Disclaimer: Happy… whatever day it is! Do you guys smell it? No? Well I do! It's BLOOD! Blood means gore! And gore means Prototype! YAY!
Just had to scream that one out guys, sorry if I scare ya, but that's because someone gives a rather low-brained who probably watch too many My Little Pony and Care Bears to place a feeble review and suggest that I should take this fanfic down. Why should I? This fic is the greatest challenge I had ever lay my hand to! Alex Mercer vs Marvel's greatest heroes and villains! And I did it for KafeiDetour who wanted such fanfic! And such positive reviews! I must have done something right to get so many positive review… right? RIGHT!?
As before, I do not own Prototype or Marvel. OC is of course mine. Cheerio!
Note: Mercer have an 'instinct' voice, a player's voice if you will, that will always plays part of Mercer's life; it will sometimes asked Mercer to feed, to kill, to consume, and Mercer, if necessary will agree with that idea. This is mark (like this) to indicate his natural instinct's forethought throughout the story. There is also a new addition 'consumption information' highlighted, so that important event, condition or incident will be marked like this while the one with new information regarding his target will be mark like this.
Read and Review please
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WARNING: RATED M FOR MATURE; MASSIVE AMOUNT OF VIOLENT, STRONG LANGUAGE AND POSSIBLE GORY CONTENT, INCLUDING MULTIPLE DEATHS OF INCOMING MARVEL HEROES AND VILLAINS. ALL UNDER 21 PLEASE GO AWAY AND THOSE MINDLESS TROLLS THINK MARVEL CHARACTER SHOULD DESERVE BETTER SHOULD STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THIS FIC! I MISS MYSELF BATHING IN AN INFERNO, SO I WELCOME ANY FLAMES, HEAT ME UP ALREADY!
[Prototype] Operation Blacklight Purity
Chapter 04 –Purifier-
"Doctor, try to keep the discussion high level. We need to know what we're dealing with on the ground."
"Its effect is... Variable. When it DOES manifest, it makes the Idaho strain look like the common cold.
I don't need to remind you gentlemen how close we came to the point-of-no-return in Idaho.
Mercer's body is a bomb, filled with this weaponized pathogen, waiting to go off.
And now it's loose in the city. Bring it in, no matter what it takes. I'd say dead or alive, but I'm not sure if those classifications fit Alex Mercer any longer."
-Dr Raymond McMullen discuss about the threat Mercer is as the Blacklight Virus-
"Yes, private, you're guarding a hole in the fucking roof. You've been briefed about what we're up against - we're not secure until these skylights are sealed. So, unless you want to pull shit patrol until your momma forgets what you look like, stand your sorry ass right here until you're told to do otherwise. NOW MOVE IT!"
"Sir!"
-Officer commanding his troops to hold down the fort-
12 months after the nuclear detonation off coast of New York Zero…
"Operation Purifier…" Mercer starts, breaking the silent as he waits for the S.H.I.E.L.D's mighty Helicarrier to approve Raven's command, "…have you heard about it?"
"Heard? Brother, I was there with several pawns." The Blackwatch Elite Operative, Raven reply, adjusting his attached weapon gear firmly onto his hand, "We were ordered to safe as many civilian as possible from the NYZ, but everyone knows the order is a bull. I took the first dive in and the story practically starts there."
"Hmm… really?" Mercer reply, he place his idle hands inside the side of the jacket pocket, formed by his ever evolving mutated biomass, "No wonder there are so many Blackwatch operative moves out that day…"
"Speaking of which, Mercer…" Raven turn around, staring at ZEUS eye to eye, "How did you survive Operation Purifier? The Intel is closed to very few people on the military grid with their fat pay check"
Mercer smiles evilly, "I happen to have lunch that day. Words comes around when you begin consuming your prey"
Raven stood there staring at Mercer… or at least, that's what his appearance present itself; Mercer can't see his face underneath that falcon-like helmet of his."I guess people tend to talk too much during lunchtime"
"Oh, they talk," Mercer reply, "one way or another."
Several days after the nuclear explosion off coast of New York City…
Operation Purifier Commence in T-minus 3 hours…
Mercer race through the rooftops at high speed, running and jumping between buildings as his heartbeat (or whatever that is currently resemble his heart) race faster than his fleeting feet; the said bomber is about to drop another bomb, this time at the stratosphere. Instinct would usually dictates that in order to stop the payload from arriving is to simple hijack the patrolling military Apache and flies up and intervene. But Mercer knows better, simply because he had consumed many soldiers and pilot to know that a mere Apache will never reach the stratosphere and it would take a jet fighter to do so. Unless Mercer happens upon consuming a jet pilot and had a jet aircraft armed with anti-aircraft weaponry lying around the park, he had to do the most conventional method; run and bail.
Mercer can simple ditch New York if he wanted to. He can simple let the military do whatever they want with the city, but so long as his sister is still here within the quarantine zone under that coma induce condition, Alex J. Mercer will have to save his one and only sister from the explosion.
Oh, and also Dr Ragland; he is too valuable to be left alone. Mercer had no idea why he didn't simply eat the man, but perhaps he needed a human ally with no ties with the military, or had grunt with them. Perhaps Dr Ragland is also the only human who had saved him during Mercer's dire needs. Or perhaps Dr Ragland is an ex-GENTEK scientist who had severed his ties with that corrupt sorry-excuse-of-a-company for selling medicine and drugs as well as biohazard chemicals and viruses.
Well, Mercer is also an ex-GENTEK scientist, betrayed by the very thing the company he worked for to engineer a viral so powerful that he was listed as the next guy on the firing range. Who would have known that the creature that took the body and form of Alex J. Mercer, the scientist who re-engineered the Redlight into the perfect strain of viruses called the Blacklight would return the favour against anyone who dare stood in his way a hundred times worse than death itself? The idea amuses Alex a bit.
As Alex race his way, several Infected monster, especially those wall-crawling Hunters tries to intervene the Blacklight creature, probably to avenge the slain MOTHER which Mercer had consumed. Alex had no time for such a creature to brawl with and run past them, only to have the creature turn their already mass bodily disfigure self and resume their chase after Mercer. Alex amuses their tendency to prey on Zeus, but that tendency alone will not give Mercer an immediate threat. He is more worried about the approaching doom than the approaching mooks.
"Hmm… perhaps I could use these creatures as an excuse" Alex reply to himself, referring to the chasing Infected.
Oh and how do you propose their usefulness?
"The military will never let a stray soldier to venture into their military compound, especially when all the infected are recently cleaned for fear that one of them is an imposter," Alex reply to his instinct, "…but the military are also dumb enough to let ONE soldier, running from a handful of Infected to enter the safety of the military compound and never question their tendency to stay alive, be that a private rank soldier or a juicy high ranking officer."
Brilliant, but what does this have to do with the incoming bombing?
"Last I checked St. Paul is under military control, to have a workable hospital in the infected area. Other hospitals in the island are probably overrun, and some that isn't overrun are relocated to other functional hospital to operate inland."
Ahh… now I get it; you wish to fool the military in thinking you are being chased by the infected, and use the military arsenal to retreat back to inland.
Mercer smirk, he would be bluffing himself if it wasn't because there are so many great minds he had consume in a number of weeks that would make him both a genius and the greatest military tactician. Mercer is officially the greatest threat in the entire world with his genius alone. That, and his host body actually is the greatest pathologists existed, who happen to engineered the unstoppable Redlight Virus, turning and twisting its genes and into a potent Blacklight Virus, so much so that the strength of the Blacklight maximum potential are ramp up so high it would turn the former virus looks 'like a common flu'.
One question, how are you going to fool them?
St. Paul Hospital, Manhattan Island Red Zone, Military Control Area…
Operation Purifier Commence in T-minus 3hours
St. Paul Hospital is one of the last remaining hospitals in the area which is now running to work overtime for military personal. The huge, expensive and elegant hospital has the latest equipment to treat minor to average wound that the soldier could have sustain during their survive in the Reds, but those who were send here by bullet wounds and slight cut are not as lucky as the dead ones; most soldiers that are thrown to the Reds will be dead just as fast as you could deploy them, and those who survive already start saying their prayers to relocate to another, less hostile zone. After Mercer threw the Nuclear Bomb off the coast, the Red Zones is pretty much manageable due to the death of MOTHER, and the infected is pretty much under control, the only downside is that the military had to patrol the streets 24/7 in order to cleanse the Infected. The hospital itself has been set up many major quarantine in several section of the building; the upper floors are flooded with GENTEK scientist and the lower floor aid the military troops who are wounded, and the morgue is full of dead bodies, so much so that several of these dead bodies are thrown out to the sea, with no burial or ceremony to recite the dead.
St. Paul Hospital however is heavily protected from the Infected, with mounted Minigun turret and Patriot missile surrounding the hospital main entrance including a number of brave US soldier who is bravely risk their health and life to defend their fortified situation. This however did not discouraged the Infected to stop attacking the heavily garrison outpost despite the human fortification. Despite heavy resistance onto the hospital, the Infected numbers are thin down only momentarily, as this slow moving zombie-like creature are numerous, enough to make any soldier in any battle-harden war to drop his or her gun and commit suicide. The infected, driven by pure instincts and hive-like mind, force feed the primitive mind of savage infected creatures to hunt; fearing of death is obviously absent within these zombie-like creatures; so long as there are warm fleshes behind those walls, the horde of Infected march forward without fear of death.
Despite that the hospital is heavily protected by the very walls the military had fortified and heavy turret weaponry, the mere Infected Civilian and Walkers are not the only problem. Occasionally massive numbers of Hunters would join in the party, causing the fleshy human who served the US Army to scream aloud of the approaching monstrosity and start using even heavier weapons to bear. For this reason alone the soldiers whom barricade themselves here bear their M16 standard issue assault rifle for smaller, weaker targets and reserve their heavy hitters like SAW, Grenade Launchers and the LAW rocket launchers for the hulking Hunter monstrosity. Despite also having more than a dozen Humvee turrets with TOW Launchers and several M1 Abram's parked at the car park, those heavy armour tanks are reserve for Hydra's, or worse... Hunter Leader.
Today, like any other day however, the US marines are being alerted to the approaching horde of Walkers and Hunters alike, albeit largest concentrate horde.
Without warning, the hive mind Infected monster, included the infected civilian and citizens whom once call this city their home reel their rotten bloating head once again at the human fortification and clash against the human garrison defender. The military troops station at the very corner of the Red Zone respond immediately and dispatch the weaker foes without problem, but their massive numbers and their relentless slow march draw more on the street. No sooner as the soldier replace their empty ammo cartridge for the fifth time that the Hunters joins the rank by racing on top of the building roof in order to leap over the protective wall that divide between the humans and the infected and into the exposed compound. At this point the gun turret that has nested on the structure are immediately alerted by the Hunter fast approach and without haste open fire at the leaping monstrosity to a screeching halt turning these pinkish monster into Swiss cheese Thanks to the gun turret magazine rounds that is design to puncture lightly armoured tanks, the leaping Hunters stands no chance against the stationary turret on the roof, but out of 5 Hunters that leap over, there is bound to have at least one that made it through. But since MOTHER is killed by Zeus, the formation of Hunters is disarray, that even the gun turret is having it easy. Soldiers, blessed by the gun turret guarding their rear resume their fight; both the unharmed and the wounded armed themselves for the coming onslaught. The battle resume, unknowingly blissful of a much bigger threat.
Leading this hopeless rundown fortress is none other than Captain Rahm Edward of the 15th Reserve Troop Company, who is unfortunate to be the one in charge of the operation, and perhaps the most unlucky fellow on his end, with his superior either dead or gone MIA the entire platoon of men falls under his wing of command. Not even a single Blackwatch commander is on his side. Rahm Edward is used to be ordered around, from the Bagdad tour to the German Front as a reliable soldier. When he heard his higher officer got either killed or consumed by the creature in the Reds, so as his company chain of command. Now, it's him and his remaining platoon against the city filled with infected horrors.
