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       #Post#: 10180--------------------------------------------------
       Elseworlds Story: The New Man Virus
       By: Zorbak the Ebil Moglin Date: August 3, 2021, 1:47 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Prologue.
       Prologue Theme: Goetia (
  HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iF7lkXKHlA
       )
       It's time for another story of another time and place. Our story
       this time takes us to a world much like our own. The year is
       2027, and the world has been ravaged by a virus.
       When most think of zombie apocalypses, most think of the same
       thing as portrayed in media. The zombies end up being undead and
       seek to eat the remaining humans. In most stories, zombies are
       mindless creatures that only seek to satisfy their hunger for
       people.
       However, our story today takes place in a very different kind of
       world ridden with a very unique pandemic that nearly ruined the
       races of the world.
       Three years ago, a new virus took the world by storm, surpassing
       any pandemic in history. A virus, which would become known as
       the New Man virus, would appear, first starting out in animals.
       However, the virus didn't kill the animals, but instead took
       control of the animals by infecting them and then taking control
       of their nervous systems and brains. The infected started small,
       with animals being infected and the animals seemed to not be a
       threat at first to humans.
       However, a few weeks after the virus had been noticed and was
       being studied, the animals started making their way into human
       territories, attacking humans whenever they had the chance. It
       was during these attacks that humans began to become infected by
       the virus.
       At first, the infections didn't seem bad. Other than the person
       seeming to lose their memory and some appearance changes, it
       didn't seem like a big deal at first. Some saw changes in those
       infected which seemed to turn people into new people different
       from the person they were before the infection, which led to the
       nickname for the virus, the New Man Virus.
       However, when the infected humans began to purposefully spread
       the virus to other humans and infected humans started helping
       infected animals attack humans, humans started to realize what
       had begun.
       A doctor studying the virus had found out that the virus
       infecting animals and humans was not a normal virus, but
       appeared to be a sentient virus that seemed to be quite
       intelligent. No one knows where the virus originated, but
       doctors started to notice traits about the virus that made it
       very different from viruses in the past.
       It was a this point that scientists realized what was actually
       happening: Humans and animals being taken over and forced to
       spread the virus further meant this wasn't an infection... It
       was an invasion.
       It was at this point taht humans realized exactly what the virus
       had been doing, changing those infected into puppets, unlike
       previous thought where scientists thought the virus was changing
       brain chemistry. However, unlike zombies of lores people might
       recognize, these zombies were not the mindless monsters that one
       might expect. The virus would take over the body and mind of a
       subject, and essentially turn them into a new version of
       themselves controlled by the virus. By taking over the mind and
       nervous system, as well as seeping into the muscles and bones,
       the virus took over every aspect of the body to the point that
       it was able to take control of even the memory and intelligence
       of the creatures they infected. While zombies didn't remember
       the lives the host lived, the zombies seemed to be able to use
       the procedural memory of the hosts (such as some zombies could
       instinctively do things the host could without previous
       training).
       Those infected only cared about one thing: Spreading the virus
       to anyone who wasn't infected through the most efficient means
       possible. Soon, all the infected started working together, and
       once they had grown in large enough numbers, started taking over
       cities. Because the zombies had the intelligence to utilize
       human level intelligence, they were smart enough to organize
       their kind together in order to attempt to spread their virus
       further.
       Depending on the zombies, the creatures actively started hunting
       any creature they could infect, focusing on humans who had
       escaped the initial infection. In order to survive, humans had
       to hide among zombies, with many living by convincing the
       zombies they were one of them. Because these zombies were
       intelligent, the zombies were able to talk and communicate with
       each other, making them a very dangerous threat since they were
       almost as intelligent as humans. Even though the virus was
       sentient and using the intelligence of their hosts, the zombies
       did lose some intelligence due to them not being able to utilize
       the full human mind (but this didn't make them stupid by any
       means), so for a time, humans were able to fool the zombies
       since the zombies weren't as intelligent or creative with
       strategies as some humans were at the time.
       Luckily, 43 percent of humanity quickly built up immunity to the
       virus, believed to be humans adapting to the virus and their
       immune systems responding appropriately. These humans would be
       immune to the virus's infection, making them able to avoid
       becoming like the other zombies. While the zombies would not
       know immediately about people's immunities, eventually they
       started to figure out that some people were not being changed
       despite being infected. However, this forced the zombies to have
       to think outside the box, and actually forced the zombies to get
       smarter in order to figure out how to overcome the humans that
       were immune, and find the humans that were not immune.
       Many of the zombies started organizing quickly upon realizing
       the humans that were left were gaining immunity to their
       influence, and once they had formed groups, they started
       planning offensives on what to do. Since they were using humans
       to build their population, they would seek out humans in order
       to infect them and produce more of the virus. Soon, zombies from
       other areas started to work together, and they started coming up
       with new strategies, using the different minds of the zombies to
       come up with creative strategies. Some were even smart enough to
       capture humans without infecting them, and force them to live
       under the rule of the zombies to allow humans to reproduce so
       that they could create more people for the zombies to infect
       (they would choose not to infect humans in the short term so
       that in the long term the humans would make more potential hosts
       for the virus).
       In some areas, smarter zombies would come up with ideas on how
       to infect humans, such as one city where every person had a bite
       mark on the arm, and those without were quickly given one if
       found by zombies if they found humans without a visible bite
       mark on their arm. In another area, zombies raided military
       bases and took radios, using military radios to coordinate their
       hunts of humans. And in some towns, the zombies would even find
       and remove supplies humans would need to fight back, such as
       burning food, getting rid of clean water source, and even
       destroying weapons they would find (that they weren't using) so
       that humans couldn't effectively get what they would need to
       plan an effective resistance against their takeover.
