My great thanks to HighFlyingWings, who kindly chose to use some of his free time to be my beta reader!
18th October, 2008.
South Manhattan.
Sergeant Major Avery Johnson fired his gun, smirking viciously.
The position he and his men were attacking was the last remaining stronghold of Blackwatch in this part of Manhattan, and with its fall they'd have effectively secured one of the southern bridges leading out of Manhattan away from Blackwatch for good.
Avery ducked, hiding behind a fallen piece of building as several lasers hit close to him, before poking his head back up and firing once more.
"Onwards, men!" he shouted. "We'll get the last of these bastards! Just keep up the pressure! Victory will be ours!"
His men roared in agreement, as they all could feel the Blackwatch lines buckle under the pressure.
Morale was high, ammo was plenty, and reinforcements were only a call away.
These assholes had caused the destruction of the Pentagon and the White House. Well, not them specifically, but fellow Blackwatch soldiers.
And the Marines were out for blood.
In the end, Blackwatch had revealed its true colors, proving themselves as the amoral monsters the Marines knew them to be. And while they couldn't fight them off at Washington, they damn well could do so here.
The Marines bled, sweat, and cried to save Manhattan from a horde of monsters, save the world from monsters, they weren't going to take a bunch of human monsters trying the same laying down!
"Jack! Get a grenade at that group near that car! Henry, see if you can get the one at the fourth window from the right side of the building!"
"On it!"
*KA-BOOM!*
*WOOOSH!*
"Got him, Sergeant!"
Avery nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, then-"
"Incoming reinforcements from ISIS!"
He turned, watching a group of three soldiers from ISIS run towards the Blackwatch stronghold, weapons firing non-stop.
A number of shots hit them as they ran, but were easily handled by their energy shields.
The same couldn't be said of the Blackwatch soldiers being fired upon, screams of agony showing each successful hit, and by the numbers of screams, Blackwatch soldiers were dropping like flies.
Avery grinned widely.
"To all troops, Charge! Follow the ISIS boys!"
A war cry echoed in the burning street, as Marines went out of cover to charge onwards, with ISIS soldiers using themselves as deliberate targets to draw fire away from more fragile soldiers.
For a few seconds, the street burned bright with lasers and plasma, the sounds of explosions and the screams of the dying filling the air, though Avery had focus only on his enemies, as he charged, running across the street as fast as he could before sliding near a car and blasting the Blackwatch soldier hiding behind with a full volley of his gun.
Needless to say, there wasn't much left of the corpse.
He looked up, seeing the ISIS soldiers already reaching the entrance of the Blackwatch base, the leading guy blasting away with a plasma gun equivalent to a shotgun, being supported by a soldier with a plasma rifle and one with a plasma machine gun.
Avery tensed when he saw a Blackwatch soldier hold a rocket launcher towards the group-
*WOOOSH!*
-before grinning when a long-range shot hit the man in the head, blowing it away from existence, and showing that a fourth ISIS soldier with a plasma sniper rifle must have been waiting for the right target to strike down to make himself known.
Avery once again encouraged his soldiers to keep moving forward, all of them now flooding the enemy base while the ISIS soldiers acted like the tip of the spear, shattering whatever defenses stood in their way.
The Sergeant Major followed the ISIS soldiers closely, as they went on to carve a bloody path through the Blackwatch base to where the command room where, eager to strike at the Blackwatch leadership within.
Resistance was fierce, explosives flying freely as both sides sought to eliminate each other, and more than once, Avery grimaced at the sight of one of his soldiers popping like a balloon whenever an enemy explosive detonated close enough to hit one of his soldiers.
Still, the Blackwatch soldiers fared even worse, an ISIS soldier at one point literally kicking a grenade in mid-air back from where it came, until they finally reached the corridor leading to the command room.
Once more, ISIS soldiers took point, and the sheer advantage given to them by their energy shields once more proved itself, as Avery witnessed them walk through a barrage of lasers with not a single scratch to show for it while providing them covering fire from behind one of the corners of the corridor.
The ISIS soldiers simply returned fire, Blackwatch soldiers dying every second as plasma blasts reduced their bodies to ash even as they screamed in terror and rage while the true titans of the battlefield strode forwards uncaringly of the resistance of their enemies.
When all of the Blackwatch soldiers had died, they broke through the door leading into the command room, threw a flashbang, and then charged in when it went off.
The sounds of explosions and dying screams filled the air, accompanied by the loud discharge of plasma weapons and the softer ones of laser guns, until Avery followed suit inside the room…
To find only corpses and destruction.
He paused, then turned towards the nearest of his soldiers.
"Secure the room, see if anything of value can still be found, or if they destroyed all the valuable docs already."
"Yes, sir!"
He turned towards the ISIS soldiers, who after a moment to ensure that the room was indeed secure, all turned towards the entrance and began leaving.
"Leaving already?" inquired Avery.
The ISIS soldiers paused, and the one with the plasma shotgun nodded.
"We're done here, we're needed further south now. Blackwatch forces are crumbling everywhere, but that doesn't mean they aren't fighting to the bitter end."
"Stubborn bastards." grunted Avery, before nodding respectfully at them. "Give' em hell. I'll probably be holding this place for a bit, so I won't be able to kill any more of them for a little while."
"You can count on it, Sergeant Major." reassured the ISIS soldier, sounding grimly eager for further bloodshed.
"One last question, then," asked Avery. "Any idea on how you'll handle the Reagan?"
The ISIS soldier shook his head. "Sorry, but while I'm sure the Commander has a plan, we haven't been informed yet."
Avery nodded. "Fair enough. Well, I'll hold you back no longer. Good hunting, gentlemen."
Avery could feel the ISIS soldier smirking at him. "That's the plan, Sergeant Major."
-
"As you can see, the fighting against the Blackwatch forces here at Manhattan is proceeding as planned, even if the battles are brutal and resistance is fierce." declared Lois Carol towards the camera held by her cameraman. She waved at the burnt out, broken building that used to be a Blackwatch stronghold.
"The Blackwatch forces, despite being outnumbered, continue their fanatical attempt at resisting the authority of the US government who ordered them to stand down following the declaration of President Grahams announcing Blackwatch as a rogue organization with no allegiance to the rightful government of the USA. That declaration, as you all know, came after the attempt on his life, and the attempted coup resulting in the destruction of both the Pentagon and the White House."
