Chapter 50: Storm (10)

"Keep it moving! We need to hurry up before the storm arrives!" Edward, an umbrella in hand, shouted at the drenched workers on the wall who were wearing raincoats.

The sky was dark and gloomy as the rain falling from the growing horde of clouds went from tiny droplets in the morning, to a sort of harsh drizzling in the afternoon. He reckoned pouring would follow soon enough, so he hoped they could get this portion of the wall done in time.

"No not there! To the left! The left I said!" Suddenly, a hand tapped him on the shoulder. Turning around, he saw the solemn face of Carter in a raincoat. Already, a headache was starting to form.

"What's wrong this time?" All he received in response was a sad sigh before speaking up.

"Kit's squad went out this morning and didn't check in at the designated time. So, I took a patrol out myself and went along their route to search for them. Didn't find a thing, only their equipment on the ground, completely smashed." Edward thought for a moment before replying.

"Kit, that's the boyfriend of one of the deceased right?" He had a decent impression of the man. Even after his girlfriend was murdered, he still kept his head on his shoulders instead of wallowing in grief.

"That's right. Based on the scene and severe lack of blood, I'd say they were kidnapped."

"Did you check in with Michael? Maybe one of his scouts saw something." But then, Edward noticed his expression change slightly. Almost fearful.

"I did. Problem is, all the scouts in the surrounding area were taken as well. Not even a single one was able to call for help." A tinge of terror went through the both of their spines as they came to a startling conclusion.

This couldn't be the work of another group of humans. Clearly, this was one hyper intelligent infected who had dastardly plans in mind.

"As if things aren't bad enough… Can he send us any aid?" By the look of Carter's face, Edward surmised Michael had already expected this question.

"Unfortunately not. He said he's too busy with making sure his safe houses are secure enough for the storm. Considering he lost one to an Alpha yesterday, he's not taking any chances."

"A shame, but understandable." Edward shook his head and sighed. Suddenly, he focused on Carter, his voice commanding.

"Tell the mechanics this, I want those tanks ready to roll by tomorrow. Also, make sure every man, woman, and child has some kind of weapon. When Jason and Alice return, send them to me. We'll need their strength."

Carter saluted him and was just about to leave when he noticed a trio approach them, only two of them wearing protection from the rain.

"Bill, Tyrone, Zach, good to see you. Great weather am I right?" The wet old man chuckled a little, gazing up at the sky with a reminiscent look.

"Compared to 'Nam, this is practically beach weather. Such a shithole that place was." He shook his head before focusing on Edward.

"Got something to talk to you about, if you've got the time that is. You seem awfully busy."

"A few minutes is all I can spare- Hey! Watch your damn footing you ape! Roger! Make sure the fool doesn't kill himself!" An apologetic look appeared on his face.

"Ahem, sorry about that. What do you need?" As he said that, his eyes glanced at the workers for a split second before returning. It was almost as if he was a mother constantly worrying about their children.

"No worries. Anyway, I wanted to talk about Jason-" Bill spoke up about every concern he had about the crazy man. How Alice changed from a completely normal teenage girl, to a sadistic psychopath in the span of two weeks. How she became an inhuman monster.

He also talked about the little things that might seem minor at first, but build substantially when placed all together in a row. Edward had a serious expression to his face as he listened.

"Tyrone here agrees with me that something needs to be done. Zach's hesitant, but understands the man's not right in the head and at the very least, needs some help."

Looking at the slightly dirty faced Zach, Edward noticed his reluctance to be here. To him, it seemed Zach wasn't as on board as Bill claimed him to be. Suddenly, he sighed and shook his head.

"Hearing all that, I understand. Trust me I do. But nothing can be done as of now. We need their help with the coming storm and can't risk them not giving aid. We'll revisit this issue later, after this fiasco is over with." Bill was annoyed, but understood where he was coming from.

With some more small talk, they eventually split off to their duties.

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( Michael )

Ever since I decided to reform the gang, I've found myself keeping a closer eye on these bastards, usually by way of patrolling the Main Base. Just to make sure they're following my new rules to the letter.