"Quick! Someone call in artillery support!"
"We don't have clearance! Command has withdrawn all inland artillery support just a moment ago! "
"What!? Why!?"
"They said something about abusing the command code, that someone besides the US army and the Blackwatch is using it!"
Rahm curse before he shortly command his shaken yet brave troops to battle, with him on the frontlines to encourage them that they are not alone in this fight and encourage his troops to try their best to endure the incoming horde of infected. As more rounds are fired and wasted onto the approaching Infected, with rockets flies forward and severely cause a collective monster to go out with a bang or slam into the face of the pink skin Hunters, one of the soldier, holding up on the roof of the building with several more of his buddies notice the flow of Infected from one street oddly diverted elsewhere, fighting something over the horizon. Curious, the soldier brought up his binoculars up for a good view.
The soldier in question sees another soldier at the distance under the binocular, just a few blocks from the outpost, fighting his dear life with a SAW machine gun in tow against a mob of Infected, Hunters included. At first the soldier on the roof feel sorry for that guy, fighting helplessly from the safety of the keep, when the soldier notice the lone trooper fought on, even resorting to kick the Infected while reloading.
The soldier on the roof blinked; that person had got to be one hard-core son-of-a-bitch soldier to be away and still fought on as the lone soldier make his way towards the keep.
"Lance, what are you doing?" his fellow US soldier companion asked, seeing as his partner is looking over the horizon and not killing something.
"Awardo, look over there, clustered among the Infected," the soldier, identified as Lance point his finger just a few blocks away, "What do you see?"
The soldier next to Lance squat his eyes and place his hands above his temple to shield his eyes from the Sun, before resorting using his own binocular after his neighbouring friend tsk-ed him. Soon enough, he sees what Lance witness, "Dear Lord, there's a lone soldier fighting for his life!"
"Think he got separated from a squad or something?"
"Maybe... could be a trap..."
"A guy in US Army uniform, fighting a horde of human monster alone with that heavy assault machine gun with his dear life and you call it a trap?"
The soldier name Awardo ponders; his only been here for three days, and command strictly forbid any suspicious person to enter the base without warrant or letter. However, Red Crown has been awfully quiet these several days; they didn't even replace any higher officer to accommodate Captain Rahm. Hell, Red Crown didn't even tell them what hidden monsters are inside the Reds, especially a creature known only as Zeus. All they were told is to keep this position from being overrun and keep the GENTEK egghead staff safely inside while battling monstrous creatures from the Reds every few hours or so.
Both soldiers silent are interrupted by Captain Rahm himself, who had took notice seeing as both soldiers on the roof stop shooting and killing the incoming horde, "Soldier! Stop daydreaming and keep the pressure on those ugly MOTHERfuckers!"
Lance recovers his shock and quickly tilts his attention on the man in charge, "Sir! There is a lone US Army soldier fighting just across the street! Request a small team of squad to help our lost battle brother!"
Captain Rahm blinked, "Stop joking Lance! I'm not into another of your bullshit games!"
"I'm not even trying to joke! There is someone, in the Reds, fighting for his dear life!"
Captain Rahm absorb those words into his brain; a lone soldier in the Red Zone, running and fighting all the way here! If that soldier is part of some kind of reinforcement he had god knows how long he had requested, god help him that that soldier is still alive and well.
"Chiffon, Lex, Antonio, you're with me! Pick a big gun and pick a target! We're going to save our comrade in arms!" Rahm ordered without thinking twice, with the three trigger happy soldier give a solid, "SIR YES SIR!"
The three soldiers led by Captain Rahm goes gun blazing towards their objectives, with the gun turret firing god knows how many ammunition at the horde of Infected as covering fire. It may not make much difference since the hive mind Infected monster knows no fear, the curtain of munitions nailing its target will surely satisfied nonetheless.
The two soldiers, carrying a SAW stop moving forward just behind the turtled taxi cab as they setup position and open fire against the horde, with the other soldier who is carrying a LAW Rocket Launcher fire away at the most clustered Infected spot, preferable centred around cars since most car still has gasoline. With even more suppressing fire and an explosive boom, Captain Rahm, carrying only his M16 rifle wrestle his way to the lone soldiers position. Praying that whoever it is to be alive, Captain Rahm hopes and dreams is now balance on a single string.
Miraculously, the lone soldier is still alive and kicking (rather literally) when the lone soldier don a US Army uniform kick the infected monster so hard that an entire row of Walkers all fall down like a bowling pin. The lone soldier emerge from his hiding spot, reloading his SAW weapon before he shift his tired view at Captain Rahm huffing in air into his lungs. The captain however stares at the soldier with awe.
"Who's in-charge here?" voiced the lone soldier at Captain Rahm as he approaches him.
The captain was about to voice his opinion regarding the soldiers manners when Rahm's eyes spot a ranking officer insignia; a Major! "Sir, I am sir!" Rahm immediately reply, complete with an absolute unnecessary salute, "Captain Rahm Edward of the 15th Reserve Company!"
The ranking officer offer no reply as the man in question simple march past Rahm Edward as well as the three squad members, prompting the captain and his squad to follow the highest ranking officer around. As soon as the man steps inside the safety of the base, the major turn towards Rahm Edward, "I'm Major Ryan Shepherd, field commander B-Company... or what's left of it..." the lone soldier introduced himself, looking around before inquire more question, "how many of you are here?"
"Not much I'm afraid... An entire platoon with a few banged up armoured tanks, not to mention a row of GENTEK egghead and a few hospital civics"
Major Ryan nodded, "good, gather everyone, and I mean everyone Captain; we're going to get out of dodge and the Reds altogether to the nearest exit bridge."
"Why sir? Red Crown ordered us to remain fortified on this position until further orders"
Captain Rahm Edward must have push the wrong button, because the moment he reply the ranking officers question, Major Ryan violently pull the soldiers collar next to him, backed up with a menacing tone, "look here Captain, I just happen to lost an entire company who is under my command to ZEUS, who in turn killed everyone who is running ever since. I had no idea how I'm still alive, but I'll be fucking darn sure my troops just sacrificed themselves for my safety to relay this search and rescue bullshit. Just so we make it clear, Red Crown would have left you to die if they have it their way, with no possible help whosoever."
Captain Rahm nod hastily, wishing that the Major would just calm down for a bit. The major let a sigh from his nostril, before telling him more why he is here, "Oh, by the way, if you mentally telling me to calm down, we have even bigger problem; a bomb is coming to shell the Red Zone to kingdom come in less than 3 hours. If I were you, Captain... I would order a general evacuation right now."
St. Paul Hospital... Morgue... Several minutes later...
"Stay here," Major Ryan ordered his escort soldier outside the Morgue room, "I'll take a quick peek inside."
"Yes sir"
Major Ryan walks forward and placed his hands on the door handle where he pauses for a second before he steps in. The major did not draw his sidearm as his escort took notice, but they immediately dismiss it. Once inside, the military officer glares around walking much further into the large morgue room until he reaches a small but familiar room. Instead of marching in all military-like, the major softy knock the door before entering.
As the Major enters the room, an African-American with spectacles and bearded face turn around and face the man who had entered the room. Alone in the morgue as always, Dr Ragland with an irritated tone scorned at the man standing before him, "when will you military men learn that my services no longer available to you and that GENTEK egghead? I'm a civic doctor, nothing more, nothing less."
The Major reply, but using a much deeper voice that Ragland could recognize immediately, "Nice to meet you too doc"
The doctor blinked, "Mercer?"
Almost immediately a wave of tendrils appear before the Major's human face is instantly wash away by the black and red tendrils across his body and reveal his true colour; Alex J Mercer. Though Ragland had seen him change many times and are not afraid of the present of the Blacklight Virus and its host, he wondered how long he will be remained useful to the Blacklight Virus. For the past 2 weeks, Dr Ragland try his best not to do anything that will put him in a less favourable position to be on Mercer's hit list; one method is to consider him as an ally and address him as humanly as possible, and on top of that, constantly helping the Blacklight Virus in any way possible. These three steps are the key as to how this human doctor, an ex-GENTEK scientist stayed alive far longer than a well-trained soldier who are to deploy on the Reds who had make contact with the Blacklight monster.
As Major Ryan appearances melt away and quickly replaced with those of Alex Mercer, the Blacklight Virus pulls a guilty gesture act, "In the flash"
More like in the 'flesh'. Wait, Mercer is all Biomass and all, right? Ponder Dr Ragland.
The doctor turns away from Mercer as the doctor concentration his own work, "you don't usually come here with a soldier disguise unless it is very urgent. Did something happen while you were away?"
"More or less, just so happen to have a meal that spelled 'bombing Red Zone like no tomorrow'," the Virus reply, before directing his main concern to his one and only sister, evidence as he begins to sweep his head around in search for his remaining relative, "Where's Dana?"
"I've placed her on one of the ward under a fake name," Dr Ragland reply, his sharp mind return back to the Viruses answer regarding the bombing, "and what do you mean by bombing the Reds? Are they going to drop another nuke?"
"No idea, and I'm not going to sit here and find out first hand; its darn hard to pull myself back after that nuclear explosion, so I'm not going to subject myself to another theory wherever or not I can survive another one at point-blank."
"So you enter this secure area, with military disguise in hope to evacuate? No offense Mercer, but won't it be simpler if you just leave by yourself?"
Mercer face frown, "I thought so as well, but considering Blackwatch and their stubbornness to not back off the fight, the only doctrine the Blackwatch goons has in their sleeve is to wash the Infected with fiery fury of fire; I'm guessing nuclear fire count as a good sustains to be counted as their impractical doctrine as well." When that is said and done, Dr Ragland opens his mouth to ask Mercer how would he know but Mercer beat him to it "the whole Blackwatch thing is real by the way, majority of this black asshole are now part of me after all."
Ah yes, the whole 'I eat you and gain your memory thingy' which Mercer had a habit for of late. Hell, if he happens to eat Elvis he would even sing like Elvis. "And you can't stop it?" Dr Ragland turns with a worried look.
"Unless I'm getting lighter at each person I consume I had or somehow found a way to spore Blacklight wings shape like a demonic creature, then maybe I could fly up the stratosphere and stop it from dropping."
"Well surely the men behind the desk are merely jester about it; there is almost 3 Company of US Army personal on this island alone, dropping a nuke will not be much favourable at all"
Mercer frowns even more, "Randall thought the same, but that didn't stop him from executing Operation Firebreak on Manhattan Island in hope to wash everything and start over. I risk myself to dump the active nuke away from the island, but not before it claimed me. It took me HOURS to heal over a bloody mess that represent nothing more but primeval ooze. This time they decide to drop an unholy package all the way up in the clouds and we are still talking as if the bomb isn't coming at all."
Dr Ragland sense Mercer's entire body tenses up, giving the human doctor a clear clue that Mercer really means it. "Go get Dana; I'll go pack my things before meeting you outside"
"Which ward?"
"3rd floor on the right wing, I gave her signature name as Samantha White"
Mercer crocks an eyebrow, "Samantha White?"
"Yes," Dr Ragland replies, "Y-You don't like that name?"
"I have nothing against the name, I so happen to consume her a couple of days ago." the monster name Zeus confess, pulling an innocent look at the doctor before forming his disguise as he walk out of the room.
The African-American doctor could only pull a poker face before placing his hand on his face.
Mercer, under the disguise of Major Ryan walks to his escort who is still waiting outside the morgue. Apparently the escort is rather paranoid regarding the corpse inside the morgue who died naturally or killed by bullet wound would suddenly rose up again as the Infected, only several brave autopsy doctors and sick necrophilia jerks would come down here. Mercer under Major Ryan disguise could only chuckle at their own paranoid thoughts. The disguised ranking officer turn his attention to Captain Rahm Edward, who is also happen to be with the escort, "Have two men protect this civic doctor name Ragland; he is an ex-GENTEK scientists, he could proof useful to Red Crown."
"Understood sir, mark as high priority?"