She took a deep breath, before looking firmly at the camera.
"With the simultaneous attack on those locations also came the attack on Insight Corp.'s HQ, and from there, the official approval of ISIS taking military actions against Blackwatch as reprisal. As such, both ISIS and the Marine forces of Manhattan have once again joined forces against a monstrous foe, this one human in appearance but no less wicked in intent. So far, the combined might of both forces have proven as devastating against Blackwatch as it has proven against the hordes of Elizabeth Greene, and reports come from all over Southern Manhattan that Blackwatch forces are being forced to fall back more and more south."
A helicopter flew overhead, followed soon after by the sounds of explosions in the distance.
"The question still remains about the matter of the USS Reagan, and how to remove it from Blackwatch control. Should it be destroyed entirely? Or can it be brought back under US control once more? As of yet, no indication of any plans to handle the matter has been revealed, though it is only a matter of time until the matter must be addressed one way or another."
Lois continued to give more news for a few minutes, before finally calling it good enough for now.
She sighed, rubbing a hand in her long black hair, blue eyes glancing around at the signs of war surrounding her.
The death of Elizabeth Greene should have been the end of the conflicts in Manhattan. It should have marked the end of this nightmare that Humanity was in for weeks now.
But no. Instead, partially because of her, the island still echoed with the sounds of war. The screams of the dying, the sounds of explosions, of plasma and lasers flying through the air…
The only difference is that this time, the enemy was human.
Human, but no less monstrous.
Lois could have never imagined that her help in gathering information against Blackwatch could have led to this. Perhaps it had been naive of her, but she could have never imagined that Blackwatch would respond to their crimes becoming known by attempting a coup. A coup! Against the USA!
She had watched in stunned disbelief the images showing the destruction of the White House, the combat taking place in the burning ruins of the Pentagon.
Watched a thousand soldiers charge at Insight's HQ, murder in their eyes.
Watched as military bases across the country turned into battlefields between loyalist armed forces and those siding with Blackwatch.
As thousands of people, civilians and soldiers alike, got wounded or even died in days of vicious fighting.
Lois couldn't help but remember her first words with the leader of ISIS. He had warned her of the consequences of revealing the truth. Warned her that even the best of intentions could have horrific consequences.
At the time, she had been concerned, but eager to learn the truth and see it shared with the world anyway. She had truly believed that it was better for everything to be out for the public to know, than to try and hide the horrors hidden in the shadows of the world.
The leader of ISIS… had been sympathetic, but cynical, warning her of the cost of her good intentions.
It was only now, as the White House finished burning, as the Pentagon stopped being a battlefield, as a thousand corpses were removed from Insight Corp. HQ, that she finally understood why he had kept so much hidden for so long.
If this is what happened when the evils of the world were weakened… What would have happened if they had been stronger?
Lois shuddered at the very thought.
A great part of her raged against this. She had lived her life believing in revealing the truth, to question that after so long… To question that on matters as important as this…
And yet, the images she had seen refused to leave her mind. The strongest nation in the world had been shaken to its core, and part of it happened because she had stood for revealing the truth of it all.
She suddenly sympathized heavily with the leader of ISIS. If this is what happens when the truth comes out, how hard must it be to finally make the choice to reveal anything at all?
To know, without a doubt, that your actions would lead to the death of thousands, no matter how well-intentioned they may be?
And of course, the next question was obvious. How much does the leader of ISIS still hide, believing that the time was not yet right to reveal yet more of the ugly truth he stood as guardian of?
Lois had learned much of the hidden war that had been raging for over a decade. Of the B.O.W's being created and unleashed, of the corporations killing and spying across the world, of the outbreaks contained at great cost of lives…
The world was far more dangerous that everyone believed it to be. Time and time again, catastrophe had almost happened, if not for the actions of far too few heroes standing against the horrors of the world.
Evil existed, and indeed had prospered for a long time. The list of people who had died to Umbrella alone over the decades…
What Lois was seeing now was the end result of a war against evil waging in secret for years, slowly chipping away at the forces capable of destabilizing the world until only a handful remained.
It said a great deal that this was still enough to horrify her immensely.
For once, the truth had been clear from the start: ISIS really were heroes. Heroes fighting a war against those that would see the world burn. Heroes who, for years, had shouldered the burden of protecting the world in secret so that humanity as a whole may live without fear for that much longer.
But now, that time is over. The evil they had been fighting all along had been revealed to the entire world, and Lois swore that they would get the recognition they deserved.
Over a decade of fighting the worst of monsters on Earth, without any recognition or thanks…
It wasn't right. These people deserved better.
But she had to acknowledge that she would have to be careful. She didn't want a repeat of the Blackwatch crisis.
Getting to see the White House be burnt to the ground partially because of her actions was more than enough just the once, thank you very much.
She still owed Aeon some apologies for suspecting him of being evil, though. And also her thanks for keeping the world safe, even though almost no one even knew about his actions.
Of course, she was still suspicious of him hiding something big from her. Insight Corp. really was too perfect to be natural.
But at least she genuinely believed that, whatever else can be said of him, Aeon was someone who genuinely wanted the best for the world.
Now she just had to find out what big secret he was still hiding from everyone else that allowed ISIS and Insight Corp. to be so successful.
Even if this one, she would likely not reveal it to the world.
She owed him and the rest of his people that much.
-
"It appears that congratulations are in order, since Manhattan is soon going to be fully under ISIS control, the last remnants of Blackwatch are crumbling everywhere." remarked Clive O' Brian, leader of the BSAA.
I smiled grimly at him, my eyes going around the holographic map of the island. "Thank you, but that was never going to be in doubt. They took too many losses, and with ISIS forces free to focus on them now that the outbreak is firmly under control, combined with some very motivated Marines, the result was obvious."
"Fair enough. What next? Because-" his eyes went to the red spot symbolizing the USS Ronald Reagan. "-that thing still needs to be taken care of."
"Aye, I know." My eyes lingered on the damn aircraft carrier. The place which had become Blackwatch HQ, home base of General Randall (though he had been stripped of his rank, officially), and the place where this outbreak would truly end.
And where the truest gamble of this outbreak was about to take place.
"I have an agent that will take care of the place for us. If all goes well, he should be well capable of dealing with it."
O' Brian raised an eyebrow.
