A/N. Okay I'll try and get at least one chapter out per week, maybe two.
Stalker
A few hours later the council had been concluded, a news broadcast went out with the explanation about Exodus and what was to happen, after the populace had a few hours to settle down and churn through the implication work began at a furious pace, it was stressed that time was crucial, things had to be done in record speed. An armored division along with infantry support and anti air backing was sent out to secure the Gateway site almost immediately, once the site had been secured builders were portkeyed to the area to begin construction of a base, a large dome building was to be the center of the area. Meanwhile at the various Havens around the world belongings were being packed and readied, it was decided that a direct floo connection to the Gateway site would be the most efficient way of moving people, however the worldwide military began it's move to Haven four almost immediately, as Exodus soon found out it wasn't only humans who made up the resistance against the Independence.
…3 Days after Exodus's arrival at Haven Four…
Sarge looked out at the milling forces below, humans, ogres, centaurs, house elves, goblins and even giants camped out in the kill zone, the area between Haven and it's walls. He had been told that an unprecedented amount of individuals had taken up arms in the coming fight, everyone willing to go to war now that Exodus was leading them, and of course everyone who wanted to fight was allowed, Sarge himself had ordered that anyone who wanted to could and Sarge's word was law. This made the composition of the weaponry employed below very different, there were wizards with wands, and staffs, giants with wooden clubs wearing crude metal plating for armor, goblins with sinister looking daggers, centaurs with bows, humans armed with anything from a simple rifle to a remote control that was linked to a missile silo. The facility that was responsible for the planetary detonation, the facility that Exodus had to get to in order to blow up the planet, was nestled nicely under one of the Independence's largest and most powerful bases, the base that the Independence forces were to be rallying at. Because of the nature of the facility Exodus could not simply apparate inside, they literally had to stand at a certain location and open a cleverly hidden door, there was no way around that. This meant that Exodus had to get to the heart of the Independence, and this meant that they had to fight their way there. It was ultimately decided that while the final battle was to take place the civilians were to be evacuated off planet, this meant that those going to fight were most likely going to die. The mission itself was stated simply, destroy the enemy base, past that no one knew what would happen and from then on the battle would have to be played fluidly.
Exodus had been training their magical abilities none stop since the first council had concluded, the battle to come was to be the end of something, and they would most likely be the determining factor for what would end. There had been one thing that was odd, a number of killings had occurred inside Haven, the culprit had not been identified and Stalker had been on the case for the past two days, Stalking the brutal killer responsible for the murders.
Marlonius walked up beside Sarge. "More are arriving each minute, soon the entire armed might of the resistance shall be here, it will be a glorious battle the likes of which has never been seen in millennia."
Sarge nodded. "Did you do the blood tests?"
"Yes, we have run a check on all military personnel using your software, we have isolated those individuals who received a positive from the program. Although I do not know what the purpose of it was I must tell you that I myself was identified positive, whatever your actions may be I simply ask of you that you allow me to fight." He held out his ornate pistol, a weapon that was more symbolic then practical.
Sarge looked at the weapon and after a moment of consideration took it from Marlonius whose features creased in pain, according to doctrine he was no longer able to fight. But then Sarge did something that very much surprised the venerable General; he pulled out his own pistol and handed it to Marlonius who cautiously took the weapon. "The program checked the DNA for indication of more then twenty three chromosomes, because of the genetic engineering most people only have twenty three, those that tested positive had the twenty fourth at least beginning to appear."
"You mean that those who tested positive are fully human?"
"Yes, or will be soon in accordance to the genetic definition of what a human is. I congratulate you General." Shortly after their arrival at Haven Four, Pyro had suggested that they check the population, with muggles and wizards living so closely to each other the genetics had to be getting modified at a good rate.
Marlonius grinned. "I assume you have special plans for us?"
"Yes I do, and I appologise for not telling you my purpose, you understand my motives."
"No need to explain yourself, I understand the need for secrecy."
"While the main battle will be going on outside we will be going in through another entrance and then splitting up to accomplish various tasks. I have been studying the reverse engineering reports and want to hit various areas of the base. We will head down into the core where we will be able to both initiate the planet's self destruct systems and hopefully take out the power to the entire enemy base. Your team will head to the shield station and shut it down, if we can get the base's shields down quickly enough we'll be able to pound them from a distance instead of breaching the walls directly and going in on foot." A man running towards them interrupted sarge.
Skidding to a halt the man saluted sharply "Chief Security officer Pedinksy requests your presence down at the control room immediately." He reported.
The General nodded. "Very well." And the two briskly followed to the bustling control room. On the way there Sarge told Destroyer and Joker to go down to the holding cells and pick up the guys who had passed their little DNA test, they were to going to get a nice little surprise.
Reaching the control center, which was pretty much the nerve center of Haven Four, they found JJ and Snipe waiting for them there as the man they were following disappeared into the bustling screen filled room.
"Why did I have to come?" Snipe pouted, his messy hair giving away his recent activities with Maya.
"Because I've seen the video that Pedinksy is going to show us and I need you with us." JJ told him.
Snipe shrugged. "Okay…"
Pedinsky walked up to them, saluting the assembled group. "I've gotten a room ready for us, I have shown no one else the tape. Follow me please."
They followed, Sarge asked JJ. "What's going on?"
"You'll see." There was a trace of uncertainty in his voice, like it was a puzzle he had solved but didn't like the outcome.