Mercer consider his choice, "No, but let's not lose the man. I want him in and out in this wood works in one piece, hoorah?"
"HOORAH!"
"Good," the disguise major concluded. He moves forward a few steps forward before he turns around, "Captain Rahm."
The young man noticed his calling; sharply salute in respond, "sir?"
"I need someone to help me navigate through the wards. And I have full confident that you know this place more than I do. You're with me"
"Sir yes sir."
"Also, find this woman named Samantha White; something about her didn't sit me right."
"I shall dispatch two more for the woman in question. What will you do once you find her?" Captain Rahm asked
"Just a hunch Captain Rahm," The disguise Major reply, "Just a hunch"
Several More Minutes Later... Outside of St. Paul Hospital...
Under the command of Major Ryan, the 15th Reserve Company has pull everyone from the hospital including the civic doctors whom formerly working on a rundown hospital to the GENTEK egghead that has occupied the entire top floor for some unknown experiments. None of the soldiers knows what those scientists are doing, with only a handful of them got some kind of idea what those egghead are really doing. The GENTEK scientists all goes on-board the military truck with a few soldiers sitting at the rear as their only form of protection. It's not easy to rally the egghead though, the scientific men and woman who had caught up with their work would urge the soldiers who intrude to scram or to buzz off, and only when the good Captain's patience snapped that allows these scientists to rally down the hospital ground (but not after firing his M16 in the air at the ceiling and threaten to leave all of them here for either the Infected or the bomb to kill them off)
Civic doctors who had work in the hospital are also shove into the military truck the same manner as the GENTEK egghead, except they are much more cooperative than the scientist themself. The soldiers help a number of those doctors on-board the truck before placing themselves at the rear the same manner as the GENTEK scientists, but the disguised Major Ryan has placed these civilian doctor with great importance than the scientist themselves, purely because of Dr Ragland is on that very truck as well as a number of civic doctors who are no more than victims to work in a rather stressful working condition. The soldiers question why such treatment to outweighs between the doctors who work in the hospital and the GENTEK scientists who is practically are paying money to the US Army for protection service. If there is a single brain cell in any of the uniform soldier standing in the field that asked this question, it's because the doctors are risking his own health and safety to help the soldier fight better should they get hurt, and the scientist simply begging for protection and offer no help other than giving plenty of zeroes in the soldiers payslip, provided the soldier live long enough to cash in.
Mercer under the guise of Major Ryan, watch as the last GENTEK scientist board into the military truck; his eyes narrow at the truck as he completely submerge his thoughts on how to kill all those fucking egghead while still under the guise of Major Ryan. His instinct mostly groan the prospect of feasting their flesh, but if Mercer did that, his disguise will be in ruin, not to mention endangering both Dr Ragland and his only human sister, Dana.
Speaking of which, Captain Rahm has located this Samantha White as Mercer... err Major Ryan has requested. Immediately the disguised soldier walk towards the still form of woman, in bed and still comatose after what MOTHER did to her. The disguise Blacklight monster harden face grew soft seeing his only family member related to him is still safe. He wants to hug her, to hold her hands, anything to get physical contact to her. For Mercer, being with Dana makes him human again, and not the monster everyone would flee upon.
His hand did not move forward as he had initially believe, thanks to his own intuition and the small fact that he really is a monster, no matter how hard he tries to hide. He had killed many in order to know the truth; didn't like it. He tries to find someone to blame for this catastrophe event; he is the cause. He tried killing anyone and anything that dare pull Dana Mercer from him; he brought trouble with him.
Alex J Mercer is to blame, not only because the old Alex Mercer causes the Penn station outbreak, but also the countless life he took as the resurrected Blacklight monster.
"Sir?" a voice calls out, pulling the disguise Mercer back to reality, "we have found the woman in question, what is with her that draws your attention?"
Should I, or shouldn't I? Ponders Mercer; his thoughts drift for a moment as he consider his option to either reveal her identity or not.
"Sir?"
I could gamble at fate, but not at the expense of my sister. What would she say? What would I say?
"Sir, are you okay...?"
"Yes... Yes I'm fine." the disguise Blacklight monster reply, "Good job at finding Dana Mercer"
The soldier who brought the comatose woman is shocked, even Captain Rahm who stood beside the disguise Major blink in disbelieve. Red Crown must have giving them a short briefing regarding Alex's younger sister, judging by their reaction. However, these soldiers must have been misinformed judging by their expression, probably thinking she would be holding herself alongside Zeus deep inside the Reds where no military could get her pass the Blacklight monster.
"Should... should we call Red Crown about this sir?" one of the excited soldier asked, thinking about the bounty no doubt.
"No, not yet" Major Ryan quickly replies, "Remember that Zeus has consume many of our battle brothers and are most likely to have every single secure channel to date. Alerting our hold on our target will likely rouse the monster to hunt us down. We'll have to secure her long enough to make our escape before contacting Red Crown on our little POW. Captain, inform the man that we have Dana Mercer, our secondary objective, but also order them not to relay any information to Red Crown just yet. We will inform them once we are out of dodge"
"Understood sir" Captain Rahm nodded as well as the collection of soldiers who is curious regarding the recent 'capture' of Dana Mercer, "We'll be as quiet as a mouse before the day ended."
"Good, I expect everyone to obey these simply orders; god knows what will happen if Zeus hear wind about this."
The mutual feeling is equally the same for Captain Rahm and his band of soldiers, but what is more horrifying in reality is that the very person who issue these command is Mercer himself, and the man underneath the image of Major Ryan couldn't help but to smile at his own plan.
Good, the soldiers believe every single word I said, the rest should be easy, take the troops across the bridge, disappear for a while and ensure Dr Ragland and Dana got into hiding on mainland. I doubt Dr Ragland will be staying long after he reach mainland though.
That's so sad; we could use the fat black human as an information agent until his usefulness comes to an end.
I am not going to kill or consume Dr Ragland, and that's final.
Humans are selfish beings; they work for their own benefit, they outperform fellow companion for power and they cheat at any given time, humans are just a lowly creature to us, nutrient for our everlasting hunger
I told you that this discussion is over; I will not scoop low and start killing the only allies I have working for me. If they have outlived their usefulness I will see to it myself.
Typical, trusting your humanity when you are no less a monster you yourself has wrought. Still, the matter stand neutral regarding these GENTEK geeks; how shall we dispose of them while still under this disguise?
Good question, thought Mercer; he could accuse the nearby soldier or the geek scientist to be the target, but he needs tangible solution than mere finger pointing.
Finger pointing, hmm…
As the collective soldiers prepare to leave the fortification taking no heed at the distracted Major, Mercer with his disguise still up look at his own hand, one of his fingers morph into a claw-like appendage, just as long as middle finger with greenish ooze freely flowing down at the very tip of the claw. The greenish substance flow down to Mercer's hand without harm, but when the liquid drip down and make contact to the asphalt, a low hiss can be heard. This is Carnage notorious poison in which I've obtain through consumption; I wonder what will happen when I poke a poor soldier with it?
Should we experiment it? I wager a soldier will go mad, considering how irrational that red Symbiote monster was.
Mercer with Major Ryan innocent looks decided to call one of the collection bands of man with guns to answer his calling. Time to test it out, thought Mercer, "Soldier,"
"Sir?"
Hmm, Private First Class Leeran Donald, tag number G117826, alias Trickster, Mercer narrow his eyes as he examine his subject in question; the memory of the consumed Major Ryan Shepherd hammered Mercer's mind again as a subject he eyed upon flashes briefly regarding Leeran's recruitment. So it isn't a big surprise that the man stand before Mercer bear the same name, tag number and facial detailed nailed to the last pin. He is called Trickster by one of the KIA or MIA superior of the 15th Reserve Troop Company due to his hazardous trigger-finger upon his foe. Interesting fact; Blackwatch has an eye on him, "One of those egghead wants more men to protect them in that truck; pick 2 of your buddies and join those geek will you?"
"Yeah… better than being in front of the battalion dealing the horde of horrors. Sigh…" Leeran Donald reply with irritated attitude, before promptly apologies, "I-I mean not that I…umm…"
Trickster it is; if I was myself I would show him a trick or two to fly without wings over hundreds of stories high building, thought Mercer.
"You wanted reputation to live through the worse, I can tell. Just don't ever catch me hearing you say that again." Major Ryan stated, before giving the soldier a well deserve pat at his shoulder, "Get out of here."
He follows the Major short chuckle, before the soldier in question leave with a sore shoulder after a friendly pat by the man himself, little did the poor soldier knows that the foreign agent has already intrude into his body. "Whatever sir," Leeran whispers under his breath.
Operation Purifier Commence in T-minus 2 and a half hour…
"Okay, let's move this walking buffet and out of the Reds!" Captain Rahm yells over, sitting at the turret mounted on the Humvee, "Major Ryan, the command is all yours!"
Major Ryan nodded at Captain Ryan as he sat inside the M1 Abram heavy armoured tank, shutting the hatch tightly. Once inside, he glare at 3 men driving this tank with him, and upon shutting the hatch, Major Ryan arms erratically transform into the black and red tendril complete with hook-like appendages and stabs all three pilot at the head who were too clueless at their surroundings; one through the back of his skull and another pass through her ear. By the time the last human pilot notice a loud gagging sound from his teammate, he too were stab violently into the eye and through at the back of his skull. This is how Mercer pilots the tank; killing the human pilot inside the tank and take control of the armoured coffin. To his credit however, once he kills his collective human pilot, the black tendril that remain hooked inside the deceased pilot skull actually become Mercer's additional appendages as the tendrils send in nerve information to the deceased pilot mashed brain, allowing the dead pilot to… pilot the armoured tank as if they were still alive, but twice as fast. What's more, this allows Mercer a full control of the tank mechanism that would normally require a strict command to execute per second.
"This is Major Ryan to all Reserve Company," Mercer begins, his lips creep upward, "follow my lead and make sure none of you are left behind; we are not going to pick up any straggles once we move out into the Reds, do you understand me?"
"SIR YES SIR!" a roar of chorus soldier responds bravely.
"Good, here is the plan; we have three exit, one is difficult than the other; we will move south of Manhattan Island where the least resistance are, and break pass the mob of Infected along the way. It is also the closes exit under 15 minutes time. If the south bridge is out, than we will have to fight our way toward the south east bridge, where resistance is high with Infected. The last exit is right inside the Red, directly east of us. There will be no guarantee any of you will survive pass through that bridge, as the path is FUBAR. Pray to god we do not use the latter option"
Something tells me that the east bridge will be likely the path we will use…
Mercer didn't like his instinct saying bad omen, but something about it tells Mercer that the east bridge is going to be their only way out. "Any questions? Good, I'll be on Oscar Mike, Alpha Company, move out!"
A mass collection of engine roars for the first time within the Reserve Company, and the first 3 Humvee break out from the safety of the hospital fortification and open fire at the Infected, providing covering fire for 3 more Humvees to move out to take point and escorts the two military trucks into the road. The civic doctors and the GENTEK egghead gasp aloud whenever the driver makes a hard turn, and their scream is all but silent compare to the blazing firearms and roaring engine which races towards the south of Manhattan Island. Mercer, who is inside the armoured tank exit alongside 3 other armour tank also roar out of the fortification, with one of the heavily armoured tank stops and assist the three Humvee with its mighty cannon against the mass mob of Infected. The rest of the Humvee follows behind the tank Mercer pilot, protecting their 'temporary' leader with a series of suppression fire and missile launched against the collected mass of horrors. As soon as the last Humvee exit out the base leaving it bare for the Infected to lay claim, the last three Humvee and armoured tank joins Major Ryan's group as the rear guard. Captain Rahm's Humvee is actually in front of Mercer, aiding the disguise Major without knowing the monster behind the human mask.
"Captain Rahm, position you and your men in front of the group," Major Ryan radio in, "we need to break through anything that is not human that would stands in our way!"
"Roger that, driver, get us in front of group!"
