. He nudged the scientist, trying to get him to move forward as he continued to speak. The threat wasn't exactly something he was taking lightly.

"Drown him." It was spoken calmly and matter-of-fact, Cross' gaze flicking between the base he was trying to get Mercer toward and the man himself. "You saying he's a wonderful fighter only confirmed that. A skilled fighter wouldn't go out of his way to wear a raincoat when he's ambushing an enemy base, and I have footage to confirm that being the case. You can tell how stiff he is when it's in pieces, the way he moves indoors." A small, grim smile. "So he's intolerant to water. I lead him to the river and I drag him in. Am I wrong?"

How the fuck. How the actual fuck did Cross figure that out from those fragments of information. For a moment- just a moment- he felt, in some dark corner of his brain that still remembered being Blacklight, the raw terror + the terrible breathlessness even touching a small amount of water had induced in him. Cross was very fucking correct. Shit. He struggled against the grip, suddenly feeling actual fear- though not for himself. "You lay a hand on him-!"

"If he wants to talk," Cross interjected, something else slipping into his harsh tone-exhaustion? Pity? It was hard to tell-despite himself, "then I will talk. But if he doesn't come quietly, he's not going to survive." The silence said plenty for his hydrophobic hypothesis, but it was the last ditch effort. Despite the impressions of his men that all they stood for was killing threats, he didn't believe that. The safety of others could be achieved in a way that didn't end in needless bloodshed. "If you can get him into our custody, neither of you will be harmed. Not on my watch. Do you understand, Mercer? Because I will not hesitate to bury him at the bottom of the fucking ocean if you disagree."

His struggles ceased, finding himself surprised by the admission Cross would talk to Alex. Perhaps Alex had found the one Blackwatch member with a heart, "You can talk to him- I doubt he'll try to kill you even if you shoot him- he's… Naive like that. But if you take him 'into custody' you're leading the fox to the chicken coop- not that I care."

Instead of responding, Cross holstered his gun. He kept a firm grip on Mercer's collar, but leaned into his radio instead. "This is Captain Cross. Do not engage the subject. Leave him to me." It was all he had to say. He started towards the base, dragging Dr. Mercer behind him without much regard-willing to talk or not, the scientist had chosen to release an unknown and deadly threat on a military outpost. As for the twin, naive enough that being fired at wouldn't phase him, but still eager to attack. If he had to guess anything right now, the entire plan was Dr. Mercer's, but he wouldn't jump to conclusions.

He stepped into the base, and it was like he'd just walked into a Hive. Blood and gore dripping from the walls, bodies and body parts all across the ground like some sort of fucked up carpeting. At the center of the carnage was the suspect, exoskeleton-esque armor concealing his features as he turned to face them both. Cross nudged Dr. Mercer forward, muttering a short but stern, "Explain it to him. I don't need him killing more of my men."

"Explain what?" He all but hissed, "Talk to him yourself."

Oh, how lucky Dr. Mercer was that Cross had the patience of a saint. He cast the man a side-eyed glance, but stepped forward, careful to avoid the bodies strewn across the ground. Before he could get much closer, Alex dropped down in front of him, splattering one of the bodies and cracking the ground. Cross held his ground, but instead of attacking, the armored weapon of mass destruction… put both hands on his shoulders, tilting his head upward in what Cross could only assume was a smile.

"Doc convinced you."

"...Not exactly. I'm-"

"Good. We'll need your help." Alex looked to Doc, nodding in quiet approval and thanks alike. "Blackwatch is sending reinforcements. I should be able to get us out of here before they catch up. The safehouse is still open-"

"None of us are getting out of here."

"Speak for yourself," Doc muttered.

Cross glanced back to the scientist, sighing a little to himself. "You're both under arrest. You attacked a Blackwatch base, and Dr. Mercer here is clearly your accomplice, or something akin to that."

"I told you to quit Blackwatch."

