A few hours had passed since Alice killed the Plague Commander. Since then, a couple events had taken place.
First was when they took the initiative to fight with two new special infected who were soon named, Bone Spikers. They were strange creatures who seemed to be made of only thick bone that covered their entire body like white armor.
The reason their name was chosen was because of their main form of attack, shooting out high speed bone spikes from their wrist. Not only that, but they were extremely agile and mobile, making them tough targets to hit.
Jason wanted to let Alice fight them two on one so she could get used to situations like this, but she soon needed his help. Turned out the two Bone Spikers had great team synergy.
After quickly killing and consuming them, the duo had found that their bones increased in density and toughness. Along with that, they could also shoot out bones spikes from their wrists, which would become sharper the stronger their bones were.
Just twenty minutes after that, when taking a shortcut through a fishery, they were ambushed by a Ripper Baby who took Jason by surprise and struck him in the back with all four cords. Fortunately, it did very little damage and he was able to crush the Baby's head easily.
Eating it alone, Jason gained the Ripper Baby's knife-like umbilical cords. Thankfully, like his armor, he could conceal them within his flesh with just a thought. He decided to keep them under lock and key, only using them along with his tongue as an ambush type of weapon due their unpredictable style.
Now, the two were only a few minutes away from The Docks according to Carter's map.
"Son of a bitch!" Alice cursed, hissing in pain as she lightly touched a wound. On multiple parts of her body, there were numerous slices and cuts courtesy of the Bone Spikers.
Even though it had been some time, there were still a few that had yet to heal. Alice had found that her regeneration was league's below Jason's and after talking about it together, came to the conclusion that he was able to gain more benefits than herself. It did piss her off slightly, but there was nothing she could do.
She soon felt his arm wrap around her shoulder and pull her close.
"I'm sorry Alice, but this is the price you must pay in order to become a badass warrior. Embrace the pain, and force it to bend to your Will!" She glared at him, but said nothing.
The scene where one of the Bone Spikers almost killed her flashed through her mind. She was literally a few inches from death and even now, it terrified her.
But then Jason appeared out of nowhere and quickly killed the two of them like they were ants. It made her realize just how far the gap was between them. However, that only filled her with fighting spirit. She would never give up.
Jason had a smile on his face as they walked close together. He loved that Alice was getting so strong and awesome within such a short amount of time. Not only could she protect herself, it made her even sexier, so that was a big plus.
Soon, they were forced to stop as their gaze came upon the giant wall of containers. It was like a massive fortress protecting it's inhabitants from the corruption and evil of the outside world.
"Woah." "Woah" The both of them spoke at the same time. Looking into each other's eyes, they could see the shock within them. It was far more grand than anything they were expecting.
Stepping fowards, their line of sight moved slightly to the left. There, they could see two large groups of people talking and a suspicious bloody red box between them.
"Should we go over to them?" Alice asked, which Jason soon nodded to.
"Yeah. The guys on the right are probably from this place while the ones on the left might be..." He took a closer look at them before grinning.
"From the Reapers." Not only could he recognize the skull shaped tattoos on some of them, especially the bald headed one, but he also saw Michael standing at the front of the group.
As Jason and Alice approached the two groups, Edward and Michael had just finished talking. They shook each other's hands with a smile, content with how the future was looking. Especially Michael.
He had gotten word not an hour ago about how his plan was nearing completion. With The Docks support, something that should have taken another two weeks will be finished in just a few days. He hoped it would be completed before the storm, but there was no way that would happen.
As for his plan, it wasn't anything too complicated or complex. It involved using Michael's bases across the city as safehouses for any and all survivors. They would be outfitted with enough UV lights to ward off the Night Hunters, plenty of guns and ammo, food, etc.
Then there was the ziplines that were connected to buildings, across traffic lights, pipes, and more. It would allow his men and other survivors to traverse the city without traveling along the dangerous streets. Although it wasn't perfect, it was much better than before.
Of course, Michael wasn't doing this out of the kindness of his cold heart. To him, the more survivors he has, the more chess pieces he could move around. They were nothing more than pawns that would follow their King's orders.
Just then, both Carter and Ram whispered into their respective leader's ears and pointed in a direction.
Looking over, everyone could see the giant of a man and a small woman walking towards them. But both Carter and Ram were shocked because of how much Jason had changed. When looking over to Alice, Carter noticed that she too had gone through some kind of transformation.
