#no i called this jumping hell frenzied with too many bloodstains to count

[eaissilyy]

Someone’s playing music.

Hello you can’t expect me not to feel anything when you placed Mogh the Sewer Guy™ and Morgott’s seal (sealed by Morgott the grace-given btw) in front of Frenzied jumping hell. There is no way they didn’t explore every corner of the sewer (so they can find the safe and least cold place to sleep… not to find the melting eyes disease) and found this abandoned catacombs with thousands corpses by accident.

Also this is perspective practice and then I found put that 1) I have no idea how it works 2) I make it up just to look believable enough and not look at it again 🙏🙏

[bvidzsoo]

Abiding Darkness (XVII)

 Author: bvidzsoo

 Warning: violence and cursing

 Pairing: Oh Sehun x OC

 Word Count: 3, 912

 Summary:   Belikov Bora is living in Seoul at her grandparents as she had gotten her long awaited scholarship. She’s not new to this world but she’s also not really interested in the famous people of it…so maybe that’s why she gets the shock of her life when a zombie apocalypse begins and she’s stuck with Oh Sehun.

    The deafening sound of the siren sent my heart into a frenzy as I tried thinking logically. Jian looked just as scared as I felt and I clutched her hand, trying to give her any form of comfort. Here we are safe, but if that’s the case, why are these sirens going off? Suddenly, a male deep voice boomed through the speakers hung in the room, one I didn’t notice before.

“Everyone pick anything that could serve as a weapon and head immediately to the Hall room, we are under attack. I repeat, we are under attack and it’s not an exercise!” 

Jian and I looked at each other and simultaneously jumped up from the bed, a hiss leaving my lips when I put too much pressure on my broken shin. 

“Get dressed as fast as possible!” I threw Jian’s old clothes at her as I tried taking deep breaths to stay calm. This isn’t the first time I have to fight the Affected ones, I know what to do to keep us safe. And here, we have weapons, there are soldiers here who know what to do. All I have to do is get Jian and me safely to the Hall room.

The clothes I arrived in here still had dirt and bloodstains on them but I couldn’t fight in loose fitted pants and a simple sweater. Jian ran to my side and I gripped her hand in mine as I placed my crutch underneath my armpit, ready to take off. But before we could get to the door it got kicked open and we both froze. A bloodied, deformed face and black eyes were staring back at us. The Affected one snared and shot forward, taking us by surprise, but it was enough to wake me up from my initial shock. We survive tonight and I’ll do anything it takes.

“Hide in the bathroom, Jian!” I rushed out as I raised my crutch at swung it at the Affected one. It jumped back, cleverly avoiding my attack. I glared at it but quickly glanced back to see if Jian listened to me, which was a mistake. Before I could react, I was tackled onto the bed and the Affected one was snarling in my face. A guttural growl left my throat when the Affected one went to clutch at my neck and I delivered the hardest punch I could at its face. Its head shot up and blood dripped on my face, it disgusted me, but I took the moment of weakness of the Affected one to my advantage and kicked it off of me. However, this one seemed very determined to get me so it was back on its feet in a few seconds, leaving me no time to pick up my crutch and swing at it. For a second we just stared at each other in silence and that’s when I remembered these were people before they turned into these monsters. I was killing once innocent people, people who didn’t deserve to die. My thoughts were all forgotten when the Affected one snarled once again and went to lunge at me. I leaned down a bit and ran towards the creature, hooking my arms around its torso and slamming it against the wall. There was a cracking sound and I dropped to the ground to pick up my crutch before the Affected one could recover from my attack. I raised the crutch and using all the force I had I swung at its head, once again a cracking sound echoed in the room. I winced but swung at it again, harder this time, but the Affected one ducked. I shrieked in frustration and the creature only snarled before kicking my broken shin. A scream full of pain left my lips, the pain just as unbearable as the first time I broke it, but I didn’t back down. If I die, it gets to Jian, and I won’t let that happen. So with a deadly glare, knees shaking, my crutch went through the stomach of the Affected one, pinning it up to the wall. 

“Die, bitch” I snarled at it as it continued kicking around until it just stopped moving. With shaky hands, I pushed the hair that had fallen into my eyes away and turned around to go for Jian. I yelped when I placed pressure on my broken shin but I couldn’t give up, not now. 

“Jian” I called out as I barged inside the bathroom.

