[AN: If you like what you have read so far, please do me the courtesy of leaving a review. Any questions, compliments or suggestions you may have are totally welcomed, and I will get back to you. Don't forget to share the story if you enjoy it with your friends, family, and pets (I'm hungry for visitors). Thanks again and enjoy.]

1423 Hours

Lompoc, California

Vandenberg Air Force Base

60 Meters Below Ground

Research Bay C-01 E-Code Labs

"Seal off everything! Do you hear me?! Everything!" Pratchett roared into his radio. "He cannot get to the child! He mustn't!"

The stomping boots of gun-toting killers went passed him in the opposite direction. They were going to throw themselves at the intruder in hopes of stopping him cold. Pratchett prided himself on how well trained his branch of fighters were, but he knew they would not survive an encounter with that thing upstairs. He has seen the videos, read the reports and heard the radio logs. The thing in his house is not capable of being stopped by what they currently have going at him. The words of former Colonel Rooks came to mind, "fighting them is a lost cause".

The General didn't believe so, for his secret weapon for the virus threat was just a few feet away. His hurried jog down the concrete hallways leads him to the research area he most favored. It housed the fruits of his association's labors and would lead him to bigger and better things. With their advancements on the DX-1120 strain of the Blacklight virus, he'd be able to not only fight off the more vicious infected forms, but he'd be given even more reign over Blackwatch operations. He would be given more power in the ranks; to oversee operations and make sure they ran according to his design. The brass has not witnessed what lied behind the metal doors his keycard opened. If they did, he knew they'd beg him to push harder, maybe even give him his fourth star. Field-testing is all that held back his rewards. Desperate times like this, however, call for desperate measures. The field-testing would be now.

The research room was practically made of metal. The walls, ceiling, and floor were solid sheets of steel. Multiple display windows fogged over with a light blue mist, aligned the walls with monitoring devices connected to them. A single console was stationed in the middle of the room, with an assortment of switches lining the top and buttons across the bottom. The handful of researchers turned to their General with anxiety.

"Sir, are—are we under attack?" a scrawny, glasses wearing lab coat asked.

"Yes, we are," The General replied continually walking through the room. "We are deploying the E-Codes."

"B-but, sir," another researcher said. "We don't know what could happen if they are out of their pressurized environments. They could be unstable!"

"That's true! Even Dr. Myers was unsure of the short-term effects!" Another jumped in.

It was only a glare from the muscle-bound veteran that silenced the opposition. General Pratchett was not one to accept backtalk, especially from non-combatants. If he had brought his service pistol with him, he would have classically executed the two dissenters to leave a message to the rest of the crew.

"Deploy them—now!" He commanded.

In a hurry, they took to their workstations and went to task. Fingers nervously tapped on keyboards and switches were flipped.

"Venting holding chambers," stated a scientist at the main control module.

The observation windows in the room slowly lost their baby-blue colored fog and several fully clothed men inside stood up from their benches, and bunk beds.

"Contaminant clear," a technician at a wall monitor said followed by the rest of his colleagues at the other monitors.

The men in the holding rooms put on their respective helmets and gas masks that completed the Blackwatch uniforms and stood ready at the thick glass covering.

"Releasing E-Code test subjects forty through fifty-five into main chamber."

The view windows slid upward into the ceiling and over a dozen E-Codes, as they were called, stepped out and onto the metal flooring of the research area. They varied in height but were similar in muscular build. However, on their backs, running down the length of their spine, was a metal casing. It was thin enough to sit between their shoulder blades, yet protruded a few inches outward and was designed in and overlapping oval pattern. The segmented design allowed for flexibility, but it also served an important function. Clear tubes connected to the spinal casings were also attached to their neck muscles. The soldiers flinched as the spine implants vibrated against them, circulating the blue colored concoction that keeps them active, through the tubing and into their necks. Once it filtered through, they stood stoically again, awaiting their orders.

