Apothic Grey: Outbreak

There has been a sudden outbreak of a mysterious epidemic. Countless people infected by the same strange virus that has appeared so suddenly earlier today. The first victim, a young single mother, brought into a hospital only to suddenly become viscious enough to nearly destroy the facilities and escape.

New virus spreading across the city.

More and more people becoming infected.

In just a matter of hours the virus had achieved that which it's oroginal, or "mother" as they adressdd it, had wanted. The whole small town in which Valentina and her daughter found refuge has nearly becoming the first victim of the virus created by Takeru.

Corie's zombie-like body walked down the chaotic streets, filled with sick victims of this cruel microscopic agent.

A devious smile couldn't help but appear on her lips.

Evee...

Don't worry... you two will be together soon, but first. The city.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"Master, subject Evangeline is in need of medical attention."

Behind Suzette laid Evee, weak and in pain. She had no recollection of what happened that lead to her current state. All she has is just a taste of blood in her mouth.

"Mommy..."

Lye stares into the glass where his princess lays and hates every moment of her suffering.
Never since the day he lost his first beloved has his heart been so tugged into submission. He could destroy the world for this child.
He can always reanimate her as a doll but it isn't right. He lacks an extensive knowledge of her personality or the ritualistic way he would create a doll so it's not an appealing option. He would rather let her go as is than turn her into something she was never meant to be.
She only asks for her mother because her whore mother is all she's ever known, but she's passed a virus onto her that no one else has a cure for expect for him. His companies tireless work he pushes to no end and will bankrupt if he has to in order to save his child. He has the original test subject and she holds the key to her salvation. He would sooner drain every ounce of blood from that tiny Jezebelle than let his angel suffer.

"Master Lye, the city is overrun with the virus. I know the company will make millions on the cure but holding out any longer...don't you think we need to end this?" Mad Cat asks as he appears from the shadows.

"Don't you think we are working on it?" Lye sneers at him. "The rest of this city is of no concern to me it's all to save my child. Monetary values are shallow. You cannot purchase life without there being a cure. This may very well be the apocalypse, but I did not start it and I will not let any horsemen take my angel away." He explains. "Go now and dust the city to keep the plague from spreading. I will save my daughter then the rest of the world including that worthless whore can pay."

"Not to pass judgement, but didn't that worthless whore give birth to your angel after you raped her?" Mad Cat points out.

Lye turns around to him and grabs him by the vest. "Past is the past so do you assume I care?" It's very obvious. "I created you and I will destroy you with one single injection. Now, get to work, or Corie will be the least of your worries, cat." Lye shoves him away.

Mad Cat nods pulls back further then turns to get away.
Lye holds his hand against the glass. "Stay close to her, Suzette, and provide her with anything she needs except for her mother as she is too contaminated to bring here."

"Understood." Suzette nods and goes to Evee's side.

Madden sits outside on the back door steps and breathes heavily. He looks at his shaking hands as his claws seem to be getting longer and thicker. "What is going on with me? Am I mutating more? I've been stable this whole time! What's going on?" He makes his hand into a fist and holds it to his chest as he weeps quietly.

It's not really a cage when the one in it wants to be in there. Everyone has tried to get answer out of her, but they remain empty handed.

"It's useless. We can't identify which clone this thing hails from." Said one of Takeru's former assitants.

They've tried communicating with the host, but it won't cooperate.




She sat in a corner of the small white room, staring at the security camera. There was nothing in her eyes, as if there was no soul inside.

"Can't cure her of you don't know who I am." She knows who is watching at every hour.


"Prepare pod 30 for defrost." Said Dr. Vibia.

From behind the wall emerged the sleeping beauty trapped in ice. Today could be the day for her awakening or it could be her death. There's never a garantee that she will wake up or if her body will be alive by the time they are done with the process. One of the reasons why Dr. Vibia demands compelling reasons to reanimate her cryo trophees.

With every hour thay passes by it's one cautious step toward her awakening.


"Why can't I see her?"

They say childs don't hold a grudge, but Evee may be an acception.

Now that she knew whar Suzette was she doesn't see her as anything but a souless machine and she wants it away from her, but daddy dearest has commanded it to keep an eye on her.

"Can you bring me a paper bag?"

Obediently Suzette brought her what she wanted.

"Cover your face with it."

It was amazing how it just did whatever she asked. Evee couldn't help but grinn.

"Now smack yourself against the wall. Daddy said anything I said right?"

For aoment it just stood there. "Confirmed." Suzette repeatedly banged it's head against the wall.

"Don't stop until I say so." Evee grabbed a glass of water and drank slowly. Once she finished her water she commanded Suzette to stop her nonsense and asked for more water.

She then looked over at the security camera. He is always watching.

"If you were a dad I think that dads never leave the sick kids side." She laid back down. "Leaving me with a stupid machine." Her eyes met the camera again. "I guess you are always busy."

Mad Cat moves across the rooftops towards the source of the outbreak. He is a bit nervous but there is no need for fear of the infection he has been immunized and let alone his blood is different from other humans so it'll be harder for the virus to corrupt than a typical human.

He soon sees the source below him, marching through the street like one of the horsemen of the apocalypse. He drops down before her and smiles. "Hey there, sexy, looks like you've been busy. Got a moment to chat?"
Evangeline's words are so cold and angry Lye has to wonder what his next step will be. She is not like one of his dolls which require little cooperation in order to become something more she is his truest creation in need of a gentle hand. He gets up from his table in the lab and walks just down the hall where his daughter is kept.
He stands before the barrier between himself and the tainted child. He holds his hands out to the sides and looks her in the eye. "I am here instead of working on your cure; a cure I may add that will save your corrupted mother." He pulls up a chair and takes a seat. Seeing his doll acting in such a manner is annoying. "Suzette, protocol 1: power down," he orders. She stops only inches from the wall. "Not a nice way to treat such a gift. She was once a young lady like you except she was spoiled, intangible little princess with no appreciation of others. I feel I've created a greater purpose for her." He informs Evangeline.

Lye leans forward with his hands folded. "You may despise me for not being here for you, but know your existence was no known to me until the day we met. I did not make any decisions for your mother. She can hate me til the ends of the world but in retrospect I am as grateful as she should be that the product of our intimacy was none other than YOU." He points out. "Now if you wish to no longer exist who am I to deny my angel her wish?" He sits back. "I must admit it would pain my heart in a manner I haven't felt in this lifetime. Only once had I fallen in love with another human instantaneously. It's an impossible occurrence my logical mind cannot process, but I am taken over and I will not fight it." Lye lays out a portion of his heart for her to devour and spit in his face just like her mother would given the chance. He knows how these women function. Her mother's influence is too great. "Now if you want your mother's personality to be your own instead of creating your own then by all means do as you like but know you are half of me and so I know there is endless possibilities."

"The rest of this world can rot for all I care, but I refuse to let you be destroyed." He gets up to get the remote to the TV in the corner. He flips on the news and lets Evangeline see the overhead coverage of death and disease being lead by Corie. "This virus wasn't created by me, but I have obtained the source and working on the cure. At the moment I'm making certain you stay alive but you are under quarantine because any human contact will spread the virus before the cure can be found. So either you play nicely with your doll or I will have to take her away." He warns her like a real parent just to see what it's like.
"Evangeline, if you wish I will visit you every chance I get no matter how short the break. I get to watch you from afar, safe from your anger, but how am I to be a real father if I cannot be near? Being as my own father was murdered when I was a boy I have not caught on to the traditional manner in which one should behave. I had thought you didn't want to see me." He offers an olive branch of peace. "It is up to you, little angel."

Down the streets she struts with a grin in her face. It's like a play that has reached it's most thrilling peak and she is the center of all that has exploded in a chaotic manner.

"Such fine sight to see Mother's dream come true." She exhales with a satisfaction and just then a familiar face to her host just drops down from the sky. Such a curious fellow, certainly not completely a member of the imperfect human race.

He speaks to her thinking this body is still under the host's control. It wouldn't matter if he knew who is in charge of the wheel or not. The outbreak has been done.

She smiles back as she sensually brings her hair back. "Well, this body is quite sexy. Certainly better than a rotting clone." She said with disgust. "Bonjour Kitty. Of course we can chat." She giggles. "My work is done." She smiles at him and steps closer. "What would you like talk about mon amour?"

