Jack chewed on the strange, half-eaten fruit in his hand. He closed his eyes with a sigh before they snapped open.
The ex-yakuza spits it out onto the metal floor, leaving a mushy, red wet stain.
Jack put his fingers in his mouth and gagged on the floor, leaving only disappointment behind.
"Christ." Jack wince collecting air before going for round two. He coughed and hacked, earning heavy steps to the third floor, where he stood.
"Mr.Walker!" Amy eyed Jack, hunched over on his hands and knees.
"I'm alright! I'm alright!" The ex-yakuza stretched his shaky hand towards the bot duo, who stared at the bitten fruit and the red mush Jack left behind.
"What did you do?!"
"I don't know...Spare me the lecture."
"Oh, sure." Amy twists her lips. "Why don't you finish it?"
"Haha." Jack rose from his knees, nearly out of it.
"Finish it." The amu planted her hands on her hips.
"Excuse me?"
The amu pace towards the bitten fruit before taking it from the floor.
"Don't waste your energy. Is there something you would like to tell me?" Amy leans towards Jack.
"Get to the point." Jack furrowed his brows.
"You should reframe your speech," Rex advised.
"I don't need you to speak for me, Darling." Amy raised his hand towards Rex. "What happened, Mr.Walker?" She spoke slowly.
"I'd told you."
Amy reached her hand towards Jack's bulletproof vest, earning a smack in the hand from the ex-yakuza.
Rex marches forward.
"Don't. That's an order." Amy looks back at Jack, who is returning the glare. "That fruit should heal you by now. And yet, you haven't fainted. Tell me, Mr. Walker. Have you eaten one before we met? And don't lie to me or else I won't help."
"Maybe we can help each other." Jack tilted his head, looking up to Amy. "What's down there?" He lowered his voice.
"It's classified."
"Do you know what I see? Cages. Of once sane people." Jack watched as Amy covered her mouth. "I'll tell you, but you gotta be frank with me."
Amy lowered her hand from her twisted mouth.
"It's classified." She spoke in a near whisper.
"Classified," Jack smirked. "It's classified...Okay."
"I'll answer for you." A voice forced Rex to do a one-eighty, taking aim at a Sister of Arae. Standing with her arms by her side, staring at Jack. "They seek protection, escape, hope." Her eyes never left Jack. "I also thought that. And yet, good for me to just wait a while."
"You have no business here." Amy hovered her hands over the weapons attached to her thighs.
"So do you." Sister of Arae stared plainly at the trio. "It's for the public. And yet your label has no meaning. Not anymore." She whispered.
"We can go," Jack spoke into the silence. "All we need are your supplies. And then we're gone."
"Then what? You'll bring them here."
"There is enough killing for one night. I know what you're going through."
"There's never enough." The Sister of Arae spoke in a whisper. "They hurt my mother. My flesh and blood. My only. She wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Where's your mother?" Jack questioned.
"I am the mother."
"Get down." Rex tackles Amy onto the floor while Jack quickly drops after.
The roof and walls of the greenhouse cried out in pain, followed by creaking, and pixels of warm, moist glass sought shelter in every nook and cranny.
Jack and the others rose from the floor. Mother Arae and the greenhouse were long gone. The bots and Walker observed Mother Arae as she rode a branch of a tree that extended beyond the site's bounds.
A cry of joggers erupts in the night sky. Amy approached the edge of the roof, staring at the entrance of the site headquarters. Eyeing a sea of ruin, approach the open gate below.
"Ground Level. Now!" Amy raced down the steps, followed by Rex and Jack.
They exited the three-story building, turning heads among the crowd of husks and inviting themselves into the ICC front yard.
The trio fired into the crowd of ruins, covering the yard with snow angels, light shows, and the echoes of their firearms.
"If we don't close off that gate. The ruin will outnumber us." Amy reloaded her Dual Righteous Defenders. "Rex, clear the way for Mr.Walker. He needs to plug up this crack."
"Orders received." Rex swapped from his Dawn 14 to CliffHanger before firing into the front of the crowd; the gun made a water-droplet sound.
The shell smacked into ruin, which blew into bits, followed by others who were close; the explosion's feedback took the surviving members off their feet. Rex fired another, erasing two more groups' chances to push back into the living.
Sea of ruin remained behind the gate, approaching or gathering their bearings.
Jack rushed before the ranger and amu with his arm drawn back.
"Ha!" Jack stretched his arm forward, unleashing an ice stream that forced the litter behind the gate that tried to inch back into the site. Walker swung his arm, going for a strike.