Unfortunately, a few haven't taken it so well and lashed out. Well, their swinging bodies should hopefully prevent any others from joining their foolish cause. It's a good thing the Sub-Leaders are competent enough that even without my supervision, they run a tight ship.

But once I came back from the Docks, I've been doing it a lot more to increase our defenses from this biblical storm. Never know when these fools might accidently kill themselves, or slack off on the job. Thankfully, they seem to understand the gravity of the situation for once.

"Hey cum for brains! Are you a fucking moron?!" A harsh voice broke me out of my thoughts. Looking over, I saw Yori berating some guy who had his head lowered, Princess behind her with his muscles flexed menacingly.

Ever since the Bosco incident, he barely leaves her side. The only time he does so is when she comes to my office for... lessons. For some odd reason, her just being there soothes me.

"Once she took over construction efforts, productivity has increased twice fold. Seems she has a nack for this kind of stuff." Gabe, who had been silently following, spoke up with an amused tone.

I had to agree. At first I wasn't too sure when she asked for this job, but she managed to exceed my expectations greatly. Then again, maybe the prostitution I implemented helped.

The idea behind it was that any woman, or man, could sell their bodies in exchange for food and protection. This allowed my minions to blow off any steam or lust they accumulated without resorting to their usual rape.

Surprisingly, a lot of the newer 'recruits' took it a lot better than I originally thought. I suppose between selling your body and getting torn to shreds, the answer is obvious to some. After all, what use is your pride and dignity when your brains are inside some infected's stomach?

Suddenly, something caught my eye. A group of three returning through the newly constructed main gate after getting tested. They spoke amongst each other, making jokes and bumping their shoulders together. However, the way they acted was... odd. Almost too perfect.

"Everything go good out there?" I walked up to them and asked a simple question, watching them carefully but not showing my suspicion on my face.

Seeing me, they hurriedly spoke as if afraid.

"Y-Yes sir! No hiccups whatsoever!" 

"That's right! We did good out there, see?" One of them held up a couple bags, full of food.

"What happened there then?" I pointed at their clothes, marked with some blood. Especially around the neck area.

They looked down, surprise on their face as I saw a one of their eyes twitch. That's... a familiar reaction. I've had the same, whenever one of my lies gets spotted.

"Just some bastards that got a little too uppity, you know how it goes. A close shave for sure, but we handled it without issue." I gave a little smile, watching the hint of tension fade from their bodies.

"Good. Go get some rest and fill your bellies, then come back here. We'll need your help." I patted the leader on the shoulder, watching as they thanked me and left. Only when they were out of earshot and around a corner did my expression disappear.

"Gabe?"

"Hm? Yes boss?"

"Round up your men. Get geared up too." He nodded, but was confused.

"Uh, of course boss. May I ask why though?" I narrowed my eyes at the corner, seeing the end of a shoe still there.

"We'll need to make a trip to Base Four. They've sent some troubling reports and I want to make sure everything is kosher personally. Now go." He immediately left as the shoe disappeared.

Within a few minutes, Gabe's squad arrived decked out in all their gear. Custom-made armor to defend against bites and scratches, assault rifles in their hands and pistols on their waist, and three of the newly developed Flesh Render on their chest for easy access.

It was unfortunate that the weapon I discussed with Meira isn't finished yet. To put it simply, it's basically a long ranged option for the Flesh Render. Getting close and personal is a little dangerous nowadays after all.

"We're ready to move boss!" Gabe, leading the squad himself, saluted me with a confident smile. However, that all changed when he saw me walk in a different direction than the gate.

"Uh... boss?" Regardless, they followed me like good little soldiers. Hm, perhaps puppies is a more accurate term.

"You remember those three that arrived a few minutes ago?" Seeing him nod I continued.

"They aren't who they say they are. Everything about them is suspicious. From the way they talked, to the bloody clothes, to the slight twitch in one of their eyes when mentioning said clothes. Something is wrong with them." I could see Gabe adopt a serious look as he commanded his men to ready up. Such a good pet...

Eventually, we made our way to the common room. Asking around for their position wasn't exactly hard. The three of them were conversing with others as they played pool and drank beer. They fit in so well.