       Unlike other zombies in other stories, these zombies didn't
       actually eat anything, but instead only bit people to spread
       their virus, which they were spreading through biting and
       transferrence of bodily fluids. And since all they cared about
       was spreading their virus, all they would do, every day, was to
       look for people to infect and turn into more zombies. Some
       humans lived among zombies in different ways, convincing them
       they were zombies too, but some would sneak around and hunt
       resources by trying not to catch the attention. The only
       effective method to find resources was to usually either
       convince the zombies they were one of them, or sneak around and
       avoid the zombies completely.
       Because the zombies had their own society and organized
       structure to their operations, the zombies quickly started to
       use the cities to their own ends, such as using buildings to
       watch the city, or having infected mice and rats scout out areas
       like the sewers. Soon, zombies controlled all the major cities,
       and the number of humans who had not become zombies was quickly
       dropping.
       One might wonder about the immunity of the 43% of humans. While
       they were immune to the initial strand of the virus, the virus
       came up with a counter measure, creating a new variant of the
       virus by combining the virus with a version of the influenza
       virus injected through biting specifically that was generated by
       the zombies after they mutated a part of the virus using a
       zombie scientists research. Once this variant of the virus was
       inside an immune person, the variant would attack the immunity
       and bypass it, allowing the virus to turn the person into a
       zombie just like the others, which led to the immunity of these
       people no longer being an issue for the zombies.
       Hope was quickly falling for humanity, as the New Man virus
       seemed to had won in its plans to take over. These zombies
       didn't feed, but instead, the virus maintained the body and
       mutated it to better suit the virus. With the virus maintaining
       the body by devouring red blood cells, the zombies didn't have
       blood, but instead had the virus running through their bodies
       circulatory system, devouring the red blood cells as they were
       produced to grant the virus energy for reproducing, and the
       virus would control the body in this manner by using the energy
       to feed the virus cells that control the bodies of the hosts.
       This led to unique aspects of those infected. The first was that
       their bodies became pale, but also led to mutations of the body
       as the virus seemed to change the host's genetic structure once
       taken over. This led to all zombies gaining special traits, such
       as some zombies having enhanced senses, some having enhanced
       strength or speed, or some even having hardened skin. One thing
       that all zombies had though was high speed healing, in which
       they could regenerate almost anything as long as the virus in
       them wasn't completely killed, making these zombies almost
       impossible to kill. The only way to disable a zombie is to cut
       its head off or sever it's spine in a place where the nerves can
       no longer communicate with the body, but this is usually only a
       temporary solution as zombies have learned to manipulate bodies
       even without the mind of the host (though this method takes much
       more energy for the virus to do, and cannot be done for long
       periods of time). While the zombies couldn't regenerate limbs,
       they could reattach limbs and heal from even their organs being
       destroyed. The zombies would go on to use these traits to hunt
       humans, alongside even calling on infected animals to hunt down
       humans not infected.
       This subject of this story follows a doctor, Dr. Lynn Summers,
       as she tries to survive in this zombie controlled world. Dr.
       Summers had been trying for years to find a cure for the virus,
       but so far to no avail. She had been surviving under the radar,
       trying to organize her own group to fight back (whose numbers
       were low). But as the numbers of people fall, and the
       intelligence of the zombies getting smarter as time went on (as
       the virus seemed to be evolving), even the smartest human
       scientists were starting to realize that unless the virus is
       taken out on a cellular level, there was no hope of overcoming
       this virus.
       However, today would start a  new story, when she would meet an
       unlikely ally that would give hope that the New Man Virus could
       be beaten...
       Main Story
       Kindron's Theme: Deadwood (
  HTML https://youtu.be/LO3LZohKCnE
       )
       Kindron vs Craig and Jonathon Theme: Escape (
  HTML https://youtu.be/KsZAnfR4ON4
       )
       Monica's Theme: Blood (
  HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtu_MnXN_UY
       )
       It was another day for Dr. Lynn Summers, one of the humans
       immune to the New Man virus (at least the normal strand of it).
       She was sneaking through a convenience store, hoping to get some
       supplies. Among the zombies in this town, they would use places
       like grocery stores and convenience stores as traps to try and
       lure people, since it was hard for humans to find resources. The
       zombies kept these places stocked, hoping to catch humans trying
       to find food or water. Luckily for Lynn Summers, she was very
       smart, and she had developed strategies to lure the zombies away
       so she could enter and take what she wanted from the convenience
       store.
       As she exits though, a zombie stops her, noticing her carrying
       some canned food and bottles of water. The zombie looks to her
       for a moment before looking to her curiously. Lynn had painted
       her face to a pale color to match the zombies, and wore contacts
       with yellow eyes when in public since most zombies had unnatural
       eye colors. Yellow, purple and red were among the most common
       eye colors among zombies and were unnatural eye colors to
       humans, which Lynn too advantage of to fool the zombies.
       Zombie: What are you doing with that stuff? She asks Lynn,
       suspicious.
       Lynn, who was used to having to lie to the zombies, doesn't bat
       an eye. Lynn: I need this for my test subjects. I'm doing
       research which could help us spread the virus more effectively.
       But the humans I use for my research need food. She explains to
       them. It was partly true. She did have test subjects, but they
       were zombies she had captured to run tests on.
       The zombie, suspicious tries to cut off her escape. Zombie: The
       virus? That's a word you humans invented for us... That's not
       what we call ourselves. He says to Lynn as he gets ready to try
       and capture her.