A wood shard pierced Walker's upper back, forcing ice into the fences and opening the gate wider.
Amy looked at the building on the left of them before firing a shot at the roof. The amu scored a torso hit into a Sister of Arae who flipped from the third-story roof before plummeting onto the dirt below.
"Walker!" Amy cried out.
"Don't worry about me!" Jack ripped the shard from his upper back, staying behind Rex, firing into the crowd with his Dawn 14.
The ICC is pushed back into the center of the site by the dead. Where shipping containers are littered toward the end of the military site.
"More, Two o'clock." Rex grabs Jack's backpack, dragging him behind a shipping container, shielding them from wood shards that stuck into the container.
Jack stumbled back onto the wall of the container. Taking a breath and eyeing the husks from across the yard, pacing to their position.
"Thanks." Jack takes a breath.
"Rest assured." Rex peeked around the corner of the container only to pull back from a few wood shards planted into the dirt from where the ranger stood. "We will prosper."
"Three on the second floor and two on the roof." Amy raised her voice, returning fire from the second floor at the sisters who had hidden behind the window. "Rex, open them up. Roof from the second. On my orders." She took cover.
Jack watched a wooden ball land just before Rex and him. Walker shoots an ice beam towards the ball just before the ranger sheilded Jack with his body.
The beam connects, causing a loud pop and fragments of ice towards Jack and Rex. Rex shielded the ex-yakuza from the debris while Jack stared up at the ranger looking down at him.
"You alright?!" Jack questioned watching Rex push off from the wall in a stumble.
"Right as rain." Rex grasps his grenade launcher.
"Now." Amy returned fire towards the sisters, taking cover.
Rex emerged from behind the shipping container before he opened fire. The shell hits the face of the second floor, revealing the sister recovering from the blast.
"That's not what I wanted, but I'll make do. Return fire." Amy holstered her weapons before racing along the spine of the shipping containers.
She leaped towards the second container, kicking off the wall and boosting herself onto the top of the first one. She ran along it, equipping RD as she eyed the sisters of Arae, who noticed her presence.
"The medic!" A sister cried.
"Kill the crazy one!" Another spoke as Amy aimed her weapon of choice.
She fired her burst mode, killing two sisters, before jumping from the shipping container toward the second-floor opening in the wall.
Mid-leap, Amy fired into the hole in the wall once more towards the sister hiding behind her hands on the floor. The shot connects, ending the life of the sister before the amu planted her metal boots inside.
Standing among the dismantled lab on the second floor, filled with shattered glass, debris from the walls, and broken science equipment, with liquids littering the floor.
Five rows of lab tables lined the room. Suddenly, a door at the far end, across from the amu, slammed open.
"Don't you have enough?!" A sister fired at the amu, forcing her behind a lab table. "When will it be enough?!"
Another sister provided; return fire for the second sister of Arae, who took cover behind a table on the far left of the room.
"You attacked us first." Amy rose from behind her table, firing down at the sisters who took cover.
"Arrgh!!" A sister on the far right of the room screamed.
"NOO!!" The sister on the far left fired at Amy, forcing her to cover.
"There's no harm in quitting!" Amy raised her voice, listening to the sound of scraping and wood shards planting themselves behind the amu's cover. "My team is leaving with our resources, and you are harping on ICC property is not doing any of this justice!" Amy rose from the table, taking aim.
"I'll KILL YOU!!" The sister of Arae hurls a chair from two lab tables at Amy, who tanks it on her arm, protecting her head.
The sister closed the distance with the amu, redirecting the shot with a swipe of her palm before driving her spike arm towards Amy's face.
Amy inch her head from the attempt, locking her arms around the sister's back, using the momentum to body slam the sister of Arae onto the floor.
She climbed on top, trapping the sister's armed hand and neck. Cracks form along the wooden sister's neck.
"Ragh!!" The sister of Arae growled, swinging her free arm, aiming her spiked arm at Amy's hip. Amy back-handed the attempt before trapping the other spike arm between her legs. Leaving the lower half of the wooden sister to anchor and kick for control. "Uh." The sister gasps while the bark of her neck screams.
"I'm sorry," Amy whispered, forcing a loud crack and leaving the sister to lie limp. "I'm so sorry."
Amy stood to her feet, looking down on the motionless sister before snapping to the groans of Husks making their way up the stairs towards the right of the amu.