"Only one agent?" he questioned.
Which, against an aircraft carrier, was indeed quite a bit.
Except, of course…
"Alexander Mercer."
"Ah." O' Brian nodded, understanding dawning.
His face twisted slightly, a look of hesitation in his eyes that I picked up as well through (Empathy).
"Still wondering if he can be trusted?"
The man grimaced at having his concerns so bluntly brought up, before sighing deeply.
"I'm sorry, I'm just used to considering B.O.W's as threats, not friends."
I nodded. He wasn't the only one, and I knew that many amongst ISIS and my Hunters were only as friendly towards the guy because of my example.
When the gods themselves approve of you, you really don't have ground to stand on when trying to distrust him, after all.
Or at least, many saw things that way.
But Clive didn't know of my true nature, and it was his job to be somewhat paranoid on such matters, so I understood completely.
"Don't worry, he's on our side. And even if that ever changes, I'll deal with him myself, you have my word."
The leader of the BSAA glanced at me for several seconds.
"And you are certain you can kill him?"
I looked away from the map to look him in the eyes.
For a second, I pulled forth some of my Charisma, releasing some of my true presence as Aeon, the Good Hunter.
Slayer of Men, Beasts and Gods alike.
"Yes." I declared, that single word echoing across the room with the surety of a man declaring that water was wet and fire was hot.
Clive stared, then nodded.
I looked back at the map, my unnatural presence falling back to my usual one.
"I'm more concerned about those reports that Blackwatch got their hands on a nuclear weapon. With them losing Manhattan, they might just decide to burn it all."
"Would Randall really be that insane to launch a nuke on Manhattan?!" Clive exclaimed, sounding naturally disturbed at the very thought.
I shook my head. "It's a pretty smart idea. Remove any remaining risk of further infection and remove ISIS completely from the world as well. He's already Public Enemy Number 1, he's got nothing to lose and everything to gain."
Clive grimaced, passing a hand through his hair. "Shit, I hope you're wrong about this."
"I am too, but desperation makes for poor decision making. And he's got to be very desperate right now. Manhattan is lost to him, Alex Mercer is still alive, the coup he went for failed, in short, he's got no option but the literal nuclear one."
"Dammit." cursed Clive, scowling at the map.
"Don't worry. As I said, I sent Mercer to deal with things. Hopefully, he'll take care of it."
"And if not?"
I smiled wryly. "Well it won't matter for much longer, then, will it?"
Clive snorted. "Well, at least if he's that stupid there is no way he won't get blown up in return, so we would all get avenged pretty damn fast."
"That's the spirit!" I said cheerfully.
He shook his head with a grin. "Your optimism is truly impressive, my friend."
"Hey, I'm pretty sure that counts more as pragmatism, but whatever."
We studied the map in silence, seeing how much of it was marked as secure and belonging to loyalist forces.
"The world will change after this, you know." I said at last. "The wars of the past spent fighting in the shadows will be no more. Pandora's box has been opened, and there is no coming back. The BSAA is going to get a lot of attention once this is over, considering that beyond ISIS, you are the best at fighting B.O.W's in the world."
"I'm aware." he replied with a sigh. "It was always a possibility that the whole world would learn of it all. As it is, it's a miracle that it lasted that long as a secret. Still, there are advantages of bringing everything to light, one of which is that support for the BSAA is going to go through the roof after this. Hell, maybe even the US will actually let us operate on their territory from now on instead of preferring American agencies! The last two proved themselves corrupt and evil, after all!"
I snorted. "The US? Showing intelligence? Pigs will fly before that day comes!" I joked, before shaking my head. "For what it's worth, I'll try to have the government support the BSAA as it should have from the start. And after all of this, I dare say my words will carry some serious weight, so who knows, we might just get some actual competence from the government for once."
"Your endless optimism is showing again." Clive said with dry sarcasm and amusement.
Naturally, I did the mature, professional thing expected of someone of my position and flipped him the bird.
-
Summer shot another Blackwatch soldier, taking him by the leg long enough for her to get close and knock him unconscious.
The previous battles against horrific mutated monsters had become battles against evil soldiers now, and while it was no more difficult for her as a Huntress, it was more complicated from a moral point of view.
She did not like to kill people. Monsters were one thing, but people… That wasn't why she became a Huntress.
And yet, learning of Salem and everything surrounding that meant that she had long since known that monsters in human skin existed as well. They could talk, eat, drink, and more.
That didn't mean that she was happy about it. Didn't mean that she enjoyed fighting people, rather than monsters.
But sometimes, to protect the innocent, one had to get their hands dirty. This entire outbreak showed her that much, taught her that much.
Still, she tried. Tried to go non-lethal, tried to simply incapacitate rather than kill. She could see that the other ISIS soldiers had no such issues, and the Marines almost gleefully went about killing Blackwatch soldiers, seemingly glad to be given a human target for all their pent-up emotions born from this outbreak, and one so evil that there was no doubt as to the righteousness of fighting them.
Summer herself nonetheless tried to save lives. That was who she was, at her core. Aeon had once talked to her about the fundamental difference between the Hunters from Yharnam and Remnant.
He had pointed out that the first were swords, and the second were shields. Declared that while the first were meant to focus above all else on the elimination of beasts, the second was supposed to act as protectors of the innocent.
Some Hunters had tried to be the second, tried to be protectors rather than killers, and Aeon spoke fondly, and with more respect that she was used to hear from him when it comes to other Hunters, of one named Ludwig, who he had crossed paths with and who had earned Aeon's full respect in a way that no one else ever was truly able to do.
But for the most part, Aeon had made it clear that Hunters were not heroes, unlike in Remnant. They were killers, if not literal Executioners, meant to put down rabid dogs and nothing else.
It was something he had disapproved of, claiming that Hunters naturally fell more easily to their own bloodlust when the act of hunting and killing was glorified far more than doing what was right and just.
Still, he could admit that did not make the Hunters weak in and of itself. Just that their mindset was inherently dangerous, and that the consequences were often fatal for those who lost sight of the fact there was more to being a Hunter than hunting and killing.
When Summer had declared that she was no mere killer, and that she just wanted to protect people, Aeon had smiled sadly, and declared that there were many ways to help people, quite a few involving a great deal of bloodshed.
At the same time, he had encouraged her to follow her own path. To remember and cherish who she was as a person and Huntress, and that he was proud of her for seeking to create her own future.
