Preventing Apotheosis

Singing In The Streets

Curt looked around for any sign of people nearby, but found none. The haunting wails sounded off all around them. General McNamera stood next to him as still as could be with his eyes shut. He tapped his shoulder, "What are you-"

"Sh! I'm trying to hear what direction is loudest. That way we'll know which one's are closest and work from there." A few more seconds and McNamera turned around and pointed down the road, "There, downtown. Makes sense, since it's closest to the crash site. Walker, Mega and I will head that way while Pierce, Ramirez and Morgan will take the northside and we'll meet back here at 23 hundred hours. The chopper will take us back." They split up and went their separate ways. Curt held his gun at the ready as they ducked between buildings. The farther they went, the louder the singing got. As they hid behind trash cans, they saw a group of people dancing down the street, twirling and leaping about. They waited until they were right in front of them before they opened fire, mowing them down before they could belt another note. John motioned for them to keep moving, so they pressed forward.

They ducked into an alleyway searching for anyone when a man stepped out from behind a fire escape. His eyes were glowing a striking electric blue, and he was missing an arm. The blood that was dripping from the wound which should've been red was the same piercing color as his eyes. Despite this, he wore a crazed smile on his face as he opened his mouth, letting out an operatic high C. They all instinctively reached for their guns, but two more people came up from behind them, knocking them to the ground. Mega grabbed his second gun and shot the man in front of them in the chest as McNamera spun around and punched an infected elderly woman in the face. Walker dove for his gun, firing at the third alien human hybrid as soon as it was in his hand. The aliens were still alive however and recovered fairly quickly, unlike the group they had massacred so easily. Music filled the air, and it seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. The old woman grabbed John in a choke hold while the other two pinned Curt and the other soldier to the wall. He had been in this position before and knew how to get out of it. He brought his knee up to the man's stomach, making him double over. Even though the wind should've been knocked out of him, he still managed to sing with the rest.

"Oh Mr. Gun Man, Mr. Military Brat, you shoot at us and think you're all that. But this is a new dawn, this is a new day. Welcome to the new age."

After freeing himself, he shot the alien in front of them before killing the woman choking John with a swift headshot. The commotion allowed Walker to escape and as they tried to run away, he shot them in the back, and they crumbled to the ground as the music came to an abrupt end.

"I'm not a military brat," Curt spat at the dead bodies before them. John gave him a look, "I believe they were talking, well singing, to me," he said. Mega furrowed his  brows and his nose scrunched up a little.

"Relax Curt, I'm only messing with ya," he said and shot him a quick wink. He couldn't help but smile at him, but ducked his head down as soon as he felt heat rushing to his cheeks. He couldn't believe himself. He swore he wouldn't fall for someone in the field ever again after what happened with Owen because it would only end in heartbreak. But John was so good looking and strong: physically and mentally, and he had that same snarky, sarcastic humor that had drawn him to Owen in the first place. He had to keep his head in the game! Had to keep his eyes on the prize and get the job done! Then he could think about his love life. "Let's keep going."

They reached a school and heard loud singing and music blaring from the building. They tried the door, but when that didn't work, McNamera kicked it in. They followed the echoing voices through the eerily empty halls. He didn't know why, but empty schools always made him uneasy. It was unnatural. Once they found the source, John held his fist up signaling them to stay put and not enter. The three of them peaked in through the window and saw three teenage girls slowly creep and advance on two men who appeared to not be infected, but you can never be too careful. The shorter of the two tried to reach out to the girl in the middle, but the other man pulled him back. Once the song ended, he started talking, but they couldn't quite make out the words. John cracked the door and they all listened.

"I can't live in a world without my daughter."

"Bill, whatever you're thinking, stop it."

"I can't live knowing I'm the reason they got to her." He brought the barrel of the shotgun to his jaw, and the other man tried to wrestle it away. Bill begged for him to let him do it, but the gun was yanked from his hands and tossed to the ground. As his friend held his shoulders and spoke to him, McNamera noticed the middle girl step forward and pick up the gun, aiming it at the oblivious men.

"I won't let you die!" BAM!

The men jumped at the gun shot, the taller man whipping around towards them as the other rushed to the fallen girl. He scooped up her lifeless body and started weeping as they burst into the room.

"Get down on the ground, we're the army!" BAM! BAM! BAM! Walker shot at the remaining zombified girls before they ran out of the room and escaped. The man apparently named Bill didn't move from his spot on the ground.

"Alice! Alice no! Please wake up, you're gonna be fine, daddy's here," his words were strangled and choppy from the large lump in his throat. Tears and snot rolled down his face while his choking sobs filled the air.

Walker and McNamera walked up to the other man as he pleaded that he wasn't one of them, and Curt jogged to where they were, having been frozen at the sight. "Yeah prove it asshole we're the army," McNamera deadpanned as he knocked him out with the butt of his gun as Mega fumbled with his badge and whipped it out, "CIA- oh he's unconscious." He looked down at his hands with a frown and waved his badge out to the side aimlessly. Bill finally seemed to come somewhat to his senses and turned around towards them. He was still cradling his daughters face is his hands, and his face morphed from grief to rage.

"You! You killed her!" he screamed at them. Curt didn't like this. He wasn't used to dealing with civilians and "cleaning up." He stole things, tortured people, killed people, but they were always bad people with cruel intentions. These were normal people with normal lives, and it only just now dawned on him that they were supposed to kill them. And then he charged at them and General McNamera knocked him out with an elbow to the face. His body hit the floor with a loud smack that made Curt wince. John bent down and picked him up, throwing his limp form over his shoulder and motioning for Walker to do the same.

"Mega go kill those alien bastards before they leave the school while we tie them up. We'll be in the classroom across the hall."

"You're not gonna kill them, are you?"

"Those are my orders," John said matter of factly.

"So that's it? You just knock them out and kill them without another word?"

"It's better than if they were conscious."

"If they survived this long don't you think they deserve to live? Who knows what all they've been through, I mean you shot a man's daughter for Christ's sake!"

The General grabbed the cigarette from his mouth and used it to point at him, "That thing wasn't his daughter! Whoever she was, she was dead long before I shot her. And she was going to kill him anyways, so I killed her before she could."

"Why? So you can kill him instead?"

"That's not-" but McNamera couldn't finish his sentence and pressed his thumb and pointer finger against his temple. Curt didn't stop talking however.

"They're innocent people. We should be helping them," he pleaded. The last thing he wanted was for them to die.

"You may be used to saving the world, but my job is strictly damage control! Do you know the kind of chaos that would spread if people found out about what happened here? You can't even begin to imagine! Without P.E.I.P. hysteria will ensue, and I'm not willing to let that happen just so two meaningless people can live!"

"That's why we only threaten to kill them if they ever tell anyone!" He really didn't want to do this, and he wondered why Cynthia had to send him of all people. Because he was Curt Mega, one of the world's greatest spies. Or maybe because he had the worst luck.

"Damnit Curt, do you think this is what I want? I just follow my orders, I don't get to make them. Look, maybe we can come to an agreement, and we won't have to kill them, but I'll have to talk it over with my superiors." Curt nodded, "Okay."