-Just a fellow gamer trying to get a better ending for this highly depressing game, Dying Light... as a Volatile Zombie?
Sypnosis: Dying sucks. Being reincarnated into one of the deadliest creatures in this world is... I don't know... Maybe this won't be such a bad thing. Died and reincarnated as a Volatile. SI-OC Self-insert. Rated M. Follows the main story with some minor changes.
Rated: M
Words: 31K
Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13277169/1/A-Volatile-Change (Fatalis0217)
PS: If you're not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can't copy links on mobile (´ー｀)
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Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)
Huh… Funny. I never expected my life to end like this. I mean I don't regret it, saving the life of my sister from getting mugged is a choice I'll never regret. But what I do regret is leaving her behind and my family. I've already accepted death with open arms, it is after all an inevitability. And dying to save the life of someone I love is an ok way to go. So as darkness consumed my vision all I could do now is let go.
(Unknown location) (Time): 7 pm
"Ugh…." I gave a light groan as my head felt like it was splitting in half. Oh man what the hell? I thought I died? I mean when you die you're not supposed to feel anything. I mean while I'm Catholic I keep an open mind about other religions, and the one thing I believed the most when a person dies is that they'll be sent somewhere to be judged and be sent to whatever punishment or reward for their life choices. And right now I'm leaning towards the former because this feels like a punishment.
I groaned as I moved to sit up straight. I rubbed my head and immediately stopped. I can feel no hair whatsoever on my head, but that wasn't the worst part. I can feel raw flesh on the top of my scalp and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. I started to panic and immediately stood up, but another thing strange is my vision and the area I'm in. I can tell it was dark and yet I can see like I have night vision except my sight isn't green but a darkish gray. I took a look at my surroundings and I was in some kind of dark highway tunnel. What got me startled is the number of wrecked vehicles around me. Whole stock pile of cars, trucks, and motorcycles wrecked like they were used in a Derby.
"Where the hell am I-?" I paused as I heard my voice. The deep baritone of it gave me pause and it started to scare me.
'What hell happened to me' I thought as I just realized another thing. I am butt n.a.k.e.d. And the scary part is I can't seem to feel my other head down below. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down and try to find a mirror to asses my situation. Luckily with all the wrecked stuff here I easily found a car's rearview mirror. I grabbed it and when I looked into my reflection I almost dropped it as soon as I saw myself.
Patches of open flesh wounds, pale white skin, and blood splattered all over my face, piercing red eyes, and most of all is the present gap in my middle jaw. I dropped the mirror as I processed at what I just saw. I took a feel of my body hoping that that was just a trick mirror from a fun house, but there was no denying it. Pale tough flesh is what I've felt and some little sharp bumps on the top of my shoulders. I opened my mouth and I can feel my mandibles opening like a Sarcastic Fringehead (That's a fish by the way). And only one name of a creature popped on the top of my head.
'I'm a Volatile'. Was the only thing I can think of before I shouted or more like roared inside the dark tunnel.
30 minutes of processing later
I paced around the tunnel trying to gather myself and the situation I'm in.
'Okay. First off I died, I remember that clearly, and I'm somehow reincarnated as a freaking Volatile from a zombie apocalypse game that can only go out at night.' Were the thoughts running through my head. Either this is a punishment or a reward for saving my sister, or this is some Upper being's doing for a good laugh. I mean I believe in reincarnations given how many fics I've been reading about them, but not only was I reincarnated, I'm reincarnated as one of the deadliest creatures in the Dying Light world? I've played the game back home. And it was amazing, game wise. But the story, I mean it was okay for some. But for me it was just very depressing. I mean I get about the people dying all the time in a world like this, but killing all of the people Kyle Crane cared for the most is just plain cruelty. Especially when it came to the DLC. There was no actual good ending for him, either Crane turns into a night hunter or just plain nuke the entirety of everything is just really sad.
Although now the question running through me is. When am I?
I took a look at the tunnel I'm in and I saw a ladder leading up to somewhere. With no other choice but to keep moving forward I climbed up and removed the cover. Again it was night time so it was safe to go out now and given that I'm a Volatile now other infected and Volatiles would just plain ignore me and go on with their wandering undead lives. As I stood up and took a look at where I'm. I can already see the Tower probably a mile from where I am.
'Okay, so I'm in the slums, that still doesn't mean much in telling what timeline am I in now.' I thought as I ran at the open area of Harran. I wasn't an athlete or parkour guy when I was still alive but having a Volatile body is really making me regret not doing it in the first place. I can see why adrenaline junkies do this stuff, the feeling of the wind on your face as you run at high speeds and jump or vault over obstacles in your way is a very freeing experience. I tried to jump at a ledge of a building in front of me and I can see that I can jump over 10 feet in the air. I climbed on to the rooftop and I can see numerous UV lights indicating the safe houses of survivors.
Seeing all this in front of me shows the integrity of human survival. Despite all of this happening to them, humanity still clings to life and finds a way. And while I don't know how long they've been doing this but I can see that they are survivors. They fight for life and will not easily just lay down and wait for death, it actually gives me hope and pride in humanity. But when I look at my clawed hands, do I still classify myself as a human, or a monster?
"I am who I am. Not what I am." My deep growly voice said. While I'm a monster as a body but my mind, heart (If it even beats), and soul remains me. A person who dies for those he cares about. Maybe I can help these people from not only the infected and other Volatiles but also from bad people like Rais' group. From what I saw in the game Rais is a real nasty excuse for a human being, I mean he was just plain cruel and sadistic. He deserves no better than to be ripped apart piece by piece. Okay that maybe a bit dark but I think I blame the Volatile side of me now.
If I am going to help these good people I need to find a way to keep myself alive, and the number one danger to volatiles is the sun and UV lights. While it won't instantly kill me I can tell it was a long and painful death for a volatile. I mean slowly being burned to death is one of the most painful ways to die.
'Hmm… in the game Volatiles are practically n.a.k.e.d… they don't have any coverings… And the Mother… hmm…' I thought. Maybe if I could find some clothing then I can basically shield myself from the light, it has to be thick layered or at least made of synthetic fibers so that no light can pass through it. With a new goal in mind I quickly rushed to find any clothing or thick coverings I can use.
Time: 4 am (2 hours until sunrise)
It took a long time but I managed to scrounge up what I need. I needed synthetic fiber clothing for absolute protection from UV light. I managed to find a pitch black trench coat from a dead person that died from a heavy blow to the head, the coat thankfully remained intact and even a bit stained with blood, was made from synthetic fiber, its length reached down to just above my feet. Also I found some combat boots from a dead Marine, and some knee high socks to protect my feet when I run during the day time. As for protection for my head and face I found a big fedora that covered the entirety of my head. For my face and my neck I found some fabrics that I wrapped around my entire head only revealing the openings of my nostrils, apparently Volatiles and infected still needed to breathe, I guess that explains why they die instantly in water, even in shallow ones.
I also found some dark shades that covered my eyes, no need to scare the children or a.d.u.l.ts for that matter when I stare at them. And finally some thick wool gloves that were durable enough for my claws to clench in. I looked at myself in a mirror and I can see no openings, but I have to do a trial run.
Despite the clothing I can still run freely without worry of anything coming loose, even the fedora. I found a safe house that was near the tower, it was active but empty. So with a deep breath I stepped into the light. I braced for the pain but surprisingly I feel nothing. Even my face wasn't affected by the light and the shades were enough to block out any from passing through. I let go of the breath that I've been holding and silently cheered that it was a success. Now I have a way to run through the daylight without worrying about burning myself to death. With all the things I did the whole night, not once did I feel sleepy. Perhaps it's due to the fact that Volatiles are practically restless monsters as well as the infected, hmm… the game didn't really explain how the virus worked that much only the basic stuff.
'It could be worse. I could've been a Night Hunter.' I thought to myself, while the Night Hunter is the most powerful of all the infected, but if I reincarnated into that thing it would be next to impossible to disguise myself given the physiology of the creature.' I was so lost in my thoughts that I've been thinking until sunrise. I can see the sunrise rising over the distance and for a brief moment I felt like a normal human being again. But I know that if I take off my clothes I'll just burn myself up, despite that fact I know I'm still a human even only in spirit. And I will change the course of this story.
I don't know if this is fate or just irony, but just as I finished my monologue I hear the sound of a plane flying past above Harran. And I can see multiple parachutes deploying carrying people instead of a crate of either antizin or supplies, and there I see is the unmistakable figure of one Kyle Crane. Time to make my move.
5 Minutes later near Kyle Crane's LZ
I ran just in time to see Kyle Crane being cornered by thugs from Rais' group. But enough about that I was on a rooftop observing and waiting for my time to strike. There I see the infected that bit Crane giving him the infection and not long after I see Amir and Jade. You know in the game it was a real shame that they died the way they did, I mean Amir dying right of the bat and Jade turning just seems wrong to me and I was actually shipping those two instead of the fics of Crane and Jade, bite me. Something or someone sent me here for a reason and I'm going to take advantage of that.
I can see the small horde coming for them as Jade dragged Crane to the Tower. Don't worry guys I'll change the course of this story because I'll be manning this ship from now on. With that I made my move and jumped down. I saw the coming infected and took a fighting stance. Oh yeah back in my world I took Taekwondo and kick boxing in high school, I always dreamed in using them in this kind of world. So with that said and given I'm technically one of them they ignored me as I beat the living shit out of them, as a Volatile my strength was of the charts, earlier in the night I tore a car's door right of its hinges without too much of an effort. So fighting these infected was like practicing my punches in a meat locker.