If only their lives weren't hanging by a thread... and the one holding them by it wasn't him this would be a much simpler question to answer.

Deep down Evee hurt every time she spoke to Lye in such a cold manner, but she can't betray her mother, yet at the same time she wants to be with him; be together as a family.
Her eyes couldn't help but cry as he spoke to her. She couldn't careless what happened to him in the past; all that matters is now. Right now she is dying, the world is dying and her mother is dying. Mother is just as much a victim. It hurts more that Lye doesn't care about the mother of his child. Though it's comforting that he is going through so much trouble trying to cure her even though she has been ungrateful and bratty.

When he stops she is silent. She's so young and full of grudge that's not hers, but a mother's influence. Though Corie was only protecting her from someone she believed would hurt her. Mothers know best, but sometimes they need an innocent hand to guide them, maybe teach her to forgive. Evee wants both her parents, would her longing bring a happy family in the future? It's too big a risk, but worth taking.

She struggled to sit up and turn to him. "I... I don't wanna die Dr. Anderson..." Her breath was uneven. "and I don't want mommy to die either." She paused and turned her gaze at her hands fidgeting with a handkerchief that's been stained with little drops of her blood from her coughing. "Je suis désolé. I'm just angry." She sniffed. "I want mom." She turns to him once more.

"What's the half I have that's yours? I wanna know that what little mom told me of you, the best parts, are true." She could guess or mostly already knows is the passion for music. Once her mother loved it too and she still did, but her memory or more like her mother's passion and love for Lye makes it too painful to enjoy it again. "I like Beethoven. Do you like him too, Dr. Anderson?" She waited for his answer before asking something else. "Do you love her? Or putting it another way, can you love her again? Can you love me?" She's very hopeful for a happy ending. "Mom, she doesn't hate you. She loves you and she hates her feelings, but I know she can forgive you, because, like you said, she is grateful that the product of your intimacy was me."

For a moment she paused. "Can we get ice cream when we are both better?"

Lye has gotten the response he hoped for and now Evangeline seems to be coming around to his side. His eyes sparkle with joy. He doesn't want to see his daughter cry but they are tears of redemption. He sets down on one knee so he as at eye level with Evangeline. "You have good taste in composers. I enjoy Beethoven and I am quite partial to Bach and Tchaitovsky. As you know I enjoy the piano and I was a literary scholar I taught at a darling university. Of course I'm sure you are an avid reader." He smiles. "Your eyes, hair, and skin color along with your height obviously came from my side of the family inherited by your grandmother. Which reminds me you need to be watchful of arthritis as you age my father developed it at an early age." He warns. "You inherited your temper from your mother," he jokes, "and her strong will."

To answer her next set of questions he needs a lot of finesse. One wrong word and he can lose all he's just gained. "When it comes to your mother I will have to take your word on how she feels. Honestly, I am not sure I can love any woman after I lost someone very close to me a lifetime ago. It tends to be hard for others to understand me plus once trust is broken it is very hard to fix which makes a future with Valentina uncertain. It is hard to explain, my angel." He tries his best to stay sincere. How easy it could be to lie to her and say he would fall back in love with her mother on account of Corie may die any day now yet filling his child's head with wishful thinking doesn't sit right. He was always told things honestly growing up and he will do the same for her. "On the bright side if your mother is willing that doesn't mean we cannot be friends which means we can still be a family. We can always try, because you are worth it all."

He places his hand on the chamber. "When you two are better we can get ice cream with as many toppings as you want."

A dark figure stands on top a building overlooking a cozy little house that blends in with all the others in the cal de sac. "Target address confirmed. Thermal readings show he is inside." H speaks into her transmitter.

"Proceed." She answers as she puffs on her cigarette. Her fingers pressed to glass window she can hear everything going on inside. The subject matter: Juliet. "We are running out of time. She has not awakened and they are moving to more drastic measures as soon as they can do so without destroying her vessel."

"Figures, I'm moving in." He leaps off the roof and lands in the neighboring yard. He peeks through the fence to see where his target through the window. He stands in the kitchen making dinner. He is totally off guard.
Beau decides to play it as smooth as a ninja like Gedra would do. He picks the backdoor lock and slips in. He stands in the doorway until the man turns around. "Evening, Dr. Takeru, mind setting the table for a guest?" He waves at him.

Machines and swift footsteps entered her hearing. The air might be cold as her skin, but it's hard to tell. For the first time in what could be a long time her heartbeats she could feel thumping against her chest. Every thump she could hear. The air she could also feel entering and leaving her nostrils. Now if she could see her surroundings everything would be better, but then again she knows that wherever she is it's not freedom, but captivity; under the microscope and the painful needles once more and perhaps that's how it should be... how it should and will always be. When will she accept it? Maybe she has, but then again those dreams that kept her sane pulls her to the possibility of freedom.

*=*=*=*=*

Dr. Vibia runs another check on subject Juliet's process. Everything checks out. Now all that remains is for her to return to consciousness. Nevertheless all subjects usually awaken after a few hours after defrost. So it's only logical to inform Dr. Anderson that Juliet will awaken very soon.

*=*=*=*=*

It never crossed Dr. Takeru's mind that Apothica would come looking for him, ever. Once they get rid of you it's as if you were never there. This awkward and sudden reunion with the most prized possessions of the company would have him on edge, but given the circumstances and his knowledge of his terrible mistake of a virus' outbreak he suspects that they are both here to request his assistance.
It would be logical; he is the creator of that monstrosity.

All three of them venture into his study and enter a hidden laboratory behind a bookshelf where he now keeps all the information and experiments he ever did concerning the virus of Juliet.
He informs them that the culprit pathogen that is now loose in the streets is not the original virus, but a clone of the same. Though this cloned pathogen is far less stable and far more aggressive. The cure for this outbreaker is not yet engineered, but he can easily create the cure for it and there is also another alternative to fight it back.

"Firstly, let me explain from the beginning."
He begins his tale from the first week after Juliet and Beau's escape. While trained soldiers were off searching for them both, Takeru decided that he couldn't simply stand by and hold off his work. So he created ten clones of Juliet. One by one he tried to perfect the virus, but every clone strangely seem to not last. In order to save them he had to freeze them inside pods where they were kept alive and the pathogen remaind dormant. The reason why the clones were so weak and unable to sustain the pathogen, like Juliet could, was both because neither of them had a chip or android to keep the virus in check, like Juliet, but also their bodies were not all completely developed due to speed growth. Juliet was patiently grown normally, while the clones' growth was forcefully sped. With each clone created they were able to progressed with the virus. Although the clones still suffered fatal side effects. "Clones One through Nine, before putting them into Sleep, had all alleged that there was a voice inside them, commanding them to attack and disobey their authority, and asking them to "spread" and "infect". This was a similar side effect to what happened to Juliet, days before the escape. It was then that I began to wonder and possibly discover that the virus was very much conscious. So for safety measures we immediately sent them into hibernation."
It was only Jyu (ten), the last clone, that presented remarkable results. "After I had placed clones One through Nine in hibernation, I kept one working with Ten. Out of all the clones she was the strongest and healthiest. Ten stilled showed signs of fatality, but not as much as the others. She never informed that she could hear a voice or lost track of time or had any black outs, like the others when the virus took control of them; for only a short period of time." But there was one day. "The real astonishment occurd a week before dispatching them to search for Juliet. Ten had died."

Takeru could see that Beau was a bit off put, probably because Jyu helped him get Juliet back. "She died and came back." Takeru went to make coffee in the machine he had in a corner of his lab. "It seems, that the clone pathogen inside her was able to produce a small electrical charge at the base of the brain and take full and unresistant control of the host. Every part of her was alive. Cells reproduced, neurons fully functional, hair and nails grew. There was absolutely no sign of decomposition. I interviewed her, asking her questions about what she felt. She said that she felt absolutely fine, as if she never passed. Her demeanor and behavior was the same as before. It's as though the virus inside her uses the memories Ten had in order to coexist. The pathogen inside Ten was far different and superior than the others, even Juliet's." Unfortunately before Takeru had any chance to show his magnificent breakthrough the company had shut him down and Jyu was sent into hibernation with the others. "Ten suffered no fatalities from the virus. Those were all her from her underdevelopment. Her body was so naturally weak that the virus was not enough to keep her strong. I won't lie she lasted far more than the others."

