Chapter 2: Don't Feed the Animals

With a hardwired, direct link, Stella was in.
"Just tell me which."

Moving down the hall, Revenant encountered his first obstacle: a security door. Card reader by the looks of it, it was currently closed and locked and he had a feeling it was tamper proof. "Got a security door," he said. "Can you crack it open?"

During the fight.

Bella had watched as the others slowly died for no reason except one. The blood, what other reason was their to throw it around and she was covered in it. There was only one way she could cleanse herself now and that was doing something that would be painful, unbearable. Shifting by body. Allowing the cat inside to rip it's way out of her body then to rip her way out of the cat once she was formed again. Last time this happened she had forgotten who she was for a time. She sat against a wall, away from where Marcus was right now and letted go of focus, only thinking about the cat. As she felt claws rip at her insides she blacked out before finally succubing to the beast for now.

Click, clack, click.

The door opened.

"Of course I can open a door."

Grinning, Revenant ran through and said "Just checking. Okay......left and a right, up two fights of stairs and.......dammit. Stairway's got a laser grid. According to the sensors they can see through the cloaking. Think you can disable them?"

A few seconds later, the laser tripwires shut off.
"Don't be doubting me."

"Well I have to expect limits," he joked as he continued up the stairs. "Not like anyone's perfect."

Marcus was on the ground now, quite literately. He just fell onto his back when he landed from flight, his gut felt like hell and he had more shadow inside him then before. He stood up and made his way for a dark place that resided under a tree and once their took to getting his phone to call Bella but alas she didn't pick up.

That blood, whatever it was killed those people slowly. Like a disease and Bella was almost fully covered in it or at least just her back. He didn't know if she caught it or not but if she did then she could already be dead. "Shit." Was all he could say as he closed his eyes. "Shit."

Finally, James got to the records room. It was essentially it's own server room with tightly restricted access. But Gestalt made the perfect key, James putting his hand on the pad and the nanites plugging in. They overrode the system and got him access, James opening the door and walking inside. When the door closed though.....

Dammit, Gestalt said in his head.

What?

I'm cut off. All phone signals, access to the internet........it's a Faraday Room. All signals are blocked from within and without. Clever.....but we can still get in. Just get to the terminal and we'll do the rest.

"Dark we need to find her." As Marcus said this, he got up and started to walk back to where he came.

Human, even you said shes dead. Stop.

"Can't buddy. You know I can't."

You humans have always confused me, with your honor, your love, your thought process. It's idiotic that you are top of the food chain. Darks voice had the sense of someone very knowledgeable for a demon. Something Marcus always wondered. Was he smart before his turning of to this thing.

Walking to the terminal, James plugged in, his right hand moving to the port and finger extending out. Nanites reached out and plugged in, gaining access to Panacea's records. Thousands of files flashed through the screen, too fast for James to read and yet at a leisurely pace for the AI. Project details, new discoveries in pharmaceuticals, gene therapies.......it ignored al of that as it scanned the employment records along with the legal records.

Hmm......no one recently fired.....wait, a month ago an employee was logged as 'resigned' around the same time an investigation had been concluded. One Rebecca Cohen, formerly a lead genetics researcher at Panacea. No further details, those were redacted and are not logged on the server. It would seem they wanted her worl to vanish.

Not surprised. If it had anything to do with violating the Mosaic Accords they'd want to erase as much as they could to avoid the shit it would bring.

Quite. As for an address.....there's an address logged in the records. Worth a ookm when we get out.

Marcus knew he wouldn't do much alone, he needed help, a favor. He pulled his phone out once more and moved to where he recorded Rev's number as 'That Guy' and hit the ring Number. "Please man. Pick up."

Sadly, since Revenant was still in the Faraday Room, his phone was rendered a paperweight.

Alright, copy the address and let's skedaddle, James thought.

One moment, I've found their progress on the Berserkers. Oh......it's not good. All Berserkers were eythanized, after gaining the consent off their existing family or lacking that, the courts. Whoever they were, they were deemed dead before arriving, the mutations permanent and their minds gone. The compound that turned them was replicated and studied......and Rebecca was involved in part of the research. Interesting.....that would explain how the compound was mixed in with the blood.

