Chapter 6 - That's it!?

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~Isaac pov~

*Gasp!*

Inhaling sharply a full lung of air Isaac couldn't help but dry heave the amount of dust clogging his windpipe as he sat up amongst the debris caused by unforseen events. Staring up at the gaping inverted hole made by his unconventional entry he felt the joints in his neck pop audibly bringing relief.

[Hp: 39%]

*Cough* "fuck...I almost died...." he groaned as his body shifted underneath his clothes in an effort to heal his scrapes and bruises. Running his hands along the dust riddled pants he immediately felt the sensation of shrapnel bits in his righ thigh and calf.

In quick succession he painfully yanked them free to allow his body to properly heal.

*Spitch!*

"Chhrr!"

*Shliik!*

"Guh! Dying light...of all the places to send me...Ah!...it was a world involving intense exercise..." Isaac groaned in pain as he yanked out the last piece and tossed it aside.

Suddenly isaac tensed as the sounds of a plane flying low overhead shook the fragile infrastructure.

With his enhanced sight he witnessed a military issued boeing C-17 aircraft passing by high across the cityscape for a brief moment from the hole above. The sound of its multiple engines reverberating throughout the air.

With it came the sight of multple unloadings of parchute aided cargo.

Sprinting up and out of the opening in the roof he ran like a bat out of hell from building to building with ungraceful ease. All the while he kept his focus on the nearest payload.

'Just like in the game, where there are airdrops, there is antizin. That stuff is practically priceless in this city! And a perfect pass to get into the tower!'

Isaac's current plan was to get to the tower in order to find refuge and he wasn't foolish enough to think those tower folk would just let him join out of the kindness of their hearts. No..he needed to prove he was a valuable asset. Carrying back a few containers of antizen bit by bit should be a good starts.

Running along the wall of a much taller buildings, he leaped across rooftop at heights and lengths no human could pull off without the aid of advanced tools only given to elite nightrunners and gliding through the air to his newest sought after goal.

All the while he focused his attention on the red smoke billowing into the sky in the distance drawing near.

As for the infected who somehow stranded themselves in passing balconies, he made sure to consume them too, no sense in wasting good biomass.

...

[Evolution: Level - 1 (1.2%)]

...

"You're kidding me...that's it!" Dozens of bodies and I only gained a measly 1 percent!" Isaac choked as he landed out of sight close by the first airdrop to see a group of men in partially yellow tactical attire.

"Great...Rais's lapdogs." Without hesitation he walked out into the open garnering the predatory gazes of the four men who been loading the two crates onto a modified vehicle only to put down the container as he made himself known.

Like beasts to prey three of the bandits slowly surrounded the boy as the fourth kept his distance. Laughing sadisticly towards their new arrival.

"Well~well, look what we have here boys. Nice day for a swim, huh? Haha~ I didn't think one of you tourist filth could survive this long dressed like that! Your basically zombie bait!" The supposed leader laughed as he provokingly pushed the teen with his comrades.

'Dressed like wh- Oh...' staring down at his current attire he couldn't help but agree with the bastard. What was once his white tank top was torn, the dull grey swim trunks he wore now torn asunder into mere tattered rags.

'F*ck...I was so distracted with my new powers that I didn't think to change...I look like an idiot...'

Returning his gaze to the group it scanned each member until it fell on the 4th staying back by the drops.

"Hey you, what size pants are you wearing?" He wondered as the masked man twirled his machete in an effort to intimidate.

"Why the fuck do you care brat. You looking to join, is that it?" He spat as the they walked swiftly over to press the tip of his weapon against Isaac's stomach in an attempt to intimidate their supposed prey.

"Well too fucking bad, we don't accept you american pigs in our ranks!" The gangster hissed as the tip of the blade broke through his skin.

Scoffing at man's blatant discrimination he merely struck the weapon out of the bastard's grasp and extended a hand forward to grip the neck of the thug whose eyes widened under their mask as he was lifted up off the ground.

"Not at all, I just needed a new set of clothes."

*SNAP!*

[Combat proficiency: +1]

Applying a bit of pressure the grown man's fragile neck broke beneath muscle and skin, tossing the hunk of deceased flesh he sprinted faster than the man could hope to comprehend as he thrust his fist through the insignificant man's chest cavity.

