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My Master top that trained me as cumdump took that picture. Cummy, gaping, shaved hole in jockstrap ready for more loads!!

Hot ass you have. Wish my guys would take pics like that!

I really get turned on by dom Master breeders. I chatted one up on A4A. Asian dom breeder. He reminded me of an Asian regular that would come over to my place when I had my ass up and face down. This top loved using the cumdump. I went over to his place. He sat in his chair, told me not to use my hands to service his cock. I lapped up and deep throated his cock and balls. He then said you’re ready for the insemination ceremony. He put me on his bed doggie. Penetrated me hard. I love feeling raw cock in my hole again. He put me on my back and fucked me hard until he released his sperm deep in my hole.

Tonight, not much before. I jumped in my car to visit a regular. He was already over another top. I was horny as fuck and he was still hungry. So we started to kiss already in the entrance. We continued in his bed. I started to go down on his chest until his dick. After sucking him for a while, I reached the main goal which was his hole. He loves to be rimmed and especially loves when I do it. I turned him into doggy and ate his ass. The my cock was so rock hard that I almost had pain there. I started to fuck him hard. I turned him back onto his back and fucked him for a while. We took a short break. Then he pulled me up and inclined me to sit on his cock. But my goal was to fuck him. So I went down from his body, turned him into doggy again and started to fuck him like no tomorrow. I just let us to go with the waves. Once he started to moan with a strange voice, started to whim and shake . And then he stopped me. “Did you cum?” I asked him. “Fuck yeah. Without touching myself “ I congratulated us. I was still horny but I respected the freshly emptied bottom. So I sniffed a big from my poppers and let him jerk me until I shot 2-3 huge amounts of jizz onto my stomach..

As always, a timely and superb topic. Are you willing to accept certain ... well .... "foundational" interpretations/responses? 1. Given that what leaps to mind first, is the "learned" answer, by which I mean the culturally common response. For many, that would be Caucasian Americans, simply because by now there are more of them then any other discernable group. However, we Caucasians are merely the original conquerors of the Original Americans, that being the conquered Native Americans. Add to that recipe the peoples of African American descent (aka Black Americans, originally imported as "property"), as well as the host of folks from other parts of the world that came to North America in search of a better life. 2. Thus, it becomes crystalline that any/all peoples of any other place on the face of the earth, that arrived on these shores in search of a better life, willing to put shoulder to the (wagon)wheel, do what they needed to do in order to achieve their dreams of living free of overbearing rulers elsewhere in the world. 3. To this very day, the definition discussed in line-item #2 is completely and fully a part of our American life. There are less fortunate arriving daily, seeking a better life, just as out Caucasian ancestors did at Plymouth Rock. That process, the promise of America, has been a beacon to people of every kind and description that walk on two legs for centuries, and that process has made the US prosperous, advanced in human rights (save for the anti-human tragedy in the Southern States a century+ ago), and a last, best hope for the downtrodden everywhere. 4. It is the chance, the opportunity to live a better life, and thereby allow the same for their generations to follow, that most Americans cherish and offer to new immigrants to this very day. Despite the depths of selfishness some Americans have descended into, that dream of doing the best one can to uplift and welcome the new immigrants remains solid, constant, and unwavering. I still believe that the current undercurrent of selfishness, greed, anti-human behavior is an aberration, not a permanent infection on the American psyche. But, I'm only one of hundreds of millions of Americans. And now, tallsplendidboy, I'll listen to the broadcasts you've offered. ❤️

I can not say no to a top in words but my asshole can this neither being mostly relaxed and soft ready for receiving a dick and not able to stay closed to a dick...