While Edward was pleased with this information, Michael was slightly worried.
'So he has gotten larger? Does that mean he grows stronger and stronger without end? What separates him from the infected?'
There were many such thoughts running through his mind. But above all, from what Ram had told him, Michael had concerns about his mental stability and whether or not he would randomly snap.
'Should I get close to him? Make him trust me? He would be an invaluable minion...'
Edward took the initiative while Michael briefly hesitated.
'Damned bastard.' Michael narrowed his eyes at the sly fox who jumped at the chance before him.
"Jason is it? Welcome to The Docks! Your friends have told me much about you!" Seeing his outstretched hand, Jason saw no reason to refuse.
"All good things I hope?" Edward chuckled and nodded his head.
"Of course of course. Here, come on in. Let me give you the tour." He started walking towards the opened container sticking out of the wall, but then paused and gestured over towards the Reapers.
"How could I forget to introduce our new partners? Jason, this here is Michael. Leader of The Reapers." Seeing his chance being gifted to him, Michael walked up to Jason with his best fake smile.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." But Jason only took a glance at his hand before looking back up into his eyes.
"Can't say the same." His bold and unfriendly words shocked everyone, making the surrounding temperature drop to freezing levels.
"Just like everyone else in this city, I heard about the... exploits of you people. Safe to say, I don't very much like you or the ones behind you." Even before getting the full download of Robert, Jason had a very low opinion of them.
Truthfully, the only reason for that was the massive amount of rape that most members partook in. He hated rape with a burning passion that could even make the Hulk take a step back.
Otherwise, he didn't very much care about the murders, thefts, drug deals, and physical assaults on random innocents.
Behind Michael, the Reapers became upset and almost lashed out. Luckily for them Gabe, Timothy, and Ram calmed them down.
'Hm. That's not good.' Michael turned on his actor superpower and became a little gloomy. His face morphed into one of honesty and hope.
"That might have been true in the past, but we are currently working hard to wash away our previous filth and move fowards to a better tomorrow!" The tone of his voice was righteous and could inspire others. Some of the Dock members couldn't help but nod their head in respect to such a goal.
"I'm not exactly a Saint myself, so maybe I have no room to question and judge you like I'm morally superior. It would be hypocritical of me considering the things I've done." He paused for a moment, memories flashing through his eyes, before shaking his head and continuing.
"What I'm really worried about, is if you can be trusted or not. Can you? Be a trustworthy ally?" Jason stared into his black eyes emotionlessly. And Michael could feel it. If he answered wrong, this man would snuff his life out right here and now.
'Maybe he can tell when one is lying?' He had no had no idea if Jason had some kind of power like that. Just in case though, he decided to be truthful.
"Yes. I am taking this alliance, and my vows to change my organization, very seriously. You have my word, I will never betray The Docks, or you. I want to survive, and being allies with you is my best chance at that." Michael's tone of voice and facial expression returned to their normal emotionless one. He was showing his true nature for the first time in front of both Jason and Edward.
Seeing his true colors, Jason smiled and outstretched his right hand for a handshake. Michael was briefly stunned, but accepted the gesture.
"A wise choice indeed." Jason didn't take his words at face value like some naive moron. Anyone could say that they're a loyal friend who would die for you and travel to the depths of hell for your sake.
And then they stab you in the back the very next day with a cheerful smile and zero remorse. As if years of friendship and companionship meant nothing to them.
Not to mention a relationship like this is built off of benefits and what they could do for one another. In other words, it was a very shaky partnership that could be broken at any time. He had no delusions about the kind of man Michael was.
But if they tried anything, Jason would know beforehand. After all, he still had a trump card in his back pocket called Robert. He already decided to infiltrate them beforehand, even more so now.
'A couple quick inspections to see if you're keeping your word. You won't mind, right?' Jason let go of his hand and walked over to Edward.
"I'm ready for that tour now." His guide smiled and led him to the open container leading inside the camp.
"You guys might as well join. Also, you'll be staying the night I reckon?" Edward looked over his shoulder to Michael, who then nodded gratefully.
"Yes, thank you very much. It's getting late and we wouldn't make it back without being attacked." In fact, they actually had a slightly larger group before arriving. But then, the apocalypse and all it's bullshit happened.
"Listen up." Michael's chilly tone whispered out, so low only the Reapers could hear. He looked back at them with a blank face, scaring them into submission with his next words.
