Halloween Heist: Chapter 3

Chapter III: “Spooky, Scary Skeletons”

Summary:Joy and Nina spend their first hour alone maybe ever. Mara and Amber have different ideas about how to spread the word about the party, while KT’s good ideas get steamrolled. Willow dreams of winning the costume contest. Meanwhile, Mr. Sweet catches a hint of something suspicious.

Link to AO3

frobisher-smythe:

Excerpt from the Neddie ice skating AU nobody asked for

Nina watched him from the outer rink, leaning against the metal railing. There he was, wiggling around trying to keep steady, four school-age children around him. They were all circling his feet, shouting out tips, laughing when he lost his balance. His eyes were so bright. He yelled that he didn’t need help from kids but it didn’t hold any bite. She could see why everyone in the house accepted him so quickly. He was like a magnet. It was impossible not to be pulled in by his lopsided smile, his loud laugh, the way he helped others behind closed doors. She felt it. She felt it as warmth starting deep in her chest, blooming out, contrasting with the cold steel at her fingertips. Falling wasn’t a choice anymore. Just as Eddie stumbled on the ice, landing hard on his side, Nina stumbled over her doubts and landed right by his side.

Fanfic summary: In an AU where Jason contracts the vampiric plague, the lieutenant is forced through a series of experiments at the hands of CENTCOM, and held prisoner at Camp Slayer’s research facility. When he discovers that they plan to use Salim as their next subject however, he decides to go rogue, and turns against the US military before they can use his disease as a key to immortality.

Point of view:third-person

Pairing: Jason Kolchek/Salim Othman

This story is also on AO3|Previous chapter

CAMP SLAYER, SECURITY ROOM

1912 HOURS

The soldier observed the security monitors in front of her, watching blankly as they flipped through multiple angles of each room. Over and over again, she saw nothing but an endless cycle of static images, all of them cursed with the same lifelessness that she had been forced to endure throughout her entire shift so far.

By now, her mind was repeatedly drifting in and out of focus. She could hardly keep her attention locked onto the screens anymore. Her thoughts were trapped in a perpetual state of boredom, and at this point, she was about ready to slip into REM.

“Anything to report, private?” Alvarez asked from the other side of the room.

“Negative, sir.” She replied monotonously.

“Good. Let’s keep it that way.” He walked over to the woman and stood next to her chair, knotting his hands behind his back. “What about Subject One? What’s his status?”

She zoomed in on the camera surveying Jason’s quarters. “The subject is secure in his cell, sir. No signs of suspicious activity.”

Alvarez nodded in a pleased manner, but wasn’t ready to relax just yet. “Keep a close eye on him. Things’ve been chaotic enough around here lately. Between Briggs losin’ his mind and Moreau making frequent visits downstairs, we can’t risk anything going awry. Especially not when Carlyle’s becoming paranoid.”

The other soldier paused in thought, switching to a softer tone. “How isBriggs, sir? Will he be okay? I heard he caught HERA.”

“Briggs is under close examination of the scientists at CENTCOM. They’ll take good care of him. If anything happens, we’ll be the first to know.”

“…The virus won’t killhim, will it?”

Alvarez kept a stern face, maintaining his stoic posture. “…Focus on your job, private.”

She turned away from him, disappointed but unsurprised that he shot her down. “Yes, sir.”

Reaching for his radio, Alvarez requested a quick update from Tressler and began pacing around the room, wandering aimlessly as he spoke.

“Tressler, how’s it lookin’ down there?”

A scratchy voice came through, distorted by the speaker. “All quiet here, sir. Nothing to report.”

“Any sign of Moreau yet?”

“The doctor stopped by Subject One’s cell earlier this morning, but she hasn’t returned since.”

Alvarez grew uneasy at the sound of that. “Okay. If she comes back, sergeant, accompany her to the cell. I want eyes on her at all times.”

Tressler noticed the shift in his mood, but decided not to question it. “…Yes, sir.”

“And Subject One? How’s hedoing?”

“He’s been quiet all day. Carlyle removed him from his cell a few hours ago to perform an operation, but other than that, things have been pretty uneventful.”

“Good to hear. I need–”

“–Sir?” The private suddenly called out, drawing Alvarez’s attention to the security monitors.

He glanced at her, keeping Tressler on hold. “Hang on a minute, sergeant. What is it, private?”

She pointed at the screens, unable to hide the concern in her face. “It’s Subject One.”

Alvarez wrinkled his brow in confusion, sending a short response to Tressler. “Sergeant, I’ll contact you later. Over.” He strode to the woman’s side, following her line of sight.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, sir. He’s… well, I can’t tell whathe’s doing.”

Assuming control of the monitors, Alvarez enlarged the screen focusing on Jason’s cell, only to be greeted by an unusual sight.

At the moment, the subject was standing on top of his bed and tapping his knuckles against the ceiling, waiting as if trying to get someone’s attention. 

“The hell…?” Alvarez whispered. “He’s… knocking on the ceiling?”

The private shrugged. “Maybe he wants us to notice him?”

He rubbed his chin in concentration. “If that were true, why wouldn’t he just wave at the camera? It’s not like he doesn’t know it’s there. Keep watching. See what happens.”

Taking a minute to observe Jason’s actions, Alvarez and the private simply sat there in silence, completely oblivious to what the subject was hoping to achieve. He continued tapping the ceiling in the exact same spot over and over again – as if following a rhythm – and the angle at which his head was tilted made it seem like he was listeningfor something. But what?

“Wait a second…” Alvarez murmured, narrowing his eyes. “Those patterns…  they seem familiar.” He leaned closer to the monitor, measuring the duration of each tap. 

The woman looked at him with intrigue. “Sir?”

He mouthed a series of words to himself, ignoring the private’s remark as he studied Jason’s movements. “…Five? Three? No, no, that’s not right. He’s restarting the cycle. Two… nine… two, nine, five, three–” his expression sprung to life. “It’s Morse code…! He’s sending a signal to someone!”

Alvarez instantly grabbed his radio, briskly marching out of the security room. “Tressler, get down to Subject One’s cell now.I have reason to believe he’s trying to contact someone for help via Morse code. Do notlet him finish that signal.” He came to a temporary halt at the doorway, turning to give one final command to the woman. “And private, keep your eye on him. If he so much as sneezes, I wanna know. We cannotlet him escape a second time.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m gonna join Tressler downstairs. We need to figure out who Subject One is trying to reach.”

~~~~~~~~~~

MEANWHILE

SALIM’S CELL

Scraping up the last of his food with a spoon, Salim finished his meal for the night and pushed the tray away from him, resting both elbows on the table. His leg was bouncing with anxiety underneath the surface, and he couldn’t help but constantly check over his shoulder as the evening went on.

It had been nearly a day since Moreau last paid him a visit. He assumed that she had gotten the file to Jason by now, but without any updates from either of them, Salim was starting to wonder if their plan had already been foiled. 

Was Moreau going to see him again? Would she actually help out like she promised? Or would Salim’s worst fears come true and label the elusive doctor as a traitor?

Whatever happened, the man just hoped that he and Jason would finally be able to leave this place behind. It felt like the walls were closing in on them more and more with every failed attempt, and if this plan crumbled just like the last one, Salim worried that CENTCOM would grow tired of his constant breakouts and simply kill him.

“…Come on, Jason…” he said under his breath, twiddling his fingers, “…where are you?”

Scooting his chair back from the table, Salim stood up and sluggishly trudged over to the bed, eager to get some rest. He stretched his arms out and yawned, only to stop halfway through when a faint tapcaught his ears.

Frozen in place, Salim glanced around the cell in perplexity, attempting to find the source of the sound. Initially, he assumed it was just the footsteps of the other inmates walking around the prison, but after listening to its pattern for a while, his eyes sprung open in realization.

The passcode…! Jason found it.

Practically throwing himself to the floor, Salim knelt down and bent towards the surface, trying to make sense of the muffled knocks. 

“…Three?” He mumbled in thought. “…No, no. It’s a two. Two, nine…” there was a brief pause, “…two, nine… five, three…!”

That was it. He finally had the key out of this place. Now, he just had to use it.

Knocking on the floor, Salim returned Jason’s signal with a few tapsof his own, informing the man that he had received the code. Afterwards, he rushed over to the bed and slid the key card out, checking to see if there were any guards nearby. 

For now, the coast seemed clear. The only guard Salim could find was a lone soldier posted at the prison’s entrance who had his back turned to the cell. Otherwise, no one else appeared to be patrolling the area, and the rest of the inmates were still occupied with finishing their meals.

Now was his chance.

Sticking a hand between the bars, Salim reached for the keypad and swiped the card through the slit, prompting the light to turn green. He then punched the code in, causing the cell to unlock with a soft beep.Before he took his leave however, he spared a few moments to scan the surrounding area, ensuring that nobody would catch him by surprise.

Once he was certain that the path ahead was safe, Salim carefully pried the door open to a narrow gap, leaving just enough space for him to slip through. He then snuck out into the corridor and crept towards the guard, preparing to attack. 

In just a few short strides, Salim was directly behind the soldier. He pounced from the floor and locked an arm around the man’s neck, forcibly dragging him down as he squeezed the breath out of him. The guard struggled in Salim’s grasp and aggressively shook his body in hopes of wearing out his assailant’s strength, but to no avail. In the end, the prisoner emerged victorious, and the guard lay unconscious on the floor, oblivious to the chaos that was about to unfold.

As for Salim, the man suddenly found himself in possession of a new uniform that would help conceal his identity, and a rifle to fight through the base. There were plenty of locations where he could hide the fallen soldier’s body, and it seemed like no one else had noticed that he was missing from his cell.

“…Allah give me strength,” Salim whispered, picking up the gun, “and guide me in the storm to come.”

~~~~~~~~~~

A FEW MINUTES LATER

SUBJECT ONE’S CELL

Alvarez grabbed a fistful of Jason’s collar and firmly pinned him against the wall, shouting in his face.

“Who were you trying to contact?!”

The subject chuckled gleefully and smirked, not even bothering to break free from the other man’s hold. “Oh, y’know… just thought I’d call the president and catch up with him. See how things are goin’ back home.”

Alvarez sighed in annoyance. “Deflection won’t save you here, Subject One.” He let go of Jason’s collar and threw a nod in Tressler’s direction, signaling him to get involved.

Stepping forward, the sergeant hardly spared a second before slamming a fist into Jason’s face, punching him directly in the cheekbone. The impact of the hit sent his head jolting backwards, but in terms of pain, the man was barely fazed.

“Well…” Jason said, regaining his composure, “at least you tried.”

Alvarez brushed the comment off and closed the distance between them, standing so close that their noses nearly touched.

“I’ll ask again, subject. Whois your contact? Where are they hiding?”

Jason scoffed in amusement. “Even if I didhave a contact, d’you really think I’d give ‘em away?”

The other man persisted. “Is it Moreau?”

He let out a breath, muttering to himself. “Why does no one in this facility listen me? I already told y’all. There isno contact. That woman ain’t got nothin’ to do with this.”

Tressler jumped in. “Then can you explain why she’s been making frequent visits here lately? Or why she seems so interested in you? What does she want?”

“You may not’ve noticed, sergeant, but I have a pair of horns sticking out my fuckin’ head. Pretty good reason to be interested in someone if you ask me. Besides, Moreau’s a scientist. It’s her jobto do this.”

He wasn’t swayed. “…There’s more happening here than you’re letting on, Subject One. Anyone can see that. Why don’t you just save us the trouble and tell us what it is.”

“I–”

Cutting his own sentence short, Jason fell into an abrupt silence when a nearby chain of footsteps started echoing in his ears, leading his attention to the other end of the hall. They sounded like they were coming from the elevator, and making a beeline straight for him.

Peeking over Alvarez’s shoulder, the lieutenant took a quick glance down the corridor and spotted a man approaching the cell, armed with a rifle. He carried the look of an American soldier and even sported the specific uniform worn by CENTCOM’s personnel, but his behavior suggested otherwise.

“Subject One!” Alvarez exclaimed. “Answer the question.”

Jason put up an innocent front, hoping to keep them distracted.. “…Sorry, what’d you say? I didn’t quite catch that.”

Tressler’s jaw clenched in frustration. “You’ve gotta be shitting me. Do you wantus to beat it out of you? ‘Cause we can do this all day.”

“Now, now, take it easy. No reason to get snippy.”

“It’ll get a lot worse if you don’t tell us what we want to know.”

Coming to a halt just behind the two soldiers, Salim took aim and slowly readied the gun, trying to minimize the noise as much as possible. Meanwhile, Tressler and Alvarez continued to interrogate Jason, entirely unaware of the threat lurking in the distance.

“Listen,” the marine said, “you’re askin’ the wrong man. I got nothin’ left to tell you.”

“Really.” Alvarez replied. “Well then, how ‘bout I let Tressler here do a few rounds on you, and we’ll see if you still feel the same way after that? How does that sound, subject?”

Jason grinned widely, unable to conceal the growing excitement in his  voice. “…Actually, I had somethin’ else in mind.”

“Oh, yeah? And what would that be?”

Squeezing the trigger, Salim let loose a single bullet into the back of Tressler’s head with a thunderous bang, killing the man instantly. The sergeant’s body toppled over like an axed tree and slid against the glass wall, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

In the meantime, Alvarez whirled around at the sudden shot and hurriedly reached for his gun, only to be stopped when Jason tackled him from behind. The two of them wrestled on the floor for a moment and threw each other around the cell, fighting like a pair of bucks that had their antlers tangled.

Salim, on the other hand, frantically swayed the barrel of his rifle, desperately searching for a clear shot.

“Salim!” Jason yelled over the commotion, doing his best to hold Alvarez in place. “Shoot this son-of-a-bitch!”

The older man hesitated. “But I don’t want to hit you!”

“I’m immortal, dumbass!”

Salim’s mind sheepishly clicked at the reminder. Oh, right. How the hell did he forget that?

Firing another round, he managed to plant a bullet in Alvarez’s neck, causing the man’s erratic movement to cease immediately. At first, his arms remained entwined with Jason’s, and a soft gurgle could be heard bubbling in his throat, but after a short while, he eventually fell limp, freeing the lieutenant from their struggle.

Shoving Alvarez’s corpse away with a strained grunt, Jason sat up from the floor and took a few deep breaths, trembling slightly. He didn’t know what it was, but his body just couldn’t seem to relax for the time being. A newfound spark had ignited in his veins due to the scent of fresh blood, and as a result, his heart was starting to pump faster. 

There was an unfamiliar desire growing within him; a strange kind of appetite.It wasn’t the same hunger that humans experienced, it was just… well, Jason didn’t know. And a part of him hoped he would never find out.

“Jason?” Salim called out, crouching next to his friend. “Are you alright?”

The man gazed at him with wild eyes, attempting to single out his voice from the rest of the mayhem bouncing around in his skull. Thanks to the gunfire, his ears were now screaming with an insufferable whing,and he could barely pick up any other sounds from the outside world.

