William stared blankly at the white painted walls of his prison. Everything smelt sterile and there was an unfavourable chill in the air. The hatch door creaked open and Will jumped to his feet as Krycek stood in the frame.
"There's someone that would like to meet you…" He finally spoke.
"First, I want to know where the hell you've taken me." Will clenched his fists. This guy, Krycek was already beginning to piss him off.
"Arizona" The man answered bluntly. "He won't appreciate being kept waiting."
Krycek stepped aside, gesturing Will to follow. As he shifted the mop of black hair brushed away from his forehead revealing a jagged scar running down the length of his forehead and to the bridge of his nose.
Krycek scoffed when he caught the kid glaring at him, "Not everyone dies, you know, William"
Will didn't move, "Why do I get the feeling you and my father have history?"
Krycek pulled a strange looking device from his pocket. As he flicked it on, the Taser sparked awake.
"Look, Kid, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I suggest you don't do anything stupid like your old man; although if you decide to it'll be a lot more fun for me"
Will hesitantly followed his newfound enemy through the long corridors of the white complex. Their footsteps echoed as they paced the laminate floors, passing hundreds of sealed liquid nitrogen containers stacked neatly in units.
He wanted desperately to ask more, but was certain Krycek had already revealed as much as he were willing.
They came to a halt outside a passcode-protected entrance, of which Krycek promptly patched in the number.
"Wait here." He warned, disappearing behind the door.
William spun on the spot searching for anything that resembled an exit or escape. The walk across had been disorientating enough. Rows upon rows of stacked tanks and mysterious white doors, none of which gave any direction.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the faintest of clues. In small letters, the words 'Alcor Life Extension Foundation' printed on the side of one of the containers.
Krycek forced the door open wide, startling him as a cloud of haze escaped around their feet.
"He'll see you now."
….
"Where are all the firearms kept?" Scully demanded as they rushed downstairs.
"There's a safe storage on the second floor, they're under lock and key" the COM's technician replied, panting to keep up.
"Where's the key?" Scully pressed as they stood before the clear glass separating them from the weapons.
"Agent Doggett usually has it, I think he handed it over to maintenance for safe keeping-"
There was a loud smash of shattering glass as Mulder hurled a substantial printer through it. Shards littered the tiled floor and the printer cables trailed lifelessly along side it. Both he and Skinner immediately began helping themselves to guns and ammunition, casually filling their pockets and distributing them to the growing crowd of residents joining the barricades.
Mulder tossed Scully a shotgun and a few rounds, which she naturally accepted as though there were nothing out of the ordinary about it.
"Have you ever fired a gun?" Scully asked the shaky woman beside her.
She composed herself, "No."
"Okay, it's very easy. Point and shoot. Safety on, and off." She manoeuvred the safety for demonstration.
The woman took the gun holding it almost at arms length and looking upon it with disgust.
"Hopefully you won't have to use it, but better to be prepared" Scully placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "You'll be fine"
They retreated into the canteen where everyone seemed to be congregating.
"Morgan!" Skinner yelled across the hall.
The man spotted them and dashed over.
"You helped build this place. Where is the safest place, with the strongest withstanding to hide the vaccine?"
Morgan resembled a deer caught in headlights, "Umm, wait, let me think about this…"
"Come on, Morgan, we don't have much time. We've got to protect this with everything we've got" Skinner hurried.
Morgan tapped the iPad alive and brought up a detailed map of the complex.
"The labs have a lockdown default in the event of a contaminant breach. Nothing can get into it without the appropriate codes. Reinforced walls with an airlock passageway-"
"What if they hack it?" Skinner interrupted.
"We won't have to worry about it. There are manual defences too; concrete doors with steel bolts"
"When we're inside, how do we get out again, what are our options for escape routes?"
"Umm…" Morgan highlighted the electronics and power supply section of the map, "…Well, there's an air duct and ventilation system. I mean, those things will likely see it coming, but hopefully we can put enough of them down to escape. That is, providing no more surprise ships show up to the party…"
There was a deep rumble within the building. Morgan flicked screens to the security cameras, zooming in on the outside set. The hatch had been ripped apart and the demons were pouring into the building.
"Alright, lets haul ass" Skinner ordered and the team exited the canteen heading directly for the lab.
They broke up, a team ahead with Scully and the vaccine in the middle and Mulder and Skinner close by. They reached the staircase and already the creatures were climbing. Some scrambled the stairs whilst others clambered vertically along the bars.
Gunfire lit up the staircase like fireworks and periodical screams from both beast and men resonated as they fell, struck by bullet or by clawed limb.
Scully ran with the vaccine securely fastened around her waist, close to her body and away from harms reach, or as much as possible. Her feet kept her moving but she was surprised at her accuracy after so many years away from the field. She fired at a creature clawing at one of the residents. It fell from their back as the bullet skimmed through the air and made contact right between its beady eyes.
"We need to get rid of all of them before we enter into the safe-room, buy us some more time…" Skinner yelled between shots.
Mulder threw one of the creatures over the railing, holding his gun to its head he fired twice and then released the lifeless body letting it fall the entire length of the stairs, "Duelled noted, Sir" he said sarcastically.
"Any ideas how many of them?" Scully called.
"Not a damn clue"
They reached the lab level, slamming the door to the stairwell and locking it shut before retreating down the corridor. It was uncertain how many lives had been lost.
The power flickered as they made there way through the corridor. The lights beamed in and out of focus eventually fading to nothing as they were plunged into darkness.
"They cut the power" Morgan spoke, not really a question, nor statement.
"What about the back up generator?" Mulder asked.
"That was the back up generator"
One of the technicians turned on a flashlight, saving them from tripping over one another.
Beside her, Scully sensed her partner dropping to his knees.
"Mulder?" She bent down to his level.
His eyes clenched shut and his hands clawing at his hair, he looked to be in a world of pain.
"Arrrgh" He cried, "Can you not hear that?!"
"What is it, what do you hear?"
"Them!"
Scully fought with him; trying to get him to look at her, focus on her.
"They're inside me!" He howled, and a shiver ran down Scully's spine as she realised how little she could now do for her partner.
Mulders eyes darted open and photographed the room, scanning and surveying every inch of it's layout and those dwelling within it. Except the eyes were not his own, they were a conduit, a direct link to those invading his mind.
"They see everything," he breathed in panic, "…I can't stop it…"
It was Skinner who acted. No one else seemed to know what to do. He placed the barrel of his gun right against Mulder's forehead and loaded.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Scully screamed.
"He's endangering every one of us. He could kill as all in that room with them controlling him"
The pain surged again, like sharp bony fingers digging deep into his brain and squeezing hard, pushing everything that were 'him' aside and infecting it with a darkness, a black death spreading into every neuron.
"Kill me!" Mulder cried out in agony.
He hated himself for being so weak. He knew pain, welcomed it like an old friend. But never had he felt lack of control like this. Never had he felt so vulnerable.
Skinner lowered his gun, looked the distressed man in the eye and saw hidden beneath the demon, the faintest remnants of his friend. In an instant of insanity, he turned the gun around and slammed the grip handle against Mulder's head. In one foul movement, Mulder was knocked unconscious. A spray of blood splattered the floor as he fell, lying still and momentarily out of his misery.