Amy paced herself to the hole in the wall, eyeing Jack and Rex as they slowly pushed back the dead.
Jack side-eyed Amy before waving.
"Come on!"
Amy equipped her dual RDs before leaping from the hole of the building, landing onto a shipping container, before laying waste to the ruin below.
The living continued to light up the dead crowd, by needles of light, bullets, and explosions, littering the dirt yard with bodies.
The sea of ruin became groups and wanderers.
Jack fired RD into the skulls of two husks. Flinching after heavy barks fills the loud and quiet night. A prominent, bulky figure lands a few yards from Jack and onto the shipping container, revealing a Cerbrus, its eight glowing red eyes, and orange pupils lock onto the human, ranger, and amu.
Ashen bark protected its skulls and legs. White fur waved while the three-headed dog towered over the trio, flashing their red glowing maws, allowing silava to spill from their deep growls.
"Why haven't we seen it sooner?" Mother Arae appeared, riding the albino cerbus and holding a Righteous Defender in her free hand. "We shouldn't have trusted you. We gave a hand, and you took an arm."
The albino Cebreus releases a sky-cracking roar, releasing waves of flames from their three maws, stunning Jack in a standstill, mouthing.
"What the fuck."
"Ragh!" Mother Arae fires at Jack, taking cover behind a shipping container.
Rex and Amy fired their bullets and needles of light. They clash against the ashen bark, chipping wood and white fur, tanking and leaving burns.
The center and right head of the three-headed dog spat a wave of flames, forcing the duo to take cover behind the shipping containers.
Jack fired from cover, drawing the albino cerberus's attention. The three-headed dog pounced onto the shipping container Walker was stationed in, forcing him into the opening.
Mother Arae fired hordes of needles of light at Jack, running from the swarm.
An explosion staggered the three-headed dog. Mother Arae adjusted her grip on the fur. Eyeing Rex from afar, aiming Cliff Hanger. Another shell escapes his firearm, soaring towards the opposing duo.
Mother Arae shot at the approaching shell, triggering an early explosion.
"Our bond is unbreakable." The left head of the cerbereus, glowing mouth, builds up while Rex takes a stand. "You break underpressure under a single word."
"Ah!" A stream of ice escapes from Jack's palm and toward the glowing mouth, forcing it open. The Albino Cerberus recoils.
"Focus all fire in the mouth." Amy fired her dual RDs into the vulnerable head of the cerberus.
"Figure much." Jack followed Amy's orders.
The ice breaks in the jaws of the left head of the three-headed dog, yet it dropped limp, forcing a whine and a howl from the ceberus who lost a sister in battle.
"No!" Mother Arae fired at Amy and Jack, who took cover behind scattered shipping containers.
At mid cover, a husk forced Jack against the metal wall, forcing its teeth at the ex-yakuza who didn't give it a chance. Needles of light pierce near the head of Walker and into the husk, dropping onto its back.
"Demons!!" Mother Arae roared. "This new world doesn't deserve your infection!" Needles of light entered Jack's cover, missing him by a hair. Killing a few wandering ruins, taking an interest in the ex-Yakuza.
Rex fired a shell into the Cerberus, forcing a recoil. "I require your attention." He fired another, knocking the two-headed dog off the shipping container.
The bulky frame of the two-headed dog lands on Mother Arae, forcing a scream.
"Someone! Punish it!" Amy spun on her heels, clocking a husk across the jaw with the heel of her metal boot.
"Understood." Rex closed the distance, punching the left head of the two-headed dog, forcing the flames to escape from the maw of the dog from where he stood.
The ranger uppercuts Cerberus's lower jaw before tossing a grenade into its throat, forcing the jaws closed under his arms. An explosion occurred, sending Rex onto his chest.
A single head remained from the three-headed dog. The albino cerberus rose from her paws. Mother Arae rose to her feet and ran behind the shipping container to avoid the others.
"Under all that pain is our purpose to rid the world of monsters like you." Mother Arae voiced, followed by the roar of Cerberus, who formed a flaming cyclone.
"It just keeps getting worse!" Jack watched as the cyclone gained momentum, heading towards Amy, who led it towards the wandering husks, which were engulfed in its destruction, leaving trails of flame and body parts.
Amy weaved past a grabber before racing between the shipping containers. The amu ran towards the radio tower, engulfed by the swallowing tree.
"Noo!!" Mother Arae fired at Amy, who kept her head low and the cyclone fast on her heels.
Rex shoulder-tackles Amy from the cyclone, which quickly disperses, revealing the albino cerberus trapping Rex in its jaws.