“…My ears…” Jason groaned, his words fluctuating irregularly. “Everything’s… so goddamn loud…”

Diverting his attention to the corpses in the cell, Salim took a second to search Alvarez’s body before tearing a strip off from his sleeve, and ripping it to smaller pieces. He then balled the cloth up into into a pair of plugs, and gently inserted them into Jason’s ears.

“Here,habibi.”He whispered, careful not to cause him anymore pain. “See if these can help.”

Jason adjusted the plugs into a more comfortable position, allowing them to properly block out any unwanted noise. He could still hear remnants of distant sounds just like before, but they weren’t nearly as unbearable. 

“…Thanks, buddy.” He said, sighing in relief. “That’s better.”

Salim smiled warmly, resting a hand on the side of Jason’s arm. “You’re welcome, my friend.”

Taking a moment to cherish each other’s company, the two of them simply stayed in place and enjoyed the peace, sitting silently despite the urgency of their situation. For the first time in weeks, they were finally able to see each other face-to-face. There were no bars or chains separating them. It just was Salim, and Jason. The prisoner, and the subject. 

In a way, it was almost too good to be true. Salim almost couldn’t believe that he had reunited with his old friend, or that he was in such close proximity to him. He had spent so long staring at nothing but cold concrete walls, that to actually feelthe warmth of Jason’s skin beneath his fingertips was like a blessing.

Part of him didn’t want to let go. He wanted to hold the man for as long as he could, but alas… reality wasted no time in disturbing his dreams.

“…You look like shit.” Salim joked, earning a chuckle from Jason.

“Thanks, asshole. So do you.”

The older man reflected the laugh with a smirk. “…Ah, I missed you, Jason. It’s good to see you again.”

“You too, Salim.” The marine leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees. “Hey, you okay, buddy? You didn’t get hurt on the way here, did you?”

He shook his head. “No, no. I’m fine. I don’t think anyone saw me leaving the prison. Apart from our fight just now, I’ve managed to avoid any combat. Most of the camp is still unaware of our breakout.”

Jason rose to his feet, stretching his back. “Then we need to move fast, before anyone else realizes what’s goin’ on. Grab whatever you need from these bastards, and let’s get the hell outta here.”

“Alright. Sounds good.”

“Oh, one more thing,” Jason said, taking Alvarez’s drop-leg holster. “Moreau’s waitin’ for us in her office. I told her we’d pick her up on the way out.”

Salim slipped some ammunition out of Tressler’s pouch, reloading his rifle. “Moreau’s coming with us? Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“What, you don’t trust her?”

“…I’m not sure yet.”

Jason shrugged, fastening the holster around his thigh. “She got us the passcode, didn’t she? And I’m assumin’ she didn’t snitch on us either, considering how CENTCOM ain’t up our asses yet.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Salim conceded. “Still, I don’t know what to make of her. Do you really think she’ll help us through this?”

“I’ve got no reason to believe otherwise. She seems to hate this place as much as we do, and it sounds like CENTCOM is startin’ to suspect her too.” 

Jason gestured to Alvarez and Tressler with a wave of the finger. “These two were askin’ me about her earlier. They wanted to know if Moreau had anything to do with this. I guess her visits with us haven’t gone unnoticed.”

Salim took Tressler’s combat knife, testing its stability. “Hmm. Alright. I’m still not sure how to feel about Moreau, but… I trust yourjudgement.”

“Thank you.” The younger man took hold of Alvarez’s handgun and strode outside the cell, beckoning Salim to join him. “Anyway, c’mon. Let’s go. We’ll head for the elevator and work our way up to the surface. I dunno what kinda resistance we’re gonna face once we leave this floor, so just stay behind me, okay? Use me as a damn shield if you have to. I can take it.”

Even though Salim knew Jason was invincible, he couldn’t deny that there was something unsettling about using his friend as human cover.

“Alright. I understand.”