As I fought off the infected Jade and Amir were startled at the new arrival. Amir was prepared to die for Jade when he saw the group of biters but when this stranger appeared out of nowhere and was currently beating the living death out of them it gave them the time they needed to carry this injured and probably infected stranger back to the Tower.
When I finished off the last one I can see one of Rais' men that Crane had shot were being eaten alive. To be frank I couldn't care less about these shitheads they chose to follow a madman and stick to it. I only need to protect what's good left in this city and the people in the Tower is a good place to start. So with my job done I climbed up the building behind me to see if they made it without any more incidents. There you have it Jade and Amir safely carried Crane back inside the Tower.
I let out a breath of relief. I did it, I managed to save Amir. If I keep this up maybe Dying Light would have the ending I've always envisioned. Nonetheless my work isn't done, in fact it's only just started. There are a lot of people out there in the slums still alive and fighting for their lives. With that said I ran through Harran hoping that I can make a difference in how this story goes.
5 minutes earlier and onward during Crane's rescue (Amir's POV)
I can see Rais' men about to attack this newcomer. I cannot let that happen, there are already plenty dying in Harran and we need to stick together in order to survive this hellhole.
"Let's move Jade." I said. Jade gave a nod and we dove into action. We saw the stranger shot one of Rais' men and the other two retreated when they saw the biters and virals come because of the gunshot. I beat the viral that bit him with my metal bat and Jade took care of the other one.
"Come on. We have to move." I said as I helped him to try and get up.
"Let's get him off the street." Jade said as she stomped the viral's head and came and helped me carry him back towards the Tower. We weren't fast enough as I can hear the biters and virals reach us. I was about to make my last stand and hopefully Jade will be able to carry him back to safety. But out of nowhere someone came out and started to beat the infected with his gloved fists. I just watched in awe as the stranger just butchered them like it was nothing. Although what was strange was the Biters were completely ignoring him and just wanted to pass by him and get to us.
"AMIR! Help me get this door open!" Jade's cry snapped me out of it and made me come back to the situation at hand. I helped her break the door open and we carried our new guest to the tower.
"Who the hell was that?" Jade asked as we can hear the carnage coming from the other side of the door.
"I don't know, but I think he's on our side." I said, hoping that it was a fact. From what I saw of him or lack thereof because he was completely covered. He was wearing a trench coat and his face is what was strange to me. He was wearing shades a fedora, and his whole face was covered in some kind of fabric like he doesn't like showing his face at all.
We were now near the Tower and our new guest isn't looking to good. He was fading in and out of consciousness. Eventually he completely collapsed due to the head injury he suffered from Rais' thugs.
"Tower, this is Jade. Get Sickbay ready. Got a guy with a bad head wound… and a bite on one arm." Jade contacted the Tower via comm. Radio.
"Oh, shit! Amir's hurt?" The person on the other side of the radio said.
"No. Amir is fine… Something strange happened that saved his life. And we're bringing someone who might still survive." Jade said as we laid down and catch our breath seeing that we're safe for a while.
"One of us?"
"We'll see." Jade finished as she cut off the call. And our new guest completely lost consciousness.
'I do not know who you were stranger but I owe you my life.' I thought as I stared at the door hoping that the stranger that saved my life was fine. Because he had a feeling that that won't be the last time he will hear of him.
AN: That's the intro of the game done. So what do you guys think? I'm going to completely change the story line into something a lot less depressing with this story. So with that said I hope you like this story, it is my second one. So some honest reviews and criticism is much obliged this is Fatalis0217 saying 'Good Day and Good Luck'.
Chapter 2
AN: Before I start the chapter, first of all I'm really happy that already people are reading this fic and liking it. Second a shout to 'thepowerfullkira' and 'isolono' for pointing out that my OC looks like Mr. X, to be honest I was gonna name my character as 'The Stranger' from Fallout. But now that they pointed this out I think we all know what letter name I'll be calling my OC now. Right?
The Tower (Kyle Crane's POV)
Everything was pitch black, and yet the world feels like it's spinning around nonstop. All I can remember is that I got hit in the head by some thugs and being bitten by an infected, and then two people dragged me to safety and saved my life, the rest was all a blur.
"You pinch him." I heard the voice of a little girl.
"You're scared." I heard another next to her and it sounded like a boy's voice.
"I'm not scared."
"Then pinch him." The two argued back and forth, and it was enough for me to know that I'm waking up. And damn, my head is killing me.
"He blinked!" I can hear the startled tone in her voice.
"What?"
"He blinked again!"
"What if he's a zombie?!" Kid if I was a zombie then I would've eaten you two by now.
"Aaaaaaa!"
"Zombie! Run!" The two screamed as they ran away in terror. Great. First day on the job and I'm already scaring little kids just by waking up. Huh. Must be a new record for me.
"Ugh…" I struggled to stand up, the world still a bit wobbly, I held on the top bunk bed for support. It took a few seconds but the world finally seemed straight again.
"Oh shit… my head…" I drawled out and examined my surroundings. I was in a room in from what I'm seeing outside the window that was 20 stories high. Probably a condo building. I explored the room for a bit and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, it just looked like a normal set up in the living room. I needed to know where I am so I head for the door and stepped out.
"Aaaaaaaaa!" The kids saw me and again they ran away screaming behind a wall. An a.d.u.l.t stepped out of the way and saw me come out.
"You sleep for three days like a dead man, then scare children? Off to a great start, 31." The guy said. 31? Why the hell did he call me that? Probably some code they got going on around here. And the hell? 3 days? I got hit in the head harder than I thought if I was out for that long.
"Where am I?" I groaned, I was still groggy from the headache.
"In paradise, can't you see? Okay, enough joking around. Head to room 190. The boss'll brief you." He said before going on his way.
"What do you mean, '31'?" I asked.
"Ask the boss!" He said and just kept walking.
Room 190? What floor am I now? Shit. Hope they got an elevator working. And the boss? Maybe the one that has the GRE's files? Maybe, but I guess I better hurry up. Don't wanna keep him waiting.
I roamed around the place trying to get my bearings, when a woman said the same number the guy said to me earlier.
"31. That's your number." She said.
"Excuse me?" I questioned.
"Your number. You're the 31st infected. I'm the 18th. Everything is counted here. One fewer doses of Antizin. One more new infected. A runner almost gone." She said. Holy hell. 30 people are infected here. And how many Antizin do they have left? And how long are they gonna last if what she said is true? I know the government drops supplies and Antizin in Harran from time to time indicating that there are still people alive in the quarantine zone. But how many survivors are there left?
Saving my questions for later I continued my scoping of the place.
"Amir almost died because of this guy?"
"Quiet…"
"Oh, f.u.c.k quiet. Now we're gonna have to lose more Antizin." I heard two guys just by a corridor talking about me and this Amir guy, probably the guy with the girl who saved my life. I should find him and the girl he was with and say my thanks for that rescue.
I can see hallways and other pathways blocked by barriers or stockpiled luggage, probably more infected they don't want in that completely turned. I saw a staircase and went up seeing that the opposite was blocked off. The next floor I saw a guard sitting next to a door that the wall beside it was painted in black pointing to said door with the words saying 'Headquarters'. Probably this place's base of operations. I approached the guard sitting.
"I'm looking for 'the boss'. Is he in there?" I asked.
"Oh – you're 31. Go on in." He said, gesturing for me to head in. I gave a nod and went through the door and shut it behind me. Inside the room that was more spacious than the other rooms were crates of supplies, a table with a map that was full of marked areas, and a television that was on the broadcasting channel. Most likely that was the channel that the government uses to announce when and where they'll drop off the next batch of crates. Either with supplies or Antizin.
On the balcony of the room I don't see anyone but what looked like a teenage boy looking over the horizon with a pair of binoculars. I opened the door and I can hear him talking to himself.
"This f.u.c.k.i.n.g comm range is shit. I can't raise Mark at all." I heard him muttering. I patted his shoulder to make my presence known.
"Hey, I'm looking for… are you the boss?" I asked and looked at him. This kid can't be boss. And even if he was he's not the guy I'm looking for. So probably Suleiman is in another part of Harran or in another group altogether. Nonetheless these people don't look like people that has GRE classified files.
"What, am I too young? You got a problem with my age?" He said in a snarl. If Harran is in a different situation then I would've said that he was too young to be "The Boss". But given the situation of the City you either mature fast or get eaten alive. That's how it works here now.
"No, I… you wanted to talk to me." I said trying to diffuse the situation before it gets too far out of hand.
"That's better. Do you remember anything? Know where you are?" he asked. I can remember most that happened before blacking out. But 'where?' is a different story.
"Yeah I can see this is… some kind of shelter?" I said in a question like manner. All I can assume is that this building is some kind of safe zone or something.
"We call it 'The Tower'. Brecken and his runners put it all together a couple months ago, and we've been here ever since. Hunting air drops, scavenging… and rescuing people." Brecken? Huh. Not the name of who I'm looking for, but if he's the one in charge of rescuing people here then I can guess that he's an ok guy.
