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It was late afternoon. The sun set behind the tall, decaying buildings of Paradise City, painting the skies in copper and gold as the first stars began to appear, shining silver through the clouds.
The man, Ish, has been walking around the darkening streets that had yet not been swarmed by the infected who lurked in the abandoned city that he had once called home. He's been going around to different groups that had formed since the bus broke down at the bridge just outside of Paradise. It was quite honestly fascinating how quickly and carelessly people ventured out and formed their own factions.
But, in all honesty, it all just made Ish's job a bit harder.
He had found out that not everyone was aware of the infection and its victims, so he had taken it upon himself to inform them of it and about the dangers of travelling at night.
Looking up at the big, grand hospital before him, he saw the warm light of lanterns moving on the roof, indicating the presence of the people who'd come on the bus.
"Idiots..."
He muttered under his breath, averting his gaze from the unaware group as he approached the decaying building. The man decided to climb up using the vines hanging from the hospital instead of taking the stairs from the inside. Its corridors may start to fill in with infected at this point, but even though they would not harm him, as he was one of them, it would raise more concern and suspicion if he took that route and emerged either unharmed or visibly unshaken and out of breath.
Listen, he can act and deceive people quite well, but he would always take the more logical choices when he came across them.
The edges of the leaf-covered vines were biting into his palms as he pulled himself up the building whose halls he had walked dozens of times. The infection was slowly spreading in his body, making him weaker at times but stronger at others. It was a strange thing, this disease had turned out to be, having its poison flowing in his veins for as long as he had made things both easier and harder.
At times, he can feel how he loses himself slowly to the disease as it desperately tries to bring him down and under its full influence on his system and mind. Times such as these slowly get to him; he knows that there was no such thing as 'cure', the only answer to his full recovery is deeply buried underneath the grand church in the city. The machine was the answer and nothing else, though he wished not to ever use it, neither on himself nor others, as it required a sacrifice of another human life; the infection needed a living source to cling onto and take over, after all. It cannot be cured, only spread.
That's how much he knew.
...
The sun had not fully set yet when he reached the rooftop. The chatter of familiar and unfamiliar voices alike filled the quietness of the falling apart hospital. From what he could see from where he was standing at the ledge, there were five people in total.
A young-looking girl with long ginger hair braided into two braids that rested on her shoulders and mint green eyes, stood on the ledge not far from him. It did not seem like she had noticed his arrival, or she simply did not care enough to acknowledge him. A man with short pure white hair with two bear-like ears sticking out from the top of his head, he himself looked like he'd just claimed up as well, fresh beads of sweat forming at his temple as he ran towards the helicopter platform. Another person stood close to the platform, but it didn't appear that they cared much about what the others were saying as he flipped the pages of his notebook. She had messy dark brunette hair and grey eyes that swept across the pages.
From where he stood, he couldn't quite make out the appearance of the other two by the helicopter, as he could only see their legs from underneath it.
"Hey, excuse me!"
Ish called out, waving a hand so as to avert their attention to himself. And it seemed like it worked.
"You guys-- okay, you shouldn't be walking around here in the city. You could get yourself killed with all the noise that you've been making."
That caused the white-haired man to turn to look at him from where he stood by the platform; the redhead finally looked his way as she walked away from the ledge; a pair of grey eyes averted from the pages of their book and looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Asked one of the men still behind the helicopter before he stepped away so he could look at Ish. He was tall with tanned skin and ink black hair, the lower half of his face was covered by a long dark green scarf so Ish couldn't see his whole face, it was smart, in a sense, to have something covering ones nose and mouth so as not to breathe in any dust of pollution from the air surrounding the rotten building and city as a whole.
Ish stepped forward, further into the high ground of the hospital's rooftop, glancing over his shoulder at the edge where he'd just climbed up to.
"At nighttime, they're the most active, and it's nearing that. The infected get attracted to light and noise all the same, so it's not wise to just stand here, in an open area and not in a safer place."
He explained, growing more nervous as the sun continued to dip behind the horizon. It really was dangerous at night; he does not like it when it is all dark, and the only thing that could be heard when walking the streets being the grunts and moans of the infected. They may not be attracted to him anymore, but they still were to other people, for as long as he'd been at Paradise and had worked on this godforsaken machine, their behaviour never changed; they will pounce on and attack anything whose lungs still worked and whose heart still beat.
It wasn't safe for them here.
The sound of someone humming as if thinking, and the sound of footsteps, brought him back from his thoughts.
"Where do you propose we go then?"
The words belonged to a man whose face Ish is just now able to see. He had long, snowy-white hair gathered into a low ponytail that rested atop his shoulder, and behind his glasses were a pair of obsidian-dark eyes. He wore a long lab coat, now dirty at the hems with small rips from where he wasn't careful in climbing the building. His hand rested on a dark bag hanging from his shoulder, as if he were afraid that if he were to let it go, somebody would take it from him. Something very important to him should be in there...