"Status accepted." Rex held two grenades in the eyes of his aggressor.
A massive explosion took the head of the Cerberus, and the parts of the tree supporting the radio station. Fire spread along what's left before releasing a creak and a whine.
"Get back!!" Jack forced Amy to flee before making distance from the tilting Radio tower.
Slowly, but surely, metal meets dirt. The sound of the fire crackling filled the duo's ears, then a silhouette appeared behind the flames and smoke.
"They've seen your potential!" Mother Arae screamed. "Potential in obedience and loyalty under false tongue!!" Pieces of bark break from her arm, slowly losing shape. "Shall they perish!! So I can deny them peace of mind." The shape of a woman's figure shattered into splinters.
"What?! Come on!!" Kota remained on the couch with a PB and J sandwich in hand. "This girl has a screw loose!" He stared at the TV, listening to footsteps closing in on his location.
"What did I miss?" Kouji planted himself beside the kid, taking a sip from a white soda can labeled Blizzard.
"This Maria chose her childhoodfriend over the ex-school bully."
"That's stupid." Kouji furrowed his brow.
"Her childhood friend treated her like utter crap! Don't remember her birthday, insult her whenever she tries to find closure with him after a three-year coma, and dares to be smart when she makes a mistake or tries to make friends. But, Oh no!!" Kota raised his hand and his sandwich. "Tyler was too much! This dude raised money to pay off her hospital bill, and I mind you, this was him building on his character arc. Helping his bullied victims, helping her cope with her coma, and the trauma of getting hit by a car. HE SOLD HIS OWN SPORTS CAR!!! For this brawn!!! The money became Swiss cheese because she heard Daniel 'struggling' to compete with making his video game!!"
"What kind of name is Daniel's playhouse?" Kouji remarked. "Sounds like a new strip joint."
"Exactly!! She needs to get hit by a car again." Kota took a bite of his sandwich, glaring at the TV screen as he watched Maria kiss Daniel.
"Ko, turn it to something else."
"Galdly." Kota grabs the remote.
"So, you heard about this Shaun and Alice?"
"Who?"
"Don't tell me you've been binging romcoms." Kouji lowered his eyelids.
"Hey, those romcoms saved both our lives. If it weren't for me bringing you to the fold to skip school. We both would've been dead." Kota cracked a smirk.
"I must have a hearing problem. I can only remember the sounds of you begging."
"Tactics, son!"
"Shameless." Kouji shakes his head. "Anyway, this Dallas wanted us to go down for a group meeting. Though I would rather smoke cannabis."
"You have any more?"
"Look at me, what do you think?" Kouji smiled.
"A beggar."
"Kiss my ass."
Kota sighs, looking over at his friend across the couch from him.
"Do we have to?"
"Unless you want that dude to pop you like a grape, if not him, it's gonna be your dad. Anyway, where's your sister?" Kouji looks over from the head of the couch and down the hall of bright brown tile floors to four white doors.
"I don't need another dad, thanks. And I don't know, she's an adult."
"Of course." Kouji rested on the couch.
Jean remained on top of the utility truck with a make-shift spear in hand. Watching the giant blind spider rush towards him, he leaps, going for a stab.
Jean shot out of bed, covered in sweat, panting, collecting his breath. He stared across from the orange carpet towards the white blinds, bleeding in the afternoon.
The young adult sat on the side of his bed, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist. A doorbell rings, jolting him awake.
"Hold on! In a minute!" Jean raised his voice as he approached the front door in red basketball shorts and a black tee.
Jean peeks in the peekhole, seeing Mei at the front door. He opened the door to her smile and her open hand, waving.
"Hey."
"Hey." Jean returned the gesture, plastering a smirk with bags under his eyes.
"I'm sorry. Didn't I wake you?"
"No. No. I was just getting up. How can I help you?"
"Oh, well." Mei avoids his eyes, combing her hair behind her ear. "I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out? I could show you a few things I drawn."
"Like what?" A voice spoke.
Jean looks over his shoulder at Nami, in an oversized t-shirt that hangs to her knees, leaning against the corner of the wall by the entrance, her arms crossed.
"What? I'm a curious cat." Nami gave a lip-biting smile.
"Oh, uh, this is Nami." Jean chuckled, rubbing his neck while cracking the door wider, introducing the third party. "She's a great friend of mine."
"Well, it's nice to meet you." Mei nodded, opening a hand by the door.
Nami remained where she stood.