“I thought I wouldn’t see you again” Jian cried when she saw me walking inside the bathroom and I opened my arms as she ran into them, “When you screamed--”

“Shh, it’s okay. I would never leave you alone, don’t ever forget that” I gave her a reassuring smile and a kiss on her forehead, “I don’t know how many Affected ones are in here, you have to stay in this bathroom--”

“No, I can’t stay alone--” 

“Jian, if we both go and there’s too many of them, I...I won’t be able to save you, please” Tears filled the little girl’s eyes and I sighed as I felt my heart breaking. I didn’t want to leave her here either, but I had no choice. If I had to die today, at least I die protecting someone.

“I’ll stay here” Jian’s eyes turned hard, a look I haven’t seen on her before and it made me ache that she had to be tough at such a young age, “Give me a weapon”

I looked around the room frantically for anything that could be used as a weapon when I noticed the metal piece that was used as a shelf for the toothpaste and toothbrushes. I hopped to it and ripped it off the wall creating a loud commotion. Jian took it from my hands and gave me a firm nod. I smiled at her and rushed her into the shower stall pulling the curtain so that it would hide her from unwanted eyes.

“When this is all over, I’ll come back for you” I muttered through the curtain and I could see Jian’s head moving in a nod. 

“Go, I’ve got this” Her voice was strong but reassuring at the same time. I sighed and with a last glance at her, I exited the bathroom and closed the door, locking it. No one would get to her, not if that depended on me. My eyes fell on the gruesome scene of the dead Affected one and I limped over, yanking my crutch out of the creature’s stomach, watching as it fell limply to the ground. Good, I have to get to the Hall room now and fight off these creatures until none is left.

The silence in the hallway was deadly as I inched closer to the door and I gulped loudly before exiting the safety of my room that it once offered. My foot was only halfway out of the door when I was tackled into a tight hug, so surprised that I didn’t react.

“You’re alive” The voice was quiet as my brain registered who was hugging me and I inhaled sharply, returning the tight hug. 

“Jian is in the bathroom, we can’t take her with us...not until we know it’s safe” I whispered as Sehun took a step back, arms falling from around me. I craved his warmth, I wanted him to throw his arms around me once again, I wanted to forget about the wailing sirens and about the snarls that were loud in the distance, I just wanted to be with Sehun and him only. 

“I heard a scream and I--”

“The Affected one kicked my shin, I’m fine. But are you--”

“Good. I’m good, let’s go” Sehun’s eyes hardened once again, all warmth disappearing and I sighed quietly to myself. He still didn’t forgive me, he was just scared something happened to us and that’s why he came to check. But I didn’t mind as long as he stayed by my side, I didn’t care if he hated me, I didn’t care if he fed me to the Affected ones to save himself, he was safe for now and that’s what truly matters to me.

The hallways were empty, a sight we didn’t expect. Sehun held onto tightly the bloody metal rod, before he came to check on Jian and I, he had to fight three Affected ones. I tried not to hiss at every step I took, Adrenaline wasn’t as high to take away the pain I felt due to my broken shin. The cast cracked a bit and only just now I realized how strong these creatures are. One kick was enough to create a crack in my cast, no wonder my whole leg was throbing in pain. The sight of my bloody crutch made me dizzy and with a sharp inhale I stopped walking, feeling dizzy I leaned up against the wall. Sehun didn’t stop, he probably didn’t notice my reaction, only when he was almost at the end of the hallway. But I didn’t care, my lungs were on fire, my body was in pain and I would die. For the first time since we got into this deadly situation, I realized that I would actually die. I had no way out, no one would save me. The soldiers had to protect everyone, didn’t have the luxury to protect just me. One moment of them not paying attention to me and I’m dead. Hell, if we get to the Hall room, that is. And I left Jian alone, what was I thinking? She’d be safest with us and in the Hall room not left alone in our room’s bathroom, with a locked door on top of all.

“Hey, are you listening to me?” Sehun’s voice seemed far away and I closed my eyes tightly, “No, you can’t have a pannic attack right now, Bora, focus on my voice”

But it was really hard, I could barely breathe at this point, “We...are...going...to...die”

I heard and saw nothing, until I felt warmness on my cheeks. I couldn’t open my eyes, that would have made me throw up, the lightning was too much, and there was this high pitched sound coming from the now silent alarms that was making my head throbe. 

“We are not dying, listen to me” Sehun’s voice sounded stern but pannicked, “Count with me”

I can’t even think straight and he wants me to count with him?

“One, two, three, four…” His voice was warm, just like his hands, as he counted with me while taking deep breaths. I started following him, his voice sounding closer this time, but I still couldn’t open my eyes. My lungs were on fire but I could breathe again, it hurt. 