7.5" UC that telescopes thicker at the base

Chapter 26 The drive home from the work site was a blur of asphalt and aching silence. Jordan’s mind, for once, wasn’t on Chad or the lingering echo of their last hotel-room encounter. It was a state away, in his own house, with the two people he’d built a life with. He’d called them last night. No answer. He’d texted this morning. Nothing. A cold, leaden dread had been growing in his gut all day, a stark contrast to the humid summer air flooding through the truck’s open window. Pulling into the driveway, the dread solidified into a hard, icy rock. The driveway was empty. No Jared’s beat-up sedan. No Blake’s sleek motorcycle. No. They’re just out. They’re shopping. They’re getting food. The excuses were weak, pathetic things that dissolved the moment he killed the engine. The silence that greeted him was absolute and profoundly wrong. He pushed open the garage door, the creak of the hinge absurdly loud in the quiet. “Jared? Blake?” His voice bounced off the walls, unanswered. He stepped into the kitchen. Nothing on the counter. No note. The living room was… clean. Too clean. The throw blankets were neatly folded. The video game controllers were lined up with military precision on the media console. Jared never did that. He took the stairs two at a time, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He shoved open the door to their shared bedroom. Empty. The closets were half-empty, hangers dangling askew. The dresser drawers were pulled open, hollowed out. All of Blake’s graphic tees, all of Jared’s flannels and worn jeans—gone. The bathroom was next. His items sat alone on the counter. Their toothbrushes, their products, the special beard oil Chad had given Jared—vanished. They were gone. They had moved out. Together. A wave of vertigo washed over him. He staggered back, leaning against the doorframe for support. Why? What had he done? There were no fights, no jealousy, no slammed doors or bitter words. The last time he’d seen them, they’d been wrapped up in each other on the couch, smiling, telling him about their boring day. It was a lie. It had all been a lie. The panic was a live wire now, sparking under his skin, stealing the air from his lungs. He slid down the wall until he was sitting on the hallway floor, knees pulled to his chest. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t breathe. His hands were shaking. Who did he call? His parents? They wouldn’t understand. A friend? He didn’t have any others. They had been his whole world. On pure, desperate instinct, his trembling fingers found his phone. He scrolled past Jared’s name, past Blake’s, and landed on the last person he’d been with. He hit call. Chad answered on the second ring. “Hey, man. You make it back okay?” The sound of his voice, so normal, so grounded, was the final crack in Jordan’s composure. A choked sob escaped him. He couldn’t form words. “Jordan?” Chad’s tone shifted instantly, all casualness evaporating. “Jordan, talk to me. What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” “They’re… they’re gone,” he finally managed, the words raw and broken. “Everything’s… empty. They left me.” “Sit tight,” Chad’s voice was firm, a command that cut through the static in Jordan’s head. “Don’t move. I’m on my way.” The line went dead. Jordan let the phone clatter to the floor, burying his face in his hands. The silence of the house pressed in on him, a heavy, suffocating weight. Minutes later, the roar of a familiar truck engine cut through the quiet, followed by the slam of a door. Heavy, urgent footsteps pounded up the front porch steps. The front door swung open. “Jordan?” He heard Chad’s voice echo through the empty downstairs before his bootfalls sounded on the stairs. He appeared at the top, his broad frame filling the hallway. His eyes, dark with concern, found Jordan crumpled on the floor. In two long strides, Chad was there. He didn’t hesitate. He dropped to his knees and gathered Jordan into his arms, pulling him against his chest. Jordan collapsed into him, his body wracked with silent, shuddering sobs he could no longer contain. “Shhh, I’ve got you,” Chad murmured, his voice a low rumble against Jordan’s ear. One large, calloused hand cradled the back of Jordan’s head, fingers tangling in his hair. The other rubbed slow, firm circles on his back. “I’ve got you. Just let it out.” He held Jordan tightly, his embrace an anchor in a suddenly unmoored world. Jordan clung to the rough fabric of Chad’s work shirt, inhaling the familiar scents of diesel, clean sweat, and just Chad. It was the only thing that felt real. Chad held him through the worst of it, until the sobs subsided into shaky, hiccupping breaths. He didn’t say empty platitudes. He didn’t