YahBoyParagon: I hope this is the length you had in mind. Next one will also be a short chapter but things will really pick up speed in Chapter 5. At least, I hope so.
Four years, ten months and the outbreak of New York had finally been eradicated. City streets were hustling and bustling with people going back and forth from their day jobs once more, instead of disgusting infected screaming for their next meal. All was back to normal. At least, for everyone else.
He was free! Free as a gull, swooping and diving above the ocean's surface, greeting it's brethren with a pitched squeak.
That's how he felt. With the wind in his fur and a smile the size of an eight of a watermelon plastered across his black rimmed lips. Nothing could stop him. The only thing proving his existence being the concrete craters his paws left whenever he had to clear a gap between the building roofs, or scale the height of a wall to continue his hurried pace.
Blacklight was gone, which left no reason for Blackwatch helicopters to circle the island of Manhattan like dragonflies. Or Blackwatch troops to patrol the streets below. Which also left no reason for Cameo himself to hold back in his escapades.
A buzzing sound followed by a ticklish sensation in his side suddenly intruded on his pleasure, forcing the Infected wolf to skid to a halt on the corner of a building's roof, unintentionally giving him a perfect view of the small park below. Cameo took a moment to take pleasure in the sight of children playing games such as tag and hide-and-seek, mothers and fathers keeping a close eye to keep their younglings out of trouble.
"Sup dad?"
"You're really becoming too acquainted with that phrase, Cameo," Ragland replied from his end of the cordless line, smile on his features reflecting the one still on his son's snout. "Enjoying yourself, I see."
"Yeah," Cameo said in thought, looking up from the handheld screen in between his thumb and index fingers, middle-, ring- and pinkie balled behind it to support the phone's slight weight. "Just getting a little bored of seeing the same scenery everyday."
"I see. ...Don't worry. We'll find a way for you to leave New York someday."
The wolf's smile only seemed to widen into a grin at his father's reassuring words. The outbreak was over, that much they knew, but for some reason, Blackwatch refused to lift the quarantine that had been placed on the island. Many had begun to speculate that Blacklight hadn't truly been eradicated as they all had thought.
That much was true, Cameo being a living example of that, but he had never used any of his abilities in public before. For the most part, he'd stayed in the shadows of the human population through taking on the form of an unknown homeless man, only altering the latter's appearance to suit the wolf's style.
"Cameo," Ragland's voice suddenly cut his thoughts short, making the mentioned wolf realize that he was staring off into space. He glanced back at the screen for the doctor to continue, "The reason I'm calling is that I've realized that I've run out of Disinfectant. There should be a pharmacy near you. Do you mind getting it for me?"
"Oh sure. It'll be a piece of cake, dad."
The connection was cut before Cameo could find a safe place to drop down from. After a few minutes of searching, he came across the pharmacy Ragland had mentioned. He easily cleared the gap between him and the roof, dropping down and changing to his more human form before entering through the back door. He'd found that it was the best way to avoid suspicions after-all.
While Cameo used his time to stretch his legs, Ragland passed the time with less physical activities. Since the outbreak came to an end, the infected bodies he had to inspect had become fewer and fewer until they disappeared completely. Now, he only had the samples taken from them to study to find out how the virus ticked. Yet there was something else he found much more important.
Ragland pressed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose as they were beginning to slide out of place from him leaning forward for so long, staring at the screen before him while analyzing the scraps of paper Cameo had thoughtlessly strewn all over the place.
Over the last two years, he'd found that his adoptive son was serious about honing his abilities to help and save people, crossing the line that law enforcement never could. Sometimes, in the dead of night, he would wake to find the young wolf sitting in front of the computer, pencil and piece of paper in front of him while studying the screen with intent. All these scraps of paper came together to form plans and designs for his own arsenal of weapons. Ranging from claws to blades and even one which showed his own armored up form.
A small smile spread across the doctor's features as he couldn't help but think of everything Cameo would accomplish. So this is how every proud father felt. He had not seen any of these weapons in action just yet, but the gut-instincts he'd developed over the years told him that that will soon change.
The double doors leading to the morgue almost being flung from their hinges made for an unwelcome scare.
