Z-Parasites Mission 10.2 - Damage

A huge jackal, running and trying to eat a little black lizard, the reptile run and run but the size of the predator helped to catch his prey easily, and when it was about to bit the lizard, he woke up.

In the dark of a nursery, a blonde boy with blue cat-like eyes woke up suddenly, sweating profusely and breathing heavily.
Wearing only a white T-shirt and blue jeans and his black hoodie near him.
— "Again? The same nightmare?"—. A voice said inside his head.

— Diablo? ... Do you saw it too?— Replied the boy inside his head to the mysterious voice.

— "Of course, did you forgot that we are linked biologically and mentally? Sometimes, Michael, I can't understand how you can forget simple things".

The boy rubbed his front and looked at the hour on a clock with bright red numbers in the dark: 8:20. For some reason was on the floor and upside down.

Michael just remembered, he fought Derek, one of the generals of Harmony that were under the control of the Juggernaut. He poisoned him, slowing him down, but wasn't enough since he almost died. Another infected had to made the final blow and knocked out the jackal.

Suddenly, few lights turned on, showing the nursery. It was a real mess, shelving broken, bed on the floor. Then something touched his shoulder surprising him.

— Michael!

A boy, probably more than 18 years, brown hair, brown eyes with green pupils, earrings on his right ear and with a collar around his neck. It was Emmett, an old friend of his, didn't saw him for a good amount of time for some reason. Probably he spent more time in his room than he expected.

— Michael! Move! We got to hurry and get out!

The blonde boy was confused, why they suddenly have to go? And how much time has passed since the generals getting out of control? Then he noticed something, the lights... There were just one or two still lighting the nursery but the others were gone or broken.

— Come on, move!

The shout of his old friend got him out of his thoughts. Emmett pulled him from the bed, not giving him time to take his boots. Michael almost left his hoodie behind, something he couldn't because it is the only thing that reminded him of home, making him feel safe.

Emmett was guiding him through the tunnels, they were cracks or holes. Instead of the typical halls with people, there was only dead silent and a strange rumbling sounding. The two boys e to hear different sounds like something falling followed by a rumble.

— Emmett? What's going on?

— The Juggernaut is back and stronger.

With only hearing Juggernaut was starting to feel terror, he heard other members talking about a machine, an armor made by the GG to stop the strongest infected. He was the cause of the generals becoming psychopaths.

There was debris the more they advanced, making harder to step for the blonde boy who was barefoot. He had to change his fit to his lizard foot which was comfortable to walk on a terrain earrings the one in the crumbled tunnels.

They turned right, but it was blocked by the debris of a collapse.
Emmett widens his eyes in disbelief and shouted.

— WHAT!? NO! It supposed to be a way where I came from here!

— Did we make the wrong turn?

It wasn't a good situation but Diablo had to intervene — "I wouldn't be surprised since his brain is a rat".

Michael couldn't believe what his "partner" just said — "How dare you!?" — Shouting inside his mind — "Emmett did nothing to you, why do you insult him? We probably made a wrong turn and you are already blaming people".

There was no response to that, just a silence, but he could feel the anger of his parasite inside him, which was weird because he usually is quite or neutral to any situation.

— We were in the same direction I came, I can feel it was here. Maybe the battle collapsed this way.

Michael could feel his essence in the dead end, thanks to his developed smell sense of infected.

There was a rumble, then sounds of sand and rock falling, both teenagers looked behind and a hole was formed behind them, an exit. It seemed that luck was on their side.

Already outside, there was a dark green van, away from the base.

Michael walked towards the van, but he noticed that his companion wasn't by his side. He looked around and saw him running to a different tunnel.

The boy was about to chase him, but a female and loud voice called his attention.

— YOU THERE!!! QUICK HERE!!!

The lizard boy turned his back and saw the medic of the Harmony, Milicent, also called Mint which sounded cuter.
He saw her waving her hands as a sign of attention, but she didn't move from her position.

He looked again to Emmett going in the distance, he wanted to help him in whatever what was there. But also he had to see the doctor in some case even if he felt okay. He was confused and divided, but he chose the safe option because he didn't really know what was there in the stadium that was causing all that racket.

Michael walked fast to the van, and as soon as he was in front of there Mint didn't waste time on examing him.

— Are you injured? Inhale some weird gases? Cut with something?

— No. But...

Interrupted by the doctor examining his throat almost choking.

— Get off your hoodie and T-shirt.