"As of now you are our last line of defense against a Runner threat," Pratchett boomed while marching up the line of super soldiers. "He is within these very walls! Last I heard he was observed on Level- 32B. Five of you will stop him from getting any further down these floors! We do not know if he is working alone, so we must protect all of our assets! So that means two of you are with me, the rest will move to several off-site facilities! He is not to make it to the holding cells and he is not to make it to our VIP! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Sir, yes sir!" his enhanced fighters yelled back.

"Move out!" Pratchett commanded.

In blurs of dark black and streaks of blue light, the first five soldiers ran out the lab. The General himself was wide-eyed at the sheer agility and enthusiasm they showed. If what he was told of their strength was true, then they will be more than a match for their target.

1430 Hours

Lompoc, California

Vandenberg Air Force Base

30 Meters Below Ground

The fire in his head was more intense than it has ever been. With each continual set of stairs down the confines of the base, his head would pound and the flames of the hivemind would increase. Pain was a numbed feeling to him when it was physical. He was accustomed to it and his infected flesh could adapt to all outside threats. However, when it came to mental assaults, there was no way for him to defend against it. Someone as in-tune with the virus such as Pariah could wage an attack within Heller's mind with little resistance.

His face was scowled as he pushed himself through the pain. He was close to the boy, the anguish in his brain attested to that fact. He couldn't tell if it was from the child's fear or just proximity, but the hivemind was becoming more violent. The voices that haunted his psyche were no longer a riot of pleading and persuasion, but a rolling ball of anger and hate. Constant screams, not of pain, but of pure malice boiled into one echo of a beast like roar.

As he came down the last flight of stairs under the main building, he found gigantic metal double doors in front of him. This thick blockade shielded the elevator to the research bay below his feet. Private Miller's memories lead him here, but he had no clearance to go down it. Even the super soldier he consumed was not authorized to go beyond this point. Only high ranking combatants and those who work directly with the virus could go down this shaft. James would not know what would be beyond this area, but that wouldn't stop him from completing his mission.

Metal bent and whined as the ex-Marine dug his fingers into the several feet thick steel. He parted the doors to the flare of sparking hydraulic locks and screeching gears. As he made an opening for himself the expansive lift went into free fall; a fails-afe to keep unwanted guests from descending further. This could not deter someone made like him. He fell into the elevator shaft and followed behind the plummeting people-mover. It had to have been a hundred feet before he came to a stop on top of the elevator itself, his massive weight crushing the metal rectangle into and unusable shape.

As he pried open the second set of elevator doors he was greeted with the blare of several dozen machine guns. The concrete hall in front of him was literally full of soldiers all firing upon him blocking his path to the final entrance into the labs. The shower of thousands of projectiles ricocheted off of him, not even close to hindering his movement. Soon all guns clicked empty and Heller moved forward.

He came into the hallway to the frantic reloading of the infantrymen, the chain-feeders to their weapons did not allow for a speedy rearming. As he walked toward the men with his head low and eyes full of anger, he morphed his arms into his tendril weapons and threw them forward. The confidence many held due to their numbers and heavy arms instantly vanished when the viral beast began his maelstrom of dismemberment. Each victim screamed as their bodies were attached to each other or portions of the hall and the tension of the infected ropes ripped them apart. Heller continued down the densely packed corridor removing each soldier out of his way with the assault of his tendrils. They'd back away to finish reloading, but before they could get another shot off he'd be on them and tearing them asunder. He was more than halfway down the long stretch of corridor before the remaining few began firing. The result was the same as before, the bullets sparked off of him useless, and he took their limbs and lives from them. Behind the Blacklight infected being was nothing but a massacre of human bodies and blood. Each victim was strung up by black and red vines of death, that held them motionless in mid-air.

He cleared through his opposition with the ease of a hot knife through butter, so he was not intimidated when another group of soldiers stood in his way to the next door.