...
He's...
He's a scientist.
...
Ish had to keep a smile from appearing on his lips at the realisation.
This was great, perfect even. If he could actually find a cure, he'd be the saviour, not only his, but the whole wide world's. Chuck had gone mad years ago, and he's only getting worse and worse with each passing year. He always says that he's close, but fifty years later and countless inhumane experiments, nothing ever came from that. Ish himself knows that it may be a lost cause, as for how long he's worked on a cure himself, the only two things that have a promising ninety-seven per cent or a full hundred per cent in working are not right, not ethical in any way.
"Anywhere but here. There's..."
He drifted off as he looked away from the scientist and instead at the city below them. From there he could see...
...
"...These idiots."
He murmured under his breath once he saw a lit campfire at the sidewalk not far from the hospital. He was beginning to wonder if these people had any survival instincts at all or if they just had a death wish.
Nobody seemed to have heard what he had said to himself, either that or no one decided to comment on his seemingly harsh and unprompted words directed to the unknown group down below. He couldn't quite make out who the individuals who had started the campfire were, nor remember the names of the people surrounding him on the rooftop.
"Wait, wait, wait-- who even are you to tell us where to go when?"
The annoyingly harsh and loud voice belonged to the man with the forest green scarf around his neck and mouth. The man sounded dare he say accusatory, though he wouldn't actually be too far from the truth as it turned out as the man's hand subtly twitched in the direction of his belt; where from the looks of it was supposed to be a knife or other blade of the sort, if the gesture and light marks on the side of the dark leather were anything to go by.
Ish's eyes quickly averted from the man's hand to his coal-like eyes. He is able enough to suppress an annoyed frown from appearing on his face.
"Years ago, I was a part of Paradise, but I ran. And you best believe me when I say that I am the one who knows the city better than anyone. And I am telling you, you are not safe here. Or much of anywhere, really!"
He explained, trying to keep himself from sounding manic as he looked around at each of their faces as he asked his next question.
"What is your purpose for even coming here?"
None of their answers really mattered to him all that much: looking for a lost sister, searching for supplies, one refusing to give a reason, and another searching for a family and partner. No, these weren't the answers that intrigued or the ones he was waiting for; what he waited to hear was the scientist's reply. And it was exactly what he hoped for. The man was attempting to make a cure and believed that a company veiled in secrets and shadows held the last piece.
Ish's gaze lingered on the obsidian eyes of the scientist for longer than he was supposed to before he tore it away, focusing on the group as a whole when he was asked for his reason to come back.
"I returned because I knew that you would. I returned because I didn't want any more people to risk their lives and die because they thought that something was out there waiting for them to uncover... There is nothing for you.
You should leave."
Though to no avail, his words did nothing to discourage the group as voices rose above each other's. His warning fell on deaf ears once again.
What a suicidal bunch have decided to come to Paradise.
As this went on, the sun continued to dip down and the moon to rise. Time waited for no one. It cared for no one as the previous light was ripped away from them, and darkness surrounded the city fully.
The whole conversation had gone nowhere, and Ish decided to stop trying to convince them to leave right after sunrise, well, at least for now.
Not with them blindly deciding to go straight to the light source below without much of a second thought about the pure danger of the mere thought of heading in that direction.
"Is it really safe?"
Whispered the researcher softly to himself, eyes carefully trailing the sharp-tongued man's figure. Worry painted his face as Jawhn began to slide down a vine that hung from the side of the building as he continued to talk, though he wasn't exactly listening.
Ish caught that, of course, as he stood a bit to the side and back. He could tell that he wasn't exactly made to wander out into the abandoned city flooded with infected, but rather for a securely hidden and guarded laboratory or a research centre.
He saw how the researcher's eyes carefully followed each of the small group members' movements as they descended down the building one by one. He watched as the man made his way to the ledge before lowering himself to grab a vine of his own, the rough edges of the leaves cutting into his palms as he himself began to carefully make his way down the side of the building.
The cold night air bit into his skin as he watched the group practically sign their death certificates themselves.
_____________
The soft, warm light of the flame trapped within the metal cage that was the lantern in his hand lit their way once he made it down to the street.
Conversation rose among them once again, this time quieter without the throwing of accusations left and right. Ish dared not to say anything as he just observed the small group walking with him through the streets. Infected had not yet come out, as it seemed. They surprisingly haven't encountered one yet as they made their way past decaying cars and beaten-down streets and sidewalks.
He wasn't as surprised as he should have been. Looking at things from the logical side of things, there hadn't been people, real, living, breathing people stalking the streets in years, and the undead are still most likely not fully aware of them. They were never the smartest after all. The infection was rotting away their brains and critical thinking. They weren't human, so emotions and awareness were never something that he would expect from them.
As they approached the makeshift camp, the light from the flames lit more and more of the area around them as it slightly peeked out from behind a few abandoned vehicles.