"Same here."
"Nami." Jean lowered his eyelids.
"What? I can greet her right here." Nami raised a brow.
"Okay, don't worry about her. She's shy." Jean grins to Mei.
"It's fine. Fully noted." Mei flashed a smile, pointing finger guns.
"Jean, you wanna introduce her?" Nami questioned.
"Nami, this is Mei. She's the girl who helped with the night shift. Nami. Mei. Mei. Nami."
"Mei...nice name." Nami nods.
"Well, I'll get dressed." Jean points his thumb over his shoulder. "And see you out here. Cool?"
"Take your time." Mei interlocks her hands.
Jean closes the door before looking to Nami.
"Seriously?"
"What?" Nami kept to her position.
"It wouldn't hurt to be nice to her."
"And have her chew my ear off about you? Pass." Nami wandered into the kitchen, followed by Jean.
"It's not like that." The young adult rests his hands on the counter, looking across the kitchen to Nami, who bends down and stares into the refrigerator.
"Right. And inviting a boy into your room after meeting him in a few hours. Not weird." She snatched a glass bottle with a Sodapop Dan wrapper.
"Okay. I get your point. Can you not be so-"
"What?" Nami forces the cap open by slapping the bottle's head against the counter. The cap chime before she took a sip, letting out a wince. "Observant? Maybe beaming with personality." She smiled.
"Look. I'll be going."
"Oh, don't forget about the meeting." Nami took another sip. "You don't wanna slip into anything. And get lost." She beams.
"Har. Har. Har." Jean exits the living room.
Jean closes the door behind him, gazing at Mei, meeting his eyes.
"Sorry about that." Jean starts up.
"You're cool."
"She acts like this with anyone." Jean follows Mei down the hall.
"Goodbye to a jealous best friend."
"Don't start that. I don't need the stress."
"A girl could dream. So how did you two meet?"
"In high school. On break, I wanted to venture. The school. I tried the roof. And met Nami there. Eating her lunch like some girl you see in a high school manga." Jean cracked a smirk. "I wasn't free from her wrath back then. So I figure, why not? We all need someone to vent to."
"You're a good man."
"Tried to. Anyway, is your pops there by any chance?"
"What?" Mei looked over her shoulder with a smirk. "Afraid he might find something?"
"No. No. I'm afraid your father might use my corpse for science."
Mei chuckled.
"He's cool. Though you're the first boy who gets to see my domain."
"Wait, What?!" Jean blushed, making Mei laugh.
"Kidding. Kidding. But if you see my brother. Just say, "S'up?" And keep it moving."
"Alright." Jean croaked.
Mei opened the door before entering the short hall past the kitchen. The duo entered the living room. To Kota and Kouji, looking over the couch.
"Oh! Holy shit!" Kota's eyes widen.
"Uh...S'up." Jean waved, watching Kota skyrocket from the couch.
"Uh! Uh! You're not doing this!" Mei grabs Jeans' hand, pulling him towards the four doors at the end of the hall.
"Hold up! Hold up! You can't bring a boy without proper clearance!" Kota follows after the two.
"Until you grow hair on your chest. I'll consider it."
"Look, ever since you grew musatche. You think you could push me around." Kota stood before Mei and Jean, blocking the door on his right. Mei raised her hand, covering her mouth. "Think of the examples you're making here."
"Like you're any better. Come on." Mei whispered, pulling Jean past Kota.
"Jean, hey! Don't mind us. Just looking out for our family." Kota gets a last glimpse of Jean's hair as it enters Mei's room. "We got Reel watcher, all Tv shows and Movies recorded, no internet required."
The door slams shut.
Jean's toes embrace the black carpet design of a T. rex roaring up at the young adult; it stretches toward the middle of the room. The twin-size bed remains on the left, with the foot of the bed at the center. In front of it, a white double-wide dresser just below the flat screen TV hanging on the wall.
"Hey. Sorry about that." Mei voiced.
Jean turns to Mei, pacing past him.
"I figure we can call this even."
"Right. Of course." Mei sat on the side of her bed, letting the afternoon lights hit her back through the blinds. Her hands shielding her eyes from Jeans.
"Does this usually happen?"
"Mostly. Though it's like Ko can sniff just a whiff of my inter-peace."
"I think I would like that," Jean said, getting Mei's eyes. "I'm the only child. And maybe I welcome a little chaos."
"I-I...I don't know what to say." Mei spoke.
"Sorry. Getting ahead of myself. You would like to show me something?"
