Chapter 5: Berserker
(April 4th ---0 Days until Outbreak)

Jacen led squad twenty across the walkway on their way to their grid in C-building. Accompanying them was squad eleven who where responsible for a grid right next to theirs. Once they reached group elevens gird they stopped and began to search the nearest class room. Jacen's squad continued on reaching their area soon after.

As they approached the library freshmen gasped, seeing the almost dead body of Walter. Oh yeah, Jacen thought sheepishly, forgot about that one. All but one of the freshmen stayed back as Jacen approached the body, with Ben trailing after protectively.

The body was mostly still except for its head which kept darting its milky eyes all around and biting at air. Jacen knelt next to it and held its head still with his armored left hand as he jabbed the dagger into its temple. The eyes stopped moving and its jaw hung open, the creature was dead.

Jacen looked back at his group, assessing their reaction. The color had drained out of all of their faces and they all looked as if they where about throw up, but none did, much to Jacen's satisfaction. Then a thought occurred to him, it's unlikely but I better check.

Making his way to the girl's bathroom, Jacen stopped and knocked on the door three times. "Jacen?" A voice asked wearily from the other side of the door. Crap… no one got them.

"Yeah it's me, come on out," Jacen said soothingly. On the other side of the door Jacen heard a ruffling sound as Melissa cleared the debris away from the door.

Minutes later the door opened, revealing a distressed Melissa. "What took so long? I was worried sick," she said.

Jacen gave a brief summary of everything that had happening then lead into what was happening currently. "So now we are going to the Library."

Melissa gawked at Jacen for a moment before gaining control of herself again. "Wait, so you're telling me that you're running the show now? Jacen Bennett, the guy who only three months ago would have pissed himself if a girl came within five feet of him…That Jacen?" she finished emphatically.

Ben ran up to Melissa and stared her straight in the eye. "You can't talk to him like that; He took out three monsters single handedly and then went on to warn the whole school while he was still catching his breath, who knows how many more would have died if he hadn't!" he finished angrily, visibly upset that his hero had been insulted.

Jacen put his hand on Ben's shoulder. "She's right you know. When I got here three months ago I was afraid of girls," he said diplomatically, then as Ben walked away and re-joined the rest of the group added, "How is Dave doing?"

She shrugged, "He's is doing well enough. Conscious at least, but for the next couple days we shouldn't let him fall asleep for too long; it was a pretty bad blow."

Walking past Melissa Jacen entered the bathroom and found his friend lying on the floor with his head elevated by a roll of toilet paper. "Can you walk?"

"Kinda… with help," Dave added grudgingly.

Jacen looked over at Melissa, I'd like to have her with me, but none of the freshmen can carry his weight, and im needed here. "Melissa, take Dave to room 117 down the hall; Olivia is in there and probably has the place locked down. Then head down to the cafeteria and go wherever help is needed," he said in an authoritative tone. Melissa nodded and went back into the bathroom to get Dave.

Walking back over to his group, Jacen sighed and then began to speak; "Let's go, and remember if you spot one, call for help and wait; don't engage it alone."

Clanking loudly, Jacen entered the library, followed by Ben and the others. The library would have been an intimidating place in the dark, but it was only two in the afternoon, so the room was brightly lit. He couldn't see any creatures, and would under other circumstances assume that the room was unoccupied, but due to what was at stake, decided to have everyone fan out and look.

No more than three minutes later, everyone had emerged back in the center of the room, all confirming Jacen's initial assessment. "Good Job everyone, now let's seal the doors and continue on to the next roo-"

Jacen was interrupted by screams of pure agony down the hall. That's group elevens area. "Stay here!" Jacen yelled over his shoulder, already making his way out the door.

Running as fast as he could with his armor on, Jacen ran down the hall towards the wails of suffering, and then redoubled his efforts when they abruptly stopped. Reaching the area where Jacen thought the screams had been coming from, he stopped; looking for any sign of where to go next.

He found that sign when a new voice screamed for help, from inside the math office. Switching the Dagger to a reverse grip, Jacen rushed into the room.

There where five Zombies and ten bodies, four where members of group eleven, two resembled teachers, and the remaining four looked like they didn't belong. The fifth member of group five was backing into a corner, swinging a wrench back and forth frantically as the creatures closed in.

Rearing his head back, Jacen roared in rage and pure hatred for the creatures…No, Demons standing in front of him. So far this crisis hadn't been personal for Jacen, but now these things had killed people he knew, people who had been doing what he had ordered them to do! Beside himself with anger, Jacen charged, still bellowing that primal incoherent roar.

The noise caused the demons to shift their attention to Jacen; for the remaining member of group eleven to escape past them and run out the door. Jacen hit the first one at full force, thrusting the blade upward through the soft area under the chin.