"This is as far as you're going to get, bitch," said an average looking combatant with the addition of blue glowing tubes.

James Heller raised an eyebrow. Clearly these guys did not see what he just did to their friends. With a dance of flesh his tendriled hands became long serrated finger blades and he pounced forward. He was bewildered to find the glowing troopers were speedy enough to step to avoid his swipes. A powerful kick connected across his chest and sent him down the opposite end of the bloodied corridor. He rebounded to his feet, but was greeted with a flurry of punches by three different assailants literally climbing over each other to get a hit in.

Heller's bone shields came up to absorb the blows, but the fighters were quicker than he anticipated. One made it around his defense and delivered a heavy chin uppercut tumbling him back into the elevator shaft. These guys were strong- stronger than he was used to fighting when dealing with Blackwatch. Their hits weren't just bruising him like with the regular super soldiers. They were actually breaking his bones and bleeding him on the inside and out.

Heller groaned his way to his feet and came out of the elevator doors.

"You must be the new models. The E-Codes," James mumbled out with shattered, missing teeth and crushed mandible.

"Made to kill bastards like you," one replied.

The broken jaw and ribs were healed and Heller stood tall again, just as the new brand of super soldiers came upon him. They ran on the floor, walls and ceiling avoiding the remnants of their human brethren to get to their mark. Heller was taken aback by their speed, they were even faster than he was used to.

He managed to avoid many of their attempts to strike, passively making his way towards the final entrance as they kicked, punched and jumped at him. His counter swipes were avoided with just as much ease as before for they used the design of their surroundings to their advantage. One ran on the walls and leapt at his shoulder, gripping tightly at the clawed limb. He used his momentum and strength to initiate a judo throw to loosen the skin connecting the shoulder to the abdomen and wrenched the arm free. The now single armed Heller came back onto his feet with a fury. He tried to swipe at the E-Code who just literally disarmed him, but was caught by another combatant who did the same to the other appendage.

The corridor filled with Heller's cry of rage and he made a new pair of bladed hands. His previous pair were tossed aside and the warriors took their fighting stances. He came at the five blue shining experiments with a flurry of angered attacks. His claws came together in a hug-like fashion, trying to separate an opponent's torso from his legs, but they met nothing but air as the fighter moved his body horizontally to avoid the cleavers. A vigorous kick came across James' face before the individual stepped back down on the floor. He hadn't finished reeling back from the blow before another E-Code came flipping over the head of the one that kicked him to give a crushing heel drop to the skull.

"Had enough?" a super soldier asked mockingly as James laid face down with his brainpan exposed.

"It doesn't matter anyway. We're gonna kill you, just for the hell of it," another said.

They grouped closely to him just as he was getting on his knee for support. The pinkness of his brain disappeared under the reformation of his skull and scalp, with the orbital bone in his face falling back into place and his loosened eyeball pulling back into the socket. If there was one thing he had on them it was probably his ability to heal. Although they were close to being as physically capable as him pound for pound, he had the edge in enduring damage. However, if this kept up any longer he may lose too much mass and his restorative properties will be of no use.

A jarring right hook busted back in his newly made eye, and a left jab caved in his nose. They were pummeling him before he could fully make it to his feet to keep him from getting back into fighting condition. Double knee strikes to his chin made him fall over again and slouch against the cold steel of the lab doors. His blood smeared onto the entrance and pooled down beneath him.

"We got him on the ropes boys! Let's finish this fuck!" screamed an E-Code as he charged towards the downed ex-Marine.

His comrades stood stunned as their leading bruiser inadvertently impaled himself on an outstretched arm-blade. It was over five feet long and penetrated through his gut severely damaging the spine implant. Heller looked his kill in the eyes as he slipped into his death throes. The tubes connected to his neck lost their shimmer as the fluid emptied out of him. Luminous, blue blood poured from the mask of the impaled E-Codes and drizzled from his stomach wound onto the murderous blade. His remaining moments passed from rapid trembling and gasps to a limp hang on the end of the out held arm-weapon. Then came the hungering tendrils of James' being, to pull in the carcass and feed upon his cells.