Meanwhile Isaac felt the familiar sting of his back being pierced for him to look and see two self-made knives dug deep into his flesh only for the wounded area to contort and launched them right back at the perpetrator resulting in both blades shooting through the origional wielders chest and lower extremities.

[Combat proficiency: +1]

[Combat proficiency: +1]

Absorbing the one still held up by their insides he focused his attention to the last two who seemed to have realize they were hopelessly outgunned as they raised their hands in a manner of surrender while distancing themselves from the scene and stripping off their gear.

"W–wait! We give man, take the meds, our clothes, hell take all our shit, just let us go alright! I got a pregnant wife waiting for me back home!"

"I'm done...fuck this gig, and fuck Rais! I'm not dying over a pair of pants!"

With those last fear ridden words the two ran off like bats out of hell not even looking back to see if the monster they just witnessed slaughtering their ally's.

Isaac wasn't sure if the pregnant wife comment made was sincere or just a desperate lie, he couldn't care less. The crates were his, had new clothes to try on and weapons to keep for those back home.

Stripping off the clothes of his first actual living victim he absorbed the rest of the thugs and turned his attention to the two crates themselves, but as he did so his body suddenly convulsed in disgust.

"Uuulgh...that taste... the last guy must have been a drug addict..."

Lifting them one at a time was no issue, it was the fact he needed to do so without being seen lugging them around by the few lingering city residence.

Thus...he decided to stash the of the blue containers inside them both in locations for later retrieval.

By the time he changed into his newest attire and finished his errand the sun had already begun to set.

As for the clothes in question, he simply chose the dark yellow streaked cargo pants and shoes worn by the one who's neck he'd snapped but kept his tear riddled tank top.

For the rest of the trek to the two towers with two cases of antizin in tow he did so in a more humane manner. The last thing he wanted was to show off his viral abilities to a bunch of cautionary survivors.

As night finally fell upon the city he was already standing before the locked door leading inside the building he had needed to put one of the canisters to strike the door hard enough to garner the attention of those further inside.

"Hey! Is anyone in there!? Let me in! It's getting darker out here! Please!" Isaac barked loudly as he heard the monstrous howls of volatiles in the wind only to recieve no response.

"Come on! You want me to beg? Trade something? What? Answer me!"

To his disbelief the once active U.V lamps shining above the entrance switched off, leaving the teen in complete darkness.

"You mother f*ckers!" Roughly putting down one of the crates isaac drove his shoulder against the locked door over and over again. Feeling the metal slightly bend inward with every hit.

"RRRAAAAAHRRR~!!!"

Widening his eyes at the sounds of volatiles cries in the far distance growing louder with each passing second his efforts became more desperate. With one final push the door's gave way, picking up his containers he tossed them inside and shut the doors behind him just in time to see four of the evolved infected charging his way, their glowing eyes filled with ravenous intent.

Using himself as a living barricade he held the doors in place to prevent their entry for what felt an eternity as they clawed and bashed against the only things separating them from those further within until the lamps above the doorway sparked to life once more, the smell of roasting flesh funneling through his nostrils came moments after as the sounds of their footsteps grew more faint.

Breathing heavily due to the wild rush of adrenaline that had coarsed through his veins now begun to wane, allowing him to calm himself as he rose and examined his new surroundings.

The buildings lower interior of the bottom floor was pitch black and in irreparable condition as though it all was beaten to dust by a demolition crew. And the there was the hole above to the left leading to the second floor wh-

*PIERCE!*

"F*CK!!" Isaac cried out as a blade found its way deeply into one of his sockets.

Meanwhile his lone eye caught the sight of a blur move his way in time to feel the wind forcefully leave his lungs as he was pinned against the doors. Staring up at his attacker he saw a woman in her late twenties staring down at him with cold hostility holding a machete to his throat.

"Bad enough we're in the middle of a goddamn apocalypse, you sadistic animals had to make things worse with this stunt!" She spat as the blade dug into his skin.

"Aagh, no, Stop! What are you talking about!? All i wanted was some shelter for the night, even lugged this stupid medicine in those orange crates here to give you all as payment! Other safe zones said it was priceless! I yelled out to you guys and no one was answering! Then those lamps shut off! I panicked, okay! Aaaah~" he groaned as his hand reached up to feel around the area of his damaged socket.