However, upon a closer look, the ones they were speaking to seemed... strange. Like they weren't all there.

"M-Michael!" Someone noticed us enter and immediately stood up and nodded toward me out of respect.

The others in the room, hearing that, did the same as they stopped all activity. I ignored them and focused on the trio, watching as the leader's eye twitched once more, but returned to a normal fearful look. Not as good an actor as Yori, but damn close.

As for the ones they were talking to? It was like they woke up out of a dream, clutching their heads as clarity returned to them. Gabe noticed this too, his eyes glaring at the suspicious trio.

We walked up to them, but kept a ten foot distance as I grabbed the gun in my waist and aimed it at them.

"S-Sir?" The leader's face went pale as he backed up, fear written all over him.

Suddenly, I aimed at his knees and pulled the trigger.

"AHH!" He screamed out in pain, his face shifting to that of anger. When his mouth opened, a row of inhuman teeth could be seen as he roared out.

Everyone in the room clutched their head as my thoughts became foggy. What was I doing here again? Maybe, I should take a nap...

I slapped myself across the face, waking myself up as sweat poured down my forehead. Just in time to see the other two lengthen their nails and rush for me. They closed the gap fast, but not fast enough. 

I raised my gun and immediately shot one in the head, killing it instantly. Before I could down the other, the rest of the men woke up and got to work. Without hesitation, Gabe and his squad gunned down the other Mimic, their wails the last thing heard from them as they died.

Just as they were about to kill the downed one, I stopped them.

"Imprison him. I'll talk to him... personally." A few men immediately got to work. 

When getting close, the crippled Mimic tried lashing out with it's nails, but hit thin air as my minions jumped back to dodge. It wasn't too long after they got him to the floor and bound him up tight. Though, he for sure is strong. Taking ten grown and strong men to barely hold him down.

"Gabe." He breathed heavily, his head probably still pounding.

"Yes boss?"

"Contact Carter and warn him of Mimcs trying to infiltrate them. Say they can bypass the Virus Detection Syringe." He nodded and quickly ran off while I stood there, looking at their corpses.

This is a problem. How many more could have snuck in while I wasn't looking? What about the other Bases? We were lucky for no casualties now, but what about next time?

Is it even possible for humans to win against this virus? Against these infected? 

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( Jason )

As soon as we reached the row of lockers, after killing a couple more special infected, I snapped towards the direction of my left. The frown on my face grew with each passing second.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Lily, seeing my state, asked me with a concerned voice.

"I… don't know. Could've sworn I felt something. Like a really bad fucking thing just happened." It was an odd sensation, a feeling I couldn't easily place. Whatever it was though, made me feel awful. Like someone punched me in the gut and took my lunch money.

"Is it serious? Should we leave?" I shook my head. The last time I felt this terrible was that cocooned bastard. Perhaps this is related to him? That wouldn't make much sense though, considering the distance. Well, regardless, I should check it out later just to be safe.

"Nah. Let's get your shit first." Lily nodded, her body slightly different than previously.

A few inches of height, finally regaining her throne as the Big Sister. Her muscles were also larger and more developed, courtesy of one Juggernaut. Thank Cthulhu that despite having more muscle than an average man, she was somehow still extremely feminine.

Not at all like those steroid using lady bodybuilders that looked more man than woman. Flat boobs and wide shoulders, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, a face that makes Hulk Holgan look like a smooth skinned newborn, and the lack of any bubble or jiggle in their movements. That one's especially important!

Though Lily seems to be going for enough muscle to squash a watermelon, or perhaps my head, between her succulent thighs with ease, Alice is content going in the opposite direction.

Sure, she has some development to her, but it's quite basic. It's certainly an interesting duality. The soft and cute little sister, and the fiery witch from Hell big sister.

"Huh? What'd you say?" Case in point, the demoness stopped fiddling with her locker and turned towards me, eyes full of fury. Almost as if challenging me.

"I… literally didn't say anything?" Did she secretly become some bald X-Men all of a sudden? She snorted and went back to what she was doing.

"That's what I thought."