       Just then, what appeared to be another zombie walked up, smoking
       a cigarette. However, there was something strange about this
       zombie, as he had a machete on his back and a broadsword at his
       side. This man, Kindron Darkfire, walked up to the zombie.
       Kindron: Easy there. She is one of us. Her intelligence is in
       science, not talking. She had to sacrifice some of her language
       skills to keep as much of her science knowledge as she could. He
       says to the zombie as he stands between Lynn and the zombie.
       Zombie: Who are you? I never saw you around here. He says
       suspiciously.
       Kindron: Does it matter? We're on the same team. That's all you
       need to know. He says to the zombie.
       A few other zombies come out of the store, looking at Kindron
       and Lynn. The zombie looks to Kindron, almost buying his story,
       but looks at the cigarette Kindron was smoking. Zombie: Isn't
       that what the humans call cigarettes? Why are you smoking them?
       He says to Kindron.
       Kindron: Because I use them to fit in and try to fool humans. He
       says simply.
       The zombies were about to let Kindron go until he coughed from
       the cigarette smoke, which turned into an immediate red flag for
       the zombie. Zombie: You ARE human! He says as he attacks
       Kindron.
       Kindron: Why do I bother?! God I hate smoking! Kindron says
       angrily as he takes out his machete, and slices the arm off the
       zombie when it attacks, and then turns around and slices its
       head off when it was trying to turn and attack with its other
       arm.
       The other zombies also attack, but Lynn was ready as she takes
       out a gun out of her lab coat. However, Kindron walks over and
       puts his hand on Lynn's gun, making her lower it.
       Kindron: Save your ammo. You don't want to waste it if you don't
       have to. He says as he goes in and attacks the zombies. Though
       Kindron seemed human, his speed and power were above that of a
       normal human as he quickly cuts down the zombies and slices
       their heads off. He walks over to Lynn after putting his machete
       away.
       Lynn: Are you... a human? She asks curiously. It was unheard of
       for zombies to fight each other, as they seemed almost
       hive-minded at times, but Kindron clearly wasn't just a normal
       human.
       Kindron: Mostly... He says as he looks around. He noticed a few
       other zombies on rooftops looking down at him, but what caught
       his eye was in one of the buildings. Kindron's vision seemed to
       stare at a large building, as Kindron looked up in one of the
       top windows.
       Lynn was confused, trying to talk to Kindron, but Kindron was
       focused on what he saw in the window. That is, until Lynn
       started shaking his shoulder to get his attention. Luckily, it
       seemed to snap Kindron out of his focus and Kindron looks over
       to her.
       Kindron: We need to get out of here. He says to her.
       Lynn: That's EXACTLY what I just said! She says, annoyed that
       Kindron wasn't listening. She then regains her composure. I have
       a place to hide ou- As she was talking Kindron puts his hand
       over her mouth, and makes a "shh" motion with his hand. Lynn
       quickly shuts up and says nothing.
       Kindron: We're being watched. And they're tracking us He says
       simply as he walks over and opens a manhole in order to get
       access to the sewer. He motions to her, and she walks over to
       him.
       Once they were in the sewer, Lynn holds her gun ready just in
       case, while Kindron threw his cigarette into the sewer water.
       Lynn: In the sewer? The infected rats hide out here to keep us
       from using it to get around, you know. She says, not wanting to
       have said anything while they were above ground.
       Kindron: I know... But the zombies were watching us. And there
       was a woman watching us. I think she was giving orders to other
       zombies. He says as he walks with Lynn.
       Lynn: Where? I didn't see it.
       Kindron: Of course you didn't... It was too far away. But there
       was a woman in one of the windows. She had white hair and purple
       eyes. She could tell what I was saying when I was talking, and
       she was communicating it to one of the other zombies. She
       definitely seemed like she was one of the bosses or something.
       He explains.
       Lynn: Wait.. Was she wearing a black dress? She asks Kindron.
       Kindron: Yes. I think the other zombie with her called her
       Monica. He says in response.
       Lynn trembles for a moment. Lynn: Monica... I've heard about
       her. The other zombies in this area listen to her. She organizes
       all the zombies in this town. She looks to Kindron as they walk.
       She was watching us?
       Kindron: Yeah. That sounds about right. She seemed like she was
       in charge. Apparently she told her second in command, who she
       called Valerie, to send Craig and Jonathon after us. I'm
       guessing they're trackers or something. He says.
       Lynn: Great, and now I assume they figured out I'm human? She
       says with a sigh.
       Kindron: It seems so. You're a pretty good liar... But your
       wording gave you away. They only refer to themselves as "our
       kind". Something I learned living alongside them. He says as he
       takes out his katana, slice the heads off rats he saw. Some were
       infected, while some were just normal rats, but Kindron didn't
       take any chances.
       After a while, Kindron motions to a large ladder that seemed to
       go up to an unnaturally built trap door. Kindron: This is the
       exit point I use. Be prepared. It's gonna be cold. He says as he
       goes up and exits out of it. Once Lynn was up, Kindron pulls the
       ladder and puts it in the shed they were in.
       Lynn looks around, noticing they seemed to be in a walk in
       freezer. She pulls her lab coat, trying not to let the cold get
       to her. Kindron opens the door and carefully looks around before
       walking out. He motions to Lynn, who walks out.
       Lynn: Why do you have a secret passage there? She says to
       Kindron.
       Kindron: The virus doesn't like cold. They avoid places that are
       too cold because the cold can be used to freeze them. He
       explains as he closes the door and locks it.
       Lynn: It's not enough to stop them though. They can get past it.