With that order confirmed Captain Rahm's Humvee drove pass the two trucks and joins the first three Humvee in front of the group as ordered.
Let's hope our little stunts didn't alert that Blackwatch bitches. Mercer wishfully thinking.
Meanwhile… Somewhere on the mainland, Military occupied building, unknown location…
"Sir, we have movement report from the 15th Reserve Company." One of the officers on the control panel report in, "…and they are not responding to any radio signal."
"Not responding? Are their equipment down?"
"Not sure sir, but they are moving with military trucks with armour protection. Did any of us issue a retreat?"
"None of us did sir," the first officers respond, "could it be Zeus's work?"
The older, Mexican officer rub his chin with narrow eyes staring at the screen, "check for any record of any military being mobilize a search before their sudden movement."
"Roger, standby." The younger officer reply, typing the keyboard at rapid success, "Sir, one entry pop-up; Field Commander Mark Anderson had issue a search-and-rescue mission to extract any survivors on the Daily Bungle garrisons. The commander appointed Major Ryan Shepherd for this operation."
"Hmm… Is it possible for the rescue team to move further west, had there be no survivors on the Daily Bungle?" the Mexican officer asked, needed further detail on this assessment.
"Negative sir; Field Commander Mark Anderson place a detail instruction to make a quick survey for survivors, and return to base immediately without delay."
"Then that possibility is neglected." The man reply, continue to rub his chin, "What about Zeus? Any possible contact?"
"I believe so, though not entirely sure; the rescue team did in fact encounter Zeus, but the target disappears thereafter. There is no other report further on," The third who worn a spec, older than the first two report, which the higher officer replies, "Define 'disappear'"
"Surviving members of Mayor Ryan Shepherd platoon stated that Zeus moves in, mow down a number of troops before he ran to the roof and disappeared. The soldier in question is long believed to have died in duty, as the infected monster on the Reds swarm the rescue team shortly thereafter."
The Mexican officer nod slightly, "And what of Mayor Ryan Shepherd?"
"Unknown sir, radio contact with the Mayor has been static thus far," The first one officer reply turning his attention to the higher ranking field marshal, "or he could have been consumed by Zeus and took off."
"That possibility is very likely; I want all possible channels from the 15th Reserve Company, including secured frequency. If Zeus thinks he can hitch a ride off the island, he had one thing coming. Get me Shaw Industries; tell them we have a deal."
Red Zone Manhattan Island, Operation Purifier Commence in T-minus 2 hours
Zeus under the human guise curses silently shortly after they have reached the southern bridge. As luck would have it, the south exit bridge has been destroyed by the infighting between the Infected and the military garrison outpost here. Apparently the bridge is overwhelmed by the Infected, and the military had to abandon post and destroy the southern bridge using authorized artillery bombardment with A10 Strike Bird to avoid any Infectee to escape. This leave Mercer, under the guise of Major Ryan to redirect military forces under his wing to the southeast bridge, the entire forces are currently hugging at the side road and none wanted to venture into the urban area populated by hungry mutated freaks. So far the 15 Reserve Company has lost 5 Humvee and 1 armour tank to the Infected. While Zeus didn't care about the welfare of the military men, someone else does.
Captain Rahm still can't shake his mind off the screaming comrades he heard through the radio, a pled for help. Over the course on defending the St. Paul Hospital for only a week he had grown to appreciate the men he work with, even if half of the men are socially psychopath who wanted nothing more than to shoot something that resemble human being. Most of the time Captain Rahm will pray for god to have mercy to those who serve and to those who are plague by this unknown disease, despite not being religious himself. Perhaps it's because a good number of civic doctors who are religious in nature would silently pray to god to those who are badly infected and have Captain Rahm be their executioner. It pains the good captain that these lost men would be willingly open their radio channel to radio in for help, screaming that the infected had cornered them, before an inhuman shriek ended their communication. It goes even more surreal when a heavily armour tank turn turtle thanks to the emergence of the Hydra underneath it, slamming and crushing the other 2 Humvee before the giant monster tentacle creature attack the turtled tank, with their pilot, again pleading for assistance. The Major said they can't do anything about them, and move forward to the next checkpoint with great haste. Their highest priority is to escape with the civic doctors and the GENTEK scientist; everything else is expendable.
Captain Rahm never like it when 'everything else is expendable' is included in their combat code. He wished military life would be simpler.
The 15th Reserve Company continue to move forward, ramming into derelict cars and trucks to make way for the crucial mission priority target to zoom by, and occasionally rams into some wondering infected monsters as well. The men on top of the gun turret open fire at the incoming assault of infected while the man inside the Humvee tries to make matters count by firing their own weapon at their passenger sit. The tactic work against the incursions on Iraq or Egypt, and this tactic works relatively well here, though the fearless and mindless enemy didn't actually quite mind at all, so long as they could sink their teeth in into the human flesh. M1 Abram also has its fair share of extinguishing anything that resembles a human corpse to ashes with its powerful cannon blast, but the tank pilot didn't feel as much satisfaction to target the Infected Civilians or Walkers though, as they find much more fulfilment to use such an overpowered cannon against much more monstrous creature that came running at all four legs.
"Major! The Infected Hunter is coming towards priority target!" one of the Humvee driver scream out through the radio, "We can't stop them with our .50 Cal machine gun!"
"What of about those TOW missiles you're all are carrying!?" Mercer screams back at the radio.
"Spent!"
"Damnit!" Mercer cursed aloud, turning the main cannon turret towards the nearest Hunter that manages to break into their protective defensive line. Mercer blinked when his target is being blocked by another Humvee, TOW launchers also spent.
Alex Mercer almost feels sorry for what his going to do. Almost.
"S-Sir… what are you doing!?" the driver that blocked Mercer's view radio in, seeing as the turret has now move away from the urban surrounding towards the Humvee he is driving, targeting the speeding Hunter.
"Humvee C67," Mercer identified through the visor on the cockpit, "it is good serving with you."
"W-Wait! We can still move out of the way! Don't open fire-!"
Too late.
Mercer pressed the trigger button, firing its munitions cargo out of the cannon barrel, which slams and penetrates Humvee C67, likely to kill 7 passengers of well-trained US Army personnel, dragging the cripple Humvee out of place before the wreaking Humvee slams against the speeding Hunter hard to the far side of the street. The Hunter growl angrily as the heavy piece of vehicle that is once useable to human being has pin the pinkish creature down, allowing Mercer to fire again it's devastating payload against the growling Hunter. After a couple more munitions fired, the Infected monster lay dead with little remains to be identified, and the passenger inside Humvee C67 is nothing more but a pool of red blood, with occasional limb from anyone of the 7 passenger. Mercer didn't feel any remorse about it or his zombified 3 pilot he is controlling, but that did not stop others to question Major Ryan why he did that; it's technically friendly fire, something that even the military cannot forgo.
To Mercer, Humvee C67 is in his way, and he need to kill that monster before it reach Dr Ragland and his sister. To others, that's friendly fire, and they all agree that Humvee C67 could have move out if the Major had given time sparing them from the wrath that came out from the mighty M1 Abram cannon barrel.
Radio chatter regarding Mercer's action is far more annoying than the voices of hundreds or thousands of slain voices he had consume, plus his damn instinct keeps on bugging him to no end. At least none of them screams aloud as death are imminent.
Oh wait, that just so happen to be Humvee C67 last yell. Well at least their voice won't be in his damn head all the time, thank you oh so very much.
"Keep moving people, the timer isn't going to stop unless we plan to have a picnic site on our grave; move it!" Mercer bellows.
Grunts and moan aside, at least the soldiers did as the Major wanted them to. As for Captain Rahm, however, the man simply clutches his fist hard inside the comfort of his own Humvee unit, supressing any anger he had in him.
It will not go well in the long run, reminded Rahm Edward.
Inside the military truck where the GENTEK personal convoy sardine themselves inside these uncomfortable truck that bumps, shake and violent steering, Private First Class Leeran Donald is experiencing a haze of unknown probation, gripping his weapon, a shotgun, so tightly as if it is his only comfort. The soldier in question begins to hear voices in his own mind, impending to acknowledge that insanity is threatening his own motivation. While the scientist makes no effort to notice the young man trouble with any effect other than hugging themselves and an empty promise for higher pay check, Leeran's comrade however does, and approaches the man in question.
"Dude, you okay?" the soldier who sits at the opposite of Leeran, a blonde woman, who is also been assign to protect the GENTEK personal asked, "you look like shit."
Leeran try to grasp reality, he shut his eyes and tightly gripping his weapon, "I…I don't feel good… voices… on my head…"
"Hang on man," the other soldier gesture, trying to comfort the man by placing his hand on his shoulder lightly, "We're going home, no more fighting. Just hang in there."
Leeran begin to hear voices so loud he loose the grip of his weapon and clutches onto his head, the voices is so great that if feels like his brain is trying to get out of his head. The blonde woman approaches him when Leeran shout a warning, "Don't. Touch. Me."
"O-okay, just tell me what you had just now, food description." The woman tries to help, probably some kind of food poisoning.
Leeran continue to struggle, his head feels heavier as each passing minute, "Some… some MRE… and… bake… bake beans…"
"We all have MRE and bake beans, and none of us had any food poisoning. You probably have massive migraine for all we know," the soldier next to Leeran reply, pulling out a bottle of aspirin from the side of his pocket, "here, have these pills, it'll make the pain go away until we are clear."
Leeran snatch the bottle and doze it all into his mouth, much of the other soldier's horror. Leeran gives a relieving sigh after it gulp down all the content into his belly. With the pill down his throat and the bottle falls off from his hand, Leeran Donald tries to stay relax so that the medicine would work its way into his digestive system to eliminate whatever problem he has hammering his head.
It didn't help; instead of making it better, it grew worst.
The voices in his head screamed at the highest volume, causing Leeran to clutch his head once more, the scream is horrifying familiar; it's a human scream, a scream of death, bloody bellow that would fit perfectly in hell. Leeran begin to sweat, uncontrollable cold sweat down his forehead, his eyes feels like popping out after like an eternity of staring at the sun. Then the inhuman shriek slam into his brain, and an image of a beast flooded into his mind; he can actually see the layout of the monster even when he shut his eye tight. The beast's face is unfamiliar, not one of those Infected monster, but a beast nonetheless, with its blood red face, razor sharp uneven teeth and two digit eyes staring back at Leeran. The eye is so big it is practically half of the head, laughing, screeching and shrieking.
Leeran eyes suddenly shot open and glare around, his teeth clutches together tightly and held his weapon at his surroundings. His eyes glow yellowish for some unknown reason, and that didn't say much for the people who sat so close to him.
The worse is yet to come.
What Leeran sees with his own eyes is completely alien; standing so close to him, even sitting beside him are not his comrades, but Infected monsters. They are so close and idle at the moment. Leeran turn and glare his surrounding, expecting his comrades or that GENTEK scientist to be at his side. No. All he sees are the Infected monster donning military uniform and scientist wardrobe. One of them got close to Leeran, its clawed hand approaching Leeran, unknown ooze drip from the tip of the claw.
Leeran scream at the highest volume his lungs could exhale.
"What the fu-?!" the blonde woman exclaim, and before she knows it, Leeran use his shotgun and blow her head clean off with his weapon. Her body tumbles down, lifeless.
Other soldiers reacted to Leeran uncalled for assault, and paid the price for it; Leeran swirl to the side, blasting the soldier next to him, goring out his inners with the first shot, before firing at his head. Another soldier came from behind Leeran grapple his from behind, but the madden soldier head bump the rear soldier to the face, loosening its grip and allowing the completely insane soldier to turn around, shove the shotgun barrel down his throat and open fire. The last soldier drew his weapon out, aiming at Leeran and shouting warning speeches to the enrage soldier. Leeran can't understand what the soldier spat out, because to him, all he heard is the monster in front of him roaring with dissatisfaction. Leeran swing his weapon around and uses his shotgun like a club and hit the last soldier to the head, before readjust back to his grip and shoot the last soldier's hand off, tearing an entire shoulder off him. The last soldier screamed in pain, but his scream is finally silent when Leeran fires the final shot, tear his head off like he did with all three soldiers. The GENTEK scientist screamed and wail aloud and Private First Class Leeran Donald smile evilly at them.
