Facing Reality

Caption (to assist readers):

- Everything is good. - = speech of the character

"All good." = character thoughts (during certain scenes)

*boom* = ambient or scenery sounds (similar to using other types of comic fonts)

This chapter is told from James Heller's point of view.

I provided two samples of my blood to Ragland, in addition to sharing all my experience after being infected, including the most recent ones, such as the ability to evolve and the feeling of an internal voice in my mind recently, we stayed around 2 hours talking in his lab until I decided I couldn't stay any longer.

- James, do you want to be healed? - Ragland asked me before we reached the door, I could feel that he was ready for any answer, but he wanted to be sure how much I knew about my current situation.

- Yes Ragland, although my body may have reached a point of no return, I would like to have the chance to be a normal human and father again, regardless of how long it may take. - I reply Ragland sincerely, who remained silent after my answer.

We were both silent after leaving the lab until we reached the entrance to the building.

- I'll arrange for Maya and Dana to be transported here; will the Resistance be able to receive them without problems? - I questioned Ragland before saying goodbye.

- Yes James, Dana is highly respected by the Resistance even after the events of Mercer, together we will manage to keep her daughter safe. - Ragland answers me, I could feel that he was telling the truth.

- Take care Ragland and thanks. - I said goodbye to Ragland with a discreet handshake, in which he reciprocated, with a slight smile present on his face.

I moved discreetly to the nearest alley and climbed one of the buildings until I reached its terrace, time to call Rooks again.

- Rooks, I want access to one helicopter for getting Dana and my daughter out of the Red Zone to the Yellow Zone. - I asked Rooks who this time just waited in the call while in silence.

- Arrive at my base in the morning with they both ready for transport, take one of our helicopters, stay in the airspace granted to Blackwatch and land at the corresponding base that we have control in the Yellow Zone and we will have no problems. - Replies Rooks with his rules and then hanging up. Rooks didn't seem to like the request, but at least he didn't refuse.

I use my cell phone to check the time, it's 21:19, I decide to wait until the curfew starts after 22:00 before taking care of the remaining infected.

"Come to me."

I use my command over infected skill that was improved after consuming Mercer, to lure all the infected towards me, I notice that their numbers increased from 3 to 7 during my absence, which leads me to not wait for them to get closer and I start my hunt for eliminating them quickly.

3 Brawler Hunters, 3 Infected Humanoids and 1 Flyer, all hunted and consumed by me quickly and as discreetly as possible without any interference from Blackwatch.

Time to head back to Dana's apartment, I make sure to use my combined hunting skills and viral vision to make sure I've eliminated all the infected, before launching myself like a cannon shot into the skies to travel between zones again.

I was able to reduce the travel time between zones by combining my flying skill with my ability to boost air, such a combination allows me short moments of acceleration in the air, I can use a boost every 10 seconds, but without limits of use beyond intervals.

"Faster! Is still not enough!"

I hear this voice again in my mind, dissatisfied with my slow progress, wishing for greater efficiency from my new skill. My thesis about this virus influencing my instincts makes sense.

I managed to travel twice as fast compared to the first travel, enough for me to ignore the inner voice of my mind with my current results.

I hide my wings and glide down to the street until I finally find myself again in front of Dana's building.

- I'm back Dana. - I inform Dana using my cell phone, following the previous pattern.

- Go up James. - Dana answers and hangs up after answering.

I enter the building and go up the stairs to her apartment again until I reach her door, two light knocks similar to the last time.

- Daddy! - I hear my daughter's voice again, almost like a Deja vu of today afternoon.

- Enter James. - Says Dana as she opens the door and turns her back towards the inside.

Another hug from my daughter, more pasta to eat this time for dinner, almost all the same that before, apart from Dana's serious expression, I feel that she wants to talk to me about something serious.

- Do you need to talk to me about something Dana? - I decide to question Dana as soon as I was finished interacting with my daughter.

- Yes James, could you put Maya to sleep first? - Dana answers me with another question, indicating a subject that my daughter should not hear.

- It's still early Daddy! - Complains Maya, something predictable considering that she spent the day locked in the apartment and looks still full of energy, but it was close to midnight, a very late time for a girl her age who will need to wake up early tomorrow.

- Daddy will tell you a story and hold your hand until you sleep my baby girl. Tomorrow we will wake up early, Dana and I will also sleep soon. - I tried to convince my daughter using the way her mother put her to sleep and telling the truth about tomorrow, because we would really travel early.

- Okay! - Exclaims my daughter as she holds my hand and pulls me towards the sofa, I think that's what she considers her new bed.

- James she can sleep in my room, today I'll take the couch for me. - Dana interrupts us before we reach the couch.

- Thanks, Dana. - I thanks Dana for her gesture in lending her room to my daughter.