"Yeah, of course." Mei clears her throat, opening her dresser on the left of the bed. Fetching a black sketch book. She remained seated, holding it out for Jean to take. "Give it a whirl." Mei cocked her head with a smirk.
Jean accepts the offer, flipping to the first page.
A line sketch of a chibi cat with its paws on a burrito-like object just below the creature's head. Cutely stares back at the Young Adult with its widened watery eyes.
Letters in cursive remained below the art of the page.
"Cat Pocket?" Jean raised a brow.
"A friend of mine loves Heat Pockets, while I cats. I figure. Why not?"
"Where's your friend?"
"Gosh...Back at Mid school. Forgive me, I don't remember his name. It's been a decade." Mei rubs her neck, with a blush.
"May I?" Jean planted his fingers on Mei's bed.
"Go ahead."
Jean planted himself beside Mei, a shoulder width away.
"You're talented." Jean eyed a line sketch of a pittbull smoking a cigar.
"Aw, shucks...You think so?"
"Know so."
"I remember you mentioning you're a gamer. Is there any other hobby besides that? No offense."
Jean slams the book shut with a massive blush.
"That's just about it." He said quickly. "Actually! I got something to get off my chest, and please don't speak...I'm infected. I have some crazy super strength, and I'm afraid I might break something and hurt someone!"
"Well..." Mei held a white gaming controller for Jean to grab. "Don't break it." She gave an awkward smile.
"We have to give them a chance," Nobu spoke, standing in the center of the gym, surrounded by the residents and gym equipment. "Just like Dallas and the others gave us."
"They could've been followed," Kouji spoke. "They could be bringing the heat down on us as we speak. Sorry, Mr.Choi, but I'm sitting this one out."
"I'm with you, man!" One resident raised his voice, rallying others.
"Sorry, friend," Jiro spoke up, getting Nobu's eyes. "This is a bad idea."
"That idea will prevent a life. And sending them out will bloody our hands." Nobu stood firm, staring the crowd in their eyes.
"And don't forget Alice," Jean raised his hand just beside his head. "Imagine being stripped from a body you once knew, only to be thrown into another. Alone. She must've been through a lot before Shaun. Her brother is missing; just because she has ears and a tail doesn't make her anyless. She needs help, or at least us to help her cope."
"I can get by that." Another resident commented, followed by whispers and some nods.
Ms. Yugi entered through the glass door and into the gym, gazing at Nami, who stood by the door.
"This is a difficult situation." Dallas eyed Ms.Yugi from across the room. "And it gets bumper. Does anyone like to throw anything in the air?"
"What is this even about?" A resident folds their arms.
"I'm infected." Jean quips, getting the eyes of everyone in the room.
"What?! The What?!" A voice cried out.
"Make that two," Nami spoke from across the room. "Believe me or not. It's whatever."
The resident broke from their circle, which they form in the middle of the gym, and stood at the opposite side of the room. The remaining who stood with Jean were Mei, Kota, Nobu, and Jiro.
"Ha. Ha. Funny." Kota chuckled, looking to Jean, who avoided his eyes. "You can't be serious."
"The other infected, please step forward." Dallas voice through the room of whimpers and mild silence.
Mr. Yugi slowly raised her hand.
"Who is she?" A resident questioned.
"You idoit! She helped take this place back." Another answered.
"How come they haven't turned? You're telling me they been keeping this under wraps?!!"
"I knew they couldn't be trusted!!"
"Everyone. Work with me." Dallas lowered his voice, keeping his eyes on the frightened crowd. "They could be like Shaun. Immune to the virus."
"There's a thing called sleeping agents." Kouji points towards Nami, who couldn't care less. "Maybe it wakes after exposure!"
Kota grabs Mei's hand only for her to dodge his attempt.
"What's your problem?!" Kota raised his voice.
"He told me. Moments ago." Mei looks Kota in his eyes. She approached Jean only for him to flinch back.
"Stop! Stop. That's far enough." Jean kept a few feet from Mei.
"Jean?"
"Dallas." Nobu stared at Dallas with a blank gaze. "Were they bitten? Exposure? I don't need words; I need facts. Now."
"Jean." Dallas paced around the room while Jean revealed a ruined seed. "We took a test with this." He points to the seed in Jean's hand. "Jiro and I are clean. They stepped forward before it, while we here we all should get cleared."
"How does it work?" Nobu glared at the seed before staring at Dallas. "What is your game?"
"To make the best out of this situation."