"Yeah… I wanted to thank the two…" I said. I need to know who these people are, and see if they're just a group of survivors trying to live through another day or something else. Because if they're not a threat to my mission then maybe they can help me if I prove my worth. They know Harran inside and out so they probably know someone called Suleiman.
"Good. Because if not for them, you'd already be chewing somebody's knee bone. Your Antizin was totally crushed, by the way." He said. Dammit! I'm already infected and the thing that can help me delay it is gone. I don't even know if these guys will lend me their Antizin if they really are short in supply.
"Only thing they could salvage was your radio." The moment he said my radio snapped me out of my thoughts. I quickly checked myself if I have it on me but I saw that the kid has it in his hand. I need to find a way to get it back. That's the only thing that can pass through the GRE's jamming.
"Great… so can I get that back, please?" I tried the casual approach because I don't want to look to aggressive in why I need it back. I don't need them to know that I'm a GRE agent.
"Actually, I think I need it more than you do." He said. I don't know about that. Given the situation here I can take a guess that with the GRE scrambling communications here these guys probably were desperate for a way to communicate with their Runners.
"Believe me pal, that's not the case." I tried again hoping it would work. He gave me a look and stood up as he shoved the thing to me.
"Fine. Take it. You know why Runners put their lives in danger? For guys like you. So now you take more Antizin from us, and you won't even share your gear with us? I don't have time to deal with your bullshit. I've lost contact with one of our guys, thanks to the f.u.c.k.i.e.d-up radios we're stuck with. Do something for me, would you? I don't want to see you or your precious radio anymore, so go be useful somewhere else. We don't tolerate lazy assholes here in the Tower." He said angrily.
I can't tell if he was ranting or trying to guilt trip me, because as much as I hate to admit it, he's right. From the looks of their comm equipment I can tell the GRE doesn't need the scrambler to mess with their systems. And if those two of their runners didn't come when they did then I'd probably be ripped limb from limb before I turn into one of them.
"Hey. Be fair. I'm not lazy, I'm just… Hey boss-" I said trying to diffuse the situation.
"Save it. That lost guy I mentioned? He's only on the 13th floor, but he might as well be trapped in a mine cave-in. Come back later. And I'm not the boss. Too young, remember? I'm Rahim. Brecken's in charge here." Rahim said and went back to something that he needed to do.
Knowing when I'm not wanted I headed out of the room.
"I'm not lazy… you little shit." I grumbled. Well if I'm gonna earn these guy's trust I might as well prove that I'm useful and not lazy.
I manage to find the elevator, huh. Good thing they got it still working, would've been a nightmare to walk through flights of stairs if they weren't blocked off.
"Where you think you're going?" A guard asks me.
"The 13th floor. I'm getting some stuff for Rahim."
"13…? Shit. That's gonna be some dirty work. But we all gotta pull our weight around here, huh?" He said. That didn't sound good. Worst case scenario either the guys down there were dead or turned. I was hoping for the former as I head inside and pushed the number 13 on the elevator.
The elevator stopped. When stepped out all I can see were blood splatters on the broken mirrors and floor. "Jesus… how many people died here…?" Hopefully that's a question that doesn't have an answer to. I saw a baby stroller and a breathed out a sigh of relief when I saw it empty. I've seen dead bodies before. But corpses of children always don't sit well with me. *BEEP* *BEEP*. I heard my radio signaling me that the GRE were trying to get in touch with me.
"Crane here."
"Where were you? We've been waiting for your report. It's been over 70 hours."
"Lost my radio for a while. Don't worry, my cover's intact. No contact with the Tower's leader yet. Unable to confirm identity. I'm taking steps to blend in."
"Acknowledged. Time is of the essence, Crane. Remember that."
"There's one more thing. I… got bitten. I've shown no symptoms, but the people here say I'm infected."
"Then you'd better get your hands on some Antizin ASAP, hadn't you?" I was about to respond when I hear someone yelling.
"Help! HELP! Somebody!"
"What the hell?" I cut off the radio and went to investigate. I picked up a metal pipe to defend myself in case of any infected lurking around. I heard some heavy thuds right across the corridor. I opened the door and saw a zombie trying to break open a door. Figuring that's where the yelling came from I kicked it behind the legs and bashed its face in.
Making sure that it stays down for good. I opened the door and saw someone with his left arm bleeding real bad.
"Jesus… You all right, man?" I said in concern, hoping that it wasn't a bite wound, these people are already running low on Antizin I don't think they'll last much longer with another one.
"I cut my arm… getting away from him… Oh, God… you had to kill him, didn't you? God damn it… That was… that was my brother… I came down to see him and…" he grunted in pain.
"Easy. Easy. It's all right now… I'll get help."
"Rahim, this is Crane. I'm down here on 13. Listen, this guy of yours got f.u.c.k.i.e.d up pretty bad getting away from a zombie." I used my radio to get in touch with Rahim upstairs.
"Oh shit… 31?! You went after Mark? Is it… is it safe down there?"
"Well it's safe enough now."
"Okay, don't move! I'm sending Lena downstairs." He cuts off after that. Still with the way Mark is now I don't think he'll make it, he'll bleed to death at this rate.
"Hey, hold still. Lena will be here any minute."
"Gauze… you gotta find some gauze… and alcohol. Combine them… That'll stop the bleeding… Please… hurry!"
"Try to stay calm, OK? I'll be right back." With no time to waste I searched throughout the entire floor to see if I can find any gauze and alcohol. Luckily I found some alcohol in a fridge in one of the rooms and some gauze in a bathroom medicine cabinet from another.
"Okay, I think that's everything I'm going to find. Let's give this a shot." I went back to Mark and dampened the gauze with the alcohol. Steadily I placed the wet gauze on top of the bleeding wound when I heard someone behind me.
"Okay, who's hurt?" I turned around to see a woman with a doctor's outfit on. I'm gonna assume this was Lena.
"He's bleeding pretty badly."
"Let me see him… Gauze and alcohol, huh? Pretty primitive, but it'll work." She checked Mark to see if he had any other injuries. Finding none she went back to treating the wound on his arm.
"Thanks for the help. I'll take care of him from here." She thanked me and I went on my way back to the elevator.
"Well done 31." The guard from before said to me. I heard Rahim's voice on my radio as I got on the elevator.
"Hey, 31! Not bad for a new guy. Perhaps I misjudged you." Rahim said. Finding an opportunity to salvage the misunderstanding from before and maybe earn some goodwill from them.
"Hey, I just want to help out and repay you guys for what you did for me."
"Well, good. Come find me and we'll talk about how you can do that." He finished as he cuts off and I made my way up back to room 190. When I walked into the room I saw another person talking to Rahim while looking at a map.
"All right taken care of. Piece of cake. What else you got for me?" I asked. Rahim rolled up the map before giving it to the other guy.
"Well… Let me think." Rahim said before two other people walked in the room. It was the two that saved me 3 days ago. Jade and Amir… I think their names are.
"Rahim, you are just smart enough to be dangerous, you know that? Omar told me about your plans for the nest. Explosive charges? REALLY?" She exclaimed, completely livid with Rahim from the looks of it.
"What? Explosives? I never said that!" Rahim tried to lie out of it. But he didn't really sound all that convincing.
"Oh, please. You can't tell a convincing lie to save your life." Jade brushed off his attempt.
"I know what I'm doing!"
"Yeah? You think you can't die?"
"You're not my mom!"
"No, I'm not. Our mom's dead. So you might want to be a little nicer to me since I'm the only family you have left… especially with how Amir here almost died." Huh. I didn't know they were related. Now that I got a closer look I can see the resemblance, and the stubborn attitude. Amir just stood by the sides a bit uncomfortable with the two fighting like this.
After that she stormed out with Amir following her with a concerned expression.
"You're Jade right?" I asked out of the blue… She stopped by the door as she was about to open it.
"Right…" She replied blankly.
"I just wanted to thank you for what you and Amir did for me… and tell you how sorry I am for almost getting you two killed. I owe you and Amir my life." I said trying to decrease the tension in the room.
"Yeah, you do. You want to return the favor? Keep my dipshit brother from killing himself!" She said sharp enough to probably cut through concrete. Ok keeping Rahim from killing himself. That I can do.
"NO EXPLOSIVES, Rahim." She finished before Amir closed the door behind them.
"So. Was that enough? Do I get to talk to Brecken now?" I asked, hoping to break the silence in here. And maybe in getting some answers.
"First, go change your clothes. I left some new ones in your room. You're in 194."
"Something wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"You need something that fits the job Brecken wants you to do. Call me when you've changed." Rahim finished with no room to argue but comply. I headed for my assigned room and found a bag with new clothes in it. After changing I contacted Rahim.
"Okay, Rahim, I'm ready. Where do I find Brecken?"
"Not so fast, 31. If you're gonna earn your keep, we have to find out if you've got the skills. So get your ass up to the gym."
"Gym? What're you talking about?"
"It's on the top floor… just a couple of flights up." He said before cutting off. Oh, I've got the skills kid I just can't tell you that I have or else I lose my cover. With no other choice I headed up the top floor.
"Rahim? I don't see you. Where are you?"
"Close." Was Rahim's only reply before I saw a crane moving towards the rooftop of the building.