Great, as if we needed more of that shit......okay I'm getting Stella and we're leaving. Come on. With that, he unplugged himself and left the room.

Nothing. Marcus left a small message saying to ring back when possible and he hid the phone away in his pocket. He was about 10 minutes away from where he was and a few sirens could be heard. Fuck.

In the meantime, the police arrived at the convenience store. The first responders were going to be shaken up no doubt by what they found. One even slipped on the blood, nearly falling into the gore on the floor.

Leaving the faraday room, James became aware of a voicemail on his phone but for now ignored it. "Stella, stay where you are I'm coming to you."

Ashaara sat on the dustbin in the alley, chewing her lip and watching Avaelli pace up and down twirling her spear through the air.

"Why hasn't he called yet?"

Ashaara shrugged.

"Are you SURE you got the trace on him?"

She nodded

Avaelli resumed pacing. Ashaara resumed chewing.

"Maybe he's lost him. We should trace it ourselves."

Ashaara chewed some more.

Running back through the hall and down the stairs, James managed to find Stella, still in the empty room. He led the way out, heading back to the exit. "Amy," he said over the private line, "run a search on Rebecca Cohen. That's the name I pulled out of Panacea, so it's a start." "Will do," Amy said, fingers typing out commands on her keyboard. While she did that, Revenant and Stella managed to get out. "Okay, head back to your car and get somewhere safe," Revenant said. "Name I pulled is Rebecca Cohen, so see what you can find on her. I'm.....well I'm going to work on tracking the creature."

With that, he left, firing a cable up to the roof. He'd let Stella get back to her car, trusting she'd be okay while he moved. The phone call earlier that had been blocked by the faraday cage, that had been from Shadow. Probably with a progress report. So he called back, jumping straight to voicemail as an option. "Shadow, got a name from Panacea so gonna see what I can find on them." Gestalt then alerted him to some chatter from the police about a multiple homicide that was nearby. "First though I need to check on something, so call me back in a bit but don't expect an answer."

Marcus stayed back like the rest of the civies that surrounded the small convenience store where the 'homicides' were. He heard his phone made a sound and went to pick it up, only to find a voice mail. Fuck, fuck. He held he against his ear. He was half right, an name came up that seemed sus and now Rev was going to check on something and somehow Marcus knew that something may have been here. He put the phone down and looked back at the store covered in blood, bodys badly throned and one cut in half yet they were moved in different areas then they were before. What the hell.

Revenant got to the crime scene, stopping on a rooftop that overlooked the street. Squad cars were all over the place, along with cops as they cordoned off the area. The scene was also roped off, no one going in for the sake of preservation for the forensics guys.

It gave Revenant an opening to cloak and enter.

Okay......what are we looking fo.....oh god, he thought, finding the bodies. Or more appropriately, pieces. They'd need someone good with jigsaw puzzles to put the bodies back together, James feeling his stomach doing somersaults in revulsion. The smell of blood was strong, that metallic scent rank in the air and nearly making him gag. Gestalt, how should we.....oh god, how do we do this?

Examining the blood, analysis underway.

Underway, how did you get the blood?

The soles of your feet. After all the floor is covered in it.....

James nearly threw up as he realized that oh yes, he was indeed standing in the victims blood. Closing his eyes, he did his best to push the thoughts away while Gestalt came back with some odd news.

James, there are several different blood types, which given the state of the crime would make sense. However, we've also located several dangerous--highly dangerous--pathogens in the blood. However don't be alarmed, the suit can protect from contamination and even then.....it does not look like they are....well, active. Dead is more appropriate.

Marcus after watching the crime scene for a little longer went around the building though an alleyway as he pulled his phone out and ringed Rev once again. He needed this boys help to find Bella and he needed it now.

Actually not dead. Addendum, there are traces of lethal level pathogens in their systems, but that is not what killed them. Death was caused by a highly sharp object, used to cleave them apart.

Wow now I'm really glad I didn't eat the pizza, James thought. These shops tend to have surveillance tapes. If it was recording and we find the tape we can maybe see what really happened in here. As he started walking for the counter, he found something already on it. It was strangely familiar, though it wasn't until he picked it up did he recognize the significance of it. This......this belongs to me, James thought with shock. It was an old baseball cap, one of the few he owned that he had for a few years since his sister took him to a baseball game. Even had his name on the inside. How.....how did this get here? It's supposed to be in my room.