Jason cocked the pistol, giving the other man a firm nod. “Then follow me.”

~~~~~~~~~~

MEANWHILE

CARLYLE’S OFFICE

Analyzing each document one-by-one, Carlyle examined the notes he took during his time with Jason and compared them to the files for Briggs, trying to understand what was causing the discrepancy between their transformations.

Briggs contracted HERA at a much later time than Jason, and yet, he had already reached the final stages of development far earlier than his counterpart. All of his societal filters had been stripped away within a matter of days, and his actions were now fueled solely by primitive instinct.

There was also the fact that his body regularly underwent significant mutations. As of right now, Carlyle had recorded double the amount of changes in Briggs’ anatomy as opposed to Jason’s. His teeth, his muscles, his reflexes – they were all different. He had even started to grow wings.

And although Jason shared some of the same symptoms, they weren’t nearly as developed as Briggs’. 

It just made Carlyle wonder: what on earth was causing this gap? Why was there so much variation in the evolutionary process? What could’ve possibly been the determining factor?

Was it age? Health? Physique? The method in which the virus was transmitted? There must’vebeen an answer somewhere in the details; something that could explain how Jason had lasted so long compared to everyone else. He just didn’t know where to find it.

Ring. Ring.

Interrupting the doctor’s thoughts with a faint jingle, Carlyle’s phone suddenly vibrated on the desk, causing it to inch slowly across the surface. He picked up the device and flipped it open, bringing it to his ear.

“Hello? This is Carlyle.”

“Doctor,”a woman responded, “this is Private West. I’m calling you from the security room. There’s an urgent matter that requires your attention. Subject One has escaped.”

The man’s heart stopped. “What? Again?When did this happen?”

“Just now, sir. Subject One has killed both Tressler and Alvarez, and is now on the move. He also has an accomplice, but we’re still trying to identify them.”

Carlyle dragged a hand down his face. “…Christ.”

“Sir, if you could provide any information on Subject One, it would be a great help. Does he have any weaknesses we can exploit? Something that could neutralize him?”

The doctor paused for a moment, pondering the woman’s question.

“…No.”

“No?”The private repeated, failing to hide the panic creeping into her tone. “Nothing at all? Sir, there must be something–”

“–If there was, I’d know about it. Trust me, I’ve been studying this man for weeks. Subject One is an indestructible force. Bullets can slow him down, but they will not kill him. Lethal force will not work against him.”

“I… I understand. T-Thank you for your input, doctor. We will do our best to retrieve Subject One. In the meantime, I’d advise you to get to safety until the situation is resolved. I’ll inform you as soon as we’ve returned him to his cell. Private West out.”

Ending the call, the woman swiftly hung up the phone and got straight to work, admittedly terrified of how the future was going to unravel. The troops at Camp Slayer were a formidable bunch, but they had never faced something invincible before. If Subject One truly had no weaknesses, then that would mean the demise of anyone who tried to face him.

As for Carlyle, the doctor remained seated at his desk and stared blankly at the door to his office, thinking about where to go from here. His instinct was telling him to focus on apprehending Subject One, but he couldn’t quite shake off the knowledge that he had an accomplice.

Who could it have been? Another one of the subjects? Or even Moreau herself? Well, whoever it was, he refused to rest until he learned their name.

Opening one of the drawers, Carlyle hastily fumbled through its contents before pulling out a key, deciding to take matters into his own hands. He knew without a doubt that the soldiers at Camp Slayer would be no match for Subject One, and so, he deemed it appropriate to utilize anothersolution.

“Alright, Briggs. Let’s see what you can do.”

Fandom:The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes

Summary: In an AU where Jason contracts the vampiric plague, the lieutenant is forced through a series of experiments at the hands of CENTCOM, and held prisoner at Camp Slayer’s research facility. When he discovers that they plan to use Salim as their next subject however, he decides to go rogue, and turns against the US military before they can use his disease as a key to immortality.

Pairing:Jason Kolchek/Salim Othman

Point of view: third-person

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8

This story is also on AO3

Fanfic summary: In an AU where Jason contracts the vampiric plague, the lieutenant is forced through a series of experiments at the hands of CENTCOM, and held prisoner at Camp Slayer’s research facility. When he discovers that they plan to use Salim as their next subject however, he decides to go rogue, and turns against the US military before they can use his disease as a key to immortality.

Point of view:third-person

Pairing: Jason Kolchek/Salim Othman

This story is also on AO3|Previous chapter |Next chapter

SUBJECT ONE’S CELL

0658 HOURS

Moreau presented the stolen document to Jason from behind the glass, unfolding it so that he could see it in its entirety.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Jason said, impressed. “You actually got it.”

“Sure did.” Moreau replied with a proud smirk. “It wasn’t easy, though. I had to sneak into Carlyle’s office and make a copy of the document.”

“A copy?”

“Yeah. I couldn’t risk him realizing that I’ve stolen a top-secret file. Especially one that pertains to a potential subject. Carlyle still has the original papers on Prisoner Seven, but don’t worry, these ones replicate their data word-for-word. They’ll have everything you need.”

Jason eyed the document in disbelief, unable to quell the newfound determination that was growing inside him. In the past, the idea of being able to escape Camp Slayer with Salim felt like nothing more than a distant reality; a goal he only pursued out of sheer desperation. But now, thanks to Moreau’s assistance, it was finally something feasible. Something he could achieve. All he had to do was obtain the passcode.

Though, he wasstill confused about one thing. 

How did Salim know Moreau was planning to get the file for him? Or that it would happen so soon? Just about an hour ago, the man sent a signal to Jason alerting him of the doctor’s impending arrival. As far as the marine was aware however, the two of them had never met before.

Did she visit Salim before all this? And if so, why?

Well, he supposed he didn’t matter too much now. In the end, Moreau managed to fulfill his request just like she agreed, and that was all Jason cared about. 

“…Alright.” He conceded. “You’ve held up your end of the bargain. I guess it’s time for me to do the same. What d’you wanna know? I’ll answer any questions you have. No more secrets. No more holdin’ back. Just like I promised.”

Lowering the document, Moreau put the papers away for the moment as her cordiality faded, making room for the grim curiosity she just couldn’t let go.

“I want to know about Green Zone. What… isit? Why would Carlyle feel the need to mention it?”

Jason sighed deeply, pressing his hands against the glass. He knew this question would return sooner or later, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been dreading it.

“…Green Zone is the name of a checkpoint,” he explained, his voice dropping to a pitiful tone. “I used to patrol that area from time-to-time before all thishappened. It was notorious for being a common target for suicide bombers.”

Moreau listened quietly.

“One day, me and a buddy o’ mine – Nick Kay – spotted this woman coming through. She was holdin’ a bag with something in it, but we couldn’t see what. So, I called out to her. Tried to get her to stop. But she wouldn’t listen to me. She just kept strollin’ along.”

He paused for a bit, his jaw clenching.

“I… had to make a decision. We didn’t know who this woman was, or what she was carryin’ with her. She couldabeen harmless, but there was also the chance that she wasn’t. We– I decided not to take the risk.” 

Jason brought his gaze to the doctor, looking at her with dispirited eyes.

“I ordered Nicky to shoot her down. After she was killed, we went to check her body. Turns out, all she had were groceries. Just some fuckin’ food and drinks. She wasn’t gonna hurt nobody. And the reason she didn’t stop? It was ‘cause she couldn’t hear me. Had a pair of headphones on.”

Jason let out a shaky breath.

“I murdered an innocent woman that day. I know it. She was probably just on her way home. Maybe had a husband, or even a kid, I dunno. But whoever it was waitin’ for her on the other side… they never got to see her again. And it’s my fault.”

Moreau watched the lieutenant in complete silence, heartbroken by what she was hearing. When she asked Jason about Green Zone, she knew it would be morbid just based on how everyone had been acting about the subject, but she never anticipated something this tragic.

A harmless civilian shot dead on the spot. Over nothing more than a misunderstanding. Not only was it a horrific scenario, it also turned out to be unnecessary in the end. 

“That’s awful.” Moreau remarked softly, her hands fidgeting with each other. “…That poor woman. What a horrible situation.”

The man gave her a small nod. “Yeah. I think about it a lot.” Jason glanced off to the side, digging through his memories. “…Y’know, when Nicky was still alive, he and I would argue about what happened at Green Zone all the time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, nothing. It’s just… he was always lookin’ for some kind of closure after the incident. He wanted to find peace. He would try to talk to me about it. Ask how I was feeling. See if I had gotten over it. And I’d blow him off. Every single time. I didn’t want to admit that we fucked up.”

Jason gestured to the cell around him. “…But now he’s gone, and I’m here. Locked in this damn lab with a virus that wants to kill me. We’re both payin’ for our sins, I guess. Just in different ways.”

Moreau’s face dimmed with empathy. “You think?”

He shrugged. “Well, yeah. Look at me. You really believe this was an accident? Nah. The way I see it, God put me here on purpose. He’s makin’ me pay for what I did, and rightfully so.”

The woman reached into her pocket, pulling out the papers as she skimmed over their contents.

“…And what about Prisoner Seven? How does he fit into all this?”

“Salim? He’s my closest friend. Hell, probably my onlyfriend. I was an asshole to him when we first met in those caves, but he never let it cloud his judgement. He always tried to help me… even when I was too stubborn to let him.”

Moreau raised a brow. “So what changed your feelings towards him?”

Jason thought about it for a second. “…He listened. Just like you are right now. Even after all the childish bullshit I put him through, Salim still offered me an ear when I needed it most. He never cared about the fact that I was the ‘enemy.’ He just saw me as… anyone else.” The marine cracked a light-hearted smile. “Also, he kinda saved my life a few times.”

The doctor mirrored the expression. “So I see. Well, I must admit I’m pleased to hear that my suspicions were wrong.”

“Wait, what did you think I was gonna say?”

“Honestly? I thought that maybe you had a grudge against Salim.”

Jason was surprised by the notion. “A grudge? What kinda grudge would I have against–” he cut his own question short, realizing the obvious assumption. “Ah. You thought I hated Salim ‘cause he’s Iraqi. Because of everything Carlyle told you.”

A layer of guilt coated Moreau’s face. “Yes. That’s why I was so determined to pry answers out of you before. I feared that perhaps Carlyle’s accusations were true, and that I was helping someone who didn’t deserve it. I’m sorry, Jason. I shouldn’t have doubted you.”

The lieutenant didn’t seem bothered. “We’re in a pit of vipers, Moreau. Doubt keeps you alive.”

The woman’s mood brightened with relief. “I’m glad you see it that way. Well, anyway, I think you deserve this file. You’ve more than fulfilled your promise. Though, if I may… just one more question?”

“Go ‘head.”

Moreau glanced down at the papers in her hands, timidly choosing her next words.

“What… what exactly do you want with this file? What are you going to do with it?”

Jason simply stared at her for a moment, hesitant to tell her the truth. Even though Moreau had yet to give him a reason to question her loyalty, he still wasn’t sure if this was a wise decision. 

For all he knew, this could’ve been some elaborate plan devised by Carlyle to foil his escape. That man had become increasingly paranoid ever since Jason’s first breakout, so it didn’t seem like much of a stretch to assume that he’d do anything to prevent him from running away again.

At the same though, the marine found it unlikely. Moreau didn’t strike him as somebody who’d stab a friend in the back. It just didn’t… fit.And besides, Jason hadn’t forgotten what happened the last time he refused to give someone the benefit of the doubt.

If he wanted to solidify his alliance with Moreau, he would have to return the same trust that she had placed in him.

“…I’m lookin’ for the passcode to Salim’s cell.” He confessed. “I’m gonna try to break him out.”

The doctor blinked in shock, somewhat taken aback by his honesty. “Wh-What? How?”

“I’ll–”

Gripping his chest, Jason came to an abrupt halt when he was stricken by a sudden flurry of coughs, causing him to turn away from the glass.

“Jason?” Moreau called out. “Are you okay?”

He brought a hand to his mouth, trying not to endanger her as his body continued to lurch with the attacks. He had already seen the effects of his saliva before, and didn’t wish to put Moreau through the same horrors. There may have been a partition between them, but he knew by now that it’d be a mistake to underestimate his own capabilities. 

“I’m– I’m fine…” Jason croaked once the coughs began to subside. “Just… gimme a sec.”

Taking a minute to calm down, the subject lowered his hand and finally managed to recompose himself, only to be greeted by an alarming sight. 

Sitting in the center of his palm, Jason found a few droplets of black saliva dotting the skin. The liquid had darkened significantly ever since his last coughing fit, and it looked almost like he was coughing up tar.

“…Jason?” Moreau whispered, spotting the black droplets. “Is that…?”

The lieutenant quickly wiped his hand clean. “Yeah. It’s my spit. I…” 

He slowly turned back to the woman, his expression flickering with fear. “…I don’t have a lotta time, Moreau. HERA’s eatin’ me up from the inside-out. I have to help Salim before it’s too late. I needhis passcode.”

Moreau redirected her attention to Salim’s papers, admittedly still shaken by what just happened.

“…Here.” She said, flattening one of the pages against the glass. “His code. It’s at the top.”

Jason’s eyes snapped to the line Moreau was pointing out, reading the numbers to himself: 2-9-5-3.

He got it. He actually got it. After all this time, he finally had the code. The only thing he had to do now was get it to Salim… and they’d be free.

“…Are you going to break out today?” Moreau asked, her voice quiet with anxiety.

Jason shrugged in uncertainty. “I’m not sure. I’ll probably wait ‘til nighttime. If I’m gonna go through the trouble of gettin’ outta this damn place, I don’t wanna burn alive the minute I set foot outside the front door.” 

He threw her a concerned glare. “…Why? R’you gonna stop me?”

Moreau shook her head, staying true to the promise she gave Salim. “No. I won’t interfere.”

Jason nodded in an appreciative manner. “…Thank you, doc. I won’t forget this.”

A sudden thought crossed his mind, prompting him to point a finger at Salim’s document. “Hey, Moreau. Listen. Whatever happens next, make sure you get rid of these papers. Throw them away, shred them, I don’t care. Hell, burn ‘em if you have to. Just make sure no one finds out what you did for me today. We can’t risk anyone associating you with me.”

“Wait, don’t you want me to come with you?”

Jason gave her a puzzled glance. “…I dunno. Do youwanna come with us?”

To his surprise, the woman said yes.

“Really?” He asked.

“Look around you, Jason. Of course I do. This place reeks of death. I can’t stay here anymore. Even if it means I’ll have to run for the rest of my life, I refuse to work with CENTCOM any longer. I need to get out.”

The marine decided to accept her help. “Hm. Alright. If you’re sure. Well, then. Here’s the plan. Go to your office once the sun starts to set. Wait for me there. Do notmove. Salim and I will break out of our cells first, and then, we’ll come to you.”

“How are you going to get the code to Salim, though? Do you want me to open his cell?

“No,” Jason rejected. “In case shit goes south, I don’t want CENTCOM realizing you were involved. Just stay away from me and Salim until we come to your office. I’ll worry about opening his cell. Okay?”

Moreau agreed to the plan, albeit with apprehension. “O-Okay. I trust you.”

“Good. Now get outta here. Quickly. And find somethin’ to arm yourself with. Things are likely gonna get ugly once we break free.”

The doctor slipped the papers back into her pocket, making a swift exit. “Understood. I’ll be waiting for you two. Oh, and Jason? Please, take care of yourselves. I don’t want to see either of you getting hurt.”

A light chuckle fluttered from Jason’s mouth. “In case you forgot, doc, I’m immortal now. If anyone should be worried, it’s CENTCOM.”

Moreau’s face flattened. “I’m being serious, Jason.”

He grinned, strolling away from the door. “So am I.”

Fanfic summary: In an AU where Jason contracts the vampiric plague, the lieutenant is forced through a series of experiments at the hands of CENTCOM, and held prisoner at Camp Slayer’s research facility. When he discovers that they plan to use Salim as their next subject however, he decides to go rogue, and turns against the US military before they can use his disease as a key to immortality.

Point of view:third-person

Pairing: Jason Kolchek/Salim Othman

This story is also on AO3|Previous chapter |Next chapter

SALIM’S CELL

0600 HOURS

Salim twirled the key card between his fingers, examining its text as the cell’s light flickered above him.

According to the name written on the front, the card once belonged to a man called Colton Greer. He was born in 1977, and served as a culinary specialist in the U.S. Army. There was more information pertaining to his identity in the blank space next to his photo, but the majority of it had been blotted out by a series of dried bloodstains, as well as a red fingerprint.

Why was there blood all over the card? Did Jason kill this “Colton Greer” in order to get a hold of it? Salim hoped not.

Even though he wanted to escape from Camp Slayer as soon as possible, it wasn’t lost on him that Jason once fought alongside these people. Less than a month ago, he would’ve called them his friends. Buddies. Brothers-in-arms. Hell, he might’ve even helpedthem kill Salim.

But now? Jason was their enemy. He was taking the lives of the very people he once swore to protect, and it was all for the sake of one man. 

Was it truly worth it for the lieutenant? To throw everything away for someone he had only known for two weeks?

Salim would’ve been lying if he said he didn’t feel a tinge of guilt because of all this. He wanted to return to Zain, that much was true, but he didn’t want Jason to sacrifice his well-being in the process. That man’s happiness was just as important as his own, and he feared that the marine would lose himself if he continued to venture down this path.

“Mr. Othman?”

Snapping out of his mind’s ramblings with a jolt, Salim shot a glance over his shoulder and looked through the bars, only to find a young woman standing on the other side. Her face wasn’t familiar to him, but the white coat she donned made it fairly clear that she was one of CENTCOM’s scientists.

Salim quickly hid the card in his sleeve, turning around to address her.

“Um, y-yes…?” He slowly crept towards the bars, eyeing the woman with a furrowed brow.

She took a long look at his features, studying them almost as if she had seen him before. 

“So, you’re Prisoner Seven. I’m Dr. Dawn Moreau. Pleasure to meet you.”

Moreau? Salim recognized that name. If he recalled correctly, that was the doctor whom Carlyle mentioned.

Oh no, was she here to bring him to the lab? Had his time run out?

“…What do you want?” He asked bluntly. “How do you know my name?”

“It’s alright,” she soothed. “You don’t have to be afraid. I asked the guard at the door about who you are, but I’m not here to hurt you. I’m only here to ask some questions.”

“Questions about what?”

Moreau stepped closer to the bars. “…Lieutenant Kolchek. I understand the two of you have a connection. I’d like to know what it is.”

Shit. She wanted to ask about Jason? Had something happened to him?

Salim shook his head, averting his gaze. “You must be mistaken. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The woman’s expression remained neutral, but there was a certain sharpness in her eyes that he couldn’t quite escape.

“Really? Kolchek seemed to have an interest in you.”

Still, the man put up a front. “Well, like I said, you must be mistaken. There’s no connection between us.”

“Are you telling me that her interest in you is one-sided?”

Salim paused. “Her?”

A smirk spread across Moreau’s face at the prisoner’s knee-jerk reaction. “Ah, so you doknow Jason.”

He cursed under his breath, disappointed that he fell for such a simple trap. “Allaenat ealayk.”

“Please, Mr. Othman.” Moreau urged. “I understand if you aren’t willing to trust me, but I truly mean you no harm. I just want to clarify what your connection with him is.”

Salim sighed and began pacing around his cell. “It’s… true that I have heard of Lieutenant Kolchek before, but I barely know anything about him. Let alone what he would want with me.”

The woman crossed her arms, tapping a finger in thought. “Hm. You wouldn’t happen to be the Iraqi soldier who got trapped in the Sumerian temple with him, would you?”

He gave her a puzzled stare. Just how much did this lady know, exactly?

Moreau picked up on Salim’s surprise, hoping to ease his nerves.

“I spoke briefly with Jason about his experience in the temple,” she elaborated. “He mentioned that an Iraqi soldier helped him escape, but never told me their name. I assume that was you. Your file says you were imprisoned here about two weeks ago. That’s the same amount of time Jason has been with us.”

Salim was quiet for a moment, uncertain of how to respond. He still harbored a deep-seated suspicion for the woman in front of him, but it was rather obvious by now that Moreau had done her research on his past. Was there even any point in lying to her anymore?

“…Yes, that was me.” He said warily. “But before I answer your questions, allow me to ask one of my own.”

She nodded in agreement. “Of course.”

“Why do you care about my connection with Jason? What significance does it have for you?”