Both Stella and Saparata, as he'd learnt from overhearing their names, headed straight to one place that wasn't the campfire specifically, and Ish knew why.
Atop it stood two girls, both wary of the newcomers. One silently observed from the side, she had messy, dirty blonde hair and tanned skin, their eyes swept through them quickly but carefully, one noticeably a darker shade of scarlet than the other’s more dull and paler colour. The other stood perched up, greeting them, more cheerful and open but still suspicious of their arrival; the young girl was dressed in dirty and worn-down clothes with a short dark green cape draped on her shoulders, her coloured hair covering most of it, one side sapphire blue and the other soft brunette, adorned with flowers woven in.
Before he could utter a single word, another voice cut through. It was of another girl standing by the fire, the light dancing around her almost elegantly; she was probably older than the other two, her hair frosty blonde as it fell down her back and shoulders, as a pair of pale green eyes focused on them. Her voice was gentle as she greeted them, but her eyes were still cautious.
_____________
Numerous conversations took root around him, but he paid them no mind as he stood to the side, half engulfed in the shadows of the inky night, as the ever-burning flames of the inferno that was the literal beacon that they had lit flickered. Ish, in any other circumstances, would have probably left, would have headed somewhere else to speak to and alarm other groups scattered around the enormous city about the dangers of the night, would have turned his back on them and gone his separate way. But he didn't. Because this was no ordinary circumstance that he had found himself in.
Since it turned out that there was one sensible person among them. One person who could help him.
However, that one singular intelligent enough person was still there, by the campfire, conversing with those idiotic people who had found themselves stranded here for the time being. Ish needs to get him alone somewhere.
The man knew not how much time had passed as he quietly observed, but the night was still in its prosperity as the moon and stars alike shone above them in their ethereal silver light. He watched as Saparata and Meagon conversed amongst themselves. The two seemed to be getting along rather well; it wasn't like Ish was really listening to what they were saying, but he wasn't blind to not see the soft smiles on their faces. He hadn't noticed when the others who had decided to stick around had gathered around the campfire, but their loud voices made his attention snap fully this time on the conversation unfolding before him.
"No, but you should actually see it! It's pretty cool, come on!"
Called out Stella's cheerful voice as she carefully lit up her lantern. Meagon didn't say much of anything as she raised an eyebrow at the younger girl's excited words, clearly finding the whole situation amusing to some degree. Well, sceptical, or should he say, curious, would be a much better word to describe her expression as she watched the ginger girl hand over her lantern to the only man in the group besides Ish himself.
"Yeah, I just found out about it at the hospital, actually."
The words were followed by a lighthearted laugh from the researcher as he accepted the cold, flame-containing metal lantern into one of his hands. Ish instinctively lifted his head a bit from where he stood by the nearby tree, to see more clearly what had unfolded before his eyes as both laughter and amused awe filled the momentarily quietness that enveloped the place.
When Saparata brought the lantern closer to himself, the light from the flame trapped inside engulfed him immediately. His white lab coat and pristine snow-white hair, as well as his pale complexion, took in the warm light just perfectly, making him glow brighter than any other person he'd seen. Making him appear like an angel, fallen from the impossible heavens above.
A beacon, they had called him, but oh, how much they were right; they had no idea.
Because he was. He knew it, deep down in his own slowly rotting away heart, that if anyone from the 'bus people', as he'd come to call them, were to find a cure, it would be him. Saps Saparata.
Ish wouldn't go so far as to outright call him a saviour, hence he had no indication that he had even made an attempt to create a cure for them. But from the information that he had managed to obtain from simply being nearby and listening in, he knew, he knew that he could save them, save him.
Hope was a luxury he could not have for so long. No, not after his experiments with David had come to a halt, not after he constructed the explosive buried deep under the city. But... Just this once, he'd let himself hope.
And at that moment, at that fateful moment when he let that selfish feeling take root within him, he could see nothing, nothing except the man dressed in white, the man who did not know what exactly he'd gotten himself into by simply standing in front of him.
...
Hours passed, and the night grew weaker. Darkness still surrounded Paradise, but not as intensely and stubbornly. The sun, which was still not yet truly visible from where the group had settled in for the night, was slowly starting to paint the sky in deep reds and rich purples.
The group had spent much of the night talking and laughing, but had settled down eventually. They had surprisingly stuck mostly together, much to Ish's delight.
There was not a single sound; deathly quietness had surrounded them as the only notable noises were from the cracking of the firewood, the flames now weak and barely providing much of a light. Meagon had leaned against the cold wall behind her, eye barely staying open as they focused on the dying flames, as she firmly kept her arm wrapped around Stella as the young girl silently slept against her side. She'd curled up against her with no intention of falling asleep, but alas, she did. At a place such as this, it wasn't the wisest to drift off in an open area, but they were enough to protect each other at the end of the day.
Nobody and Magic had decided to venture out just a couple of hours ago, so they were now four around the campfire instead of the original total of six.