Michael didn't argue, he knew that Mint only wanted to check him, even he was nervous because of the attack of the Juggernaut, also his friend went without warning him.

He took off his upper clothes, except the bandanna, and she started to listen to his breathing with her stethoscope, then to his heart which was beating hard. Also, he felt a bit of pressure on his chest.

— Tell me, to you, had some injury when you fought Derek?

That was a question he would like to avoid since only bring him nightmares — Not sure...

He barely finished speaking and she already touched his right side which responded with a sharp pain, like if his bones were broken. In fact, they were still broken after he was kicked by the jackal general.

—AGH!

— Yep, still broken.

— Agh... Where is everybody?

Mint took off her stethoscope — Some of us are trying to save the rest of the infected that are down there, the rest is fighting against that monster.

— And Cabal? You are not usually alone.

— He went to the Arenamechanism's more useful in combat. Besides, Lavvy is fighting too. She will need all the help of the members to take down that thing.

—I see —. Touching his chin.

Michael thought carefully, he wanted help the rest of his family, the Harmony, the one who gave him home when he couldn't come back to his home because of the GG. Even if they were just acquaintances, he didn't wish the harm of others but neither his own. He could feel inside how Diablo was curious about the decision of the human, almost enjoying it.

The boy finally asked — There's something in something I could help?

The doctor looked at him and looked in other direction thinking — Well, you don't have options. You should be still recovering, fighting wouldn't be wise. You could help the rescue team, there are infected that still there trapped in the tunnels or in the arena who needs assistance.

— What should I take?

— I have this injection of adrenaline for those in combat.

— Shall I take some and bring to them?

— No, it's dangerous to attend someone in the middle of a battle.

— But couldn't be better to give them right there?

— Yes, but you are risking yourself and the other.

— How about this? I take like three adrenaline autoinjection, in case they need in combat —. Though she seemed to agree with that, she just couldn't give easily those injections, they were limited and she was right about how dangerous it was what he suggested — I want to help them too, please.

There was a brief silence — Okay, I'll give you four of these adrenaline tubes, but don't come crying later that you broker a leg helping somebody. ... Good luck.

She searched in the van and in a half minute she came out
four tubes in her left hand gave them to the lizard boy and he immediately ran to the tunnels.

Down the hallways, he could sense the smell of his friend and of others infected, some recent others that were barely noticeable. He completely changed to his symbiote form since it was comfortable walking bare footed like that than in human form.

Michael ran and slowed down, he didn't want appear in the middle of the combat tired already. Also, the amount of debris started to increase, making difficult to run. As he was reaching the stadium, mechanicals sounds, growls, hissing and other angry animal sounds were getting louder.

The hallway ended with the entrance of the stadium, where it was supposed to be two metallic doors now there was one bent on one side.

— Oh god... — The words that the boy could only thing he could say as we watched the scenario.

Infected all over the place and a huge robot with a terrifying look. Many members of Harmony were fighting it in all kind of ways: throwing debris or other things, the strongest and tallest ones were trying to block his physical attacks such as punches or kicks. But the Juggernaut was faster and got rid of the infected that were near it.
There were some infected hiding others were wounded and being attended. But in the middle of the battle, there was one person near the monster that could destroy all Harmony, Lavvy, the leader of Harmony. She seemed to be determined to finish with that monstrosity since she didn't stop chasing it.
The stadium, the once known place for doing sports and people to train, it was now a battlefield where there was only one rule: Win the fight.

Then the voice of his parasite came to wake him up again— We are so dead...

Michael saw somebody laying down near where he was, nobody was attending him so he went down to see a wounded white wolf with a red stripe in the middle of his body.

—David... — Saying his name at loud.

The wolf slowly turned around to met with the eyes of the anthropomorphic thorny devil.

— Are you okay?

The wolf only looked at his eyes, the lizard boy could see determination but also pain. Then he changes to an anthropomorphic form of himself, but with pants.

He was holding with his right hand under his left arm, like golding his side. — Hey... — Responding with a smile that didn't last more than two seconds.

—David, are you okay? — Thinking that was a dumb question and a cliché.

— Well, I've got knocked out by that giant asshole... — Michael searched for the Juggernaut, it was far from them, giving both boys time— And I think I have a broken rib... But I can still move, I'm just resting a bit...

— Do you need help, my friend?

— I'll be okay in a few minutes.