Anyway, moving on from that strange encounter, I let her fight the Juggernaut and some other loser I refuse to name to gain some sweet experience. But similar to Alice and the Bone Spikers, had to step in before she could get the kill off.

Though she certainly did quite well for herself, so that's admirable. Still, having her join in on the training sessions with me and Alice would be good for her.

Suddenly breaking me out of my thoughts, Lily opened up her locker. I peeked past her shoulder as she rummaged around the mess.

And by mess, I mean the entire locker is chock full of random shit. Papers, clothes, photos of random people with an 'X' across their eyes, and a couple wrappers which have been there so long they've accumulated fucking dust, at least a year's worth minimum.

"What a mess. Ever heard of organization? Cleaning? Some fucking wipes at least…" Her head snapped towards me as I teased her, a frown on her face.

"This is not a mess! This is… this is…" She trailed off, trying to find the correct words before giving up and huffing.

"Screw you asshole. Here, keep your smooth brain and child-like mind busy with these." With ferocity and harshness, she tossed a massive folder my way.

"Child-like mind? You fucking-" When I opened the folder and saw the first page, my words paused for a brief instant.

"Beautiful creature. Keep being awesome." She snorted derisively, but I paid no attention to her any further.

The gold mine she had handed me so elegantly, was her Blackmailing Folder. Giddy with excitement, I hurriedly sucked in the first page's information.

[ • Victims- Don Fowler and Megan Cael

I first caught them going at it on April 8th 2021. Unfortunately, I had left both my phone and camera behind on my desk. By the time I returned, they were already finished and back to their regular posts.

Don Fowler, A.K.A. The Douche, is a condescending sack of shit that thinks his way is the highway. A bully that has hit on every single woman in the station, myself included, and regularly picks on any weak 'criminal' he can find.

His marriage has been going on for almost five years... somehow. I've had the pleasure of meeting his beautiful wife twice before. A shy, soft-spoken petite lady with black hair and a kind personality.

I myself believe the reason why she stayed with him for so long was because of her naturally submissive behavior and lack of a spine. However, their marriage died off once I revealed his wrongdoings.

Megan Cael, A.K.A. The Whore of Babylon, is a very promiscuous and narcissistic cunt that believes she's better than everyone else. Ironically, one of her reasons which she loves to shove down our throat, is because of her new husband. By new, I mean only being married for two months.

A decent man but very busy, working all hours of the day on his business. Thanks to her constant bragging, I've come to reluctantly learn his income is half a million dollars every year. Surprisingly, when her MANY flings came to light due to me, her husband defended her to his last breath. Guess he was into cucking.

The second time I caught them, I was prepared. I both recorded the incident and took pictures as per usual. ( Look below for pictures). This time…]

Jesus fuck this is extensive! Taking a look at the pictures, I noticed how clear they were. No chance of someone saying "That's not me!". I mean, the definition is so high you could count the amount of hairs on Don's ball sack.

Flipping to the next page, I found myself lost in the Blackmailing Folder's allure. It sucked me in deeper and deeper, the spell it had on me only broken after Lily slammed the locker shut.

"Huh? Oh. Find what you need?" I closed the folder and kept it close to me, making her raise an eyebrow but ignore it.

"Yup. Here, take a look." She carefully held up a mint conditioned and laminated picture of Alice and her, sealed inside a bag for further protection.

It was nice, the both of them side by side smiling with cotton candy in hand. Behind them was some amusement park I had never been to before. Based on the age, it should have been taken when Alice was fourteen.

"You two look good there, happy. Where was this taken?" She gazed lovingly at the picture as she spoke.

"For her fourteenth birthday. She whined and begged for hours to go to Doopyland. Finally, I saved up enough money to take the both of us for a few days. We had a great time there going on all the rides. Though-" A cute little giggle came from her before continuing.

"She was so scared of the haunted house she made us leave early."

"Seems like money well spent." Lily looked up at me, still smiling.

"Yes, yes it was." Suddenly, she placed it in her pocket and walked up to me, wrapping her arms around my back and bringing me into a hug.