       She says, doubting Kindron.
       Kindron: Yes, but they usually look for a way around it, which
       takes them longer. If you're in a pinch, it can grant you time
       to escape them. He explains.
       Lynn: I didn't think they reacted to cold... But now that I
       think about it, that explains why they don't go out in icey
       conditions or during snow storms... She says, thinking. I
       thought it was just because they didn't want to risk damaging
       their hosts. Their regenerative abilities do take up a lot of
       energy.
       Kindron smiles a bit. Kindron: You know more than you let on. He
       says to her. He then gets serious and turns to her. Alright...
       Please tell me you have friends that you can call or something.
       Because they're going to send people to track us down.
       Lynn sighs. Lynn: I do, but if I'm a liability, then I can't go
       to them yet. If they are going to track me, I don't want them to
       track me back to them. We can go to my backup lab.
       Kindron nods. Kindron: Fine. If it's safe, then you go there and
       lock yourself in a place they can't get to you if you have to.
       Lynn: Wait... You're not coming with me? She says to him.
       Kindron: I'm pretty sure they're going to use people who can
       sniff me out, or they'll call the wolves. And the cigarette
       smoke and smell of booze on me is gonna lead them to me. He says
       with a sigh.
       Lynn: Wait... If it makes you a target, why do you smoke or
       drink? She asks him curiously.
       Kindron: It disguises my scent. Those with enhanced senses can't
       tell I'm not fully one of them. He explains to her.
       Lynn: Not... fully one of them? She asks. Hold on... I thought
       you were human.
       Kindron: I'm human mostly... But I am infected. He says, looking
       away.
       Lynn: How can you be infected and in control?!
       Kindron: I don't fully remember. He says with a sigh.
       Lynn: Come with me. She says as she grabs his shirt, and pulls
       to try and get him to follow her.
       Kindron: I can't. They'll find me! I have to get out of town now
       since their leader knows I'm not one fo them! He says to her,
       irritated.
       Lynn: I need to run tests on you. I need to know why you're not
       like them. It could lead to a way to stop this infection! She
       says with confidence.
       Kindron: Not a chance. Listen to me carefully. He says as he
       walks up to her, making her back up as Kindron seemed to
       intimidate her. I'm infected. And one day I WILL become one of
       them. What I did to myself. It's not a cure. It's only a delay.
       He says to her as he turns and starts walking away.
       Lynn: Then tell me what you DID do to yourself. She says as she
       runs over to him as he walks away, not letting him leave.
       Kindron: Again... I don't fully remember. I just know it's no-
       He says. However, Lynn pulls out a tazer and tazes Kindron,
       knocking him out as he was talking.
       Lynn: Sorry... But I need to know if you hold an answer. You're
       unique and could be the key to my research. She says as she
       picks up Kindron and starts carrying him back to her lab. Since
       she knew her tazer could knock out a zombie, she knew it would
       work on Kindron with the level it was set to.
       Lynn carries Kindron back to her lab, and puts him on a table,
       chaining him to it as she takes his blood and starts doing her
       work to analyze Kindron.
       After a while, Kindron woke up, and tries to get up, however, he
       realizes he was strapped to a table. He struggles for a moment
       before looking around.
       Lynn looks over to him as he woke up.
       Lynn: Sorry for the restraints. They're strong enough to hold
       zombies, so I figure they'd be strong enough to hold you. She
       says to Kindron.
       Kindron: You've doomed yourself, you know. They're gonna find
       me. They always do.
       Lynn walks over to Kindron. Lynn: Is it because of what you did
       to yourself? How you modified your genetic code to build a
       protein that literally protects you from the virus's control.
       She says to Kindron with a serious look.
       Upon hearing what Lynn said, Kindron has a surprised look.
       Kindron: Wait... Are you saying you know what I did to myself?!
       He says, surprised because even he didn't know what he'd done to
       himself that made him the way he was.
       Lynn: I do... You modified your genetic code. Your red blood
       cells have a protein in them now. That protein kills any of the
       virus cells that try to take over your body. The protein in the
       red blood cells is designed to combat them. You don't control
       the virus, but you're keeping it from taking you over.
       Kindron lays back on the table. Kindron: I'm not immune to it...
       I got infected in the initial attacks. I was studying the virus
       at the time in animals before they infected humans. But when the
       attacks started, I was one of the people infected by the
       animals. When I got back to my lab, I was losing control of
       myself. Spasms, memory loss, anemia, you know the infection
       symptoms before they take over. He says the last part, knowing
       Lynn probably knew how the infections work.
       Lynn: So you were infected and becoming one of them.
       Kindron: That much I remember. However, while I was fighting the
       control, I did some kind of last ditch effort... I don't know
       what I did, but apparently I finished something I was working on
       to counter the virus. Whatever I did, I don't remember how I did
       it, or most of the research I did while I was infected. What
       little I do remember was that I was losing to the virus, and I
       remember being in immense pain. He says, trying to remember what
       had happened. And then I woke up like nothing happened. I woke
       up, saw that I had injected myself with something, and that my
       appearance was that of one of them. I tried to figure out what I
       had done... But I think I'm suffering the same drop in
       intelligence the zombies suffer when changing. I can't
       understand my research anymore, and looking at it just confused
       me even more. He says with a sigh.
       Lynn: You should have saved it. I can use it to fashion a way to
       help reverse what's happened to these people.
       Kindron: It won't work. He says with a sigh. He lays his head
       back on the table and looks at the ceiling. It won't work... He
       says, visibly upset.
       Lynn: Why not? She says to him curiously.