Moreau decided to open up a tad more, not wishing to amplify Salim’s hesitance. 

“If you were in the temple with him, then you must know about his infection. I’m one of the researchers overseeing his progress as the virus continues to develop. I want to help him during his time here, but there a few holes in his story that I need to fill up first. That’s why I’ve come to you. I want to know if he’s truly the man he claims to be.”

Salim could tell that there was more going on than she implied, but it didmatch everything Jason had revealed to him so far. Though, that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

If her words held any truth to them, then that meant she was directly involved with the experiments Jason mentioned. She would’ve been a part of Operation Red Moon, and one of the people who hoped to take advantage of his infection. Was it really a good idea to comply with her requests?

“Why do you want to help him?” Salim asked.

Moreau linked her hands behind her back. “Because I have to. For both your safety and mine, I can’t go into too much detail, but the things CENTCOM have been doing to him… they’re not right. I can’t be a part of it. I won’t.”

The prisoner remained skeptical of the doctor’s motives – mainly because her answers were so vague – but he couldn’t deny that he found sincerity in the way she spoke. It sounded like Moreau genuinely believed in what she was saying, and if Salim didn’t know any better, he would’ve guessed that she planned on betraying CENTCOM sooner or later.

But… there was still one thing that struck him as odd.

Why was she being so cryptic? Initially, Salim assumed that Moreau had come down here to ask him about his talk with Jason during their reunion, but the fact that she wasn’t spilling everything made him wonder if she was even aware of it.

After all, why would she bother hiding the details of Red Moon if she thought he already knew about them? Did she have any idea that Jason paid him a visit? Or told him about the experiments? If not, then what brought her to the prison?

“How exactly do you plan to help Jason?” Salim questioned.

Moreau displayed a friendly grin. “Suspicious type, aren’t you?”

“You have to be when you’re the one behind bars.”

She switched to a more serious tone. “It’s okay, I understand. Jason asked me to retrieve your file for him. However, he hasn’t told me what he intends to do with it yet, and frankly, I don’t want to give something that important to someone I may not be able to trust. That’s why I need you to clarify who he is.”

Salim’s eyes popped open at the discovery. 

Jason asked one of CENTCOM’s scientists to find his passcode? The balls on that man.

Still, if the lieutenant trusted Moreau enough to ask her for a favor as critical as this, then perhaps Salim was safe giving her his information.

“I see…” he replied, finally starting to understand. “…Fine. I’ll tell you what I know. But be quick. You’ll draw the guards’ attention if you linger for too long.”

“Thank you.” Moreau flicked her head side-to-side, checking to see if anyone had tuned in to their conversation. “So, tell me. What was Jason like when you first met him?”

“When I firstmet him?” Salim chuckled at the memory. “Well, like every other American soldier, I suppose. Cautious. Apprehensive. Hostile. I’d even say he was the mostantagonistic out of everyone in his team.”

“And yet, you helped him?”

“It wasn’t so much about helping himas it was about survival. Jason and I may not have gotten along in the beginning, but I knew I needed him if I wanted to escape.”

Moreau took note of what he said. “What do you mean ‘in the beginning?’ Did something change between you two?”

Salim smiled faintly. “Yes, actually. I never expected this to be the case, but Jason and I learned a lot about each other during our time together. I saw the humanity inside him; the remorse. I saw a man looking for answers in a place where he knew he would find none. He reminded me of myself, in many ways.”

The woman listened intently. “Sounds like things changed for the better.”

“They did. By the end of the night, Jason was the only one in his team willing to defend me. Everyone else would’ve left me behind if not for him. I owe him my life.”

“…And after you escaped?”

Salim’s gaze sank to the floor. “Well, we thoughtwe were safe. At least, for a little bit. Most of Jason’s team managed to escape the temple, but then… the eclipse came. Darkness shrouded the land within a matter of seconds, and from the shadows, those ‘vampires’ emerged.”

Moreau thought back to the specimens she had seen. “You mean the winged creatures.”

“Yes. Them. They pursued us without end. We were forced to take shelter in a nearby house. The walls barely held them back. By the time the eclipse was over, everyone in Jason’s team had been killed. Everyone except him.”

The woman’s steadfast tone quivered with sympathy. “…I see. And how did you end up in CENTCOM’s hands?”

“A helicopter picked us up. I assume the Americans called for air support at some point. They arrived just after the eclipse. We were immediately taken in for a debriefing, and once they finished, CENTCOM threw me in here. I can’t really complain, though. If Jason hadn’t been there, those soldiers probably would’ve shot me on sight. I’m lucky to be alive.”

A sprout of relief blossomed in Moreau’s chest at the statement. Originally, she feared that Salim would only prove Carlyle’s accusations right, and expose Jason as a heartless killer who viewed Iraqi people as nothing more than targets to shoot. But instead, all she found was a surprising amount of affection softening the man’s words, and an undeniable tenderness twinkling in his eyes.

They weren’t enemies like she suspected. Not even close. They were the complete opposite.

“Seems like you really care about Jason.” Moreau remarked.

Salim straightened his posture, speaking with conviction. “I do. He’s a better man than most people realize. I don’t think he even realizes it himself.”

“What about how he feels?” She wondered. “Do you know if Jason has the same sentiment for you?”

“Well, he risked his life to get me out of that hell. I think it’s safe to say he does.”

Moreau nodded in satisfaction, pleased to see that Carlyle was wrong about Jason after all. Admittedly, she never expected someone like the lieutenant to befriend a person like Salim – especially since they were from opposing sides – but she had gotten used to being surprised during her time at Camp Slayer.

In spite of the alleviation however, there was one more subject that Moreau still wanted to inquire about. It was topic that she had been dreading to broach ever since she brought it up with Jason, but she deemed it necessary nonetheless.

“Thank you for answering me so candidly, Salim.” Moreau said. “Before I let you go though, there’s something else I need to ask you.”

He shrugged. “What is it?”

She hesitated for a few moments, contemplating whether or not this was a good idea. “…Do you know what Green Zone is?”

Salim’s gentle visage hardened into a forlorn glare. “…Yes. But I can’t tell you about it.”

“Why not? It could be important.”

“Because it isn’t my place. Jason shared that information with me in confidence. I can’t betray his trust. If you want to learn more, you’ll have to ask him yourself.”

Although somewhat disappointed by the lack of a clear response, Moreau decided to back down from her line of questioning for the time being. She knew when to take a hint, and it was rather obvious by now that she was digging for an ugly truth.

“Very well.” She accepted. “I respect your decision.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, I think I should get going. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me, Mr. Othman. You’ve been a great help.”

The prisoner rested a hand against the bars, not ready to bid farewell just yet.

“Wait, doctor. Before you go…”

Moreau tilted her head. “Yes?”

Salim observed the woman with a newfound sense of intrigue, unable to suppress the feeling that there was something different about her. Normally, he had nothing but skepticism to spare for the scientists at CENTCOM, but with Moreau, he wondered if she could’ve actually been the key to getting out of here.

Before he was ready to place any more trust in Moreau however, there was one thing on his mind that he had to make clear.

“Allow me to be direct.” Salim began. “Even though you and I have only known each other for a few minutes, I can see that there’s conflict within you. You may be affiliated with CENTCOM, but you seem to be a decent woman at your core. Unfortunately, I’m afraid a good heart means nothing if you can’t live up to it.”

A pang of anxiety struck Moreau. “…What? What are you talking about?”

“You claim you want to help Jason, but do you understand how far you’ll have to go in order to do that? He is an enemy of CENTCOM; a man who is willing to fight his own people. If you hand something as crucial as my file over to him, you’ll officially be a traitor to your cause. Neutrality will no longer be an option. You’ll be forced to pick a side.”

She could already see where this was going. “You’re worried I won’t pick yours.”

Salim looked her in the eye. “…I’m just trying to make sure that you won’t abandon us when it really counts. Back in the Sumerian temple, when I first encountered Jason’s team, one of his friends – Nick Kay – offered me help at the start. He defended me all throughout the night… until our lives were truly in danger. Then, he chose to leave me behind. Suddenly, the man who I thoughtI could trust was trying to convince his superiors to forget about me. In the same moment, my worst enemy became my greatest ally.”

“…That’s when Jason saved you.”

“Yes. And that’s why I have to ensure that the same thing won’t happen with you. I need to know I can count on you, and that you’ll do whatever it takes.” There was a brief silence. “…Will you?”

Moreau gave him an assuring stare. “Yes. You have my word.”

Salim took a step back from the bars. “I have no need of your word. Only your help.”

Putting their meeting to rest, the prisoner slunk back into the shadows of his cell as one of the guards came roaming in his direction, prompting Moreau to take her leave. No one seemed to suspect anything about her short visit, but she couldn’t deny that there was a pit of unease sitting in her stomach. 

Up until her talk with Salim, she had never fully considered the risks of assisting Jason. Obviously, she knew that neither Carlyle nor CENTCOM would be happy with it, but in the past, her help consisted of nothing more than a few kind words and an extra bundle of clothes. It was harmless, really.

Now though, Moreau was on her way to steal a top-secret file from under Carlyle’s nose, and hand it over to the deadliest man in the entire camp. She was turning her back on an operation that challenged the logic of life itself, and siding with a man who had already defied death once.

As for Salim, the man was patiently waiting in one of the corners as he watched the doctor disappear from sight, already planning his next move. He double-checked to ensure that there no prying ears lingering in the vicinity before crouching down on the floor, and signaling some words to Jason in Morse code.

“M-O-R-E-A-U. 

F-I-L-E. 

S-O-O-N.”

Fanfic summary: In an AU where Jason contracts the vampiric plague, the lieutenant is forced through a series of experiments at the hands of CENTCOM, and held prisoner at Camp Slayer’s research facility. When he discovers that they plan to use Salim as their next subject however, he decides to go rogue, and turns against the US military before they can use his disease as a key to immortality.

Point of view:third-person

Pairing:Jason Kolchek/Salim Othman

Author’s note: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out guys! As some of you already know, I was sick for a little bit, but I’m feeling much better now. Thanks for being so patient with me, and also for the get well messages. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

This story is also on AO3|Previous chapter |Next chapter

OPERATING ROOM 2

2004 HOURS

Carlyle stood quietly in front of his patient, watching idly as they plummeted into a pit of madness.

By now, Briggs had lost any semblance of the humanity he once contained, and transformed into something more akin to a demon than a man. His figure still remained humanoid in spite of HERA’s influence, but everything else had been ruined.

The soldier hadn’t calmed down ever since his comrades delivered him to this room. Even now, he continuously lurched upward from the operating table, hoping to break free from the restraints around his body. His words had been replaced by a handful of inhuman growls, and his eyes bulged from their sockets with raging red veins.

It was a disturbing sight to behold, even for a man as experienced as Carlyle. The aggressiveness in Briggs’ behavior reached a level that he had never witnessed before, and there was also the fact that his transformation took place in just one hour. 

Though, regardless of any symptoms the soldier exhibited, there was one thing in particular that stood out to the scientist. 

…Briggs was still alive. 

Unlike other subjects in the past, the soldier lived through his infection, and maintained his human form. His brain chemistry was in shambles thanks to the virus’ intrusion, but even then, Carlyle couldn’t help but feel a spark of excitement due to the man’s survival.

Could this be a milestone in their operation? Could Briggs’ blood bring CENTCOM closer to their goal? What if his survival was a sign?

Although the condition of his mental health wasn’t exactly ideal, Carlyle remained optimistic that he could study the soldier’s blood alongside that of Subject One’s. It wasn’t exactly the solution he expected, but he believed it would help him find a balance between the two specimens.

“Doctor?”A woman’s voice emitted from the door, preceding a series of knocks. “Are you in there?”

Carlyle diverted his attention away from Briggs for a moment, striding over to the entrance.

“Ah, Dr. Moreau,” he greeted, inviting her inside. “There you are. You’re just in time. Did you… speak with Subject One?”

Moreau stepped into the operating room, answering with brevity. “I did.”

“And? Did you manage to get anything out of him?”

“Anything pertaining to his escape, you mean? No. His lips are shut tight, I’m afraid.”

Carlyle sighed, closing the door behind Moreau. “Guess I should’ve seen that coming. Subject One isn’t known for being cooperative. I don’t know why I expected him to change now.”

“It’s not that he doesn’t like to cooperate,” she corrected, jumping to Jason’s defense. “He just… doesn’t trust us. He sees us as the enemy.”

The man’s tone was stiff with obstinacy. “Well, he shouldn’t. Everything we do here is for the good of the United States – the very country he happens to be fighting for. If Operation Red Moon proves to be a success, it’ll mean a better future for everyone involved.”

Moreau’s eyes narrowed. “…Does that include our subjects?”

Carlyle paused, unable to ignore the sudden shift in his colleague’s mood.

“A-Apologies, doctor,” the woman blurted out, immediately switching back to her usual self. “I didn’t mean to be so blunt. Erm, what about Briggs? Have you learned anything about him?”

The man carried on with their discussion, albeit with a tinge of skepticism. “Yes, actually. Though, I willadmit, it’s… messy.”

Moreau walked towards the operating table, examining Briggs while Carlyle spoke. “How do you mean?”

“Well, as you can see, he survived the infection. Physically speaking, Briggs is strong enough to withstand the symptoms of HERA. However, the same cannot be said for his mentalfortitude.” 

Carlyle picked up a clipboard, looking over its contents. “He’s been like this ever since he contracted the virus, according to Alvarez’s report. I assumed Briggs’ aggression would’ve worn out by now, but it only seems to be deteriorating.”

Moreau crossed her arms in thought. “Is there any way we can help him?”

“As of right now, no. Unless we’re able to find a cure for HERA, my assumption is that Briggs will stay like this indefinitely. But… that’s not the part that puzzles me.”

Carlyle pointed to the soldier’s eyes. “Earlier, I noticed that his eyes had been irritated by something, so I decided to analyze his tears. I thought I would find traces of blood or dirt, but in the end, all I discovered was… saliva. More importantly, saliva matching the samples that you took from Subject One.”

The news baffled Moreau. “…What? Why on Earth would that be in his eyes?”

“I have no idea. But it wouldexplain how Briggs was infected, andwhy his behavior took such a violent turn. After all, we learned that Subject One’s saliva can cause hallucinations. Perhaps that’s the reason Briggs suddenly lost control.”

The woman brought a hand up to her chin. “Hm. Do you think Jason would tell us the truth if we brought this evidence to him? Maybe we could–”

“–Wait,” Carlyle interrupted, throwing her a side-eye, “you know his name?”

Moreau drifted into an abrupt silence, unsure of how to recover from her blatant slip-up. She hadn’t planned on telling Carlyle about her talk with Jason for obvious reasons, but it seemed that the marine’s influence had already left a mark on her mind; one that she couldn’t erase.

“…Dr. Moreau,” the man said, slowly setting down his clipboard, “forgive me for prying, but I must know – what exactlydid you and Subject One discuss while I was away?”

The woman stammered, frantically trying to find a way out of this mess. “N-Nothing significant, doctor. Our exchange went rather similarly to yours. I asked him the same questions as you, and just like before, he stonewalled me.”

“Yet, he trusted you with his identity?”

“Well… yes. I asked him his name, and he gave it to me. Is that truly so bizarre?”

Carlyle’s brow crinkled with unease. “…Considering the circumstances, yes. As you well know, Subject One isn’t exactly on… friendlyterms with CENTCOM. In fact, I believe he would happily see us all dead, so I must admit I find it odd that he would tell you something as substantial as that. I mean, it wasn’t too long ago that he barely trusted you enough to mention he was a marine.”

Moreau’s head snapped in the other doctor’s direction. “You… know about that?”

“Yes. I reviewed the footage from your first operation with me. I’m aware you asked Subject One about his experience in the military. If I recall correctly, he wasn’t entirely willing to share that information.”

“Well, we werestrangers at the time. Perhaps he was just uncomfortable.”

The suspicion in Carlyle’s face only enhanced at the woman’s evasive nature.

“…Dawn. Please. Speak plainly with me. What did Subject One tell you while I was gone? Clearly, it’s disturbed you. You’ve seemed preoccupied ever since you walked in this room.”

Moreau let out a heavy sigh, unable to see an escape from this predicament. She was a far better scientist than a liar, and it didn’t take much to see that Carlyle wouldn’t let this go until he got the answers he wanted.

“I… will confess that Subject One told me something rather unsettling.”

The man found himself intrigued. “Go on.”

“…He told me that you intentionally conceal his name from people. That you do it because… you don’t want others to view him as a human being. He says you want them to treat him as an animal, or some kind of feral beast locked away in a cage.”

Carlyle said nothing in response.

“Is it true, doctor?” Moreau asked, her voice faltering with fear. “I realize that this operation won’t come without its sacrifices, but surely, such dehumanization isn’t necessary. Our subjects are still people. Do we really have to discard all empathy for them?”

Carlyle’s gaze fell to the floor at the sound of the woman’s pleas, resembling that of a withering rose. He displayed no anger in regards to Moreau’s stance, but there was a clear layer of penitence shrouding the life in his eyes; almost as if a storm had gathered above him.

“Your perspective is an admirable one, doctor,” he replied, bringing his line of sight back to Moreau, “but I’m afraid it is one hindered by naivety.”

Her expression dwindled into a look of disconcertment. “…Naivety?”

“Look around you. We are at war. Whether we do so with a gun or a scalpel, the fact of the matter is we are taking lives every single day. I find no pleasure in the experiments we conduct, but I realize they must be done. And that’s why I hide Subject One’s name from our people – for the same reason our troops are trained to see the enemy as nothing more than silhouettes on the horizon. Because empathy is simply a burden we cannot afford to bear.”

Moreau wasn’t convinced. “And what about our subjects? Have they no say in this? I don’t recall Jason consenting to being a part of this operation. HERA may have changed him, but that doesn’t mean he’s no longer a person. He doesn’t deserve this.”

“Doesn’t deserve this? You are blind if you think Jason is any less of a killer than we are. You spoke to him. You know of his past. He was a first lieutenant, and quite a successful one, at that. How do you think he got there? Jason was knownfor his hatred towards Iraqis. He despised this country and anyone in it. He hunted them down with a vengeance. Don’t believe me? Just ask him about Green Zone.”

The woman stared at him in alarm. “Why do you keep talking about him as if he doesn’t exist anymore?”

“Because he doesn’t.”He fired back. “For all intents and purposes, Jason Kolchek is a dead man. Now, he’s Subject One, and I must insistthat you continue to refer to him as such.”

Moreau simply gawked at Carlyle in shock, reluctant to believe what she was hearing.

This was the first time she’d ever witnessed this side of the doctor. It lightly scratched the surface during their initial encounter, but she had never seen it on full display before. 

Had Carlyle always been like this, she wondered? What reason would he have to defend Red Moon so fervently? Surely, he could see the cruelty behind their actions.

It admittedly frightened Moreau how the man didn’t even bother denying her accusations. She expected he would refute Jason’s claims, or try to brush them off at the very least, but in the end, all she received was a chilling confession that only added more fuel to her doubt.

But on top of that, she was now questioning Jason’s morality as well. Was there really truth to what Carlyle said? What did he mean when he said “Green Zone?” At this point, Moreau was almost too afraid to ask.

“Please, Dawn…” Carlyle murmured, “let’s just continue with the operation. We can discuss this later if you’d like, but for now, we need to focus on Briggs. There’s a lot of work to do before the day is done.”

Moreau glanced back and forth between the two men, deciding to drop the subject for the time being. Her thoughts were still tangled in an incoherent mess at the moment, but she didn’t wish to escalate the situation any further.

“…Y-Yes, doctor. Of course.”

“Thank you. I understand your reservations – believe me, I do – but I promise this willbe worth it in the end. All I ask is that you have faith in CENTCOM. We are only doing what’s necessary.”

“I hope so, doctor. I hope so.”

