Capítulo 13: Chapter 13: Helluva Night
Barry had just parked the prisoner truck in front of the decimated home. In a gathering of scant supplies, the sheriff and deputy sheriff, armed and vigilant, stood guard against the looming threat of infected. As Barry stepped out of the truck, the sheriff approached him.
"Bigger than I imagined," Barry commented.
"It'll accommodate a good number of folks," the Sheriff replied with a nonchalant shrug. "You know where we're headed?"
"I don't have the answer yet," Barry shook his head. "You might want to ask Chris about that. After today, we're likely going on the run, leaving this place far behind. As for you, I'm not sure."
"That's what's keeping me up at night," the sheriff sighed. "Maybe we should consider staying put and awaiting the military while you all make your escape."
"You're considering that?" Barry raised an eyebrow.
"I can't say I'm tempted, but the risks may outweigh the benefits."
"Yeah," Barry mused, patting the sheriff's shoulder as he walked by. He made his way toward the supplies with the intention of loading them into the truck. But then, Claire emerged from the garage, eyeing the truck.
"That's quite the beast," Claire whistled. "You sure it's fast enough?"
"If we don't end up being chased," Barry shrugged. "But it'll have to do. Can you give me a hand?"
Claire didn't say a word; she simply grabbed one of the boxes and followed Barry towards the truck.
Suddenly, they heard an explosion echoing in the distance, coming from the direction where Jill and Ethan were supposed to be.
"Oh God," Claire frowned. "That's where those two were headed, right?"
"Yeah," Barry also frowned, his expression darkening. But then, another shockwave hit, this time much closer. They turned towards the source—it was on the street. The asphalt had cracked, and atop the 'crash site' were Ethan and Jill themselves, carrying stacks of papers and files.
"Holy crap," Claire murmured. "They can do that? That means... I can do that too."
Barry said nothing to Claire. He dropped the boxes into the truck and walked towards them.
"Did you get him?" Barry quickly asked, his gaze locked on Jill.
Jill didn't utter a word; she simply nodded and walked past him, leaving Ethan to talk to Barry.
"She's the one who did it, if you're wondering," Ethan explained.
"And where's... his body?" Barry asked, clearly unsettled by the answer.
"In her."
"What?" Barry seemed taken aback by the response.
"You know how I absorb those monsters you saw, right?" Ethan clarified. "She did that to him."
"Jesus," Barry sighed. "That's one way to pay respects, I guess. What's that?" Barry pointed at the files in Ethan's hands.
"Files from the facility. It's a long story; I'll fill you in later if we get the chance. For now, let's get out of here before the military arrives. The sun's coming up. Where's Chris?"
"Still inside."
Ethan hummed, walking past Barry as he approached the truck, stashing the files inside. He then entered the building, finding Chris sitting there, clutching his chest, the wounds still far from healed.
"Is it done?" Chris asked calmly.
"You might want to ask Jill about that," Ethan replied, equally calm. "The truck's ready. Where are we heading?"
"I know a place. I doubt they'll find us there as we've never really reported it. It's a secret, a mansion a couple of dozen miles from here."
"That mansion?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Alright... I thought there were monsters there?"
"But we've got you and Jill... and Claire," Chris said. "You can handle it, right?"
Ethan sighed. "Fine. Let's go. The sooner we leave, the safer we'll be."
Ethan then assisted Chris in walking towards the truck, but when he was halfway there, Claire stepped in. "Alright, I'll take care of him from now on."
"He's all yours," Ethan shrugged, handing Chris over to Claire. He then turned to the sheriff. "Sheriff, it's time to go."
The sheriff nodded and guided his family to the truck. Everyone quickly loaded the supplies and additional gear into the vehicle. Chris sat up front, with Barry as the driver, while the rest squeezed into the prisoner seats, surrounded by supplies.
As Ethan hopped into the truck, he noticed the sun beginning to rise, a foreboding sign. Suddenly, a hand touched his shoulder. Ethan turned; it was Jill.
"Do you hear that?" she asked in a hushed tone.
"What?" Ethan frowned, but he focused his senses. From the direction of the rising sun, he could hear a distant sound, a recurring noise that he recognized.
"Shit, a chopper," Ethan muttered. He hurried to the window separating the prisoner seats from the driver's area, banging on it. "Hey, let's move! We've got company!"
"Damn it," Barry cursed upon hearing the warning. "Is everyone ready?"
Ethan glanced at the seats. Everyone had taken their places, their faces etched with nervousness at the news. Ethan banged on the window again, signaling that they were prepared.
Finally, Barry hit the gas, propelling the truck forward.
—
Inside the approaching chopper, a lone figure stood, casting an intense gaze over the shoulders of the pilot and copilot as they neared the town. He scrutinized the town below as if searching for hidden secrets. Abruptly, the radio crackled to life inside the man's headphones, posing a question.
"Any visuals?" came the inquiry.
"Just a dead town," the man responded with a dry tone. "A truly dead town."
"Continue searching for signs of survivors. A couple of agents may still be lurking, and Agent Hunter might still be alive. His genes might've been activated, watch out for enhanced capabilities, and if he rebelled or too dangerous to recruit, eliminate him too." the voice on the other end directed.