       Kindron: Every day... It feels like I get weaker and weaker. I
       can sorta sense it... I can tell whatever I did isn't gonna last
       forever. And then I really WILL become one of them. What little
       I know... is that whatever I did is losing its effectiveness.
       The virus is slowly overcoming what I injected myself with.
       Lynn nods, understanding what Kindron was saying. Lynn: I
       noticed that... The protein in your body seem to be weakening.
       The new proteins work well, but the older ones are being
       overcome by the virus. She unchains Kindron from the table,
       trusting he wasn't going to run away. He then motions for him to
       come to the computer as she sits down and shows him what she was
       looking at.
       Kindron looks at the computer, not sure what he was looking at.
       Kindron: I can't... understand this. I told you, my intelligence
       dropped. He says as he tries to understand what she was showing
       him.
       Lynn: It's the protein. She says as she runs a simulation. I did
       a test. The virus isn't overcoming it because the virus is
       stronger. It's because your body isn't producing as much of the
       protein. My guess? Your body requires this injection regularly.
       It's like some vaccines. You need booster shots every now and
       then to keep your body able to fight off infection. She explains
       as her simulation shows what another injection could do, which
       seemed to strengthen the ability to fight the virus. We have to
       replicate your initial research, and probably create a booster
       shot. What you did... It's breaking genetic research. That's why
       no one's come up with this. You must have been so much smarter
       before the virus overtook you. She says to Kindron, looking
       over.
       Kindron: Yeah... I remember I was doing genetics research... But
       I don't think I ever found a way to actually pull off what
       you're saying I did. He says, tilting his head.
       Lynn: I can replicate this if I have your initial notes.
       Kindron: I don't think I wrote anything down... Remember, I was
       infected and losing myself. I didn't have time to write it down.
       But if there is anything... I guess my house would have all the
       research since that's where I did all my research. And it's
       where I woke up. He says.
       Lynn: Last thing... She then takes out a flash drive, and puts
       it on the table. She then glares to Kindron. Care to explain
       this? She says, her tone now deadly serious, and seemed to be a
       bit angry as she talked.
       Kindron: I don't even know what that is. He says, tilting his
       head. I mean... I know it's mine and I know it's a flash drive,
       but I didn't understand anything about what was on it. He
       explains, trying to clarify his statement.
       Lynn just glares at Kindron for a moment. Lynn: It's a flash
       drive... belonging to Kindron Darkfire... I'm guessing that's
       you.
       Kindron: Yeah. That's right. That's me. He says as he finds a
       spot to sit down. What's on it?
       Lynn: Plans... Plans to modify and weaponize the virus! You were
       working for the government and you were trying to find a way to
       control and USE it! She says angrily.
       Kindron looks to the flash drive for a moment. He tries to
       remember, but can't. Kindron: You're sure? Weaponizing it? He
       says to her, overcome with emotion as he was trying to remember
       what he could.
       Lynn: Yes. You were testing and weaponizing it. There's not much
       research, but apparently enough that you had made a little
       progress on it.
       Kindron just sighs. Kindron: It's not that I don't believe
       you... I just can't imagine working for the government. I don't
       remember ever planning on weaponizing the virus.
       Lynn: You're lying. She says coldly.
       Kindron: I'm not. I studied the virus initially because my
       company was trying to cure the animals infected by it. I NEVER
       set out to weaponize it. If I did, then it had to be after I was
       infected and lost memories of spans of time. I swear I don't
       ever remember, and if the government asked me to, I'd have said
       no right away because even back then I knew this virus was going
       to affect humans and it would become a problem... Though I
       couldn't predict exactly how it would be a problem.
       Lynn looks to him suspiciously. Lynn: I need your help to make
       this cure... But if you are trying to weaponize this virus, I
       know some people that are going to tear you to pieces. She says
       to him, warning him. I knew you looked familiar... You're part
       of that big tech corporation, Darkfire Technologies.
       Kindron: I was the HEAD of Darkfire Technologies. He says,
       correcting her.
       Lynn: I know your company had a lot of government contracts. If
       you're lying to me, I will find out, and I will make sure when
       we cure this virus that you go into a deep dark hole for the
       rest of your life. She says to him.
       Kindron sighs. Kindron: If what you say is true, and I was doing
       that... Then I will jump into that deep dark hole. He says with
       confidence.
       Lynn: The flash drive has your voice recorded on it. And it had
       research trying to control the virus. I'm only listening to it
       because it might give me some clues as to how you did whatever
       you did to yourself. She says with a sigh.
       Kindron: Fine... If it helps, then so be it. If... He stops
       suddenly, darting his head. DAMMIT. They found us! He says as he
       hears people entering the building.
       Lynn: Impossible! I made sure to cover our trail! Not even the
       wolves could track us! She says as she gets up quickly. She hits
       a button on her computer, saving her data. Once her data was
       saved she grabs her flash drive along with Kindron's and puts
       them in her pocket.
       Kindron runs and grabs his weapons, putting them back on his
       person.
       Lynn: How did they find us?!
       Kindron: I told you my scent would be tracked. He says. He
       notices that they were in a nursing home, and they were in what
       appeared to be the doctor's wing. Now how do we get out of
       here?! He asks quietly as he hears the two zombies he could hear
       getting closer.
       Lynn just grabs Kindron's arm and runs to the door. She looks to
       Kindron. Lynn: Where are they coming from? She asks Kindron, who
       points at where the two are. From the east wing... Then we have
       to go out this way. She says, leading Kindron as she and Kindron
       run to try and get away. However, as she runs, Kindron notices
       that the two zombies were now moving faster and running towards
       them.
