Virus

Shinya must now make up for her life being spared.

Zack was knocked unconscious in his brief fight with Kaoru and when he awoke he was immediately subjected to interrogation. He was cuffed at his wrist and ankles to a steel chair that was bolted to the floor. There was a small tube in his arm that fed him a chemical that made Zack feel weak. Snyder and Zepher were the ones in charge until Kaoru walked into the room and told them to leave. He pulled a chair up to Zack’s and sat down after the other two left.

“I’ve made a recent discovery that intrigues me.” Kaoru spoke, his tone conversational. “Of this time I have been here there have been many things that were revealed to me.” Kaoru stood up and walked to the large windows that made up one of the walls. He looked down from the twentieth floor of one of F.E.A.R.’s business structures. He watched as the people on the ground level walked around about their business. “Have you seen the way mammals adapt to their surroundings? Take the bat for example. They’ve lived in the dark for so long that they don’t need sight. Instead they have developed a technique to see with the use of echo location.” Kaoru turned away from the window. “Now here’s what I’ve discovered.” He paused as if to find a way to put what he wanted to say into words. “Actually, you’re not mammals at all. You don’t adapt to your environment. What you do is move from location to location and multiply. Move and spread. Those are your survival instincts.”

Kaoru walked to a table that was next to a wall. His back was turned towards Zack and when he turned around he had a syringe in his hand. “There is only one other creature who’s behavior matches yours…A virus. A disease that only causes harm to others. But you see, Zack, these viruses come in many different shapes and forms. The research that I have personally been in charge of can take control and alter genes. Mutate them. Some viruses can overrule the body’s self-defense system. The damage that can be done in that case is immense. The person changes. They become sickly in one way or another and show it either by physical or mental conditions.” Kaoru held up the syringe. “This will change both. It will make you into either a marvelous creature or an abomination. As I have experimented, each result has been unique. I’m really curious as to what you’ll become.”

The door opened as Kaoru raised the syringe to Zack’s neck. Snyder and Zepher entered the room again.

“What are you doing?” Zepher asked when she saw the needle.

“He doesn’t know.” Snyder remarked and Kaoru stood up.

“Know what?”

“There’s been a breach.”

“We can call back-up.” Zepher suggested but Snyder shook his head.

“Calling back up would be wise but it is not a necessity. We alone can eliminate the threat ourselves. After all they are only�"”

“Human.” Kaoru finished with a smirk on his face.

            Outside the building Shinya, Xana, and Yoko were about to start their rescue mission. The tracker led to a skyscraper. It looked like any of the other office buildings in the city.

            “You know this is right on the same level as suicide, right?” Shinya cautioned. She still wondered how she managed to stick with the girls all the way to the very building that she wanted to be as far away from as possible. She figured that if it weren’t for Zack she would be the one inside of this building. She guessed that she didn’t want Zack to go through the same thing that she went through.

            “I believe we can save him with all of us getting out alive. If you’re so scared then why did you stick with us?” Xana asked Shinya and the reply was just a shrug. “Well I believe that Zack would have beat that guy if he wasn’t taken off guard.” Shinya let out a sigh.

            “You don’t understand. The person that took Zack is not human. He has amazing strength, he can’t feel pain as far as I’m concerned, the emotion sympathy doesn’t even reside within him, and worse of all is that there are more that are just like him. They’re probably up there with Zack right now. With someone that important in their hands then he’s bound to be protected by him and two or three more of people like him.”

            “But they were originally after you, right?” Yoko added in.

            “I guess but once they knew Zack was there he must have become the primary target.”

            “So if it wasn’t for us saving you he would still be here, unharmed?” Shinya’s head went down knowing that Yoko was probably right.

            “I don’t know. Those people are under a new leader. It has been just recently when they’ve been chasing me again. I was once a captive of them before. Experiments were a daily part of my life then. Now I live everyday jumping at my own shadow, afraid that they will find me and take me back. I’m not normal because of them.” Shinya didn’t realize she was shaking until Xana grabbed a hold of her.

            “Then don’t you want to help us put a stop to this?” Shinya stayed silent desperately wanting to say yes but being afraid to do so. Uriko pulled up in a van and got out.

            “Lets go.” She said handing each girl a couple of pistols and then giving Yoko a large duffle bag. They all walked inside the building. The first floor was expansive with classic white ad black tile on the floor and there was a lone desk off to the side but other than that no other work was put on the level. There were two Dark Redeemers on guard sitting behind the desk. A male and a female. When the girls approached the two guards stood up from their chairs.

            The male who Shinya knew was Bradley and the woman was Leigha.

            “Identify.” Bradley commanded. Shinya pulled out her gun and shot him then pointed her gun at Leigha. She sneered at Shinya once she recognized her and then multiple footsteps were heard approaching.

            “Sounds like the assault squad is on their way already. They must have camera’s stationed around here.” Yoko commented then a large number of soldiers appeared at the back of the room. Leigha smirked.

            “Drop your weapons or you will be shot.” Her British accent clear. An explosion erupted from underground and before anyone could react the floor underneath the soldiers broke and all of them fell through. Shocked Leigha reached for her gun but was immediately shot in the leg by Yoko’s handgun. Leigha dropped and a gun was put up to her neck.

            “Where’s Zack?” Yoko asked.

            “On the top floor but it’s probably too late.”

            “What do you need him for?”

            “Do I look like I would know that kind of information.”

            “Your right.” Yoko said and then hit Leigha over the head with her weapon, knocking her unconscious. “We have to hurry.” Yoko then looked at the hole in the ground and then looked at Uriko. “You?” A smile played across her face.

            “Me.” The girls rushed up the stairs until they got to the roof. There were several guards stationed around a helicopter. Xana reached the top of the stairs bewildered by their descent.