"Fuck he's ignoring me." As Marcus angrily said this he punched the wall of the building he was attacked in, cracks spreading along the bricks. He looked at his slightly bruised and skinned hand that quickly began to become normal again. Healthy. He looked up to the wall again and punched it several more times as to exert his anger and sadness at it. The bricks smashing and cracking even more as Marcus's hand began to bleed. "Fuck!"

I'm willing to be a lot, that whoever took this aimed to frame me, James thought. Which makes no sense. I'm a fifteen year old, certified cripple. How's a kid like me, without the powers, supposed to do all this?

Unknown what true motives are. Suggest we leave the hat and allow this to play out. It is doubtful that the police will have ample evidence to do little more than suspect, and even then that will not get them far. Perhaps this is not a frame up.....but a message?

Yeah well I don't think I pissed anyone off lately, least as James he thought. Putting the hat back, he left store quietly. There was some commotion outside and at first he thought someone spotted him. Instead the police were heading for behind the store, due to a disturbance.

"Sir calm down." Marcus heard the voice, a voice that made him glare and turn to them. His hand started to heal again. "Sir, whats wrong, your not meant to be here."

Marcus started walking towards them, his mask growing over his face. "Whats wrong. Ever Seen a demon before." A tendril rose form the wall and the officer pulled his gun and fired. The bullet striking Marcus's chest. But he stood tall. "Ohh that hurt."

When he heard the gunfire, James ran, the cloak flickering as it tried to keep pace with the rapid movement. When he saw that it was Shadow they were firing at, Revenant panicked and decloaked, immediately leaping towards Shadow and shoving him against a wall before he killed someone. "Whoa everyone calm down!" he yelled.

Ashaara stood up from the dustbin and clicked the phone.

"Confirmed?"

"Yupp."

Both girls began the jog to the end of the alley, following the slight maze of alleyways until they reached the large crowd outside the store. Their weapons were hidden under the long cloaks they had, giving them both a slight ungainly walk.

"I don't see him" Avaelli whispered.

Gunshots sounded and both girls turned to the source.

"Oh. There he is again. Lets finish him properly this time. And grab the other too."

Avaelli grinned in response and both girls began walking up behind the pair.

"Oh where you been hero boy. Human needed you long time ago." Darks demonic voice was different to Marcus's normal one. Tendrils creeped behind Revanant with spiked edges that were ready to strike Revanant.

"I said calm down!" Revenant barked, shoving Shadow hard back against the wall while the cops closed in. "We need to go now before this gets messy," he hissed, letting go as a gesture of trust.

James, alert. Monitoring street cameras, two figures approaching, not police.

Probably onlookers, we need to get Shadow out of here now before he kills someone.

Avaelli stopped moving and Ashaara continued for a few steps, raising her voice.

"Well. We aren't interrupting your little....reunion, are we?"

Both the police and Revenant tuned their attention to the pair of mystery figures. "You two," a cop barked, "back away now for your safety! This is police business!"

Marcus turned to face the two incomers, his snakes breaking out of skin. "Them.. KILL THEM." Dark bellowed as he melded into a pure shadow form, moving out of Revenants gasp and moving to the girls. Two walls of shadows blocked the exits for them. "This time I will slice you both apart until nothing remains." Bladed whips of liquid like shadows formed along the walls of darkness. Moving about and slicing anything close.

"What th--Shadow dammit no!" Revenant barked, trying to stop him. But it was too late, as the cops began firing solely on Shadow now, Revenant ignored as his loose cannon of a partner went screaming at the two civilians.

Avaelli rolled her eyes and both girls dropped their cloaks to free their weapons.

"You're dying, and he's coming with us" Ashaara said to Marcus, pointing at James.

Avaelli gave her spear a quick twirl on the spot and stepped forward out of the range of the wall, and to Ashaara's side.

When he saw the fall of their cloaks, their weapons exposed Revenant got a sinking feeling in his stomach. Oh no, he thought, preparing for the worst. One arm formed a blade, the other spreading into a shield. He had to end this fast, if he wanted to keep the cops out of the crossfire.

Dark Formed another wall of darkness at the side the would try and do what he did last time, wrap around one or both of the girls. sending it at them with force.