"Well? What're you waiting for? Get over here!" Rahim said. I climbed up to the rooftop and went towards the crane. With the height that we're in the wind will make it difficult for me to cross the crane. But seeing no other choice I went for it.
"You ought to feel right at home – a Crane on a crane!" Oh, yeah like I haven't heard that one before.
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph… I should be wearing a parachute for this…" I gasped out. The sheer height that I'm in almost makes me regret coming here.
I finally made it across and saw Rahim at the other side.
"Welcome to our gym. First thing first; you've got to learn how to run."
"What do you mean, 'learn how to run'?" What the hell is he going on about?
"Just do what I say, all right? Now, jump down to the very bottom." He said as he pointed me to jump down a 50 foot drop. Yeah that ain't happening.
"What're you nut? I'd kill myself." Rahim just smirked at me and stood near the edge.
"Don't be a wimp."
"Come one! You can't be serious!"
"Watch this. WOOOHOOOO!" He exclaimed as he jumped down the hole. *CRASH* was the resulting noise.
"Aaagh! AAAAHHHH! My LEG!" I heard him screaming in pain.
"Rahim! Jesus! Don't move! I'll get help!" I cried as I was about to run for help. But Rahim's laugh cut me off.
"HAH! I was just f.u.c.k.i.n.g with you."
"Son of a BITCH!"
"What you can't take a joke? Come on! Get your ass down here!"
"Christ on a crutch." I muttered. Jade was right, Rahim's gonna kill himself one of these days.
I looked down at the bottom and see a pile of garbage looking to cushion my fall. I took a deep breath and took the plunge.
"WOOOAHHH! Holy shit! Holy SHIT!" I gasped as I couldn't believe I did that and remained intact with nothing hurt or broken. It was kind of fun actually if you're an adrenaline junkie.
I hear Rahim's voice snapping me out of my adrenaline fueled thoughts.
"It's a rush, isn't it? But don't blow your load just yet. There's more. To survive outside you gotta take advantage of the terrain. Most eaters suck at climbing, so the harder the terrain gets, the better for you. I've got some typical situations set up for you. Let's see how you handle them." He said as he ran away.
For the next five minutes, Rahim had me crawling through narrow passages, jumping over missing staircases to get up to the next floor, climbing over scaffolds, and finally cat grabs and muscle ups. It's a good thing I was trained for this, or else I think the GRE wasn't paying me enough for this shit. But Rahim's not wrong though, outside there, thousands of infected are wandering out there and making use of the terrain would definitely keep me alive. Finally I was back at the crane. I don't see Rahim anywhere. Probably on the other side already.
As I was about to cross the crane back to the Tower something happened. My body started to convulse and spasm uncontrollably, my vision was turning green and yellow and I feel like I was gonna collapse.
"Grrrghh! W-what's happening to me? S-shit! Grrgghhh! SHIT!" I grunted in pain.
"Crane? Crane! Talk to me! What's going on?" Rahim called out on the radio.
"Ugh… Something… went wrong… Rahim, what just happened to me?" I groaned as I managed to cross over without falling.
"Oh, shit… I bet you're having your first seizure. Just get back over here." Rahim finished and waited for me at the door.
"Rahim, what the f.u.c.k was that?! Does this mean I'm… turning?" I gasped out, still trying to catch my breath.
"Most likely no. At least not yet. Seizures remind you that you're infected. You better go see Dr. Zere, though. He'll check you out, probably give you a shot of Antizin."
"Damn… that shit hurt…" The pain was no joke. It felt like my body was squeezing itself and I could barely breathe. Something tells me that won't be the last time I'll be feeling it.
"Before you head out to see Zere, talk to the quartermaster. He'll gear you up so you can go outside without getting your head bitten off. Well? What are you waiting for? Get a move on." Rahim finished as he leaned against the wall. I walked down the stairs and headed for the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.
'All right… they've given me an actual job, and nobody suspects I'm not who I say I am. So far so good. And once Dr. Zere helps me manage these symptoms I'm dealing with, I'll be even better.' I processed the situation at hand. The elevator stopped and I stepped out. I saw the sign saying quartermaster. I guess this is the guy.
"Ohhh, you're the new scout? Rahim radioed me about you."
"That's me. Name's Crane."
"I'm not gonna bother learning your name till you've survived a few days. But here, this is for you." He said as he stood up and picked up a wooden club with some nails attached to it.
"By the way… Word around the Tower is you're just another deadbeat in line for food or Antizin. By which I mean, the people here don't much like you. But don't blame them. It's easy to get paranoid when you're isolated… and since somebody's been jamming communications to the outside, there's plenty of paranoia to go around. Whole damn city with nobody to call for help but ourselves. You bring me some supplies from the air drops though, and you'll see people change their tunes in a hurry. That shit's a game changer." He said, shit. That was a lot to process. And they can thank the GRE for jamming their comms. Hopefully it'll get lifted soon.
"Uh… Thanks. I'll bear that in mind. Is there anything else? I'm in a bit of a rush…" I said. But I can tell he wasn't finished.
"Also, if you're looking to get more popular, you can try helping folks. Do a few favors, they might like you more. Might even find a woman, keep you warm at night. Hahahahaha!" He finally finished. Yeah, I don't think I'll be getting laid sometime as long as I'm here. With that said I grabbed what the guy supplied me with in my pack. A wrench, a lockpick, a medkit. And some… scrap metal? Huh I guess I can find some use for it later.
I jumped down the ledge and went to the entrance where a guard was stationed.
"Going outside, huh?" he said before he went to unlock the door.
"Okay, new guy. Be careful out there. We've lost too many already." He opened the door and I finally went outside. And judging from the position of the sun it was about 3 or 4 in the afternoon.
"Okay, newb, we've got Dr. Zere set up in a semi-trailer on a fenced in playing court. When you leave the Tower, hang left and head due south. You can't miss it." Rahim's voice came through my radio. Ugh, what's it with him calling me a newb.
"It's CRANE, kid…"
"All right, all right, CRANE, just keep moving. There's no time to take in the sights. And try not to make too much noise. Sound attracts those f.u.c.kers." Yeah I know. I got first-hand experience for that one. Note to self if I ever find a gun make a silencer for it.
I followed Rahim's directions and headed south. Climbed up a rooftop and saw the court with the semi-trailer inside. I guess that's Zere's base of operations. Climbing down whilst ignoring the infected that were trying and failing to grab me. I hopped over the fence and got inside the court.
I knocked on the door waiting for the doc to open. No response but some chatter on the other side. Checking the door and realizing it was unlocked, I let myself in.
"Doctor? Hello? Anybody there?" I called out and saw the doctor trying to contact someone but with no luck.
"Camden? Are you there? Camden! Dammit."
"Uh… so, I'm supposed to get a vaccine…"
"What? No, no. Suppressant. It's called Antizin. Suppresses the symptoms. Here, sit." He said as I sat down. "Antizin postpones the inevitable. Best the GRE could do." He said as he handed me an injector and inspected my eyes with a flashlight.
"Inevitable? So… there's no cure?" I knew Antizin was just a temporary solution, but I would've thought the GRE would've made a cure by now.
"It's a variation of rabies. There's no cure right now, but you see, I've been running tests on both Antizin and infected tissue. A cure is… possible. Definitely possible."
"No shit? You really think you can figure it out?"
"With Dr. Camden's help, yes, I think so. Uh. Now where did I put that injector…?" He said, completely forgetting that I have it in my hands. I handed it to him as he injected me with the Antizin.
"Who's Dr. Camden?"
"A colleague. Trapped in Sector 0 – where the outbreak first… well, broke out. We've been collaborating via radio. Though we would have made more progress if the connection were better. Also if my earlier experiments had borne fruit. I tried injecting recombined versions of the virus into chunks of meat and leaving them around the city. Hoping some of the infected would eat them, so I could observe and doc.u.ment the results…"
"But they didn't?"
"It bore no fruit. I'm ashamed that I wasted so much time on it. No reason to hold any Antizin in reserve now, in any case… All right! I'm quite busy! So on your way, now! Uh… What was I doing…" He began to drone about as I walked out. Gotta give the guy points for his efforts in finding a cure.
"Rahim – Zere checked me out, and gave me another shot." I contacted Rahim.
"Okay, great. That ought to hold you for a while. Which is good, 'cause I'm starting to get used to the idea of bossing you around." Yeah don't get your hopes up too high kid.
"So! Time for a real trial. Go talk to Spike. You'll find him near Zere's truck. He's got your first real job for you." Shouldn't be problem, because I'm standing right in front of it. And I guess the guy sitting down is Spike.
"Spike? I'm Crane."
"Just what I need. More unskilled labor. All right, shut up and pay attention; there are two types of airdrops. One has food, first aid supplies, survival gear and such. The other kind is filled with Antizin. The GRE sends in a one-way video feed that lets us know when they're on the way. Look, the trouble is, the airdrops with Antizin keep getting raided by Rais's thugs. And without Antizin we are basically screwed. Rais and his boys only operate during the day, because going out after dark is a dandy way to get killed. But the next two antizin drops are coming down right at sunset tonight, and Brecken means to go after them. This may be our only chance to reach the airdrop." He explained the situation. And from what heard this Rais guy is a real pain in the ass, maybe those were his men that attacked me when I landed, heh. Shouldn't surprise me if that were the case. And what the hell happens at night? From what Spike said, going out at night is practically suicide. Are there other infected that only come out at night? And are they worse than the ones I just experienced? Nevertheless I took Spike's advice seriously.