"We heard shots fired at priority target, GENTEK convoy! Someone check that out!" a radio transmission quickly pierces into Mercer's ear. And for once, he is happy that the Symbiote virus has its uses after all. To further prove that the infected soldier has done well, the military truck that is carrying the GENTEK personal swirl to the side and slam right into the building. The truck did not explode upon impact.
Ehehehe, looks like someone is doing our little errand flawlessly.
"Perhaps," Mercer replies to himself, "but I wonder what will happen next?"
Either we intervene or we can have the military do the work for us. It's naturally our calling.
Mercer rub his chin; he could do it himself, pointing the main cannon at the truck, or he could have the human soldiers to investigate and then have them destroy it. The options are very much in Mercer's hand.
Knowing that Mercer had just performed a friendly fire earlier today, performing another friendly fire may set off a bad rap. And this would allow the man under his wings to turn against Mercer.
Not wanting to risk Dr Ragland and Dana, Mercer put up his acting performance once again, "This is Major Ryan, I want troops to take five and investigate what the hell is going on at priority target! If there is something not human in there, you are clear to use any means necessary to root it out."
"Sir Yes sir!" a chorus of positive comment echoed into Mercer's ear.
Oh well, at least it's not a wailing scream of death that always plays in repeat in Mercer's head.
The moving armour group stops just a stone throw away from the southeast bridge and a number of troops are deployed from the Humvee to investigate what had happen. Captain Rahm is among one of them, ready to pull his men out if it really is an infected monster that is raging inside the truck. How did it manage to get in, wondered Rahm Edward, did the monster found itself to be invisible? No, that kind of monster would never exist.
Though their suspicion regarding their impenetrable defence would slip in by an Infected monster are not confirm, let alone true, they did however find another type of monster; a human monster. Captain Rahm and his man gasp as Private First Class Leeran Edward snarl aloud with weapon in his hand and his entire body is covered in blood both the scientist and his comrade in arms. Bodies with shotgun wound would hurl a man to throw up whatever they just had for lunch, and Leeran Edward had that sickening grin, as if he is a sole survivor in all of this. As flashlight shots out to get a clearer picture, they had notice why the driver went out of control; Leeran had just killed the man on the front sit with blade in hand, but that is not what surprises them.
What truly surprises them is how Leeran's eyes glow at the dark in its yellowish colour.
"More has come…" Leeran snarl, growl and snickers, "…more infected to kill!"
"Leeran! Put down your weapon!" Captain Rahm ordered.
"SILENCE! STOP YOUR PATHETIC ROARING YOU MANGY CUR! I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!" Leeran bellow a bloody battlecry-like roar, hurling his shotgun at Captain Rahm's direction as well as the rest of the investigation squad.
"Leeran went berserk! Open fire!" Captain Rahm commanded, and soon enough all investigation team aim their M16 and open fire against Leeran, reducing the insane human into nothing more but bloody corpse that would put Swiss cheese to shame. To add chilling terror that would make the back hair raise, Leeran final breath was him laughing, laughing even when he is being choked by his own blood. The sickening grin on Leeran face is enough to spread terror among the group as it is.
Red Zone Manhattan Island, Operation Purifier Commence in T-minus 1 hour…
"Leeran went berserk! Open fire!" the radio transmit into Mercer's head piece confirm Carnage's venom property; a single dose of this poison would drove a man mad. He is glad to isolate Carnage's venom property DNA before his own Blacklight Virus would break it down into nothing more than a few drop of saliva. Being a theorise man himself, the so called 'Poke' ability would prove helpful to sway people's attention away from Mercer rather than just simple pointing a finger at a clueless soldier from afar. The downside is that the effect is very slow, probably due to the venom had to infect the nerve system and the brain, working its way up slowly but with much greater result. Also, if Mercer would invest his biomass to this ability much further, he could perform an even more devastating effect, and as a man of science himself, he had a lot of time to experiment it.
He wondered however, if it would apply to walking corpses as well, especially the Infected monster. Granted the poisonous virus may not have any positive attribute that would sway the monster to attack its fellow members (as the infected are known to fight among themselves), it is still worth experimenting.
Mercer knew if he stays silent too long people will get suspicious, so donning his acting mask again, Mercer held the radio communication device and start sounding nervous, "What the heck is going on down there?"
"S-sir! Its Leeran sir! He… he went berserk and…and he… he killed the GENTEK scientist!" Captain Rahm radio in, his voice sound very shaky.
Mercer let out a serious sigh, "Great… so our priority target is long gone… looks like we'll just have to secure the civic doctors then. Are there anything salvageable?"
"Nothing we know off, that's for sure…" the good captain reply, "and sir? Leeran's eyes… they were glowing…"
Leeran's eyes are glowing? Hmm… never thought it has side effect. All the more better, thought Mercer. "I assume it must be some kind of virus strain involve, probably airborne. Has any men make physical contact with the infected soldier?"
Captain Rahm pause for a moment upon hearing his 'superior' comment; Mercer's guess is that the Captain must have shocked in horror that the previously 'touch and you die' infection is now capable of infecting humans via airborne, "N-no. No one make any physical contact with Private Leeran."
"Hmm… burn the body, make sure they are all ablaze," the disguise Major Ryan reply, "I assume you can at least do that, Captain Rahm?"
"Y-yes sir."
Mercer didn't bother to open the cockpit to take a good look at the military truck as Captain Rahm and his investigation team decides to blow it up instead of setting it ablaze. Technically it works as well, since it destroys any possible body to be collected later on by the Blackwatch or GENTEK. Mercer isn't going to risk those sons of bitches to find out about 'berserk' virus just yet, and with the timer on the clock, he might as well make the best of it.
"Okay people, tea parties over! Get to our objectives! Double the guard! Let's get our sorry ass back to inland!" Mercer yells at the radio, encouraging the men to complete the objective now. The men, in respond, are positive at best, "Hooraa!"
As the 'moveable feast' as Mercer put it starts to move out and journey towards the Southeast bridge, their escape objectives suddenly erupted with mighty explosion, rocking the group of soldiers to their seats and watch in horror as the bridge that would allow them to escape crumble before their very eyes. While the men looked in horror, Mercer, who command in the armoured tank curse aloud and violently slam his fist against the tanks armoured hull from the inside, not carrying if the dent is visible from the outside of the tank. Mercer's instinct scream in disbelieve, and the Blacklight monster himself feels like he could explode into a fitting rage.
No, thought Mercer, Dana's safety is the highest priority; I cannot jeopardize her well-being for this… inner incursion.
"Man," Mercer begins, wearing Major Ryan's face and voice again, "as bitter as it seems… we're going to the East Bridge. God help us all." Chorus of moan and groan can be heard throughout the radio communication, and Mercer also heard a few of them curse silently.
God help us all? Really? The past version of Alex Mercer had no faith in God, and this 'infected' version of Alex Mercer had little respect towards such holy deity, how in the world will God help him now? Maybe that was Major Ryan's belief, but to the Blacklight monster, God is an illusion, a being that had been told time and time again that only He could help the good and punish the evil. If that is so, why hasn't God came and save the people who isn't infected? Why hasn't God help safe his sister, who is innocent in all account? Why God allow Blackwatch perform such ghastly, self-indulge murder under His name? Why God has allowed GENTEK, who pretend to be God themselves and modified the most potent virus in existence ten times its lethalness and experiment it on innocent people? Why?
Why hasn't God stuck lightning bolt on Mercer, who is now a creature who is just as powerful as God himself?
Because God doesn't exist, dipshit.
Ah, right. Because God doesn't exist. Thank you oh so very much, instinct.
So Alex Mercer, in the tank, fixes his armoured tank position towards the urban area, which is infested by the vile creatures which MOTHER had unleashed, chainless and chaotic little bastards. The other troops driving the Humvee did the same, and none of them look too darn happy about going into a lair filled with crazies and horror monster that would come out and have you for lunch, oh joy! All remaining armour tank now takes the front row, with Mercer obviously leading the charge while Captain Rahm and his remaining men are to protect their heavily armour 'cousins' should any one of those infected survive the armoured onslaught. The military truck which holds the civic doctors from St Paul are now double the guards, after taking no chances worn their military gear gasmask and goggles. The civic doctors are also told to wear the same gasmask for fear of airborne infection, and since the civic doctor has seen what had happen to their more superior 'associate' none of them are taking any chances, including Dr Ragland.
Dana Mercer, who is still comatose beside the Dr Ragland and the other doctors help her to breathe in through the oxygen mask; it would be much cleaner than wearing the gasmask after all.
Mercer's assault is without mercy; while Captain Rahm thought the good Major would only subject its primary munitions on a much larger monster such as the Hunter or the Hydra, Rahm is blown away when cannon shots repeatedly blows bodies, asphalt, dirt and whatnot up in the air without regard at all. To most people under such situation, this action is horrendous even for a being that were once human. Soldiers would probably pity the dead for not be around to see what they have done for their country, but to Captain Rahm Edward, the major's action is no better than the monster outside of human society. Even when his Humvee is tailing behind at the rear of the armoured column, the sound of cannon shot and bodies flung up in the air disgust him.
Rahm Edward had seen so many horror in his service; his teammate got killed by landmine, being shelled by artillery, seeing his men got gun down in front of his eyes by a craze terrorist, hell, even the sight of his men plead for help as enemy tank squash him flat under its caterpillar thread. When he was assign on his particular field on Manhattan, Captain Rahm were told that terrorist has unleash a deadly strains of biohazard on American soil and the things that look like a zombie is an infected individual, and they cannot be cured, and the only way you can help them is to kill them. Rahm quench his stomach that day and the day after that. Killing what was once the people of New Yorkers means he is actually killing his own countrymen, people who he sworn to protect. A week or so later, after stomaching the stench of rotten corpse while defending St Paul, he still feels wrong killing these creatures. Some say they are liberating the infected from further torment, but killing is still killing, and Rahm almost had enough 'world tour' after this mission.
There are many Infected blocking the military path, though these hive-minded horrors are quickly squished underneath the M1 Abram's caterpillar thread or by the blinding flash of their powerful cannons, it wasn't long when dozens of Hunter soon join the fun; leaping several feet high and a high pitch roars immediately signal their arrival as they dive in against the human escapees. Alex Mercer calmly controls the tank's main turret movement without flinching at the monsters arrival and aim precisely where the horrors would leap up. The first Hunter foolishly jump first, roaring angrily only to have its mouth rip open at the other end followed by an explosion that burst its head like firecrackers. The second one rushes in to the side, and that one got blown up by Mercer again, pinning it against the wall with the first cannon where it fall flat at the ground head first before getting crushed by the very tank Mercer drove. The third and fourth try to get past Mercer by wall-climbing at the side, but thanks to the other two tanks behind Mercer's own, the two tank fire their cannon against two separate target causing them to ricochet down to the road before Mercer's cannon roar with fiery properties. The rest of the Hunter looked at each other and flee upward, only to roar aloud at the rooftops like some sort of challenge. Having fought these beasts is entertaining at first, but now these beasts bore him, even when the odds are stack against the mighty Blacklight. Sure, they have the biomass equivalent of 10 men, but Mercer would rather fight 10 well armed US soldier than to fight a single Hunter; hunting these poor men is what he enjoys the most, especially if one of them happen to be on his hit list. Nevertheless, the remaining Hunter did not engage the rest of the human convoy, only roaring aloud with snarl and grunt. The.50 calibre auto cannon from the escort Humvee are the only thing that finally drives the beast away.
Hunters that halt their attack? Those pea brain creatures never flee, not in a way that would be possible without actually directing the beast…
Hmm… it does seemed strange, thought Mercer.
The infected civilian and Walkers however, they remain as imprudent as always, charging towards the armoured column without concerning its well-being.
