45Hello out there to fellow readers and writers! This is my seconds story, and it has absolutely nothing to do with 'Return The Dark Slayer'. This one is for our favorite mass-murdering, psychopathic, man-eating virus. Or in other words, Alex J. Mercer A.K.A. ZUES. This will not follow Prototype 2, but it will begin a few weeks after the first game's ending. Alex has lost faith in humanity but didn't go insane but completely disgusted with his former species.
Chapter One – Beyond Life and Death
"I searched for the truth, found it, didn't like it."
Alex traversed his way through the streets of New York Zero, the new name for New York City. He was in the Red Zone because he is the virus. He was the monster that made it all happen…or at least a shadow of his former self.
He came back from his soul searching and did not like what he found. Especially with the incident in Canada was what drove him to believe that humanity was corrupt. It was stagnant, impure, and rancid. They say he was the monster, but the real monsters were out there. Monsters that even the mighty ZEUS paled in comparison.
'Compassion, love? What a joke. Nothing is worth it, and because of that, nothing is worth fighting for now.' He thought miserably as he flipped to over a destroyed M1 Abrams tank.
Dana was gone, while in the coma, she became brain dead and Alex had to put her down. Like an animal. That only drove him away from his humanity. Ragland was killed in a Blackwatch raid in their safe house and that only mounted the ever-growing void in him.
The voices in his head didn't help either. Every being he consumed was etched into his mind. The pain, pain was the only thing he felt. Despair, hate, sadness were all the things he knew that he was surprised that he didn't just snap.
Any normal man would've snapped by the constant cries of agony in their head but Alex was not an ordinary man, hell, he wasn't even a man. He was the virus, he alone controlled it, he alone had that much power, he was the mighty ZEUS.
Alex stood atop of Time Square, it was his personal playground where those damned infected and Blackwatch idiots trying to kill him but he knew they couldn't. Take his arm off, he'll just grow a new one. Blow his head off, he'll just regenerate it. Alex cannot be killed.
Alex jumped down fifty stories up and with the weight greater than two metric tons, crushed the ground and whatever poor meatsack under his feet.
He slowly rose from the giant crater, eyes as cold as ice and as sharp as his claws staring at Blackwatch troopers, marines, and Infected.
"ZEUS spotted in Zone 13! I repeat, ZEUS is in Zone 13 Grid square 1-4-15-6! Request immediate – AHHHHHH!" A Blackwatch officer said but was cut down and torn apart by two Brawlers.
"OH SHIT, KEEP FIRING!" A marine shouted as they were obviously being overrun by the Infected.
Alex held utterly no love for the military. Blackwatch and Gentek were the reason for this mess. The reason why he was dead inside. The reason why Dana was DEAD!
Anger boiled up in the viral embodiment of the Apocalypse. 'All that I am. All that I ever will be. IS BECAUSE OF YOU!' The tens of thousands of souls in him screamed in rage.
Because of some weird scientist, they were dead, because of some sick experiment lovers won't get to hold each other, parents would never get to hold their children. And it was all because of him!
In a fit of pure unadulterated rage, he shifted his arms to menacing claws and pounced the nearest scum there was.
The meatsack didn't have time to react when Alex swung his claws at him. They cut through the heavy Kevlar and steel armor like butter and the marine fell to pieces with a sick gurgle.
With his eyes blood red, he turned to massacre those who did and will do him wrong. Lord knows he did.
Alex shifted to his Hammerfists and didn't even bother with his armor. He didn't need it.
By now, every pathetic soldier had noticed him and tried desperately to kill him or escape.
"SONOVABITCH! SHOOT THAT MOTHERFUCKER!" And they did. Other infected would have been mincemeat but not him, not the virus himself. He had felt enough pain for Alex to go numb.
Alex jumped into the air and did an elbow drop on a Blackwatch trooper.
"NO, AHHH!" He said before being splattered into a puddle of mashed flesh and organs.