~~~~~~~~~~

THE NEXT MORNING

SUBJECT ONE’S CELL

0549 HOURS

Jason lay sprawled across his bed, gazing longingly at the ceiling.

He wanted desperately to send a signal to Salim and have a chat with the man, even if it meant exchanging only a few words in Morse code. It had been about eleven hours since their reunion in the prison block, and yet, to the marine, it felt like an entire lifetime had passed by.

Everything just happened so fast. From Jason’s breakout, to Briggs’ rampage, to the meeting with Salim – it all merged into one, giant blur. He could hardly remember how he managed to pull off such a brazen escape, or how it ended up falling apart so quickly.

He didn’t even know what became of the man who was piloting the food cart. The last time Jason saw him, he was writhing on the ground with an entire clip of ammunition in his stomach. The lieutenant found it highly unlikely that he survived his injuries, but still, a part of him remained hopeful.

It was never his intention to get anyone killed. The only thing he wanted was to cause a brief distraction, and get the hell out of this place with Salim. But instead, all he did was paint a bigger target on himself, and get three men shot in the process. Meanwhile, Carlyle’s suspicion towards him had been piqued, and Briggs’ infection was guiding CENTCOM one step closer to their objective.

Overall, Jason’s hands were tied, and he had no idea where to go from here.

“Dr. Moreau.” Tressler said from the other end of the hall, grabbing the marine’s attention. “What brings you here this morning?”

“Hello, sergeant. I’m here to see Subject One. I have something for him.”

Tressler paused for a moment, leading Jason to assume that he was searching through whatever Moreau had brought with her.

“Okay,”the man replied. “Everything looks good. You can go on in, ma’am.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Standing up from the bed, Jason strolled over to the door and peered through the glass, waiting in curiosity as the scientist’s footsteps echoed throughout the hall. He didn’t expect to see Moreau again so soon after their heated conversation, and he definitely didn’t expect her to bring him a gift. He wondered if the mysterious item could’ve been related to Red Moon in any way, but it didn’t sound like Carlyle was with her. At least, not for now.

Finally coming into view, Moreau strode towards the cell at a brisk pace, causing Jason’s head to ring with the sharp clacksof her heels. She was carrying what looked like a pile of folded cloth in her arms, and sitting on top, the marine could’ve sworn he saw a pair of boots.

“Good morning, Jason.” The woman greeted with a smile, stopping in front of the door. 

The man watched her dubiously, uncertain of what to think so far. “…Morning, doc. Ain’t it a bit early for a visit?”

Moreau chuckled. “Maybe, but I wanted to see you before Carlyle launched our next experiment. You know how early he likes to get things started.”

“Yes, I do. Speakin’ of which, where ishe? I thought he’d be with you. The two of you are usually always together.”

“Not today. Dr. Carlyle is occupied with something else right now.”

“Yeah, sleeping, probably. Anyway…” Jason gestured to the shoes, “what’ve you got there?”

“Oh, I brought you some clothes.”

“Clothes?”

A sense of timidity snuck into the woman’s tone. “I know it seems random, but… I felt bad that you constantly have you walk around in nothing but shorts. I figured you should have something proper to wear. So, I brought you these. May I… come in?”

Jason shrugged, still somewhat cautious despite her compassion. “Sure. I guess.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be quick.”

Entering the cell’s passcode, Moreau slid the door open and stepped inside, nervously eyeballing the security camera in the corner. She had no doubts that Carlyle would disapprove of what she was doing and give her earful about it later, but at the moment, she found it difficult to care.

“Here,” the woman said, presenting the clothes to Jason. “Try them on.”

Taking the shirt into his hands, the man held it up by the shoulders so that he could see it clearly, only to realize that it was actually a full jumpsuit. The fabric was a bright shade of orange that resembled the uniforms worn by other prisoners, and bore no design except for some black text on the back that read, “CENTCOM.”

“I wish I could give you something that didn’t resemble the attire of an inmate,” Moreau said apologetically. “You probably feel like a prisoner here already. But… this was all I could find. I hope it fits.”

Jason lowered the jumpsuit for a second, giving her a distrustful glance. He felt guilty for returning her kindness with such a cold shoulder, but at the same time, he couldn’t stop himself from wondering whether or not there were any ulterior motives hiding behind her actions.

“…Why are you doin’ this?” He asked bluntly.

Moreau quirked a brow. “Doing what?”

“Being friendly with me, using my name, giving me clothes… it almost seems toogood to be true. I hope you ain’t tryin’ to bribe me for information.”

The woman shook her head. “Oh, no. I’m just trying to help.”

“Butwhy?Why not just ignore me like all the other scientists here? What reason do you have to help me?”

Her smile disappeared, leaving room for a more serious temperament. She honestly had no solid answer for the lieutenant’s question, nor did she fully understand why she was here either. 

Technically, Jason was right. Moreau could’ve simply turned a blind eye to his struggles, and followed CENTCOM’s instructions to a tee. She had no need to go against Carlyle’s wishes, or risk angering those at the top.

So why wasshe doing this? What was it that kept her from fitting into the mold? Was it naivety like Carlyle suggested? Or was it something else?

“The truth is, Jason,” Moreau said, “I haveno reason. There’s nothing I can gain from helping you. In fact, it could land me in some serious trouble if I’m not careful. I’m doing this purely because I want to. Because I think it’s right.”

“…But I don’t understand – if you have such an issue with CENTCOM, then why sign up with them in the first place?”

“Because I had no idea that CENTCOM was using human subjects. When I first received word about Red Moon, all I knew was that it revolved around a virus called HERA. No one ever mentioned anything about immortality or invincibility. And they certainly didn’t mention you.”

That eased some of Jason’s worries. “And I’m assumin’ you can’t just leave?”

“…No. Red Moon is a top-secret operation. Even some of the people at Camp Slayer don’t know about it. The government would never let me resign; not after everything I’ve seen. They would hunt me down to the ends of the Earth if I ever escaped.”

Jason folded the jumpsuit in his arms and leaned against the wall. “Hm. Well, I gotta admit, I’m surprised to hear you sayin’ all this. You seemed pretty convinced that CENTCOM was doing the right thing not too long ago.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just yesterday, you was tellin’ me that everything y’all do is for the good of the military. Do you not believe that anymore?”

Moreau scoffed in an amused manner. “Anymore? I’m not sure if I ever did. I think I just wantedto believe in it. I didn’t want to admit that we were in the wrong. How could I? After everything we did?”

The marine nodded empathetically. “…I understand.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. More than you may think.” 

Jason pushed himself off the wall, looking down at the clothes in his grip. “But, if what you say is true, then… you have my thanks. I’m… sorry for bein’ so harsh on you before. I can see I misjudged you now.”

Moreau deemed the apology unnecessary. “You had your reasons. Though, I will say, there issomething else I need to ask you, Jason.”

“Yeah?” He began slipping on the jumpsuit. “What is it?”

The scientist hesitated for a bit, unsure of whether or not to broach the subject hampering her thoughts.

“…Can you tell me what Green Zone is?”

Jason came to an immediate halt at the sound of those words, suddenly dreading where this conversation was going.

“How the hell do you know about that?”

“Dr. Carlyle mentioned it to me,” Moreau explained, not failing to notice the distress in his voice. “He said I should ask you about it.”

“Did he. And why on Earth would Carlyle be mentioning something like Green Zone?”

“I don’t know,” she answered sincerely. “That’s why I’m asking you. I was hoping you could tell me what it is.”

Even though the man had yet to elaborate, Moreau already carried a gut feeling that she was roaming into dangerous territory based on Jason’s reaction alone. She imagined it held some kind of connection to the marine’s bloody past – if Carlyle was to be believed – but she didn’t have the faintest clue just how serious it was. 

Despite her wariness however, the doctor couldn’t force herself to ignore it. There were still so many gaps in Jason’s story pertaining to his previous life, and quite frankly, Moreau wanted to know if this man was someone she could trust before lending him any aid.

“…Jason, please.” She urged. “I understand it may not be a pleasant topic to discuss, but I believe it’s necessary.”

The man zipped up his jumpsuit, leaving a little space at the collar. “Why? It has nothin’ to do with Red Moon or CENTCOM.”

“Maybe not, but it doeshave something to do with you. And the better I know you, the more I can help.”

“It doesn’t matter. Trust me. Even if you didknow about it, it wouldn’t mean shit. So just forget it.”

“Well clearly, it’s not as trivial as you say. Otherwise, I don’t think Dr. Carlyle would’ve brought it up. So please, just tell me what Green Zone is.”

Jason sighed, rapidly growing irritated. “Why the hell d’you care so much about it? I told you. It’s nothin’ important.”

Moreau stood her ground. “Then why are you trying to hide it?”

A disruptive silence filled the cell following the doctor’s retort, leaving both of them at a dead-end. The lieutenant’s face was plastered with a mask of annoyance by now, and soon, Moreau found herself in a state of immense regret. 

Goddamnit, Dawn, she mentally cursed. You were just starting to smooth things over with Jason. Why did you have to ruin it?

“Moreau.” Jason called out, tearing the woman away from her thoughts. “Be upfront with me.” 

He took a few steps towards her, looking her in the eye. “What did that bastard Carlyle tell you? Why did he bring up Green Zone?”

Moreau tucked a lock a hair behind her ear, letting out a deep breath. She didn’t know whether it was wise to reveal Carlyle’s claims just yet, but she saw no other option.

“…Dr. Carlyle and I got into an argument about this operation last night. I told him that you didn’t deserve to be put through these experiments since you never gave consent, and he disagreed, claiming that you were as much of a killer as we were. His words, not mine.”

“A killer? What’d he mean by that?”

“Well, he said that you were known for your hatred towards Iraqis; that you killed them every chance you got. That’s when he brought up Green Zone.”

The subject crossed his arms, gazing off to the side. “…I see. So you’re tryin’ to make sure I ain’t some bloodthirsty, trigger-happy maniac like Carlyle says. Fair enough. I’ll tell you what happened at Green Zone – under one condition.”

Moreau decided to hear him out. “…Alright. What is it?”

Jason closed the distance between them, ensuring that nobody else could listen in.

“Bring me the file for Prisoner Seven. Then we’ll talk.”

An alarm set off in Moreau’s head. Why on Earth would he want that?

Prisoner Seven was an Iraqi soldier if she recalled correctly, and a potential candidate for becoming Carlyle’s next subject. She knew nothing about the prisoner’s actual identity, but she knew that he was once a member of the Republican Guard.

Why would Jason be looking for him? Did he have something against him because of the war? Was he trying to hurt him?

“What’s your relationship with Prisoner Seven?” Moreau questioned. “Why do you want his file? Is this related to Green Zone?”

“Get me the file, and I’ll tell you everything. Until then, this conversation is over.”

“But–”

“–This is the only chance I’m givin’ you, doc. Take it or leave it.”

Moreau found herself at a loss for words, completely taken aback by the unexpected request. She wanted to know what was so significant about Green Zone, or why Jason had an interest in Prisoner Seven, but… to stealsomething from Carlyle – that was on an entirely different level.

Besides, Moreau had no guarantee that Jason would fulfill his end of the bargain. For all she knew, the man would simply take her information once she delivered the file, and then throw their deal out the window.

She would have to find some form of insurance; a way to test whether or not Jason intended on keeping his word.

Wait, what if she spoke to Prisoner Seven herself?

Moreau had clearance to the prison block just like Carlyle. She could go down there and talk to the Iraqi soldier face-to-face. If his story matched the one Jason told her, then that would be enough to seal her trust in him.

She just hoped that Prisoner Seven was more cooperative than the lieutenant. If he didn’t offer her any answers, she would have nowhere else to go.

“Very well.” Moreau finally agreed. “I accept your offer.”

Jason seemed pleased. “Good to hear. Bring me that file, and I’ll answer all your questions. No more secrets. No more stonewalling. Thatis a promise.”

She took her leave from the cell and began heading straight for the prison block, whispering to herself under her breath.

“We’ll see about that.”

Fanfic summary: In an AU where Jason contracts the vampiric plague, the lieutenant is forced through a series of experiments at the hands of CENTCOM, and held prisoner at Camp Slayer’s research facility. When he discovers that they plan to use Salim as their next subject however, he decides to go rogue, and turns against the US military before they can use his disease as a key to immortality.

Point of view: third-person

Pairing: Jason Kolchek/Salim Othman

This story is also on AO3|Previous chapter |Next chapter

PRISON BLOCK

1913 HOURS

The initial joy on Jason’s face vanished, disappearing almost immediately after it had been ignited.

It wasn’t lost on the marine that Salim was deeply disturbed by his mutated appearance. Just one glance was enough to tell him that a surge of fear had taken hold of the older man’s mind. 

The thumping of his heart, the quickness of his breath, the grinding of his teeth – Jason could hear it all. They clattered in his head like a tumultuous symphony, and overlapped the ear-splitting sounds of the brazen alarm.

Even the expression Salim wore made it blatantly obvious that he was in a state of shock. Every time he came close to recognizing the man he befriended in the caves, his eyes would only return to the horns towering from Jason’s head, erasing any trace of the familiarity that threatened to grow.

It broke the lieutenant’s heart to see his friend so shaken, but he knew it couldn’t be helped.

“Don’t be scared, Salim.” Jason said gently. “I… I won’t hurt you.”

Salim looked over the other man’s body, unable to stomach what he was seeing. 

“What happened to you…? And what are you doing here? How did you even get here? Are you the reason the alarm’s going off?”

Jason glanced at the prison’s entrance, checking to see if anyone was coming. “Salim, I promise I’ll answer all your questions later, but right now I need you to just listen to me. Okay?”

“…Okay.”

The marine held up the key card he stole earlier. “I managed to take this from one of CENTCOM’s people. This thing has clearance to both the elevator and the prison block. I can get you outta here, but I need the passcode to your cell. Do you know it?”

Salim wrapped his hands around the bars, gesturing to the keypad as he spoke.

“Yes, actually. It’s 0-8-1-4.”

Jason swiped the card through the machine, punching in the code. To his dismay however, he was greeted with nothing more than a sharp beep,and a red screen that said: Access Denied.

He paused out of confusion, exchanging looks with Salim.

“It… says it’s incorrect.”

The older man’s grip tightened out of panic. “What? But I’m surethat’s it. Did you enter the right numbers? It’s 0-8-1-4.”

“I think so. Lemme try again.”

Jason entered the code a second time. Access denied.

He let out a nervous breath, rubbing the back of his head. “It ain’t workin’, Salim.”

Salim furrowed his brow, completely at a loss. “I don’t understand. It worked the last time I did it. Why wouldn’t it–” his eyes sprung open with realization. “…Shit! They must have changed it.”

Jason didn’t follow. “What? What d’you mean?”

“I’ve already tried to escape on my own twice by now,” the prisoner explained, “but as you can see, I failed. CENTCOM must’ve changed the passcode after my second attempt.”

The lieutenant slapped his hand against the wall in frustration. “…Damn it. Do you have any idea where I could find the new one?”

Salim shook his head. “I’m sorry, Jason. The only reason I figured it out the first time was because I overheard one of the guards talking about it. I don’t know where they keep the passcodes.”

Jason thought for a moment. “Well, they must have files for every prisoner. D’you know where they keep those?Maybe it’s in there.”

The other man sifted through his memories, only to feel his blood freeze in his veins.

“Yes,” Salim confirmed, his voice sinking with defeat, “but I’m afraid you won’t find my file here.”

“What? Why not?”

“A strange man stopped by the prison yesterday. I heard him speaking with one of the soldiers. He was asking for information about me, and took my file with him once he was done.”