"Thank you so much for doing this. It means a lot to me." I gently grabbed her cheeks, making her stare up at my eyes.

"You're very welcome Lily. It was my pleasure." She stepped on her tippy toes and placed a loving peck on my lips.

There wasn't any sexual meaning behind it. It truly was a kiss that showed just how grateful she was, and how much she loved me. Golly, I can feel my heart beating wildly in my chest.

Soon enough, we separated with smiles and began making our way out of this place. It obviously didn't take too long, only being a few minutes to walk back to the main reception area. However, when we arrived, someone was waiting for us.

"Lily, stand back."

"But-"

"Now." Hearing my serious voice mixed in with a growl, she was a little shocked but did as I asked.

The reason for this was simple. This guy in front of me was no fucking cake walk. I could practically sense the power radiating off him, easily making him the strongest I've met by far. Even moreso than the Queen. Highly doubt I'll come out of this unscathed.

He just so happened to be 10ft tall, clearly the one who forcibly enlarged the entrance. There were three heads on his massive neck that glanced at Lily for a second, before ignoring her and settling his gaze back on me. The look in his many eyes was emotionless, making me unable to guess what he was thinking.

Six large and bone white spikes were protruding out of his back, looking quite menacing. The tips of these deadly sharp weapons had little drops of liquid drip onto the ground. The lack of sizzling meant it wasn't some kind of acid. Maybe poison?

He just so happened to have six arms, three on each side that lacked claws. However, based on the bulging muscles, I doubt he needs them. Suddenly, he spoke.

"You seem intelligent enough for speech. Come outside for your death, we do not want to damage our home." Without waiting for me to respond, he turned around and walked into the street. Cocky asshole.

His speech was fucking odd though. Plus the voice of each head was slightly different, giving me the strange impression I wasn't about to fight one opponent, but three. Still, I followed after him, my spiky armor and claws unleashed for battle. However, a hand grabbed my shoulder.

"Be careful Jason. I don't want to be a widow this early." That made me immediately snort and chuckle.

"I will, don't you fret your pretty little head. I love you darling." Her eyes widened slightly, but turned sweet as she kissed my armored lips.

"I love you too. Now, go beat his fucking ass!" I mock saluted.

"Yes ma'am!" Walking towards this Asura looking bastard, I noticed him standing there patiently. He had been watching our encounter the entire time. What an honorable guy.

"Are you prepared to die by our hands?" I take back what I said. What an asshole. But to be honest, I'd be lying if I said he didn't look kinda cool.

I didn't say anything in response. Didn't really see the point when he'll be in my belly later on. Without saying a word, I immediately bolted for him at my fastest speed, catching him up surprise.

Within just a second, I was already in front of him, using my claws to shred his chest wide open. Red blood splashed across my face as he took a few steps back, a look of pain on all three heads. Not letting this opportunity go, I closed the gap and tried to cut off the center head.

However, he suddenly dodged out of the way and counterattacked, striking me in the chest and stomach with all three of his right hands. The strength he contained was monstrous, sending me flying nearly eighty meters away.

"Fucking hell…" Looking down, I could see some cracks in my armor, along with three fist sized dents as my organs screamed in agony. Luckily, my regeneration got to work in repairing them lickity split.

"We were unprepared for such speed. But now, we will take this seriously." His voices made me look up. I could feel a frown forming as I saw his wounds heal, visible to the naked eye. His regeneration seems to be on par with mine.

Suddenly, all six of his arms reached back, grabbing hold of the spikes. At the same exact time, he grunted softly and broke each of them off. His left leg stepped forward and he leaned back, cocking one of his arms behind him.

Not allowing him to do whatever he wants whenever he pleases, I dashed forwards. Before I could interrupt him, all of his muscles tensed at once. I stopped in place and heightened my senses to the max to dodge.

Out of nowhere, he threw one of the spikes in his hand. The speed was so fast I couldn't even track it with my eyes. Using pure base instinct, I tilted my head to the side, allowing the dangerous javelin to pass right by me.

But the surge of pain from my cheek made me hiss. Bringing a hand to the wound, I noticed how much it bled. The armor and skin I was so proud of tore open like made of goddamn paper. Isn't this level of sharpness kind of ridiculous?