“Twenty” I whispered as I started coughing, the needed oxygen entering my system once again.

“Twenty” Sehun whispered after me, “We are not dying”

My eyes opened at the harshness of his voice and I was no longer blinded by the lights, the high pitched sound was gone. His face was just an inch away from mine, his breath was fanning over my face and I was taken aback. I wanted to kiss him, I didn’t care if he hated me, I didn’t care if he fed me to the Affected ones once we stumbled upon them, but I wanted to kiss him one last time. So I did, I pushed my lips against his warm and chapped ones, eyes closing at the fire that spread through my body. I was desperate but so were his lips. He clutched onto my cheeks and pulled my face harder against his, making my lips ache at the force. But I didn’t care, this is what I wanted and he wanted it too. I was the one to initiate the kiss and I was the one to end it. I pulled back, lungs screaming for oxygen once again as I inhaled longly, eyes staring into his. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t pull away. His dark eyes were shining with an emotion I have never seen before and it made me cry, but I couldn’t, not now. So I softly pushed him back and leaned down to take my crutch back into my hands and took off. I didn’t look back, I knew he was following me, but I didn’t look back because if I did, I knew I’d break down.

~~~

    It was safe to say that Sehun and I were lost, we had no idea where the Hall room was so we were just running around, limping in my case, around this bunker. There were many compartments and none were the one we had to find. Sehun let out a frustrated sigh as he kicked his metal rod while walking in front of me. I was getting tired, the pain got worse and if we continued like this I wouldn’t be able to fight by the time we find the Hall room. Sehun stopped walking suddenly and I ran into him.

“What are you--” My words died in my mouth when I peaked over his shoulder, double doors open and snarls and gun shots echoed down the whole hallway. The place was full of them, even with our guns, we’d die. I sighed and closed my eyes to curse quietly.

“We have to help them, my hyungs are there--”

“Yeah, I know Sehun” I muttered and walked past him, pushing away the pain shooting up my leg. If I die might as well die doing something. Sehun started mumbling behind me that he couldn’t let me go inside injured, that I couldn’t fight. I didn’t care, Jian is still back in that room, she still needs to survive. 

“Stop trying to fight me on this one, Sehun” I spoke up tiredly as I gazed at the open doors, “If I do die, I’m sorry that I lied to you. If you don’t want to see past your own prejudice and accept the fact that I was trying to make you happy, it’s fine. But don’t think that I was ever your or EXO’s fan”

Before he could say something, his eyebrows furrowed, I turned around and stepped inside the room. It was chaos, what I saw in front of my eyes was pure chaos. An affected one hurried towards me so I raised my crutch and swung at it with all my force, sending it to the ground. There was a loud cracking sound next to me and when I glanced there, Sehun was glaring at another creature that tried to get to me, his metal rod bloodier than before. My eyes looked around for familiar faces and when I saw Baekhyun waving his arm crazily in the air I gripped Sehun’s arm and started running. I cried out in pain, but I didn’t stop. They were hiding behind some tables that were supposed to keep the Affected ones away from them, but it wasn’t working out as Chanyeol was beating one to death with a frying pan. We were barely a few steps away from them when I was yanked back by my hair, a shriek leaving my lips. The crutch fell from my hand and I pannicked, no crutch means I’m dead. I tried to untagle myself from the creature’s grip when I heard its snarl right next to my ear. It was going to bite me, immune or not, if I bleed to death what did I do? Nothing.

“Bora!” Sehun’s desperate voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked at him. His friends were holding him back, he was trying to fight them off but three held him. Of course they wouldn’t let him save me, he was more precious than I am. And that’s alright. But I’m not dying today. 

I elbowed the Affected one hard in the stomach and ducked, my scalp hurting as it still held onto my hair, I yelped loudly. I turned and kicked it in the knees, sending the creature down to the ground and went to grab my crutch. But suddenly there were shots fired at the Affected one and I jumped as I watched it still its movements. It was dead. I quickly grabbed my crutch and crawled to Sehun, who had his hands out to grab onto me and pull me behind shelter. Once I was behind the tables his fingers interwined with mine and when I tried to pull my hand away he growled and threw me a glare. Did he forgive me? Or was this just because we survived out there together and felt a certain need to protect each other. I hope Jian is alright, I can’t imagine what she must feel right now. 

“Where’s Jongdae?” I suddenly heard Sehun speaking as he looked over his friends, “No. Did we--did he--”