Nonetheless, he had warned her that others wouldn't give so much value to life, especially their enemies.
That… he would not place such value on them, even if he respected her for her views…
They were not his own. He was a killer, a sword more than a shield, and he had made his peace with that fact long ago.
Summer thought it stupid. People changed, right? So why not simply change for the better?
Alas, he was not so easily convinced. If anything, he seemed glad that she was better than him, so that he could find his place as the naturally more ruthless of them both.
Summer hoped that one day she could convince him that he needn't be so ruthless to ensure the protection of the innocents, but she knew that was a long-term project at best.
For now at least, she could continue to just knock unconscious as many Blackwatch soldiers as she could. With her armor, Aura, and training, even Blackwatch soldiers were no match for her in the slightest, so it wasn't even hard as long as she was not foolish.
She hoped this war would end soon, though. First Greene, now Blackwatch… The world was left horrified by the evil shown to all, but what about those left to fight those evils?
She knew that quite a few Marines had broken down at some points during the last two weeks, and quite a bit of the renewed mental strength they currently fought with was born of rage and a desire for vengeance. Still, this could only last for so long.
And what of the ISIS soldiers, who had been in the thick of it pretty much all this time? They were doing much better, experience and training helped, but surely, even they had to have a breaking point.
Well, sadly that was all beyond her authority. She would have to trust that Aeon had a plan to finish all of this quickly, which admittedly was not a bad bet to make.
The man always had a plan, after all. Kind of like Ozpin… though a lot more eager to do things himself.
She knocked out the last Blackwatch soldier in the area, Marines cheering at capturing another Blackwatch outpost, though her own gaze went towards the USS Reagan.
One way or another, it would all end there, she knew…
The only question left was how it would all end.
-
Bay One, USS Reagan- CITADEL Command, Offshore Southwest Manhattan.
The elevator platform came to a stop, and Alex Mercer, currently looking like a wrist-bound Colonel Taggart, held back a grin of satisfaction at seeing General Randall in the flesh at last, the man foolishly coming closer without fear, even while the entire area they were in was empty beyond he, Alex, and Cross.
"Report." coldly ordered Randall.
"Taggart's failure led to the collapse of the Blue Zone, sir." replied Cross, speaking of the part of Manhattan directly under Blackwatch control… That was now under combined Marine/ISIS control.
General Randall nodded, then swiftly took out a las-pistol and shot "Taggart" in the head.
Alex let himself collapse on the ground, grimacing slightly in pain. Point-blank headshots by las–pistols hurt, even if it wasn't fatal for him.
"Welcome home." calmly said Randall, nodding at Captain Cross like he didn't just execute a man. "Operation RED LIGHT is over."
He then turned around, walking towards where a nuclear weapon was currently being held within the bay, Cross following after him.
"What about our men?" questioned Cross while looking at the weapon. "The ones on the ground in Manhattan?"
General Randall scowled at him. "You didn't think I was that naive, did you? When you have a festering wound, you cauterize it." He pointed his gun at Cross' head. "Let the place burn. Any remaining remnant of the infection will be gone, and so will all those damned ISIS bastards, along with their Marine pawns. We'll be saving America from two threats at once: The infection, and ISIS-"
He paused, noticing that Cross was staring at something over his shoulder, and he turned around with a frown.
Only for his eyes to widen in shock when Alex fucking Mercer suddenly stood in front of him, Alex taking him by the throat and raising him up in the air, throwing the general"s las-pistol away.
"I won't let you erase Manhattan like you erased Hope." coldly declared Alex, thinking of how his sister was still in the city.
"Let?" gasped Randall.
A beeping sound froze them all, and they glanced towards the nuke, showing the screen that the weapon would go off in a few minutes.
"We're 6 minutes out." gasped Randall. "And only I know the code."
Alex snarled, then threw the man on the ground.
"I know everything that Blackwatch has done." he growled. "Because everyone I've killed? They're in me. They ARE me!"
General Randall's eyes widened in realization.
"That's how you-"
Alex, done playing around, slammed his hand straight through Randall's heart and consumed him, and he fell to his knees as the memories of Hope flashed through his mind.
"I've stopped this damn thing before. Stopped it dead… Hope, Idaho was a… sacrificial lamb. A necessary sacrifice... Shoot anything that moves! No one comes in, nothing gets out!"
"Sir, the Walkers have sealed themselves in the hospital."
"We have orders to liquidate the entire population!"
"Elizabeth Greene is now a military asset… and I just made General Officer."
Alex stumbled back, breathing heavily, as memories of death, destruction, and mutations flashed through his mind.
"You bastard… You could have stopped all of this… You let it happen."
Alex turned around, still thinking deeply over Randall's memories-
Only to gasp when Cross suddenly took him by the throat just like he took Randall a minute before.
"When the weapon detonates, and they think that Manhattan is cleansed, no one will be looking for me." coldly declared Cross.
He smiled. "And when I consume you… I'll be able to withstand even the nuke."
Consume? Wait-
Cross threw him away, with a strength that was thoroughly unnatural.
Alex hit the ground hard but rolled to his feet quickly, his eyes settling on Cross, or whatever he truly was-
He stiffened, as what now stood before him was definitely not Cross.
The parasite! But how- no, doesn't matter right now, he thought first in shock, then in grim determination at the sight of the tall infected mutant that was now standing in front of him.
So Aeon's concerns were spot on, Cross couldn't be trusted after all... He almost called on his new electric powers, but after a moment decided to wait for the perfect moment to use them. It was a trump card, and it would be foolish of him to show it off early.
The platform they were both on activated, bringing them up to the flight deck of the aircraft carrier, where every Blackwatch soldier there stared in shock at both himself and the parasite turned Hunter now standing amongst them.
"All hands on desk, all hands on desk! Zeus is in the barn! This is not a drill!" came an officer's voice from the audio system of the aircraft carrier, though by then it was too late.
The parasite erupted with tentacles, who sought out as many soldiers around the flight deck of the aircraft to consume before absorbing them.
"I don't have time for this!" Alex snarled, but nonetheless immediately charged straight at the monster, tentacles fighting against tentacles and fists against fists as both sides fought each other hard enough to create shockwaves and craters across the flight deck.