"I swear to whatever God you believe in, if even a single one of you fuck this up and can't control yourselves, I will skin you all alive and hang you out to dry. Do you understand?" His emotionless tone sent shivers down their spine as they hurridely nodded and followed after him like loyal dogs.
In the back of the Reapers, Timothy stared at Alice with obvious lewd intent.
'Wow. She is... very pretty.' Although he wasn't some horny teenage that would fall in 'love' at first sight, he will admit he found himself attracted to this young woman from the moment he laid his eyes on her.
He patted down his clothes, wrinkling them slightly as he opened up his shirt a little to show his collarbone. A hand went through his hair to mix it up, giving himself a young rebelish look. Timothy figured she'd go for something like this. Striding towards her confidently, he gave her his most handsome smile while adding just a dash of playboy to it.
"Hello there beautiful. What's your name?" Alice paused and turned around, looking at the retard who spoke to her.
"The names Taken. Property of one Jason Vargo. So now-" She shooed her hand, like getting rid of an insect.
"Crawl back to whichever hole you came from, you fucking rat. My Jason is much more handsome than a toad like you. Wait a second." A clear look of mocking realization appeared on her face as she laughed.
"Did you seriously think your bullshit would work? Christ, what a loser." Timothy was struck multiple times in the heart by Alice, standing in place dumbfounded as she huffed and ran to Jason's side.
"Wow." A hand slapped him on the back. Turning his head to the side, he saw the fake sympathetic face of Ram.
"I don't think I've ever seen you turned down before. What a rare sight!" He laughed along with a few others and caught up with the rest of the group.
As for Timothy, he sighed regretfully and fixed his hair along with his clothes. Wisely, he chose to give up on her.
He wasn't so pathetic that he couldn't take a single rejection and would force himself on her. His ego wasn't that fragile.
Unlike others like Bosco, he never needed rape to get a woman in bed. In his mind, a consensual time was more pleasurable for both parties.
Besides, he didn't want to get his head twisted off by the almost seven foot scarred superman. If only he knew beforehand, he could have saved himself the effort.
'It's just... my feelings! Could have let me down gently at least.' His head drooped low, like a sad puppy who had been abused.
As he had never been rejected before, Alice's words actually kind of hurt him a little. Slowly walking foward, his eyes just so happened to glance at a brown haired beauty that was even better than Alice by a landslide.
"Ooh! I think her name was... Emily? I, The Undeniable Casanova Playboy, can't strike out two times in one day right?" His confidence shot up once more, and his casual handsome smile returned, completely forgetting about what just happened not ten seconds ago.
'Hmm. What would she like? A more serious, dignified kind of man? Or perhaps a dangerous bad boy that doesn't play by the rules?' He licked his lips slowly, already planning to capture the maiden's heart.
As Timothy planned to seduce Emily, the group was first led over to the medical trailer for testing.
"You understand right? Better be safe than sorry." Edward said apologetically. Most nodded as they could see the sense in that and didn't have a problem with it.
"No worries man." Jason was actually a little curious about the device and what his diagnosis would be.
As the trailer wasn't large enough to fit everyone inside, some had to wait outside, guarded by Dock soldiers, and wait for their turn. When Francis saw the long line of forty people waiting, he nearly had a heart attack.
"You fuckin kidding me Edward?" Francis glared at the smiling man with anger. They stared at each other's eyes for a few seconds, unblinking. However, Francis huffed out and looked away. He reached into the cabinet and pulled out the Virus Detection Syringe.
"Well? Hurry it the fuck up. I don't have all day." Francis rudely said to the first in line, who just so happened to be Michael. The victim himself raised an eyebrow, but obediently held out his arm and let his blood be drawn.
'Oh? I didn't notice before, but this man's quite built isn't he?' Jason was impressed by the muscle definition of his arm, seeing him in a new favorable light.
'Definitely need to get his workout routine. Must have worked himself to the bone for a body like that.' He could always appreciate the physique of someone, whether they be male or female, human or otherwise.
Edward sighed in relief as the button on the side glowed green. As for Michael, he wasn't surprised. This wasn't his first time being tested by one of these things.
"Please excuse his behavior. He's quite the grumpy old man." A vein appeared on the side of Francis's head as he roughly shooed his next victim away.
"Whose fault is that anyway? Damned bastard like you comes along and just throws more and more work onto my lap!" He shouted at Edward with the ferocity of a tiger. But then, his voice became as small as a mouse.