Mercer shrugs at himself. Must be my imagination, thought Mercer
Blocks after blocks later, with a series of explosion erupted from the cannon barrel of the fame M1 Abram's, Mercer and the men he lead to eventually pass through the opening; out from the urban structures and into the wide area where the military installation is.
Correction; WAS.
The military installation at the east most side of the island is now completely overrun, something that had never happen in the last 3 weeks and the only thing that is keeping the infected from coming into the main structure itself is the automated turrets mounted on the roof, spending its heavy calibre munitions against the infected without the aid of the human soldiers. The outer wall is crumble, the armoured tanks and military trucks are turn to heap of scrap metal, and there is even a crashed helicopter, nosedive into the earth and bodies of countless soldiers lay on the ground dead, most are being torn up and are being slowly consumed by the infected civilian and Walkers. Mercer took a pause before he direct the company of men away from the fallen military installation, but that did not stop the men question in horror.
"Oh my god… the base..."
"They overrun it! But… but how!?"
"Good lord… those things… they are eating them…"
"This isn't real… this isn't real…"
Among the mumbles, Mercer notice that Captain Rahm wasn't among those who mumble in horror; either he had accepted it or in shock is not his concern.
What shock Mercer however is something that caught his eyes flew past him, and it's no helicopter of any kind; a flying giant humanoid robot, easily 9 or 10 feet tall flew down towards the overrun military base and starts firing some kind of beam weapon from the palm of their hands. And that tin can robot didn't come alone; a sizeable number of these metal titans flew down, rockets for a feet land soundly on the ground, with a robotic and sarcastic tone, "DESTROY!" and begin raining down beam weapon against the infected. The infected, notice the arrival of these mechanical being begin to swarm the monstrous metal being, only to have the metal robot crushing them like they were some kind of fragile children's toy. The metallic roar and their robotic tone serve like a big siren to be alerted and attracted, even the Hunters, whom previously attack the military convoy are alerted by the titan robotic roar and in respond roars aloud before joining the fight. The metallic being, notice the fast approaching Hunters tries to counter its approach, but the Hunters are much faster as it ran on all four, ignoring the human convoy lead by Mercer and charge through towards the walking towering behemoth. One of the Hunters manage to get close to the giant being and ram its entire body against the leg, quickly destabilize any balance the giant metallic walker had before and crashed down. The later Hunter jumps onto the giant behemoth being and begin tearing the heap of metal with its mutated claws, pulling circuitry and metallic heap of engine out. The rest of the giant behemoth, notice the threat the Hunter represents begin to systematically go after the mutated Redlight creature. The Hunters, roaring aloud in triumphs, lead the rest of the pack towards the metallic being, where the giant robot fire beam weapons again, repeating the same phrase, "DESTROY! DESTROY! DESTROY!"
Mercer had never seen military weapon this advance before, and he thought the Thermobaric Tank is the only weapon platform he had ever seen to be field on Manhattan. Is this the next big thing? Is this what S.H.I.E.L.D technology is?
One of the men, which Mercer presumes to have seen the thing before, cried out aloud like a cheer, "It's the Sentinels! The Mutant Hunting Sentinels! They must have been activated by Shaw Industries!"
"You mean THE Shaw Industries? I thought they were defected!"
"I guess the rumour of some secret bunker hidden inside New York City is true then!"
Mercer grins slightly, gaining Intel regarding this… Sentinel being and their origin, though for some reason the consumed Major Ryan had no idea what Sentinels are, probably because he wasn't involve? He should have, but every time Mercer digs in into his memory (after hearing his tormented nerve-wreaking death scream again), Mercer can conclude that Major Ryan had no knowledge of this metallic being. This gives Mercer even more option to investigate about these Sentinels, but for whatever reason Mercer didn't want to tangle with the Sentinel just yet; he had priorities, and that priority overrule his most primal instinct. Putting his Major Ryan's face and voice again, Mercer give a small speech, "Well, whatever those things are, those tin cans came at the nick of time. Alright men, it's time we get the dodge and fuck out of here!"
The man respond, cheerfully this time a confirm roar, "OORAA!"
Mercer once again leads the human convoy towards their objective, but this time a couple of Sentinels, appeared out of nowhere, land beside the human convoy and begin to escort them towards the only bridge not destroyed while destroying the Infected with their beam weapon from their robotic palm. While the men all give applaud for how awesome those giant robots are, somehow Mercer didn't like it, even his primal instinct agrees with Mercer. More clearing later (and more monster horror got fried by the Sentinel's wrathful beam weapon) the military human convoy eventually reach towards the last bridge that is not yet being destroyed, and man, it is THE most secure bridge Mercer had seen; cannon turret accompany with auto cannon turret, SAM site, four Thermobaric tank, an entire regimen of US Marines and half a dozen Sentinels. The Blacklight monster didn't like this setup at all, since it also comes with a dozen of flying drone detectors, the Virus Detector and a platoon of bloody Blackwatch Super Soldier.
You know what? Earlier before when Mercer monologue that he would prefer to fight 10 well-armed humans instead of a Hunter? He takes it back; he prefers fighting a 10 Hunter for a SINGLE BLOODY BLACKWATCH SUPER SOLDIER.
"WARNING! OPERATION PURIFIER WILL BE COMMENCE IN 30 MINUTE; ALL PERSONEL EVACUATE THE IMMEDIATE AREA EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY!" the loudspeaker roars aloud, and a great number of US Marine stop and drop whatever their doing and board into many transport to retreat back to mainland, via land, air and sea. The incoming military convoy however are not allowed to pass, since none of them were ordered to move out of their garrison and to stay put on St. Paul garrison outpost.
And the people who are guarding the bridge that leads to a wide entrance towards the mainland? One Thermobaric Tank, half a dozen Blackwatch Super Soldiers and two Sentinels.
Mercer bit his lower lips, and he didn't mind biting it through.
One out of the half a dozen Blackwatch Super Soldier guarding the bridge notice the incoming convoy and begin to walk towards it, carrying out the detector device from his side pockets as he walks towards the leading military convoy and begin questioning the most upfront tank, which belongs to Mercer… shit. "Name, Rank, which platoons are you in, and what is your immediate operation?" the Super Soldier radio in.
Alright, play it cool, no detector can identify me while I'm inside the tank, thought Mercer, "I'm Major Ryan Shepherd, former commander of B-Company. I am now leading these men, the 15th Reserve Company, safety across the bridge and into mainland."
The Blackwatch Super Soldier did not look amuse, noticing that the good Major did not introduce himself humanly by stepping out of the tank, "B-Company?" he muffled, "Report says here you guys did not make it."
"My men did not make it." Mercer, wearing the Major's face and voice reply, "I had to fight my way to the last military stronghold."
Again, the Blackwatch Super Soldier did not look amuse, the super soldier keep on staring back to the tank and to the device on his hand, "Get out of the tank."
Those four words strike Mercer like several ballistic missiles that jam right into his chest. He can't get out, because if he does, the Blackwatch Super Soldier will quickly identify him, which would mean Dr Ragland will be in danger, and his sister…
Oh god, his sister…
"Get out of the tank, now"
It wasn't an order at all, it was a demand, and Alex Mercer didn't want to, he can't, if he comes out of the tank, he'll be quickly be identified as Zeus, then his sister is in danger. And if he does anything drastic, his sister will take the blunt of the burden. Any available option will lead to the death of his sister! He can't allow that to happen!
"Get. Out. NOW!"
"Oh for Fu-"
"Stand down Brother Lieutenant," a familiar voice, muffled by the sound of the tank engine, but still audibly familiar voice that Major Ryan could identify, calls out from the outside. A few pauses later, the radio communication gives way a familiar voice, "Ryan Shepherd? Is that you?"
"Field Commander Lieutenant Mark Anderson?" Mercer reply back through the radio device, using his consumed meal's voice.
"Good lord boy! I thought you and your company had gone to Nirvana! Brother Lieutenant, you are relieved of your post, and have the entire military convoy past."
The Blackwatch Super Soldier seemed to have paused after hearing such orders, Mercer assume the Blackwatch Super Soldier is currently staring at the Lieutenant in disbelieve, "…But…"
"That is not a request; that is an order."
Again, the Super Soldier gives a very short pause before the man makes a grumbling reply, "…yes sir…"
With a single radio signal from the Field Commander back to Mercer, the Blacklight monster relay the 15th Reserve Company that they will be able to pass through, and the entire military convoy move forward and toward the mainland unopposed. The soldiers inside the Humvee all gives cheers that they are finally going home, safe from the infected horrors from Manhattan Island, some of which even thank the Major, who is unknown that they all serve Mercer well by bringing Dr Ragland and Dana across the Manhattan island. All personal are accounted for, including the civic doctors, Dr Ragland and Dana Mercer. Hopefully, as soon as they reach mainland, Dr Ragland will find a place for Dana on a more secure area on the mainland. All are allowed to pass through except for one; the one Mercer is in. Alex J. Mercer wanted to follow the military convoy to safety as well, but the Field Commander had other plans, "Major Ryan, come with me into the command post. There is a lot we need to talk about before we ourselves evacuate."
Mercer narrows his eyes, not out of curiosity, but out of hunger; the good old Field Lieutenant wanted to talk? Sure, why not? He could grab a snack along the way as well.
His instincts, of course, approve.
So Mercer drive his infested tank to the side, park it there neatly and absorb his 3 earlier unlucky driver before hop out of the tank, with his disguise still up and avoid eye contact at the Blackwatch Super Soldiers immediate range as well as staying away from the detectors; all these pesky and ridiculous sensors are everywhere, and a single beep means every last one of them will also beep, including those on the Blackwatch Super Soldier's uniform. Luckily, all these sensors and detectors all had pattern, and Mercer blissfully avoid them all. As Mercer is about to enter the command post, he pause and give a long stare at one of the nearest Sentinel station there, standing like a freaking statue, its head move from left to right and back. Mercer, against his better judgement approach the object, and unlike those who are built with sensors, the Sentinel looks at Mercer for a brief moment before it survey the area again.
Mental note; Sentinels are powerful metallic tin can, but their sensor is equally as useful as any other pointless tin can.
With his observation cleared, Alex, under his Major Ryan's disguise enters the command post, where Lieutenant Mark Anderson is waiting patiently; a small grin is allowed to creep onto his face as he sees Major Ryan approach him while keeping his eye on the Sentinel. Mark Anderson extends his hand, "I see you are interest on these robotic monstrosities, Major. A real sci-fi robot eh?"
"A little too much for my mind to comprehend, sir." The Major reply, shaking the Lieutenant's hand with a light grip, "I have never seen such a thing on the field before, nor hear those things capability, what are they exactly sir?"
"I supposed the man on the 15th Reserve Company may have already told you about it, major." The elderly man replies willingly, "They are Sentinels, created by Shaw Industries to put down super powered mutants in its place. Their primary function is to seek and destroy mutants, but with the right programming tool, it is now being tasked to destroy any infected individual that are affected by the Redlight and Blacklight biohazard."
"So… they have these virus sensors on that thing?" the major asked. From his knowledge, seek and destroy means the Sentinel does have sensors to identified between friend and foe. It's what they identified is what scares him
"No, but GENTEK will install that component later. Shaw Industries director, Sebastian Shaw, also known as Black King is a very sensitive men about his technology, and GENTEK is even more sensitive about their own techy." Lieutenant Mark Anderson reply back, walking side by side with the Major, "Soon, all the Sentinels will have the same sensors as most of those virus detectors scanners had, and they will all be doing one special mission; seek and destroy Zeus."
Mercer listen to the tasty information flowing freely to him, and knowing that these Sentinel maybe his future foe, he need to make certain they are actually beatable, "No offense sir," the Major quickly response, "but I have seen Zeus's capability… I had my doubt about these tin can would even make a dent on the guy who had survive a nuke."