ask stupid questions. He just held him, his own heart hammering a frantic, hopeful rhythm against Jordan’s chest. This is it, Chad thought, his face buried in Jordan’s hair. This is my chance. The thought was immediate, selfish, and utterly overwhelming. For weeks, this man in his arms had been all he could think about. Jordan made him feel safe, seen, and fucking alive in a way he’d never experienced. The sex was earth-shattering, yeah, but it was the quiet moments after, the easy laughter, the shared looks—that’s what had cemented it. He was head over heels, desperately in love, and he’d been trying to find the nerve, the perfect moment to say it. But this… seeing Jordan so completely shattered, so vulnerable… this wasn’t the right time. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t confess his feelings now. It would be taking advantage. So he just held on tighter, pouring every ounce of the love he couldn’t say into that simple, solid embrace. “I don’t understand,” Jordan whispered against his neck, his voice hoarse. “Why would they just go? Without a word?” “I don’t know, man,” Chad said softly, his lips brushing against Jordan’s temple. “But you’re not alone. You hear me? You’re not alone in this.” He leaned back just enough to look at Jordan’s face, his thumb gently wiping a stray tear from his cheek. The proximity was electric. Jordan’s eyes, red-rimmed and lost, searched his. Chad’s gaze dropped to Jordan’s lips for a heartbeat too long, the air between them thickening with something far more complex than comfort. “I’m right here,” Chad breathed, his voice barely a whisper, a pr omise and a question all at once. Chapter 27 The warm, damp spot on Chad’s shirt grew larger as Jordan’s sobs finally began to subside, the raw, wrenching sounds softening into shaky, hitching breaths. He felt hollowed out, scraped clean by the shock and the crying. Chad’s arms never loosened their hold, his hand a steady, comforting pressure on the back of Jordan’s head. Jordan tilted his face up, his vision blurred by remaining tears. Chad’s concerned face was inches from his, his brow furrowed, his own eyes shining with an emotion Jordan was too overwhelmed to name. Without a single conscious thought, driven by a need for comfort that was more primal than any logic, Jordan closed the small distance between them and pressed his lips to Chad’s. It was a messy, salty kiss, wet with tears and the faint, embarrassing smear of snot from Jordan’s nose. He didn’t care. He poured every bit of his confusion, his loss, and his desperate need for connection into it, clinging to Chad like he was the only solid thing in a world that had just collapsed. He kissed him for what felt like an eternity, a silent plea for the ground to stop shifting beneath his feet. When he finally pulled back, gasping for air, his cheeks flushed with a heat that was entirely new, regret instantly flooded him. “Chad, I’m… I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have… that was…” Chad’s hand, which had stilled on his back, began to move again in slow, calming circles. His voice was low, a soft rumble that vibrated through Jordan’s entire body. “No. Don’t apologize. It’s okay.” He brushed a stray tear from Jordan’s cheek with his thumb, his calloused skin rough yet incredibly gentle. “I was wanting to kiss you, too.” They stayed like that for a long moment, foreheads resting together, their breath mingling. Jordan’s heart was no longer hammering from panic, but from something else entirely, something terrifying and exhilarating. Chad’s eyes, dark and intense, searched his, and Jordan saw the internal battle raging within them. “Jordan…” Chad began, his voice husky. He took a deep, shaky breath, as if steeling himself. “I know… I know this is the worst possible time. The absolute worst. And I’ve been trying to find a better moment for weeks, but… I can’t wait another minute. Seeing you like this… I can’t hold it in.” He leaned back just enough to look Jordan directly in the eye, his gaze unwavering, raw with a vulnerability Jordan had never seen in the rugged man before. “I have been racking my brain every single day since that first time in the hotel,” Chad confessed, the words pouring out in a rushed, earnest torrent. “Thinking about you. About us. About how you make me feel. I was so unsure, man. So fucking confused. I’ve never… felt this for anyone. Not like this.” He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “But I can’t deny it anymore. I’m not confused. I’m in love with you, Jordan.” The declaration hung in the silent hallway, so immense it seemed to absorb all the sound in the world. Jordan could only stare, his mind struggling to process the words. Chad continued, his voice gaining strength, filled with a