Blackwatch soldiers came running to try and kill them both, lasers and rockets filling up the air, but both monsters with the capability to appear human ignored them for the most part, except if they needed a quick boost to heal their wounds.
They were Blackwatch after all, Alex had no qualms using them for his own gains, and the parasite definitely didn't either.
Alex jumped back just as a Blackwatch helicopter unleashed a storm of laser fire on the Parasite, who roared in pain before tearing up part of the ground and throwing it at the helicopter, which crashed and burned on the flight deck.
Alex jumped back in, leaving no time for the parasite to heal himself, shockwaves exploding from their fists meeting, the parasite roaring in rage as they were both thrown backwards, before Alex turned his arms into deadly sharp tentacles and cut deep gouges in the Supreme Hunter's body.
The former parasite stumbled and fell to a knee, blood flowing like rivers from its wounds, and Alex immediately charged, jumping on top of the shoulders of the inhumanly tall Hunter and turning his arms into blades before hacking away at the monster beneath him.
Said monster shrieked in agony, before Alex grunted in pain when a mass of tentacles exploded from the Hunter's body which threw him back and killed a number of Blackwatch soldiers still desperately trying to kill them both.
Alex snarled as he got on his feet and charged the Supreme Hunter once more, the former parasite born from Elizabeth Greene doing the same in return.
For a few minutes, both sides punched, stabbed, cut and fought each other, occasionally killing more Blackwatch soldiers who were becoming more and more desperate to kill them as more of the ship was wrecked and more of their numbers died.
Helicopters filled the air, the sun setting down in the sky as the night claimed the world over the sight of two superhuman monsters fighting it out amidst explosions and lasers trying their best to kill them both… to no avail.
Finally, it was the boon he got from the leader of ISIS which won him the fight, as Alex used his newfound ability to manipulate electricity to quite literally shock the Supreme Hunter for a second, the monster not having expected him to be able to do such a thing allowing Alex to first cut his right arm off while a torrent of electricity coursed through the Hunter's body making his muscles lock up, and then Alex plunged his arm straight into the parasite's chest when the monster stumbled back in agony from the sudden loss of his limb.
"Regenerate this." he snarled, before consuming the monster, body and detached arm both- this time, he wasn't letting anything survive their fight.
Alex breathed deeply, feeling himself grow even stronger from the consumed parasite, before he started running towards the nuke which thankfully had managed to avoid taking any damage during the whole fight.
With a mere two minutes left, he quickly attached the nuke to a helicopter, took off and flew the damned thing as far away as he could from the city.
With a mere 15 seconds left, he let the nuke fall into the sea, before turning around, squeezing the controls of the helicopters like his life depended on them- because it pretty much did.
Soon enough, he could feel the nuke go off, and for a moment, the memories of his life, from the moment he woke up in the morgue to here and now, flashed through his mind.
The enemies he had made, the allies he had found, the sister he had tried to protect…
The battles he had fought, the lives he had taken and saved…
The way he had, in his own way, changed the world in a mere two weeks.
All things considered, it was one hell of a life, he thought with satisfaction.
Alex Mercer may have played a part in bringing forth the outbreak of Manhattan, but he also played a part in its end.
He didn't know if something existed after life… None of the lives' worth of memories he had access to in his mind knew the answer to that, even if many knew of various religions.
But all things considered…
He liked to think he made up for his sins, in the end.
As the shockwave of the nuke hit the helicopter, he smiled.
Are you proud of me, Dana?
The last thing he saw before everything went black was a memory of her smiling at him.
He could only hope that the nuke went off far enough away that she would be free to keep smiling like that for decades to come.
Heh. He supposed that even monsters like him could pray, in the end…
-
I stared at the wiggling mass of flesh on the ground, before nodding at a nearby ISIS soldier.
Said soldier dumped a Walker's corpse beside the mass of flesh, which wasted no time throwing itself at it.
For a few seconds, the rather disturbing sight of Alex Mercer rebuilding himself back up to human form thanks to the Walker's corpse he just consumed took place before me.
Then Alex took a deep breath, the last parts of his clothes (which obviously weren't actual clothes) finishing growing around his body.
"Congratulations on both saving Manhattan and surviving a nuke, Alex. I dare say that few people indeed have ever managed one of those, much less two!" I said with amusement once he was fully healed.
"Aeon." he replied, staring at me for a moment. "You knew about the Parasite?"
I shrugged. "I suspected. I had no proof, but Cross' sudden change of loyalty was unnatural. And there weren't exactly countless potential beings capable of pulling off a-" I waved at him. "-you, essentially."
He grunted. "And the whole electricity thing was a secret weapon against it, I take it?"
"Well, both that and the fish part allowing you to better survive being at sea, because I had suspicions on how this would all end. I just hedged my bets, you could say." I calmly replied, a hint of amusement in my voice.
He gave me a dry look.
So naturally, I twisted the knife with a cheerful grin on my face.
"Just so you know, the whole fight on the flight deck of the Reagan got captured on camera, and everyone knows that you basically both killed a potential Elizabeth Greene 2.0 and then heroically saved Manhattan by taking the nuke away at sea where it could safely explode even if it might cost you your life, so congratulations on officially becoming The Hero and Savior of Manhattan, Alex. I hear the President has already announced quite a few medals just for you for all of this."
Alex blanched hilariously at the news he was essentially now considered a national hero, and I laughed at him.
"This is all your fault, isn't it?" he accused, scowling furiously towards me.
I grinned at him. "What can I say, no good deed goes unpunished! And I know that you probably would have just retreated into anonymity if you had your way, but I couldn't allow that."
My expression softened, and I looked at him with sympathy.
"After everything you went through, you deserve justice, and while killing Randall certainly is a good first step, there are other Blackwatch goons around the world that need to be taken down. Moreover, someone needs to show Humanity that doing what Blackwatch did is not acceptable, and you're the best one for the job. Besides, there's another reason that I went for this."
"And that is?" he questioned, still scowling.
I smirked at him. "Think of how proud your sister is right now… Well once she stops wanting to strangle you for almost sacrificing yourself, that is."
Alex stiffened, somehow blanching all over again at the thought of his sister's reaction to him deliberately putting himself at risk of dying via a nuke to the face.
The sound of a car stopping nearby made us all turn, and I grinned widely at the sight of Dana Mercer almost wrenching open the door of the car to start running straight towards her brother.
"Alex!" she screamed.