Jason stepped closer to the cell. “A strange man? D’you know his name?”

“Um… Carlyle, I think.”

The marine did a double take, hoping he misheard him. “…Carlyle? Wait, as in EmmettCarlyle?”

Salim shrugged in uncertainty. “I’m not sure. I only caught his last name. All I know is that he wanted information on me. He also mentioned another doctor – Moreau, I believe – and someone else called… Subject One?” He gestured to Jason with a tilt of the head. “…Is that you?Are you Subject One?”

“Yeah,” the lieutenant confirmed, “and I know Dr. Carlyle. Maybe a lil’ toowell for my liking, but I know him nonetheless. He’s the one spearheading the experiments for Operation Red Moon.”

The older man displayed nothing but puzzlement. “Operation Red Moon–? Jason, whatis going on? What has Carlyle done to you? Is he the reason you look like this now?”

“No. HERA did this to me.”

“Hera? Who’s that?”

“No, look– maybe I should just start from the beginning.”

Jason pressed his hands against the bars, struggling to get his thoughts together.

“HERA ain’t a person,” he clarified. “It’s the name of the virus I have. I dunno too much about the details, but I know it makes you immortal andinvincible. The only things that can harm you are fire and sunlight. CENTCOM knows this too, and they want it for themselves.”

Salim suspected he already knew where this was going. “…They want it for themselves?”

“They’re tryin’ to refine the virus; to weed out all the undesirables and keep the benefits. I think they’re planning to distribute it to the rest of our troops. But before they do that, they need to know exactlywhat they’re dealin’ with. And that’s where I come in.”

Jason threw another glance at the entrance, slowly growing more and more restless due to the rumble of approaching footsteps. It didn’t sound like the soldiers were too close to the prison yet, but they would be here any minute now.

“CENTCOM has launched an operation called Red Moon,” he continued, “and Carlyle is at the head of it. His objective is to turn HERA into a bioweapon; something that our military can utilize. He’s been using me as the main subject for most of his experiments, but not all.”

Salim began to question if he even wanted to hear the rest. “Not… all?”

Jason let out a quivering sigh. “…There’s more people, Salim. I don’t know where the hell Carlyle is keepin’ them, but that lunatic’s got other subjects. I think he’s trying to find someone who can withstand the refined variant of HERA. He’s messing with samples of my blood, and injectingthem into other human beings.”

The marine lowered his voice, speaking in an urgent whisper as his reptilian gaze broke through the shadows.

“People are dyingdown here. My blood is killin’ them. They’re experimenting on our own men, and no one gives a damn. And worst of all?” Jason pointed at Salim. “They’re plannin’ to use you next.”

Salim’s heart skipped a beat. “Me?Why me?”

“Think about it. You’re an Iraqi soldier; a man from the enemy lines. As far as CENTCOM is concerned, your life has no value. They’ll happily dispose of you before layin’ a finger on any Americans. Any more,that is.”

Jason slipped the card through the bars. “Listen, I can’t break you out right now, but keep this. Hide it somewhere safe. Do notlet anyone find it. I’ll look for the new passcode in the meantime, and send it to you once I learn what it is. If I know anything about Carlyle, he should be keeping it in his office.”

Salim took the card with a hesitant hand, his head still whirling with questions.

“But… how will you send it to me? We have no way of communicating.”

The lieutenant chewed his lip in thought. “I… I don’t know.” He stared aimlessly at the floor beneath his feet, desperately trying to think of a solution. 

It wasn’t like they could just call each other if they needed to make contact. Their lives were under the constant surveillance of Camp Slayer’s forces, and on top of that, CENTCOM was most likely going to tighten security around here after the whole incident with Briggs.

Would it be possible to use radios? No, surely not. The guards were likely going to inspect all the prisoners once this situation got wrapped up, and besides, there wasn’t exactly a lot of room in Jason’s clothes for him to hide something of that size.

“…Wait,” he said, bringing his eyes back up to Salim, “I might have an idea. Do you know Morse code?”

The older man nodded, albeit with skepticism. “Yes, but how is that going to help us here?”

“Well, if I’ve got the layout of this facility correct, then my cell should be right underneath yours.”

“What? Are you sure?”

“I think so. I ran up here all the way from the lower level. If you knock on the floor, I should be able to hear it. And if I tap the ceiling, you should hear me.”

Salim still seemed doubtful. “Do you really think that can work?”

Jason shrugged. “Hell if I know. But it’s our only option. We’ll have to make the best of it. If all else fails, I’ll just escape again and break you out myself. I won’tlet them get anywhere near you.”

Interrupting their brief conversation, a sudden clamor rose from the floor below, indicating that the soldiers had finally neutralized Briggs. Based on the few words Jason could pick up, he assumed the soldiers were starting to notice his disappearance as well, and planned on sending word to Carlyle soon.

He’d have to get out of here, lest Salim be indicted for today’s chaos as well.

“Hey. Buddy,” Jason mindlessly reached for his friend’s hand, holding it securely. “I… I gotta go. Okay?”

Salim looked down at the younger man’s grip, admittedly surprised by his affection. Despite the malformed state of Jason’s body, there still seemed to be a sense of humanity lingering in his soul. His touch radiated with a tender warmth, and for the first time since their reunion, Salim no longer felt afraid.

Though, he couldn’t help but wonder – would this last forever? Would Jason’s mind remain intact throughout the entire transformation? Or would he eventually turn into a monster, and lose sense of who he was? 

This wasn’t the first time Salim had witnessed the mutation, after all. He had already watched HERA consume the minds of both Rachel and Clarice. They started out as normal, everyday human beings, but were quickly reduced to a pair of mindless beasts in less than twenty-four hours.

It just made Salim even more curious as to how Jason had preserved his sanity for so long, and if he would end up sharing the same fate.

“Wait.” Salim urged, clinging onto the marine’s arm as if this was their final goodbye. “Before you go, I must ask something else.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

His expression sharpened with worry. “…Have you heard anything about my son? About Zain?”

Jason shook his head without saying a word, his shoulders slouching in an apologetic manner.

“…I see.” Salim replied. “Ya Rab. I pray he’s okay. If anything happened to Zain, I would…”

“Hey, we’ll get you back to your boy. You hear me? No matter the cost, I willget you outta here. You’ll see him again.”

Although difficult to believe, Salim found comfort in the sentiment and looked the other man in the eye, cherishing every moment for as long as he could.

“Thank you, Jason.” A faint smile spread across his face. “I’m truly glad you’re here.”

Jason displayed an amicable grin in response, wishing he could stay at Salim’s side forever.

“Y’know… you’re the first person to call me by my name ever since our rescue. For these past two weeks, it’s been nothin’ but ‘Subject One’ over and over again. It’s like no one remembers who I was– who I am.Part of me wonders if we should’ve stayed in those caves. I feel like we woulda been better off.”

“…Indeed. At least we had a fighting chance against the vampires. Here, we’re locked up like animals. We’re no more than a means to an end. In a way, it’s almost worse.” 

Salim leaned closer to Jason, lifting his tone slightly. “But we can’t give up now. If CENTCOM manages to turn HERA into a bioweapon, it will mean the deaths of thousands – perhaps even millions– of people in both Iraq and America. We needto get you out of here. Not just for your sake, but also for everyone who’s been caught in this war.”

The lieutenant nodded in agreement. “I hear you.”

Bringing their meeting to an end, the thunderous voices of CENTCOM’s soldiers began seeping through the prison doors, prompting Jason to tear himself away from the cell. He let Salim’s hand fall from his grasp and spared one last look at the man before silently saying goodbye, preparing to face the brutality of the guards.

In less than a heartbeat, the doors swung open with a forceful bangand welcomed in a plethora of soldiers, all of them brandishing their weapons. They immediately seized control of the entire prison and began checking the cells, starting with number one.

Meanwhile, Salim rushed over to his bed and quickly tucked the card in between the mattress and the frame, ensuring that none of it would be visible to any wandering eyes.

As for Jason, the man instantly found himself being overwhelmed by the horde of guards and was shoved to the floor, restrained in a manner that would’ve knocked the wind out of any ordinary human being. A number of hands began patting him down, and soon enough, a pair of cuffs were linked around his wrists, preventing him from fighting back in any way.

“This is Alvarez,” one of the soldiers said into his radio. “The subject has been located and captured. Now returning to cell. Over.”

Salim kept his gaze locked onto Jason during the whole arrest, unable to ignore the scene. He could tell that the younger man was avoiding eye contact with him in order to hide his involvement, but even then, he couldn’t help but miss the marine already.

Would he truly get a chance to see Jason again? Would their plan work as well as intended? What if something happened to one of them before they could escape?

The future was laden with unknowns. Even CENTCOM themselves didn’t seem to fully understand the extent of HERA’s symptoms, and the idea of them mass-producing something as dangerous as that virus made Salim’s skin crawl. 