wondrous awe as he cataloged his feelings. “I’m in love with your stupid, perfect smile that makes your eyes crinkle. I’m in love with your laugh, the way you throw your head back and just let go. I’m in love with this body,” he said, his hand slipping from Jordan’s back to splay across his chest, feeling the frantic beat of his heart. “The way you move, the strength in you. I’m even in love with your smell—like clean sweat and that cheap shampoo you use and just… you.Everything. I’m just… completely in love with you.” Jordan was speechless. The emptiness left by Jared and Blake’s abandonment was suddenly filled with a roaring, incandescent light. All the clandestine glances at the shipyard, the possessive grabs in the hotel, the tender way Chad had cared for him during sex—it all snapped into a perfect, stunning picture. “But…” Jordan finally managed, his voice a disbelieving whisper. “I thought you were straight?” A slow, genuine smile spread across Chad’s face, softening his sharp features. “Labels are just words, man. They don’t mean a damn thing. I love Jordan. I wouldn’t care if you were a guy, a girl, or a fucking brilliant alien from another planet. I just love you. For you.” It was the sweetest, most overwhelmingly honest thing anyone had ever said to him. The last of the ice around Jordan’s heart shattered. A choked, half-sob, half-laugh escaped him as fresh tears, these born of pure, unadulterated joy, welled in his eyes. “I love you too, Chad,” he breathed, the words feeling more right and true than anything he’d ever uttered. “God, I love you so much.” The relief that washed over Chad’s face was profound. He let out a breath he seemed to have been holding for weeks and pulled Jordan into a fierce, crushing hug, burying his face in his neck. They held each other in the quiet hallway, surrounded by the ghosts of a past life, but firmly anchored in the stunning reality of their new beginning. After a long while, Chad shifted. The look in his eyes changed from one of comfort to one of smoldering intent. The hand on Jordan’s chest slid lower, over the tight muscles of his stomach, coming to rest at the waistband of his work pants. The touch was no longer just comforting; it was a question. “They don’t get to take this from us,” Chad murmured, his lips grazing Jordan’s earlobe. “This is ours.” Jordan answered him by capturing his mouth in another kiss, this one deep, hungry, and full of promise. It was a claiming. A consummation of words with action. Chad met his hunger with his own, his tongue sliding against Jordan’s as his fingers worked open the button of his jeans, then the zipper. The rasp of the denim was deafening in the silence. Chad broke the kiss, his eyes dark with desire as he looked down between them. He hooked his fingers into the waistband of Jordan’s pants and underwear and pushed them down in one smooth, determined motion. Jordan kicked them off, his hard cock springing free, already leaking. Chad’s gaze was rapt, worshipful. “Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he breathed, his own hands going to his belt buckle. The clink of the metal, the rough sound of his own zipper coming down, sent shivers of anticipation through Jordan. Chad shoved his heavy work pants and boxer briefs down his muscular thighs, his thick, uncut cock standing proud and full. They stood there for a heartbeat, naked in the hallway, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows around them. The air crackled with a new, profound intimacy. This wasn’t a frantic hookup in a cheap hotel room. This was different. This was theirs. Chad reached out, his hand not going for Jordan’s cock, but instead cupping his jaw, his thumb stroking his cheek. “I want to make love to you,” he said, the words a soft, reverent vow. “Will you let me do that?” Jordan’s answer was to take his hand and lead him, not to the empty bedroom that echoed with loss, but toward his own room down the hall. As they passed the threshold, Chad pulled him close again, his strong arms wrapping around him, their bodies aligning from chest to thigh. The feeling of their cocks pressed together, hard and hot between them, was an electric shock. Chad’s mouth found his again, slower this time, deeper. It was a kiss that spoke of belonging, of a future he’d been too afraid to imagine. His hands roamed Jordan’s back, down to the swell of his ass, pulling their hips even tighter together in a slow, grinding rhythm that made Jordan’s head spin. “My turn to take care of you,” Chad whispered against his lips, his voice thick with emotion and desire. THE END THANKS EVERYONE I HOPE YOU ENJOYED

This is one of the hottest stories on BZ......Thanks and More Please I was just about to shoot a big load when Chapter 9 ended!!!