Ish had kept a careful eye on Saps during the whole time, well, except when he scouted the area for infected and just as he had sensed, one had wandered closer than he would have liked. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle by himself; the damn thing wasn't strong, and it barely got anything on his clothes, so he could continue on with acting that things were at least fine for now, so as not to alarm them and risk having himself separated from the researcher.
The man, Saps, was still fully awake; his body was probably used to running on little to no sleep. Ish remembered his own sleepless nights spent in the laboratory; he remembered how exhausted he felt and how the lines of his notes blended into one another as he tried to focus on another failed attempt, as David's confused voice continued to ring from somewhere as he tried to work in those ungodly hours of the night. Saparata sat opposite him, on the other side of the campfire, hands tightly clutching his bag to himself, almost as if he was still not fully trusting that they wouldn't just snatch it the second they had the chance, the second he got distracted.
...
It was quiet. Not the peaceful kind, no, not at all. Each and every one of them was wary, sure they might have grown more familiar with each other, but the hanging threat of an infected attacking them was still there.
Ish couldn't contain himself for much longer. Not with the cure itself sitting just a couple of short meters away from him. The infection must have some effect on his rational thinking; he wasn't so impatient before.
Having made up his mind on what he wanted to do next, he pushed himself up from the ground where he'd seated himself. His royal blue eyes never left the scientist's figure as he crossed and significantly shortened the space between them, the sudden action startling the researcher as his eyes snapped up at him, body tensing just the slightest bit.
"Saparata."
He started, voice even as though nothing was even remotely out of the ordinary. The warm copper light from the flames in front of the researcher was cut by the other man's figure, almost looming over him, his shadow falling on him.
"Ish?"
His voice was laced with confusion, quiet so as not to disturb Stella's rest, slightly tilting his head to the side as he was forced to look up. He couldn't see Ish's eyes; he couldn't make out the look in them, not with those black-tinted glasses he had on. A movement caught his attention, bringing his gaze down at the man's now extended hand, palm up, inviting.
"I need to show you something. I just remembered a place you should probably visit sooner rather than later."
But Saps didn't look him in the eyes this time, his gaze still locked on the outstretched hand in front of him. Due to the limited light, he couldn't see the strange marks on his wrist as they disappeared further up his arm beneath his suit jacket.
The infected patiently, well, as patiently as he could at the moment, waited for his answer, ocean-blue eyes following every single movement. For instance, how his grip on his dark messenger bag loosened just a fraction, or how he quickly glanced in the two girls' direction, locking eyes with Meagon before turning his attention back to him. He could sense how hard he thought; a moment passed before the tension in his shoulders relaxed a tiny bit, almost unnoticeable, but not for him.
"Wouldn't it be best if we waited until sunrise?"
He asked, but still reached out, gently, hesitantly placing his hand on top of Ish's, wrapping his slender fingers around his hand as he was pulled up on his feet by the other.
"It would be safe enough to travel now."
He went against his words just now. It's interesting how concerned and argumentative he was about going out when it was dark just a couple of hours ago, and how he was now insisting that it's safe.
Saparata looked down for a moment, thinking before glancing at Meagon again.
"Will you be alright alone? I don't want to leave you and Stella defenceless."
How observant. How concerned for everyone's safety but his own. Oh, just how perfect he was. Ish was sure Saps was the saviour that he couldn't have been.
With a slight glance of his own, he saw the light-haired girl nod.
"We will be. It's okay, I can defend myself and her, and it will soon be daytime, so we will be leaving soon anyway."
The answer seemed to be enough for the researcher to agree to leave them and go with him.
"Well... Alright then. Take care!"
He called out as he turned his back on her, facing Ish fully. The man in question nodded his head in the direction of the grand church, a place he never would have thought he'd come back to, not after everything that had happened.
_____________
The path was practically engraved in his head as he navigated through the city, as if he had never left, as if he had never run away, as hopelessness engulfed him in its cold grasp.
They didn't talk much, mostly so as not to attract unwanted attention from an infected or someone hostile. Sap's gaze never lingered on a place for too long as he carved the path into his mind in case he needed to come back at some other time.
The warm golden rays of the sun locked at the height and pointed roof of the holy place, they were rapidly approaching. Ish could feel his heart beginning to beat faster, racing as the distance grew shorter and shorter by the second. Though he never let his thoughts and emotions out, knowing just how observant the other was, he wouldn't want him to second-guess and suspect him of intending to do something sinister.
The stairs were just up ahead. The facility was practically in front of them.
"Hey, guys! Where are ya headed in such a rush?"
He could recognise this crazed and raspy voice anywhere, especially the chilling, maniacal giggles that followed shortly after. He had to suppress an annoyed sigh as he turned around to face the intruder.