— But we probably don't have minutes —. Keeping an eye on the enemy who was still moving and trying to get rid of the strongest infected in the stadium. — I have adrenaline here. Do you think it will help you?

—Probably... But there could be someone it needs it more than me.

Michael couldn't let him like that, but if it was only a rib, why he didn't move by himself? It didn't matter — Let me get you up.

The boy took the white wolf's arm to his spiky back, carefully placing on his shoulders so David couldn't get hurt because of his defensive mechanism.

—Any weaknesses that you had seen during the battle? — The black thorny devil asked looking for any important information that could help him or the others in case they didn't know.

Another minute of silence, disturbed but the sounds of pain, the anger of the battle occurring behind them. — There no weak spots, at least not easy to reach them, if you get close it will make a screeching noise that forces you to retreat. Not to mention that also the gas it produces, makes everyone dizzy—. Michael looked behind and he was able to confirm to be true what he said about the screech and the gas, those who were fighting it seemed to have problems with focusing on the battle. Holding their ears, other just retrieving to get away from the mental control.

They went up, in a high place that allowed them to watch the whole scene.

Michael felt good helping David, feeling useful for the Harmony — Here you can rest out of the danger —. Turning his head to the white wolf, whose face didn't show any signs of reliving or ease.

— I wouldn't be sure...

— Why y-...?

Watching the next scene explained the pessimistic respond of David. The Juggernaut was winning even with many infected attacking it from various sides. The green sharp glowing claws made of energy struck against those who were very close to it.

Michael couldn't handle it, he just sat near David — What I can do? ... This thing... Is going to crush us all... And I'm not ready for combat, not for this.

David pointed with his claw to the ground where there was some infected, that even being small or not very powerful animals were still fighting, like a swarm — We all keep fighting because this is our home and family. If you wish to still have a home and us, you should try your best, because you only fail when you just give up.

Michael looked at him seriously — I've heard that one before...

— Hey, I'm not good doing speeches — Responding calmly.

— But... You have right, if I don't do anything it will be like surrendering myself.

Diablo added — That was a quick change of mind...

Ignoring his parasite, Michael extended his hand and gave him the autoinjection of adrenaline — David, use this adrenaline now. Surely you need it to go back to the fight.

The black-scaled boy went down, leaving David behind. Now he only had three tubes, hoping that he will use them well.

Down, he could sense something familiar... Emmett, he was nearby. In the opposite direction of the Juggernaut. Why?

The smelling lead him to a place in the arena where they store all the sports equipment.

Inside, it was like an earthquake had knocked down everything, all the sports material was on the floor, some broken some not. The thorny devil found his friend, now in his symbiote form, a tall weasel creature standing on his two feets, conservating his human hair and a belt, who was looking for something in the mess.

— Emmett? What are you doing?

The weasel, surprised, turned quickly to the blonde lizard.

— Michael!

— What are you looking for here?

Then Emmett resumed his searching — Something that can harm that metallic bully—. He found few javelin between the mess.

The blonde lizard-boy was starting to get worried — Do you really think that will harm it? I mean, is huge and surely is well protected.

— But we must try everything, even if is only distracting him. You could help me.

Michael froze in the instant, he never planned to go near the Juggernaut, but neither leave alone his friends. Engaging a building-sized metallic monster wouldn't be a good thing for them both, they are not great and strong as their leader or the generals. A strategy could work, but that thing looks so invincible...

— I-I'm not sure, I fear that we could get hurt...
— And those outside? — Emmett responded angrily— They are getting injured, fighting for their lives, our lives, they are scared too but they are doing their best to stop this nightmare.

The lizard looked down, feeling bad for thinking selfishly, but he still was scared.

— "Not so brave now, aren't you?" —. The little devil whispered in his mind— "One minute ago you were all *I'll do my best* and now you are trying to hide from the danger... How complicated are you... But... I can't blame you, both of our nature is avoiding the danger, hiding until the worst is gone".

Michael didn't like to be called a coward, more like a prudent person, a way of surviving and avoiding any kind of conflict.

Suddenly Diablo shouted inside the boy's head— "MICHAEL! SOMETHING BIG IS COMING!" — There was a feeling of dread coming from the parasite that the boy could also feel, and it wasn't for nothing.

He went to see what was scaring his parasite so much, probably it was the Juggernaut. But parasites can't notice the presence of machines... Can't they?

A rumbling sound and huge creature with many limbs, and a tail with a mouth appeared out of nowhere.  The boy was horrified and confused, he never saw such thing.  But the color of its fur, wolf-like head and the blue glowing tattoos on its shoulder gave him a clue of who she was. Lavvy.

