Signs Of Humanity Chapter 11 - Sign 3
Through the dark, cold decaying halls banging and slamming rang out as Jericho raced through the cavernous building that was the Helix Towers. He wasn't so much running as he was leaping off the walls and floor. The walkways were littered with debris so running was more difficult, coupled with the sharp corners of the halls meant he couldn't maintain a constant speed. With his enhanced leg muscles, it was quicker to jump from wall to wall, bouncing off the floors and ceiling it was almost like he was drunkenly flying through the facility.
Each time he made contact with any surface it would crack from the force of him hitting it, then explode apart from the transfer of energy as he pushed off again. In the past when trying something like this Jericho would have taken more care not to cause such damage while moving around. But now he had a single focus, find Lilith and get her out of there. He also knew he only had limited time to do this before the effects of the heart cutter would wear off and he would become useless. Every second that passed by meant he was a second closer to failure, so collateral damage be dammed, while the place wasn't exactly worth protecting, he probably shouldn't cause the hallways back to the exit to collapse.
At this thought he slowed himself and stopped to take a deep breath, the Heart Cutter was making his heart race in his chest which was also causing his emotions to run wild. The smell of Golem's scent also filled his nose "Good I'm still going in the right direction" jumping back into the chase this time reducing the impact he had on the hallways by absorbing the momentum in his legs and not pushing off as hard.
In the distance a faint slap of someone's feet sang out in the dim tunnels of the Helix Towers, coupled with heavy breathing and softly whispered curses. Marcus was running towards the escape pod area, either he was running to confront Jericho or he was running from Olsen he hadn't made up his mind yet "Maybe I can just take one of the Pods, take my chances outside?" He thought to himself as a sharp pain flashed behind his eyes like a nail had been fired through his skull. The plan to escape wasn't viable it seemed Olsen was watching him even now.
Breathing heavily Marcus pushed on, he hadn't run like this in years, coupled with the cold air made it feel like a fire had come to life in his chest. He wanted to stop, let the inferno in his chest calm down but he was afraid if he did Olsen would kill him by burning out his mind.
Quickly the two approached each other the soft steps of the scared rat and the loud bangs of the raging bull coalesced. Each became aware of the other at the same time, first, it was the distant sounds heard faintly followed by the familiar smells in the air. While one began to slow their approach the other sped up in response, and soon through their enhanced sight the two glimpsed each other.
Marcus suddenly froze in place, numb to the pain in his head, deaf to the screams of Olsen ordering him to move. But his eyes were wide, mouth a gape as he locked on to Jericho. The man was moving unlike he had been before, When Marcus had first met Jericho, his movement was deliberate, and measured, like a man rationing his energy. But now Jericho was a beast flying around like a demon gone mad. Ahead of him, Jericho came down in the centre of the hall ahead of Marcus and crouched down low to the ground and held position for a few seconds.
For a second Marcus, thought "Maybe he is being cautious of me, He could be afraid of me? I might have a way out of this..." The thought was destroyed as Jericho launched forward, the power from his jump blowing the floor beneath him away and a thunderous crack of Jericho's leg muscles snapping back into shape shocked the air.
In less than a second Jericho went from being a small figure at the end of a dark corridor to being all of Marcus' world. The bright blue eyes standing behind a curtain of dancing blue black hair framed with a scowl filled Marcus with fear, he was expecting this but what truly terrified him was Jericho's mouth. Marcus thought he would see teeth bared like fangs like a snarling dog, instead he was face to face with a broad unsettling grin.
"Marcus!" Jericho sang out in a joyous tone like someone would use when greeting a friend they haven't seen in years. Jericho then gripped that large rat man around the throat, pushing him back and slamming the creature to the ground.
"Marcus, I don't have time for your talk, I just need you to tell me where Lilith is, tell me and I won't deliver on the promise I made you" as Jericho spoke his right arm transformed into a large spike, the tip of which he placed in the middle of Marcus' chest.
At this Marcus' mind flashed back to when he last saw Jericho and the meagre threat he had gasped as he fell unconscious. At the time Marcus thought it was unsettling but didn't put much stock into the threat, but now, he could see that Jericho very much meant what he said.
Marcus looked around trying to figure out how he could escape but the hand Jericho had pushing down on his throat tightened, there was no escaping this one. "Ok I.." he gasped out before a banshee’s wail echoed inside his head setting his neurons a blaze with pain "Don't you dare, Marcus, either fight or die for me, but don't you try and weasel your way out of this one " Olsen's voice thundered in his mind.
Breathing heavily and struggling against Jericho's grip, Marcus thrashed around underneath his attacker. He tried to wrap his tail around Jericho but the man noticed the movement and slammed the spiked arm into Marcus' tail, expanded the tip of the point into a flat blade and wrenched it sideways, cutting the appendage in two.
Marcus screamed out in pain as Jericho turned back, grabbing Marcus around his pointed mouth and slamming his head back to the ground. "Nice try Marcus, but I'll pretend that didn't happen, just tell me where she is" Jericho yelled.