"When G brought in you both. I examined Juliet and saw that she no longer possessed the original virus. It was most remarkable that Ten's virus was able to over power it's original and rid the host of it." This was the alternative that he meant. Apothica could use the virus that now rests inside Juliet's blood and rid the infected areas of One's virus. "Although, if they use Juliet to rid the infected of the virus. I fear Juliet won't survive. There's already too many out there infected. It will have to take every last drop of her blood to cure everyone."

There is a ringing phone in the background as Lye works on the 3D computer graphed model of a gun that can shoot such a precious and fragile of their future antidote from a very long range. It's not like it matters if Corie dies but he has to try and save humanity. In essence it will make him a hero and sky rocket his company to the leading laboratory in the world.
"Make it quick," He answers. It's Dr. Vibia and she brings him good news concerning Juliet. It seems his day is becoming more positive by the hour. Corie is dying, Evangeline needs him, his sleeping beauty is about to wake, and the cure to salvation will be perfected any moment.
All of society will cling to his influence and he will be a god.
Mad Cat smiles at Corie glad some part of her is willing to talk. "Me amour, I have missed you so much. After hearing a voice that evil slip through your ruby lips I can't help but wonder if the real you still exists in there." He puts his hands on his hips. "So if she is still in there I have a message for her, if you don't mind, her daughter is still alive and Master Lye has her. He is working his charm on her to his greatest ability and he could charm the pants off any human as Corie obviously already knows." He taunts her. His reasons for doing so are purely selfish but his plan is still a bit up in the air. Either way he'll find a way to escape all control. He needs to things about him have changed and if it's found out he could be put on the "recall" list just like Juliet.

"Can't say all this death and destruction isn't sexy but, sweetheart, your hair...really...it's a mess. Let's go see a beautician before you kill them all. As a friend I'm concerned about your appearance. Friends don't let friends run around fucked up." He jokes.
Suddenly his body is beginning to ache. He won't be able to stand there much longer. He knows it's coming...the change...his next form...it could be the death of him...
"If you need to see for yourself just pay them a little visit. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you." He bows and dismisses himself quickly enough to avoid morphing in front of another person.
Gedra watches as Dr. Vibia leaves Juliet alone to make a phone call. She listens carefully to her prediction of Juliet's soon-to-be awakening. The time has come to save the girl before she is taken to Lye inside his impenetrable ivory tower. Now she only needs a distraction...
Beau stands listening to the good doctor as he rambles on about his test subjects and the rush job they did on the entire projects. For a company that created such advanced weapons as him and Gedra they sure did a slap-ass job at a serious biological creation. Melding together technology with a viral organism must be a lot harder than replacing an entire human being with a machine.
"Your story don't really mean squat to me. I'm here about saving Juliet and trying to save man kind. Is there any way to do both or did your scientific approach never get that far? Of all the crazy shit you created why is this solution so hard you've already given up?"

He takes a step closer to Takeru. "Let me help motivate you, because I'm not taking "no" as an answer." Beau knows he's sounding like a rapist. "This isn't for the Apothecary or the Pharmacy this is for Juliet and Jyu. You created her so find a way to save her." He reaches out and grabs his shoulder. "Now how about you find your balls and finish what you started."
The alarm for the cryogenic freezers start going off, bathing the entire lab in flashing blue lights. Dr. Vibia pops up immediately and rushes into the freezer room to save her precious subjects.

Gedra slips in like a ninja and forces open the door to Juliet's frozen prison. She's already starting to move despite her skin being a chilled as the dead. She rips out the tubes and wires then leans her forward until she falls into her arms. Gedra wiggles off her coat and wraps it around Juliet's petite body. For the life of her Gedra will never understand what Beau is attracted to but at the moment it doesn't matter. She swoops her up and cradles her in her arms bridal style so her head rests against her ample chest.
"Let's get you back to Beau. We've got a world to save."

This beautiful machine really became something much greater than what he was built to be; both man and machine. The doctor can see how driven to save someone, that he was meant to remain detached from and just guard, he came to sincerely adore. Could it be a mixture of human feeling with his programmed duty to protect and guard Juliet at all cost? Truly it is something fascinating. Though he also has the stubborn human side; insisting... no demanding Takeru to save someone that can't be saved.
Juliet's sole purpose to exist is to produce a viral weapon, not to be set free to live as a human.

Takeru sighed and took off his glasses. "Juliet can't be "saved", Beau. The virus becomes one with the host, like what happened with Ten." He looks directly at Beau. "Even if I start making a cure for this, there's simply not much time." He looks down and thinks for a moment. "The only existing cure is not meant for the clones virus. It's meant for the original." He presses a button and from inside the wall next to them a fragile container is revealed; the cure.

"I don't know if it will work. It's a long shot, but One's virus was the most similar to it's original. The Original's cure may have an effect on the infected." It's not guaranteed. The pathogen has been exposed to the outter atmosphere for too long. It could have mutated.

"It could slow it down, buy some time." He takes the vial and presents it to Beau. "Though I'm only talking about those infected with One." He talks sternly. "Ichi." He repeats One's number in Japanese. "Ten, the one infecting Juliet, is a different story."

Since he wasn't able to further study Jyu, her cure was never developed. "If I could have Juliet here, I could create a cure for her, but really there's no need. Ten is harmless. It helps her. Not kill her." He walks over to a far end of the lab where there's a vault locked with an eye scanning lock.

"But" he sighs, "if you really want her to be 'normal'. I can make the cure so she can be. She was never meant to be normal. Just a host. Nothing more." He pauses. "I'm no longer an employee. So I don't need to let them keep my work."

He opens the vault and reveals a sizable machine. "This may help your campaign. It's a Cannon. Not like any of those you may think up. I developed it with a former colleague of mine long before Juliet and the clones. Back when the company was beginning to lean towards the idea of viral weaponry." He walks around to the front of the machine and presses a green button that opens a small compartment where a vial is meant to be placed. Any liquefied form of medicine or virus stored in the compartment will be released into the atmosphere. A faster and sure way to spread, say... a deadly virus or a life saving cure. Those infected will be cured instantly the moment they breath it in." He closes the compartment. "But" he emphasizes the word, "the machine must be placed in the highest of elevations."

That settles the "saving the world" part. "As for Juliet, bring her to me and I will 'save her'." He goes to sit over at his chair. "I'm curious. What do you plan on doing with a fifteen year old? To the world, she doesn't exist, but that can be quickly fixed. But, what does a machine want with a lab rat?"


Alarms are going off and it's hell in the cryogenic freezers. Two frozen subjects have already kicked the bucket and are beyond saving. Dr. Vibia is going insane, yelling out commands here and there. The chambers are anything but stable.
In the middle of all the chaos she suddenly remembers subject Juliet and rushes over to her pod only to find it empty.

Awestrucked, shocked she yells out in Russian at her assistants and urges them to alert security and Dr. Anderson that someone on the inside has stolen subject Juliet.

The host stands apathetically listening to the human mutant go on and on talking to a consciousness that's desperate to cease existing due to the immense pain her body is currently in.

"...I can't help but wonder if the real you still exists in there."

She smirks, but remains silent. Just barely.

His message to her host creates a small stir inside her, a part of this woman is trying to take back control, but it's still weak. Guess mothers will go to whatever lengths it takes to reunite with their offspring.

Evee! I'm coming!

Shut up! The Doll Maker has her. You won't get her back. Why would you want to?

The host answers her back with rage. Of course it doesn't understand her human ways. It's anything but human. All the troubles of this human mother will be solved if she just let herself drop dead. Then she won't have to go through the hardships she has gone through for too long.

"Can't say all this death and destruction isn't sexy but, sweetheart, your hair...really...it's a mess. Let's go see a beautician before you kill them all. As a friend I'm concerned about your appearance. Friends don't let friends run around fucked up." He jokes.

It makes her raise an eyebrow and she examines her hair for a second and go back paying attention to him, but he suddenly goes from being high and mighty to a suffering kitten. Was something happening to this specimen?
He runs off, but being so intrigued by this new form of human/beast got the best of her and she follows after him.
She finds him rithing in pain and walks around his tingling body, staring. "You are mutating." She smiles. "Apothica tried to do things such as this, but they fail at biological experimentation. They die." She looks at him deviously. "All the time." She takes a step back. "And so will I, but not before taking these imperfect humans with me." She takes another look at him. "You are imperfect too."