"What's my part here?"
"Well as I said, going out at night is basically suicide… or it would be, if I hadn't been setting up safe zones and traps out there for weeks now. Which I have. Brecken and his team will be okay tonight-so long as you get out there now and arm those traps. THAT'S your part."
"All right, what are these traps, and how do I arm them?"
"You'll see. I'll be talking you through it. Just remember… without these traps, Brecken won't survive the night. And if he doesn't come back with Antizin, we are lost. Oh, before you head out there, grab some firecrackers. Made them myself. They make a fine distraction if you get in trouble." Spike handed me a handful of custom firecrackers. Saying my thanks and knowing what I gotta do I headed out to the first set of traps that was north of my position.
I found what car I'm looking for and saw the red light glowing on it, I can hazard a guess that it's offline. Spike's voice came through my radio.
"Ok, first – the car. Open the hood and connect the battery. That'll arm the trap." I did what Spike instructed and armed the trap. Then suddenly Amir's voice came through the radio.
"Amir here. Is anyone outside right now? Urgent help needed."
"Uhm… I'm outside. Working for Spike…"
"You're Crane, right? Listen… Our runner's trying to secure one of our safe houses for Brecken's mission. He's in a courtyard by Vefa and Mirmar, surrounded by zombies. We gotta help him!"
"All right, I'm on it…" I ended the call. Might as well kill two birds with one stone. Besides this will help me in repaying Jade and Amir for saving my life.
I ran towards my destination, jumping over houses, vaulting over walls, and avoiding or bashing any infected in my way. Finally I saw the safe zone. As I climbed over the walls something was off. Amir said he was surrounded by zombies. But all i can see were zombies with no heads attached which was weird. I knocked on the door.
"Is… anyone out there?" I can hear the panic in his voice.
"My name is Crane. Amir sent me to rescue you." I said to reassure the guy and opened the door.
"Oh thank goodness! I thought I was a goner for sure!" The guy said as he stood up from his position on the floor.
"Are you hurt or anything?"
"No. I almost got bit yesterday but something strange happened."
"What do you mean?"
"I was actually about to get bit when I heard a gunshot. Next thing I know the biter that was about to get me had a bullet to the head and went down. I just finished in preparing this safe zone to be active but I forgot to close the gate and a couple of zombies got in. So I locked myself in here and contacted Amir for help. And well that's when you came in and killed these zombies." He finished his story, he was wrong about one thing though.
"Uh… Actually I didn't kill these things… I thought you would have the answer to that."
"Wait… if you didn't kill these things… then… Who did?" Saving these thoughts for later I contacted Amir.
"Amir this is Crane. I found your runner, he's fine though, no bites or injuries. And the safe zone is secure."
"Thank goodness. That will make night runs safer now. We'll need to prepare more places like that one. And we need all our runners alive and well. Thank you Crane." Amir said before cutting off. After that the guy turned on the circuit breaker for the lights, surrounding the whole safe zone in UV light. I'm guessing that whatever comes out during the dark really hates UV radiation.
"I'm heading back to the Tower. And thank you Crane again for saving my life." He said before dashing out and headed back for the tower. *BEEP* *BEEP*
I heard my radio signaling that the GRE were calling me. I headed to a rooftop for privacy and answered.
"Crane here."
"Report."
"Okay I met this doctor. A scientist type. They've got him set up in a sort of research trailer, and he's working on a cure for the virus. His name is Zere…. Hello? Do you copy?"
"Affirmative. Secondary objective added. Maintain your cover, and secure all of his research. Acknowledge."
"Your stolen file still takes top priority, though, right?"
"Affirmative. We find it unlikely that a single researcher working out of a 'trailer' could produce any significant results. But if he does, we want to see it." The call ended there. Now I have new objective. If Dr. Zere shows any results in his research then I need to secure those research files then.
"Crane this is Amir. We've got more spots picked out for future safe zones. Spike will mark them on your map later. And… Crane? Again thank you. Back to you, Spike!" Amir cuts off and Spike steps in.
"Right now you need to get back to our main task and arm the next trap. There's another car close by."
"Got it." I hopped over the wall and saw the car just over some shops…. And a whole lot of infected… Great…
"Spike, the infected are all over the street."
"So what does that tell you? Keep off the street! Try to stay on the rooftops where they can't reach you." Yeah I got that Spike. But one more problem.
"They're all around the car, Spike."
"You still have some firecrackers, don't you? Just throw some into the crowd. Those dead bastards are easily distracted." Spike said before cutting off. Ok I can do this… with most of my limbs intact… hopefully…
I threw some firecrackers near the alley, and like moths to a flame, the infected wandered off. I plugged in the cars' battery, arming the trap. I closed the hood just in time when the infected saw me. I ran and climbed up a balcony before they could've reached me. *BOOM*!
'What the hell?' I thought as I saw that the firecracker that I threw ignited an oil spill that was beside a propane tank. The explosion attracted the attention of Virals. Virals were people that just recently turned, they retain their motor skills like when they were still them. But they have an infected's mindset, only search and kill any non-infected people and eat. Sometimes I wonder if they have at least retain some of their humanity. A guy can only hope that were true.
With the job done I contacted Spike.
"All done with the car, Spike."
"Keep on like that and you might just make it. The next trap's close by. And I shouldn't have to tell you, but don't get caught out in the open!"
"Spike, these freaks are everywhere. If I need to use a trap, how do I activate it?"
"You can't. I told you, they're only for the night mission." Well can't blame me for trying.
"Shit. Okay." I cut off the radio and went to the next trap. Which was just under the overpass at a rooftop balcony.
"Quite a contraption you got here." I said, impressed at what Spike can come up with.
"Three times brighter than an ordinary street lamp. Gives the infected quite the sunburn." Spike finished. I switched on the circuit breaker setting up the light traps. I found another one by a house nearby this one. The last one was a bit farther. I finally found it in what looks like a train yard. I climbed up the rooftop and jumped across just making it, and armed the lights.
"Okay, lights are all set."
"You're ready for the next one, then. Better, hurry." Spike cuts off as I headed for the next one. Then I heard Rahim's voice over the radio.
"Hey, Crane, guess what? I'm up on a balcony, and I got eyes on you from here. Looks like you're doing okay. For a newbie." Rahim mocked me. One of these days if Rahim doesn't kill himself then I might just do it.
"Gee, thanks." I said sarcastically.
"Just try and get back here in one piece, all right? I don't wanna have to train somebody to replace you." Rahim said before cutting off just as I found the next trap down the tracks. Heh. Good luck at finding someone else like me. Let alone train one.
As I switched the thing on, it short circuited and shut down, along with the entire district. Oh, this doesn't look good.
"Spike, the whole goddamn district went down. What the hell's going on?!"
"Ugh… not again… All right, listen. There's a power substation near you. Go check it out." He said before cutting off.
I was about to head there when suddenly all the lights just came back on.
'What the hell? Everything just turned back on?' I thought. I needed to ask Spike about this.
"Uh? Spike the whole district just lighted up again. You know something about this?" I asked.
"What?! That's impossible… unless… All right… we'll talk about it later… Right now it's almost dark out, so get your ass back to a safe zone. You're gonna have to spend the night there." He cuts off after that. I don't wanna know what happens after sunset so I hauled ass back to the safe zone that I just cleared up in the walled up courtyard. I finally made it as I saw the UV lights radiating over there. Just as I opened the door I jumped at a noise and saw an infected that was covered in green blisters.
"Oh shit-" I hid behind the door as it saw me and took a look a second later. Nothing. I think it ran away. No idea way.
"What the f.u.c.k was that?" I saw it climbing over the rooftop and ran away.
"Hey-Doc? This is Kyle Crane." I contact the Doctor hoping that he knows something about the thing that I just saw.
"Crane? What can I do for you?"
"I just saw this freaking weird zombie covered in big green blisters. It hauled ass as soon as it spotted me. Do you know anything about it?"
"Hmm. Not enough information, I'm afraid. But if you see another one, do let me know, will you?" He said before cutting off transmission. Saving my thoughts for tomorrow because I am absolutely exhausted. I crashed on the mattress and it didn't take a second for me to fall asleep.
Next Day Morning (6 am)
I awoke at the sound of my radio with Spike on the other end.
"Crane, you awake?"
I groaned and yawned as I got up and picked up the radio.
"Spike? What's going on?"
"Something happened. We need to talk." I didn't like the tone that Spike was using. Something must've happened last night. With that said I rushed back to the trailer and saw Spike waiting for me.
"Spike what's up?"
"Crane, first of all… you did great out there! From now on, if you need something, come see me. And to start with… Here's a UV flashlight and a remote control. You run up on a Volatile, give him a face full of UV or lead him into a trap, which you trigger with the remote. Got it?"
"Got it." I said as Spike handed me a remote and the flashlight. Huh, this'll make things easier for me. And what the heck is a Volatile? Must be the things that make night runs suicide. Better be prepared for it and anything during that time.
"Perfect. Now for the good news: thanks to your efforts, Brecken's mission was a success. The bad news, he lost two men on his team."
"Shit… is he okay?"
"He's alive. But you need to get back to the Tower. Jade and Amir called all the Scouts in, and that means you."