Still breathing heavily now with tears falling down his face, partly from the blazing pain where his tail used to be and partly from fear. He tried to determine what to do next his mind was torn between Olsen screaming to say nothing and Jericho demanding him to talk. Without thinking Marcus looked back down the hall he had come; he eyed a door he had just passed through. His eyes lingered for a little too long for when he looked back, he felt his heart sink through his body. Jericho was staring in the direction he was just looking with a triumphant grin.
As Marcus realized what he had done, Olsen also became aware of the same. His mind was set ablaze like it had never been before, he screamed out in pain as blood began to drip from his nose, eyes and ears. Suddenly amongst all the pain in his world, he felt a sudden pinch in his chest and the feeling of coldness began to pour into him.
As the feeling of cold washed over him the pain in his head faded, Olsen had let go of his mind. Not only let go but left entirely, he suddenly felt alone, free from the stranger in the room that he had never noticed. Opening his eyes, he saw Jericho looking over him. His face no longer held the rage it did before, nor the horrid grin, rather he had the look of sorrow and pity, his bright blue eyes downcast and distant like he was looking into a void.
Marcus looked at his chest to see what was causing the cold sensation that had freed him. He saw the spike that was Jericho's arm coming from his chest. He looked back at Jericho one more time, he noticed his vision was fading and getting darker as his eyes began to close, he was feeling tired, more tired than he had ever felt in his life. "Sorry, I wasn't going to, but it looked like... like Olsen wasn't going to let you go peacefully". As the soft voice hit his ears the last of the light from the world blinked out.
Jericho raised to his feet, his arm collapsing back into its original shape, taking in a deep breath he turned and raced off again. He was so close now and he had a new strong scent on the air to follow.
Elsewhere in the rotting grounds of the Gardens, Olsen screeched in pain. Using her ability to crush someone’s mind meant her mind was sensitive to the stimulation of her victim’s body, to a degree that made it feel like it was her own. When Jericho took pity on Marcus and stabbed him, Olsen felt the same sensation causing her to flee.
Regaining her composure, she, instinctively reached out for Marcus' mind to find out where Jericho was but remembering he was now dead sent her into a tailspin of fear. Her freedom was slipping through her fingers, two of her most useful followers were now disposed and one of Seon's top experiments was racing towards her.
The creature before Lilith had its massive bulbous eye wide and shaking. She could tell it was suddenly afraid but of what? Was that a good thing? Or is whatever could scare this nightmare a worse fate for her? Lilith thought maybe now with the flesh tree distracted, she might be able to sneak away, slowly she tried to pull away from the tentacles holding her in place.
But as she did their grip tightened and a voice thundered in her head. "Don't even try it, just because you are not the centre of my attention at this moment doesn't mean I haven't forgotten about you!" Lilith tried to pull away from the screeching but failing that, she could only struggle weakly in place.
"Why is he coming for you? Subject 24 has no reason to be so driven to come for you, why isn't he simply leaving" the voice continued to slam around in Lilith's skull.
"Who?" She finally responded for the first time in a while.
"That man you were wandering around the Towers with, now I have to deal with him before I can take my prize" the voice softened somewhat as Olsen turned her attention to the remaining followers now heading towards the Garden.
To herself, Olsen began to devise a plan. "If I move a small guard into the garden and then seal the bulk doors and have the others stand in the halls... I might have enough time to begin the transfer. No wait I have to test the followers to make sure they will still follow me once I leave this body. But I don't have enough time, maybe I should simply seal myself in the gardens and begin the transfer and after I recover if the followers don't listen to me then I could escape in one of the pods..."
Olsen's thoughts ran off the rails when one of her followers she was connected to went dark. It was like the follower vanished which could only mean that it was dead, even unconscious followers could still be connected which means Subject 24 must be getting closer. Judging from the fallen Follower's last location Jericho must be getting close to the Gardens.
Knowing the route Marcus took when he encountered Subject 24 Olsen now knew for certain that Subject 24 was following the scent Marcus left behind. She reaches out again for Subject 24's mind but again he was nowhere to be found. Panicking Olsen orders all the followers close to the Gardens to converge on Subject 24's last position.
Suddenly hulking masses of flesh and muscles began emerging from doors and hatches Lilith didn't notice surrounded her. The grotesque monsters that look like misshapen humans then left the room as quickly as they had entered all funnelling into the one hall, she saw Marcus’ head down before.
"So, he was real?" Lilith whispered to herself.
"Yes... but not for much longer" Olsen replied turning back to the matter at hand.
She now needed to wait for the Followers to be far enough out of the gardens before she could have the bulkhead doors closed for some extra security.
Jericho now closing in on his prize was traveling faster and faster. He had managed to catch the last Gen X by surprise, he came flying around a corner, a meter above the creature’s head. Before it could even look up Jericho had already sliced its head from its body in a reflexive motion.