“He’s alive” Xiumin was quick to answer Sehun as he lowered back down to change his ammunition, “They realized that a certain frequency is harmful to the Affected ones, he’s trying to discover which one with a few engineers in the sound room”

“Are they alone?” Sehun’s eyebrows were furrowed in worry and I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“No, soldiers are there with them” Lay answered instead of Xiumin this time as he went back to shooting.

“That’s what I was hearing…” I muttered to myself as I remembered the high pitched sound.

“What are you talking about?” Sehun asked confused as Baekhyun tried moving the table to offer us more shelter.

“When I had the panick attack there was a ringing I kept hearing…” I answered Sehun, who nodded looking visibly more relaxed.

“Where’s princess?” Baekhyun asked as he looked around, eyes finding mine and Sehun’s one at a time.

“I locked her in my bedroom’s bathroom”

“What? We are the most safest here, she’s not--”

“Are we really that safe here?” I snapped, fear of losing Jian crawling over my body. Baekhyun is wrong.

“Look around, Baekhyun, Bora did good leaving Jian behind, we could die at any time” Sehun came to my aid and I nodded along his words. Baekhyun was chewing his lower lip nervously before shaking his head and scooting away from us.

“You did the right thing, Bora” Sehun whispered and I nodded back. Suddenly, Xiumin cursed and ducked down, eyebrows furrowed.

“We don’t have any ammunition left here!” He called out and the boys looked at each other. The deep voice of the commander was heard from our left.

“We are running out of ammunition here too!” We are screwed.

Junmyeon’s eyebrows furrowed and he suddenly grabbed the gun from Xiumin, “Everyone grab something to use as weapon! If Jongdae doesn’t hurry up, I’m afraid we won’t hold on for too long…”

I was already raising to my feet, pulling the crutch out from underneath my armpit, ready to fight for our lives. But Sehun tugged on my arm and I clumsily fell and cried out, feeling as if something cracked inside my shin. I was about to yell at Sehun but he spoke words I never thought I’d hear from him.

“I love you” He said, eyes boring into mine. And just like that, I felt like it was once again just the two of us. No one around us, no Affected ones that were about to kill us all if Jongdae didn’t find the right frequency, no cries coming from the people around us that they have run out of ammunition.

“I love you” I whispered back and his eyes widdened before he pulled me up, a determined look crossing his feature. In that moment I knew Sehun decided he’d do anything to keep me, his friends, and himself alive.

But before the Affected ones could get any closer, they started crying out, their voices horrifying as they echoed around the room. They started clutching their heads and suddenly, one by one, fell to the ground. Everyone looked around, confused, until we saw some men in lab coats running inside the room, with Jongdae behind them clutching a machine gun, eyes wide.

“We did it” We heard him say and everyone started cheering. I let out a breath and my eyes glossed over, I survived. Sehun survived, Jian survived. I turned my head and Sehun was already looking at me, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. I chuckled and he shook his head, pulling me into another tight hug. We were gonna get through this. We could kill all Affected ones now that we know how to stop them. We would survive.

Three months later

        The smell of freshly cooked food was everywhere in the house. As I descended the stairs a smile etched itself on my lips at the loud chatter coming from the dining room. 

Things haven’t been easy after Jongdae discovered how to stop the Affected ones. Scientists worked hard on finding a cure and last month they did, so now instead of killing all remaining Affected ones they were trying to catch them and return them to their old selves. It wasn’t easy, especially for them, but progress was visible. People were less afraid to go out and we started building back up the city and the nature that was destroyed. I was actually leading one of the nature restoring organization, getting a lot of help from Jian’s father. Jian was lucky enough, her father was found and once he got the cure he returned to his old self. It was hard for him, he refused to speak to anyone and see people, but soon enough with the help of others and a good psychologist, he was ready to return to his old life and to his loving daughter. The news on having lost his wife wasn’t easy on him, but he came around. Now, Jian and I hung out daily and Jian’s father, Yesung, even allowed Jian to stay with us whenever she wanted to. He was really grateful for saving his daughter and keeping her alive. Jian became my little sister. 

My parents moved to South Korea to be closer and to help. My father joined the army here and helped catch other Affected ones meanwhile my mother stayed at home with me and helped out whenever she could. As for Sehun and I…