"Roger that."
"Leave no witnesses. Nobody must know what transpired here, understood?"
The man fell silent for a moment before replying, "Understood, sir."
"Good luck. The rest of the forces are closing in to occupy the town, so you should be quick. Hail Hydra."
"Hail Hydra."
As the radio fell silent, the man swiveled in his seat, settling into one of the chairs. But before he could fully relax, it seemed the pilot had found something.
"We've spotted something, sir."
The man spun around once more, rising to peer through the chopper's front window. "What is it?"
"It appears to be... a prisoner transport vehicle. Attempting to exit the town."
A sly grin crept across the man's face. "Looks like we've found our target. Pursue them."
"Roger that."
—
The prisoner truck careened along a dirt path, far from its intended route. It was a rough and jolting journey, causing supply crates to tumble and spill their contents as the truck raced ahead.
Meanwhile, an approaching chopper closed in swiftly, its blades slicing through the air with a menacing hum. The passengers inside the truck grew increasingly tense, especially the civilians.
The chopper now hovered a mere few dozen feet from the truck. Ethan positioned himself at the back of the truck, eyeing the airborne threat. The chopper bristled with loaded weaponry, its machine guns poised for action should the pilot choose to engage.
Inside the helicopter's cabin, a man seated behind the pilot inquired, "Any identification on that?"
"Agent Ethan Hunter, sir," came the reply. "The rookie with the genes."
"Very well, let's attempt diplomacy first. Hand me the speaker," the pilot instructed.
The pilot passed the speaker to the man behind him, who began to address the truck's occupants. His voice reverberated across the cold desert landscape, reaching everyone within.
"This is Officer Gideon Mallick, I repeat, this is Officer Gideon Mallick," he announced. "Cease the vehicle. Agent Hunter, cooperate and instruct them to halt."
All eyes turned to Ethan, who remained silent, his gaze fixed on the menacing chopper.
"I'll repeat the order. Halt the vehicle, or we will use force," the man announced once more. "Agent Hunter, cooperate and instruct them to halt."
Ethan watched as the chopper's machine guns began to spin, ready to unleash a torrent of bullets upon the truck. Inside, the Sheriff's wife let out a terrified shriek, fearing for their lives.
"He's not cooperating," the man in the helicopter sighed. "Open fire."
"Roger tha—"
Before the pilot could act, the chopper suddenly convulsed violently. Ethan had leaped onto it, now blocking the pilot's view through the window.
"What the hell!" the pilot exclaimed in surprise. Ethan punched the window, then yanked the pilot out of his seat. Out in the open, he swiftly crushed the pilot's throat, ending his life. The pilot's biomass flowed into Ethan, filling his mind with fleeting memories, which he promptly discarded, but he retained the pilot's flying skills.
"Damn it!" Gideon cursed. The chopper, while still somewhat stable, had the copilot struggling to control it. Gideon drew his firearm and fired at Ethan, attempting to dislodge him from the chopper.
Bullets pierced Ethan's body, but his wounds rapidly healed, much to Gideon's astonishment. Ethan's hands then transformed into tendrils, lashing out and ensnaring Gideon, cocooning him in his own biomass before crushing him. Gideon's essence merged with Ethan's, flooding him with memories of HYDRA, the various bases he'd visited, and the project he was involved in.
As Ethan processed these memories, the chopper plummeted to the ground, crashing violently in the sandy terrain. The copilot perished in the wreckage, but Ethan emerged unscathed.
"So, I'm a mutant, huh?" Ethan sighed deeply. "But I thought... it was the virus that did this to me..."
Ethan took a moment to collect himself. He had just consumed another human, and the taste was strangely ordinary, unlike the infected. Suddenly, the chopper's radio crackled to life, with someone speaking.
"Officer Mallick, do you copy?"
Ethan arched an eyebrow. Slowly, he approached the radio, ready to employ another ability he hadn't used this night. His body morphed into that of the man he'd consumed, Gideon Mallick. Soon, he grabbed the radio and responded.
"Yes, I copy," Ethan said, using Gideon's voice.
"Any progress?"
"No. It appears no one survived."
"No one? Not even the rookie?"
"Affirmative."
The radio fell silent momentarily, then resumed. "Very well. Reinforcements ETA 10 minutes, get out of there."
"Roger that," Ethan replied before the radio fell silent again.
Ethan turned his attention to the distant truck, which was still moving despite his interference with the chopper. He sprinted toward it, his speed uncanny.
A couple of minutes later, he caught up to the truck and leaped into the back, causing a mild commotion. He found a seat next to Claire. Everyone stared at him, stunned, but Ethan paid it no mind.
"You alright?" Claire asked, attempting to strike up a conversation.
Ethan turned to her. "Huh? Yeah, I feel fine."
"Helluva Night, huh?" Claire nervously chuckled. "I mean... from the gas station to this situation, it's not something I expected at all..."
Ethan shook his head in amusement, resting it against the seat. "You can say that again..."
[Volume 1, END]
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder