The rooftop was bathed in a chilling glow as the military helicopter hovered above, its blades slicing through the air like the grim reaper's scythe. Harley stood motionless, his hands raised as soldiers surrounded him and his group. Jason, Marie, and Ava looked on with fear etched into their faces, each of them stealing glances at Harley, hoping this would resolve without bloodshed.
"Don't move," another soldier barked at the group, forcing them to their knees. Marie's lips trembled as she clutched Jason's arm, their expressions pleading.
Harley raised his hands higher, his breath shallow. "Listen to me," he started, his voice calm despite the chaos, "I'm not like them. I haven't turned. I… I can still think. Feel."
"I've heard enough," the soldier growled, his finger tightening on the trigger.
"No!" Jason shouted, but the deafening crack of the rifle silenced him. The bullet tore through Harley's chest, knocking him backward. The impact sent a fiery pain coursing through his body, his vision flickering as he stumbled to the edge of the rooftop. His knees buckled, and before he could regain his footing, a boot pressed firmly against his side.
"We can't take risks," the soldier muttered coldly. Then, with one brutal motion, he kicked Harley off the edge.
The world turned on its axis as Harley plummeted, his body weightless, the air rushing past him in a cacophony of sound. His vision blurred, and his mind spiraled into a storm of thoughts.
Is this it? he thought, his chest burning both from the wound and the pang of betrayal. The faces of Jason, Marie, and Ava flashed before his mind's eye, their desperate cries echoing faintly in the background. He could hear them, but their voices felt distant, like a fading memory.
I wanted to protect them. I wanted to find a way…
The fall seemed to stretch into eternity. In his disoriented state, fragments of his life came rushing back. Laughing at Marie's terrible jokes during late-night shifts. Jason's unwavering loyalty, his fierce protection of the group. Ava's determination to keep them all together, her smile a beacon of hope.
The memories blurred with newer ones — fighting off hordes, clawing his way through hell, the feeling of his body changing, betraying him. His hand unconsciously moved to his chest where the bite mark lay hidden beneath his pale skin.
Am I even human anymore? The thought pierced through the haze as his descent continued. No… I'm something else. But that doesn't mean I'll let it end here.
The impact was sudden and brutal, a metallic screech accompanying the collapse of the car roof as his body slammed into it. Pain exploded through him, his ribs screaming in protest, but his consciousness clung to a thread. His body lay sprawled, a mangled silhouette against the crumpled metal. Blood seeped from the gunshot wound, pooling beneath him and dripping onto the pavement below.
Faintly, through the ringing in his ears, he could hear voices. "Harley! Harley, hold on!" Jason's voice cracked with desperation.
"We have to get to him!" Ava's voice followed, trembling with panic. The sound of footsteps above grew faint, drowned by the distant hum of the helicopter's blades.
Harley's vision swam, the world a chaotic blend of light and shadow. His fingers twitched against the cold metal of the car, and he forced his eyes to focus. The night sky above blurred, but through the fog of pain and exhaustion, one thought crystallized in his mind.
I'm not done yet.
With a shuddering breath, Harley's body began to stir, the unnatural strength granted by the virus coursing through him. His hand gripped the edge of the broken car roof, his fingers tightening with a force that bent the metal further. Pain was still there, sharp and unrelenting, but beneath it was something else — a spark, a defiance that refused to be extinguished.
As the voices of his friends grew louder, Harley fought to stay conscious. He couldn't let go. Not yet. For them. For himself. For the chance to prove he was more than this curse.