"Yeah, well, I didn't ask for job advice, kid." As if on cue, the doors on all sides of them flung open, and Blackwatch soldiers came rushing in by the dozen. These were the ones Alex was used to, far more armored and aiming a variety of weapons at the trio. Cross wasn't phased-getting shot by accident was a price he was willing to pay. "You can come quietly, or this can become difficult."

"I'm fine with difficult," Dr. Mercer snapped, the usual foul expression settled on his face once more. "It doesn't matter to me."

But before the soldiers could do anything, Alex grabbed Doc and Cross alike, pulling both under his arms before breaking into a dead sprint out the door. He plowed through any remaining soldiers with ease, ignoring the confused shouts from Cross. Where to go-not the safehouse yet, not while Blackwatch was still here. The subway tunnels? Perfect. He sprinted well past any and all of Blackwatch's defenses, not stopping until he found the same abandoned tunnels he'd taken Dana to. He had to skid to a halt once he was there, and once he was sure Blackwatch hadn't followed, he dropped both Cross and Doc from his arms.

"We should stay here until things calm down."

Doctor Mercer stumbled over to a wall to lean on, rough travel not suiting him so well, and glowered across the dark (though he could still see, thank god) tunnel at Cross. "So Alex, I've gone along this far but what made you choose this…" He gestured disdainfully at Cross, "To try to integrate to the loops? He seems perfectly willing to kill both of us, and smart enough too."

Cross was quick to meet Dr. Mercer's gaze despite the dark, a hand brushing over the holstered gun. It was only a handgun-he hadn't exactly prepared for combat, at least not this intensive. And now, Mercer and the threat had taken him as a prisoner. His radio was still in tact, so it'd be easy for him to get his team on their location. But he didn't, not yet. Call it curiosity. He remained silent, merely watching as the "twin" shifted out of his self-made armor and into his original attire, fragments of a torn up raincoat dropping to the ground beside him.

"He's an ally," Alex asserted, motioning to Cross. "He's smart, yeah. Almost killed me once. But after that, he was on my side. All I had, even, after Dana…" He trailed off, shaking his head a little. "He's on our side."

"Does someone who's 'on our side' really hold their gun like that?" He nodded his head in Cross' direction, where the dull silhouette of his arm was clearly ready to draw the weapon, "Besides. He figured out the water issue. He's likely still got his radio. He's not an ally yet, Alex."

"He will be." Frustration laced Alex's tone, spikes shifting down his back as a clear display of it. "I didn't think about how early we got him. But he was helping me before, and he had to have had a reason. He wanted to stop the nuke. He can shoot me a couple times if it makes him feel better. But he's a friend." He narrowed his eyes, though the gesture could barely be caught in the low light. "I've done this before. I know what I'm doing."

"Ah right, the nuke," Dr. Mercer rolled his eyes, "The nuke which is possibly the cause of this whole mess- he wanted to help stop it. Everyone has self preservation, Alex- just because he chose the murderous bioweapon over the radioactive bomb doesn't make him trustworthy."

"He could have just fled with the rest of Blackwatch if it was about self preservation. He wouldn't have told me what I was, or about Bloodtox, or any of that if his only goal was keeping his own ass safe. You weren't there." He stomped on the ground, making the entire tunnel shudder from the force of the impact. The small light barely illuminating the room flickered, but stayed on. "Even Dana thinks we should get him in the loop. She knows what she's talking about, even if you think I don't."

"I wasn't there, you're right. You remember why, don't you?" He narrowed his gaze, "Because, as I understand it, Blackwatch killed me and you chose my corpse to inhabit. Everything ties back to that rotten organisation- right down to your release. This man refuses to leave behind that filthy rats nest of murderers and thieves- surely that means something!"

"You think I don't know that?" Alex's tone shifted, frustrated tantrum shifting into something harsher, something colder. "I've consumed their men. I've seen everything. All the way back to Hope. I've seen how they don't give two shits about anyone but themselves, how they were willing to nuke an entire city just to stop an infection they wanted to happen." He stepped towards Dr. Mercer, face obscured by the shadow of his hood but bared teeth still visible. "And even with all of that, I trust Cross. I'm not telling you to trust him, I'm telling you to trust me."