Blinking in surprise at his words she quickly looked to the cases that were laying on the ground. One opened due to its latch giving way when it was tossed to the ground to reveal vials of antizin scattering the floor.

"You...you aren't one of Rais's people? Your clothes..."

"F*ck, no lady! Who is Rais!? I looted a body for these... if i knew they belonged to a criminal i wouldn't have touched'em!!! I was in nothing but swim trunks and sandals since the start of this nightmare! Oooh~ i'm getting light headed..."

Now wearing a look of worry and panick she draped one of his arms over her shoulders and helped the teen towards the entryway to the next floor above.

"Hey! I need help over here!" She yelled earning the attention of two men dressed in militaristic attire who bent over to hoist the injured teen up the ledge only to let go mid-way when they saw his dark colored garments.

"What the hell, Jade! Why are you helping a-"

"He's not one of them! I-...I made a bad call, get him to the clinic, now!" Jade yelled, climbing up herself she shoved one of the blue cases into the arms of the closest gaurd who widened their eyes at what they were given as she went back down to retrieve the other and its scattered contense, returning she stacked it on the other in their hands and ushered them to the elevator.

"And give these to Lena, start administering them to the people who are near their deadline, quickly!"

Getting inside the hotel elevator they all remained silent yet the air was filled with tension. Both due to their injured guest and what he had given. Meanwhile Isaac bared his teeth in agony as he did his best to keep himself from yanking the hand crafted knife out of his damaged socket. Not so much due to the pain but more so from the irritation of it digging and stirring inside from every movement he was forced to make.

'This is total bullsh*t...'

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~Jade pov~

"Hold him still!"

Watching the nurse she had known since the start of the outbreak slowly and methodically remove the short blade embedded inside the socket of the boy she had attacked the woman could only grimace as the teen cursed and cried out in pain while the gaurds who helped the boy up to their current level held his arms and legs down to allow Lena to finish her work.

After applying bandages to his eye and injecting heavy sedative onto their newest resident his cries died down as his lone eye lulled closed, his breathing slowly slowing to a steady pace, all signs showing he was beginning to nod off.

Putting aside her tools the nurse breathed a heavy sigh and retrieved and lit a cigarette from one of her pants pockets.

"There...all finished." *puff~* "...the eye is irreparably damaged, but as far as I examined there doesn't appear to be any deeper trauma." *puff~* "...we'll just have to wait until he wakes up in a few hours to see if he's in a more...agreeable mood."

*Sigh~* "Thank you Lena...I just...I thought...everything was happening so fast..."

"Don't blame yourself, Jade. The boy was simply in the right place, at the wrong time. Didn't help that he was wearing those god awful pants...!" Lena chuckled dryly, causing the runner to roll her eyes.

"I...I know. It's just...the timing was so coincidental. The survivors we brought in today, turning out to be Rais's thugs...sabotaged the buildings lights. If Breckon and the others hadn't killed them and fixed what they had damaged we'd be in total permanent darkness right now! And when I saw him at the entrance my body just...moved on its own." she said looking at the teens bandaged eye.

"Speaking of our guest, do you think he has more? If he truly got to a drop before Rais's men then he must have done something with the other cases." Both of them remained silent mulling over this question only to hear a small group of people enter the man made medical ward.

"Jade! There you are!" A man in a tight short sleeve yellow shirt and cargo paints yelled as he made his way in with the same gaurds from before in tow. As he did so his eyes immediately fixed themselfs on the young man laying unconscious on the medical table.

"So...this is the kid who busted open the front doors downstairs. Gotta admit its hard to believe with his weight and build, definitely not one of Rais's either. Ever since the GRE blocked off the entire city american tourists have been getting hounded by him and his men." Brecken surmised as he scrutinized the boys muscularity.

"So...he's allowed to stay the night?" Jade asked with a raised brow. Sure she felt guilty for partially blinding him but he was still an unknown variable.

"Considering what he brought in? He certainly deserves more than a night." The lead runner smirked, for a time they all watched the man pace in thought. Turning to the nurse they all saw a smile grace the stressed man's lips as he stared at the unconscious new arrival.

"Lena...let us know when the kid wakes up. We may just have a new potential runner on our hands."

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