Oh how Alex relished the slick texture of blood. The taste was intoxicating. He had an evil grin on his face; he had lost control in a berserker rage. God help them all.
Alex ran to a cluster of troopers and smashed them to a pile of muck. His face was contorted into that of a madman and shifted his right arm into his blade and his left to his claws.
'Kill, murder, CONSUME!' His primal instincts were taking over and dashed to a marine.
He grabbed him by the throat and he could smell the fear from his hide. Fear, he was familiar with. Alex felt it all his life and now he could smell it from him.
Alex threw the man into the air and sliced him in two. Blood, intestines, and organs rained over him as his tendrils sprouted out to claim his meal.
There it was, the memories of his most recent prey, and it was delicious. Virus or otherwise, he was hungry.
ZEUS slowly turned to the remaining troopers. All the while, he had a malicious sneer and it didn't help the soldiers that he was covered in blood and gore, and had wickedly sharp blades for arms.
"Retreat, I say again, Retreat to the outpost!" A Blackwatch corporal exclaimed as the others tried to shoot there was back to Firebase Echo.
Alex J. Mercer – Codename: ZEUS, the Monster of Manhattan, was still hungry and he was not going to lose his meal.
He sprinted after them and in seconds, he was in front of them. Alex saw the fear and hopelessness in their eyes and laughed insanely. 'Humanity. Is. NOTHING!' He screamed in his head.
Alex shifted to Muscle Mass and dashed towards his latest kills. He didn't need blades, he wanted to tear them apart, slowly and painfully.
The troopers tried to dodge him but Alex was too fast. He grabbed the first soldier that came into view and tore into his stomach.
"AHHHGHGHCHCHSAGSH!" The marine gurgled as Alex lifted him up by the hole he made and snapped him in two. Bone cracked under his massive strength and Alex loved it. He threw the still living marine to the walking pussbags called Walkers and they immediately ate him alive.
Hearing his dying screams were music to Alex's ears. Ecstasy filled his chest as he still descended into his personal madness.
He turned to the rest and planted an unfortunate trooper's head into the ground hard, sending blood, bone, and brain matter spraying all over him. Alex laughed as his tendrils slurped up the rest.
Grabbing one by the arms, he pulled ever so slightly as the trooper screamed for mercy.
"STOP! PLEASE STOP! AHHH!"
Mercy was never his strong suit so Mercer was unconcerned by this. These men were the real monsters, they killed for sport and murdered, experimented, and dissected infants. Stole, slaughtered, and raped those who weren't infected.
They were the monsters and they dare call him an uncontrollable beast?!
Alex pulled harder and heard even more screaming when he felt the sockets popping. He laughed and pulled the trooper's arms clean of and he fell with him writhing in pain.
Alex consumed one arm but held on to the other. He had plans for this one.
With a crazed smirk, Alex forced the entire length of the arm down the man's throat and watched him as he slowly choked himself to death with his arm and blood.
He then turned to the two remaining sacks of meat and was met with a grenade to his chest. He was sent flying to a wall and was peppered with dozens of grenades until they stopped.
"You think he's dead?" A marine asked wearily. After the brutality and the insanity of ZEUS, he wanted out of here. It was one thing to face zombies but a deranged killing machine? That was just plain suicide.
"I don't know…" They walked cautiously to where Alex was blown but unfortunately for them, they made the mistake of staying.
When the first grenade hit Alex, it blew him to the wall and it hurt. It didn't help when he was practically blew to pieces but that didn't kill him. He survived a nuclear explosion, this was nothing but a pin prick.
His biomass was strewn all over the place but he could sense them. He could sense two meatsacks near him and he was still hungry.
Tendrils shot out from the ground and latched onto the two remaining soldiers. They screamed, kicked and fired on the viral vines but to no avail The tendrils drove themselves into the marines and they screamed in pure agony.
Alex felt their insides and wanted to play. He twisted, turned and tore through them; it was so good to feel them squirm and writhe in pain as he slowly dissolved them from the inside out like a spider would do to make its insect shake.