“…Stay safe, my friend.” He whispered to Jason as he was dragged out of the prison. “Do not give in to these people.”

~~~~~~~~~~

SUBJECT ONE’S CELL

1942 HOURS

Carlyle sped through the halls of the facility with Moreau at his side, both of them rushing to see if Jason had been returned in one piece. It wasn’t too long ago that they received word about the incident with Briggs and the suspiciously well-timed disappearance of Subject One, but according to Alvarez, the man was now back in his cell.

Still, despite CENTCOM’s swift intervention, Carlyle couldn’t help but scratch his head at Briggs’ case. He had never known the man to be particularly aggressive or prone to violence, so his sudden outburst today did nothing but baffle him.

What could’ve caused him to act like that? 

As far as Carlyle was aware, Briggs was in the middle of escorting Subject One when he spiraled into a rage. 

Could it’ve been possible that Jason had something to do with it? The assumption only seemed logical considering the circumstances, but of course, that begged anotherquestion:whatdid he do, exactly?

“What’s going on, doctor?” Moreau asked, trying to keep up with the man’s pace. “What happened to Briggs? Is he dead?”

Carlyle focused on the path ahead, not even bothering to look at the woman as he spoke. “No. Alvarez tells me that they weren’t able to neutralize him.”

“What? They didn’t kill him? Why wouldn’t they–”

“–I never said they didn’tkill him.” Carlyle emphasized. “I said they weren’t ableto. Their guns had barely any effect on him.”

“Barely any effect…?” Moreau repeated quietly. “But… that could only mean…”

“That he’s been infected with HERA, yes. What I want to know, is howit happened.”

“Could we examine him?”

“Yes, and we will. I’ve been told that Briggs is one of the operating rooms awaiting further analysis. Before we attend to him however, I want to have a word with Subject One.”

Approaching his destination, Carlyle came face-to-face with another one of CENTCOM’s soldiers, causing a seed of worry to sprout in his chest. This was the first time he’d ever seen a guard stationed in front of Subject One’s cell, and unlike most of the troops in the facility, this man wore a gas mask.

Why was the mask necessary?

“Sir,” the guard said, raising a restrictive hand, “I’m gonna have to ask you to clear the area.”

The doctor halted in his tracks. “I’d just like to speak with the subject for a bit.”

“Be that as it may, we’re not allowing anyone to visit him until the situation gets resolved.”

Carlyle lifted a brow. “…I thought it already had been?”

“For the most part, yes, but we’re still cleaning up the mess Subject One made in the prison block. Until we’re certain that the facility is secure, we can’t let anyone near him. It’s for your own safety, sir.”

Still, Carlyle persisted. “Sergeant–” he read the patch on his uniform, “…Tressler, it’s imperative that I speak with the subject. I believe he may have answers that could explain the cause of today’s commotion.”

That piqued Tressler’s attention. “…Is that so?”

“Yes. The sudden shift in Briggs’ behavior is one that can only be explained by HERA. I have reason to suspect that Subject One will be able to tell us exactly what happened this evening, and why Briggs did what he did. I just need to speak to him.”

The sergeant was silent for a moment. “…Hm. I’m not sure what you think he can tell us, doctor. We already questioned him about what he saw, and what he was doing in the prison block, but honestly, I think we would’ve had better luck prying info out of a brick wall. If you believe you can loosen his lips though, be my guest. Just don’t be surprised if he doesn’t budge. You have five minutes.”

“Thank you, sergeant. I’ll be quick.”

Removing himself from the door, Tressler stepped off to the side and waited for Carlyle to finish his business, admittedly curious about what the doctor was going to ask. Meanwhile, the other man walked up to the entrance and gently tapped on the glass with his knuckles, attempting to get the subject’s attention.

“Subject One,” he called out. “It’s me, Carlyle. I’d like to have a word with you.”

Jason slowly turned his head towards the door, taking up a generous portion of those five minutes. He wasn’t exactly jumping out of his seat to speak with Carlyle after such a chaotic day, and plus, he already knew why the man was here. 

He had no interest in lending any merit to the doctor’s suspicions, nor did he want to help further CENTCOM’s investigation if it meant incriminating Salim. He would have to feign ignorance for as long as he could in order to keep both of them safe, and leave Carlyle in the dark.

“Hey, doc.” He greeted nonchalantly. “Bit late for an examination, don’t you think?”

Carlyle was in no mood to jest. “We need to talk.”

Jason chuckled, crossing his arms. “Sounds serious.”

“Itis.Three men are dead, and Briggs has been infected with HERA. From what I understand, CENTCOM was able to restrain him, but he is far from being in a stable condition. I need you to tell me the details of what happened today. What exactly were you and Briggs doing before he lost control?”

The marine shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Briggs was takin’ me back to my cell when, outta nowhere, he suddenly lost his shit. Started shootin’ up the place. Killed a man right in front of me.”

The doctor’s eyes narrowed in skepticism. “…And you have noidea what could’ve caused it?”

“Why would I?”

“Well, you were there with him. And as I said, Briggs has contracted HERA. I believe the virus could be a possible explanation behind his bizarre outburst, but the only person he could’ve gotten it from… is you.”

Jason crossed his arms. “Ah, so you think Iinfected him.”

“Yes, which is why I need to know what you were doing. How did the virus pass onto Briggs?”

The subject strolled over to the door and grinned, casually leaning against the surface. “…You really wanna know the truth?”

Carlyle could already sense the sarcasm. “Only if you’re going to be candid.”

“Of course, doc. The truth is…” Jason brought his voice down to the point where it was almost inaudible, “…I gave Briggs a big, fat kiss. On the lips.Heh, maybe I got a lil’ too carried away?”

The doctor only frowned in response to the marine’s teasing. “It’s obvious you know more than you’re letting on, Subject One. Just tell me what I need to know, and I’ll be on my way.”

The humor immediately drained from Jason’s demeanor, leaving nothing but loathing in its wake.

“…You people, I swear…” he muttered, stepping back from the door. “You wanna find out what happened? Do it your own damn self. I’ve given y’all enough.”

Carlyle sighed heavily, resting his hands on his hips.

Well, Tressler certainly wasn’t kidding when he said Jason wouldn’t be cooperative. 

No matter. He still had Briggs to turn to. Although the man wasn’t exactly in a coherent state, Carlyle hoped that a biopsy would be able to give him a basic idea of what triggered such a drastic reaction. He just didn’t understand why Jason wanted to hide it.

“…Very well.” He settled with. “You may not be willing to talk, but I have other ways of getting answers. I willfind out what you’re hiding, and I willget to the bottom of this.”

Jason dismissed the statement. “Yeah, well, good luck with that.”

Putting their discussion on hold, Carlyle decided to leave the subject alone for now and beckoned Moreau, eager to get started on their examination of Briggs. To his surprise however, the woman seemed to have something else in mind and stayed in place.

“Doctor,” she said, “I’d like to speak with Subject One myself for a little while.”

“Oh,” Carlyle replied, pausing momentarily, “alright then. I’ll begin preparations for Briggs’ biopsy in the meantime. Meet me in Operating Room Two when you’re done.”

“Understood.”

Watching as Carlyle made his way to the elevator, Moreau stayed by Tressler’s side and tentatively exchanged looks with the soldier, waiting to see if he would order her to vacate the area as well. Thankfully, he showed no signs of protest. 

As a result, the woman quite literally followed in Carlyle’s footsteps and replaced his position at the cell’s door, hoping to get something – anything– out of Jason before the day came to an end.

“Subject One? Can we talk?”

Moreau’s presence did nothing to foster enthusiasm in the lieutenant.

“If you’re gonna ask me the same questions as your friend there, don’t bother. I ain’t saying shit.”

The doctor ignored Jason’s antagonistic nature, not wanting to provoke him.

“…I know you don’t trust us,” Moreau said frankly. “I can tell you hold resentment towards CENTCOM for all the experiments we’ve put you through, and perhaps, it’s even justified. But if you don’t tell us what’s going on, there’s no way we can fix this. We need to know what triggered Briggs’ rampage today. Can you tell me that, at least?”

“I already told y’all. I don’t know. How many times do I gotta repeat it?”

The woman’s patience was starting to wear thin, but she maintained a diplomatic approach nonetheless. 

“The more we understand about HERA, the quicker we can resolve this. You are the only living carrier of this virus whose brain chemistry has yet to be damaged. If you can provide us with anyinformation, it would be great help to our operation.”

Jason scoffed in an amused way. “You mean to tell me that CENTCOM doesn’t have any other resources besides me? That I’m the onlyone who can help you out?” His tone suddenly darkened. “…What, did you kill too many of your subjects by accident?”

Moreau froze at the remark. 

“W-What…?” She stammered. “Subject One, what are you–”

“–You think I’m stupid?” Jason asked, his words coated with venom. “You think I don’t know why you and Carlyle are reallytakin’ samples of my blood? Psh. For analysis, my ass.”

He planted his palms against the glass, looking Moreau dead in the eye. “I know I’m not the only subject you have. You’ve got others locked up in this facility, don’t ya? Innocent people who have been turned into lab rats; people who have been killed.Withmygoddamn blood. If you think for a second that I’d ever help an organization like you, you’re even more delusional than I thought.”

Moreau simply gawked in the face of Jason’s accusations, unsure of what to say.

Although everything he claimed was true, she had no idea how he even made a discovery like that in the first place. Did he find some kind of evidence during his escape? Or, worse, the subjects themselves?

A soft laugh emitted from the man’s lips, interrupting her train of thought. “Your heart’s pumpin’ pretty fast, doc. I assume that means I’m right.”

She stammered in response, frantically trying to defuse their conversation.

“L-Listen, Subject One, I don’t know where you heard this, but… just know that everything CENTCOM does is for the good of our military.”

“Oh please, spare me the bullshit.”

“HERA can help our troops. Our methods aren’t always the cleanest, I know, but if we can turn this virus into something that bolsters our military’s strength, our safety will be secured. Believe me, these people are more than just lab rats to us. You’remore than a lab rat.”

Jason wasted no time in challenging that statement. 

“Oh, really?” He gave her a lazy smirk. “…I bet you don’t even know my name.”

The woman fell silent, already feeling like she had been backed into a corner.

“Yeah,” the marine said, unsurprised, “that’s what I thought. Carlyle tends to hide my name from people. Makes it easier to slice someone up when you don’t have an identity to put behind their face.”

The subject decided to introduce himself at last, finally giving Moreau the key to one of his biggest secrets.

“…It’s Jason, by the way. Jason Kolchek.”

The name branded itself into the doctor’s memory, leaving an imprint that she wished she could remove. In the past, Moreau never thought to question why the files pertaining to Subject One had always been so cryptic. She just accepted them as they were, and followed any instructions given to her by Carlyle.

But now that Jason mentioned it, it wasstrange how seldom CENTCOM used his name. None of the scientists ever spoke about his previous life, and it seemed like his identity had all but been erased from the records.

Was that intentional? Did Jason speak the truth? Had Carlyle really been trying to conceal his past for the sake of these experiments? 

The revelation shook Moreau to the core. Even though she was well aware of the morbidity behind Red Moon, she still tried to treat her subjects as humanely as possible. They were people just like her, after all, and she didn’t want to inflict any more pain than necessary.

But the idea of Carlyle purposely wiring his men to view Jason as subhuman made her stomach twist. It was the stuff of nightmares, and only showed a blatant repetition of the horrors that often resurfaced whenever war ravaged the Earth.

“Jason, I–”

Jumping into the scene before Moreau could reply, Tressler sauntered over to the woman and gestured to the elevator, signaling the end of their discussion.

“Ma’am, I must ask you to go now.”

She acknowledged the soldier with a polite nod. “Of course, sir. I’d just like to say one more thing to the subject, and then I’ll be gone.”

The doctor turned to Jason, leaving him with some parting words.

“…Well, thank you for trusting me with your name, Jason. I won’t forget it.”

The lieutenant retreated back into his cell, not willing to reflect Moreau’s affability just yet. Even though he suspected that she carried more compassion than the other scientists, he remained somewhat apprehensive. 

“No, you won’t.”

Quick update for anyone reading Red Moon

So, Red Moon is gonna end in a few chapters. I can’t say exactly how many (I’d estimate 2 or 3), but I’ve decided to give the fic two different endings.

They’ll be framed in a way similar to how the game presents its choices. One of them will be a Heart ending, whereas the other will be the Head. I’m still thinking about how to approach this next part, but there will also be a short epilogue summarizing the aftermath of whichever ending you pick.

Just wanted to put that out there so yall know what’s coming. Thank you to everyone who has supported this fic so far. I’m really excited to share the end with you guys and I hope you’ll like it too ^-^

Fanfic summary: In an AU where Jason contracts the vampiric plague, the lieutenant is forced through a series of experiments at the hands of CENTCOM, and held prisoner at Camp Slayer’s research facility. When he discovers that they plan to use Salim as their next subject however, he decides to go rogue, and turns against the US military before they can use his disease as a key to immortality.:

Point of view:third-person

Pairing: Jason Kolchek/Salim Othman

Author’s note: Happy Pride Month everyone, love y’all for who you are :)

This story is also on AO3|Previous chapter

CAMP SLAYER, LEVEL B3

1924 HOURS

Holding onto his rifle with an iron grip, Salim waited in painful anticipation as the elevator slowly climbed towards the surface, bringing them one step closer to freedom.

He and Jason had yet to face any true resistance from the military ever since their escape, but it was obvious based on the marine’s restless nature alone that the storm was far from over. Salim didn’t know who or what the other man was expecting – all he knew was that Jason sensed something he couldn’t see.

It almost reminded him of the behavior he saw from the vampires. Much like them, Jason always seemed to pick up on things that no one else could. And it didn’t just apply to sound; it also applied to instinct. 

Normally, Salim would’ve been thankful for Jason’s ability to detect any potential threats, but deep down, it only made him worry more about the man’s condition.

How bad was his infection? Had HERA really affected him so much that he was now acting like the vampires? Was anypart of him still human? At this point, Salim didn’t even want to think about it.

“…Jason?” He asked, eyeing his friend. “Are you alright?”

Jason turned towards Salim, his horns casting a shadow across his face. “What? Oh, y-yeah. I’m fine.”

Salim’s expression stiffened. “Are you sure? What about HERA? You… look like you’re getting sicker…”

“I’mfine.”He reiterated. “Don’t worry about me, okay?”

The older man let out a quiet chuckle, attempting to calm the mood. “That’s not as easy as you imagine.”

Jason didn’t return the lighthearted sentiment. Instead, he simply kept his sight locked on the elevator doors, preparing for whatever awaited them on the other side. “Look, let’s just focus on gettin’ outta here. We can talk about it later.”

Salim backed down with a sigh, deciding to leave the lieutenant alone for now. He wasn’t exactly surprised by Jason’s response – he had never known him to be an open book, after all – but he couldn’t deny that the man’s reticence put him on edge. 

“Alright. Just… let me know if anything changes.”

“…Sure.”

Cutting their conversation short, the two of them jumped in surprise when the elevator came to a screeching halt, stopping just before it could reach the next floor. An electric groan echoed throughout the mechanism as the lights flickered into darkness, and within seconds, the pair of soldiers found themselves trapped in the shaft.

“What the–? What just happened?” Salim blurted out.

“Shit…!” Jason exclaimed, trying to regain his balance. “CENTCOM must’ve cut the power.”

“What? Is there any way we can reactivate it?”

“…Maybe. Dammit, I dunno. I assume the controls are in the security room. If we can get there, it’s possible we could get the elevator up and runnin’ again.”

Salim hesitated. “Sounds like a good plan, except… how do we do that when we’re stuck here?”

“Well… we could–”

Chiming in from the elevator’s intercom, a third, raspy voice suddenly blared through the speaker, causing Jason to wince in pain due to the piercing sound. It filled up every corner of the cramped room and slithered through the silence, speaking to them like a phantom hiding in the shadows.

“Subject One,” a woman said, “this is CENTCOM. Stop where you are immediately. Do not pursue this endeavor any further. Surrender yourself now.”

Contrary to what Jason expected, he didn’t recognize who was on the other side. Unlike his previous interactions with CENTCOM, it wasn’t Carlyle or Moreau contacting him on their behalf. Rather, it sounded like someone different. Someone much older. Someone he had yet to meet.

“Who the hell is this?” Jason asked, his tone low with caution.

“That information is irrelevant. All you need to know is that I represent the head of this organization. And I must insist that you put this foolishness to an end before more lives are lost.”

“I ain’t doing shit until I know who I’m speakin’ to.”

The stranger muttered to herself. “…Dr. Carlyle mentioned you were a stubborn one.” She paused for a moment. “Very well. If my name is that important to you, I’m willing to disclose it. My name is Adrienne Hoyt.”

The woman introduced herself with a level of authority that made Jason feel as if her name were supposed to mean something, and yet, it didn’t sound familiar to him in the slightest.

“And… what do you want, Hoyt? Why are youcontacting me instead o’ Carlyle?”

“This situation is bigger than just Carlyle, lieutenant. I realize you’ve been kept in the dark about most of CENTCOM’s operations, but your actions influence others in ways you can’t even begin to comprehend. And that’s why I must insist that you stop.”

Jason scoffed. “You really expect me to back down now?After everything I’ve been through? Yeah, not likely.”

“…Look, I understand your frustration. I’ve been following your progress ever since I first launched this operation, and–”

“–Wait,” he said, doing a double take, “youlaunched this operation?”

“Me and a few others, yes. Red Moon is our project. We agreed to start the operation after a number of ancient specimens were presented to us just over two weeks ago. Carlyle has been showing me his research ever since the beginning, and I’m aware of the sacrifices he’s had to make. People have died, I know. And more will follow. But the carnage will be ten times worse if I let you leave that facility.”

Jason furrowed his brow. “What’re you talkin’about? You’re trying to use HERA as a weapon of war. If CENTCOM gets what it wants, this conflict with Iraq will never end.”

Hoyt’s tone flattened with obstinance. “Quite the contrary, in fact.”

“…I don’t follow.”

“Think about it, lieutenant. If Red Moon turns out to be a success, the U.S. military will finally be able to strengthen its forces. Our soldiers will be like you. Stronger than you. Nothing will be able to stop them. Iraq will surrender, along with any other enemies our nation has.”

Salim’s heartbeat spiked with fear. “…Ya Rab, they’re trying to kill us all.”

Jason exchanged glances with the older man before turning back to the intercom, sighing in frustration. “Listen, it ain’t worth it, Hoyt. Trustme. You didn’t see what I saw in those caves. You have no idea what this virus can do. If you let HERA run free, Iraq isn’t the only country that will suffer. You’ll bring the whole world to ruin.”

Hoyt’s voice sharpened with a tinge of aggravation. “I’m afraid your opinion is immaterial. You’re a marine. You were trained to kill, not to question. And right now, your veins are carrying what could potentially be the answer to all our problems; the remedy to our suffering. I cannot let you leave.”

Salim stepped forward and gripped Jason’s shoulder, urging him to put an end to this debate. “Habibi,we need to find a way out. Now.”

“Do not forget where your loyalties lie, lieutenant.” Hoyt persisted. “You may be stuck in that facility, but you are still fighting for the United States. You are still an American soldier.”

Jason glared at the intercom, clenching his hand into a fist. “…Yeah. I am. And that’s why I can’t let y’all get what you want.”

“Subject,”she warned, “listen to me–”

“–No. We’re done talking.”

Before Hoyt could get another word in, Jason threw a punch at the wall and crushed the speaker, leaving a dent that looked more akin to a small crater. The woman’s voice instantly warped into a distorted mess, and eventually, faded away.

Meanwhile, Salim stared at Jason with widened eyes, shaken by everything he just heard.

“…Great.” He mumbled. “Anotherwolf in the pack to worry about. Who is Hoyt? Do you know of her?”

The marine shook his head. “No. No one’s ever mentioned her before. Not even Moreau. Hell, Moreau probably doesn’t know about her either. CENTCOM has a habit of keepin’ secrets.”

“Well, whoever she is, it didn’t sound like she was at Camp Slayer. Do you think she’s somewhere else in Iraq?”

“Possibly. Or she could be back home in the States. Hard to believe they’d risk puttin’ someone of that caliber in the middle of a war zone.” 

Jason waved a dismissive hand. “Look, forget about her. I don’t know who the fuck Hoyt is, but frankly, I don’t really care right now. All I care about is findin’ a way outta this shit-hole. D’you see a hatch anywhere in this elevator?”

Salim began patting the pockets of his uniform, hoping to find a flashlight. “I can’t see much of anything. It’s too dark.”

“What? What d’you mean it’s too dark?”

A confused glint embedded itself into Salim’s stare. “…The lights. They–” the gears suddenly clicked in his head. “Wait. You can still see, can’t you?”

The lieutenant simply gawked at his companion, only to feel his heart jump when he realized what was going on.

“…HERA.” He whispered. “It gives you echolocation.”

“Just like the vampires. As long as there’s sound, you should be able to navigate the dark.”

Jason grumbled to himself. “Jesus Christ, what am I, a fuckin’ dolphin? Okay, okay. Just… keep makin’ noise, alright? I’ll find us a way outta here.”

“Alright. Try to be quick. CENTCOM’s soldiers could be here any minute.”

Scanning their surroundings, Jason searched for any openings in the elevator’s structure as Salim tapped his knuckles against the wall, filling the room with a continuous knock. 

Strange waves unlike anything Jason had ever seen spread across his vision like ripples in the water, and constructed the world with a reverberating image.

Unfortunately however, there appeared to be no way out. The surfaces were all flat, and the only signs of escape pointed to the doors that were now sealed shut.

“Do you see anything?” Salim asked. He heard a sigh in response.

“…Nope. No hatch, no vent, no nothing.” Jason pressed his hands against the door. “We’re locked in here.”

“Shit. What do we do? If CENTCOM catches us again–”

“–They won’t.”

“Ifthey do… we’re both dead.”

Jason dragged his fingers along the slim gap between the doors. “CENTCOM needs me alive. If I die, they’ll have no subjects who are intact. They won’t risk killin’ me unless absolutely necessary. You,though… well, I won’t let them get to you.”

A thought crossed Salim’s mind. “…Do they even know how to kill you? Or that it’s possible?”

“I– I ain’t sure, actually. Idon’t even know if it’s possible.”

“What do you mean? You have the same virus as those vampires, no? Therefore, you should have the same weaknesses.”

“Thatwouldmake sense, and yet, the Army flew me back to Camp Slayer in broad daylight after pickin’ us up from those caves. Didn’t affect me one bit. Maybe it’s ‘cause my infection hadn’t settled in completely, but… I dunno. It’s still weird.”

Salim recalled their time in the temple. “Back in those ruins, I saw a vampire who was different from the rest. Do you remember him? The Ancient One.”

Jason stuck his fingers into the gap, testing the doors’ strength with a tug. “You mean the son-of-a-bitch who strangled Nick? Yeah, hard to forget someone like that.”

“And do you remember when Eric used his UV light on him? It didn’t burn him like everyone else. Maybe you have the same kind of resistance.”

“I sure hope so. I ain’t fixin’ to get my ass set on fire when we reach the surface.”

The older man stuttered in confusion. “What? Fixing? I-I don’t understand, what are you fixing?”

Jason laughed at Salim’s response. “Oh, no, it’s just an American thing. Forget it. What I mean is, I hope we can get out before the sun rises.”

Salim came up with an idea. “…Hey, you know, if we’re going to stop by Moreau’s office on the way out of here, perhaps we could sneak into Carlyle’s as well. He might have information on your sickness that we don’t know about. It could h…”

Interrupting him before he could finish, a loud screech rang throughout the elevator as Jason pried the doors open with his bare hands, practically tearing the two pieces of metal apart. His muscles tensed in effort and a strained groan could be heard coming from his throat, but even then, it looked like he was growing stronger by the second.

It reminded Salim of when one of the vampires got buried underneath a truck. Despite the sheer force of the impact, the creature still managed to shove the vehicle off like it was nothing, and carry on without any sign of injury.

Was Jason inheriting their strength too? How long would it be until he reached the same level? It almost frightened Salim to see his friend – a man who looked so human compared to the vampires – share their abilities after just two weeks of being infected. What would he look like in a month?

“I think… I can see the upper floor.” Jason said, his voice grating against his throat. “There should be enough space… for us to squeeze through.”

He gave the doors one last shove, causing a ray of light to come flooding through the gap.

“C’mon.” He beckoned. “I think we can make it. I’ll climb up first. Make sure the coast is clear. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to follow.”

Salim nodded, bracing himself. “Okay. I’m right behind you.”