       Kindron takes out his machete, and gets ready. Kindron: Leave.
       I'll hold them off.
       Lynn: NO. She says sternly as she goes over to Kindron. Kindron
       stops her, holding her back.
       Kindron: If what you said is true about me... Then I don't
       deserve to survive this. Let me at least die believing I did
       something good. He says sternly.
       Lynn grabs his arm. Lynn: You don't get it... I need you. I
       don't know where your research is, and I am going to need your
       blood to reproduce whatever you did! If you die here, my chances
       at making a cure die with you! She says angrily.
       As she talks, two zombies walk into view.
       Kindron: Too late now anyway. He says as he looks to the two
       zombies who were now in view. He holds his sword ready, knowing
       there was no running away now.
       The two zombies, Craig and Jonathon, looked over Kindron and
       Lynn. Craig appeared to be normal man in a suit with black hair
       and yellow eyes, while Jonathon appeared to be a man with long
       black hair and red eyes. Jonanthon seemed ready to fight, while
       Craig seemed more like he was just there to watch.
       Jonathon: So you're the one... All the time you had, I figured
       you'd skip town. He says jokingly.
       Kindron: I would have... But this one knocked me out for a
       while. She says, pointing to Lynn.
       Jonathon: Well... I have orders to bring you back to Monica
       alive. But if you resist, there's no guarantee I won't
       accidentally turn you or something. The woman isn't really that
       big a deal, but you, it seems, she's taken a real interest in.
       He says as he holds up his fists in a ready position.
       Kindron: Great... Just what I always wanted. He says
       sarcastically.
       Jonathon: Well... I'm gonna have to start beating you now. Fight
       back if you want. He says to Kindron. But if the girl runs, my
       pal will cut her off. And if you fail to beat me, you're both
       coming with me. He says, pointing to Craig.
       Kindron silently runs to attack, trying to slice through
       Jonathon. However, Jonathon holds his arm up, blocking Kindron's
       machete. Jonathon wasn't hurt, and punches Kindron in the
       stomach hard before Kindron could process what had happened,
       causing him to stumble back and cough.
       Kindron holds his blade up, catching his breath as he attacks
       again. Jonathon, this time, grabs his machete blade and grabs
       Kindron throwing him over his shoulder and slamming him onto the
       ground. However, when he got flipped, he lost grip on his
       machete, which was still in Jonathon's grip
       Kindron hits the ground hard, and gets up, turning over as he
       gets up. This time, blood was coming from his mouth, due to the
       internal damage he had suffered. Thankfully, he had the fast
       healing of the zombies, and he seems to recover quickly.
       Jonathon: Is that it? You're weaker than I thought you'd be. He
       says as he throws the machete to the side.
       Kindron holds his hands up in a combat stance.
       Jonathon: Oh... Fighting fire with fire? That's fair. He says,
       seeming to be interested in the fight. He goes to attack
       Kindron, but Kindron moves aside and punches Jonathon in the
       jaw, disorienting him.
       Jonathon stumbles as he gets punched, and moves aside as Kindron
       moves back, getting back into stance.
       Jonathon: That's more like it. He says with a smile as he goes
       and attacks Kindron. This time, Kindron and Jonathon both land a
       punch on each other, knocking each other back.
       The two move and attack each other again. As the two fight and
       try to beat each other up, Jonathon seems to have the upper
       hand, due to Kindron's attacks not working as well as
       Jonathon's. Since Kindron was still human, he didn't heal as
       quickly, and wasn't nearly as strong as Jonathon was. Jonathon
       and Kindron trade blows back and forth, seeming evenly matched.
       Kindron then moves close and draws his katana, trying to draw it
       into a slash using a sword drawing technique. Hoping to catch
       Jonathon off-guard, Kindron had tried to use the technique
       instead of attacking.
       However, while Jonathon's clothes were cut, his body was not.
       Kindron looks at Jonathon, trying to figure out why his blades
       couldn't cut him, but his punches were having effect.
       Lynn, studying Jonathon, looks to Kindron, as though she could
       almost see the gears turning in Kindron's head. Since Kindron
       had told Lynn he wasn't as intelligent as he used to be, Lynn
       knew she was going to have to help him in order to survive this
       a normal human. Lynn: It's his skin! It's hardened to prevent
       the cells from separating by cutting... But your punches impact
       harder than your sword so the impact force of your fists and
       kicks can still hurt him! She says to Kindron.
       Kindron sighs and puts his katana away, tossing it to Lynn who
       catches it. Kindron: So be it. He gets into stance again, and
       gets ready to attack Jonathon.
       Jonathon: Now we're having fun. He says with a smile as he goes
       to attack again. This time, him and Kindron trade blows again,
       but Kindron was using certain strategies as he tried to focus on
       Jonathon's vital points, punching him in the jaw, or punching
       him in the stomach or kidneys to do more damage to him. The hope
       was that striking his vitals would mean more damage, since
       Kindron's attacks weren't as strong as Jonathon's
       Jonathon: You're good. He says as he fights Kindron.
       Kindron: Well... You're a zombie. He says sarcastically in
       response, not really focused on what he was saying.
       Jonathon: I guess I'll have to beat you. He says as he goes to
       attack. When he hits Kindron this time though, he knocks Kindron
       to the ground, and then Jonathon jumps and knees Kindron in the
       chest, causing Kindron to scream in pain as Jonathon's attack
       breaks his ribs. Jonathon then starts punching Kindron over and
       over, punching him in the face to try and knock him out.