Maya guides me to Dana's room, I feel that this is not the first time she has entered the room, it is a simple room with an adult single bed with a metal frame, a small dresser with 3 drawers with a picture frame on top, a small window sealed from the inside with wood and nails, in addition to the floor being the same as the room, with only the walls painted in different tones of the room, the room being dark blue and the bedroom dark violet.

Maya lays down on the bed while she doesn't let go of my hand, I help her cover herself up and adjust her pillow. She squeezes my hand after finally getting comfortable, as the signal to start the story.

I sit on the side of the bed without letting go of her hand, adjusting myself between the floor and the wall, I was never good at telling stories, I didn't take after my father and I have few memories of my mother, the only stories I have are the teachings of my father, my history with my late wife Colette and my missions as a marine, which I am not proud enough for telling to my daughter.

I decide to recount my journey upon returning to the city, excluding all human deaths and terror, turning it into something more fantastic and magical for a child. The journey of how one father valiantly faced all the monsters and saved his daughter, similar to a hero saving the princess from the terrible Dragon in the end, with a happy ending, without saying the "happily ever after" part, because that would hurt too much for me to lie.

- Daddy, you weren't afraid of the Dragon? - Asked my daughter as she shook my hand, I could feel that she knew who that Dragon was and that she was still afraid of him appearing again.

- Dad was afraid of losing you, Dad will fight against several Dragons to save you, no matter how many times I need. - I replied while looking into her eyes, I could see her concern disappear from her face and a smile appeared. - Sleep well my baby girl, dad loves you. - I completed by letting go of her hand, getting up from the floor and bowing down, giving her a kiss on the forehead before saying goodbye.

- I love you too daddy, good night. - Replied my daughter before closing her eyes and turning to the side, I could feel that she was still tired and felt more comfortable sleeping in bed than on the couch earlier.

I left the bedroom, slowly closing the door, returning to the living room, where I could see Dana sitting on the couch looking in my direction, waiting for the opportunity to talk alone.

- Do you mind if we talk outside? - Questions Dana, speaking low so as not to wake my daughter with her voice.

- Yes, we can. - I confirmed and we walked together towards the apartment door.

Dana and I left the apartment together and walked just a few more feet away from the door, next to the flight of stairs to the fourth floor.

- First you, what do you want to share with me? - Dana questioned bluntly, knowing that I also needed to talk about everything that happened today.

I summarized without holding details and while answering her questions, I can feel both mentally and instinctively that I can trust Dana, we have developed a bond of fellowship over the deaths in our families and our fight against the virus in the worst part of town. We become companions in struggle, pain and hope.

- Your turn Dana, what do I need to know? - Now it was my turn to ask Dana and find out what she wants to share.

- James, I don't know how I will protect your daughter in your absence, I used my metal detector on me and your daughter while she was sleeping on the couch... I'm clean, but they put a possible tracker on your daughter James, is located in her back close of her left lung and only Ragland can pull it out without hurting her during the extraction. - Dana shared while avoiding eye contact with me and squeezing her left wrist with her right hand, I could sense that she felt fear and anger at Blackwatch, because of what they did to the whole city and now what they did to my daughter.

- I considered this hypothesis Dana, it was too easy. - I replied Dana who acted surprised by me reaction. Blackwatch would never allow me to have a normal life again, even if Rooks had the ability to deceive me or didn't know about the tracker, they would never give up on my capture, using my daughter as collateral.

- I'm sorry James, Mercer destroyed your family's life and your daughter can never have a normal life again... - Before Dana could finish, I hugged her, letting her cry in my shoulder until stopping.

- Now look into my eyes Dana. - I said after breaking our hug and hold Dana's shoulders until she lifted her face and face me, her eyes still watering. - I am ready for this situation and you will help me because we are companions, not because you need to pay the sins of someone who never was your brother. - I conclude with letting off Dana's shoulders while I continue to look into her eyes.

- Give me a second. - Says Dana before taking off her jacket and...

*Loud nose blowing noise*

- Okay, it's over. We can start our new plan now James, thanks. - Dana answers me, after using her own jacket as a towel, blowing all the secretion from her nose out and wiping her tears with one of her jacket's sleeves.

- Can you modify my cell phone to encrypt our calls? - I ask Dana, knowing it was possible but not sure if I could do it on my own with my current skills.

- No, but I always have encrypted chips for my own use, if you manage to replicate your cell phone with different chips, we can confuse them better. - Dana answers me, with a slight smile, demonstrating that she had fully recovered.

We must prepare for the worst case scenario in less than 6 hours without arousing suspicion from Rooks or any Blackwatch surveillance, creating variables to protect our allies and my daughter. Something impossible for Ex-sergeant James, but possible for the Monster James, whatever the cost, they will never lay a finger on my daughter again.