But now the smell of Iron was permeating the hall in front of him. There was a massive number of Brutes ahead of him and this could only be a welcome party Olsen was throwing at him. But this hall was too narrow and with no obvious side door to rooms ahead, there was no were to fight or hide. Although the number coming at him wouldn't allow any of these options to be sustainable.
As he quickly approached the massive fleshy battalion, he noticed the space in the narrow hall was too small for them. They were pushing on each other trying to get past one another, to be the first to make it to him like they were driven by one desire. A plan hatched in his mind but he knew Olsen was behind the eyes of the creatures before him, so once he played his hand Olsen would know and she might retaliate before he could get to her. He would need to be quick.
Jericho came to a stop and began to take in large deep breaths waiting for the Gen Xs to come closer. They had all come to be aware of him now and they were fighting and pushing on each other, trying to get to the front, so much so they began to fall over one another.
Once this infighting began Jericho readied his attack, he crouched down into a position that mimicked a cat ready to pounce on its prey. Holding his breath watching closely waiting for his opening. Just as the creatures came within a meter of him, he saw it.
A gap above the mess of mutant arms reaching for him appeared with time seeming to move slowly as mass amounts of adrenaline pumped through his body Jericho pushed off from the ground. In a flash, the ground he stood on was shattered and Jericho was up and passing through the forest of arms, they seemed to stand still as he moved through them, it was even doubtful that any of the Gen Xs even tried to stop him as they more than likely didn't even perceive his movements, to them he had simply disappeared.
As he hit the ground on the other side of the demonic group Jericho kept the same momentum and flew down the hall like he had been fired out of a cannon. There was no time to waste, Olsen would know he had passed her minions and was now coming for her, he couldn't give her a second to regroup her thoughts.
Olsen back in the gardens was now shaking with panic, her massive form vibrated uncontrollably. To Lilith it was like looking at a tree being roughed up by a violent wind. Olsen needed to do something, soon Subject 24 will be here in a matter of seconds. Quickly with a thought she took control of one of the Followers she had left in a control room.
In the dimly lit room only illuminated by walls of small blinking switches Olsen frantically searched one of the boards. Quickly finding her prize she flipped a series of switches to active. All were labelled as "Garden Bulkhead doors".
As she returned to her body and surveyed the room she breathed a heavy sigh, had she been holding her breath this whole time? The massive metal doors that lead into the Garden were slowly closing, "I'll be safe now" she thought to herself. But before she could settle in, a small blue dot appeared in one of the dark halls.
"No..." she roared with her real mouth a thunderstorm of wet slaps and muffled wailing rang out.
Lilith turned to look at what Olsen had seen. In the dim light of the distant hallway, she could just make out a man sprinting towards them. "He is really coming," she said to herself.
Olsen paid no mind to Lilith this time, her focus was locked onto Subject 24, "Would he make it before the door closed? What would she do if he did make it in... I don't have any followers here!" Fear gripped her with all the what-ifs as she held her breath waiting to see what would happen.
Jericho was racing towards the light, the scent of Marcus had left the air, but the strong smell of salt lay before him, the kind of smell that only a massive psychic could let off. He pushed himself harder, willing himself to move faster than he had ever moved before.
But the closer he got to the light the dimmer it became. "A door, it has to be" he screamed in his mind. He had to get through it fast. His already-strained enhanced leg muscles felt like they were a blaze but he needed them to work harder.
Diving forward he lengthened his arms and distributed his muscle mass evenly between his limbs while also increasing the flexibility of his spine. He was now flying like a cheater down the hallway.
But it would all be for nothing, as the heavy door came closer and closer to shutting the speed at which it closed also increased. He wasn't going to make it but maybe he could force the door open. He prepared to slam into the door by hardening the right side of his body.
The door came to a close as it slid down into place, not a second too soon Subject 24 was only meters away desperately running like an animal. Olsen went to finally release her breath. Lilith felt her hope drain away when suddenly there was a massive boom that came from the door. The massive block of metal had bent in on itself.
Olsen practically screamed and Lilith lit up for a moment. The door didn't open but it was warped now with a small gap at the bottom. Then slamming could be heard as Jericho beat and bashed on the door. It sounded like massive fists were hammering at it.
The slamming eventually stopped, but they were followed by black as night claws coming through the gap at the bottom of the door. As they closed on the base of the door they cut into the metal and the sounds of someone grunting rang through the air. Jericho was trying to wrench the door open by force.
"He’s a monster," Olsen said in despair.
"He is" Lilith replied with a smile.
Gathering herself Olsen reached out to the Followers that were in that hall. They were closing in on Jericho soon they will be on him.
Letting out a triumphant laugh Olsen proclaimed "Not that his efforts matter, my followers are coming for him, soon they will tear him to shreds."
The banging suddenly stopped and there was silence for a moment, the noise of the gruesome gang began to emanate from behind the door. But instead of Jericho's screams, there was a sound of a single crack and a roar of a thunderstorm. Water began to flow out of the small gap.
Olsen surprised, but still laughed "Oh the walkway must have ruptured. That's amusing turns out the man will drown instead. No point in waiting any longer my dear why don't we start?"