Apocalypse Chapter 10

THWACK!
Kaiser staggered as Berserker punched him in the face, the quiet ruins of the Golden Hive Colony once more a scene of violence as the survivors of Siku landed safely.
"You bastard!" Berserker snarled, tears running down his cheeks. "How could you do that?"
He launched another attack, aiming blows for the echidna. Kaiser backpedaled, changing into a bird and flying up out of reach.
"Hey, it was her or us," Kaiser called back.
Berserker shook with rage.
"KAISER, YOU MISRERABLE..."
Berserker lashed out. Electricity sparked along his arms and shot out, arcing through the air. Kaiser cursed and tried to fly away, but the shape-shifter was too slow. He dropped from the sky, changing back to his normal form as he hit the ground. Berserker leapt.
"I'll. Make. You. Pay. For. Leaving. Her. Behind!"
The enraged tiger punctuated his words with blows to Kaiser's head and body. Nearby, Grandmasters Mary-Ka and Zac watched, the latter cradling his baby son who whimpered at the sounds of the fight. Mary-Ka frowned. It was bad enough that they were being hunted, but to have this erupt now only made matters worse.
"Enough!" she said, runes glowing about her hands as she used her technomagic. Berserker gave a startled cry, his bionics shorting out, and Kaiser managed to slip away. The echidna scrambled, taking refuge behind Duke who frowned.
"Thanks," Kaiser said to Mary-Ka. "He's gone crazy."
Mary-Ka released Berserker from her technomagic influence and glared at Kaiser.
"I didn't do it for you," she said darkly. "In fact, if we weren't in such dire straits, I'd let him beat you to a pulp for what you did. I did it because we all need to work together, and I don't have the time for this bullshit."
Kaiser winced at her words, wiping at the blood that ran from his nose.
"Bitch," he mumbled under his breath.
Mary-Ka looked at Berserker as the tiger stood up.
"So despite your feelings for him right now, I'll ask you to keep that temper in check, or next time, I won't be so gentle. Do you understand me, Berserker?"
"Fine," Berserker replied, glaring at Kaiser. "But this isn't over, Kaiser."
"So now that that's all settled," Zac said, trying to calm down his son, "what do we do now?"
Mary-Ka shook her head.
"For now," she replied, "we try to rest and refresh ourselves. After that?"
Mary-Ka shrugged.
"Well, we'll deal with that when the time comes."
The survivors began to settle down, their nerves still on edge. Nobody noticed the figure that watched from nearby, giggling softly to herself.

Zenn sat alone in the ruins of the Legion transport. Once again Mary-Ka and her pitiful band of survivors had escaped. That bitch seemed to have more lives than a cat. He looked about. The infected swarmed over the village, taking out their frustrations on whatever they could. Zenn knew he needed to do something fast. Already signs of boredom were growing, and it wouldn't take much for some elements to possibly do something silly. All he needed was some idea as to where Mary-Ka had run off to.

"We have the numbers," Kiara-Ne growled. "Chaos-damn it, but most of the echidnas here come from our platoons. They're the best the Legion had to offer. What does Mary have? Nothing! Sel alone could take her group without breaking a sweat."
Bullet snorted in disgust.
"Sel?" he said, pointing to a mass of bodies nearby. "She's too distracted with her new toy to be of use right now."
Kiara-Ne looked to where Bullet indicated. Sel-Mei rolled on the ground, Fangs held tightly in her arms. Torn clothing lay scattered about from the fighting. The crazed echidna laughed manically as she simultaneously kissed and bit at her 'playmate', and flames periodically enveloped them both. Growls and snarls of lust, anger, pain and joy echoed through the frigid air. Fangs managed to pull an arm free, her rage-filled eyes flashing angrily as she slashed. Sel-Mei laughed.
"I love you too, Kitty," she cried, headbutting the tiger before kissing her hard.
Kiara-Ne grit her teeth at the sight.
"We still have the numbers," the Captain murmured. "We should be hunting them down right now."
Bullet and Kiara-Ne never noticed the echidna standing nearby, listening in. Quietly the stranger slipped away. He had news to report.

The research bunker located in the depths of Mercia was quiet as Seth listened in on the radio as Breeze made contact. His agent had been following the infected ever since he first subjected the legionnaires to the virus, his ability to camouflage himself amongst them serving him well. It was Breeze who truly controlled the infected, acting as Seth's commander in the field.
"What do you have to report, Breeze?" Seth asked.
"It's the infected," Breeze replied. "They're getting restless. Mary-Ka's location is currently unknown, and the lack of stimulus is getting to them."
Seth thought for a moment, undeterred.
"Wave is tracking the Grandmaster, Breeze," he told his agent. "But I think it may be time to advance the schedule. Go to Zenn. Get him to bring the infected to Mercia."
"Is that wise, Sir?" Breeze asked.
"I know what I'm doing," Seth replied. "Wave will do her part and deliver Mary-Ka to us. Just make sure Zenn and co are here to greet her."
There was a moment's silence over the airwaves, and slowly, Breeze responded.
"As you wish, Sir. Over and out."
Seth smiled as he turned off the radio and picked up his mug of hot chocolate. Breeze may not have faith in the plan, but Seth knew better. He had contingencies in place for any problem that may arise. So what if the infected were restless? It just meant they would fight even harder once Mary-Ka was delivered into their hands.