"Okay. Wonder if I'll finally get to meet Brecken in person." With Spike's business done. I headed back to the Tower. Must've been hard for Brecken to lose his men. It isn't easy losing people you're with, especially when they die in front of you and you couldn't do anything about it. But first I needed to report back to the GRE. Finding a secure rooftop I dialed.
"Crane, here."
"Report."
"I'm about to have a meeting with the Tower's leader."
"Acknowledged. Confirm his identity and contact us immediately." I cut off after that.
I finally made it back to the Tower and stepped in the elevator.
'Brecken's mission was a success. Jade and Amir called a meeting in the Tower. It's my opportunity to finally meet with Brecken and confirm his identity.' I processed my thoughts just as I stepped out of the elevator and headed for room 190. I was about to open the door when Jade and Amir bumped into me.
"Crane. Listen; Brecken and a team of runners went after an airdrop last night. He lost two of the team to biters, and then Rais's men were about to ambush them, but suddenly Brecken found them with their necks snapped. The strangest thing was he saw the same person that helped save you and Amir's life days ago. Now despite the mission being a success Brecken still wants to go after the next drop himself, but we can't let him. He's still exhausted from the mission last night and losing two of his runners takes its toll on him. You've got to back us up. Ok?" Jade explained the situation to me.
Amir followed after. And who the hell is this stranger? Hopefully from what Jade said, he's here to help. We went inside and can hear Lena argue with Brecken.
"For God's sake, you can't even think straight! We need you alive, you idiot!" Lena argue with Brecken just passed this door. Amir and Jade were about to open the door before looking at me.
"Okay, we're going in. Act confident." Amir said before he and Jade opened the door and we went inside.
"Brecken. Lena." Jade said as Lena was about to storm out of the room.
"Maybe you two can get through to him!" Lena packed her things and stomped out. Brecken gave a sigh as he stood in front of us.
"Jade. Amir. Who's your friend?"
"Kyle Crane." I introduced myself as I saw Brecken's bandages, must be from last night's mission.
"Look, Brecken, the last thing we need is for you to go back out there. We can figure out another way. Without jeopardizing you. Right, Crane?" Jade said looking at me. And there's my cue.
"I'll go. I'll do it."
"Right! Yes! Crane will go. He'll be happy to." Jade said. I'm not sure what feel about that. But I need to gain their trust so I have to bite the bullet on this one. Brecken grabbed a bottle of water and gave a grunt.
"Jesus. No offense, friend, but you're as green as grass. You can't just-"
"Crane will manage. He'll start in the right spot. And Lena's right; you need to be here, taking care of the Tower. Convincing them the World's not over yet." Amir consoled Brecken and backed Jade up. Brecken just gave a deep breath.
"Ah, hell. Maybe… We got the first airdrop anyway… Yeah… okay. Fine." Brecken extended his hand to me for a handshake, I gave him a firm shook.
"Good luck… Crane." He said before the three of us were about to walk out.
"Jade. Amir. A moment?" Brecken said gesturing for the two to stay.
"Sure. Head for the Cauldron. We'll be in touch shortly." Amir said before following Jade and Brecken. I just walked out of the door before Lena stopped me.
"Look, there's something else we need to discuss. Brecken's been looking for this stranger ever since last night. He described him in detail, tall… about 5'10, wears a black trench coat, a matching fedora, shades, and he hides his entire head with a mask. Funny thing is, Amir described the same person that helped save you and his life. Brecken wants to find him so he can ask him to join the Tower, he's afraid that someone like him would make a dangerous enemy if he ever joins Rais's group. But I said, if he was with Rais then why would he help him get the airdrop and kill his own men? Look all I'm asking is if you ever see this person, try and talk to him, because Brecken said he wasn't the most talkative of a guy from what I heard from him." Lena said.
Huh, if this is the guy that helped save my life, then I guess I better keep my eyes peeled. I kinda owe him one. I headed for the elevator and headed down.
'Brecken's looking for someone that helped him get the airdrop. This someone probably is the same person that help save my life and Amir's. From what Lena said, this guy's not the talkative type and would probably disappear on sight. I just have to keep my senses sharp. And with most of the runners out of action, Brecken wants the scouts to take their place. That means me. We're supposed to go for the next airdrop, right before sunset. Jade and Amir will be showing me the ropes.' I thought as the elevator hit ground floor. I went to the quartermaster first to restock on my weapon that broke down yesterday and some supplies. First I need to report about Brecken not being Suleiman to the GRE.
Climbing up a rooftop I made the call.
"Crane, here."
"Report."
"The Tower boss is named Brecken, and he's definitely not your man. The other likely suspect is this… warlord, basically. Local guy, calls himself Rais. He's hoarding Antizin and then gouging the hell out of anybody who wants to buy some. I'm on a mission to get Antizin from the airdrop. If I don't succeed, they'll have to come up with something else."
"Acknowledged. Good job, Crane. You're doing well. Stay on the task and we'll be in touch. Be sure to call us immediately if and when you get that Antizin." The call cuts off from there.
Now I need to focus on the current task at hand and head for this place called the Cauldron, which was a ways away northwest from the Tower. I was about half way there when I heard Jade's voice over the radio.
"Crane. Three-quarters of all airdrops fall in the Cauldron. So if you start from there, you'll have the best chance of getting to that drop before Rais's men do."
"On my way." I continued the journey to the Cauldron. I was nearly there so I contacted Jade.
"Jade I'm getting close to the drop zone."
"Good. Find some shelter and wait. Most of the drops seem to fall exactly in that area."
Okay that doesn't seem too hard. I can see an inactive safe house just under the overpass. I headed there and cleared out the infected inhabiting the area. And finally turned the circuit breaker on, activating the UV system and making this area now a safe zone.
With that done I saw a deployed parachute on a rooftop nearby, probably where the airdrop is. I climbed over a few houses before managing to find a way up and opened the crate. But it was empty, dammit. Rais's men must've gotten it first.
"Dammit. Nothing here." I closed the crate and up in the sky I saw a plane drop two airdrops over in the distance just on the other side of the overpass.
"Did you see that?" Amir's voice was on the radio.
"Yeah two drops."
"They landed elsewhere unfortunately, but you're not that far away. Get those crates before anyone else does!" Amir cuts off and I immediately rushed over there. On my way there I found a little girl hiding in a closet. I called Jade and told her about her and she said she'll be over here to pick her up, but I got chastised for getting sidetracked but she knew I couldn't just ignore leaving her alone to die. I got back on track and headed for the overpass to get a higher view on where the airdrops landed. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the state of the highway. Swarms of infected were all over this place.
"Oh shit. They're swarming like locusts…" I hopped from car to car avoiding the sea of infected that tried to reach for me.
I saw where the airdrop landed, it landed on the safe zone that I secured yesterday. But when I climbed over the wall something was wrong. Dead bodies of Rais's men were on the ground. Their heads ripped right out of their shoulders and on the wall was a painting of a giant letter 'V'. I inspected the painting and realized that it was blood, the one who did this used Rais's men's blood to draw the letter. Saving the thoughts for later, I finally realized that the airdrop wasn't here at all. The parachute was here but the whole crate was gone. Someone carried it off and this can't possibly be a one man job.
"Shit… too late. Jade someone got here first. Somebody got here and killed Rais's men and took the airdrop, and I mean the entire crate." I contacted Jade and Amir.
"F.u.c.k! Okay. Just find the second one. Look for the smoke from the flare! The crate should be close by." I nodded and saw that the flare was a bit farther away than this one. If I have to hazard a guess it was just close to the shore. Amir contacted me suddenly.
"Crane, it's too close to sunset. You need to turn back. NOW!" And he was right, the sun was about two-thirds over the horizon. But I need to do this, if I don't then the Tower's doomed.
"Amir, I'm almost there. I can do this." I wasn't wrong. The smoke from the flare was just over in the distance just by the shore. If I hurry I can make it just before the Volatiles come out.
It took about 5 minutes but I finally arrived at the airdrop. I took care of the infected that were surrounding the crate with little trouble. I opened the crate and saw five cases filled with Antizin. Remembering my mission I contacted the GRE.
"Crane here. I'm about to recover an Antizin drop."
"Good, Crane. This offers us a new strategy. Time to turn your attention to Rais. Listen closely. It's very possible that Rais is our man. So if you find an airdrop containing Antizin, destroy it."
"What? WHY?!" What the hell?! Why would they do this? I thought they were a humanitarian group.
"It will force interaction with Rais. You can go under Brecken's auspices. As an ambassador, if you will."
"But there are civilians depending on this stuff…"
"Our plan is focused on the greater good. Remember that." The call cuts off.
Ugh… 'Greater Good' they say… that's what they all say… But… ugh… I can't disobey, my mission takes priority… I'll probably go to hell after this but… I have no choice. I begrudgingly burned all the Antizin on a burning barrel.
"Jade. Amir, I'm at the airdrop. There's no Antizin here." I said, as much as I despise myself right now.
"NONE? F.u.c.k… F.U.C.K! All right, get back here. And be careful… the nightmares are awake. Don't let them see you." I heard an echoing roar or something. That must've been one of them.
"Oh shit, must've heard me." I muttered to myself. And took a peek at the gap of the gate and I saw something that was probably a Volatile. Body covered in blood, its ribs were outward instead of in and it was feasting on corpse. Another one spotted me as it roared, opening its lower jaw showing some sharp fangs underneath.
