Ok ok I am sorry everyone for not updating for months. Life has a way of knocking people on their butts and making them forget an awesome story at times. But I will try to be more regular with my updates from now on. Thank you all who have stayed with the story hoping for a continuation, so here we go. Oh and question for you all, do you think Jerron should have any fun time with Dana? ;) Come on now don't shy, leave your answers in reviews. I can't decide on that and its now driving me crazy. All right now back to the story.

Getting back to Dana's place after my little scuffle with the hunters was a quiet cool down for me. Breathing in the fresh night air I stopped at Dana's apartment with my things. Knocking on the door I called out, "Madam mind if I enter?"

The door opened to Alex who was scowling a bit as he asked, "Are you flirting with my sister?"

Laughing I proclaimed, "Now why would I do such a thing when her brother is one of the few in the world who has a chance to beat me up?" I grinned

as I slipped past him with my things.

Grabbing my shoulder Alex's voice harshened, "I mean it when I say this, I find you doing anything to her and I will tear you to shreds."

Grinning coyly I replied, "Now now Mercer let's be honest we all you know that isn't possible, besides we are a bit busy saving the world and all."

Dana heard some commotion and questioned, "Boys are you playing nice?"

Alex and I glanced at each other and said simultaneously, "Yes of course."

I put my stuff down next to the chair, and sat down on the floor, assuming a meditative pose. "Hey Alex, how did your meeting with your ex go, Alex? I heard a little chatter of you busting her out," I asked him.

"It went all right, she is going to look up a few leads for us, so in the meantime what have you two got?" he questioned.

I recounted my events of the day, excluding the recognition of Dr. Frankenstein, and told of them this mysterious toxin. "They call it bloodtox. While still developmental, it is progressing quite nicely for them. No detectable harm I could see to normal humans, but I was being attacked in microscopic amounts by that which was in the atmosphere already. An interesting toxin, to weaker infected it will seriously degrade their cell's structure, causing them to be easier to kill. As for us Alex, we to will be affected in great amounts, hampering our own healing abilities as they will have to be continuously on to combat it when they deploy it. Trying to destroy the supply though will be tough as they are also testing this outside New York, and we can't really leave the city to go destroy all the factories they are making this. So Dana, got anything we can tear our claws into next?"

Dana turned her attention to her computer saying, "Yeah I got something. This is the U.S.S. Regan that is sitting off the coast, andappears to be the center of Blackwatch to combat the infection. There are also these strange truck shipments I have been trying to track. They seem to lead to an infected zone with hives."

Musing over this information I calmly said, "The trucks must be shipments of food and gear to supply bases in the redzone. Only thing that makes sense. Strange though that they would have bases there, you would think that strategy would have bases around the red zone to contain it, not in it unless…"

Alex interrupted with, "Unless they are planning to study something in there somehow. Only one person would be able to sacrifice so many lives for such a study, McMullen."

Smiling I nodded as I added, "It would make sense, a safe field research zone could help their own research into the virus. Hey Alex you feeling up to a meet and greet." The last part I added a feral grin to.

Shrugging his shoulders Alex replied, "Lets go. Dana you stay here, see what else you can pull up about all of this. There has to be more lying out there somewhere. "

Standing up, I cracked my knuckles as I stretched up. "Aww so no breakfast before we go? Here I was hoping for Dana's great home cooked meals like ramen noodles," I mockingly complained. "Well work waits for no one man, even if he old as dirt."

Alex gave me a glare and Dana rolled her eyes, but Alex and I both left without too much hostile tension. Taking to the night skies, the city once more became our playground to head to the red zone.