Dr. Mercer didn't give a verbal response, but the way he turned his head away, dark eyes focusing on the vague shape of a door instead of either of his companions, said enough. He didn't trust anyone- trust didn't help you survive and it didn't help you research. It was a discarded skill he'd burnt himself with too many times. Trusting Alex who woke up every day with nought in his head but hunger, simple filial love, and causing problems- he could commit to that less than he could commit to trusting Cross.

The silence was interrupted by the sound of something clattering to the ground. Cross rested a foot on the discarded radio, making sure both of them had full view as he kicked it away into the dark. Did he trust either of them? Of course not. But worst case scenario, he knew how to handle his own. He stepped towards the odd pair, regarding them both with a silent but sharp gaze.

"If you're trying to escape Blackwatch, standing around here won't do it." He tilted his head, watching them both for any sudden movements. "Their greatest weakness is a crowd. They can find an isolated target-they can't find one hiding in plain sight." A small shrug. "At least, that's my experience. You have me, so they'll be hunting you down with everything they have. You don't exactly steal their most important unit and get away with it."

But even as he was trying to actually help them, Alex didn't seem to be listening. His eyes were glued to a nearby pipe, as though he could hear something the other two couldn't- Cross was sure he could, at this point. The piping must have taken damage from the brief fit he threw earlier, though Alex couldn't seem to make out the problem. He stepped towards it, and before Cross could tell him to stop, he fucking punched it.

The pipe burst on impact. Gallons of water came rushing out at immense pressure and speed alike, though it was hardly comparable to the ear-splitting, nigh inhuman scream that echoed across the entire tunnel. Alex staggered out from the worst of it, but it was too late-he was completely soaked, and water was pooling on the floor. The force of his footsteps as he desperately clamored to the wall sent cracks right across the concrete, and just like the pipe, the sole light giving them any vision in the tunnels shattered.

Dr. Mercer was already panicking from the water, scrambling up from the floor onto a cabinet near him as he tried to force down the rising panic that it brought him for no good reason- and then the light went. He clung to his half rotten perch, unseeing eyes scanning the room as his breath picked up. Shit. He couldn't see anything, Alex was probably going to cause the ceiling to cave in unless he dried enough to breathe, and there was water everywhere. He gripped the old wood beneath him tight, trying to find something he could use to remind himself he was truly human still, splinters barely phasing him through the panicked haze.

Cross had been in this situation before. Springfield, 1998. Underground, wracked with infected, the suffocating dark when Blackwatch wanted to test their resilience and cut the lights. His men dead all around him, barely escaping with his own life. He grit his teeth, and unlike the other two, he didn't allow himself to panic. His mind went right to the calculative, to finding a solution.

Alex was first-the water would kill him. He did what he could to adjust to the darkness, following the sound of rushing water to the pipe. The shrieking had ceased, but that was bad, not good. He pressed a hand against the wall-swearing when something slithered away from his touch. But until his eyes adjusted, hearing and touch were all he had to go off of. He continued to run his hands over the wall, more vine like objects slipping away every time he brushed by them. Whatever that was, didn't matter. He knelt down, brushing his hands along the ground. No Alex. Wherever the poor kid was, he wasn't in the water, which meant he wasn't dead.

"Mercer!" He called out, though the rushing water did a damn good job of blocking out his voice. "MERCER! I can get you out of here, but I need noise-continuous noise!"

Dr. Mercer stiffened, head swivelling to where Cross was speaking from with wide eyed focus despite the lack of use for it. Continuous noise- he doubted he could manage speech without his words getting stuck in his throat, but he didn't have to speak. He unclenched one hand, and started a shakey, then steady tap of nails on wood. It wasn't loud enough- the water sound kept drowning it out. He grit his teeth, and tried the other tactic he had any hope of working. Humming, jerky and unstable, was… not completely drowned out. He kept it up, hoping Cross' promise held water.