Passing judgement on him she draws blood from her wrist and tackles him, pinning him down to the ground. She tries to makes him drink her poisonous rouge, but his flexibility works to his favor and he wriggles himself free. The chase is on. Both of them run across the streets and its not hard to keep up with him; getting him to hold still is the true predicament.
She calls for her infected brethren and some appear in an instant.

"Help me eliminate this monstrosity." She tells the present infected.

Like mindless zombies they surround and gang up on him. Host Corie stands, witnessing the fight infront of her, waiting for her target to surrender and be allowed to be purged.

Leave him alone!

Humans are imperfect. This one is far from imperfect. It's more monstrous than you are. It needs to go.

You're the real monster!

In an instant its an internal battle between pathogen and host. Corie is desperately trying to fight for control of her body.

"Get out!" Her voice manages to breakthrough.

Drop dead!

Her body is slammed against a wall, leaving a huge crack.

Evee needs me!

Corie opens her eyes with a jolt. She is back, but god only knows how long it will last. She sees infected-mind-controled people attacking Madden. Should she help him. He may still be of help.

"Leave him alone!"

She runs to the gang fight and tackles a man to the ground. She grabs a broken pipe from the ground and jams it into a woman holding Madden down by the arm. The next target just backed away, glaring evilly, like a demon. His fellow infected also backs away, but neither seem to plan on running off.

"Madden, what's happening to you?" She goes to her kitty and helps him up. "What's happening to me? Everything. I-I want my baby."

She groans in pain and puts a hand to her head. It hurts like a bitch. That virus is trying to take back control. "Take me away please I- I can't. I-" It hurts even to breath. "What- what do I do?"

All she wants is her baby. "Take me to Evee please." She cries. "Je ne veux pas le perdre."

Am I moving? What's this warm touch? Beau?

Her half-sleeping ears pick up different sounds. Not "everything is fine" lab sounds, but those that can be connected to "everything is going to shit" alarming sounds. What was happening beyond the darkness of her sleep? Hearing all the chaos in the horizon she is almost okay with staying asleep for a few more minutes, but at the same time she wants to open her eyes and see what she's missing.

"Beau?" Her voice breaks through but there's no answer. He would've answered. Is it really him or not?


Guards come in the corridor; the only way in and out of the freezers. They stop Gedra in her tracks. They ready to fire, but acknowledging that the machine is not alone. She is holding what could be the answer to stop the end of the world.

"Should we shoot?" One of them asked, but they are all wondering as well. If they shoot they risk killing Juliet.

"It wouldn't do any good anyway."

Coming into a fight with an android is suicide, but just being there in a stand-off they've already sealed their fate.

"G, why are you violating protocal? Stop what you're doing or we will be obligated to shoot."

"Protocol?" G stands firm. "There is no protocol to the end of the world." She starts walking towards them. "This girl is the cure and I'm taking her to a source that'll use her correctly. If all is truly lost then I will at least give peace to my brother." She has her guns ready. "But what use is it to explain it to worthless drones such as you? Given the conditions of the present reality I would retreat home and be with your families. No telling how long you have left." She gives them one last warning.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Mad Cat finds himself in an all out pursuit by the virus controlled Corie. He wasn't expecting that since he figured she would go straight to Lye in order to do whatever with Evangeline. She is a lot stronger and faster than her messed up appearance suggests. She tackles him and tries to introduce her gross smelling blood into his body. It takes everything in him, but he manages to break free. "You're too late for that, stupid bitch." At this point all he can do is keep running.
He finds himself surrounded by the stinky zombie bodies of her slaves. This was not an ability he was made aware of before. If his skin wasn't on fire and muscles spasm out of control he could easily escape their weak grasp but he'll just have to grit and bare it.

"Imperfect, my anus, can't even keep control of your host, bitch-ass-virus." He grunts as Corie comes back into consciousness. She clearly has no idea what has conspired. "That really you, amour; chéri?" He sees the confliction in her worn face and takes it as true. "Okay, let me start with...what the fuck, woman?! But thank you for not killing me!" He has to compose himself. "Moving on, everything I told the virus before is true. Lye is working on a cure with you as his first test subject. If it works he'll use it to cure you kid. Either way he's planning on you being dead but that's pretty obvious. Onto a more important matter I am mutating again. The original DNA was perfect but the fucking virus got to me, too. YOU infected me so thanks for that too bad I can't return the gift." He sneers at her. "The virus can't effect me the same way it's causing a whole new effect of fucked up proportions!" He manages to blurt out as the painful change comes on.
His back arches and he vomits as his hands distort into elongated claws. His tail loses half the hair and becomes as pointed as his ears that are now more like horns. He doesn't get any more bulk but gains some height as his feet push out of his shoes to high arches paws. Something out of a werewolf movie he is transformed into a more devil like version of a cat creature.

He huffs and grunts through his sharp fangs, "My personality doesn't change but my body is a bit of a let down in the looks department." He stands up, "don't you laugh."

This apocalypse is her fault. Her daughter is in danger and it's her fault. Kitty's mutated genetics is unstable and it's her fault. All this chaos at her feet brought upon a teen mother wanting closer.I'm a terrible mother.

Was becoming a handsome mad scietinst's mindeless robot slave a worst fate than this?

Don't talk to me right now.

Corie falls to the ground witnessing her once partner morph into something completely out of reality. It's disgusting yet she can't look away. Madden no longer looks like Madden. It makes her drop her mouth open at the sight.

"Laugh?" She points at him. "This... is not even funny." Even if she wanted to she wouldn't it would be too painful. "Don't even try to go to a mirror."

She stands clutching at her stomach. "We have to go back together okay?" They may be able to help him if the cure is created.

She turns down to the streets, but she's met with a line of virus controlled zombies. "Nothing's ever easy."

Only one guard lowers his weapon and slowly walks back away, making for the exit. The others call for him but he is gone.

"Forget him. Open fire!"

With every strike and force she gives to her fight it just adds to the pain she already endures from the virus trying to take back control.

The road to the Apothecary is nothing but blood bath. Hordes of infected came at them from all directions. With the pipe still in hand she manages to keep them at bay.

Whatever you want once you get there, you know in the end it will all be for not.

I won't leave my baby with him.

You two could be together... in death.

STOP! She is a child and deserves to live happy.

Another infected died at her hands and another came at her. Enraged and fet up with these poor souls she dropped her weapon and fought with the man trying to attack her. The fight is short, since this attacker trying to be an attacker is just an ordinary civilian (well infected now) with no knowledge of combat, Corie, in the blink of an eye, discovers the length of her strength. With her bare hands she takes hold of both the man's arms and rips them clean off his body and leaves him to die in his own puddle of blood.

As the one guard retreats the others decide their fate. Her body tenses up and she doesn't wait for them to announce the attack. Juliet is tossed high into the air only inches from the ceiling. The moves in slow motion compared to G's immense speed. From her side holsters she pulls her massive black glocks and takes out two guards in an instant. Before they even hit the ground she catches Juliet and turns around to catch any gunfire into her back. From under her left arm she takes the shot and catches the last in the mouth, taking out the spinal chord. She stands up and steps over the first dead guard to the only survivor. He's coughing up blood and stares into G's soulless face.
"You should have run." One last bullet right to the brain.
Silence.

She runs down the hall. "Hold the doors!" She orders the only guard who got away. He pushes on the button repeatedly in terror but the elevator doors don't close fast enough and she manages to get inside. There the guard is on the brink of pissing his pants. "First floor," she motions to the buttons. Shaking like sapling in a snowstorm he manages to push the button. They ride together in silence. He glances at her nervously and can barely breath. When the elevator stops she steps out. "If I were you I would find a new line of work."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

As they hack and slash their way through the hoards of zombies as if out of some cheesy horror movie Mad Cat is amazingly surprised by Corie's new found abilities and lust for blood. It's making him look tame. She even goes as far as to rip the arms from one of her victims.

She wants to go back. She claims they could find him a cure but really it's just so she can steal her daughter back and he knows it. But who is he to say no?

