London Bridge Is Falling

“Hey.” A voice calls out as my eyes open slowly. It’s the girl with the fire hair. She’s even more beautiful up close. Her hair is in multiple braids and flows elegantly down her back, she wears a black tank top and grey jeans, and I’ve never seen her before in my life.

I can barely get the words out, my throat is so dry but I manage. “Hi.”

“Glad to see you’re okay.” She smiles. “I’m Audra.”

“N-Nice to meet you.” I smile through the pain. I feel for my but its not there, it’s been replaced by something cold and metallic. “What’s this?”

“Thanks to the doctors here, they were able to attach this metal leg to you, nerves and all. It’ll move like your very own.”

“That’s fucking weird. But I guess nothing is a surprise anymore. How’s Selena?”

She smiles. “She’s good. I’ll let the others see you.”

“Hey!” Jake hugs me as soon as he walks in the door. “Leg is a bit different, huh?”

“Yeah, I laugh a bit. Strange with a metal leg.”

“The docs said since it’s connected to your nerves, you’ll be able to walk in a few days.”

“I can’t lay in a bed for a few days, Jake.” I sigh.

“I’m sorry, Dyl. Doctors orders.” He pats my head. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” I lean up and kiss him. “Bed ridden for a few days. What will I do?!”

“Play chess.” He laughs. “It’s therapeutic.”

I scoff. “Gross, no it isn’t. Oh, who's that girl?”

“Audra? I guess she’s like super badass, so she’s on the team now. You should’ve seen her earlier at the shooting range. She’s like lightning with that bow.” He smiles. “Dare I say, better than Lara.”

I laugh. “You’ll die if she hears that.”

“I heard that, Jake.” Lara smiles, leaning against the door.

“Oops, sorry.” He chuckles.

“How ya’ holding up?” She asks. I think she knows the answer to that. I just lost my fucking leg and now I have to walk with a clunk of metal attached to me.

I simply reply with “I could be better.”

“I can’t believe that leg, Dylan. You probably won’t even have to go through therapy since it’s so advanced.”

“Yeah.” I sigh. “Everyone is talking about how nice and special it is, I couldn’t care less.”

She frowns. “You’re lucky to have a leg you know.”

I retaliate. “It should’ve just killed me. We’re all fucked anyway!”

She walks towards me, pointing her index finger in my face. “Listen here, mister. I’m done with the melodrama. Not everything is about you, Dylan. So it’s either time to get your shit together or leave.” She storms out of the room.

“Sh-She’s right.” I swallow a hard lump in my throat. “I need to get my shit together.”

“You’re just...taking it all in, Dyl.” Jake smiles, trying to be on my side but I know he agrees with Lara.

“Can you give me some space?”

Jake reluctantly nods and walks out into the hall, shutting the door hard but not quite a slam, he’s pissed.

I breathe hard and swing my good leg over the edge of the bed, then the other. It’s somewhat painful and uncomfortable but I’m not spending another goddamn second in this forsaken makeshift hospital. When my feet touch the floor, I instantly fall to my knees. The leg feels so unnatural, but I just need to get used to it I guess. Grabbing the chair beside me, I pull myself up and limp over to the door. I tie up the back of the gown before I head out, I don’t think anyone wants to see my scrawny bony butt. The door flies open and knocks me on the side of my skull, Selena catching me before I can hit the painfully white tiled floor.

“What the hell are you doing, Dylan?!” She gasps at the sight of me trying to walk. “Sit down you crazy idiot!”

“I was making my big break!” I laugh and hug her. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“I’m glad you are too. Oh my, look at that leg.”

I roll my eyes super hard; they’re about to fall out. “Don’t tell me how advanced it is.”

“No!” She giggles. “It looks a bit like shit. But it’s the closest thing to a leg. Plus, it works like a normal one.”

“Jesus, you guys are insufferable. I know it works like a normal leg, god. Can we get out of here please? I can’t be stuck in this room anymore.”

She stops for a minute and thinks, her fingers rubbing her chin, eyes pointing towards the ceiling. “Dunno if I can do that.”

“Please. It’ll be good for my tin can leg!”

“Hm. Fine, I guess you’re right.”

I limp out into the hallway, grasping the railing attached to the wall tight. The pain in my leg is almost too much to bear. I must’ve been knocked out for quite awhile; I figured the pain would be practically none by now. I have to go find Jake; I kicked him out of the room. I’m one terrible person. Walking lasts forever and I can’t seem to loosen my grip on the wooden rail, I’m not sure if the horrible pain will ever end. Shit, I yelled at Lara, I gotta find her too. I’m really pissing people off at the moment.

Selena is leading me to the War Room; there are no rails down this long stretch of hall. I swallow my fear and walk beside her, going slowly down the middle. Each step gets easier than the last but the pain is still there, inching it’s way back into the darkness. Once we reach the doors, I feel practically no pain but there’s still an annoying ache. Walking into the room, all eyes focus on me. My eyes catch Jake; he’s upstairs leaning over Lara that’s typing furiously on a keyboard. Ah yes, the only way up is to climb the mountain of steps. Rolling my eyes once again, I conquer them. Finally reaching the top, I’m on my hands and knees, gasping for air. The pain is back but I fight it, suppressing it for now.