The Lieutenant stop and wonder a bit, rubbing his chin, "So news do go faster than speeding bullet, that Zeus survive a nuclear explosion." He allowed himself to place his back against the wall, "The military and the Blackwatch tried to shut that truth away from the public, from the people, and its servicemen, that Zeus can be taken down. One tiny slip of information will likely cause morale lost to the men. Tell me, how did you hear such rumour?"
Mercer thought for a while, his pause feels like minutes, but thanks to his inhuman capability, it only seemed like seconds, "Sir, I had faced that creature myself," the Major insisted, "Not even our most powerful weapon can hurt him, let alone our cannon; the likelihood of Zeus emerge victorious from these so called Sentinels will probably ruin our image as the strongest nation in history. Surely we have something else other than Nukes and these flying heaps of metal to defeat Zeus."
The Lieutenant scratches his grey haired head, sighing heavily, "We do actually, but it is disclosed information. One is the incoming bomb that is going to level the entire Manhattan…"
Mercer narrow his eyes, I heard that the last conversation between the man who stands before me and the man I had just consume…
"…and the other is S.H.I.E.L.D."
Mercer eyes wide open, "S.H.I.E.L.D?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D stands for Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate, and they are supposingly an organized military root that combat against supernatural threats of the unknown as well as fighting terrorism and extra-terrestrial invasion. All I can tell you for sure is that they will land in a hand on our operation in the next 2 weeks for clean-up operation."
"S.H.I.E.L.D…" the disgusted major ponders, "…Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate… kinda mouthful before the change…"
The Lieutenant nodded, "I have said my piece, with a few leaked info on that S.H.I.E.L.D to you, but only because I trust you Major," Mark sling his arm and lock the Major at his side with a friendly grin, "now is your turn to tell me, how did you survive against Zeus? Very few who seen him are very unlucky son of bitch."
The Major smirk, "Well… Lieutenant…" the disgust human pause as he quickly uses his free hand and grab hold around the Lieutenant's neck, gagging him aloud and lifting the man high enough that his feet no longer touch the floor. Field Commander Lieutenant Mark Anderson continues to gag, hanging at the mercy of the Major's grasp. He attempts to kick him as hard as he could with his two free legs, but his futile attempts to break free from his 'friends' grasp only makes it worse. The Major gives an inhuman smirk, his image melts and reveal himself in front of the Lieutenant very eyes, that would make even a harden warrior flee at the sight of the Blacklight Monster, Zeus! "You see, Lieutenant… Major Ryan Shepherd… is dead…"
Red Zone Manhattan Island, Operation Purifier Commence in T-minus 15 minute…
Just as things are going well, the command post which house many veteran officers and technicians suddenly explode in a fiery globe of fire, chucks of limb flew from the point of impact, most of them are cause in flames. The respond team quickly station themselves in a divide part, awaiting the dust and debris to disperse. All the Thermobaric tanks turn their reinforce armour to the direction of the destroyed command post, its powerful main cannon aiming straight at the burning wreckage of smoke and fire. Blackwatch Super Soldiers all station there begin to fan out and each of them clutches their giant fist, ready to pound any hidden Infected they may have missed. The towering Sentinel all gaze at the spot where the once reinforced command post is, scanning for the enemy. To their disappointment, all the veteran officers and technicians are all dead.
Except for one, who stood still at the middle of the burning wreaking building.
Alex J. Mercer.
"Well now," Zeus said to himself, lips off a small trail of blood that had smudged onto Mercer's lower lips, "The Lieutenant knows so much, but not enough to complete the picture."
Hmm… but we do have knowledge that these agencies employ these 'Heroes' for them… Imagine harnessing their DNA for our purposes…
"I would rather keep myself on low profile, not to distract them to me," Zeus replied, surveying the area, "Still; I guess blowing up the generator is kinda stupid move even from me…"
So… no witnesses?
Alex Mercer brought up Hammerfist Biomass at one hand, a giant Blade Biomass at another, his entire body coat itself into a black and red bone-thick armour and his new appendages, the Tendril Spear Biomass , now on all four are summon on Zeus's back awaiting to do Mercer's bidding. The Thermobaric Tank takes aim, the Blackwatch Super Soldier scream aloud at the top of their lungs at the present of the mighty Blacklight monster and the fearless titan Sentinel ready all weapon to fight off whatever Mercer had.
"No witnesses." Mercer replied.
Chapter 05 Ends!
Preview
Chapter 06 Raven
While Mercer playing soldiers with the 15th Reserve Company, Raven and his Blackwatch Elites follows him deep inside the Red Zone to locate and destroy Zeus, only to find out that the creature is not on his usual hangout spot. Now stranded with hundreds if not thousands of Infected horrors bearing down on them, Raven lead his 'pawns' down into the hidden military installation build within the sewer, where power dub Operation Purifier will not reach them. They will be assisted by none other than the Punisher himself!
Marvel Cross Reference!
Sentinel
-DESTROY!-
Strength:
-Robot: Due to its metallic nature, the Sentinels are protected by a sheer amount of strength that resembles a fully armored tank hull. They could not be affected by emotional or mental attacks, or by illusions. However, they were susceptible to attacks affecting machinery, such as EMP.
-Energy Blast: Most Sentinels are all equipped with energy blast instead of conventional weapons. These are very lethal against any form of carbon life and powerful against most super mutant who is caught unprepared. Their energy blast may take some time to cut through steel metal though.
-Flight: Most Sentinels has these as a way of traveling long distances.
-Learning Program: A special learning program allowed a few generation of Sentinels to gain certain advantage when fighting an enemy, but only after at least one minute of analysis. This data could be stored for future use against the same enemy, so that any Sentinel from any model could access the information (and Shaw or the government could authorize the development of special weaponry). However, any needed modification would take at least one week.
-Mutant Detection: Sentinels (and its later generations) are all equip with a special sensors that can detect any super mutant amongst humans. They are however unreliable at times, especially if the mutant manage to sneak past the Sentinel.
Weakness:
-Sensitive bits: Despite being a towering behemoth that would cause panic among super mutants, they are rather fragile once you get past its armoured hull. A few twist and turn (or simply rip out a good chuck of it) will likely disable the towering goliath.
-Searchlights: Most Sentinels has these, because like human being, they cannot detect mutants who blend in among the shadows, and their searchlights are limited in term of long range observation.
History:
-Sentinels are created by a man called Dr Bolivar Trask, who later died due to his misunderstanding about mutant kind after his confrontation with Charles Xavier by the first patch of Sentinels. These titan metal humanoid are created to 'subdue mutant kind in order for Homo Sapiens to survive', and as the name suggest, protect humans from mutant 'threats'. After Dr Bolivar Trask death, Sebastian Shaw, a man who is driven after he accepted engineering and the death of his father created Shaw Industries and became a billionaire at the age of 40 and bought the rights for manufacturing the later generation of Sentinels. Despite that most of the Sentinels design is base of Dr Bolivar Trask, the Sentinel which Sebastian Shaw manufacture is far more superior, more powerful and could learn their mistakes through combat analysis. Despite so many models and different versions of Sentinel, Shaw's own metallic titans are actually no different from the original Sentinel itself via blueprint, except that instead of a more human like appearance, Shaw's own version is a metallic towering, 3 finger and an index thumb with the most basic AI that would utter no other word than the word "DESTROY!"
VS Marvel Comics:
-Between Marvel's own Sentinel and this version, the Sentinels here are actually more lethal than its counterpart. While most version of Sentinel appear human-like with pale expression and haunting eyes, this Sentinels sports red glowing eyes, metallic face, 3 digit finger and a thumb, and a nasty attitude for a beat down. Just like most Sentinels however, the robotic titan can do considerable amount of harm both humans and mutant alike, especially if the human are within the crossfire between super powered mutant and the Sentinel
Worth Taking:
-None.
Alexander J. Mercer
- What have I become? Something less than human, but also something more...-
Strength
-Shapeshifting: Alex's Blacklight infection has granted him the ability to both shapeshift and fashion his body into weapons. An example this would be his Blade resembling a giant sharp blade and his viral flesh possessing a yellow/reddish hue. His Whipfist has small razor-like blades across its spine-like form. Alex's evolved Hammerfists allow him to perform area attacks. He possesses consumption/assimilation abilities inherent in all infected creatures that allow him to take on the form and memories of any creature he consumes.
-Superhuman Strength: His incredible strength allows him to lift cars, trucks, the destroyed remains of tanks, APCs, and helicopters and throw them great, great distances. He is far stronger than any normal human or most basic Infected, able to kill a regular human with a single, glancing blow and manhandle the infectious residents of Manhattan without breaking a sweat. Alex is capable of punching holes through almost anything if necessary, including a two foot steel door.
- Superhuman Speed: Alex's speed is likewise enhanced. He can achieve running speeds surpassing any speeding vehicles and reach at the other side of the island in matter of minutes
- Superhuman Agility: He can perform amazing parkour feats such as flips and rolls and maneuvers over and around vehicles and debris with little trouble. His leg strength allows him to leap nearly ten stories into the air. Alex can run up sheer vertical surfaces and cling to walls for an indefinite period of time. Alex is also capable of gliding, by making his biomass lighter in the air and ejecting small amounts of mass for further propulsion.
- Superhuman Endurance: Mercer's endurance far exceeds that of a human's by leaps and bounds. His body no longer possesses weak bones or vital organs, rendering him immune to otherwise debilitating injury. This biological change allows him to survive falls from any known height completely unharmed. Bullets of any caliber will pass through his body, causing very little damage that heals in an instant. He can withstand direct hits from rockets, hellfire missiles and tank shells, which cause only moderate wound, like someone who throws a bottle of water at normal human being. The superhumanly strong blows of the various type of Hunters and super soldiers cause the most damage of any type of attack. His superhuman stamina allows him to be physically stayed active at all times without tire, and thus require almost to no sleep at all.
- Superhuman Senses: Alex's vision and hearing is enhanced, allowing him to see beyond the visible spectrum and hear across great distances even with physical insulation. He has thermal vision which allows him to locate heat signatures, and infected vision which can detect large concentrations of the virus. Mercer can also tap into the hive mind itself, though this will risk his own wellbeing as the hive mind are constantly flooded with hundreds, if not thousands of voices.
-Healing Factor: Alex's body has vast powers of self-regeneration. So long as he is properly nourished, Alex can restore his health and heal any wounds within moments. He can heal a small amount of his health even without consuming any creature. Examples include regenerating bullet wounds instantly after being shot, regenerating a massive hole in his face after being shot point-blank by General Randall, and reconstructing his entire physical form from non-descript piles of biomass and the biomass of a crow within minutes of being blown apart by a nuclear explosion. Alex also seems to have a robust immune system due to his ever-changing nature of the Blacklight Virus. Though unable to counter a parasite which had been introduced into his body without outside help, he gained a growing immunity to bloodtox, a sustains that was once used to combat Mercer with repeat exposure.
-Consumption: Despite that Mercer require little to no nourishment requirement like any human being, Mercer can and will consume any living being as he sees fit. If he is, in anyway hurt badly in a fight, Mercer will likely find the nearest source of nutrient to consumed, mostly human-size targets. Since Mercer no longer had any known human organ to digest by normal means (via mouth) he cannot simple chop them to pieces and munch down his foe normally. Instead, Mercer simply crushes his live meal to a matter that is easily consumed through tendrils that spore out from across his body. These tendrils will then work its way into the victim's body, digesting and consuming the victim in a goriest matter, until the said victim is gone.
-Biomass: Upon his resurrection, Alex Mercer no longer had any vital organ, but at the same time, his entire body is an organ. Dubbed Biomass, Alex Mercer can actually live without any part of his vital body parts should he sustain any form of injury, and due to this matter alone, Alex Mercer is almost near immortal to human standards. His body mass also increase significantly, proven when even the slightest jump can crack the harden walkway tiles to pieces.