All this killing was truly worthless. It was only slowing them down. From his claws to his tail he is a razor sharp blade that darts through the crowd taking out torsos and body parts galore.
He stops next to Corie as the crimson rain dowses her. He can only imagine how awesome they look right now. "This is taking too long. I don't know how long this fugly form is going to last so how about you hop on and ride me like a pony?" He makes a sexual joke out of his solution. He turns around and gets down on one knee so she can climb onto his back. "Ain't got all day, Countess Bathory."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Dr. Takeru takes a seat and agrees to help although his tone only partrays disdain towards Beau's ignorance. All Beau wants is results not excuses and he'll push as hard as he can to get what he wants. The good doctor should realize that by now.
His description of Juliet tends to ping off Beau's temper. He's making him sound like some kind of statutory rapist.
"If you really think about it is she even 15 or did it really take that long to grow her in a tube?" Beau gets a bit snippy. "You tell me she doesn't exist yet she's become my reason for exitance. According to the world I died a long time ago so it's not like I have much else going on." He leans against the counter top. "My reasons don't come with explanations. I do what I feel is right and after getting to know Juliet and Jyu why not try to give them what you denied them? A real life. What kind of guardian would I be if I didn't try? Which begs to question what kind of father are you? Why even bother creating them in the first place if you don't care about them?"
Beau looks to the side in general disappointment for humanity. "Sitting on these things you can use to help save the world from a virus you created...guess it's not a far stretch."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Gedra rushes through the facility with her precious cargo gripped tightly against her chest. There are swarms of guards coming in from every corner. She avoids them with great agility but there has to be a sneakier way out aside from the main hallways. It's harder than she expected to keep a person safe while simultaneously killing her co-workers.
"I've got to create a distraction. Would be so much easier if Beau were here..." She ducks around a corner to find a control panel to one of the security code doors. She pulls a cord from her sleeve and connects one end from her sunglasses to the control panel. G scans through the internal building plans until she finds what could work very well. "Makeshift, but it'll due."

She moves quickly to a janitorial supply closet. So many explosive chemicals so little time.

Corie spaced out a moment after countless deaths she committed with her bare hands. It was too much to take. she went into shock. How mighty has she fallen?

Would this be a good image to give your child?

Its hard to concentrate. She wants to have her child back, but at the same time this monster inside, guilting her consciouns drives her more to the relief of death. Evangeline deserved someone better than her. Before her leave she was a good mother, devoted only to her, but now... what is she? Not herself. Not mother.

"This is taking too long. I don't know how long this fugly form is going to last so how about you hop on and ride me like a pony?"

She apathetically looked at Madden and just stood there staring at him like he's not there instead there's a void.

"Ain't got all day, Countess Bathory."

His voice somewhat brings her back.

"Y-yeah." Quickly as she could she hops on his back.

Both dash through the hordes like an arrow shot by a bow gun. Nothing stopped Madden and even though Corie was a weight on him he pushed on as fast he could to make it back to the facility.

The world was a blur that went and returned and it was hard to breath.

No... Not now... I can't lose control now... Evee... I'm coming.


Her dream world was turned into a battle field. The war outside that her ears could pick up created a vision built only by sound. Gunfire and shots fasing through her sitting form in the middle of it all.

"Could I really be... free?"

"Only if you think it's your fate to be."

"Did you ever..." She shrugged. "Thought of the idea of... being... normal?"

Jyu shook her head. "No, I never thought for myself since my birth. I was obidient to our father."

They were both sitting face to face. Jyu held Juliet's hand in hers and they looked into each other's mirror. "What do you want?"

Juliet didn't need to think it hard. "Beau."


As they reach the gates of the facility Corie gets to a crouching position on Madden's back and jumps right off her feet collide with the gate, bringing it open. She doesn't stop even hearing the gunfire going off all around her.

The guards know it's her, the reason for this outbreak, this apocalypse, but she doesn't stop.

She and Madden make it to the front doors and they slide open. In the hall there's silence, the smell of burning material and smoke in all directions. A red head woman in dark outfit is standing there, holding a girl in her arms protectively.

Is that? The girl Lye wanted?

Mother...

And Corie was gone.


A guard witnessing the encounter of the rouge G and the out breaker crawls over to the front desk and manages to call Dr. Anderson and informs him of the situation.


Her breath is heavy... heavier than a dogs... wheezing. Life reaching it's end, but not yet. Corie's eyes are no longer hers. Her consciousness is not audible anymore. The virus has taken back control.

Her crimson eyes look over G, and settle her sights on Juliet.

"What are you doing with mother?"

The sirens cry out around the compound as if a nuclear disaster was imminent. The flames are contained but the staff is rushing to any safe room available as the sirens are not for the fires but for the viral intrusion made by Mad Cat and Corie. The staff knows if they don't find safety they are next to die in a bloody mess of a zombie-apocalypse.

Lye hears his phone. He's been ignoring the world in order to finish the cure and safe his perfect genetic offspring that his ignorant ex-victim infected. Where all mothers so entirely selfish or was it only the females around him? "What?" He snaps into his phone. He listens to the crazy breach happening just outside the lab and he feels the need to scream at the idiots whom were hired because they were the best in their fields. "Incompetence is inexcusable..." He growls. "Our cure is at hand the test subject Juliet is to be obtained but more important contain that woman attacking our facility. She must not escape at any cost." Lye makes a hard decision he isn't sure about, but for Evangeline's sake he can't risk her feelings after such a breakthrough.

He then hears something he isn't surprised by but knows could spell danger in the future. "It's her, sir, G-" Lye had no time to anticipate what to do if their lead killer turned on him, but they never did establish any kind of alliance outside a paycheck. She's as huge of a danger to him as the rouge android Beau who stands in his way of Juliet's tender flesh.

"Destroy her if you can she is no longer a member of our Pharmacy." He gives the final order before hanging up.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Beau's ear rings like a whistle to a dog. He drops his arms and turns in the direction it's coming from. "They're in danger. . .I have to go." He walks to the door and pauses. "You leave and I will track you down whether or not Juliet dies, but you better pray she makes it back here with me." With that he disappears into the night like a shadow.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"What are you doing with mother?" The demented being before G speaks in a raspy, winded breath like that of a dying monster. The were-cat creature behind her looks familiar, but her stands back as if waiting to strike. She can tell it's going to be 2 against 1, but with Juliet to protect it's more like 2 against 1/2.

"A bit young to be your mother, wouldn't you say?" She makes a dry joke with no emotion in her voice. She stands Juliet up and grabs a few things from her coat. "I've got plenty of weapon. You know you to use any?" She whispers, inquiring, knowing the answer is probably 'no.' "Anyways, use anything you can and get your ass to Beau. I've sent out an emergency alert. He's on his way, but it's going to take time I will stall them as long as possible. I'm not exactly sure what we are up against these are all new creatures from previous dos-eases. I can't be infected so my main place is protection." G lets her know it's an unclear situation. "Would be great if you could defend yourself, but from previous observation you are about as useful as a hostage. So don't play hero and safe yourself. Got it, girl?"

Gedra pushes a button on her sunglasses to see if there is any residual chemicals that can be read coming off the woman's body she can use to her advantage. The results blink back "inconclusive."

She presses her hands into the straps on her pants and slides long black bands around her arms. Next she goes for her faithful guns and firmly in grip she takes charge. If she keeps the focus on herself Juliet has a chance to escape.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang... the rounds fly at the virus queen.
The cat leaps into the air with ease. He flips overhead and lands behind her. G isn't sure if he's the most or least of her worries but at the moment the most violent being is this woman so she'll distract the cat when possible but her focus has to be on her.

Her sunglasses alert her there's new movement behind her. It's the woman. She is able to get one shot out under her own arm, but can't tell if it hits this creature as she's knocked back. The attack continues like a rabid animal trying to tear her apart, but as strong as she is she's still human and Gedra is built for battle. The woman on top of her holds her arms down and knocks her against the ground until she is dizzy. G lifts her legs up and wraps them around the woman's body then with full force slams her to the ground hoping to knock the wind out of her.
G sits up and aims at her face. The woman whips around so they both go spiraling into the air and across the ground until G is forced to release.
G gets back on her feet and glances around. All the smoke in the air is making it hard to see. She turns on the infrared of her sunglasses and spots the creatures, but one is closing in on Juliet. "Shit."

