Chapter 55.1

In the darkness of the night, a single ambulance drove through the empty streets. The flashing sirens lit the twilight like a small flickering flame in a swallowing abyss of darkness as it rushed forward. Inside, a paramedic sat next to a black body bag while a medi-bot drove the ambulance.

The paramedic tried chewing on a fruit bar but the tangy taste of pears and carrots reminded him of the recent scene he visited. The memory of broken bodies and dismembered limbs emerged once more and a sickening knot was formed in his stomach.

"Ungh," the paramedic nearly gagged when he recalled the scene and had to force himself to swallow the mouthful of food. Looking down at the half-eaten bar, he tossed it aside while his stomach churned.

"Should've gone for accounting," the paramedic murmured before downing an entire bottle of mineral water, unaware of the body bag jerking every so slightly.

As the body bag moved more vigorously, the paramedic noticed and jumped back, startled and frightened. The bag continued struggling, as though the contents within wanted to escape.

Oh my god, he's still alive! The paramedic thought. The idiot who declared he was dead didn't bother to check his goddamn pulse?!

"Hold on, I'll get you out!" The paramedic shouted as he rushed forward to help the person in the body bag.

Before he could unzip it, a scaled hand ripped through the bag and clasped firmly on his throat. The paramedic's eyes widened and he tried calling for help, but only wizened breaths of struggle escaped his throat. The clawed arm increased its grip on his throat till, with a sickening crunch, the paramedic's throat snapped. The lifeless body of the paramedic was thrown away with a thud.

The medi-bot realized that something was off and activated the ambulance's auto-drive mode, but a scaled trail erupted from the body bag and stabbed it. The tail ran through the medi-bot's chest effortlessly but didn't stop; it smashed into the steering wheel and damaged the ambulance's self-driving system. The ambulance ran over a curb and crashed into the corner of a building.

***

"Michelle! Michelle!" A voice echoed as a groggy Michelle opened her eyes in confusion. Her vision was blurry, and smoke filled her lungs as she felt the heat from a nearby flame burn her skin. 

"Tenez-vous bien, je vais vous sortir!" The voice said and Michelle struggled to move but a weight pinned her down.

"Frère? Où -?" Michelle hoarsely called out, completely bemused. 

Dust permeated her mouth and she choked before coughing. The sound of digging and debris moving neared her as a bright light blinded her and a shadow fell upon her.

"Michelle!" Raphael shouted again. "Restez éveillé, ne dormez pas!"

"Frère," Michelle sobbed. "Je ne sens pas ma main. Frère!"

"Tu vas aller bien," Raphael reassured after a moment of hesitation. The panic in his voice did little too allay Michelle's distress as she began to panic. "Reste avec moi, ok?"

"Ma main .  .  .  mes jambes .  .  .  Je ne ressens rien!" Michelle stuttered after spouting some dust from her mouth. "Frère .  .  .  Aidez-moi!  Frère!"  [1]

Michelle jumped up from her bed, her sheets soaking wet from cold sweet. A tingling pain from her missing arm pricked her and she frowned as she sat up and looked at the stump.

"Pas encore," she muttered in French as she gently massaged the edge of her missing arm.

Gazing at the clock, Michelle realized that it was late at night, but stood up and walked to the window, her intent to sleep all but gone as the echoes of her nightmare lingered in the back of her mind. The view from the bedroom which she was sleeping in allowed her to see the grounds of the Jones mansion, including the front yard. She gazed at the darkened garden, lost in her own thoughts when she saw movement from the corner of her eyes. 

Focusing on the grounds, Michelle triggered an AEM program in her holo-lenses, turning her eyes green as the specially designed holo-lenses' night vision mode was activated. With her enhanced vision, she was clearly able to see someone sneaking out of the mansion grounds.

"Que pense-t-il qu'il fait?" Michelle muttered to herself with a frown before hurriedly dressing herself and pursuing the figure.

***

Markus walked through the empty streets, two hands in his pocket as he inhaled a cigarette that was on his lips.

"Damn, it's good to get out of there," Markus muttered as he spat out the butt of the cigarette and crushed it underneath his foot.

"Que faites-vous?" A voice behind him asked.

"Motherfu - what are you doing here?!" Markus jumped in fear and surprise before turning around and noticing Michelle.

Michelle was leaning on a wall with her arms crossed, staring intently at Markus with a frown.

"It's late," Michelle said.

"And?" Markus asked glaringly. "What's it to you?"

"Did you forget?" Michelle asked. "I'm to protéger you."

"Protect?" Markus sneered. "It's been over two weeks and nothing has happened -"

"Shh," Michelle frowned and interrupted Markus. She could hear the distant screeching of wheels coming closer. "Ecoutez."

"No, you listen to me. I don't need you breathing down my -"

Before Markus could finish, Michelle tackled him to the ground just as an ambulance passed by. The ambulance continued onwards and crashed into a building. Rolling into a crouch, Michelle pulled out her gun and aimed at the ambulance, her eyes narrowed as she realized something was wrong. At the same time, she used her holo-lenses to activate a beacon, informing AEM that something was wrong with her mission. Almost immediately, she was informed that backup was on the way.

The back doors of the ambulance were kicked off its hinges, flying dangerously close to Michelle and Markus. The latter ducked, but the former barely moved as the door flew past her, blowing her hair aside. A large scale figure came tumbling down, swearing in a strange hissing language.

Filthy Seeker, Salamander hissed. I need to inform the elders. His abilities are proof the humans are now a threat and must be culled.

But first, I need to deal with these interlopers, Salamander turned to Michelle and Markus before smiling hideously, the wide grin showing all his yellowed teeth.

Qu'est-ce que c'est? Michelle thought with a frown. Est-ce même humain?

"Hmm, two more younglings," Salamander hissed and both Michelle and Markus shuddered. "I could go for a snack."

"Fuyez," Michelle said quietly to Markus as she loaded live ammunition into her pistol.

"What? And leave you here?!" Markus asked disbelievingly.

"Aller! Maintenant!" Michelle said loudly as she began firing. 

Seeing the scaled skin, she instantaneously concluded that the bullets wouldn't pierce Salamander and instead aimed at his eyes. The bullets bounced as Salamander narrowed his eyes, protecting them from harm.

Clever girl. But that won't help, Salamander thought as he dashed forward. Michelle ducked and dodged his claws, but a swipe of his tail from her blind spot smacked into her sending her flying away.

Salamander licked his claws as she turned to Markus. Noticing that the latter was frozen in place, he sneered and turned back to Michelle who was trying to crawl to her gun.

Always eat the soft ones first, he thought as he grinned and approached her. 

What he failed to notice was that Markus was staring dumbly at the figure behind him that mysteriously appeared in a blink of the eye from the shadows . . .

[1] Michelle's memory of when she lost her arm. It is a recurring nightmare for her, where she remembers Raphael trying to help her whilst she panics when realizing she can't feel her arms and legs.