Before the first hit the ground Jacen was already upon the second; stabbing at its forehead. As he attacked a fog began to slowly form over his vision, starting in the corners of his eyes and working inwards. By this point Jacen had abandoned all logic, succumbing to the rage building within him; no longer caring to aim for the soft targets he had exploited thus far.

The fog fully enveloped him as the second demon fell, forcing Jacen's consciousness into dormancy as something else took over.

Melissa had only been in the cafeteria five minutes when an average size boy ran frantically through the doors, heading straight for Mr. Spada of all people. She intercepted him halfway through the room and grabbed onto him firmly. He was sobbing, loudly and looked like he'd been through hell. "What happened?" Melissa asked firmly.

The boy wrapped his arms around her, acting like a scared child seeking protection from their mother, not that I could blame him, Melissa added mentally. "W-we went into the math office and found three creatures standing over the bodies of two teachers. As we entered they turned towards us and let out th-this moan… Oh God it was horrible... We thought we could take them; we outnumbered them five to three, but then as we started to fight them, others came in…" he stopped and waited silently for a moment before continuing, "It was that moan, that horrible moan; it called to others nearby," the boy ended, exhaustion creeping into his voice.

"How did you get out?" She asked him soothingly. Melissa hated making him relive this but she needed to know how much backup to send.

"We-we took out four of them before they overwhelmed us," he continued, ignoring the question completely, "Ted was the first to fall, then Linda, then Adam, James was the last… then…. then I was the only one left. They backed me into a corner, and-and I knew I was going to die… but then a man in armor appeared and charged all five of them. I-I saw a chance to escape… I took it… OH God! Why did I survive, I should have died with the rest of them…" He sank to his knees and began to cry uncontrollably.

A man in armor… it must be Jacen. "Somebody get over here and help the kid!" Melissa yelled and then, after making sure someone was taking care of him, ran towards the math office.

Melissa reached the office at a dead run, but was stopped cold when she saw the utter carnage in the room. Disfigured bodies lay everywhere and then suddenly with a 'thud' another body joined the others on the floor. Her stomach lurched in repulsion, threatening that it would send out its content. Melissa swallowed, pushing her breakfast back down.

Looking up from the horrible carnage on the floor, Melissa saw Jacen. He stood alone now, encircled by the bodies of his foes, chest heaving up and down; trying to provide him with enough oxygen. He looks like a wild animal, she thought in horror.

Jacen merely stood there, with his back turned to her, not moving an inch. Figuring he was in some sort of trance, Melissa took a step forward. The noise triggered something in Jacen and he spun around, standing ready to lunge at her with his dagger.

His eyes where different now, not like the monsters which had a void where its soul should be, but looking like he was on autopilot. Deciding that Jacen wasn't himself and might very well attack her, Melissa settled into a defensive stance and waited for him to make the next move.

Peering through the dense fog that covered his consciousness Jacen could make out a familiar figure; he couldn't tell who it was but he knew it was familiar. He could also feel himself tense as he prepared to lunge. Slowly the fog was receding, allowing Jacen to begin to see who was in front of him. Melissa, the word echoed through his mind. He had to work to process what that meant. No! Im about to attack Melissa! Jacen thought with increasing clarity.

Through sheer force of will in combination with a fear of hurting his friend, Jacen pushed the fog back, deep into the recessed of his mind from whence it came.

He's been standing there for a minute now, Melissa thought. But as soon as she finished forming the words in her head, Jacen tensed, signaling he would attack any moment.

Jacen never did. As soon as he started to move he had stopped, a glint of the normal Jacen appearing in his eyes. His body began to relax and Jacen dropped the dagger on the floor. Looking infinitely tired Jacen began to sway back and forth, seeming like he may fall over at any moment.

Sensing that he no longer posed any threat to her, Melissa ran forward to catch him as he started to fall forward; almost falling over herself when she caught him. Melissa knew she was strong but the extra weight of Jacen's armor was pushing it.

Melissa began to drag the now unconscious Jacen out the door when she heard approaching footsteps coming from the library. Looking up she found the annoying little brat who had confronted her earlier, Ben wasn't it? she asked herself as the boy looked at Jacen with concern. "Is he dead?"

"No he'll be fine, albeit unconscious, but fine. Taking on five zombies by yourself will do that to you," she added casually.

"Five…at the same time? Cool! Let me see," Ben said excitedly.

"No! Don't go i-" Melissa began, but she was too late; Ben had already seen the twelve plus dead bodies. The color drained out of his face and he scrambled frantically for the trash can by the door.

Melissa waited for the gagging noised to subside before she continued to speak to him, "You done now?"

Still very pale, Ben looked over at her. That innocent air about him seems a little less potent now, she thought sadly. "Yes," he said blankly.

"Ok then help me carry Jacen down to the cafeteria, he looks like he will be out for a while." They each grabbed him by an arm and partially lifted him into the air, allowing the metal around his heels to create a screeching noise as they dragged Jacen down the hall.