Its bio-science versus robotic science. Which is best? It's all subjective. Each has advantages, but could there be one that prevails? Both Madden and Ichi virus gang up on this robotic woman. To the virus she could careless about who wins. Her work is done. She has infected a great amount of people. It will only be a matter of time when the world has gone to hell.

The evil grin on Corie's face just never left with ever passing minute of the battle. She lunged at the android locked in close combat, both leaning towards kill.

Juliet still felt faint and dizzy. She struggled hard to move even an inch. All the attention was on G. Juliet knew she was giving her a chance to get away, but it felt wrong to leave the one who helped her out of her icy prison. If only Juliet knew how to fight she would battle beside G until the very end, help her if she needed. It made her angry to be so helpless, always needing to be saved and because of this all the people who tried to help her fall like flies... like Jyu. Jyu was a clone of herself, but she was nothing like her. She could fight. She fought next to Beau, a worthy ally to him, maybe even G. Jyu saved her and she died. Now G is fighting to help her. What if she also dies or malfunctions and just stops functioning?

She clutched the gun she took from G. Though she knew nothing about weapons she needed something to fend for herself while she goes to find Beau. We'll find you.

She forced her feet to move and run. Something caught her shirt, holding her back. She turned, it was some kind of mutated human. A cross between a cat and a human, but it was too monstrous. The teen held back a scream. Be brave! Don't scream! Defend yourself!

Juliet pointed the gun at the creature and pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. The safety lock machenism was still on. Fuck!

In the blink of an eye Gedra came to her aid. All three of them, the infected woman, the monster cat and Gedra, rumbling and tumbling on the floor. G, kicked off the cta-like creature from ontop of her, sending him flying towards the wall. Juliet faintly heard G, yell at her once more to get her ass moving out of the facility.

Finally reacting, the teen bolted out of the building. Outside was no better than inside. It was hellish. The humans that once lived in the city were no longer who they were. They had become these grotesque zombiefied creatures that only thirsted for blood.

The horror and terror inside Juliet was unbelievable. Stop it you! Be brave! There's no time for this.

The infected body of Corie took so much damage, hanging by the edge... it was a wonder it was still standing. Once more she lunged at G holding her by both arms with her strength she severed G's left arm and threw it away like it was nothing. A sharp pain stabbed her insides she looked down to find a blade punctured right through her stomach. Her eyes met G's... the red shade that had consumed her hazel eyes vanished...

"Th-thank... you..." Her last breath leaving her lungs. Corie fell to her knees before finally collapsing on the floor.

As her heartbeats began to slow she thought of her baby girl. Who will watch over her? She won't watch her grow. If you really do love her... truly... please... take care of our baby... In the darkness that clouded her vision she heard her own heart stop. The life she was meant to lose in her piano teacher's hands... left her once and for all.

Whenever she imagined her awakening zombie apocalypse was nowhere near what she had in mind. All the world she knew (for real) in that short week outside has gone to hell. People suffering, dying and everything bad anyone could think off played out in front of her like a nightmare and she couldn't wake up from it.

"Okay..." She sighed. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. She has to remain calm, fight her way through this field of death and find her Beau. "I-I can do this. I-I c-can t-totally DO this."

She has super strength still, speed, what's there to worry about? Other than the fact that there's an entire population of them and just one of her with a small gun that God only knows how many bullets it contains and how useful it will be until it runs out of ammo. No time to think about the down side, it was time to woman up and face danger in the face.

Juliet summoned up the speed she new she had, but never actually used it before and bolted through the zombified crowd like a torpedo, but because she wasn't used to moving at high velocities she crashed into a building, leaving a giant gaping whole in the wall.

She groaned at the massive headache she gave herself and struggled to rise up from the rubble. The zombies close by walked over to the havoc she just reeked and stared at her for a moment and became violent.

The girl found herself fighting two zombies, rather badly. The two opponents were males, ganging up on her. She dared not scream, because who the hell was going to answer her cries for help. No, she had to get herself out of this one. Gun still in hand, she remembered to take the safety off.

It's just like a camera. Point and shoot.

And there goes the head of one of her opponents. Then the next. Her face and used-to-be white clothes, now dirty with dirt and stained with infected blood. Will she turn into a zombie too? Or is Jyu's virus making her immune to this other pathogen. No time for this. She had to keep moving.

Okay... o-okay.. T-two bullets... I-I j-just used... two bullets.

How many bullets does she even have?

The more she ran into the city, the more hordes she ran into. It dawns on her that a single gun wasn't going to be enough to defend her. Nor will this super strength that lies inside. She need more weapons, but where was she going to get another?

It wasn't going to be easy to come across a weapons store; hell things couldn't be that convenient. So her only other option was to survive mostly on her strength, for the time being.
A few other infected were coming at her. Mimicking moves she remembers from Gedra or Beau, she braced herself for impact and punched the bloody zombie in the face, sending his head backward and kicked him in the gut. For a moment she felt powerful, the rush was exhilarating.

Maybe... I could actually do this.

Foolishly turning her back on the woman Gedra goes to save Juliet. She tackles the cat but in turn is tackled by this virus queen. Her sunglasses fly from her head. In the sudden chaos she finds herself under the cat-monster-boy. She's able to kick him off and send him flying but the woman takes his place. "Move your ass, kid!" She screams at Juliet because at this rate she won't be able to protect herself and some stunned teenager.

The woman digs her fingers into Gedra's mechanisms as if they were made of flesh and blood. Gedra pushes back as best she can yet it's becoming apparent she may not be able to save both her arms. Being right handed she twists and with a horrible crack her left arm is torn from her body and tossed aside like a rag doll. Gedra wants to scream so badly as even being mechanical her tissue is still living flesh and the pain threshold on her is still turned on even if put on optimum low.
She still has a secret weapon on her right arm. The black band she pulled onto her forearm was a close range weapon. She presses her fist to the woman's abdomen, clenches her fist, and deploys the spring operated blade. 12 inches of steel pierce the corrupted flesh and sever several organs straight into the chest cavity. Putrid, dark blood spills over her hand.
Her blue/green eyes meet that of discolored red that begin to fade to a natural hazel as if she had just vanquished a demon from the body of a possessed innocent.

"Th-thank. . .you. . ." she lets out her last breath with a strange gratitude. She must have been suffering this entire time. Gedra had never been thanked by a victim for taking their life. This woman was not a monster it was the misconception of science to control the fate of man that destroyed this poor woman. She slumps down to her knees and falls to the ground.
She now sees a defined reason to help man kind aside from just helping her love struck brother.
This was wrong.
Gedra rolls her over and places her hands across her chest like that of someone in a coffin.
Out of the smoke walks the cat-boy, no longer monstrous just a mutant as he was before. He says nothing as he stares down at the woman. For a few seconds of silence that felt like minutes they both absorb the situation laid before them. In a strange unspoken understanding Gedra stands up and lets him pick her up.

He turns to take her away but pauses. "She was my friend. . .Thought it was cool to be the bad guy, we fight and it's fun, but we are not human. . .now. . .someone has to stop this shit before every good person is dead."

"Agreed." Gedra goes and picks up her arm. When she glances back they are gone. It's of no concern to her. Time to catch up to Juliet.


Beau rushes from rooftop to rooftop in a mad dash to get to Gedra and Juliet. Must be real trouble if Gedra can't handle it. The streets are something out of a horror movie. It's unbelievable and stinks to high hell. No way Juliet will be able to handle all of this she's too tender and girly for this atmosphere. The tower of the Pharmacy is in sight. There's a loud quake coming from ahead. Gun shots and a gathering of zombies making their way towards it. That's where they must be.
He almost passes up the commotion when he approaches. Beau looks down and expects to see Gedra taking out bodies left and right but instead there is a more unrealistic sight dueling it out under him. Juliet is blasting and punching out the walking undead like a super hero.
Since when was she a fighter? Did she receive training while she was asleep?

Confusion aside he finally wraps his head around the fact he's not dreaming and jumps down. He lets out a barrage of kicks and punches before getting back to back with Juliet. "Thought I was here to save you? But if you don't need me I can kick back with a cold beer and let you have at it."