Not waiting to find out what'll happen to me. I jumped over a ledge and landed on a pile of garbage that cushioned my fall. I didn't turn around for a second knowing what's behind me. Nearing the sea I dove right in, swimming away. One thing about the infected is they can't swim and they die instantly when submerged in water. I swam around the shore avoiding the infected and Volatiles. I bumped into what looked like a giant drainage pipe that leads straight near the Tower. I silently ran through it avoiding in making any noise less I get spotted again. I exited via a giant gap that was on the left side, and I can see the Tower.
I finally got inside, home free. That was the most intense run I've ever had… Here's hoping that it will be the last I'll see a Volatile in my lifetime. I rode the elevator up and manage to catch my breath.
'I made it in one piece. Now I know how Brecken must've felt, running at night. It is no picnic. Gotta report to him and tell him I don't have any Antizin. Lying to everyone stinks, but I know the GRE's working for the greater good.' I just hope that's true. I finished my thoughts as the elevator stopped and I stepped off.
I opened the door and went inside, and already I can hear arguing inside. Ugh… joy.
"Brecken, come on… I mean, we have Antizin from your mission, and I don't know how long it'll last. But buying from Rais? You can't be serious…" A runner argued.
"Oh for God's sake, I'll go. I'm not scared." Jade said.
"Absolutely not. We've discussed that already." Brecken stopped Jade.
"We didn't discuss it. You just decided that I-." Jade countered, but I have to take this opportunity to get to Rais.
"I'll go." Everyone in the room was now looking at me.
"Are you serious?" Jade said.
"Well… this Rais guy has never seen my face before. Clean slate. Right?" The others were looking at each other, having a silent discussion. Finally they conceded as Brecken stood up.
"Could you guys give Crane and me the room, please?" Everyone got up and left. Rahim though gave me a thumbs up before going, with Jade following behind. Brecken then turned his attention to me.
"You sure you're up for this?"
"Has to be done, doesn't it?
"Well, I'm not gonna argue. Rais's place is over here. Just… find out what this'll cost us, and come back in one piece." Brecken said as he pointed a building that was on the furthermost left side of the city. Quite a long way to go.
After receiving instructions I headed for my room and grab some shut eye, it's been a long night.
'Brecken is so desperate, he's ready to deal with the devil himself. Rais. And since I'm supposed to determine whether or not Rais is the one who stole the GRE's secret doc.u.ment, this is the perfect opportunity.' I finished my thoughts as I crashed on my bed and it didn't take long for me to fall asleep.
Next Day (6 am)
I woke up from the sound of my radio again. But this time it was Brecken's voice on the other line.
"Crane, you awake?"
"I'm now, what's going on?"
"Head to the ground floor now! There's something here you need to see." He cuts off before I can respond.
With no time to waste I rode the elevator down and when I arrived, I can see Brecken, Jade, Rahim, Lena, and Amir talking to a guard and beside them were two crates that were filled with Antizin.
'What the hell?' I thought. What in the world is going on?
"What do you mean he just dropped it and left?!" Jade asked, ok more like interrogating from the way she was yelling at him. I can see the guy just sweating bullets with everyone looking at him like that.
"Like I said! He just carried these two and just left before I can get any answers! When I opened them and saw the Antizin I didn't bother thinking about it and immediately contacted you guys!" The guard argue, probably the same answer he used before I got down.
"Wait so you mean he lifted these two all by himself all the way here? Have you been drinking while on duty again?" Rahim was the one who talked. The guard just shook his head and just sat down with a sigh.
"Look I saw what I saw! Even if you don't believe me, these two crates of Antizin are proof enough that someone did deliver them here! So if it were up to me, I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth and take it without complaint, because now we have more than enough Antizin to last us a year and we don't have to buy some from Rais now!" The guard shouted as he stomped down and went back to his post. Everyone just mumbled around each other, trying to figure out about the crate and the stranger that delivered them. Amir was the first one to notice my presence.
"Crane! I'm glad you're here!" Amir greeted me and pulled me towards the others. I was about to ask about the crates when I noticed something underneath the top lid of the opened crate. It was the same blood painted letter 'V'.
"Guys have you noticed this?" I asked. Pointing at the letter 'V'
"Yeah, it was already there when we opened it up. Why? Do you know something about it?" Lena asks.
"Yeah. Yesterday at the first airdrop. There were no signs of the crates and I found Rais's men dead and the same letter was painted in blood at the wall just beside it." I explained the events that happened last night.
"Could it be it was from the same person that helped me and you before Brecken?" Amir spoke next. Brecken was inclined to agree with him, now that he's rested up and thinking straight, he can process this a little easier now.
"Maybe… we still can't be sure. But everything here is making me believe you Amir. And he's right. Now we have more than enough Antizin to last us a year. We don't have to make a deal with Rais. Okay, Crane I have a new mission for you. I need you to find this man, and talk to him into joining us at the Tower." Brecken said, giving me a new mission. Well this will steer my mission off course, but if this guy did this, then maybe he can help me with 'my' mission.
"All right. But where would I start? From what I heard earlier this guy just ups and runs."
Brecken pointed at the V letter that was now probably this guy's calling card.
"I believe he is sending us a message. Maybe if you can find anymore areas with this symbol then maybe it will lead you to him." Brecken finished as he helped Lena carry the Antizin back to the elevator and into her clinic. The rest went back to whatever they were doing before this began.
Now with a new mission. I armed myself and headed outside in order to find out just who our mysterious helper is.
5 days earlier after Crane's rescue (V's POV)
I ran through the streets and buildings of Harran trying to get a feel of the place. The game was really detailed on the areas of the map so moving around here is almost the same as the game, well except that I'm doing all the running and climbing. I memorized every street and pathway to every area on every map of the game. So moving around and outmaneuvering my enemies shouldn't be much of a problem.
But first things first I have 3 days to prepare myself before Crane wakes up and 3 days and 12 hours before Brecken's Run Boy Run, night run. So I have to prep up. While my sheer strength and speed gives me an edge over everyone here, they unfortunately outgun me. And I just discovered some things about myself and my new body. First off, as a Volatile the pain receptors to my brain are completely dead. Meaning that I no longer feel pain and I no longer have the need for sleep. The next is that I have a strong healing factor, but not strong enough to re-grow lost limbs unfortunately, I can heal from gunshots to big lacerations and broken bones, as long as they don't cut off my head, shoot my brains out or drown me.
The next one is that I tested on how far of a drop I can endure. And I wasn't disappointed that I can survive a 50 foot drop. I tried to push it to a hundred but that resulted in me having broken legs for about an hour. Which would've taken a month for a normal person. That goes to show on how strong a Volatile's healing factor is if you don't kill it quickly. However I can survive a hundred foot drop if I do a shock absorbing tumble. That one took a few tries, the failed tests were another few hours of a broken spine, arm, and it broke off the ribs that were sticking out of me. The good news was that they regrew inside now instead of out, so that was a good failure.
The next thing I discovered is that I don't feel hunger at all anymore. But I can still eat, meaning that eating is more of a pleasure now instead of a necessity. The other infected and Volatiles confirms my theory that they only feed because the virus wants to not need. Given that the virus was a mutated variation of rabies. Honestly how do scientists come up and make these things? Seriously they should focus more on cures like for cancer. Instead of making apocalyptic types of viruses.
Okay. Now that that's done. My first prep mission is to find a base of operations first. Which isn't that difficult to find since the infected don't bother with me at all and I can just rip them apart with no trouble at all if they get annoying. And I already have a place in mind. I journeyed on until I reached the train tunnel quarantine zone. This place is perfect because nobody dares to come here and even if there were those who were dumb enough to go in, then the infected would take care of them.
I went inside the quarantine zone and found a place perfect to be my base. It was a military bunker that was near the entrance and it still has some power running. Perfect. Now I have a place to call home. The next thing to do now is to find some guns. Which wasn't all that difficult.
I searched the highway tunnels for the police vans, and found them just by the entrance of the tunnel, just like in the game. I approached the van and tear the door off its hinges and found a 9mm. with a full clip. A box full of its spare ammo, and an equipment belt from a nearby dead police officer to store my spare ammo. I have no use for melee weapons because my bare claws were already more than enough to do it for me.
With my job done the next thing on my list is to collect some small vials or bottles to store my toxic Phlegm. Another thing I discovered about being a Volatile is that the toxic phlegm that I can spit was actually super potent stomach acid. Which was toxic enough to kill someone in minutes if they got it in their body, like from an open wound, mouth, or eyes. As long as it gets inside their body then they're as good as dead. If it hits only skin then it won't kill them, but it will burn like hell. So I started to collect glass bottles and filled them with my toxic spit. I can only carry 3 with me at time so I had to stockpile some here at the quarantine zone which I am now calling as the V zone.
Yeah, ever since I died I decided to go by a new name. Which was 'V', not the Roman numeral 5, just V from the initial letter of Volatile. I actually got the idea from resident evil 2 remake which was from Mr. X. By the way loved playing it before kicking the bucket. They really brought the scare factor back. And since I almost wear the same clothing as him, I decided to heck with it.