— Is that...? Lavvy? — Still shocked by the size of the creature, who was charging against the Juggernaut, but now that both titans were closer he was able to compare their sizes, and the machine was still bigger than her.

— "I fear that's the fusion form we heard about. I can sense Lavvy and Alpha at the same time"—. A flashback came to him, remembering that he heard about before, especially when the Harmony members where going to fight his generals, he heard it a lot, no wonder why they were so dangerous.

— So this is her fusion form...

Lavvy changed her position, from standing straight to more like centaur pose, using her other limbs as the front paws. The fusion directly attacked the Juggernaut, but it quickly dodges the hit and counter-attacked with a shot of its laser cannon in the forearms of the armor. It seemed that the laser got her, but it only grazed her arm.

She pushed forward to grabbing the mechanical monster by its arms, but the Juggernaut had a surprise. The machine opened its mouth, showing a cannon inside that was already charged and shot.

The laser blasted on her face, the attack left a burn on her but didn't seem to stop her from holding the enemy who was trying to get away from her by using its buster on the back. But Lavvy holds him, with some help, since the other was throw debris and all they could find and the strongest ones were climbing on it. But didn't last long, because of the screech that the machine made affected most of the infected.

The huge fused wolf was affected by that noise, releasing the machine to hold her ears. She quickly grabs one of the skull-speakers, and rip it before the Juggernaut could prevent it. She didn't manage to fully remove it, but it was enough to leave it useless. There was still that screech but it was less stronger.

The "Iron Giant" wasn't pleased and to show that it scratched Lavvy's face. There was one eye damaged, but it didn't bother her. She got up and use her extra limbs to puss the enemy and try to make it lose balance.

— "MICHAEL!!" — Diablo shouted inside his head to warn him.

In a matter of seconds, the Juggernaut tried to blast them with its forearms canons, the giant wolf with her arms moved blocked the attack by moving them in different directions, one of them in Michaels direction. And the cannon was already charged.

The poor boy didn't notice it, absorbed by the fight, he completely forgot his safety. He did what everyone logically would do: run.

Time seemed to slow down, his legs felt heavy, using all his energy in making work fast that part of his body. He ran to one side, seeing a bright green light getting stronger by seconds. The sound of the canon realizing the laser beam made the lizard boy's heartbeat faster more than he could ever imagine. The heat was rising, his legs were so slow, he couldn't make without losing half of himself.  
Then something held his waist, pushed him and fell to the ground. There was an explosion like seven feets from him, the laser missed. On the ground, the boy felt pain in his right ribs.

— Are you okay?— A familiar voice.

— David? — There he was, the wolf boy who he helped earlier, extending his hand to help the blonde lizard to get up — I suppose the adrenaline helped you to recover.

— Yeah, thank you for that —. Pulling Michael's arm to get him up, then he looked at Lavvy who received a punch in the abdomen — There's no time, we have to help her before she changes back.

David ran in the direction of the Juggernaut, leaving the lizard boy with his thoughts and the pain in his ribs.

— "Fantastic..." —. Diablo spoke again — "We barely did nothing to help we might die today".

Michael really wanted to help them, but the fear of losing his life in the battle wasn't a pleasant idea. He needed to do something. Then he remembered something, Emmett.

He got back to the sports equipment store, looking for his friend and see if he could help him. Every move that made with his right side reminded him that he was still recovering, a great excuse to not fight but he didn't have other options.

— Emmett? Are you still here? — With an echo.

— Yes! Still finding stuff to attack that machine!

Michael searched for him and saw his tail behind some debris of the wall that was there, now a huge hole.

— Where are the things you found?

— On the floor! Next to me!

Michael made some few steps and saw behind the debris all the materials that could be useful against the enemy. He found especially useful the javelins and the hammers.

—So you finally decided to help us?

The black-scaled boy touched his ribs, measuring how much pain he had in that part of his body. It wouldn't be safe but his organs seemed not being damaged by the broken ribs.

— Yes...

— Good, help me carry this outside, give it to someone or throw them if you can.

The black-scaled thorny devil took the javelins and some hammers and headed to the arena. Outside, there was still a battle of titans, and Lavvy seemed to be losing ground.

Michael left the things on the floor, behind him Emmett did the same. The boy took one javelin and observed the fight, watching where he could attack the Juggernaut. It was completely covered in metal, where he could possibly attack?