Mad Cat creeps up on his pray. It's too easy so he decides to play with her a little bit. He pops out of the shadows and causes such a fright in her she yelps. She hops back and pulls out a rather large gun that should be way too heavy for such a small girl. He would have run away to avoid a bullet between the eyes, but he can easily see that the safety is still on.
Click...nothing and he can't but chuckle at her exposing his long fangs.

Juliet keeps moving to avoid him, but it's all child's play on his end. That turns out to be a mistake as slammed harder than a running back behind the line of scrimmage. The air knocked out of him for a moment he tries to get back up only to be thrown clear across the way. He tucks and somersaults until a wall comes into view. He manages to thrust his feet out and push off to avoid smashing into the cement surface. He tumbles across the floor and stops on his butt a bit dizzy.
He feels as if he's been burning the candle at both ends and the wick is just about burned out. It's up to Corie at this point he needs to eat and rest a bit before he pursue the test subject any further.
Aside from the crumbling of the burning building and screams of victims in the distance he can still make out the raspy grunts of Corie banging on the metal of the female android. All gun shots meet empty air. How anyone can take on one of those weapons is beyond him but it is fun to try since there is no need for any restraint.

It's quiet. . .something must've happened one of them must've won or gotten away.

He walks towards where he thinks they are. With the cinders and decaying blood stench in the air he can't make out Corie's scent. Then through the clearing smoke are two figures. . .then only one. Madden cautiously approaches to see the android woman, now with one arm, rolling Corie over probably to check if she were dead but unexpectedly she folds Corie's arms over her chest symbolizing what he feared. He pauses. She stands up and glances at him with piercing blue green eyes that say to him the fight is over.

It had been such a long time since he had seen a person he cared for, even in the slightest, die. The image of his mother tucked neatly in her coffin completely covered in flowers pops into his head. Corie is a mother, too, will her daughter have to watch as they bury her? He doesn't even know if the child is still alive. If not then maybe they'll be together in the next life? It's what he hoped would happen to him once his nine lives are spent.
He can't leave her here like this to be hauled off carelessly by the clean up crew as if she were trash. He bends down and picks up her still warm body. As exhausted as he is if she could hear him he would joke about how heavy she's getting and needs to lay off the sweets.
It begins to sting how he had monitored her for so long and how normal her life had become with her family. It's something he traded in long-long ago. If only she had gotten away. . .so many "ifs" to life in the end never matter.

He turns confident he won't be attacked. There's nothing cute left to say but an honest thought comes to mind. "She was my friend. . .Thought it was cool to be the bad guy, we fight and it's fun, but we are not human. . .now. . .someone has to stop this shit before every good person is dead." He had forgotten how fragile humans are and yet endure with strength he gave up his humanity to gain. No matter his physical abilities he's as useless as ever in the face of death.

"Agreed." She states before disappearing.

Madden feels her body cooling with each step. He's taking her straight to him, his so called master.

"What is the status?" Lye demands about the situation outside.

"Visual cameras are down and the fire is obscuring the infrared. Back up generators are working at optimal capacity. Security is scattered but regaining formation. Our central guard has not moved we have not yet been breached."

"Make sure that we are not or I will abandon you all to be cut down by those freaks." He warns his small staff of scientists. He flips open his phone, types in a code, and speaks. "God hath created heaven and earth. I am your god."
Over a dozen sets of darling eyes light up in the darkness and awaken to their creator's command. They step from the shadows these precious teenage dolls and begin acting as firefighters. They pull people from the rubble and murder any of the zombies that slipped through the fences along with anyone showing signs of infection. The vaccine was ready for use there's just not enough of it for everyone. A normally hard decision for a man to make to many in order to save a few, but not for Lye.

He goes to Evangeline and asks her to sit still as Suzette administers the cure. Who knew he could invent something that actually saves the life of someone he loves. He is only use to them dying around him. This creates such a sense of confidence. If he can do this he really can do anything. His angel's symptoms begin to clear up immediately. The air filter starts to decontaminate the room and the test results come back clean. A tiny prick of blood from her finger tip confirms it she is healthy again and now possibly immune to the virus.

"Open the door." He orders.

"Are you sure, sir? If she's not fully healed you could become sick." The lab tech hesitates.

"Since when have I been wrong? Or the better question is since when were you given the right to second guess me?" He snips. The lab tech quickly slides down the lever to release the locks. The air pops and hisses as she is finally free. Lye gets down on one knee and holds his arm out to his daughter. "I'll take any risk for you, my child."

Admist the happy reunion the sirens go off. "What is it now?" He is tired of always being interrupted during rarely happy moments.

"Sir, it's Mad Cat, he's standing right outside our wing and he seems to be holding a body. Jesus, he's covered in blood." The lab tech holds a hand over his mouth.

Lye has a bad feeling about this since he knows Madden does not distinctly care for any human being besides Valentina. He moves in front of the screen before Evangeline can see. Despite the blood and gore covering the woman's body he can tell it's her, the mother of his child, Corie. He lets out a small sigh. "Take him into decontamination. Check if the body is still alive. If not place it under glass until the virus is confirmed destroyed." He flips off the screen making certain not to let on who the cat has dragged in.

"Sweetheart, daddy has to deal with his friends but I'll be back as soon as possible. Are you hungry? I'll send up some cake and ice-cream to start celebrating." He barely lets her get a word in edgewise as he rushes out the door.

"Sir, I have to ask why is it the virus has affected all other humans but not Mad Cat?" The tech wonders.

"Good question, let us see." He knows Madden must be hiding something.


Madden sits silently on the examining table wearing nothing more than a hospital gown. He shivers from the cold water they used to blast him. His hair is still dripping when Lye appears. He peers up at him from under his overgrown bangs.

"I gather the saying one looks like a wet cat comes as literal in this instance." Lye makes a dry joke. Madden rolls his eyes. "Taken a blood test yet?"

"Don't need one I'm not infected." He sounds like a defiant child.

"It's not up for debate." Lye flat out orders. The nurse in a hazmat suit comes in and is careful not to tear the suit as she gets close to him and his claws. "I know you must be upset, but life and death are part of the job. Then we must move on."

"Tell that to Corie's daughter and see how that rolls over." He snaps. "Aren't you afraid I'll infect you or have you already saved your own skin?"

"You already know the answer no need to be coy." Lye doesn't deny it. "As if you wouldn't have done the same then stole it and sold it to the highest bidder." He accuses given a hypothetical situation.

"Heh," Madden sneers, "you know me." He doesn't want to talk to him anymore. As soon as Lye leaves he's going to snatch up that blood and find a way to switch it out. He knows 1 of 2 things will occur if the see his results either 1) bullet to the brain or 2) vivisection.
He's not about to let either happen he doesn't want to end up like poor Corie.

For the first time ever, Juliet felt powerful and not helpless. Even though she wasn't one for killing, fighting or anything related to such she knew that this was no world for her to be innocent, vulnerable or helpless... or depending. This was another world altogether where it's fight or die and that last one was no option to her.

She almost jumped when she felt her body against another and relief followed after when she heard the familiar voice that she, for so long, hoped to hear once more."Thought I was here to save you? But if you don't need me I can kick back with a cold beer and let you have at it." She took a quick glance behind her. It was her Beau.

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, if you can't take the heat, that's your call." She said before taking three more shots, grabbed Beau's hand and the two kept on running.

They found a fire escape and went up the building. Once on the roof, Juliet looked down to check if these infected remembered how to use ladders; they didn't, but who says it won't take them long to figure out?

Up, where it was safe, she turned to Beau and her heart fluttered like a butterfly. She walked up to him and, slap! right across Beau's face. From his confused and questioning expression she knew she had to clarify.

One of her hands went to rest on her hip while the other just hung on her side, gun still in hand. "I told you to be there when I awoke." After a few seconds staring at each other she just couldn't help smile at him again and blush a little; remembering what had happened in her comatose dreams. Were they just her dreams? Or did they really have a psychic connection during that said time? She didn't care. After what happened in that reality they had created, she didn't want to hold back her true feelings for him anymore.

"Oh kiss me you fool!" She jumped and wrapped her legs around his waist, giving him the best kiss she could muster.

On that same position she pulled back and just flat out said. "We have to go find G."