“Slept well?” His low voice was loud in my ear and I grinned as I turned my head to look at him. He lowered his head and pressed a long kiss on my lips. Sehun’s family was well, they were found hiding out in a cabin in the woods a few kilometers away from the city. They moved back into the city once things were better and now Sehun and I lived together in the house my parents bought for the time they were here. After they leave we’d move in to Sehun’s apartment, but right now we enjoyed living as one big family.

“Splendidly, you?” Sehun chuckled and shook his head.

“You know I did too” I rolled my eyes at the wink and cocky smile on his face and cleared my throat to make our presence known.

“Oh, come have breakfast dears!” My mother’s chirpy voice called out and I smiled as Sehun took my hand in his and lead me to the table. 

Things were finally good. No more secrets, no more diary entries. 

The End

A/N: Hello everyone, the long awaited last chapter is here, after a year of not posting it! Sorry for that, for making you all way for so long, but I had a lot going on. I was in my last year of high school so I really needed to study and now I’m in university so once again I have to study even more. Truth be told, I’m kind of done with writing fanfiction as my inspiration was gone for a long time now, and I probably have a major writers block as well. But hey, who knows when it’ll return. I still write fanfiction, it just takes longer to write them. Thank you for following the story of Belikov Bora and Oh Sehun, consider this as my Christmas present for you all! Merry Chirstmas once again guys!

[silvery-vixen]

The Coldness of Siberian nights

Summary: When Dr. Logan Berrie got sent to Siberia to research flora and fauna of the harsh russian taiga, he did not expect his whole world to change. Seems like none of his knowledge had prepared him for what he would find here.

Warnings: Gore, Violence, soft swearing

I am not a native english speaker, so I apologize in advance for possible grammar and vocab mistakes.

Word count: 1547

Chapter 1

Dr. Logan Berrie, best in his field of expertise at the Exeter University, did not believe in monsters, ghosts and frights of the night.  Neither did he think that all those legends or myths that people told each other were at all true.

Sure most of the old tales had some kind of moral core or deeper meaning to them that justified the pure abstrusity of their content, but his entire life he had been fairly certain, that there was no way creatures like ghouls, vampires or werewolves could actually exist.

Talking animals, flying carpets or brooms, magic and fairies. None of these things were something he would concern himself with, for as a scientist he only believed in, or rather trusted two things: the scientific evidence on his desk or in his labor and himself.

But somehow he had just started to question the latter. 

Because, if there was no way that those creatures existed, why did he find himself sitting in the snow of the harsh siberian forest, rescued from a glibbery creature, which he couldn't quite get a grasp on, by a giant black wolf, that certainly exceeded the heights and strength and intelligence of any normal siberian wolf?

In fact, the animal held the size of a bear, but it's facial features and anatomy clearly pointed it out to be a wolf. A male siberian wolf.

And just now it stood on top of whatever was left of the unknown creature, that had attacked the scientist earlier, blood and gore smeared into its fur and entrails scattered beneath it's giant paws, staring at Logan with soft curiosity in it's... His glistening lilac eyes.

Logan felt his breath falter and his heart rate jumped to unhealthy heights, when the wolf slowly started to approach him.

In a panicked frenzy he tried crawling backwards, out of the reach of the animals giant fangs, while he desperately looked for his bear rifle.

God he was too young to die. He still had to finish so much research! Write some scientific papers! 

Nonononono!

He just finished his dissertation, got the doctors degree. He was not finished with this world yet!

The wolf didn't stop. He slowly took one step after the other to bridge the distance between themselves and the panicking scientist.

Logan's clumsy, numb fingers brushed through ice cold snow, branches and half rotten leaves, But the early taigan nightfall had already covered the land with its shady blanket and the condensed water on Logans glasses, that had slowly rearranged its molecules to form ice crystals, worsened his sight even more.

Where was his rifle?

He must have dropped it somewhere around here. It had to be here!

The air that escaped his lips turned to thick clouds of vapor in front of his face and even glittered softly in the moonlight, as if it turned to ice as soon as it left the warmth of the doctors body.

The temperature had dropped drastically with the disappearance of the sun. But Logan didn't even notice.

Those lilac eyes that were directed at him sent an awkward feeling through his body. It was a mixture of pure fear and a weird calmness that took hold of his limbs. He suddenly felt the need to sit still and just wait for the beast to reach him, because it would be okay.

Except clearly it wouldn't.

He would be eaten alive, ripped to shreds like that thing earlier. (He could still hear the creatures screeching echoing between the cedar trees) and he fought with all his minds strength against this numbness in his body that took over his mind.

