The military was quite active tonight. Both Marines and Blackwatch were looking for someone along with the infected. So far they had called him "Zeus" which was an interesting codename. I chuckled to myself as I wondered that if others came around and all got greek God names, would that make me Cronus, for wanting to destroy my children? Cronus didn't have a nice ring to it so I discarded it and focused back on the mission at hand.
There was a tension to the air and I saw one Blackwatch trooper go off to investigate something alone. I quickly took this chance to consume him stealthily. Quickly taking in his memories, I came back out and reported to my men, "Never mind, nothing of note there, keep searching though." While only an NCO in military terms, he still had some good information. Apparently there was an outbreak of some sort in the Gentek building. It was very hush hush, but it was still causing worry apparently. I still had my program in the system to let me back in, so I told my men I had to make a report and went back to the area inside the Gentek secure complex. Making my way over there and still shifting through memories, I discovered it would most likely not work anymore as the building had been sealed with level 4 protocols. "Rats," I muttered, seeing that plan gone.
As I entered, I saw these new sensors light up. I was worried as I might not be exactly like the virus Gentek had made, but if they could detect me I was in trouble. However, I realized it would take them some time to discover as these sensors took time to narrow down their targets. So I began to move with a purpose. I then saw a curious sight of the commander heading to the door, so making my way to him I saw him enter it and just caught the door as he ran in. As I got close to him I sensed it, he was infected on a massive level. However, he had already started running and by the time I made sure no one saw me go in, he had already started running, fast. "Shit," I said, and began to take chase, all the way to floor 51.
The buzzing in my head grew louder and the pieces began to fall together. This was the same buzzing I had had in Hope, Idaho. That buzzing was like a queen bee ordering me to obey, and only one person I knew of was capable of trying to compel infected beings just by her mere existence. Elizabeth Green. Shee had to go somewhere, and this being one of the largest of the Gentek labs, where else would be a better place? They must have had her here for decades. When we got to the floor I could see the infection had advanced far beyond my fears. It was not only consuming the living and dead, but it was seeping into the building materials itself. I saw the commander who transformed back to his original form, Alex Mercer, the one who I had written off as dead. "Lucky son of a-" I began to say, but stopped dead cold when I saw who he had just released. There she was, Elizabeth Greene herself. I laughed, making them both turn to me as I said, "Well well well, isn't this a happy family reunion? So glad two children of mine could come together. Now Greene I know what you are doing here, but Mercer, why the HELL did you free her?"
In a creepy voice Greene replied, "What do you speak of, I am your mother, the mother of all who are infected."
I let out a booming laugh, chuckling as I stated the fact, "No my dear, I am from a time much older than you are, but I wasn't talking to you now was I? Mercer, why did you free her?"
Mercer's look was confused as he looked at me saying, "She was being experimented on, and I needed answers." Greene then backhanded him, sending him flying. Then my suspicions came true as she caused the virus to retreat from the wall, shattering it as she did so. "By God, you can control the virus, you have been trying to control me since you sensed me in the building. And while you couldn't control me, you could at least hide yourself from me, while you waited to see what factor I would play," I accused her. She smiled at me, and though pretty, I wasn't that much of a fool to let her get away. It was then that I saw the pods burst open as these…beasts came out of them. I recognized them from Hope, Idaho, but these ones were bigger and meaner. One knocked both Alex and I out the wall, and we fell to the pavement. As I fell though, I didn't want to be recognized so I went into a combat form, donning a flexible combat armor. My hair grew as I added tendrils of biomass to it. My eyes pooled black, and I formed a mask, reminiscent of the one Optimus Prime had, but as I had mine first, I considered him the copycat. I looked at Mercer, wondering if he even knew what he had done. Thinking time, was a little afforded luxury as we hit the pavement, with military and infected forces surrounding us. I smiled, as I had not had a fight where I could kill in so long. However, I knew that I couldn't just take all these forces at once, and those hunters were coming straight for us alone.
I shouted to Mercer, "Follow me if you still want to make it through the night punk." He hesitated for a moment, consumed a soldier, and began to follow me as we ran. In my preparation I knew of a base close to here with fuel tanks. I could of killed them true, but this was a perfect opportunity to limit Blackwatch power. And I realized my instincts had been right as I saw a whole bunch of hunters gunning for us. Now that Blackwatch knew about both of us, it wouldn't be long before they set up a hunt, but containing the infection would most likely take precedence over such capturing us. We crashed through the skylights and the fun began.
