Abomination Contract Loving The Enemy

Against my will I'm once more dressed like a soldier, cap and all, and with increasing tension I follow behind Asher, eyes scanning our surroundings, earning a narrowing glance from him that makes him stand on guard too, not that he needed that to freeze up again into the cold captain he is, watchful and alert.

Is like a layer of ice is poured over his head once he steps out of the house, a façada for the outside where all eyes lay on him.

But not inside, not when it is just the two of us, for that layer melts piece by piece, crumbles away only for me to see what lay beneath, and that line of thought flares up the fire inside me, making me inhale a little too quickly, but that only fills my lungs with the stench, bringing me back from those thoughts, so I shake the distraction away and swallow dry, but trying is the keyword as so many worries and thoughts still play inside my mind, making me go back and forth like this.

And not only the hot smearing memories are keeping my brain fuzzy… but the worries of yesterday have not disappeared just because of some one on one with Asher, which actually got me more confused at some points but more eager at others.

Guess I'm not used to thinking and pondering my actions… but that does not mean I'm dumb alright? ....I hope.

"Asher…" I say, frowning as I look over roofs and my glance drifts from face to face, watchful of our surroundings as we walk, expecting to be jumped at by a ghoul, even if it is still daytime.

He doesn't say anything to acknowledge my words, but I know he is listening by the small head turn he gives me.

"Are you true to your words? You don't really…care at all?" That earns me a glance over the shoulders, but I keep my own gaze occupied with the passersby. "About me… not being human."

Great, what a way to ask if he is ok with a human feasting monster like myself beside him, what am I? Stupid? Had the alcohol fried my brain or something?

And why do I even care? Perhaps that is the true question behind it all… and why was I so worried of what he may say next?

He seems to notice my tension and takes his time to answer, and when I've already given up on it since we are already so close to our destiny, he stops to look at me and says:

"What I said before still holds. And believe me, I've already seem true monsters in human skin before, you are not one of them, you are just a hunter, not evil or good, just… a hunter. There is nothing more to it, so stay focused now, I've a feeling we will need to very cautious from now on, and I need you ready to fight with me. Are you ready for that, Abomination?"

Ready? Ready for that?! Who does he think I'm? Of course I'm ready to battle! I'm ready for whatever he throws my way! Especially battles! That' my specialty!

But of course he only says that to provoke me, his stone face giving me a quick raise of the eyebrows before turning around.

Questioning my abilities… now I'm pissed! Even more because I know this is just what he was looking for after saying that, so I get even more pissed!

So once we reach the very busy infirmary with some guards at the entrance, one glance at me makes the soldier chose to speak with the cold captain instead, not that it did him any good.

"Welcome Captain Murray! How may we help you?" He asks, giving Asher a quick nervous salute.

"I'm here to see the sick."

"Of course, of course, come right this way please!"

The soldier pushes his weapon to the side so he can move better as he turns towards the inside and guides us in.

I take a moment to take the place in, so filled with exhausted people moving back and forth, weeping and howls of pain but, most of all, the smell of chemicals and death blasting my senses all at once.

I did not know what I expected from the hospital of such a shabby city, and yet it is a mix of poverty and the attempt of order, with brick sturdy walls and corridors filled with patients, and I don't know if it is because of the outbreak or if the place is simply just full like this, barely leaving space for me to see the strangely shaped doors and windows, a far off architecture from the rest of the city, as if build afterwards, but none of it mattered, all of it was just a feeble attempt to take my mind off the overwhelming smell.

"How are things here?" Asher starts questioning the soldier, talking about the symptoms, the number of patients, trying to find any connection.

"Most of them were not close to where the attack happened, they are from all around the city except from the very healthy areas, and we have already run out of containment rooms, I'm afraid that harsh measurements are about to begin, we cannot have so many infected laying around, ticking like a bomb!"

I can see from here that, even if Asher's expression doesn't change, his jawline tenses.

"What about the drugs?"

"There is barely enough to prevent the change now, if many more start turning in I'm afraid there is nothing we can do to save them beyond a bullet sir!"

That is a harsh line of thought, but the fact that the Captain, always so contrary to such treatments, does not say otherwise is an indication on its own of how dire the situation is.

Only that, suddenly, I halt my steps and widen my eyes, for my nose caught something recognizable among this mess.

Asher notices my change right away, especially as I turn to open up a path in that ocean of people, getting closer to the source of the smell, and when we stop and look down at it, I cannot help a twitch of my eye as my whole body tenses, a ragged breath leaving my nose as I can feel a tremble from building up anger start spreading throughout all over my body.

Because, laying there on the bed, unconscious, is Takamori, the always upright and well dress figure looking like a ghost in the hospital's clothes, breathing short and a pained expression crossing his face even as he sleeps, and as my eyes go up to meet Asher's, we both have a clear understanding.

That is, that we are both livid and mad like hell!

I clench my hands into fists to stop them from shivering as Asher screams at the soldiers that Takamori should be transferred to a private containment room, but I'm not hearing as my senses, honed by my anger, catch screaming coming from outside, not too far from where we are now, and driven my anger I stride towards the sound.

We quicken our steps towards there, ignoring the gazes thrown at us, increasingly horrifying the bystanders as other soldiers see the distress and follow right behind, until we finally reach the source of the screams, the gates.

And there is blood flowing everywhere.

But not because of the soldiers this time, nor because of the gate itself.

But because of the strange creatures that were slaughtering the camps right at the gate.

I barely catch a glimpse of the big shadows, the monstrosities walking in the daylight as if it was nothing, and as the panic people from outside shout in despair and run towards us to flee the creatures the bridge is brought up, one image appears clearly in the distance, of a big shadow staring at its horde, no mercy shinning back from those void black eyes.

With a bang the bridge closes the chaos outside, and as if announcing the end of the world a soldier from on top of the walls screams for us to hear.

"T-they are everywhere! T-they have surrounded us!

Still staring at the closed bridge I knew for a fact that these ghouls are not going to give up that easily.

And that makes my nose flares up.

Then bring it on you fuckers! I will tear every single one of you apart!