"And old man? I'm barely fifty. Still well into my prime."
Edward, who heard him, smiled fondly and leaned into Jason's ear, whispering so only a few could hear.
"Don't mind him. He's bad with strangers, but when you get to know him, you'll find he's like a walnut." He was interrupted by a confused Jason.
"Walnut? What the fuck are you on about?" Although he was a little shocked at his crude words, Edward continued on.
"I mean, he's tough and hard on the outside, but soft and kind on the inside." Jason, Alice, and Michael looked at him like he was a fool. Emily on the other hand smacked her forehead and sighed.
"And... you couldn't just say that? Walnut? Haha!" Jason chuckled, leaving behind a sulking Edward being comforted by his sister, and stepped up to Francis who had to crane his neck upwards to see his face.
"Holy hell." To say he wasn't intimated would be a lie. Not only was Jason almost a foot taller than him, but he had near perfect muscles and brutal scars that most certainly told a nasty tale. Of course, he couldn't show it on his face and instead coldly glared at Jason.
"Arm." His voice didn't lose any of it's rudeness, but Jason didn't care much and stuck his thick arm out.
Francis shoved the needle into Jason's forearm, but was shocked when it bounced off.
"Huh?" He rubbed his eyes and thought he saw wrong. Trying again, this time with more strength, the needle broke in half and flew across the room.
That scene shocked everyone in the trailer besides Alice who saw it coming.
"Do you have another one?" At Jason's question, Francis nodded dumbly as he looked at him in fear. Only he knew just how sharp that needle truly was.
"You just need some blood right?" Francis looked at him with confusion but still answered him.
"Uh, yeah." Not just him, but everyone in the trailer became frightened beyond belief watching Jason's right hand transform into an armored claw. Taking one 'finger', he sliced open his left forearm and dripped some blood into the barrel of the syringe.
However, if one were to look closely, they would see his blood was a mix of both red and black.
Watching with bated breathes, everyone witnessed the button immediately turn bright red. However, after just a few seconds, it beeped green. Then blue, back to red, and even turning off before returning to green once more. The colors kept changing rapidly before the button exploded, making Francis yelp in fright.
The entire trailer was quiet as no one could find any words to say. Most were still freaked out by Jason's claw, looking at him like he was a monster. That was, until Edward broke the silence with an unnatural face and awkward voice.
"Well, that's something isn't it? Any idea what it means Francis?" But his question was ignored, as the old doctor stared at the giant with wide eyes.
"Hello? Francis?" Edward's concerned voice broke him out of his daze. He tried to go back to normal, but there was still some lingering emotions within.
"How the hell am I suppose to know?"
"Best guess?" He thought long and hard for a few minutes before answering hesitantly with an unsure tone.
"Maybe... the virus is constantly changing within him perhaps? It almost seems like it can't settle on whether he's human or infected. As if it's conflicted? I honestly have no clue though. You'd probably need a virologist studying him under a microscope to get any real answers." As Jason stepped back next to Edward, thinking hard about this new information, Alice came up.
"Me next." She was very curious, and hopeful, if the same thing would happen to her.
Francis tossed the syringe Jason used and grabbed yet another one. Unlike last time, the needle didn't break. But it definitely took all of Francis's strength to barely push it in.
"Jesus little lady. Tough skin huh?" Francis wiped the sweat from his brow and started drawing her blood.
'Where the hell did these freaks come from?' He wondered to himself, trying not to show any sort of emotion on his face.
After a moment, the button on the side beeped red and stayed there.
"Come on! Come on!" Alice whispered to herself with hope, but was disappointed when it stayed the same.
"Lousy thing." Disgruntled, she returned to Jason's side and pouted slightly, earning a chuckle from the man himself.
'Not only did the needle not break, it also only became red?' She really wanted their test to be the exact same, but it seems it was not meant to be.
Besides the whole fiasco with Jason and Alice, nothing memorable happened. That was until one of the Reapers beeped red.
"W-What?" The man was shocked and backed up from Francis with a pale face. He looked around and saw some of his group members come closer, corning him.
"N-No! I'm fine! See?! There's nothing wrong with me!" He kept walking backwards until he hit the wall of the trailer, fear rising within him to dangerous levels. Even a rabbit would fight when cornered.
"That's not true." Someone said.
"That's right. I remember you coughing a few minutes before we got here. Isn't that right?" Another person looked over to his friend, who soon nodded and spoke up.