Again Logan looked around for anything that could help him (at this point he didn't even care what it was as long as it was pointy and/or deadly in any other way), when his eyes suddenly got caught by the reflection of the moon on the barrel of his rifle only a few feet away and he pushed himself up in one desperately fluid motion, jumped over to the weapon, grabbed it and swirled around to point it at…. Nothing.

The wolf was gone. 

Vanished without a trace, safe his paw prints in the snow.

The cold and the stress had exhausted him and the walk back to the relative safety of his Jeep had felt like a marathon run.

Now, back in the warmth of the log cabin that his university had rented for him in the outskirts of a small russian town, he didn't have the strength to think over today's events, he couldn't even read a book.

After he forced down a hot cup of tea and some slices of the hard, dark russian bread, he went straight to bed.

Maybe it was just a dream. Maybe it all had been just a dream.

But of course it wasn't.

When Logan woke up the next day his body hurt in places, he didn't even know existed.

His fingers felt as if they had been under high pressure. A side effect of a near frostbite, he was sure. And he had various scratches and smaller wounds on his limbs that needed treatment.

A look in the mirror showed several more bruises and some cuts from when the slimy monster… no not monster. There was no such thing as a monster… the creature … had initially attacked, before the wolf had shown up.

His hair was a mess and dirt and parts of leaves and branches sticked out of it but nothing a shower couldn't mend.

He took his normal clothes, in which he had slept in, off and threw them into the litter, without giving them a second glance. They were shredded and bloodstained and beyond repair.

His thermoisolating coat and trousers were damaged as well. Maybe he could repair them, but he would probably just have to buy new clothes. 

The fabric couldn't guarantee a sufficient thermal isolation with all these holes in it and here in this unforgiving part of the world, a good isolation could decide on life or death.

After his shower and a forced down breakfast of one slice of bread with some cheese, he decided to make good use of the limited daylight here in the northern hemisphere and go shopping for new clothes first, before deciding or thinking about anything else. Especially about yesterday evening.

First things first, second things second, right?

Logan turned his Jeep into the parking lot of a small shop that sold outdoor clothing amongst other things and got out of the car with shaky knees.

During the drive here the dark trees in the distance and the reflection of sun rays on the snow had reminded him of the terror that he had felt the night before.

But to his own surprise, the fearful thoughts weren't directed at the giant, clearly not normal wolf, but at the other thing.

The thing that had more limbs than a normal mammal should have, with slimy skin that seemed clearly impractical for living in the harsh russian taiga, due to the fact that it should freeze. That thing that didn't even care about any of these points and still had wandered around the forest attacking people.

What the hell was that thing?!

The doorbell chimed a little too joyously, when he entered the store and he was immediately greeted by a very happy man in light blue, that distracted him from his thoughts about whether or not he should go back to examine the remains of the body.

"Hi! Hello there! Welcome to Patton's practical store! If you need something, just let me know and I'll be all there for you!"

The cheery guy beamed at Logan before his smile slightly faltered, when he sighted the scratches all over the scientists face.

"Oh my, what happened to you?!"

Before Logan could even think about answering that question, the man, probably Patton, had taken his hand and towed him into a small room in the back of the store, where he placed him on a soft light brown couch with way too many pillows and put a cup of hot green tea on the coffee table in front of the scientist.

"Thank you, but that was really not necessary", 

Logan weakly announced, when the man put a bowl full of at least 7 different sorts of cookies next to his cup.

"You poor thing got all bruised up! Did you have an accident? Do you need a doctor? I have never seen you here before. Are you on vacation?"

"N...no! No I'm fine. Thank you.. erm..?"

"Patton! I'm Patton! You can call me Pat!"

"Well thank you, Patton, but I am fine. Really. I just need some… clothing. Isolation clothes against the cold. For an excursion. You see I'm a biochemist. I explore the flora and fauna of the area."

Patton's expression changed. Just very slightly, very subtly, but it did. 

A hint of caution and concern now accompanied the shallow joy in his light blue eyes.

"So you have been to the forest lately, then?"

He asked, still smiling, while taking a cookie himself, trying to look nonchalant, but in Logan's opinion clearly failing.

 The scientist furrowed his brows. Something about the store owners reaction seemed off.

[gyromitra-esculenta]

Synchronicity 6 or 7 (I honestly lost count)