“Jake.” I say, limping slowly over to him.

“Dyl. You shouldn’t be walking.” He runs to me, I collapse in his arms, too tired to move. Lara finds a rolling chair and he eases my body down into it.

“I couldn’t stay in that room any longer. Plus, I wanted to find you guys and apologize.”

“It’s okay.” Lara smiles. “We’re all stressed about literally everything. It’s fine to be a bit irritable.”

Jake kisses my cheek. “I forgive you. But never force me to leave. I’m here for you no matter what.” He pulls me into a super tight hug, squeezing the life out of me. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Jake.” He finally lets go and I try to look at the computer screen but Lara is switching tabs too fast. “What’s going on?” I ask.

“Just tracking a major source of intel.”

“Intel? Thought we already found the bastard and his hideout?”

“Yes.” Lara says. “But, this guy is about to test the Cordyceps Virus on a small group of survivors taking refuge just outside the city.”

“And it’s our job to go save them?” I ask.

“Our job.” Jake takes my hand. “Meaning me, Lara, and the others. You can’t go out and fight like this.”

“That’s bull, Jake. I can!”

“Dyl, please. Don’t fight me on this.”

“No, Jake.” I say, almost in tears. “I’m coming. This is my battle too!”

I slide on a bulletproof vest, preparing for the trip ahead. I know Jake doesn’t approve of this, but I can’t let them go without me. Throwing my metal leg up on the wall, I tie the laces on my black boot. The pain in my leg is officially gone and the area has almost healed completely, thanks to the infection turning my body into a super machine. A large gate opens slowly and in drives a large military vehicle.

“Are you sure you wanna do this?” Jake asks, stopping me before I climb into the truck.

“Yes, Jake. I’m sure. I can do this. I’m okay.”

We make our way through the abandoned city, there’s no sign of people or infected. It’s just us going through here. It’s crazy to think that this place was once a thriving area with a beautiful nightlife. Now it’s reduced to nothing but littered cars and newspaper articles blowing in the wind. I look over at Jake, he hasn’t taken his eyes off me since we left, he doesn’t think I’m strong enough to go on this mission, but I am.

“We’re close.” Lara says, looking at the GPS on her watch.

“So what are we supposed to do?” Jake asks. “Kill this bastard before he can get the Cordyceps Virus to those people?”

“That’s the plan, Jake. We need to show this guy that the B.T.A.R. is still alive after everything that’s happened and we’re coming after the bastard that started this.”

“Let’s do this.” Audra says, loading her gun.

The truck comes to stop and Lara is the first to jump out. I don’t know if I’m nervous or what, but my stomach is in knots. I leap out of the vehicle, hitting the ground hard almost losing my balance. The area is so quiet, it’s almost deafening. After the B.T.A.R. taking down almost every pharmaceutical company distributing the virus, I’m not sure why they’d even continue doing it. We enter a small apartment complex; apparently this is where the survivors have been hiding all this time. We pass by a concrete pool full of bones; this doesn’t seem like a place I’d want to hide in. Lara points up a flight of stairs and that’s where we go. Screams come from a nearby room and we all start running towards the mystery. Lara and I are the first ones to the room; she looks at me and nods then kicks in the door. In the room, a man stands there injecting a small girl with a needle...the Cordyceps. Lara doesn’t hesitate, she shoots him. He falls to the ground, dropping the little girl. Running to her, I put my fingers on her neck and check her pulse, there’s nothing. I shake my head. She’s dead.

“Fuck!” Lara yells. “We’re too late. He got to them all.”

“Uh, Lara.” I point to his body, which is rising from the floor. He pulls out another needle.

“Thomas Irving, drop the virus now!” Lara aims her pistol at him but it’s too late. He injects himself.

He starts convulsing, foam pouring out of his mouth. His arms explode into tentacles with razor sharp barbs on the end, his teeth turn into spikes. He’s some sort of monster. I fire round after round into him but he doesn’t seem phased by it. He tosses Lara through the wall beside me then throws me through the window in the living room. I land in the pool full of bones, it’s not the greatest feeling but it’s better than splatting against the pavement. Jill helps me out just as the apartment explodes into a million peices. Irving jumps down in front of us, his body more deformed. Everyone starts shooting at him but it doesn’t do anything, bullets aren’t doing anything to this guy, we need something bigger.

“Naomi, use the mounted gun on the truck!” I yell.

She runs to the vehicle and climbs ontop, it takes a few seconds but she finally starts firing the gun. Hundreds of bullets enter him, he falls backwards in pain, and the mounted gun is actually doing something to him. He picks up a chunk of the apartment and tosses it at the gun. Naomi leaps from the truck, barely missing death.

“Jake!” Audra yells, tossing something through the air. He grabs the weapon and launches golfball-sized capsules at him. It’s a grenade launcher.

After four or five rounds, Irving falls on the pavement, his mutated body returning to normal. He crawls towards us, pleading for his life but none of us has any sympathy for a guy like him. Lara shows up out of the dirt and dust, putting a bullet in his head, ending his life.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here.” She says.