Cross remained as still as he could, listening for any sort of noise-stomping, talking, anything. He nearly missed the hum, simply on account of shrugging it off as other pipes, but the sound was too uneven to be machinery. Mercer. He started off towards the sound, dropping down to the subway rails (and soaking his pants in the process), when something began to rumble. It was a deep, loud sound that caused the entire tunnel to shudder. For a moment, he thought it was an approaching train, but the origin of the sound was wrong-it was above him, all around him. The Blackwatch soldier looked above him.

Even in the dark, he could see it-the pulsating streaks of red throughout the black mass, crawling further and further down the tunnel as it, no, he attempted to spread. Runners are like children compared to him. The viral mass above him could infect an entire city in a heartbeat-Cross and Mercer were probably already on death's row. The virus rumbled, even as the concrete began to crack just behind him, disturbed by the weight and vibrations.

They needed to get out of here. Now.

Cross clamored to the other side of the tunnel, muting both the rumbles and roaring water to try and pinpoint the humming-there. Keeping his hand against the wall to ensure he didn't slip, the sound of rapid breaths finally became clear to him against all the other noise.

"Mercer." His tone was level and calm, even with the fact they were both dead if they hung around here too long. "Follow the sound of my voice. We need to move."

For a long moment, Dr. Mercer simply didn't understand why Cross was insistent on moving. Alex was just talking back to him, a simple way of saying 'I'm alive, I'm not dead' to match his own call. Then he heard the cracks of concrete above them, and had to swallow the fact Alex was probably going to cause a cave in. "We can't move," Dr. Mercer whispered, as whispering was all he could muster. "The water- Alex can't touch it. We can't leave him behind Cross. The water-" He continued the humming, trying to regain his breath from his clamped up throat enough to talk. "The water hurts so much Cross."

"That's why you won't touch the water." His voice shifted to a soft, almost impossibly delicate murmur, and he reached for Dr. Mercer-offering to carry him. He hadn't been soaked just yet, only a few droplets on his shirt and the knee down. "I don't know how to move Alex. That's the problem. But we won't leave him." A small glance at the virus on the ceiling. "If I can carry you to a drier section of the tunnels, I can figure out how to help him. Do you understand?"

He flinched when the hand brushed him, but after a moment when he didn't have any other things happen and Cross kept talking, logic and comfort mingling in his tone, he managed to relax a small amount. He could tell Cross wasn't too far in front of him, by the position of his voice. Carefully, he released his death grip on the wood, and let a shakey breath out. "It's not- me that it hurts. He's just scared and hurt."

Even if Mercer was right-humans weren't hurt by water, not just by contact-he was still afraid, which made getting him out of here mandatory. And he was the only one Cross knew how to move, because fuck, how was he supposed to carry a giant viral mass? He kept any further comments on it to himself, however; instead, he stepped forward, doing what he could to get a careful but firm grip on the scientist. Less than an hour ago, these were the two most wanted criminals in the city of New York. Now he was helping a couple scared kids, in an abandoned subway tunnel that was starting to flood. Just a day in the life, he supposed. Every creak from above had him exhaling slowly, maintaining his composure despite it all.

With Dr. Mercer in his arms, he turned-but a loud, echoing crack from above had him freezing in place. Cross broke into a full-force sprint, gritting his teeth as he tried to outrun the inevitable rubble. But no matter how fast he could run, the weight of the virus above them was too much. The ceiling finally met its limit. It caved in, dropping tons of concrete and viral mass directly onto both the Blackwatch captain and scientist. The crash echoed down the tunnels, blended with the sound of screams.

The rubble steadied, and it went silent, the stench of blood heavy in the did Alex think he would be happy to feel the cold glass of a test tube pressing against him, but here he was. He sent a ripple across his entire formless body, and was delighted when it responded like it should have. He'd spent a lot of time wondering what it was like to be truly human when he'd first learned about his true identity, and after yesterday, he could conclude that being a human fucking sucked.