       Lynn: No! Lynn yells desperately as she was watching Kindron get
       pummeled, and starts to panic. She then takes her gun out and
       shoots at Jonathon, to which a few of the bullets hit Jonathon.
       Lynn's gun was a Desert Eagle, one of the stronger pistols. The
       bullets seemed to affect Jonathon enough that he looked over, as
       the bullets did seem to pierce his skin.
       Jonathon: That was rude! He says as he gets up, and looks to
       Lynn angrily.
       With Kindron on the floor barely able to move due to the pain
       and state he was in, Jonathon wasn't worried about Kindron as he
       gets up and goes over to Lynn. As Jonathon walks over, Lynn
       continues shooting, until the clip was empty in her gun. But
       while most of the bullets hit, they didn't stop Jonathon.
       Jonathon grabs Lynn by the neck, choking her as he looks to her.
       She draws Kindron's katana, trying to slash him, but can't
       pierce his skin because she wasn't strong enough to cut his
       skin.
       Craig: Stop! We were ordered to bring them alive! He says to
       Jonathon.
       Jonathon: I will leave her alive... But I'm going to make her
       suffer a bit before then because she pissed me off! He says with
       a sadistic smile.
       However, a growl can be heard as Kindron was suddenly on his
       feet, and jumps Jonathon before Jonathon can react. Kindron
       seemed to be in a rage, and put his arms around Jonathon's neck,
       putting him in a choke hold. Jonathon, surprised, was forced to
       let go of Lynn, who stumbles back.
       Craig, who noticed something was wrong, got ready to intervene,
       but couldn't get to Kindron in time before Kindron snapped
       Jonathon's neck.
       Kindron turns and punches Craig as Craig reaches him, punching
       him so hard that it broke Craig's jaw.
       Kindron growls, his appearance a bit different. His skin had
       gotten a little more normal color (as it wasn't so pale, his
       eyes were no a deeper shade of red, and his teeth seemed to had
       grown into what appeared to be canine-like teeth. It was obvious
       that something happened that made Kindron snap, as Kindron
       seemed far stronger.
       He grabs Craig by the leg and starts tossing him around,
       slamming him onto the ground over and over again. He then throws
       Craig through a wall, causing part of the wall to collapse on
       him. Kindron then goes over to Jonathon, who was getting up
       after his neck had recovered, but jumps on Jonathon and starts
       pummeling him in anger, growling as he punched Jonathon over and
       over again.
       As Lynn watched Kindron, she didn't know what to do. She decides
       to walk over. Lynn: That's enough! It's over! She says to
       Kindron. You won! She says as she tries to get Kindron to come
       back to his senses.
       Kindron notices Lynn, and gets up, walking over to her. It
       seemed like he was going to attack her as he held up his hand,
       which appeared more like a claw with how his finger nails had
       changed into what seemed like claws.
       Lynn: What happened to you... She whispers, afraid Kindron was
       going to kill her.
       However, Kindron stops, noticing two other zombies. However, it
       wasn't normal zombies, as it appeared that the head zombie,
       Monica had found them, and brought her second in command,
       Valerie who stood behind her with a katana at her side.
       Kindron looks over, seeming to recognize Monica.
       Lynn looks over, noticing the zombie. Lynn: Are you... the one
       they call Monica? She says, recognizing the zombie Kindron had
       described earlier.
       Monica: I am. She looks at Kindron. Curious-er and Curious-er...
       You're not like us. She scoffs and looks at him angrily. You
       control our kind... I don't understand how a human could control
       us instead of the other way around. Even in this state... She
       says as she looks to Kindron.
       Kindron growls, and moves to attack as he tries to use his claws
       to attack Monica. While Valerie was about to move in front,
       Monica stops her, and ducks Kindron's attack as she punches
       Kindron in the chest.
       The punch sent Kindron flying, knocking him back into a wall.
       The punch seemed to disable Kindron, having broken his ribs
       again. Kindron was breathing heavily, barely able to get to his
       knees.
       Lynn, scared, goes over to Kindron to try and help him.
       Lynn: Come on Kindron... You have to get up. She says, trying to
       get Kindron to get up.
       Monica: You can't escape. She says to Lynn. Even if you did,
       we'll track you down using other trackers. Since it looks like
       you disabled these two. She says, noticing Jonathon's face was
       mostly covered by blood and seemed to have been punched to a
       bloody pulp (and he was not getting up). As for Craig, with his
       body still trying to recover, Craig couldn't get up because of
       the rubble that was on top of him as hard as he was trying.
       Lynn: I'll die... Before I let myself become one of you! She
       says angrily, realizing Kindron was not going to get up right
       away. She held the sword to her throat, ready to kill herself
       rather than become one of them.
       Monica: I'm not going to turn you yet... I'm going to use you.
       You're a scientist. I want to spread our kind to the farthest
       reaches of this world, and you can help me come up with better
       ways to do that. She says as she slowly walks over to her. Kill
       yourself if you want. It makes no difference since I don't lose
       anything if you die. I'm just acting on the hope that you can be
       used more efficiently if I don't turn you yet. He says to her.
       Kindron, now seemingly back to normal, grabs Lynn's hand, and
       tries to get her to hand him the katana. He was still worn, as
       his head was down, and he barely seemed conscious. He takes the
       katana as Lynn lets go of it.
       Kindron holds his sword ready to attack Monica.
       Monica: You're still alive? I thought for sure I stopped your
       heart. She says to Kindron.
       Kindron looks to Lynn. Kindron: Run. And don't come back for me.
       He whispers simply. He then walks foward keeping his sword on
       Monica, barely able to hold himself off the ground.