As he consumed them, Alex could only wonder if humanity was worth of saving but from what he saw, this claim was little to no truth to it. He could destroy every army in his way, he could take everything they threw at him but if he did destroy mankind, then what?
Even if he was branded as a monster, terrorist, and many more, Alex still had rules and dreams. He never wanted this, he just wanted to be left alone and rot away. Maybe what they said about him was true. Maybe he was a monster and if could stop all this from happening he would in a heartbeat.
So many times Alex tried to take his own life. He developed an antivirus called Darklight but his damned body adapted to it in seconds. He cut off his own head only for it to grow back. After so many attempts, he lost hope, but he couldn't give up. Dana would've wanted him to carry on.
After he consumed the marines, he reformed his body. Bones, flesh, and clothes were reformed as pain flared up in him. After he was done, he stood from the exact spot where the marines stood, deep in thought.
'Humanity is dead to me but why can't I kill it myself?' Alex growled. His mind was already to the breaking point with his views and the thousands of voices in his head.
Alex closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. Near impossible with his current state of mind. His mind was an entire multiverse in and on itself. A hive mind. The imaginations, and the dreams of countless lives reside in his own consciousness. And it's a bitch to have.
"God damn." He growled and raced up to the Empire State Building. His place to think.
Alex sat atop it since all of the red zone was an abandoned hell. All thanks to him. He looked to where the setting sun was and was a little relaxed but still at war.
A virus' primary goal is to infect and reproduce but he was not just a virus, Alex J. Mercer was the deadliest virus to ever exist.
He wished he was dead. God knows he deserved it ten thousand fold but he can't. Every day Alex wished for death but he couldn't die. Hope was a joke, a fact he was too late to realize.
The entire world sees him as a mindless abomination and he was okay with that but what he couldn't take was that Gentek and Blackwatch were branded as heroes.
"If only they knew…" Alex said as he looked into the palm of his hands. Hands that took so many lives and will probably take even more.
He chuckled a bit. Alex always thought he'd create a virus to help mankind but instead, he created a virus to wipe out mankind.
Unleashing the virus to the world would end his hate but would it end him? No. He would remain when humanity was snuffed out for he was immortal. Alex could use Darklight to finally end this outbreak but that would only screw him over.
"I wish Dana was here. She always knew what to do. So much for my two twenty five IQ." Alex sighed and he removed his hood.
Alex had dark brown hair that reached his shoulders and had a messy feel to it. He had sharp facial features and striking blue eyes. If there were no outbreak, everyone would say he was handsome, but being a terrorist was not good for his image.
He already knew what Dana would say. She would tell him that to keep fighting until he dropped and never give up. And never give up his humanity.
Alex scoffed at that. He already lost his humanity long ago but he could end it. Humanity or the Infection. On one hand, he would be rid of any unwanted attention but he would go insane for sure. The other would destroy the virus entirely but humans would still be a nuisance. They would still hunt him down unless he's either dead or he disappeared.
Then there was Blackwatch and Gentek. He would destroy them but how? If he just smash up their stuff, they would just rebuild. No, he had to destroy them permanently.
Then an idea hit Alex: the Internet. He smirked at this. The most reliable tool to destroy anyone's reputation was always the internet.
He had the footage to support his goals tenfold so Blackwatch and Gentek will die. Forever.
But he would still be hunted and that made the mighty ZEUS sigh in annoyance.
"I should just be done with it and burn the world but sweet baby sister would try to kill me from the grave." Alex snickered. Dana would probably strangle him with his own tendrils if he did burn the world. No matter how unearthly that was.
Alex had slaughtered scores of infected, mowed down squads of soldiers, reduced tanks and helicopters to scrap metal, and cost the U.S. Government the equivalent of two World War 2's, but he couldn't face his little sister.
He stood up and sighed. "Alright, I'll end this nightmare. I'll give humanity a second chance. For Dana and Ragland" He said and jumped down as he had done so many times before.