Anyway back to the present, it took me an entire day to gather enough bottles and fill them with toxic spit. Now I have enough with me to take down an entire army. It took most of the space in the V zone but meh, I always had a bit of a hoarding problem in games, especially survival games.
With my job finished it was already the next day, and I used this day as a way to patrol the city and see if there were any survivors that needed helping. And a few hours later I managed to rescue 3 survivors from being zombie chow. The third was actually the closest call, because the first two were just people who locked themselves inside because they were surrounded. The third one however I was afraid that I wasn't going to make it. As the survivor was almost gonna get bitten I reached for my 9mm pistol and took aim and fired. *SPLAT*. Bullseye! Right in the noggin! There was no need for me to loiter around anymore and so I passed on.
Completely ignorant that that was the same runner that Crane met when he secured the first safe zone.
It was already sunset when I was done with my patrol. I rescued two more survivors, and this time I saved them from Rais's men. Good thing that these thugs were only carrying melee weapons so it was no problem for me to kill them all. The survivors thanked me, but I can tell that they were a bit scared of me given my attire and that I just gave them a nod and quickly left. I didn't need to talk because I knew if I did, then my voice would definitely scare them off.
I returned to my zone and just had a short nap, well it turned out to be a long one. True I don't feel tired anymore, but I can still enjoy a good night's sleep.
Day of Crane's awakening (9 am)
It was the day of Crane's wakeup call and I noticed on my watch that I took from a shop nearby that it was 9 am. Okay. I let out a yawn, which was a weird feeling because of my lower jaw opening. This is the day that Crane wakes up and gears up for his run for Spike. Time to gear up, I grabbed what I needed for this day. My gun, some ammo, a pair of binoculars, and a paintbrush. I needed the paintbrush for my calling card, which was my name 'V'. Now that I'm all set I headed out.
First I followed Crane as he went and see the doctor for his Antizin injection. It took quite a while for him to come out of there. Then I saw him enter Spike's shed. Okay this should be the time where that runner gets trapped in that safe zone. I just hope he doesn't turn before I get there.
It took me a while to find it but I got there just in time to close the gate and take care of the infected as silent as possible, I didn't want to reveal myself too early now. So with that done I raced off and waited for Crane to arrive. I observed just across the street at the 'Left 4 Bread' shop. Hehehehe. Hah! That always makes me laugh. Whoever came up with that was a comedy genius.
Crane then went back to his mission to arm the traps that were just over by the street near my location. I saw him use the fireworks to distract the infected away from the car trap and arm said traps.
Then I saw him headed for the light traps just under the overpass and near the train yard. This was my cue to head to the power substation over by the hill there and wait for the power outage. I found the station and went inside. There, I saw the goon that was just waiting for Crane to arrive, but not this time. I went near the Goon and grabbed a hold of its head and twisted it 180 degrees. It only took a second for it to drop dead, crushing the biter that was near it.
I waited for a while before I saw the lights go out. That was my cue to turn it all back on. I opened the circuit breaker and switched everything back on, saving Crane time in order to get back to the safe house. And it was now time for me to go back to the Tower and follow Brecken and his team on their night mission. It was time for Run Boy Run.
I stealthily followed them as they avoided any Volatiles in the way. I tried to help at every opportunity, from distracting any Volatiles that came near them, to taking out infected that were following after them. It took them a good hour before we saw the airdrop just over by the distance on a rooftop. Time for the real challenge. I watched as Brecken and his team began their run for the airdrop, unfortunately Brecken jumped and broke a wooden rooftop, alerting any Virals within the vicinity.
They took a detour to a building that was headed for the sewers. There, I can see the swarm of undead that were trying to break down the door, and Brecken's team were trying to close it shut. Okay. This was time to hopefully save some of them because I can't follow them to the sewers. The trailer wasn't too detailed on the inside of the sewers so I might run the risk of getting lost. So I did the next best thing I jumped down and ripped the infected that were breaking down the door to shreds.
With the job done, I can hear Brecken's runners sigh in relief that they managed to seal the door. I heard Brecken said that they have to go under and come out of the other side.
As I hear their footsteps fade then the only thing I can do now is wait by the airdrop. I can see the smoke of the flare over by that tall building. Wasting no time, I ran straight to the building next to it and just waited with my binoculars in hand.
It was already nearing sunrise when I saw Brecken and two more people climb up the ladder. It was a shame that 2 died, but it was better than all of them dead. And just across the building I can see Rais's men lying in wait, ready to ambush Brecken and his men. I stored my binoculars and head straight for them.
I sneaked behind Rais's men just as Brecken and his men finally made it to the top. Rais's men were about to take a whack at them before I snuck right behind them and *CRACK*, *CRACK*, *CRACK*. I twisted their necks like an owls and saw Brecken jump and looked behind him. He saw the now dead bodies of Rais's men and he and his runners' pointed their weapons at me.
"Who are you?" He asks. "Did you do that?" Pointing at the three dead bodies on the floor, their heads facing behind them. I just stared at them trying to think of a way to get out of this. I calculated the height before I went up here, and it was about 80 feet or so. I can easily make this drop. I just walked backwards towards the edge. Brecken and his runners were now growing tense at what I'll do. I hopped on the ledge and gave them a wave before jumping down. I did a tumble just as I was about to hit the ground and ran like hell ignoring Brecken calling out to me.
Okay. BOOYAH! I did it! Brecken's mission was a success! Now they have enough Antizin to last them a while. But there was still another airdrop later at sunset. And this was the one where Crane burned it all up. I already planned for this, that's why I brought the paintbrush. But right now, everything's seems about right.
So I headed out and did my patrols around the city, this time on the north side.
Hours Later (5 pm) Near the Cauldron
I finished my patrols with few incidents. I rescued 5 survivors. 2 of them from I saved from becoming a zombie's next meal, and the other 3 were about to be executed from Rais's men. It was a tricky situation because the executioner was carrying an assault rifle. But I managed to pull it off, by using some Far Cry tactics. I tossed a rock just near the group. One of them went to check it out, that's where I waited to strike and snapped his neck and hid his body behind some bushes. The executioner was now easily dealt with, I snuck behind him and crushed his windpipe dropping his gun. After untying the survivors, I took the rifle from the dead body and looted anything I can find on them. I walked away with a full clip assault rifle and 20 spare ammo to go with it.
As I was headed back I finally saw the airdrop landed. Okay time for my plan to start. I went to the first one which was by the safe house across left 4 bread. And I can see that 3 of Rais's men were there. Good thing they only have wooden bats and crowbars with them. So with no need for a stealthy approach I went with the direct one. The first one saw me and was about to attack me, but I easily dodged the attack and knocked him down by leg sweeping him and ripped his head right out of his shoulder blades.
The other two were a bit demoralized by my bloody finish, but they steeled their nerves and attacked me at the same time. I just stood where I am and drew my pistol and shot them both dead, and I removed their heads as well clean off their shoulders. This was the next step. I took out my paintbrush and used their blood that was spilling out of their head sockets as paint and drew my name on the wall. With that done, I took the two crates of Antizin and carried them off back to the V zone.
I could've taken the second one as well, but this part was needed in order for Crane to begin to realize the GRE were nothing but money grubbing sons of bitches. I know it doesn't start until later on but I think this is necessary, besides sometime after midnight the Tower will now have two crates Antizin and not from f.u.c.k.i.n.g Rais! The lying son of a bitch! It was actually really satisfying when Crane sliced his arm clean off the elbow in the game. But with me here, I'll be making sure he suffers so much, that he will be crying for mercy after I'm done with him.
With the first half of the job done I carried the crates back to the V zone and took a short nap, waiting for the right time.
Time Skip (4 am)
*YAWN* I groaned as I stood up and checked my watch. 4 am. Perfect. Time to finish the rest of the plan. I opened the lid of the two crates and I drew my letter just beneath it then I grabbed hold of the two crates and lifted them up as I made the quick trip to the Tower. It took about 15 minutes for me to arrive. I passed by the UV defenses, glad that my clothing can still protect me. And that's when the guard saw me and points his gun at me.
"Who the hell are you?! You don't look like one of Brecken's runners!" He said still points his gun at me. Okay, I have to do this carefully or else I might get a bullet between my eyes. I slowly and steadily dropped the two crates in front of him. He just raised an eyebrow at me not realizing that I just carried two very heavy crates of Antizin here. Not lowering his guard even a bit, he opened one of the crates. His eyes widen at seeing the full crate of Antizin. And that was my cue to leave. Without looking back I disappeared in the darkness of the night and retreated to my zone.
*SIGH* 'Oh hell. That was one hell of a trip. But it was all worth it.' Now the Tower doesn't have to suffer any more of its people from turning. My heart sank when in the game Brecken said that when one of them turned on the floor below them, he had to close it off leaving the children to die. Boy that part in the game was heart wrenching. But now that won't be happening anytime soon, hopefully never.
I closed my eyes, planning for the next events that were to come next.
AN: HOLY SHIT! This took me awhile to finish. And again a shout out for the first two reviewers that pointed out my character's similarity with Mr. X. Yeah… I get the feeling all of the chapters from here on out are gonna be this long, maybe longer…. Yeah… oh well I enjoyed writing this. And I'm so happy that people are already following this story! It makes me proud in writing this fic! Ok so once again honest reviews are appreciated and this is Fatalis0217 signing off to write the next chapter. PEACE!
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