He was met with a tightly coiled head of hair and wide emerald-green eyes behind thin rectangular glasses, the light radiating from the still-lit lantern he held in his hand low, reflecting on one of the lenses. The man was walking towards them, coming from the direction of the sewers, from where he must have crawled out. The madman he was.
Chuck's eyes switched from Ish to Saparata subtly as he forced out another giggle. Yes, forced out, it was a very unnoticeable shift in demeanour, really...
Ish didn't like knowing that.
"Oh, Ish! I didn't know ya started makin' friends 'round here. And 'ere I thought you wanted the bus people out of Paradise!"
The man quickly crossed the distance between himself and the two, stepping over vines, greenery and debris with practised ease.
"Who are you, friend?"
He turned his attention to the man who stood behind Ish, tilting his head a bit, taking a good look at the researcher, who now turned his back on Ish so as to face the newcomer fully.
"Oh, I'm Saps. And um- who are you? I don't think I've seen you before."
The infected watched, silent, for now, the interaction between the two.
"Saps! Yeah, you haven't, you can call me Chuck. I see you've got this pretty white lab coat on. Ya are a man of science, aren't ya?"
"I am, yes--"
"That's great! I myself am one too. Y'know, you really should come by my lab! I'm working on a cure, ya know!"
"Oh! I do too. I actually brought my latest version here to test it out. It's not fully developed, but I believe I'm on the right path to completion!"
The infected's eyes widened just the smallest bit at that as something dark fluttered within him.
Chuck's grin widened at that before he threw another glance in Ish's direction, something flashing in his crazied eyes for a moment too short for the other man to catch.
"Saps, I think we should go and discuss this somewhere else. Come, I can show you what I've been working on for the past couple of years!"
Emerald eyes met sapphire for a split second once again before he reached out a hand towards the scientist standing between them.
The scientist in question was just about to reply to Chuck's offer before he was cut off by Ish's now more stern and colder voice.
"Saparata. We should go. It's really important."
That brought him a glance from Saps from over his shoulder. Ready to speak before he was cut off again.
"Oh, come on, Ish! Relax a bit, won't ya? My lab is not too far away, I'm sure Saps would be more interested in perfecting the cure than wherever you were bringing him."
His voice was dismissive but wavered at the end. Almost as if he was intentionally trying to get the researcher away from both Ish and the enormous church.
Chuck knew something. Something he really shouldn't.
"I-- I'd love to, Chuck. I really would. Give me a couple of minutes, and I'll get right back to you."
Replied the man in white, apologetic with his words, but there was some hidden excitement for what the madman had found buried underneath.
Ish had to suppress a grin from spreading across his face at that, especially as the barely hidden disappointment and concern painted across the maniac's face. It was great, really, how Chuck still tried to convince Saps to go with him to his laboratory rather than with Ish and the church.
The conversation went on for a couple of more moments before Ish's patience ran out, and he grabbed the scientist by the arm. The man was plenty smart enough to realise the implication of the gesture as he repeated himself once again that he would meet up with Chuck in a bit, before throwing one last glance at him over his shoulder, before he faced Ish again.
The unease in these bright eyes was almost comical to the man as he led Saps up the stairs and towards the church's entrance. Leaving Chuck standing there, staring at them as the doors closed behind the two.
The morning sun seeped into the holy temple; the inside smelled of rot and decay as well as something else entirely unidentifiable.
"Huh. I didn't take you for the religious type."
Rang out Saparata's soft voice, the noise bouncing out around them from the empty room, as he looked around. Noting how the stone walls, once a part of a breathtaking architecture, now reduced to empty walls forced to bear the mark of time and the chaos that had taken place within not only the cathedral, but the whole city as one.
"Not even in the slightest."
Answered Ish with a light chuckle. Though he didn't turn around to face him as he continued walking down the aisle, it was sort of strange... Just everything, really. It's...
He slowed down just a small bit, suddenly getting a little too aware of how his body was feeling. He could feel how his heart beat inside his chest, how it rapidly increased its speed; he could feel it, he could feel how his blood flowed through his veins, it was a feeling he had never experienced before. It was disturbing more than anything else to have to feel the tingling sensation inside his veins as his blood travelled and pulsed with each and every thump of his heart.
The man let out a shaky breath as he looked over his shoulder at Saps, who was still wandering about, oblivious to what was starting to unravel in the middle of the central aisle. Good.
Lifting up his now horribly trembling hands, he saw that the infection had spread more over the night. He should have acted sooner.
Shaky fingers lifted the dark sleeve of his suit jacket, just enough to reveal the state of the bottom half of his forearm. It was not a pretty sight. His veins were stained with numerous shades of blues, purples and reds; darker and more profound than before. He could see how the disease slowly took away his own body as it changed under its influence.
He quickly pulled his sleeve down; his steps were now more rushed and panicked at the looming threat of him completely losing himself to the literal curse that the infection was.
It didn't take him long to find what he was searching for. At the end of the main hall, just before the decrepit wall, leaving the whole place lit by the sun and shattered into millions of pieces of once intricate stained glass art, he saw the barely hidden-away entrance.