They walked into a blackened room and Pedinksy flicked on the screen. "We found this video footage from the murder last night, so far we've managed to keep the half dozen of them quiet." He pressed a button and a quick movie played through, in the top right corner they saw a man walking along a dark corridor, there was a blue flash from something off screen and the man's head exploded. After that the tape ended. "We don't see the killer or the weapon or anything."
"Do you see anything different about that?" JJ asked.
Sarge and Snipe shook their head no, but Marlonius replied. "Yes, the shot was blue."
"Exactly."
"So, blue shot big deal." Snipe wasn't impressed.
"But it is a big deal. You see, to us a shot emitting a blue light is ordinary, the surveillance guys here don't know much so the miss the obvious fact."
"Which is?" Snipe insisted.
"We don't have weapons that emit a blue light when fired. We have the standard flash, not a blue flash." The General explained.
"Snipe how many weapons on this planet create a blue flash when fired?" Sarge asked, clueing in but hoping that he was wrong.
"Three. And each one of them is different, the BFG, Snipes' rifle and Stalker's pistol."
"Wait, are you saying that I shot the guy!" Snipe rose up from his chair.
"The shot coming from the weapon in that tape uses electromagnetic drive coils, and that technology has not been developed yet on this planet. I went down to the site myself and found that the shot only went through a wall before I found the round. Even at it's lowest power setting the shot from your rifle would have gone a lot farther, that and at the time of the shooting I had seen you and Maya at the café."
"Which only leaves…"
…Near the holding cells - Haven Four…
"Stalker! Wait up bro." Joker called out as he jogged to catch up to Stalker who suddenly went through a door at his right. 'The hell, I'm gonna take that boys helmet off and give him a good smackin for making me run.' He thought.
Joker followed after, pushing the door open he walked into the small storage room, he didn't even have time to look around before two high velocity shots smashed into his armor, each feeling like a fright train. He reeled back, shocked and confused as both rounds penetrated his armor and lodged themselves inside. It was then that he was kicked through the door, the hinges shattering as his body sailed through and hit the opposite wall, his head cracking like a melon before his body slid down the wall. Before losing consciousness one word went through his head. "Fuck."
…Two minutes later…
Destroyer rounded the corner, he had heard the sounds of something breaking but hadn't thought much of it, now he wished he had run as fast as he could. He knelt down in the thick pool of Joker's crimson blood; examining his limp body he found a pulse, a week one, but a pulse nonetheless.
"Destroyer, Joker?" Sarge's voice came through his ear piece.
"Joker's fucked up bad, we need a medic now!" He yelled.
"It's Stalker, but whatever we do we need him alive, just stay where you are, we're coming."
"What?"
"Stalker's been infected, whatever you do don't kill him but subdue him if you see him."
Sporadic gunfire echoed off the walls nearby, dieing off within seconds. "Understood, you want him alive."
Destroyer pulled the minigun off his back, the familiar voice greeting him as the weapon whirred to life, the barrels spinning shrilly from lack of recent use. 'Sarge had said to keep Stalker alive, but he hadn't told him how alive he wanted him.' Destroyer advanced down the hallways, his helmet on and sensors on full alert, sweeping for any and all signs of movement. Coming around a corner he found that the lights had been shot out and the walls were riddled with bullet holes, a few mangled bodies lay against the wall; two of them didn't even have their weapons out, while the other two had their heads blown off. A blood stained door consol sparked providing the only light for the short hallway as a mutilated body lying below it, seeping blood from multiple gashed along its now indistinguishable face. Stalker was ramming the door, his spent pistol lay discarded on the floor, a few good sized craters in the door showed that he had tried to get in the easy way.
Destroyer whistled, catching Stalker's attention who swiveled around more like some sort of beast then a human, his body hunched low with his long serrated dagger in his right hand moving as if with a life of its own. "Don't make me do this Stalker." Destroyer advanced a couple feet, the ground was slick with blood and he was pretty sure that he had stepped on a hand that lay detached in the middle of the floor. Swaying his head side-to-side Stalker lunged at Destroyer, a stream of bullets met his lower body and shred his legs, the force sending him screeching to the floor, violet blood gushing out of the stumps he now had for legs. Screeching in bestial rage Stalker clawed his way forward, trying feebly to slice at Destroyer's ankles, the effort cost him another limb as a half dozen rounds cut through his hand.
Loud footsteps resonated along halls behind him, an anguished cry accompanying the beating approach of help. The rest of Exodus, Marlonius and his guard rushed towards them, Pyro the only one who had stayed back with his brother. They surrounded Stalker in a circle, Sarge stepping forward knelt down, his eyes blazed as he tried to penetrate Stalker's mind. Suddenly Stalker began to tremble and shake, his last arm going up to the helmet and removing it, showing his pale skin and dead black eyes, Lumos spells allowing them to see his vivid transformation.
He trembled and shook more and more violently, gasping for air as he coughed up blood. "Virus…s-sentient. Needs host. Dorman-n-n-t lay. Ch-Changed. Alien…here, started, not human." He was dieing, convulsing in painful gasps for air, then with complete clarity he looked Sarge straight in the eyes and with perfect diction said. "It needs you." As it said those words Stalker died.
"Amazing, he was so strong to have lived that long, and then to have broken free of its grasp…simply amazing." Marlonius muttered.
"Care to explain what the fuck just happened?" Sarge asked, his BFG still pointed at Stalker's body.
Marlonius swallowed hard. "They're called Genestealers."
A/N. Comments? Suggestion? Clarifications? I'm now answering all questions through review thing - figured out how to work it properly J