The memories came to like they always do; in a segment of images, movements, and voices.

"You have been hand chosen by me for this new program of super soldier injection!" screamed General Pratchett.

Syringes entered the skin of several soldiers, infecting them with the Blacklight Virus.

"You will become our swords and shields against all runner threats!"

A vat of the blue glowing serum is shown dispersing in mist form and surgery images of the backbone modifications.

"The boot of Blackwatch will stamp out any infected foes that try to destroy us."

The new version of the soldiers breaks the neck of a Hunter, an infected beast Heller is familiar with.

"You are our best! You are our finest! You are our knights in the crusade!"

Fifteen enhanced troopers stand erect with saluting hands held high, they reply to their General, "Sir, yes sir!"

Pratchett giving the mission objectives on stopping Heller are also shown before the memories fade away.

All that remained was the indigestible spine pack which laid mangled on the floor. The knowledge he gained from the overly cocky E-Code was invaluable. He now knew their origins, duties, weaknesses, and tactics. They came all at once like always, hoping their number advantage would keep the battle in their favor. However, Heller was now in a better position to fight with his deeper understanding of their restraints. He ducked the first punch that impacted on the entrance behind him and swayed pass the next mix of strikes from the following soldiers. As the last opponent came into reach he sliced at him with the blade arm. Like before the nimble foe dodged each hit until the arm blade elongated and became the whipfist. The design of the weapon allowed for Heller to coil it in air to strike at multiple points. The super soldier found himself soaring through the air with nothing below his shoulders intact as the serrated limb diced through several parts of his body.

Furiously another blue, glowing operative, jumped into the fray and front kicked Heller in the chest. As he stumbled he threw the whip forward to claim another kill. Like ninjas, they avoided the snaking weapon by using the walls and ceiling to maneuver around the area. A flying knee met the studded bone of the shield, breaking the tibia, kneecap and most of the femur as it impacted. Then rose up a clawed hand to sever the leg entirely. Blue blood mixed with the red that was left by the human troopers as the amputated super soldier fell in agonizing horror. His screams were silenced by a boot crashing down on his skull and he too was consumed for sustenance.

The remaining two tried to stay together as best they could, hopping over one another to strike, pushing each other out of the way of hits and coming in from different angles to fight. However, James' quickly changing physique gave him more than enough options to keep up and even counter all of their moves. He may have underestimated their prowess on their first meeting, but now the fight was going his way. They were close to matching him in speed, but they could not react fast enough to his ever changing weapons. He couldn't see their faces, but he knew they were panicking under their masks. Their shots were no longer assertive and confident but were now frantic and rushed leaving him with easy openings to take. As both agents tried to punch Heller they were stopped cold by his big, monstrous hammerfists colliding with theirs. A shower of blood and bone sprayed across the hall walls as both fighters lost a limb.

"You were doomed from the fuckin' start!" Heller said. "You're nothing but cheap knock-offs!"

His hammerfists came crashing down on the concrete floor and the shockwave of spikes ran down the length of the hall. The last two super soldiers were engulfed in the rush of groundspikes, which clashed with the steel door. The spikes retracted into the ground and Heller made his way to the now open entrance unhindered. The area was very large inside, with wires and metal covering the walls and ceiling like most areas of the base. The huge monitor screens several yards in front of him displayed video feeds of multiple areas of the base and even the still smoking crash site of the helicopter he rode in on. To his left and right were areas for communications and defense, but not a single living person was around. His stolen memories told him that most have left the facility already, however the child was being held down a few more passageways. He went to his left following not only his memories but the pull of the hivemind that still burned in he skull. In a few short moments he would come face to face with Pariah, and end the suffering in his mind for good.