With guest appearances by Roadhog and THE Shrike. Otherwise, take your meds, yadda yadda yadda. And maybe Reaps.

(…)

Now a changing of the guard has begun

A kingdom that belies the internal

Is a prison of the mind that's infernal

And eternal is the lie turned plague

(…)

The time on the screen is now forty-five past ten as Jack huddles behind the counter and scrapes off the caked flaking blood from his nose, the itch unbearable. He lost a quarter of an hour. He should have taken the meds, the attacks, three if he remembers them, take time from him, and luckily he has not been found during this episode. He could go back and try to scrounge something from the remains of the crushed pills, but the idea has him almost giggling desperately.

Instead, he reaches into his pocket for a cigarette. This time he lights it and the smoke scratches his throat in a strangely familiar way, the nicotine dizziness and elation pass fast, leaving him shivering.

“Brings back memories, doesn’t it,” the Beast, amused, sits by him, the ever-present shadow of himself.

“I have no idea,” Jack shrugs. “I don’t smoke.”

“I guess you don’t,” the Beast purrs in contentment, fangs nipping at his neck dangerously. Jack puts the cigarette out on the floor. “Any plans, Sunshine?”

“Forward.” It grows quiet after that and he pulls himself up, muscles trembling with exertion as he grips the countertop to stabilize himself. First few steps are harder than they should be, stiff and painful, and Jack takes a deep breath before he pushes to the next room – a corridor really – which looks more like a maintenance area with fenced off pipes lining the wall, the hum of electrical machinery strangely discomforting.

Muffled sounds of shots fired and screams send his senses into a frenzy, his grip on the pistol grows strained as he creeps further, only to stop at the turn, his instinct trying to keep him back. But he cannot allow himself to stay and wait it all out, he has to survive and get out. The purpose that he does not understand spurs him to move and round the corner.

A nurse pummels on the reinforced glass trying to get his attention like he could do something – anything really – seconds before his face becomes a gore show of exit wounds splattered against the transparent surface and then, he slides down leaving bloody smears with bits of bone and white brain matter. Jack observes, the strangely empty feeling unfurling in his mind as if he were just standing beside himself. None are blameless here.

“Boss, you won’t believe whom I just run into.” The voice snaps his head to its source, eyes widening in recognition. Mako Rutledge. Surging panic stops him in place and he can’t breathe suddenly because there is a hand at his throat... “Fucking Morrison.”

“See, Sunshine? All our old friends,” the Beast hisses into his ear, the ghost of touch moves along his jaw and lips, thumb pressing hard to demand his urgent concentration, but he cannot breathe, cannot focus on anything other than the man on the other side of the bloodstained glass smirking at him knowingly.

“Yeah. I just might know how to cut him off,” Rutledge heads for the exit. “You want him rare or done?”

“Remember your training. You can still outrun him, Sunshine.” The Beast whispers and Jack unfreezes, the sudden jolt of his muscles almost hurting, a jump, each step. He takes off, dashing through the meandering corridors and crashing through fence gates.

Rutledge is big. Doesn’t care for collateral. Close quarters is his forte. In hand to hand, he is going to be severely disadvantaged. Jack needs to put distance between them and think up a plan to deal with the situation. To deal with the unexplainable fear churning in his gut at the mere sight of the man.

More so, he realizes, when the hot air almost dries up his throat and billowing smoke threatens to close up his airways, just past the first sealed doors. Because where Rutledge is, Fawkes and his personal brand of destruction are not far behind.

He rushes through the burning room, heat singing his hair. The next are has nothing to burn and Jack takes a big thankful gulp of air. The crack of the radio has him pushing against the wall when the display shows unknown caller id.

“Jack, you are going into an ambush,” the heavily modulated voice cuts in.

“Who the bloody fuck are you!? This is a secure channel…”

“Lena,” Jack asks and she grows quiet but her displeasure carries with an irritated click of a tongue. “Is Rutledge there?”

“He took a different path, to meet up with Lacroix, it seems,” the person on the other side answers after some consideration. “I don’t have the command frequency code.”

“Fawkes?”

“With Lacroix at the moment. The room you’re going into is the internal foyer of the right research facility. There is a guard desk on the left by the entrance. There are four boogies in at the moment, two on the left by the exit, two just in the front. Standard gear.”

“Do they have the video feed?” Jack checks the Seegert again, counting bullets, just to be sure.

“I cut them off.” So they do not know where anyone exactly is or how many of them are here, surviving so far. It’s him, Lena, and possibly still Winston. Others unaccounted for. They only know what path he is going to take. It’s something, at least.