~~~~~~~~~~

CAMP SLAYER, LEVEL B2

1932 HOURS

Pushing through the empty halls of the facility, Jason steadily prowled through the corridors with his gun in hand, listening attentively for any signs of movement. Meanwhile, Salim guarded the rear and stuck close to the marine’s back, keeping his breathing as quiet as possible.

So far, none of CENTCOM’s forces had tried to confront them. Instead of running into a horde of troops like they expected, the pair of men found nothing more than a deserted lab, devoid of any soldiers or scientists.

There were no footsteps. No voices. Not even the ticking of a clock. All Jason could hear was Salim’s boots gently thudding against the floor, and his own heartbeat battering inside his ribs.

Where the hell was everyone? Why hadn’t Hoyt sent any troops after him yet? Did she not know where he was?

No… that couldn’t be it. CENTCOM had eyes all over the facility. If no one was here to fight them, it had to be on purpose. That, or something had gone horribly wrong.

“…I don’t like this.” Salim whispered. “Why is it so empty? Do you hear anything?”

“No. I don’t like this either. Why wouldn’t CENTCOM swarm us as soon as we stepped out? Somethin’ ain’t right.”

“They’re probably hiding somewhere. Waiting for the right moment.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then they’re takin’ their sweettime.” Jason gestured to a sign on the wall. “C’mon. This way. It says the security room is over there. Maybe we can find the elevator’s controls inside.”

Taking a few steps forward, Jason came to a temporary halt when he suddenly picked up on something, causing him to glance around in suspicion. A faint squelchtickled the edge of his ears like a bell chiming in the distance, and just underneath that, Jason also heard the sounds of something growling.

“What is it?” Salim asked, noticing the shift in the man’s behavior.

“Up ahead. I hear something.”

“Soldiers?”

Jason tightened his grip, preparing to shoot anything that moved. “…No. I don’t think so.”

Sneaking further into the hallway, Jason came face-to-face with yet another corner, urging him to slow down. He carefully placed one foot in front of the other and watched the floor, mindful not to alert whatever it was waiting for him behind the wall.

As he got closer though, the squelching only grew more intense. It filled Jason’s head with a collection of gluttonous slurps,and was accompanied by a peculiar crack,almost as if someone’s bones were being crushed.

To make matters worse, the smell wasn’t exactly pleasant either. The unmistakable stench of rotting flesh burrowed itself into his nostrils, oozing so far down his throat that he nearly gagged. Odors like this were fairly common in the midst of a battlefield, but to find it within the walls of a secured, underground facility put Jason’s mind on red alert.

Finally reaching the end of the path, the lieutenant stopped in his tracks and kept his finger on the trigger, slowly poking a head around the corner. 

Occupying the adjacent hall, he located a number of freshly-slaughtered corpses littering the area, all of them riddled with severe gashes and lacerations. Stark splatters of blood decorated the walls surrounding them, and in the center was something far more grotesque.

Sitting in the middle of the walkway, Jason spotted the mutated figure of a man hunched over a brutalized corpse, feasting on its blood. The creature sunk its teeth into the body’s throat and swallowed hungrily, rattling the marine’s ears with sickening grunts.

What concerned Jason the most though, was how these corpses were dressed. They all wore CENTCOM’s uniform. It looked like they had originally been planning to ambush Jason and Salim once they wandered into this sector, but were abruptly interrupted when their team was attacked.

“Jason?” Salim said quietly. “What do you see?”

The other man glanced over his shoulder, trying to hide his disgust. “I… I don’t know. It looks like one of them creatures, but it’s… oddly human.”

“A creature? What’s it doing here? I didn’t know CENTCOM had any living vampires in the facility.”

“Neither did I.”

“Can we sneak around it?”

“Doubt it. It would probably hear us. Besides, even if we could, it’s sittin’ right in front of the goddamn security room. If we wanna get in there, we need to kill it.”

Salim’s jaw clenched in nervousness. “…Alright. If you think that’s best. Let’s do it.” He reached for the knife he took from Tressler. “Here. Try using this. It’s not exactly a stake, but maybe that won’t matter.”

Jason slid the pistol back in its holster, taking the knife. “Thanks.” He twirled the blade in his hand, displaying a small smirk. “Just like old times, huh?”

Salim grinned affectionately. “Just like old times.”

“You ready with your rifle there? Good. Then follow my lead.”

Creeping towards the vampire inch by inch, the lieutenant crouched and approached it from behind, brandishing his knife with a protective arm. In the meantime, Salim aimed his rifle directly at the back of the creature’s head, ready to fire at a moment’s notice. He knew that bullets wouldn’t do anything to someone infected by HERA, but that wasn’t enough to make him put the gun down.

Much to their dismay however, even the faint tapsof Jason’s footsteps were enough to alert the vampire. It instantly stopped what it was doing at the sound of his boots and snapped its head in his direction, revealing a ghastly image.

Dribbling from the corners of its mouth, long ropes of blackened saliva stretched from its teeth down to its neck, pooling on the ribbed skin. Fresh blood was smeared all over its wrinkled lips, and a set of razor-sharp fangs stuck out from its upper jaw at uneven lengths.

As for the rest of the vampire’s physique, it was equally as horrifying. The features on its face had been pulled in all sorts of different directions due to the recent mutations, making it look like a taut sheet. Hollow eyes sat in the sockets sitting above its haggard cheekbones, and towering from its forehead, a pair of jagged horns stood just underneath the patchy hairline.

The most unsettling thing though, was how longits limbs were. Despite the humanoid form of the vampire’s body, everything just seemed… out of place. The arms, legs and neck were all elongated, the joints didn’t quite bend at the right angle, and its nails had grown so much that they could’ve been considered claws by now.

But… in spite of the vampire’s horrific facade, Jason couldn’t help but feel like he had seen this creature somewhere else before. It was clearly someone who had transformed recently, so he wondered if he knew this person before they became infected.

“Goddamn,” Jason muttered, “you’re even uglier than me.”

Unleashing a ghoulish shriek, the vampire got on all fours and charged at the lieutenant like a panther, throwing aside the corpse in its path. Jason, on the other hand, dug his boots into the floor and braced for impact, praying to god that his strength would be enough to hold the creature back.

“Jason…!” Salim called out, waiting for him to act.

“It’s okay, I got this!”

Spreading his arms wide open, Jason positioned the knife in a manner that would allow him to stab the creature immediately upon making contact. He had no earthly idea if a random blade would be enough to be considered a stake, or even damage the vampire at all, but at the moment, it was his only choice.

Just as the creature was about to attack him however, it suddenly changed course.

Instead of pouncing on him like he predicted, the beast simply sprinted right past Jason and continued running towards the other end of the hall, completely ignoring him. It was only then that the marine realized the vampire carried no interest in him, but rather, Salim.

“Salim!” He warned. “It’s comin’ for you!”

Squeezing the trigger, the other man managed to plant a number of rounds in the vampire’s torso before leaping out of the way, dodging just in time to avoid a claw to the jugular. As expected, the bullets did nothing to the beast except slow him down somewhat, giving Salim barely enough time to get away.

The momentum of the vampire’s initial charge sent it crashing into the wall following its prey’s escape, leaving a large crack in the surface. The creature hurriedly refocused its attention on Salim after recovering and prepared for another assault, but was quickly pulled away when Jason tackled it from behind.

The lieutenant wrestled with the freakish specimen for a while and buried the knife into its flesh numerous times, hoping to make anykind of dent. Much to his relief, the blade proved capable of piercing through its hardened skin, but wasn’t enough to damage the vampire permanently.

Giving Jason a firm shove, the vampire let out another screech and forced its opponent to the floor, pinning him down by the wrists. It lowered its head so that it could stare at the man directly in the eyes, emitting a feral hiss. Its original intention was to scare Jason away from disrupting its meal, but instead, the action only helped him realize exactly who he was dealing with.

“Briggs…?!” He exclaimed in disbelief. “Is that you? How the fuck–”

Jumping in the middle of their little “reunion,” Salim hardly gave Jason enough time to process what he was seeing before he hooked his rifle around Briggs’ neck and yanked it backwards, viciously choking him in his grasp.

The vampire flailed wildly in response to the attack and clawed at Salim’s arms, trying to hurl him off. For the moment, it was struggling to find an escape in the man’s sturdy grip and failed to wiggle its way out, but even then, Salim couldn’t hold on forever.

“Hurry, Jason! Stab him! I can’t restrain him for much longer!”

“The knife doesn’t work on him!” 

“It doesn’t?” Salim’s eyes flicked around the hall. “Is there anything else we can use?”

Jason joined his friend in the search, only to find a solution quite literally staring him in the face.

“Well, y-yeah, but…”

“What is it?”

The younger man raised a tentative hand, gesturing to Briggs’ forehead. “Would… those work?”

Salim followed Jason’s line of sight, admittedly hesitant to go through with his plan. “I… suppose.” A weary sigh escaped his lips. “…Ah, shit. Alright. Try to break them off. I’ll hold him in place as best as I can. But hurry!”

Pulling Briggs closer to his chest, Salim pressed the rifle deeper into the vampire’s neck with a strained shout, mustering every bit of strength in his body to keep the beast still. Meanwhile, Jason wrapped a hand around one of Briggs’ horns and tore it free from its pedestal, earning an agonized roar from the pained creature.

In one swift motion, Jason gripped the horn by its base and plunged the tip into Briggs’ chest, drilling it towards his heart. For a few seconds, the vampire did nothing but scream as the object traveled further between its ribs, but eventually, its movement became less erratic due to the loss of energy, and soon… it was dead. Just like that.

Salim let out a series of heavy pants, allowing his arms to fall limp. “Is… is he dead…?”

Jason observed Briggs with a keen eye, watching closely for even the smallest twitch. “I think so. He better be.” The marine sighed in exhaustion, retrieving the horn as he rose to his feet.

“Holy shit… how’d he change so fast?”

Salim gave him a curious glance. “Who washe, anyway? It sounded like you knew him.”

“His name was Briggs. He used to serve with CENTCOM. He was one of the guys always guardin’ me. I infected him during my first escape, but…” Jason turned towards the slaughtered soldiers, “…I had no idea the effects would be thisbad.”

The older man looked over Briggs’ mangled body. “You infected him?”

“With my spit, yeah. It can cause hallucinations. All I wanted was to create a short distraction so I could get to you. I never thought about how far the infection would go. I panicked… like a fuckin’ idiot. And now look at the poor bastard. You can barely recognize him.”

Jason rubbed his temple out of stress, eager to make a quick exit. The same thirst from before was starting to resurface because of all the fresh blood lying around, and the last thing he wanted was to end up in a frenzy.

“Look, let’s just get in the security room. I don’t wanna be around when CENTCOM finally gets their shit together and realizes what happened.”

It didn’t take much for Salim to pick up on the newfound distress in the lieutenant’s tone, but he thought it best not to mention it now.

“Yeah. Okay. You lead the way.”

Jason trudged towards the door, patting his companion on the shoulder. Even though he showed no signs of sustaining any injuries, he still looked mentally drained from seeing how easily he could cause someone to mutate. “…We’ll get outta this, buddy. I know we will.”

Salim played along with the man’s reassurances, not wishing to worry him any further. “We survived the temple, Jason. We can survive this.”

He nodded in agreement. “We haveto. For everyone’s sakes.”