"Yeah. Didn't he have that close call with an infected?" As soon as he finished speaking, the man started coughing a little, a small trail of blood leaking from his nose. With a shaky hand, he wiped his nose and looked at the blood with disbelief.
"You know what needs to happen now, don't you?" The cold and robotic voice of Michael floated into the poor man's ears, scaring him deeply.
"M-Michael don't!" He started freaking out seeing his scary boss walk towards him while pulling a pistol out of his waist. But before he could even aim his gun, a large figure brushed past him and everyone else.
"AHHH!" The man's screams echoed throughout the entire trailer, shocking those within and outside. There, Jason stood in front of the man with his right fist going straight through his chest.
From outisde the trailer, those waiting could see a bloody red hand go through the wall of the trailer. Inside the hand, was a still beating heart.
Jason pulled his hand back and dropped the heart onto the ground. At the same time, the man's body flopped down as well, choking on his own blood and trying to crawl away, to no avail.
With a smile on his face, Jason turned around. Seeing the shocked people, he became confused.
"What?" His head innocently tilted to the side. With the blood still dripping from his hand and arm, it created quite the terrifying scene.
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With blank and emotionless eyes, reminiscent of an empty void, Marie walked down the barren street slowly. Her head was cast downwards, and her steps were slightly off, as if she had a small limp.
After Bosco's torture and eventual death, she felt lost. Although she loved seeing that pig get what was coming to him, what was her life suppose to be now?
The Reapers and Bosco had done irreparable damage to her body and mind, shattering her will to live. The only reason she didn't hang herself yet, was to see her children. Her... beautiful children.
But how was she suppose to face her husband again? The man who worked countless hours to make sure their family lived comfortably. The man who was a perfect father and husband. And the man... who she loved deeply.
Tears dripped from her blank eyes, no sadness present on her face. Could he look at her again? Touch her? Or would he be disgusted, and see her as filthy? Used up and thrown away, like trash.
Eventually, she stopped in front of the apartment building they were using as shelter. Their forever house had been broken into by neighbors, those she thought were her friends, and ransacked their place.
If it wasn't for her husband, she probably would have been raped by them. Those eyes they had, were the exact same as the Reapers when they pinned her down and ravaged her. Desire, cruelty, and lust.
But then, he stepped in front of her, his tall back giving her such security. As if he could take on the world for her. Although her husband took a beating, they were able to escape and run away to safety.
Walking up to the door, she tried opening it but found it locked. While knocking, she called out with a somewhat horse voice. She hadn't eaten any food for days, and water was a luxury she couldn't afford unless she was willing to work for it.
And working for those monsters was out of the question.
"H-Honey? It's me... Marie." Frantic footsteps could be heard from within, giving her some faint hope.
The door swung open and what was revealed was her malnourished husband, even moreso than previously. His eyes were sunken in, and the bags under them had built up quite heavily.
The two looked at each other, before throwing themselves into each other's arms.
"Marie?! Is... is this real?" He whispered into her ear, tears flowing down his face as he hugged her tightly, afraid it was nothing more than a dream or figment of his imagination. It wouldn't have been the first time.
"It's real Anthony. Very real." Being in her husband's warm embrace, she couldn't help but let all her locked up emotion break free from their prison. Everything she had endured poured out endlessly.
It was only after a few minutes did they finally calm down, separating, but never leaving each other's arms. They walked inside the building and came to the apartment they all shared together.
"Zach? Max? Mommy's home!" Standing in the living room, she called out happily, desperate not to show her mental scars to her children. As for the physical scars, there was nothing she could do. But even after some time, there was no answer.
Confused, she turned to her husband and saw his face. Guilty, mixed in with sadness and regret. A sinking feeling appeared in her heart, making it stuffy.
"A-Anthony, where is Zach and Max? W-Where are my children?" Her voice cracked, hopeful and trying not to hear the answer making itself known in the back of her mind. It whispered very lightly, threatening to ruin her if spoken any louder.
Anthony couldn't bear to look into her eyes, and glanced at the floor. His voice was heavy, filled with agony.
"T-They're... gone. I couldn't protect them."
"NOO!" Marie screamed loudly and hysterically as she fell to her knees. The only thing keeping her together, the lifeline she so desperately held onto, was the hope her children were safe and sound. But now, that line had snapped.
Her mind was now well and truly, broken.