       Lynn: I'm not leaving... Either we escape together, or we die
       here. She says, grabbing her gun and reloading it.
       Monica: You barely survived fighting Jonathon and Craig... What
       do you think you can do against me? I'm leagues above those two.
       They were the weakest of my elite warriors. She says to Kindron
       and Lynn.
       Lynn fires her gun at Monica. However, Monica's second in
       command, Valerie, moves in front of her, using her katana to
       block the bullets, with her movements being fast enough that she
       could block the bullets with her sword.
       Lynn and Kindron look at Valerie in surprise, realizing her
       skill.
       Kindron: Well that's not fair at all... He says weakly. Holy
       hell she's fast... He says about Valerie.
       Monica: Go ahead, Valerie... Knock them out, but don't infect
       them yet. She says to Valerie.
       Valerie moves to attack Kindron and Lynn, moving faster than
       Kindron and Lynn could track as Valerie seems to close the gap
       faster than Kindron and Lynn can hope to react.
       However, flames are fired as a group of humans fire flame
       throwers at Valerie.
       The humans also attack Monica with their flame throwers, forcing
       her to move back.
       Monica: More humans... She says, not able to get close because
       of the fire.
       A group of humans grab Kindron and Lynn, carrying them as the
       humans with the flame throwers retreat. As Valerie tries to move
       to attack, a human with a machine gun fires at Valerie, hitting
       her multiple times with machine gun fire. Since she was focused
       on the flame throwers, she couldn't defend herself in time, and
       couldn't block multiple machine guns. The damage to her body
       made her unable to run after the group as the group leaves.
       Before they were out of earshot though, Monica looks to Kindron.
       Monica: We'll meet again. Count on it. I will never stop hunting
       you. I don't know what kind of variant you are... But I will
       turn you into one of us. She says quietly, knowing only Kindron
       would be able to hear her. She then turns and walks away, since
       she knew she couldn't go after the flamethrower guys, and
       decided to cut her losses as she goes over to Valerie and helps
       her up.
       As the group comes out of the building and gets into the
       military vehicle, they drive off once everyone is on board.
       The men notice Kindron immediately, and notice he's not human,
       unlike some of them who wore face paint to look like the
       zombies.
       Lynn looks to Kindron once they were safely away. Lynn: What was
       that back there? How did you change your body? She says as she
       questions how Kindron had changed.
       Kindron: Change? He says weakly. What do you mean?
       Lynn: The claws... The growl... the werewolf vibe you gave off?
       Kindron looks to her confused. Kindron: The what? I don't know
       what you're talking about. The last thing I remember was that
       long-haired pretty-boy zombie bashing my face in... Then next
       thing I know I'm face down and you were threatening to kill
       yourself.
       Lynn: We got to do something about your memory. She says
       sarcastically with a sigh. You went werewolf mode or
       something... I think there's more to your... condition... than I
       thought. She says with a sigh.
       One of the men in the vehicle looks to Lynn. Man: Is he safe to
       be around? He has to be one of them.
       Lynn: He saved my life... He's not one of them.
       Man: What if you're wrong? He says, suspicious of Kindron.
       Lynn: I'd be more concerned about me being right in this case...
       She says quietly to the man, remembering the flash drive with
       plans to weaponize the virus. But her refusal to elaborate was
       enough the man dropped the subject.
       Kindron: She's going to come after us.
       Man: Let the b*tch try. We'll torch her next time.
       Kindron: You don't get it... She's not like the others. She's
       far stronger. He says to the man. She could be the strongest of
       them. And I've seen how strong their top zombie commanders are.
       You're not prepared for this.
       Man: Let us worry about that, zombie man. He says to Kindron
       coldly.
       The comment was enough that Kindron let it go, as he looks away.
       Lynn: Thanks for coming to get us.
       Man: Of course... We don't leave our own behind. He says to
       Lynn.
       Kindron: You should have left me to die... He says quietly,
       still looking away.
       Lynn: Not a chance... We need you. You could help us win this
       war.
       Kindron: Maybe. He says simply, not wanting to talk anymore.
       One thing was certain. There were many questions about Kindron's
       past that hadn't been answered, but it was obvious that both
       sides desired to use Kindron to their own ends. Will Kindron be
       the key to solving the virus, or will Monica figure out how to
       use Kindron to her advantage? Did Kindron truly seek to
       weaponize the virus, or is there more to the story than has been
       revealed?
       No matter what the future holds, one thing was obvious. Kindron
       would be the key to either defeating the zombies, or he would be
       the instrument which could defeat humanity. No one knows how
       things will play out, but one thing was obvious: Monica knew
       Lynn and Kindron's faces, and would stop at nothing to hunt them
       down and use them for her own ends. And it is obvious that
       Monica has something dark in mind for Lynn and Kindron if she
       didn't want to turn them into zombies right away.
       End.
       Characters
       Kindron Darkfire:
  HTML http://pm1.narvii.com/7586/bdced220cd1ed64aff0b59d0f6c91ad8b0d39d0er1-643-603v2_00.jpg
       Dr. Lynn Summers:
  HTML https://wallpaperaccess.com/full/4348958.jpg
       Monica:
  HTML https://i.pinimg.com/474x/1a/f5/2f/1af52f97bbc526edce2f3bb3feffabe2.jpg
       Valerie:
  HTML https://i.pinimg.com/originals/12/c6/a3/12c6a3473e734226fd5661fb0257bc0c.png
       Jonathon:
  HTML https://i.imgur.com/UHR7MoUh.jpg
       Craig:
  HTML https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ff/9f/48/ff9f48017ea85f0ba62d7928a288c6da.jpg
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