As we ran across the rooftops of NYC Alex and I mostly ran in silence until we hit the red zone. Consumed a few civilians along the way, but nothing major. The red zone was when we split up though, agreeing to meet up on top of a building in 30 or so minutes to see what we could. I found the first base easy enough, glancing at a viral detector on a rooftop. A shadow I was to them, slipping past those soldiers easily since I wasn't close, but the hunters were another matter entirely. They could sense my infection, and even though I did my best to hide it, they were called hunters for a reason. The first two came at me with their odd gait and I wickedly formed my two sword blades on either arm. Time to play with the puppies again. The dance began as I ducked between one swipe of a hunter, impaling the other in the leg. Using my other sword I stabbed its other leg and swung the entire hunter at the other one. Pulling out my blades I then stabbed them into one of the hunter's heads consuming it as I did so. The other hunter swiped at my face giving me deep claw marks. Spinning with the momentum I did a high kick into the face of the hunter causing it to fly back. Jumping up I then curb stomped the hunter's head consuming it as well. I could feel more coming so I picked myself up off the rooftop, jumping into the blue.

I felt a buzz in my pocket all of a sudden. Turning aside into a small building I decided to answer my phone, wondering how it didn't get crushed with my earlier fight. A gruff voice over the line came to me saying, "Why hello there Jerron, glad to see you are still alive."

Frowning I replied, "Elder Nicholas, you know of my mission and I am currently in an infected zone, I don't have long before hunters sniff me out, what is it that you want?"

"All right straight to the point then, I am aware of your orders to kill all in your path, and I was wondering if you could make an exception for the marines that are in the city? I did help to start them after all and while I respect your power, I don't want them ending up in your belly as your latest snack, " the elder pleaded.

My voice grew hard, "If you are aware of my orders you should be more than aware that I will follow them to the letter in this case. The Eldest herself gave me those orders, and her will in this matter is absolute. I am aware of your involvement with the marines Samuel as you were called, and I am surprised that you actually didn't call sooner, but I am unchanged. The most I will promise is that I won't go dangling any off of rooftops for fun, but they get in my way they are dead, simple. There are no exceptions to this Elder, even for one of our own, Frankenstein, I will kill him as well in due time. Now let me do what I do best."

I clicked off the phone and felt more hunters heading to me. Running out of the entrance I decided to find a military unit and see what I could learn. Finding them wasn't too hard, just had to find the smells most out of place in an infected zone, mainly the unit itself. I jumped over a few cars barreling into them. Compared to the hunters they were easy as I consumed them, slicing and dicing with my own claws. All of a sudden I saw white and felt an explosion that I wasn't completely prepared for. I felt myself crash into an abandoned car. Standing up and regenerating those superficial wounds I saw two tanks that had just come around the corner. I smiled at the tanks and then planted my foot in the ground and bought out from my arms two great shields. "Shields of Ancile," I whispered, grimacing as I felt the impact from the second tank. However, the tanks weren't much of a concern yet as I concentrated on the tendril I had placed underground from my foot.

The ground beneath the tanks split open as I formed the pit of wendigos, dragging the tanks down. Mouths of fanged beasts formed out of my biomass, dragging the tanks down in a hellish tar pit of my own design. Normally optimized for organic consumption, it still made it impossible for them to do anything after that as who was going to be able to lift them? I retracted all biomass except my armor and ran to the tanks, prying them open like sardine cans to find any useful information. Information gleaned through my mind as I consumed the commander in one of the tanks. Stretching, I shimmied out of the last tank to take once more to the rooftops and back to the arranged meeting place.

Alex and I met up punctually, and we discussed quickly what we had learned.

I asked him if he gained the same information I did, "All right Alex my boy, I hope you found out where the viral detectors are? We sabotage those to say everything is squeaky clean down here and he should come."

He nodded replying, "Glad we are on the same page. There are 4 viral detectors he is looking at for his window of opportunity."

"Indeed. Now how about this, I will go take care of the two on the far side of the perimeter. Meanwhile Alex, you can go to the detectors near the hive. Disable them quickly enough and we should have McMullen. I will leave you to consume him as you worked with him. It always helps in consumption to organize the information better if you already knew them before," I reasoned.

Unusually thoughtful, Alex agreed saying, "Well I never thought of it that way. Haven't really consumed people I have gotten to know. But might as well try it. The last one I will take care of is the one at the hive where he will probably be."

Jovially laughing away I called out as we went our separate ways, "Off we go then, try not to get blown up into little pieces, those tanks hurt."