*Alex Mercer POV*
This was all getting too strange. First Greene didn't seem to need rescuing at all, was apparently some weird ass mother, now this guy who is apparently our father or something comes here to try and stop us, but we all get freaking ambushed by these weird animal things. What a day this was.
I heard a laugh as the other engaged a hunter, yelling, "Mercer, make them hit the fuel tanks, lets blow this thing sky high. With all those hunters Greene had time to make we need to take care of them quick." It was mass chaos, and while he kept the hunters off of me since to them he was the bigger threat I took out the fuel tanks on by one. The other guy stunned one, and tossed it my way. I just consumed it out of instinct, but it was worth it as I felt claws brimming from my hands afterwards. I smiled, as I now had a way to kill these hunters a lot more easily. I began to help him mop them up and saw him consume a hunter the same way I did. It was really weird to see it from another's perspective. I then noticed him gain claws as well, but different from mine. I had knives for hands basically, but this guy, his claws were more akin to an animal's. They still had blades beneath them for cutting power, but you could tell he was meant for a hard, fast strike with the points. As we got swarmed either side by hunters, the last fuel tank was there and I found a rocket, and I shot it. The explosion was quite nice, as was all the burned hunters. We both ran out of there and into the night.
*Joseph POV*
Well Mercer wasn't too bad in a fight, though far from being as good as I was. However, the infected beasts he had consumed had allowed for an interesting mutation. Wondering what other powers I might be able to grasp in this chaos that was now ground zero, I turned to Mercer as we were on an abandoned rooftop.
Enjoying the night sky as we ran, I called to him, "So you are Alex Mercer, codenamed ZEUS correct?"
He replied huskily, "Yeah I am, now who the hell are you? You just pop out of nowhere and take charge. And there is no way in hell you or Greene are my freaking parents."
I smiled, chillingly saying, "Now that is where you are wrong Mercer. You have the Blacklight virus, a potent modification of my own. Greene has the Redlight virus, another modification of my own, but with more of a human touch. Due to the Blacklight virus being released though, she will adapt to Blacklight as it is to her an upgrade. Also, I take charge because to me, you are a mere cub, untrained in the uses of the power you now wield. Greene has some control, but she has had decades. I have had centuries."
Cracking my neck I told him, "If you don't believe me, why don't we settle who is the stronger right now? Let me show you what the original strain, Dark Genesis, is capable of Mercer." Mercer tensed and then I ran at him. He tried to punch me, but I dodged easily. Grabbing his arm, I pulled at it, forcing him forward, and punching him with my other free arm. I then kneed him and tossed him aside. Mercer got up and formed his claws. While a claw on claw battle sounded interesting, I wanted to use something else. From the point where my arm meets with my hand, a blade slightly wider than my own hands came out, sliding along the back of my palms. Almost touching the ground, I had complete control over them, and I could extend and retract them as I wished. Mercer rushed me, this time going on the offensive. I parried, admiring his aggressive fighting style. It was clear though that he was going to have to rely on his own improvisation that he got in the field along with the memories of those he consumed to add to his own combat. As he had already absorbed a few Blackwatch soldiers, he was incorporating some of their fighting moves unconsciously it seemed to me.
Getting a little serious, I stabbed and tossed him, then I jumped up, preparing to stab him through the arms. Surprisingly he formed a shield stopping my blow. I laughed, "Impressive Alex, instinctively calling for a shape you need. On the other hand though, you don't know too much about physical weaponry I guess Alex. Otherwise you would know, shields like that can be worked around." I formed a spiked whip from my blade, latching onto the shield that instinctively came up. Pulling it aside, I focused biomass to my right arm to pummel Mercer a bit, then I put my blade up against his neck. "I believe we are done here, unless you need further demonstration that I could kill you anytime I want," I told him.
Mercer got back up shakily, but steadied himself as he healed from our little bout. Grimly he answered back, "No, I think we are good. As you are not on Greene's side or on Blackwatch's side, I think we have an alliance for now." I offered him my hand and we shook.
"Now that that is over with, why don't you take me to your base of operations. I highly doubt you would just hole up anywhere," I laughed. The guy didn't even crack a smile. His humor would need to be worked on, being long lived was already grim enough at times. We set off at a run into the night, heading to Mercer's safe house.