Running across rooftops was fun and all but sometimes he just enjoyed the simpler things in life. Such as following the flow of pedestrians flooding the city's sidewalks. What made this experience even better was the bubbly deliciousness of a cold soda flowing down his throat. Cameo wasn't really the type to eat or drink any type of junk food that may come his way but why not enjoy some of life's guiltier pleasures from time to time.
Upon passing a TV shop, the young wolf couldn't help but notice something odd out of his peripheral vision. A large number of people had gathered in front of the display window to watch what obviously wasn't the morning news. Some mouths were agape at what they saw, while overs were covered with frail hands in disbelief.
Deciding to put his enhanced hearing to good use, Cameo perked both his ears to try and eavesdrop on what was being broadcasted.
"A women was killed last night in Central Park by what eyewitnesses describe as a "walking corpse". Gentek officials have not verified that the assailant was well infected with what was known as the Redlight virus, which was thought to be eradicated four years ago."
His soft drink accidentally rushed in the wrong direction before a spray of the sticky liquid sprayed his entire face. Cameo coughed violently, clasping a hand over his mouth and turning away from the crowd so that no one would notice. Everyone was too entranced in what was being broadcasted to really pay attention.
~Redlight!? That's supposed to be a variant of the Blacklight virus. This can't be...~
"No violent outbreaks have been reported yet. But there have been sightings of Alex Mercer, the man largely responsible for the original outbreak."
Murmurs of surprise and disbelief rang through the crowd as the name made something in his biomass brain click, the newspaper article he'd read a few years ago flashing through his memories. The image appearing on the screens only made them more clear.
Alex Mercer was a scientist working at Gentek and who was responsible for creating Blacklight in the first place. The article didn't give many details but something happened to make him evolve into the Apex Predator of NYZ. Following his own rules, claiming more and more lives as the days passed. If he was back... that could only spell disaster.
"Oh Lord," Cameo finally cursed. "I have to warn dad!"
Everything was tuned out as only the constant clack-clack-clack of his sneakers could be heard against the sidewalk, half-empty soda-can having clattered to the floor.
"What is the meaning of this?" Ragland exclaimed with a hint of disbelief, watching helplessly as the gas-mask wearing soldiers hauled away the remains of the infected he had carefully studied for the past four years. Four years of work that were now probably going to be incinerated for whatever reason Blackwatch was collecting them.
"That's the last of them, sir," a camouflage clad soldier relayed to his commander, ignoring the morgue tech's cries. "All infected bodies are present and accounted for."
"Good," the gruff sounding man replied simply. "Men, move out!"
"What do you think you're doing!? I was authorized to take these for further research. I do not remember being informed that the specimens will be recollected!"
"Can it doc!" the highest ranked of the group barked, joining Ragland in a glaring contest from behind his mask. "You no longer work for Gentek. These fucking pieces of spoiled meat belong to them anyway. So get in the way and I'll shoot and burn your corpse along with the rest of them."
Ragland felt himself froze. These "men" were ruthless monsters, so it would be a surprise if they didn't shoot him in the head before leaving. Someone abruptly clearing their throat made the commander turn round with an audible groan of frustration, only to be met with two blazing scarlet eyes and a unbelievably strong grip to the throat. His subordinate quickly raised his gun on instincts but was stopped dead in his tracks by the beast shifting it's glare to him.
"I'm in a bad mood already, so unless you want to avoid a bloodbath," Cameo growled angrily, tightening his grip on the man's throat to make him cough and choke. "Leave... Now!"
Both commander and soldier did as they were told, making a headlong dash for the doors before bursting through them with loud screams of terror. Ragland finally let out the breath he'd subconsciously been holding for the entirety of the raid before taking a look at his Blacklight enhanced son, who still had his sights set on the double doors leading to the morgue.
"Phew! Thank goodness for small miracles."
"You were never one to believe in miracles, dad," Cameo joked with a smile as he looked back at his father, lowering onto all fours to have his head scratched. Ragland couldn't help but smile as well. Cameo was always one for jokes.
"Did you get what I asked for?"
"Yep, right here," the wolf's smile widened as he held up the small white bag, blackish/brown bottles hazily visible from the outside. "...But, I think we have a serious problem."