I stealthily prowled the rooftops until I found a patrol being attacked by a hunter. Quickly I found the one with the missile launcher and quickly consumed him to take his form. From there it was an easy matter to blow that thing to hell as they had done a pretty good job in weakening it. It had still taken ¾ of the squad though who died in an effort to kill it. We returned back to base and I saw it. The virus detector began searching the base for a highly concentrated form of the virus, mainly me. I quickly sauntered up to it, using the access codes I had gleaned from it to get into the system easily enough. It was more durable against infected assault, not an intelligent being calmly accessing it. I sabotaged the readings easily enough, smiling with pleasure as I heard radio chatter about how one and then another was clean as Alex took his first.

The next one was no trouble as I pretended to be a replacement on the rooftop next to a generator guard. A simple stealth consumption of him and the access code was a piece of cake. A few minutes later I had similar chatter as Alex shut down his, and then the helicopter train with McMullen rolled over to his position. I saw the helicopter lower down, but all of a sudden it rose back up again. The chatter indicated that infected pods had burst with an infected pack. With that plan a fail I decided to make my escape a bit flashy. I jumped down from the rooftop, transforming and smashing the ground as I did so. A few men flew back like rag dolls as I barreled through them, killing as many as I could. Getting the past the military barricades was easy, and seeing strike helicopters bearing down on me I barreled on as quickly as possible. Exiting the infected zone, I hid in an alleyway and transformed to my normal self and lost myself in the crowd.

*Gentek Lab*

Dr. Crowls was laughing with glee as he put a few modifications to blood tox. Soon with all the tweaks he had made he would hopefully have the ultimate specimen, Jerron himself, to perform hundreds of planned experiments on. Sighing with pleasure, all of a sudden he felt his pocket buzz. Taking a look his eyes widened as he recognized the number from his benefactor. Calling it a night Dr. Crowls quickly wrapped up his work and called it a night. Getting to what was home as quickly as possible he did a standard check for electrical devices, shorting out one bug he found on the corner of a painting, and then called him back.

"That took longer than expected Frankenstein," an electronically modulated voice accused.

"Yes yes I know, but I was just tweaking blood tox a little, giving it more oomph for our mutual friend shall we say. I am going to need every advantage to take him down. How is information gathering going on your end about him," Frankenstein implored.

Angrily the voice raised as it said, "It would be going easier if YOU HADN'T BEEN DISCOVERED. YOU IMBECILE, YOU SHOULD'VE CAPTURED HIM SOON AS HE SAW YOU WHETHER YOU WERE PREPARED OR NOT. *deep breath* Now the Eldest herself is committing a witch hunt digging far too deeply for my liking about this whole affair and is now training her eye on it herself. She knows you are there but is obeying her own edict to stay out of New York City, relying on her dog Jerron to kill you when he has a moment."

Crazily laughing Frankenstein declared, "Oh goody goody, I will have to prepare for the guest then. Judging from your obvious statements on Jerron this isn't so much as hate for him as it is to limit the power of the Eldest isn't it? I may be crazy but I am far from too insane to see that which is there before me."

A pause on the line as the voice carefully considered, its next words being, "Be careful of how much you see Frankenstein, but yes as her shadow he is far too powerful. His potential is near limitless, and plans I had spinning for some time have been broken by him. They complement each other too well. That is why when your experiments are done you will kill him? No exceptions to this Frankenstein."

Frankenstein's eyes lit up as he replied, "Of course of course, but I will first get a novel's worth of data from the corpse of Jerron."

"Very well then, watch your step Frankenstein. The best hunter of The Chroniclers hunts you now, *click*" the voice said and then disconnected.

Laughing wildly, Frankenstein sang softly as he prepared to sleep,

"Oh I dance away the days

Burning the midnight oil to stay awake.

All to catch a walking plague

That pisses those off in high off places.

The fun that we shall have.

As I cut him up in half.

Will be unparalleled.

As soon the Eldest will ring the mourning bells.

But not before I get my treat

Of a very satisfying hundreds long list of experiments."

*insane giggle*