It was barrackeyed with debris as vines kept the whole thing intact in front of the excuse of an entrance that it was. He didn't barricade this when he left. Not like this, at least.
In his hurry to get there, he stumbled on one of the vines that had made itself at home inside the holy place, but that didn't slow him down too much. He began to rip away the debris, wooden planks, parts of the benches from the back, bricks from the exterior and so on. He himself was surprised when he found his hands, while still quite dirty from the task, were not wounded besides a few small cuts that he couldn't even feel.
An almost silent "Finally," slipped past his lips once he saw the sorry excuse for stairs leading down. Looking back, he saw the scientist rushing to his side; the noise must have captured his full attention away from the building as a whole. Worry painted his features as he looked Ish over. He was about to say something to him before he was cut off by his now more insistent words.
"It's here... After you."
He gestured to the entrance with his hand, stepping out of the way so Saparata could go down first, ensuring that he would not leave once he stepped into the narrow stone entrance.
However, the man seemed hesitant, wary of the whole ordeal as he stared at the stair-like stone structure leading down, before glancing up at Ish, who said nothing more as he waited for him to enter, patience wearing more and more thin by the literal second. A man can have forbearance only for so long, after all.
"Where does this lead to?"
...
"Ish?"
"Saparata. Trust me. This will benefit you more than harm you."
...
Silence began to stretch between the two as the man's cold words hung between them, leaving no room for arguments.
After several long moments, Saps hesitantly stepped forward. Curiosity was a scientist's greatest weakness, after all. The pure thirst for knowledge and need to decipher the unknown was a feeling Ish knew all too well himself.
The researcher's cautious strides slowed momentarily before coming to a halt. Ish's eye almost twitched at that. He watched as Saparata leaned forward to take a look at the inside, his hand firmly pressed against the stone to stabilise himself. After a short moment that felt all too long for Ish, he stepped inside.
He simply couldn't take chances on Saps anymore, hesitating or even thinking of leaving, so Ish, the second the scientist stepped inside, was quick to block the exit, his body getting uncomfortably close to Saparata's, causing him to take an involuntary step down and forward.
The man watched as the researcher carefully descended the stairs. He noted how his obsidian-like eyes swept over the signs adorned with messages of warnings. But Ish stood close, leaving no room for Saps to turn back.
The duo soon reached the surprisingly not rotten off-rope leading to the lower facility. Thean in white stopped, staring down at the net underneath.
"I... What exactly is this place, Ish?"
...
"Ish--"
Saparata asked, voice laced with confusion and a hint of anxiety, but just before he turned to look at him, the infected's cold and firm voice rang out.
"Go down."
It was a simple command, but not one one would expect to be given with such a cold attitude from the man. Ish was growing more and more aggressive and demanding than he had ever been around Saps.
He never noticed when the change had begun. He never noticed when his eyes turned almost black, the once calming lapis turned a colour that's closer to an obsidian than anything else. He couldn't have. He couldn't see how the infection spread further up his chest and neck, not yet peaking out from beneath his collar, but close. One might think that he was simply irritated, that nothing else was wrong with him.
It must have started to spread faster, for some unknown reason. That doesn't mean that it's been at bay before he came back, no, it hasn't. The infection had never stopped spreading, not when he slept, not when he worked, not when he fell sick a couple of days ago. Never. It would never stop, not unless he manages to cure himself.
His thoughts had drifted off somewhere as he focused back on him, on the salvation from this hell that he was slowly being dragged into.
His breathing grew heavier, before a throat-tearing cough was ripped out from somewhere deep within his chest. It was a violent, sudden action that made him flinch back as he buried the bottom half of his face into the crook of his arm. He used to manage with those before, well, they weren't as violent as this one... He hoped to not continue to happen often; he knew all too well what that might imply.
It took him a moment to ground himself from the shock before a shaky hand took hold of the rope.
He couldn't focus on much as he slid down, the heat from the facility hitting him the second the copper bridges came into view. But once his feet hit the pulled net underneath the rope, he noticed a slight movement in his peripheral vision. Looking in the direction of the movement, he saw Saps.
The scientist was walking around the bridge, dangerously close to the unstable railing, and he was mumbling something to himself as he pulled at the collar of his dark turtleneck. The heat is quickly growing more and more uncomfortable for the poor researcher, as it seems. Ish had to remind himself about the plan after realising that he's been staring at the exposed pale flesh of the scientist's neck a bit too long.
"We're going down again. Mind your step, one slip and you'd find yourself no longer breathing."
The echo of the whole place carried his words further, making them sound far louder than intended. However, the man in front of him did not do as much as flinch at the sound of his voice; he'd probably heard him as he descended after him.
"You've been here before, there's no denying it."