Alex hit the pavement with a loud bang and every walker in the vicinity were blown away and crushed by the impact. He never did care about them. As far as Alex was concerned, they were nothing more than livestock for him to feed on. Empty shells of their former selves.
Alex raced to his safe house with amazing speed, knocking and crushing anything that was unlucky enough to be in his way.
Even if he wanted to kill everything and everyone on this planet, he couldn't. If he did that, then he would be a monster to himself. Humanity was stagnant, it didn't mean he too had to be.
Death was the only option for him. Life without end was meaningless. Alex J. Mercer was dead, and only his creation remained. He had no reason to live but how could he die?
The only thing he was good at was killing. Alex was no hero nor was he a villain. It only confused him more. What was he on the inside? His humanity was long gone along with his will to live and hope.
The hopes of thousands of souls, in an instant, dashed away and he was to blame. Alex didn't particularly enjoy killing the innocent but he had no choice, now he had to live with their own hate and anger on him.
Alex Mercer was a monster plain and simple.
As he was free running, he faintly heard a scream from one of the alleys, which was strange. This was the red zone, no one and nothing was allowed here and then there it was again.
He didn't care about a pathetic human being mauled but the screaming was grating at his already worn nerves and patience so he went to the shrieking as fast as he could.
'When I find who's been screaming, I'll turn him inside the fucking out and use him as walker bait.' Oh yeah, he loved that idea. Alex would have to make a mental not to try that.
When he reached where the annoying screams were, he stared at the miserable meatsack being chased by the infected with sadistic interest.
Alex was always one for a good show and he would never get enough blood and gore. In a way, he was sorry for this idiot to die like this, he would've preferred to kill him the way he planned.
Then he tripped and then the walkers swarmed him. Alex closed his eyes but not in disgust but in pure joy. His screams were full of fear and pain, just how Alex wants it.
He opened his eyes to see that more than ten walkers were digging into the meatsack. They tore and ripped his flesh apart, even doing a death roll like a crocodile to tear off one of his limbs off. Alex was impressed that this moron was still alive…and still screaming.
"GAAAGH! CHHTSH!" the man puked out a fountain of blood as the walkers split him in two and ripped flesh and organs right out.
Alex was fairly amused by this. 'Kinda' like Day of the Dead.' He found it entertaining to watch other's agony. Call him a psycho but he was just a virus nothing less but far more.
He got bored really quick and left the walkers to finish their meal. Alex will just have to try that idea later.
When he came back to the safe house, Alex sat down on the worn out sofa. He didn't need to remove his clothes because his were biomass so he just sat there, pondering what he should do.
Alex travelled around the world to find something to believe in. Only thing he found was disappointment. Even though people treated others with decency, it was all a façade. Humans only cared about themselves in the long run. Just like Karen and Autumn.
Rage boiled in him. Two women he thought he loved were the ones to betray him. Being betrayed by those you love was the worst kind and Alex was the worst person to deceive. He killed them without mercy and it felt good.
Humanity was dead to him but maybe he was searching in the wrong places. Alex needed to start over but where? He needed isolation, he wanted to be alone but close enough to watch humans.
"Well, Britain is rather nice this time of year." Alex smirked evilly. Once he was done here, Alex would move to Britain and disappear…and probably raise hell there.
"Watch out merry old England, Mercer's come to play." He said menacingly.
He got up and went to his personal lab where his antivirus was. It was useless against him but Darklight was the only thing that could wipe out the infection now and finish this.
"This better be worth it." Alex growled and grabbed a concentrated veil of the compound and went on his way to cure the virus.
After he placed Darklight in a dispersal device on top of the Empire State Building, he was ready to purge the virus. He didn't want this to continue any more. This was his legacy and curse, and now Alex must fix this broken world.
He launched the antivirus into the air and it blew into a massive cloud that started to rain Darklight. It spread to all of New York City and drenched the cursed city with the cure.
He felt unaffected by it because of his body's adaptation capabilities but the other Infected were not so lucky. Below him, brawlers, walkers, juggernauts, and goliaths were screaming in pain as their bodies dissolved into paste.