            “How did we not see a single door that led into the building.” Shinya hushed Xana with a finger to her mouth.

            “They might here you. That military chopper must be an escort. We have to take them out quickly.” Shinya quietly and quickly ran up to a guard and snapped his neck. The action turned the other men’s attention. That’s when the other girls pounced on them and the chopper blades started to turn�"the pilot trying to get away.

            “Requesting immediate backup!” The pilot said in his earpiece. “I repeat�"” The man screamed as his body took on the shape of another.

            Shinya was taking out the last guard when Zepher stepped out of the helicopter. The woman pulled out duel pistols and fired at Shinya, hitting her in the arm.

            “Anyone who moves gets a bullet in the head!” Zepher yelled to be heard above the droning sound of the helicopter. The girls froze. “Shinya, I presume? I heard you were the first successful specimen in your experimental area. You can see what others can not. The marking in your blood red eyes are more than an added look to you. You’ve been on the run for years. Why did you leave Crimson inc.?”

            “I was nothing more than a specimen to them. I’d rather die than go back there again.” Shinya said knowing she was about to regret saying her words for the last time.

            “Pity.” Zepher said and aimed the gun at Shinya’s head. A shot echoed across the rooftop. Zepher dropped her gun and put hand to her head. When she looked at her hand it was red with blood. Then her legs gave out and when she fell to the ground the helicopter pilot lay in her place.

Shinya pulled out her cell phone after it buzzed. The others rushed to the chopper while Shinya answered the phone. “I owe you one Die[1].”

“Don’t thank me. It was your boyfriend Kyo that told me. If he hadn’t then you’d be the one with a bullet in your head. Be careful and see you later.” He hung up and Shinya put her cell phone away.

Shinya was able to gain valuable allies in the years she was on the run. They are brothers and had sympathy on her. One of them also felt love for her too. They had agreed to protect her from a distance just in case anyone from Dark Redemption or Crimson tried to get a jump on her. If she was being chased by someone and they suddenly stopped or disappeared Shinya would always know why. She never really communicated with them in person. They always kept their distance with the exception of Kyo. He would occasionally protect her from where ever she would be living at the moment.

Shinya got climbed onto the helicopter after the others. She knew how to fly. How could she forget? After all it was the same type of vehicle she used to escape from Crimson all those years ago.

“I think they are trying to save him.” Snyder said as he and Kaoru watched the video of what happened on the first floor play on the large windows that also served as an LCD. Zepher stormed into the room just as the sound of a helicopter could be heard. Suddenly the chopper lowered down in front of the glass windowpane. It turned to the side revealing Yoko on a mounted M60.

“Impossible.” Was all Kaoru could mutter as a hail of gunfire pour into the room. Kaoru, Snyder, and Zepher took out their pistols and fired back at the chopper. Snyder tried diving for the door that was close by but was shot before he could even make it. Zepher was hit in her are then in her chest, the force of the weapon slammer her light body against the wall. Kaoru managed to dodge a line of bullets and then was hit by a second barrage. Yoko ceased fire when she saw that she took out all of her targets.

“Clear!” She yelled and Uriko leaped from the copter and into the room along with Xana. Zack was still in the chair seeming to be in a trance that made him drift in out of consciousness.

“Theses chains have a couple of locks on them.” Uriko called to Xana. “You just watch that door.” Uriko took her pistol and fired at the locks freeing Zack from the chair. “Come on. Wake up. Snap out of it!” She ripped the I.V. out of his arm and injected him with adrenaline. Almost immediately he gasped for air as if he had been holding his breath. He looked around and gave a weak smile.

“Glad you could make it.” He said dryly. “But I’ve got some bad news though.”

“Tell us later. Right now we need to get you out of here.” Uriko clamped a safety harness to Zack’s belt loop and started to make their way to the helicopter when the door opened and Alpha and Omega stepped in followed by Kaoru. Uriko looked back to where Kaoru was once lying and saw a dead assault team member in his place as well as in the same position Zepher and Snyder was. Uriko fired an RCP-90 at the people that just walked in and they instantly dodged back through the door. Zack jumped into the chopper first. Xana looked back and saw the syringe that was going to be used on Zack lying on the table. She ran back and grabbed the needle. Uriko had already gotten into the chopper when she noticed Xana wasn’t with her. Xana was running for the helicopter when Alpha, Omega, and Kaoru stepped back into the room.

“Xana, duck!” Yoko shouted. Xana dropped to the ground as Yoko started firing at the group in the room. Alpha lifted her hands and the bullets ricocheted off of an invisible shield. Behind the shield, Omega pulled out a rocket launcher. “Shinya, RPG!” As Omega fired the rocket and the helicopter surged upward. Xana stood back up as the helicopter leveled itself with the window again.

“Xana, come on!” Zack screamed and she bolted for the chopper. Kaoru noticed the syringe in her hand and he pulled out a Desert Eagle with a scope. Xana managed to jump onto the helicopter and into Zack’s arms. Then a loud gunshot was heard even above the droning sound of the helicopter’s blades and engine. Xana let out a gasp as the feel of a hammer hit her side. Xana’s white shirt started to stain red with blood on her stomach. She dropped to her knees and dropped the needle and it rolled out of the chopper. “Oh, my God. Xana, stay with me!” Xana’s vision became cloudy and her eyelids became heavy as the helicopter sped off. “Get us to a hospital!”

The helicopter sped away and the syringe dropped into Zepher’s hands, perfect intact.

“What makes humans act so rashly like that? They lost one of their own anyway.”

“I don’t know. Maybe you should ask them, Zepher.” Snyder strode off back towards the building and Zepher looked intently at the syringe.

“Maybe…” Zepher murmured to herself.

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[1] Pronounced Dee-ae