Shadows of a Dying Light

Chapter 3

*Insert Mr. Krabs saying "Day 3" here*

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"So Crane, all jokes aside, where the hell have you been?" Brecken regained his composure again and asked the runner this question. For a moment, nothing was heard coming from the other end.

"Mate, are you still there?"

"Y-yeah Brecken, I'm still here." Crane said, sounding a bit distressed. "And as to where I've been? Pretty much hell and the pathway leading back to its gates."

Brecken chuckled and pressed on the walkie again.

"Also, what happened to you mate? You were gone for a few days now, and we've all been worried sick." Brecken stated, obviously not playing around anymore.

And like before, Kyle stayed silent. The silent treatment that he was giving was putting Brecken on edge. It seemed like the runner only did that during moments of hesitance.

"Brecken, I've got a problem, and a really big one." Crane said. "I wasn't in my right mind for those couple days I was missing. It's possible you won't believe me, but the leader of the Cult forced me to drink the supposed cure, and it turned me into a-." Crane paused.

"A what?"

"I-It turned me into a Volatile, Brecken. I don't know how that elixir works, but it made me just like her; a sentient Volatile." Kyle spilled all of this, yet Brecken could not believe what he heard.

"Crane, I already told you to stop joking around."

"Brecken, do you think this is a fucking joke?!" The runner shouted with impatience. "I'm not playing around. I'm a fucking Volatile! Even I'm still very lost about this!"

Brecken still had no idea what to think. It was obvious that Kyle was not messing around anymore; he was being serious. Never in his life did he ever think that a Volatile could have human cognitive thought ever again. What that cult leader made Crane take was far more dangerous than they could even try and comprehend. If anything, Kyle had to give Camden that elixir for him to examine it. Cure or mutagen, finding out what it was could help determine what its use is.

"Crane, hold on for a few seconds, I'm gonna go get Lena." Brecken said, running out of his room to grab his partner.

He rushed to the new sick bay, where Lena was stressfully checking on a few patients.

"Lena, you're not going to believe it!"

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Kyle stood outside the door that took him into the tunnels leading to the dam. The sun was still bright, so he had little worry about going crazy. He also waited for Brecken, the man saying that he needed to go get Lena for who knows what.

God, how crazy this whole thing has been.

"Crane?" Lena's voice rang from the walkie and he brought it back up to his mouth to speak.

"Yeah. What's up?"

"Brecken told me what happened to you."

"I had a feeling he was going to do that."

"Crane, it's obvious that the elixir you were going to bring back is not a cure." Lena stated.

"It's best we discuss what to do with it." Lena said, but then Brecken's voice broke through as well.

"I think he should just turn it in to Camden. If anything, the doctor could inspect it and see exactly what it does."

"I had that planned up on the side, after I could finally help you guys with the situation. I wanted to keep one vial just so Dr. Camden could see it and hopefully find out whether he could create more."