Saparata murmured under his breath, almost to himself, but Ish caught it all too clearly. Though against his better judgment, he stepped to the ledge, peering down at the net stretched out underneath the hanging rope. He very much hoped that this would be the last time he had to slide down one.
"What are your relations with this place?"
...
"I don't want to repeat myself."
"..."
Ish could see fresh beads of sweat forming on his temple as he silently stared down, then at the bag hanging from his shoulder. He saw how his eyes squinted for a moment before lowering himself on the platform and sliding down the old rope, most probably leaving his palms irritated and hurting.
He let his feet carry him through the familiar path until he stood in front of Saparata once again, who was mumbling to himself again, but Ish couldn't care less what he was whispering as he nodded in the direction of the broken and unstable copper platforms ahead.
_____________
The way down, luckily, went according to plan without any incidents. Ish decided not to note how he was left more out of breath than he expected. He also would never comment on how shallow his breathing had become. He would rather not think of how the infection took more and more away from him.
In front of the two men of science were two enormous machines, made out of rusty metal with deep scratches adorning one of the door frames as they disappeared behind the now tightly closed heavy door. The place was pitch black, with the only source of light being their lanterns.
There were numerous pipes varying in size, all beginning to rust just a tiny bit; it was most likely still very much possible to function. Ish never wished to see it in action again... Not after their first attempt. It was a success, don't get him wrong, but the torture that he was made to witness may as well have been hell on earth. He remembered it all too vividly. How David the infected, banged against the heavy door, his moans and groans being drowned out by the piercing screams of their patient. He remembered how test subject number 097C, real name: Cass, begged them to spare her. Oh, he remembered how those bright green eyes, once happy and oblivious, once filled with such sincerity, were now wide in terror as she screamed until her throat bled. He remembered how she looked; she wore the hospital gown that she was forced into, adorned now with tears and stains as she thrashed around the two of his co-workers' tight grip on her upper arms; her honey blonde hair with a soft pink streak and ends was now dirty, greasy and matted.
He remembered how tears stained her soft face, he remembered how she dug her heels into the floor, only to be wanked with such a force that left her feet covered in her own blood. He remembered how they threw her in and slammed the heavy metal door shut.
Ish never worked with her closely, but he was no monster. It sickened him. Everything sickened him... He couldn't even force himself to remember the faces of his co-workers who were a part of this.
...
He was as much of a monster as they were, at the end of the day. He chose to go through with it.
Ish shook the memory away as he dug into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, fingers desperately searching until he finally got it. He was walking rather fast in the direction of the elevator, well, more specifically, the control panel in front of it.
"Come here!"
He called out to the cure Saparata. The man was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts as he stared at the machine, now turning his attention to Ish.
The infected pulled out his key card. He had a feeling that it would prove to be rather useful when he came back. As always, he turned out to be right.
He carefully opened a small compartment at the back of the control panel. The screen before him was bright, as lines of text that he couldn't care enough to read again appeared on it. He looked back and saw Saps making his way towards him, lantern in hand, painting him in its bright light once again; it formed a halo that he could swear he saw and was real. He's not completely gone, right?
Ish really did stumble across an angel...
He swiftly scanned his key card, and after no more than a second, the system came to life,the robotic greeting specially set up for him and him alone, echoing through the empty air before he pressed the down button to take them to the lower level of the facility. The doors of the elevator opened without so much as a second of delay, making the cold, harsh light flood the unforgiving darkness of the core of the machine he created.
Saparata's eye widened in both shock and wonder as he stared at the small lit space, then at Ish, who was rapidly approaching, pulling him in by the arm. He didn't let him go, not when the doors closed, not when he dug his nails into his soft flesh underneath the pristine white lab coat, not when another cough was ripped out of him, not even when he felt the scientist tense under his grip or when he told him to let him go.
The world was growing both louder and quieter at the same time as static filled his ears; he didn't even fully register when Saparata tried to pry his hand away as his voice rose.
"Ish! Can you hear me--?"
Was the first thing he heard from the angel Saps, his voice was now laced with concern, though he wasn't sure to whom it was directed. He just stared into the scientist's eyes for an uncomfortable amount of time, the small space filling with silence, before the quiet but sudden ping of the elevator was heard as it came to a halt. The doors opened, but they didn't exist. Considering Ish hadn't moved an inch since he was snapped out of whatever trance he had fallen into.
His eyes slowly travelled down from the other's face to where he was tightly holding him. He first saw the scrunched-up fabric, how his fingers dug in painfully, but when he followed the bend of his fingers up to his hand, he saw... He saw those pulsing veins turned blue and red, his skin had grown more pale, almost out of nowhere, as his hands never truly stopped shaking.
The man quickly retracted his hand, letting go of the medicine man's arm.
He walked out of the elevator first, Saps following closely behind. The doors closed, but thankfully, the generator for this place still worked, and the lights of the facility turned on, bathing everything in their dim light.
"Fascinating... This is incredible! There have to be clues on how to make the cure, right?"
