Just as the transformer came in sight, I heard the additional gun shots. They were being fired in my direction. I didn’t look back as I pushed myself faster.
Bodies started dropping ahead of me as both me and Royce’s men fired. I mowed down the last row of Fallen who stood at the edge of the plant, clearing my way to the ladder that rose fifteen feet up to the transformer. The metal sang as I ascended, my boots striking each rung. The ladder vibrated as another body joined me in the climb.
The Fallen had climbed faster than I had and grabbed my ankle, threatening to pull me back over the edge. The sound of another shot filled my head and a fraction of a second later blood sprayed from my left arm as my flesh was torn open. Another shot was fired and the Fallen grabbing me dropped to the ground with the sound of electric death.
The blood started to spill from my arm as I heaved myself onto the platform and pulled the line to give me some slack. I hadn’t noticed the two Fallen who were surrounding the transformer until they tackled me to the cement.
One of them closed its hands around my throat as it held me pinned to the ground. The other pulled a hand gun, releasing the safety.
I narrowed my eyes at the armed one, focusing every thought I had towards it. The next second, the Fallen choking the life out of me dropped to the ground, killed by its fellow kind. It turned the gun on itself the next second.
I scrambled to my feet again, finally reaching the transformer. I could feel the currents of electricity emanating from it as I finally connected the line. It hummed to life instantly.
The sound of metal on concrete sounded as I turned to make my escape. Dozens of Fallen climbed onto the platform, their dead eyes fixed on me. Light flashed through the sky as shots were fired from both directions.
I sprinted forward without thinking, barreling through the bodies in front of me before they could react. I leapt off the platform, flying through the night sky for one freeing second before I slammed to the ground. Pain jumped through my legs as I landed but I kept running through the bodies.
Stay away, stay away, stay away, I thought as my boots slapped the pavement back toward the tank.
Just as I was clear of the ring of Fallen that surrounded the plant, I heard an explosion. The buildings and streets before me were illuminated as the fire billowed, racing towards me with unstoppable force. I screamed as the flames ate away the fabric of my pants, melted the rubber of my boots to my feet. I felt every cell of my skin as it singed and was burned up. I hit the ground just fifteen yards away from the tank as the flames of the Fallen’s explosive died away.
I couldn’t distinguish one scream from the next as I heard feet meeting the concrete and felt hands close around my arms and start pulling me back toward the tank. Every movement felt like tortured death as they hauled me up and into the tank. It roared to life as we crawled back to the hospital.
“Are they following us?” I heard a voice ask.
A few moments later a voice responded. “No, they’re flocking around the plant again. That’s incredible! They don’t even seem to care.”
I clenched my teeth together as I tried to force my vision to focus on the roof of the tank. My breathing game in labored gasps and I felt lightheaded. I’d made it out of the plant alive but would I make it back to the hospital alive as well?
Black spots swam in my vision as I was jostled again a few minutes later. One of my legs scraped against the lip of the hatch of the tank, sending a blood curdling scream ripping from my chest as I wished to die. I’d never known pain like this.
Maybe it was more than my emotional blockers that Dr. Beeson had removed.
Between each gasping breath, I couldn’t help but let out another agonizing scream.
Men in white jackets surrounded me as I was blinded by the lights on the ceiling of the white hallways. The only thing I could see was the pair of blue eyes above me, trying to speak words to me that I couldn’t hear.
My body exploded in blossoms of pain as I was moved again, a hard board beneath my body.
I heard only jumbles of words. My brain tried to sort everything out, trying to grasp onto something that made sense.
“…transfusions…”
“…skin grafts…”
“…cybernetic parts…”
“…accelerated regeneration…”
A strange thumping in my chest startled me. It didn’t come in even beats, it was erratic, painful. My breaths came in quick gasps. Even that hurt. It hurt to scream. It hurt to lie still, it hurt to move. It hurt to be.
Just as I slipped under, I felt two hands close around each of mine.
Beeping noises surrounded me as my eyes slid open. The ceiling tiles slowly came into focus, the sound of air blowing through a vent above me bringing me awake as I blinked slowly. A warm weight lay on top of me, a soft pillow beneath my head.
I slowly sat up, my head feeling like it was spinning. I was back in a hospital room, surrounded by the now familiar flashing screens, dripping bags, and tubes sticking out of my arms. The room was completely devoid of life other than myself.
I ripped the lines out of my arm, a small bubble of blood immediately forming on my skin. Shifting my weight, I slipped my legs out from under the heavy quilt and off the side of the bed.
I barely suppressed the scream as I took in my legs coming out from under my hospital gown. My right leg was a mass of crusted and wavy looking skin, small pieces of black rubber melted into the heel of my foot. Despite the intensity of the burn, it looked like it was already healing.
But my left leg scared me the most.
The skin twisted and deformed in disgusting ways, hardly identifiable as human flesh. But from mid-calf down, there was nothing left but a gleaming metal skeleton.
I crashed to the floor, my hands barely reaching out to catch myself before the ground came rushing up at me. I scrambled to my feet, not even noticing how I once again felt no pain in my injuries. The back of my eyes burned as I heard the sound of my metal foot clanking against the tile of the floor.
The hall was devoid of any life as I stumbled out. I blinked hard several times, making my vision refocus as it tried to fail me. I held to the rail along the wall as I drug myself down the hall. I didn’t make it more than ten feet before I collapsed to the ground, a mix of terror, unregistered pain, and shock bringing me down.
As my head fell back against the tile, a pair of boots came into view, followed by a cry of shock.
“Eve!” the shout said. The next moment I felt a pair of arms underneath me and the ceiling came a little closer. A few seconds later my bed was back underneath me.
Slowly, the sight of West’s brown eyes came into focus.
“Can you hear me?” he asked, his voice sounding so far away.
I gave a nod, blinking hard. When I opened my eyes again everything was clearer.
“You really shouldn’t be getting up right now,” West said, taking one of my hands in his. He sat in a seat next to my bed, pressing my knuckles to his lips.
I looked over at him, my thoughts running a million places all at once. “How long have I been out?” I started. It seemed like I was having to ask that question so often lately.
“Only about a day,” he breathed, his eyes intense on mine.
I glanced back down, catching the light as it gleamed off the skeleton of my foot. I lay back down, swallowing hard.
“It’s a lot better than it was last night,” he said quietly. “There was nothing from your knee down.”