Avaelli gave herself a run at James, ignoring Marcus. He's brought weapomns to bear and was the main target for the girls.

Ashaara brought her sword up and across, deflecting away the wall of darkness but putting herself a step backwards from him.

The first girl was darting towards Revenant, weaving past the cops as they fired their guns. Gestalt tracked her, plotting where to strike.

There, use a whip!

Without thinking, Revenant lashed out, his arm moving and extending into the usual whip-like tendril, tipped with a studded sphere for a maul. It came swinging down like a wrecking ball at the first target.

Dark simply waved a hand and sent one of the spike tendril whips from the wall straight at the girl who avoided him. If the tendril succeeded it would pull her back into the wall where the wall of darkness to cover over her, before slicing away at everything. "Oh Human. These girls are already dead. Get rid of the head and they will still walk." Dark yelled to Revenant before focusing on the girl again.

Avaelli pushed off with her left foot, launching herself sideways and using the spear as a pole to land on her feet again, continuing the run at James without even breaking flow.

Ashaara skipped forwards lightly, unaware of the tendril coming behind her. She gave herself a slight window for an upwards slash at Marcus, before dancing to the side and bring the sword around in rhythm and downwards

She's fast, James thought, though he didn't let that stop him. Barely hearing what Shadow shouted at him, Revenant withdrew his shield and pulled back his tendril. She wanted to get close, and was adept at avoiding long range attacks. Close quarters would work but the cramped nature of the alley, plus the crowd of panicked cops, would hamper him. Reforming his right hand into a short blade, he made ready for a melee.

Once Dark saw the girl coming forward, he formed a small box that surrounded both him and her and stopped any movement to the sides or behind him, his wings coming up and allowed him to float upwards out of the attack but leave the girl trapped only exception was backtracking which for her, the tendril was coming at her.

Avaelli reached James, giving her spear a half spin and aiming to crack the handle across the head first. An obvious attack, but worth trying. anyway. It would open him up for her.

Ashaara turned as the tendril came close, ducking underneath it and feeling part of her scalp scrape off. She needed to be more aware, Avaelli wasn't going to watch her back on this one. She watched Marcus hovering above her and focused on the bacteria of the alley, feeling the infection run through the ground of the alley.

Raising the bladed hand up, Revenant cut the spear at the haft as he spun, stopping the attack while moving him closer to her, his hand still moving. As he moved the nanites extended his arm out, letting the momentum of the swing carry it out, the ever-sharp tip coming straight for the attacker.

The liquid like tendril pulled back while growing more blades along it's body and splitting into a sort of 9 tailed whip. Coming back at her body, head, legs, almost anywhere they could strike. Unless she could fly, Dark knew she would be sliced up. His wings landing him on the wall of darkness he formed as they vanished.

Avaelli stopped and stared at James.

"How rude of you. That was my favourite spear."

The tip of the blade hit her, and she stared at him again in incredulity. Her brow furrowed and she spin the spear tip around and down towards his arm.


Ashaara saw the tendril extend blades and brought her sword up, slicing through the tendril as it came at her.

It was a useless attack, the tip of the spear deflecting off Revenant's arm. He had to give the nanites credit, when they made armor they made it strong as hell. "Bill me," he said, lashing out with his left fist in an uppercut while his right retracted.

"Might just do."

She moved her body to the right, using the spear handle to rap against his wrist smartly. His armour was going to be too strong for piercing or slashing, but you could be sure bludgeoning would work.

Dark Grew bored of this allowed the tendril to keep sending itself at her but would ultimately hit the ground and evaporate before touching her but she wouldn't know that. Instead Marcus Focused on the wall that she was surrounded by, Clasping on her like a Iron maiden only this time there would be no space. Every inch would stab into her if she was caught which even Dark would be surprised if she escaped.

Ashaara felt the air move as the walls did also. A slight shudder ran through her spine and she leapt like she'd never leapt before. Upwards and upwards. She grabbed Marcus and forced him downwards into his own trap with her.

Normally, bludgeoning would have worked, had James' bones not been reinforced with nanites. That said, he felt it still, arms moving in time to her strikes to block each attack. "Who are you, and why the hell are you attacking me?" Revenant demanded. "Did I not like your facebook page or something?"