Said B.O.W. in human skin had barely the time to have a "Deer in the headlights" look on his face before he got an armful of sisterly concern and pride and, well, it was kinda hard to tell whether she was more proud or pissed or worried between all the crying and shouting and hugging.
Poor Alex threw me a desperate "Help me!" look over his sister's head while she seemingly tried to berate him, call him an idiot, and hug him to death at the same time, but I merely smug at him like the shameless glorious bastard that I was.
Said smug level only grew when he scowled at me in return.
Besides, it was a great way to distract him on how exactly I knew where to find him!
He mouthed the words "Vengeance" at me before he focused on wrangling his still crying, shouting, and hugging sister.
Needless to say, he wasn't having much luck.
I shook my head with a smile and walked away, the group of ISIS soldiers with me following suit as we left the siblings have their moment in peace.
Instead, I just looked at the city.
A lot of smoke could still be seen, quite a bit of fire as well… But it was over.
Not long after Alex took the nuke away from the Reagan, I led a strike team to take over the aircraft carrier. Considering that Randall was dead and many of the Blackwatch soldiers had died in the clash between the parasite and Alex, the remaining Blackwatch forces barely put up a fight before surrendering.
Their will to fight had been broken, and at this point, there was no point struggling against the inevitable.
And with the capture of the USS Reagan, the war for Manhattan was officially over, and the war against Blackwatch might as well be.
Without Randall leading Blackwatch, the remaining forces across the country would be easily hunted down. Some might secretly be helped and employed by Simmons, but even that was doubtful.
While I deliberately left the man untouched by the current cleansing of the country, I certainly didn't hold back much against his allies, and the man was much too busy trying to save what he could of The Family's assets and supporters to try anything.
His time will come, but not yet. I had plans for him, and he could still be of some use.
Still, with Gentek and Blackwatch both gone…
At this point, the USA was almost at the point they could be trusted. Truly, compared to how things were in 1998, we were in a very different world…
A much better world.
I glanced around. The cost was nothing to scoff at, of course. There had been… a lot of death to arrive at this point, and not just in Manhattan.
And yet, even that was a benefit, from a pragmatic point of view. The death and destruction horrified humanity, and thus the cost of messing around with B.O.W's was going to be incredibly severe. The death penalty was going to be used widely when the authorities finished judging all the still alive criminals involved in this mess.
The politicians would support those who fight against B.O.W's, and that means ISIS and Insight Corp. To say nothing of the fact that a lot of reconstruction was going to be needed, and Insight Corp. will be there for it all…
Power, influence, resources and more were going to be our rewards for all of this.
It left a bitter taste in my mouth to profit from this mess, but it was required.
Yet another battle won in the name of humanity. Yet more beasts slain.
Yet more lives lost.
It was ironic, really. I stood as judge, jury, and executioner of Humanity, but my sight let me see all that was lost.
Everyone who died without having children would cut away generations out of the future of humanity. Every scientist, politician and more who could have influenced humanity for the better in the future… Dead.
Never to be born in the first place.
I had thought that I could not hate Beasts more than I did after Yharnam. It was only now, as I saw the potential of countless generations of heroes of humanity extinguished before their time, never to shine in greatness, that I burned with cold rage greater than ever.
So much lost to greed, cruel ambition, mindless hunger…
I let out a sigh. Victory. What a bitter word, for those who saw its cost.
At least I could take joy in knowing that without my actions, things would have been so much worse.
So many more dead… So much greatness lost to those who could only drag mankind into mediocrity, into the Abyss of Oblivion… of Death.
I smiled as I watched through glowing eyes future scientists uncover more secrets of the universe, as I watched politicians guide mankind better thanks to the horrors they had witnessed and promised themselves to never allow to tarnish the world again.
I hated all that was lost to beasthood. But even so, even as I burned with guilt that I refused to do more in the name of Free Will and rage at those who had cost mankind so much, I couldn't help but smile at the fruits of my work.
A few more years, and it would be done. My work, complete at last.
This Earth, safe. And the story I was writing through ISIS and Insight Corp., finished.
Ready to be used across other worlds as needed…
I shook my head. That part of things wasn't done quite yet, though this latest outbreak certainly helped greatly.
Still, I supposed that I could take a moment to be satisfied at a job well done. Manhattan was safe, Gentek and Blackwatch were broken, the world knew and was horrified at the idea of B.O.W's, ISIS and Insight Corp. were seen as heroes, Alex Mercer was still on the side of Humanity, my Hunters had been tested and proven up to the task once more, Summer included…
Even Sherry had taken her first steps into changing the world.
And I… I had prevented another Yharnam, much like with Raccoon City.
No matter the cost, that couldn't be denied.
… Right, enough wasting time thinking about things, time to get to work. I still had the clean-up of mountains of corpses to handle, Blackwatch prisoners to oversee, and so much more.
As always, the rewards for good work was more work.
A good thing I pretty much couldn't get tired, then!
-
"News 1 has confirmed that a nuclear weapon has been detonated 10 to 15 miles offshore of Southern Manhattan. Estimates place it as roughly 5 times the size of the bomb dropped at Hiroshima."
"What would you like to say?" "Err… I, I guess I'd just like to tell everyone that we're okay. That the people of Manhattan are gonna be okay. We'll bounce back from this."
"If it wasn't for the Marines and ISIS, we'd be dead. All of us. They risked their lives to save us. We owe them."
"I have Sergeant Jerward here with me. Sergeant, what can you tell us about the present state of the infection?" "Nothing. It's pretty much all being cleansed as we speak. Ever since Greene died, they aren't driven in the same way. The infected aren't a real threat anymore, and anything that is left is being taken care of by ISIS."
"The Mayor of the city gave a speech a few hours ago praising the bravery of the US Armed Forces in the recent events which have shaken Manhattan, and gave praises over the incredible courage and skill of every ISIS soldier that participated in the Outbreak. He further spoke of being in negotiations on the rebuilding of the island with Insight Corp.'s CEO Lucy Miller, and that he was looking forward to creating a bright, prosperous city with the help of the famous company dedicated to ensuring a beautiful future for all of humanity."
-
"So, Summer, how does it feel to know that you helped save all of Humanity?"
Summer Rose glanced at Aeon, before looking back out of the ISIS HQ in Manhattan at the vast city before them, one no longer filled with the sounds of fighting and the sight of distant explosions.