Behind her she heard a growling sound. The infected just remembered how ladders work. "You cover me, I cover you?"

Beau was relieved to hear that Juliet had developed a sense of humor while in her medically induced coma. She pulls him up the fire escape to the roof completely forgetting how Beau can leap tall buildings in a single bow much like Superman. She's too strong for him to try and pull away plus it's nice to have her tiny hand in his again.
Once on the roof all he gets is a slap to the face. Her reasoning is true but he has a real excuse but before he has a chance to explain she's locking her sweet little strawberry lips against his. She's still a bit chilly, but it he isn't left any less hot for her.

"Kinky," he jests with no concern to the living dead making their way up to them. Not like a bunch of rotting corpses were going to harm them. Juliet's far too strong and Beau isn't even human so it's all a big joke.

Juliet keeps talking. "We have to go find G." He almost forgot about her. She finally notices the zombies behind her. "You cover me, I cover you?"

"Always and forever," Beau lets out a corny line. As Juliet lets the shots fly he leaps up behind the small hoard and breaks off the top half of the fire escape so no more can make it up. He then turns to those behind him. Like a bouncer at a club he starts tossing them over the edge to splatter onto the pavement like rotten fruit. The bodies drop like flies until only Beau and Juliet are left standing on the roof. They smile at one another as if their relationship has finally come full circle and they are truly partners. "So where did you leave Gedra?"

"Behind you, jackass." Her deep voice appears out of nowhere. Beau turns around to the one armed woman holding her detached arm over her shoulder.

"What the fuck happened to you?" Beau is sincerely surprised.

"A mutated assassin ripped my arm off making sure your tiny girlfriend got away. I need to make repairs. Can we save the small talk and get back to the doctor's house?" Gedra snips. She places the arm back to the shoulder and the general locking parts match back up but it's still not functional though attached again.

"Here," Beau pulls off his over shirt and rips it into a sling so her arm doesn't hang. "Juliet, ready to go meet your maker?" He motions for them to head west. Beau picks Juliet up bridal style and the three take off from rooftop to rooftop until they reach a residential area outside the city. Beau lands in a random looking yard and opens the back sliding door. Inside is a lovely house with all the lights on. In the kitchen stands Dr. Takeru making coffee. "We're back..."

It just occurred to Juliet that this would be the first time she has ever spoken to her creator since this whole nightmare started. The only memories she had of him were fake. In the distorted reality those scientists created for her, Takeru was her cousin. Of course that was a big fat lie now that she knew what was going on.

It was nerve wrecking. She didn't want to go in the house.. She didn't want that man anywhere near her. He was a mad scientist. Although one question came to mind. Why were they at his house? Don't scientists work at labs at this hour too?

She looked at Beau for reassurance. Surely enough his presence made her feel safe enough to go into the kitchen, where Takeru was making tea. His very presence made her skin crawl. A few sudden images of him poking and probing her came to mind and she could feel the piercing needles being injected into her skin.

Takeru turned to her. His expression was unreadable. "Hello, Julie." He greets her the friendliest way possible to relieve the tension.

"H-hi."

He offers her a seat, but she doesn't budge from where she stands.
The scientist could see that she probably expects him to sit her down to be experimented on which he finds both funny and pitiful. "Don't worry. This is no place for experimentation. I wouldn't want to contaminate the food."

That made her feel so much better. She sits down in the end and looks over at Gedra and Beau. "Why are we here?"

Takeru ends up being the one to answer her questions. "Well, your bodyguard wants you to be cured. Of course, saving the rest of the world is also most likely in order if he ever wants to give you... whatever it is he wants to give you. A..." He tried thinking of the right words to say. "A normal life? Whatever I denied you of? Yes, I suppose that's one way to put it."

He sits down next to her. Even knowing Takeru had nothing to hurt with on him she still scooted away from him.

"Of course I told him there's no real need to," he airquotes, "cure you. Your current pathogen is Ten's, which is completely harmless." He takes a sip of his tea. "You can have your super human abilities, but if you would like to be normal I would have to take a sample from you in order to make you a cure."

"I thought you already had one." Even if he offered her the cure, why take it? After experiencing fully her abilities for the first time she is skeptical about riding herself of them.

"No, the one I made was for the original virus, not for Ten." He clarifies her.

She suspects he is referring to Jyu, since that's what her name meant.

He goes on explaining that Ten was a whole different virus. Unlike all the other versions, Ten was the one who pulled through the project's expectations.

Juliet stops his explanations. "I appreciate what everyone is trying to do, but... I hardly thinking curing me right now is the priority." She looks over at Beau. "You saw what's happening out there. I don't know... maybe... it's all my fault the world's falling apart. If it wasn't because I ran away, taking Beau with me, Takeru wouldn't have had to send those clones out in the open and the city wouldn't be infected."

Beau was going to retort her conclusions, say it wasn't her fault, that it was the virus inside her that did all these things. But Juliet didn't let him speak. "I think what matters right now, more than anything, is that this world be saved..." She met Beau's eyes again. "Or else there won't be anything else to live for."

Every word out of Takeru's mouth is more infuriating than the last. Why was he sitting here listening to this piece of shit who started all this when he should be working with them to figure out how to save the world. Beau knows he may be conceded in his ambitions to keep Juliet safe above all but he's willing to sacrifice himself for everyone.

Juliet refuses to let Beau argue with the so called logic and stops him before he can assure her it's not completely her fault. "I think what matters right now, more than anything, is that this world be saved..." She looks him in the eyes. "Or else there won't be anything else to live for."

"All that is sweet and dandy, but where the hell do we start?" He looks back at Takeru. "You, Dr. Douchebag, I'm in no mood for your selfish logic." He stands as if he's going to hit the man. "I'm a god damn android and I'm more human than you. You treated those other clones like failures, but YOU are the failure. This cluster-fuck of a world is YOUR fault. We're trying to figure out what to do, but you sit there on your high horse trying to change the subject exclusively to my intentions. I don't know this virus inside her or shit. I'm going to give her as normal a life as possible as long as I live. More than anything you've ever given her. Human life isn't meant to be used as disposable material. Every life has a soul. You created a soul." Beau has had this pent up rant for a while now and he's not about to let keep it bottled up any longer. "Can't help but wonder where you got the DNA for the female chromosomes? Where you ever married? Did you use your daughter? When did your humanity shrivel up into a ball of bile?" He's ready to take him out on a personal level but then it occurs to him the donor was probably a person who was as disposable of the clones. "I could take you out right now and contaminate you then you wouldn't have to worry about the precious food in your kitchen, but I know Juliet wouldn't like it. So you know what? Fuck you, you fucking fucker. Go crawl into a hole and fuck yourself."

The silence in the room is like a fog.
"Your vocabulary is as diverse as ever, Beau." Gedra sighs. "Aside from his complex circuit board errors I wanted to inquire if you had any means of repairing machinery? As you can see I have sustained damage while battling an advanced virus victim. I believe she is the actual source of this outbreak. Luckily, I was able to eliminate her."

"You really asking this asshole for help?" Beau glares at her.

"If he is withholding the ability to help I'm sure he knows who I am and how badly I can harm him even with damage." Gedra assures him. She pulls a pack of cigarettes from the coat Juliet is wearing and tosses it to Beau. "Remain calm we need clear minds in order to fight. Until then there is no use in senseless bickering. I must make repairs. It would be a great help if you would assist me so I need you sturdy."

Beau grumbles but pulls a cigarette out with his teeth and goes outside the door to smoke.
"I apologize," she tells Dr. Takeru, "any help at this point would be greatly appreciated."
Gedra sits topless, her large breast smeared with blood, on a steel table. There is a mirror so she can see what she and Beau are doing. "Primitive tools," she surmises as she holds up a screwdriver, "all the advancements in the world and the most basic are what divide humans from other primates."

"Take what we can get, I guess." Beau uses a simple soldering iron to re-adhere the plastic of the wires in her shoulder. "There has to be somewhere else to do this. . .what happened to the original Apothecary building?"

"It was turned into an auxiliary lab and storage facility." Gedra answers.

"How much you wanna bet they still have some of our spare parts there?" Beau comes up with long shot.

Gedra grins at him. "Worth a look."

The door opens from it's cracked position and Juliet walks in.