“Roger that.”

Jack steadies himself, calming breaths slow, and reaches inside for that something that will not let him die, the Beast at his fingertips purring and taking over.

“Remember your training,” it murmurs when the doors crash open. The first two shots find their targets with terrifying accuracy but he does not stop and turns left, vaulting over the desk. The grenade passes him in the air and lands behind the counter where he was a scant second earlier.

The other of the two remaining enemies starts firing only now but his aim is low. Too low. Another two shots take care of the situation and then Jack falls flat to the ground. The explosion shakes the room and glass dividers shatter with the soundwave. Concussion grenade.

They were not trying to kill him, they were trying to incapacitate him. He doesn’t know if that thought eases him in any way as he scrambles up. But it is an advantage he will have to press.

“Glad to see you hadn’t rusted, Morrison.”

“Jack, you good?” Lena whispers as he takes the rifle clips off the bodies and reloads the one he has on his shoulder. He finds two more grenades.

“Positive. Replenished the arsenal.”

“Okay, who the bloody…”

“You can call me Shrike.” The voice on the other side stops her mid-sentence. “You’re in the clear for now, Jack. Left through the another hospital hub security area is your best bet to elevators and T.A.C. – there are three Blackwatch and a worker barricaded inside.”

He grunts in answer, the weight of the rifle in his hands now giving him some semblance of security.

“Shrike? You stop bollocking us right now, because…”

“Child,” the voice is more amused than angry. “The Shrike is based off me. Patching the lock.” The light by the keycard reader turns green and the strengthened door slides open.

“And you just so happen to know Jack, bloody brilliant if you expect me to believe this to boot…”

“I don’t know him, girl. I used to.”

“Jack, luv?”

“I have no idea, but she is helping.” Jack steps through. Shrike chuckles on the line.

“She? The Shrike is a bloke!”

“Don’t believe everything you see on the telly. How’s your medication, Jack, by the way?”

“Ditched it,” the impulse to lie is not there, not now, and he can imagine Shrike nodding with approval on the other side of the comm even if Lena reproachfully mutters some curse.

“Any withdrawal symptoms so far?”

“Hell if I know. I’m hallucinating like crazy, but it started on the dosage.” The place is again eerily empty, the red crosses on the walls don’t bother him that much anymore but the sporadic clusters of gray ash he makes sure not to step in out of some inner inexplicable conviction shake him to the core.

“It’s going to get worse with Reaper around. It induces psychic shock only with proximity.” It. Calling Reaper ‘it’ feels inherently wrong and Jack clenches his teeth, faltering in his stride for a second. “Next turn will have you above the hub. They are rigging explosives to blow the security area open. There’s something I have to take care of, if anything comes up I will contact you again.”

“I’m moved by your concern, Sunshine, really,” the Beast mocks him with a lurking undertone of fondness.

“Bloody hogwash, all this shit,” Lena spats out. “What’s this business with your meds?”

“They weren’t helping. The Beast doesn’t like them.” She falls silent for a while. “I have the episodes already but I’m managing.”

“Jack, luv, you read about thirty meters below me.” She is concerned. He doesn’t want her to be. Crazy or not, he is dealing. Somehow, badly, but he is dealing with it. “We will get this mess sorted out. Call me if you need, you know… Oxton out.”

He stops above the security room, ever so helpfully labeled literally with a big sign over the secluded area in the bigger hall. The set up does not belong in a hospital and would be strange and suspicious if he had not known what he does know now. One of the agents below knocks on the glass.

“Ma’am, there was a break out in specimen containment. We are evacuating everybody.” Jack crouches down and braces the rifle against his shoulder, preparing for the recoil.

“No! Leave me alone! I’m safe in here!” The woman inside screams back at him. The one setting up the charge moves back and shows the okay sign. Jack holds his breath and aims.

“Steady now, Sunshine,” the Beast chides him.

“I know,” he pulls the trigger and holds it until the magazine empties. Splattered blood brings an intense sense of satisfaction he isn’t sure is his own that flows through his mind. He jumps down and rolls on the floor, turning towards the secure area, sudden pain stabbing just behind his eyes.

Inside, through the window, he can see the woman, now frozen in the motion of backing off towards the wall, her skin graying rapidly and changing the texture. There is something – someone – standing before her, dark claw touching her forehead, but the red glowing eyes of the black figure with decaying flesh in place of a face focus on him.

There is a flick of a finger and the woman’s form crumples into gray ash, slowly falling apart, parts drifting off on an invisible air current.

“I see you,” Jack, with the Beast crowding his back, whispers weakly.