Instead, soldiers calmly patrolled the city, construction crews were beginning to remove the rubble from the weeks of fighting, and the sounds of carefree laughter filled the air, as people finally relaxed after the last few weeks of constant stress.
"I hardly did this alone. Actually, I was just another Huntress amongst many, just another protector amongst countless. Still…" she smiled, silver eyes shining with joy. "I'm glad. Glad to have been a part of this, glad to have helped, and glad to…" she fell silent, but Aeon gave her a knowing look.
"You're glad to know that Humanity can win. That the evils that threaten it, no matter how powerful they may appear, can in fact be defeated for good. That we can win."
"Yes." she whispered. "After Salem… Well. A part of me couldn't help but doubt that we'd be able to kill Elizabeth Greene. It's stupid, but I just… couldn't help but see some similarities, and that worried me."
She smiled brightly at Aeon. "But I was wrong to fear. We won. You and Mercer killed her, truly defeated her for good, and now… Now Humanity can rebuild without fear."
She looked back at the city. Beyond all the death and destruction… What she saw was hope.
Hope that Evil can be defeated. That Good can triumph. That the innocents will be free to live in peace, and without fearing the future.
This wasn't Remnant. This was not the broken shards of Humanity desperately trying to thrive against the odds.
Here, mankind prospered. Here, civilization thrived. In this world, Humanity wasn't living in fear of what tomorrow might bring, but was eager to see it instead.
In this world… humanity dreamed of a bright future, more than they ever did in Remnant. With all the technologies that have been recently discovered, they even planned to spread across the Solar System in the next few decades.
Not to flee the monsters in their homes, but because they dreamed of the wonders that awaited them across the stars.
This world… It held a life that Remnant, for all of its beauty, couldn't match, because the people themselves were driven beyond those in Remnant.
Summer wasn't sure if it was the presence of Aeon and his fellow gods that caused this, or if it was natural, but the people of this world were simply happier, more passionate than those in her homeworld.
They genuinely believed that they could change the world. That their actions could bring change beyond anything anyone had ever imagined.
And it was beautiful to see.
This world, where Humanity lived without fear, free to pursue their dreams and passions, where all looked forward to a brighter tomorrow…
This was what she wanted for Remnant.
She wanted to see children laugh without fear of monsters. She wanted to see people dream of a better world and be free to not only work for it, but successfully create that world.
She wanted Humans and Faunus to thrive in peace, to colonize every bit of the world, before turning their gaze upwards, to the stars themselves, not out of a desire to flee, but out of a sense of wonder for what the heavens above could hold.
And here, on Earth, she could see that dream realized for the people living here. There was no immortal evil here. No all-powerful force of destruction which threatened all that people had built.
There were, in fact, great forces for good standing up and fighting for all that was just and kind.
A world free of Evil… A world where people were free to dream… A world where all could get to live without fear…
She wanted it. Now that she had seen the potential for it with her own eyes, her heart burned with the desire to bring it about for Remnant.
It was one thing to dream of such a world… It was another to see one such world take shape right in front of her.
She glanced at Aeon. In the end, it all came down to him. A man that had become a god, who had sworn to himself that he would bring peace and prosperity to all of Humanity. Not just in his universe, but all of them.
If it was anyone else, she would have thought him mad to try.
But he… He might just be able to pull it off.
Who could stop him, really? Other gods? She wasn't sure how strong Aeon really was, but he had been a god-slayer even before gaining Godhood.
How powerful was he, really?
Could he actually do as he dreamed, and defeat every evil in existence to give humanity the chance to prosper without fear?
She looked away, back to the city.
And what of her? Her, Summer Rose, now caught up in the affairs of gods and monsters, what was she to do in all of this? What was her place in all of this?
She looked at the city that she had helped save, thought of how many people she had potentially saved, of the fact that here, now, she had without a doubt made a difference.
Despite all the horrors she had seen… She was happy. Proud.
At peace. She had done it. She had been a hero. She had fought monsters, saved people, and in the end stood as one of the characters of the old stories full of heroes she had read when she was younger.
And she couldn't help but want more.
It might be selfish, but after fighting so many years on Remnant for safeguarding humanity just one more day, being here, knowing that her life mattered, that she really could be the hero she had dreamed of being…
Why stop?
One day, she'd come back to Remnant. But what then?
How old would she be by then? How many worlds would she have helped to save?
Could she just… retire once she gets home, hang up Iron Thorn, and never again fight?
Once, she would have accepted that. But now, when immortality was hers to claim, when she could embrace being a hero like she had once dreamed of, simply retiring felt…
Wrong. Like a betrayal of who she was as a person.
Sure, she would be here for her children. But they would grow up, or perhaps even be grown up once they met again.
What then?
She closed her eyes, her heart tearing in two over her potential future.
On one hand, she could go home, be with Taiyang, retire, grow old and eventually die. If she did that, she'd pass the last days of her life wondering what kind of adventures she would have had if she had chosen the path of being a Huntress of the Dream in full, and just how many she could have saved if she just chose to follow her dreams into eternity and beyond.
On the other hand, she could choose to be a Huntress of the Dream for good. Travel across worlds and universes, be a hero to countless people, save entire worlds and civilizations, fight horrors beyond her worst nightmares and see wonders beyond her wildest dreams.
But there was little doubt that her relationship with Taiyang would suffer from this. Would Taiyang really be happy to follow her into immortality? He was a great Huntsman, but he had never dreamed of being a hero. How many horrors could he handle seeing? How many hunts before it became too much? And if he retired, how long before they both drifted apart from the different paths they would choose?
And what of her children? Ruby… Ruby would most likely follow her. If her daughter stayed anything like Summer remembered her as, she would embrace the chance to be a hero across countless worlds with both arms.
In fact, was there any other outcome possible for her daughter? Once she made her way back to Remnant, introduced Aeon to her family, and introduced a much greater reality than just Remnant… Would her daughter be satisfied with just living only in Remnant?
She pursed her lips. It was hard to say, Ruby wasn't that old when Summer left her to fight Salem, but she was her mother, and she suspected that her little Ruby would react to the idea of seeing other worlds with delight.
To meet gods and heroes alike… Yes, her little Ruby would never pass that up.
And if Ruby went for this… Yang might very well follow her without hesitation.