The scientist's still careful voice was now painted in with a hint of excitement; it was a bit more than a hint, but that was not important.
He continued on with his useless blabbering before he bit his tongue when another violent cough ripped out of Ish. He stopped and stared. Saparata's hand was tightly clasped around the strap of his bag, just where it went over his heart, but as he let out a quiet breath, he began to slide his hand down, down until it fell on the top cover of his messenger bag... Ish couldn't help but follow the motion with his ugly, now dark, eyes. They lingered there, on the bag, he never could have noticed when the skin around his eyes started to darken, like he hadn't even had a wink of sleep for the past week.
...
He never realised how heavy his limbs actually were.
Suddenly, he breathed in sharply, tearing his gaze from the dark fabric. This took an ungodly amount of force from the man, but that did not matter.
"Let's go."
He commanded, voice shaky and low. His breathing was heavy, almost as if it took actual physical effort for him to force out the words.
"No--- I... Ish- what's the meaning of this..? Talk to me! What is this place, really!?"
Came out the... scientist’s(?) voice, it was shaky and panicked but loud. So unbearably loud...
Oh, just how much Ish wanted to rip out this blessing's tongue... He would much prefer him to be silent, for all of eternity, just silence and nothing more.
A light chuckle escaped Ish's lips at the gruesome image that had involuntarily formed into his own slowly breaking apart brain.
He didn't see how Saps' expression turned into one of disgust and unease as he took a step back towards the elevator.
"This... is the place where we-- I searched for a cure... But it was fruitless. There are enough resources for you to develop some type of medicine. A cure. The Cure."
Madness was beginning to creep into his words before another bout of violent coughing broke out. It was wet, scarlet drops adorned his lips as his throat seemed to tear itself apart...
...
Silence stretched between them as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, not even sparing a second glance at his hand...
A shaky breath escaped him, the sound dangerously close to a laugh.
"Come on."
Huh... What was that..?
He couldn't hold back any longer. They had to act. He had to act fast.
Ish's legs barely managed to carry him across the painfully long corridors; one of the few indicators that Saps was still behind him was the faint thumps of boots against the floor, the sound trailing continuously after him.
He was just so grateful that the lab he had in mind was so close to the elevator.
There it was.
The room they had entered wasn't large by any means. No, not even the slightest. It was probably the smallest lab in the entire facility. It was small, but efficient. Why else would it be there? There were several brewing stands on the long metal table that ran up against the wall. It wasn't a very spacious workspace; he couldn't lie about that. In the corner next to one of the microscopes was a rack for vials. One of the glass containers was broken, and dried, unidentified liquid had stained the metal stand black. In the centre was a small table, directly in front of the control panel of an extraction machine, just beyond the glass wall.
...
His memories of the place were growing foggy and blurry...
He-- he doesn't want to lose himself to this!
"You said that you have made an attempt at a cure, correct?"
His words were starting to drip past his lips like liquid; they came slurred at the end. Ish didn't turn to face Saparata because he didn't know what he would do if he did.
The man barely even looked like himself anymore. The veins on his hands had taken these almost vibrant colours, and the tips of his fingers turned this ugly greyish-green colour as they twitched uncontrollably by his sides. He was out of breath. He couldn't breathe. It had spread up his neck now, Saps could see it so very clearly that he couldn't deny it anymore.
"Yes! I-- I have it!"
His panicked voice rang so very painfully loud that Ish would have thought he was trying to torture him. The rustling of fabric was heard from behind him; it was, for lack of a better word, frantic.
His breathing picked up, the static returning into his ears, deafeningly loud. Everything was too loud! He couldn't think--- he couldn't think, and he couldn't control himself.
His own heartbeat throbbing inside his mouth as this ink-like liquid mixed with blood began to drip down his chin, mumbling nothing coherent that might not even be real words. Ish... That was his name, right? Yeah... The skin around his eyes had taken the same sickly grey colour as the tips of his fingers, now.
"Saps... I'm so terribly sorry... Please, help me--"
He couldn't hear the scientist run towards him, but he could hear him scream. He couldn't see, he couldn't hear, he couldn't feel anything as the infection took everything from him.
_____________
Saparata reached out and planted his hand on the man's shoulder, forcing him to look at him as he forcefully turned him around, test 0-84 in his other hand.
But... Oh, how he wished he hadn't done it. Oh, how he wished he hadn't followed him. Because when Ish was forced to face him... It wasn't Ish anymore. No, the thing that was before him was a creature of nothing but hunger.
His eyes were a void of emotion, with newly formed crimson rings around his blown-out pupils; his mouth hung loose as his hot breath hit the researcher's face, and this thick liquid poured out of it.
"Ish..."
He called out, voice quieter now, hesitant and small as he tried to retract his hand from the shoulder of the infected. He tried to take a step back. He tried to put some distance between himself and this monstrous being in front of him...
He tried.
Saparata really tried to get away from it.