He looked at the eyes, that could be the perfect place to attack, blinded the metallic monster will have some trouble.
As if his thought were wishes granted, there were already flying infected attacking, more like blocking, his vision.

The battle was constantly changing, from winning to losing, losing to winning. The blonde lizard couldn't stop thinking that if they lose it could be because he didn't fight against the enemy. But he couldn't blame himself, it was normal to be afraid, at least he wouldn't have to confront directly the enemy, just helping the other to confront it, that was a relief for him.

He just saw a dinosaur charging against one of the legs the Juggernaut making it lose balance.

— "This could be it, if they kept pressing it we might win" —. He thought, feeling hope again.

Everyone suddenly started screaming and growling like wild animals. Even Lavvy in her fusion form, the strongest form of a parasite, had problems. Growling and roaring like a mad beast, releasing the robot to hold her head.

Michael couldn't understand it until something triggered inside him, not only him but also Diablo's. Something was burning in his mind, everything was bothering him: the light, the noise, the growls of the others, the feeling in his feet, everything. He could only feel anger, no, hate. He wanted to shut the others mouths. Something was telling him to do it, something was tapping into his emotions, his hate for being weak, that the others are stronger than him, for Lavvy for being an inappropriate leader. He wanted them on the ground, defeated, killed if it was necessary. No... He had to! He must kill them, they had to show him respect!

Then there silence, like the thing that was bothering him vanished. He felt out of place, something he shouldn't be thinking or doing. He looked around and saw the same confusion on everyone.

The boy looked at Lavvy and the Juggernaut, she had broken the antlers. Her breath was hard and loud, wounds on her upper body and face. With her last strength, she made an uppercut, and the previous dinosaur infected pushed the leg and made the walking tank fall. The huge fusion fell on her "knees", her skin changing color, shrinking down, turning back again to her original human form.

Like if they were ants, every infected attacked the Juggernaut with no mercy. The metallic monster tried to defend itself but it couldn't. It shot at the ceiling of the arena with the cannon that was located in the mouth, pieces were falling threatening the lives of everyone.
All the infected ran to avoid the falling ceiling. Michael was able to see a huge piece of debris sliding down towards someone on the floor. He went pale as he saw that it was Lavvy, the former leader who was on the floor.

The piece of the ceiling was almost there reaching it, he reached the leader and help her to lift him. But the piece was already there, Michael closed his eyes, ready for the impact. There was no pain or anything. Why? He opened his eyes and saw Cabal, the triceratops infected trainer, holding the piece.

— What are you doing!? Move! — Shouted the triceratops.

And so Michael carried the unconscious person. He saw movement on the corner of his eye, the Juggernaut was up again, damaged but still kicking, and pointing his laser bean to him and other infected near.

Cabal throw the debris he was holding, hitting right in the head of the monster, breaking his head which was showing some sparks. It fell on its back and as if it was a deja vu, all the infected on feet attacked like ants, this time making sure he was broken.

The lizard couldn't stay to watch how they finished it. He had to help the leader and get her out of there, although she wouldn't be happy later.
He had the feeling that the battle was over, but he wasn't even sure. He felt bad for leaving David and Emmett behind, the only two friends he had in that horrible battle. He prayed that they were okay.

Walking through the hallway, he remembered that feeling before — "It was really me?" — He thought.

—"Yes, it was you and me" — Replied Diablo, neutral in his mental voice.

— Why? —. This time thinking at loud — Why did I "exploded"? It was like those days I'm in bad mood, but worse...

— "The Juggernaut."

— It was a bit obvious that it was that thing, but it was like with the generals, turning against each other —. There was still something bothering him. — But... Why did I feel like that hate was mine? Do I really hate that much the others?

— "It's us... Michael. We hate our weakness and thus we envy the strong ones. We only complain instead of acting, YOU especially. Imagine what would happen if we had lost control" —. Those words made his heart shrink. Being weak wouldn't be a problem for the others to stop them, but he could have hurt somebody. What if it was Emmett? — "See?" —. Obviously reading his mind. — "We should do something about this."

— You are right we have to do something, but I prefer to leave for later —. He could still hear the battle echoing through the halls.

He changed to his human form again, so he wouldn't worry about the spikes he had on his body harming Lavvy. He was near the exit, the light was already bathing him.

—"By the way... We forgot to apologize to Mint for stealing the anesthesia... "

— Oh... Crap.