Summer sighed deeply.
Dammit. Both her dreams and her daughters pushed her towards becoming a Huntress of the Dream for good, but what about Taiyang?
"You look troubled."
Summer jerked slightly, having been so absorbed in her thoughts that she had forgotten that she was not alone, and she blushed in embarrassment as she looked away from Aeon for a second.
"Are you alright?"
She looked back at him, finding him frowning in worry towards her, and she smiled weakly. "Sorry, just… I had a lot on my mind."
He smiled back, dark eyes kind. "Yeah, I know what that feels like. Want to talk about it?"
She grimaced. Honestly, at this point she might as well…
After a moment of hesitation, she began explaining her thoughts and concerns to him. Aeon listened attentively, saying nothing and letting her rant to her heart's content over the way that two paths seemed to open themselves to her, both of them with things that would make her happy… and both of them with costs as well.
Once she finished, Aeon looked at her for a moment before sighing.
"I think you should make a choice based on what matters most to you. On one hand, you can choose a normal human life. You can live with your boyfriend, raise your kids, grow old and eventually die. A peaceful, normal life where nothing extraordinary happens, but nothing dangerous happens either. You've got your home, the man you love, your children and a simple, peaceful life."
He looked at her straight in the eyes, expression firm.
"Or you can choose the extraordinary. The incredible wonders, mixed with the horrifying monsters. You can travel across worlds, save civilizations, hunt monsters of legends, teach your children to become legends in their own right, and live a life where passion, fear, and greatness comes to you day after day. Your name will be sung by various species for eons, your deeds will be carved across the very stars themselves, and mortals and gods alike will know of your name across all of creation."
He smiled. "Your destiny is your own, Summer Rose. Whatever path you take, embrace it and all it brings without regrets. For what it's worth, I will support you whatever you choose. If you wish for peace, then I will be glad to know that I was able to grant a good woman like you the peaceful life that she deserves. And if you wish to become a hero, to be the savior that countless people dream of being but few ever truly becomes, then I will help ensure that your story shall be one of greatness, of triumphs over evil, of wonders beheld and horrors slain."
He put a hand on her right shoulder and squeezed gently.
"Either way… I'm glad to have met you, Summer Rose, and I am proud to call you my friend and ally in my fight to bring a brighter future for all. Know that I will always welcome you by my side if that is your wish."
He nodded respectfully to her, then left her to think in peace over everything that had been said.
Summer watched him leave, before returning to look at the city, which she couldn't help but think stood as a hint of things to come if she embraced her newfound life as a Huntress of the Dream.
She frowned thoughtfully, thinking hard over her future.
She had time before making a decision, she knew that. Even so, she knew that this was going to bother her for quite some time.
After a moment, she let out a sigh and pushed the matter away, letting it be a problem for her future self.
For now, there was still work to be done to properly ensure the city was safe, and she might as well get on back with it.
But one day, she knew, she'd have to choose her path… One way or another.
-
A.N: Alright! Here is the next chapter in which we finish the events of Prototype.
First, a bit more showing of the battles against Blackwatch, and ISIS' part in it. My goal there was to show off just how terrifyingly powerful ISIS soldiers were against human foes. Yeah, they aren't quite as trained to fight them, but they still were trained for it, and with all the advantages they possess, ISIS soldiers are basically like Space Marines fighting regular human forces. Needless to say, it's a one-sided slaughter. Also, note the Marines and ISIS working easily with one another. As one can imagine, quite a bit of the US Armed Forces will be pro-ISIS after this.
Then more Lois Carol, who can't help but be rather introspective over everything that had happened. If you look closely, she did go through some character development, as she no longer upholds the reveal of the truth as perfect, and actually acknowledges that sometimes, secrets exist for good reasons. She still wants to learn more of how Insight Corp. became as powerful as they are, but she's essentially convinced that if nothing else, they are good people. My goal with her was to basically have her be like Lois Lane, at first questioning the heroes and being doubtful of whether they can be trusted, then once convinced, willing to help them out in whatever ways she can.
Then Clive O'Brian. I sadly didn't have him show up as much as I would have liked, but be assured that the BSAA most certainly learned a few things from this mess, and will continue to be good allies for Aeon and co. They are the fully-human group of this Earth protecting the world after all, and Aeon is quite happy involving regular Humans in the defense of their world and not having everything be on his own shoulders.
A bit more Summer contemplating things follows, and the differences between her/Remnant's Hunters and Aeon and his version of things, along with the Yharnamite version. Once again, I wanted to show that while Summer is changing, she is still fundamentally Summer Rose, and Aeon isn't just turning her into a carbon copy of himself. In the end, Aeon does respect free will, and that includes respecting other opinions and beliefs than his own (as long as they aren't cruel in nature, obviously).
And then we finally have Alex ending Blackwatch and fighting the parasite turned Supreme Hunter. I'm not sure how well I wrote the last part where Alex believed he was going to die, but hopefully it shows that despite everything, this Alex Mercer is still pretty fundamentally human. Though I'll touch that more in the next chapter.
Admittedly, having Dana be there for him helps immensely.
As for the little introspection for Aeon, I wanted to show off why this version of Aeon, post-Yharnam, would still hate "Beasts". This time, with the ability to look into the future and what could have been, Aeon sees all the potential lives snuffed out across all of human history whenever even one human dies before their time. As you can imagine, for a guy fundamentally focused on bringing greatness to as many as he can, this enrages him immensely, and adds to the guilt he feels for not doing more. At the same time, he also sees all the lives saved by his actions, which certainly helps a great deal.
And finally, more Summer, as she takes yet another step into embracing her new life by genuinely considering her future once she makes it back to Remnant, and what she can do after that. I've got nothing against Taiyang, the guy did great raising his daughters, but at the same time I don't see him being driven to be a Hero like both Rose women are, so the way I see it Summer can either embrace being a Huntress of the Dream for the rest of eternity, or embrace a simple life with Taiyang. Add to that her own daughters' most likely reactions to learning of the greater omniverse, and the desire to be there for it with them, and she's stuck between two potential paths. Of course, I have some more thoughts for her to consider in the future, such as her growing relationship with Aeon, and the possibility that Taiyang might have moved on by the time she gets back.
Still, with all that being said, I hope you all enjoyed this update! Next time, we go into the aftermath of the outbreak, and everything that results from it