Everywhere the infection was dying out and those idiot soldiers were cheering their goddamn asses off.
Alex remained expressionless. This was still another example why humanity needed to die.
"This is Oscar Three-Two, the Infected are dying! I say again, the Infected are dying!" A marine cheered and it wasn't long before Alex's radio went crazy.
"Hell yeah! Them motherfuckers are fuckin' dead! Redcrown, this is India Two-Two, those ugly sons of bitches are fuckin' DEAD!"
"Redcrown to all units, we have confirmation that infection levels are now at zero percent. I say again, zero percent. It's time to go home, gentlemen." A female voice said over the channel and his radio erupted into a torrent of cheers.
Alex listened in on their cheering and found it really fascinating that humans were this degenerates. 'I can't believe I was once human.' Now Alex's job was done here. He had no more ties here. Time to move on.
^Three Weeks Later^
Alex strode into the JFK Airport and waited for his plane to start boarding, all the while, everyone was still watching the report of 'The Purge of Manhattan' as the reporters called.
"This is Katie Williams reporting from New York City. A city ravaged by the most virulent bioweapon ever created by human kind, the Blacklight Virus or more commonly known as the Mercer Virus." Alex rolled his eyes at this and sat down by a chair.
He wore a new look. Instead of his usual jacket and hoodie, Alex wore a white buttoned up shirt with a black blazer. He had dark blue denim pants and business shoes. Even though he missed his hood, he couldn't risk anyone recognizing the Monster of Manhattan so to compensate, he wore sunglasses.
"In a span of over three weeks, this virus has claimed the lives of over three million people and turned the rest into mindless monstrosities. The top-secret military unit, Blackwatch, was able to hold off the infection and together with the Marine Corps' 5th, 6th, and 10th battle division, had successfully eliminated the threat of the infection from Manhattan Island. Though rebuilding the destroyed city will take decades, the government has made it a point to help in the rehabilitation of New York. The man responsible for the outbreak, Alex J. Mercer, the original creator of the virus, has been deemed the most wanted fugitive on the face of the earth. In an official statement from Gentek, it appears that Mercer not only released the virus but is the virus. He possesses superhuman capabilities and will not hesitate to kill. With this knowledge, Blackwatch has been tasked with the immediate kill/capture order placed on Alex Mercer's head. As of now, his current whereabouts are unknown. Every nation remains on high alert for his return. This is Katie William."
Alex listened to the report and quite frankly he expected more. Sure Blackwatch and Gentek took the credit for what he did but Alex didn't do it for glory. He just wanted out. Alex still had plans to destroy them but he needed certain things first.
"Boy, you think that Mercer's still out there?" A heavily obese man asked wearily to the crowd. A crowd had gathered to the T.V. but Alex paid no mind and listened to his MP3 player.
"I hope not, but if he is, then Blackwatch'll get him." A teen said smugly that made Alex want to gut him. Blackwatch had never been able to stop him and what did this human know about him?
"Not to burst your bubble kid, but what do you know of Alex Mercer?" Alex asked the kid and everyone turned to him.
"He's a monster plain and simple. And the military will get him." A man growled, clearly held a grudge against him.
Alex shrugged. "Okay, he's a monster I get. But why didn't the military kill him with the months they were there? Why couldn't they kill him?" Alex challenged, facing them.
"Oh yeah, what makes YOU think that Mercer has a chance against the army? He's just one man." The man had the audacity to challenge the mighty ZEUS.
Alex smirked and walked towards them slowly. "Because I've seen him in action. I've seen how he snapped a man in two like a twig. I've seen him eat a man on a silver platter. I've seen him get blown up and come back with NOTHING on him. I've seen him lift a sixty ton tank with one hand. You tell me if that doesn't scare you, then nothing will." Alex said calmly into the man's face and saw him with fear in his eyes and he smirked at them.