Chapter 5 – Coming To. Ray opens his eyes. The room is dark and is hard for him to focus on anything. The only light is coming from the tv. It’s playing porn still. Ray heard the video before he could focus on the video. The video is of some tweeked out twink being double teamed by a latino man and a black man. One at each hole. The man fucking the twink’ mouth is blowing clouds down on the bottom. This brings back the memories of how Ray got in the current situation. The memory of his brother smoking him out. The memory of sucking on his brother’s dick. The memory of smoking while he was rimmed. And finally, he remembered his brother penetrating his virgin hole. It took him a moment to fully recall the whole experience but It all came back to him. He felt so horny still. He became aware that he was jerking himself off while reminiscing on the earlier events. Still hard as a rock. He thought to himself, how long have I been passed out? That’s when Ray heard his brother from the other side of the room. W: oh look who finally came to. Ray heard another person snicker along with his brother. Someone else was with them now. Ray could not make anyone out in the darkness but he definitely heard a second voice. He found it hard to focus. Ray remembered that he was in a G hole and would need some time to come out of it. Damn his need for drugs and more drugs. Ray thought to himself that he should get up, grab his shit, and run out of there. As if reading his mind, Walt commanded his brother’s attention. W: Hey little bro. Want another hit? Without thinking, Ray nodded his head. His body betrayed his inner struggle to run away. W: hold up. Our guest has a special request. He wants to see how desperate you are for more tina straight boy. I’ve shown him a pic of your used hole. He wants to see it used in front of his own eyes. The thought of your desperation makes him hard. Ray gulped. What had he gotten himself into? He knew he should say fuck this shit and run but his brother had all the drugs. And he needed more. Always needed more. Walt came into the light of the tv with a new pipe with a huge bowl. It looked like double the size of the bowl he was used to using. It also had a thick stem. The quality of the pipe was definitely more than he was used to. Walt picked up a torch and ignited the flame. He bounced the flame on the bowl and melted the huge puddle inside. He released a huge cloud that filled the area exposed by the light of the tv. Walt handed the pipe down to his little brother. Ray lit up and exhaled the biggest hit he has taken so far the evening. He greedily took 3 more hits before he realized that his brother was shaking his dick in the air in front of him. Ray’s eyes looked up at his big brother, pleading with him to stop this humiliation. When the eye contact did nothing, Ray started to mumble out loud. R: please, Walt. Please brother, please don’t make me do this. Not again. I’m straight man. I have a girlfriend. W: yeah, I know you have a girlfriend. She comes around here trying to get at my dick for drugs too. Stupid bitch doesn’t get anywhere with me though. She doesn’t have the right equipment for my tastes. So she blows my friends for some smoke here and there. But from where I’m standing, you seem to be the better cock suckers anyways. And you have a tighter ass than she does. I mean, everyone has hit that at least once or twice. But you’re so new and tight, you put her to shame. Ray had a look of defeat on his face. W: oh come now, you have to have known she gives her mouth and holes up for drugs. Besides, you have no moral high ground to stand on. I mean, you sucked off your own brother. You took dick from your own brother. You got bread by your own brother, like a brand new cum whore junkie that you are. Just enjoy yourself and your new position. Ray knew what his brother wanted. He took in another hit and lunged forward engulfing the dick. White clouds escaped around the dick in his mouth. This made Walt and his guest start to chuckle again. W: See, I told you so. My brother, the little cock sucker.. Ray was lost in the giving the blowjob but he listened to the two men laughing. The voice sounded familiar but in