After all the aliens disappeared into the night, SHIELD agents began cleaning up the battlefield. However, during the cleanup, some agents who had been bitten by aliens and survived began to show signs of infection by the vampire virus. The virus rapidly transformed the cells in their bodies, causing severely injured areas to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Ha!!!" One infected agent stood up like a zombie, his body covered in black spikes resembling those of the alien. His tailbone extended into a dark, bony tail, and his eyes were pitch black, resembling a bloodthirsty monster—an enhanced, humanoid weapon. Clearly, the alien vampire virus was far more dangerous than a typical vampire virus, turning its hosts into monstrous creatures with alien characteristics.
"Da da da..." Bullets whizzed through the air as agents opened fire, but the infected, now known as Alien Vampire-1, dodged the shots effortlessly, moving like a shadow. Its agility and enhanced perception, likely due to the alien genes it had inherited, made it a formidable foe.
Merlin, hovering above on his flying sword, observed the infected bodies with curiosity, as though he'd discovered something interesting. However, these infected lacked intelligence; their brain nerves had been overwhelmed by the alien vampire virus, leaving them with only instinctive bloodthirsty reactions.
"Ha!" One infected agent, dodging bullets, lunged at a terrified SHIELD agent, its fangs bared as it prepared to bite. The captured agent, feeling an overwhelming force, could only watch helplessly as the creature's fangs drew closer to his throat.
"Bang!" Suddenly, an energy blast hit the infected body, knocking it away from the agent. The saved agent, not wasting any time, raised his gun and opened fire on the downed infected.
"Da da da!!!" Bullets riddled the infected's head and heart, turning it into a sieve.
"Stop shooting! It's already dead!" Merlin called out, stopping the agent's continued fire. The SHIELD agent finally stopped, breathing a sigh of relief before turning to Merlin in his battle suit.
"Thank you!" The agent expressed his gratitude. Most SHIELD agents, having done their homework, recognized Merlin.
Merlin nodded in acknowledgment and approached the infected corpse. Observing the body, which was riddled with bullet holes, Merlin gave the agent a curious look.
"Do you have some work-related grudge with this guy?" Merlin asked with a smirk.
"Huh?" The agent, momentarily stunned by the question, followed Merlin's gaze and quickly understood. "No, no grudge. I was just afraid that he'd have the immortality of a vampire after being infected."
Merlin scanned the infected body and found it was indeed still alive, but without a blood supply, it remained immobile, appearing as though it were dead. While the infection had greatly enhanced the speed and agility of the infected, it had left them with almost no defense. Additionally, the healing abilities, which allowed rapid recovery from small wounds, couldn't handle major trauma, leaving them incapacitated.
"If you drink blood and replenish it, you should be able to recover," Merlin mused, looking at the infected. "Of course, this defense is in comparison to aliens, still much stronger than ordinary vampires."
"Tie him up. How to deal with him is up to your commander." Merlin stepped onto his flying sword and headed to the next area.
Inside the base, flashes of purple light occasionally illuminated the hallways, as agents equipped with ultraviolet weapons hunted down the infected. Some used silver crosses, pressing them onto the foreheads of infected individuals to purify them. After discovering the vampires' weaknesses, the agents suffered fewer casualties than they had when battling the six vampire-aliens.
"Bang!" Hawkeye knocked an infected body to the ground with a sweeping strike from his bow. An agent rushed in, pressing a cross to the forehead of the infected.
"Zzz..." The infected body convulsed violently and then disintegrated into ash before their eyes.
"Praise God..." muttered the agent, kissing the cross pendant.
"I never thought I'd end up playing exorcist," Hawkeye remarked, holstering his recurve bow. He patted the agent on the shoulder reassuringly, then spoke into his headset. "Coulson, how many infected are left in the base?"
"None. That was the last one. Head to Area A."
"Received!" Hawkeye acknowledged.
Meanwhile, Thor lay severely injured, with a bloody wound on his shoulder. Fortunately, his thick skin and robust physique helped him stabilize after basic first aid. Interestingly, Thor was not infected by the virus. It was unclear whether this was due to his Asgardian physiology, his divine bloodline, or possibly Odin's seal protecting him from corruption.
Merlin felt a twinge of disappointment, curious to see what the God of Thunder might become if he had been infected by a vampire virus. However, he realized it wasn't realistic. Thor, after all, was an alien with a powerful body, and the mystical energy in his blood likely prevented any virus from taking hold.
Once the fighting had subsided and the heavy rain finally stopped, Merlin followed Coulson to a relatively spacious laboratory in the base. Scattered on the ground were several infected bodies, their black bone spurs and tails still protruding grotesquely. These infected had once been their teammates, and saving them was a priority. Unfortunately, for those who had perished, only regret remained.
"Sir, how do we handle them?" Agent Sitwell asked, adjusting his glasses as he glanced down at the infected bodies lying on the floor.
Most of the infected were members of Hydra. Not only had the alien creatures escaped, but they had also lost so many members—it was a major loss!
"Let's seal off the area first. The most important thing now is to track the remaining five alien creatures. If they're heading toward Wonderland Town in the east, we'll have big trouble," Coulson said, massaging his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"Wonderland Town!" Jane panicked as soon as she heard Coulson's words. Her sisters were still in the town.
"Can we leave first?" she asked anxiously, supporting the injured Thor.
Coulson turned his head, seeming to realize something. He quickly called out to his men, "Did anyone see the mysterious humanoid creature that was fighting this man?"
"No, after the alien disappeared, that figure vanished too," the agents responded, shaking their heads.
"Alright. Sitwell, you're staying here. Hawkeye and I will lead the team to chase down the alien creatures. Merlin, I need your help on this one," Coulson said.
"No problem. They're my mission too," Merlin nodded.
Coulson gave him a grateful look. Without Merlin's help, the casualties would have been far worse.
"What about us?" Jane asked, still supporting Thor, her worry clear.
"Sorry, you entered the scene without clearance, so for now, you'll have to stay here," Coulson responded, shaking his head. "This is for your own safety."
Comment your thoughts for the chapter
And check out the patreon for advance chapters(15+)
patreon.com/Asriel_sain