"God! Fuck!" The wound on my cheek suddenly burned like a son of a bitch! It spread quickly, reaching my brain and making me dizzy as I stumbled!

Still, despite my blurry eyes, I saw his form reach back for another throw.

"Soak in it, and succumb to it's power. Our poison can bring down even the toughest of beasts. You will not be different." I grit my teeth, both in agony and rage.

With a feral growl, I ignored the pain rampaging through my body and continued forwards towards him. At the same time, I focused on the poison inside me and tried something. I wonder, if I can consume it?

My question only took a split second to be answered. The dormant potential within my body devoured the poison in no time at all, making my symptoms clear up instantly. Watching this bastard's face swap from emotionless to shock is a real treat.

"H-How…?" I didn't answer him, taking this chance to almost teleport to his side and swing my fist towards his ribs.

He woke up from his daze just in time to block my left hook, bringing up his arms in a defensive position to protect his body. My fist landed, making him grunt in pain as he slide across the street for a dozen meters.

Using my insane speed, I was already in front of him and faked a punch. Luckily, he took the bait and used his three left arms in a horizontal sweeping motion, wielding the spikes like clubs.

I ducked down and let them pass over my head without harm. At the same time, I placed one hand on the road and used my legs to take his out from under him. As he collapsed to the floor, I jumped on top of him, my right claw ready to pierce his heart.

Meanwhile, my cords erupted from my back and aimed for his heads while my hand went straight through his tough chest.

However, this guy is no slouch. One of his hands grabbed my left wrist to stop it's assault. The rest of them stopped my cords from moving, holding them in place. But wait… shouldn't he have six-

"Jason!" Lily's cry went in one ear and out the other.

"You f-fucking-" This bastard's last hand, still gripping the large spike, impaled me through the stomach and out my back. My acidic blood poured onto his hand, melting the flesh slowly.

Looking at each other, both of our teeth were clenched as we growled like animals, one not winning over the other in our contest of strength. Suddenly, my mouth opened.

My unused tongue shot out quickly, stunning him as it pierced through the forehead of the left head, killing it instantly.

"NOO!" He screamed in pure rage as he gained a burst of power. He got to his feet, throwing me roughly and sending me into a nearby building.

The structure couldn't handle it and collapsed on top of me, burying me under rubble. However, I didn't even have time to get myself out before a hand dove down and yanked me out.

My foe lifted me high and punched me in the chest as hard as possible, making me fly across the street as some blood escaped my lips. I crashed onto the ground hard, landing right next to a building instead of going through it like before.

As I quickly stood up, I saw his furious form rushing to me, the left head completely limp and devoid of life. That sight made me grin, which he didn't take kindly to.

Using my webs, I grabbed onto a car that was next to me and lifted it up. Swinging it through the air, I then threw it as hard as I could at him. His arms crossed together to block it as I shot my own bone spikes at him.

Because his vision was hindered by the car, he didn't see them until it was too late. They dug a few inches deep before suddenly exploding, sending shrapnel and a payload of acid through the inside of his body.

He roared in pain mixed in with wrath as his arms ripped off the already regenerated spikes on his back. Once more he rushed forwards as I did the same.

When he threw all his javelins at once, I dodged as best I could but wasn't able to avoid them all. One went straight through my left shoulder while another struck my chest, going out the other side and landing somewhere I couldn't see. Luckily, the second one missed my heart.

Just as we were about to collide, I suddenly dropped low and rammed into him, wrapping my arms under his knees and taking him to the ground. The situation returned to before as I got on top of him, clawing his chest and stomach apart as he punched me in the face with all six fists.

I ignored it all even as I felt my bones break, focusing on tearing him to pieces. My cords went towards his center head, forcing him to stop them before they reached their target. However, this brief pause allowed me to cut off his right head without trouble.

My arms raised above my head, ready to end this once and for all when… he spoke up.

"Stop! I… I submit!" My breaths were heavy, wounds across my body trying to repair themselves as the blood dripped onto him, sizzling his flesh.

"Excuse me?"