Zenn blinked, his mind was fuzzy as the strange echidna spoke to him. He didn't recognize the stranger, but there was a sense of power behind the words he spoke. Something deep within Zenn was compelled to listen and follow the stranger's instructions. One instruction in particular stuck in the former medic's mind.
Take the infected to MERCIA!
As Zenn recovered his senses, the stranger slipped away, lost among the swirling mass of the infected. All recollection of the strange echidna was forgotten when Bullet and Kiara-Ne stormed up to him, determination set in their eyes.
"Zenn," Kiara-Ne said. "We need to move. It doesn't make sense to stay here. We can take, Mary, if we can just catch up with her."
"Now is the time to strike, Zenn," Bullet added. "The numbers are on our side. We have the tactical advantage."
Zenn looked at his officers. They were right. Now was the time to strike, but not in the way they thought. Slowly he nodded.
"Yes, we will strike," Zenn said carefully. "Get the troops ready. We leave for Mercia, immediately."
Kiara-Ne and Bullet shared a glance, confused at Zenn's orders.
"Mercia?" Bullet asked. "Zenn, Mary and her group went in the opposite direction."
"Don't you want to catch her?" Kiara-Ne asked, her red-rimmed eyes narrowing in frustration.
Zenn smiled slightly.
"Trust me," he said. "We go to Mercia. Mary will head there, I'm sure of it. We'll intercept her. No more chasing. We set an ambush, strike hard, and finish her and her group off."
Kiara-Ne and Bullet smiled savagely, liking the idea. Zenn stepped forward, pushing his way roughly between them as he left the ruined transport.
"And if you act quick enough," Zenn added, pausing momentarily, "I just might allow you two to have Mary as a toy to play with once we have her. Think of it as a gift for your loyalty."

"Contact!"
The survivors scrambled to their feet as Cyclan called out, spotting a figure as it crouched by some stony ruins. he charged, weapon at the ready, Miki-Ce close by his side. Mary-Ka's voice called through on the coms.
"Talk to me, Cyclan. Is it the infected?"
"Negative, Ma'am. It's, well, I don't know what it is."
Mary-Ka cursed and ran, quickly making her way over as she spotted the two soldiers and the figure. It was some kind of female shark/koi hybrid.
"We found her lurking around the camp," Miki-Ce said.
"Who are you?" Mary-Ka asked, her voice full of authority.
"You can call me, Wave," the woman answered, giggling slightly.
"Why were you spying on us?"
"Because you're looking for the antidote."
Mary-Ka's eyes widened.
"Antidote?"
Wave laughed, smiling widely, her sharp teeth flashing.
"Seth has the antidote for the virus you're running from."
She glanced about, giggling manically.
"Looks like you could really use it."
Mary-Ka snarled at Wave's words.
"Chaos-damn it," she said.
Mary-Ka stared at Wave, not fully trusting the information.
"And why would you tell us this?"
Wave smiled even wider. She hopped form one foot to the other, almost as though she were dancing. Her eyes, predatory and cruel, darted between the survivors as they gathered around her.
"Because you won't live long enough to get to Seth's Mercian base to retrieve it. I know, I've been watching you for a long time now."
Her voice took on a sing-song tone and she hummed to herself.
"See-saw blood on the floor, Mary tries to survive. The Infected have come, and she's on the run. She won't get out alive."
Mary-Ka growled angrily, her patience wearing thin.
"Tie her up," she ordered. "And then everyone get ready. We're going to Mercia to get that antidote and save our friends."
She started to march off as Cyclan and Miki-Ce grabbed Wave and tied her up, the crazy woman laughing all the while. Zac glanced at his fellow grandmaster, and Mary-Ka paused.
"What?" she snapped, instantly regretting it.
"You know it's bound to be a trap," Zac said, cradling his son. "Why are you even entertaining the idea?"
"What else can I do?" Mary-Ka replied. "It's our best lead so far. Aurora-damn it, it's the only lead we've had in this whole mess."
The Grandmaster rubbed her temples.
"None of you have to come if you don't want to."
"We're not going to let you go alone," Duke said as he walked up to them, overhearing the conversation. "We're all in this together, Mary."
Zac nodded.
"We've followed you this far, Mary," he said. "You can rely on us for support."
The survivors prepared to leave, knowing the dangers that awaited them. Only Kaiser protested until Duke and Berserker ganged up on him, forcing him to change form into a dragon to carry them. All the while Wave laughed and taunted them in her playful way. The hybrid watched as Kaiser took off, leaving her behind to prevent her from sabotaging their efforts. Wave smiled. Seth would be so proud of her restraint in not killing them all. She shrugged, skillfully slipping out of her bonds. Those legionnaires were so funny to have thought she could be taken and tied up so easily. Her mission complete, Wave radioed in to Seth.
"The legionnaires are coming," she sang, giggling softly. "Can I have fun now, Seth?"
Seth replied, the hedgehog's voice sounding calm and collected over the radio.
"Well done, Wave. Return home and we'll see what happens. You'll have your fun soon enough.

In his bunker base, Seth leaned back in his chair as he sipped his hot chocolate. The infected were on their way. So were the legionnaires. Both parties on a collision course that would soon erupt and result in the destruction of the Legion. A small smile crossed Seth's lips as he thought about it. It was all going according to plan...