"Pray he doesn't get to you. Pray that he doesn't cause another outbreak like in New York, because if he did, this madness will never end." He said and turned back to his seat and saw the crowd slightly shiver out of the corner of his eyes.
After what felt like minutes, which was actually hours, the intercom came on. "British Airlines Flight 186D bound for London is now boarding. All passengers please proceed to the check in station. Thank you."
Alex figured that that was his cue to go and he carried his baggage with him. He didn't need anything in particular but he did need a couple of clothes.
He waited in line for about twenty minutes before he got to the check in station.
"Good afternoon, sir," The guard said in an English accent and Alex nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"Yeah, good afternoon as well." Alex said as he gave him his passport.
The guard, who was named Michael by his nametag, skimmed through Alex's documents while Alex waited patiently for him to finish. During his travels, he learned the hard way that airports were worse than the red zone if it came to boredom.
"So you're moving residence to London, eh?" Michael asked and Alex nodded his head.
"Yeah, what with that Mercer running around and America in the shit, I think I'll be safer in Britain." He lied. It was Britain that won't be safe from him.
Michael nodded his head in understanding. "Can't lie 'bout that, mate, the world's gone to shit about that outbreak and with Mercer running around, nowhere is safe."
Alex shrugged his shoulders. "It was either that or stay in New York. It was the place where I grew up but with the virus and all fucking things that were already fucked up, I don't wanna stay there anymore."
That was one of Alex's reasons to leave. The virus had already fucked up things beyond belief and was not going to go back anytime soon. Too many bad memories. He should know his mind was filled with it.
"Yeah, lost my brother there." Michael said gloomily.
"I'm sorry." Alex tried to be sorry but he just couldn't do it. Brutally killing dozens of people and unleashing the most dangerous substance on earth will do that to you.
"It's okay, so here you go. Enjoy your stay at merry old England, Alexander J. Frost." Michael chuckled and handed Alex back his passport.
"Thanks." Alex said and retrieved his fake passport and went on his way to the plane. He still retained his original appearance and who knew that with a slight alteration with his hairstyle, no one recognized him.
Alex cut his hair just enough for him to look differently and slicked it back a bit. That and his new outfit really made him into a new look. He didn't even need to morph into someone else.
Alex boarded the plane and gave the flight attendant his ticket. "Okay Mr. Frost, you're in First Class. Please follow me and I'll take you to your seat."
Nodding his head, Alex followed the flight attendant and entered the first class cabin. 'First Class isn't all that it's fuckin' seems.' He thought as the stewardess showed him his seat.
"Here you go, sir. Enjoy the flight." She said kindly but Alex knew that it was far from kind. Humans only cared about themselves. Courtesy never did existed.
"Thanks." Alex said and took his seat. This was going to be a long flight so as soon as the flight attendant was gone, he forced himself into a coma until the flight was over.
^6 Hours Later: London^
Alex woke up from his self induced coma and stretched his stiff biomass. He looked out the window and saw that he was most certainly in London.
"There's Big Ben so this is London. Well, shit." He said and began to think of a way to make a life for himself here.
Alex was a genius, hell, he was the one who created the single most powerful organism there is so he could get a job as a professor but he would just get Bureaucrat shit. Or he could just consume the dean? No, that wouldn't work. A detective but he didn't take orders from anyone.
"To hell with it, I'll make up my mind eventually." He growled, annoyed. Alex would worry about that later because he had access to tons of government funds. How the fuck did you think he got First Class?
"Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking. We will be landing soon so please buckle up and prepare for landing."
Alex saw everyone buckling up but he didn't move a muscle. He took bullets head on, so he could take a plane crash. God knows he survived a helicopter crash dozens of times.
Even if he will survive a crash, he buckled up anyway so he wouldn't attract any attention to himself. Alex chose to give humanity a second chance in him and he wasn't about to blow his one last chance to believe in something again.
The plane touched down and docked to the terminal. After checking out of the airport, Alex let out a menacing smirk. "Who dies first?" He said as he entered a cab for downtown.