-Node of Intrigue: One of the most unique features about Mercer is his ability to accumulate vast amount of intelligent via consumption. While gaining another man worthwhile experience is beneficial, Mercer can only accumulate so much before the flow of information overwhelms him. This is where the Node of Intrigue comes in; it is a vast library of information regarding his accumulated targets and the target in the next future. While Mercer still gain memory of the people he consume, if none of them are important, these memories will not appear within the Node of Intrigue. Any skill related experience that comes with the victim he consume are also be placed here for later use.
-Mental Shield: Consuming almost an entire population of New Yorkers and almost an entire serviceman of US Army soldiers gives Mercer a passive mental shielding against psionic user; anyone who tries to peek into Mercer's mind will be assaulted by not one, but millions upon millions of death screams that act as shields.
Weakness
-Radiation: Nuclear powered tools are known to work wonders against any known bacteria, parasites and viruses in the history of human being medical service, and as Alex Mercer is now part virus, Radiation will do great harm against him.
-Water: For some reason, water is Alex Mercer (and later on, James Heller) worst nightmare; the Blacklight virus cannot make contact over large body of water, and when it does, the viral neurotic virus will spring Mercer out from there. Despite that water does little to no harm to Mercer, whenever Alex sees any lake or ocean, the Blacklight virus tends to stay away.
-Cyro: Again, just like nuclear powered tools, flash freeze is one of Mercer's most hated objects. Ice, frost and snow slowed Mercer down, and direct exposure harms him. Alex tends to stay away from extreme cold area.
History
- Born as Alexander J. Mercer, Alex experienced a brutal childhood spent in abject poverty; his first nine years were spent in foster care. When he turned 10, he was finally returned to his mother, who had spent the last nine years in prison, but for Alex it was better to be in foster care. He was the only parental figure for his sister, Dana. However, his intellect and aptitude in science provided him an opportunity to leave behind his troubled past. He trusted no one, had no friends, couldn't care less about what others thought of him, and found solace only in his work. By the time he was hired by GENTEK, Alex was a borderline sociopath. He knew this, and didn't care.
After earning a doctorate in genetics at Columbia University, Mercer was hired by GENTEK and became the head of the Blacklight project at GENTEK. Alex's team was tasked with engineering weaponized viruses from samples given to them by the government. The samples that were provided exhibited curious behaviour, including mimicry and retention of genetic information from infected hosts. With Alex's help, the team soon engineered a particularly virulent and potent virus codenamed "Blacklight". Alex's skill in altering genes made him a valuable asset to GENTEK; his work was years ahead of his nearest competitor. Despite his successes, Alex Mercer was considered a potential liability by Blackwatch, an elite army created to combat exotic threats. Over time, GENTEK became scrutinized by Congress and investigations were proposed. Fearing an information leak, Blackwatch decided to cover it all up. Alex, due to his paranoid nature, began to launch his own secret investigation on GENTEK. With the assistance of his sister Dana, an investigative reporter, Alex realized that GENTEK employees associated with the Blacklight project were being silenced by Blackwatch; usually with a bullet between the eyes in a dark alley.
When he learned that a general purge was about to be unleashed upon the GENTEK scientists, Alex fled, fearing for his life. In the event he was caught, Alex had brought insurance—he had smuggled a vial of the Blacklight virus out of quarantine and taken it with him. He also mailed a laptop with classified documents to Dana. But Blackwatch was too quick for him. While attempting to escape the city by train, Alex was cornered in Penn Station by Blackwatch agents. In a fit of frustration and rage, he threw the vial to the floor, smashing it and unleashing a biological apocalypse. He was promptly shot by Blackwatch operatives. The virus began to spread to everyone in the station. As he fell, he collapsed onto the viral sample, becoming infected as he died. His body was taken back to GENTEK in a body bag. Little did they know, as he was transported, the virus was reconstructing Mercer's body, cell by cell; his biomass feeding the virus as it replicated the still-living matter it had infected.
Alex woke up in a morgue on a slab just as two scientists were about to cut open his torso with a scalpel for an autopsy. The two men panicked and fled, terrified of Mercer. Alex didn't understand why they were so frightened and had no recollection of his previous life. He ran after the scientists in an attempt to escape. Though Alex was now an amnesiac, he was sufficiently aware to realize that the Blackwatch soldiers were certainly not friends when he saw them kill the two scientists as they tried to escape the facility. The soldiers noticed him, but his body regenerated the damage caused by their fire instantly. Surprising both the soldiers and himself, Mercer cleared the several stories high fence around the facility in a single leap.
After escaping, he found himself trapped in Manhattan, being pursued by the military. He soon discovered that he had the ability to consume others and take on their appearance and memories, along with their special skills.
With no recollection of his own past, Alex decided to track down those responsible for his situation and consume them in order to uncover the truth behind what has been done to him, caught between the Blackwatch Special Forces and an ever growing population of civilians infected by the virus he released. On consuming Lt. Charles Perri he learned the whereabouts of his sister. Mercer hoped that his sister, Dana, would have some information regarding what happened to him, so he attempted to make contact with her. However, when he arrived at her apartment, he saw soldiers stationed around the building. He consumed a Blackwatch commander and, taking on his appearance, easily infiltrated their perimeter. When Alex entered he saw Dana being held by a Blackwatch soldier. Dana headbutted the Blackwatch soldier just as Alex impaled him with his fist. Dana was terrified having witnessed this, but Alex convinced her to help him.
Dana told Alex that she knew there was something wrong going on at GENTEK. She did not know what had happened to Alex either, but was able to tell him what he had told her prior to his memory loss. She told Alex that he had her researching the GENTEK organization for weeks. When she went looking for him to relay her findings, he had already disappeared. The conversation incited a flashback, in which Alex remembered seeing the ID card of Dr. McMullen. Dana then lead Alex to a new safe house, the home of Dana's friends, who were out of town for the year. Dana already had all of the files she could get on GENTEK stored in the apartment. Dana wasn't able to tell Alex what it all meant, but insisted that the two of them work together to uncover whatever conspiracies were at work. Dana told Alex that since Blackwatch was waiting for her at her apartment, they must also be waiting at his. Alex arrived at his apartment and uncovered further hints of his past life. He saw a photo of himself and Dana with a graduate certificate from the University of New York. He also saw a photo of himself with a blonde woman. When he touched the photo he experienced a flashback in which he saw himself with the woman, his ex-girlfriend Karen Parker. When the flashback was over, it was apparent that the onset of these flashbacks was painful to him. As he was recovering, Blackwatch detonated a bomb that had been planted in the apartment, meant to kill him. He astonishingly survived without a scratch, despite having been thrown out of a window and down to the streets several stories below. Alex hunted down and consumed the man who gave the order to detonate the bomb.
Alex recognizes the girl. Dana tells him that the file has only two names in it: Alex Mercer and Elizabeth Greene, the girl in the photo. The file also says that she is being isolated in the GENTEK building. When Alex went to free Greene, she cryptically told him that "The time for waiting is over" and threw him across the room. Greene then disintegrated a wall by touch and sent Hunters after him as he escaped. She then took charge of the infected. He also located his ex-girlfriend, Karen Parker. Dana continued to assist Mercer in locating his targets, while Karen promised him a cure for his disease. She first claimed that he needed to find her different samples of the virus destroying Manhattan, but once he arrived inside a nearby Hive, Alex was ambushed by Blackwatch specialist Captain Robert Cross who used both the infected and his own soldiers as cannon fodder while he tried to take Alex down. Mercer ended up defeating him, but Cross turned the tables by distracting Alex by mentioning 'Penn Station' and triggering a painful flashback. He injected Alex with a biological weapon while he was distracted.
Due to the parasite Cross had injected him with, Alex couldn't use his special powers aside from his superhuman strength and speed. He still managed to escape from Blackwatch.
Alex returned to Dana who showed him that Blackwatch was keeping an eye on a doctor for McMullen, Dr. Bradley Ragland. Dana then told Alex that if he finds him, Ragland can help them get to McMullen. Before Alex left, she showed him what she found about Hope, Idaho and Greene but Alex said Hope was an experiment. She asked how he could know that, forcing Alex to admit that he had killed a great number of people and their minds and memories were now within him. Dana was shocked by what her brother has become. However, with the help of Dr. Ragland, Mercer was cured, restoring his abilities and gaining him the armor and blade powers as a result. During all of this, Mercer was placed as the number one terrorist threat in the entire United States due to treasonous activities against the United States and her allies.
During one of Alex and Dana's meetings, Dana was kidnapped by a Leader Hunter, a larger and stronger version of the normal hunters. Alex pursued this Leader Hunter across the city, but was ultimately unable to rescue Dana. With the help of Dr. Ragland, Alex located and consumed the same Leader Hunter that kidnapped Dana, learning of her location in the core hive in the center of the city. Alex was eventually able to penetrate the hive, where he confronted Elizabeth Greene. Elizabeth Greene told Alex that Dana was "with us now". During a struggle, Greene seemingly bests Alex, but he was able to inject Greene with a syringe containing the parasite as it had been extracted from him. Greene's body rejected the parasite immediately and she vomited up a large amount of biomass, from which the Supreme Hunter was born. Alex defeated the Supreme Hunter and saved Dana. As he left, a sinister clawed hand began to regenerate and rise from the remain of the hunter, showing the Supreme Hunter was far from done.
As the conspiracy unfolds, with the assistance of an unidentified contact, the origins of Mercer, the virus and Elizabeth Greene were uncovered.
In 1969, the government had tested a virus codenamed Redlight in Hope, Idaho. This virus was designed as a biological warfare agent, targeting those of a predetermined race. The virus unexpectedly mutated into something far deadlier, infecting the whole population of Hope. Elizabeth Greene was the sole survivor of the incident; her body welcomed the virus rather than dying from it and it had rewritten her genetic code, along with that of her son, who was taken from her by Blackwatch and codenamed Pariah. This inspired the government to continue research into the virus, cooperating with the GENTEK corporation. Scientists at GENTEK locked Greene in a cell which had been used to research Blacklight, the new virus present in Greene. They continued to study the different strains of the virus that formed throughout her system as a means of accelerating the biological weapons program.
Before long, the military began to deploy a new biological agent, Bloodtox, engineered to kill the virus and its hosts.
When the chemical was deployed across the city, the infection went underground to escape it, and subsequently amassed beneath the surface. The anonymous contact told Mercer to aid the military in pumping the Bloodtox directly into the ground. They hoped that it would drive the virus to the surface, allowing Blackwatch to fight it directly. Elizabeth Greene, now embedded in MOTHER a new viral organism, came to the surface and engaged Mercer in combat. Alex killed MOTHER and consumed Greene. He then attempted to confront McMullen, the Head of Research and founder of GENTEK. After a grueling battle with Marines and Blackwatch between him and his target, Alex confronted Mcmullen and moved to consume him to find out what Mcmullen knew. McMullen committed suicide before Mercer had the chance. It became apparent that Randall planned to nuke Manhattan to destroy the virus. The mysterious contact, revealed to be Captain Cross, then guided Mercer to consume Colonel Taggart, who was attempting to flee the city. Cross had been ordered to capture Taggart and had Mercer impersonate him in order to get onto the USS Ronald Reagan where the bomb was being held.
Cross betrayed Mercer once on the ship, and was revealed to be the Supreme Hunter having consumed Cross at some point and taken his form. It battled Mercer on the deck of the Reagan and was subsequently decapitated by Mercer. Mercer boarded a helicopter and dropped the nuclear bomb into the Atlantic Ocean, allowing it to detonate at sea but leaving himself well within the blast radius. His remains washed up on the city shore as lumps of red tissue, but he was able to take human after consuming a crow that attempted to devour him.
Alex walked off thinking to himself "What have I become? Something less than human, but also something more..." Later, Manhattan is seen in a recovering state, with the virus almost completely destroyed.
VS Marvel Comics
-None, the story is fictional, even if there is a differentia between the comics and the game, it will be almost impossible Alex and the Marvel heroes to get alone. And even if he does fit in in the Marvel universe, Alexander J. Mercer will forever be a hunted man, a man who has achieve godhood.
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