his present condition, he could not making out who it was. Beside, it didn’t matter who it was. All that mattered was making his brother’s dick happy because that meant more drugs for him. He had to keep his mind on the drugs or he feared that he would go crazy given his current state. Walt pulled his now hard dick out of his brother’s mouth and slapped his face with the thick head. He let the trail of precum leak all over the boy’s face. He pulled his dick away and took a step backwards. This left Ray on his knees in front of the dimly lit area of the TV. Walt walked away for a brief moment and came back with a blindfold. He placed it on his little brother’s eyes and tied it really snug. W: you’ll leave this on. If you take it off or it falls off before I take it off, then you leave right then without any tina in your pockets. Keep the party going for me and my friend here and you’ll have something in your pocket later. Nod if you understand. He nods indicating that he understood. W: Good boy. Now my friend here is paying for your drugs right now. Come over here and make his dick feel appreciated. Good little straight boy tina slut. Ray was totally in the dark but walked on his hands and knees. He followed the sound of the other man’s laughing. He reached his pants. Ray reached up to the fly and unzipped him. He heard the man’s pants fall to the ground. Ray reached forward again, this time feeling the man’s dick tenting in his boxer briefs. He pulled the man’s dick out and jerked the growing dick. The man spoke in a hushed voice. Man: Lick my head. Make my head nice and wet bitch. Wet my 9 inches of meat. Ray did as he was told. He leaned forward and met the man’s boner. He licked the mushroom head like it was a lollipop. He was rewarded with some precum dripping from the piss slit. W: Good little whore. Here you go. You are starting to earn this. The pipe was pushed to Ray’s lips and Walt lit the bulb for him. W: I’ll light it. just take a moment and breath the tina in. No lazy hits today. I want to see you fucked up. I know you wanna get nice and fucked up. Walt twisted the pipe for his brother and Ray sucked in a huge cloud. He blew it out and immediately put his mouth back on the pipe. This second hit was faster and deeper. The third hit was well placed. He put his mouth on the dick in front of him and started making out with the dick. Smoke leaked out from the sides of his mouth. Without much prompting, Ray started full on blowing this stranger. He did as he was told to. Hands appeared on the back of his head pushing him further down on the throbbing dick. Ray gagged on the intruding meat in his throat. He backed off with spit leaking from his mouth to the mushroom head. Again the pipe was put to his mouth and the bowl lit for him. After two more good hits, Ray returned his mouth to the dick in front on him. Without warning, the man pushed his entire dick into Ray’s throat. He gagged a bit but hands were placed on the back of his head and Ray couldn’t get away. He was forced to swallow the entire length. Again the chuckles of his brother and than man could be heard echoing in the room. Man: That’s right, swallow my meat. You know just how I like it. Ray heard the words and froze. The man kept his rhythm and fucked Ray’s throat but Ray was still as could be. He knew he recognized that voice from the chuckling. The realization of who the man was made him start coughing. The man felt waves of pleasure with his dick in the whore’s throat as he coughed. It almost put him over the edge. Almost. The man pulled his phlegm covered dick out and smacked Ray’s cheeks with the access drool. Chapter 6 – Who’s the Homo Now? Man: Did little Ray just put one and two together? Walt walked away from the scene and to the nearest wall. He flicked the light switch on and the room became illuminated. At first this blinded Ray, as his eyes were used to the dim light of the TV. It took a moment, but his eyes adjusted and a look of horror came upon his face. There standing in front of Ray was his ex-best friend Zeek. Ray was in shock. How did he find himself in this situation. Naked, hard as can be, and sucking off his ex-bestie. Z: yeah buddy. I just love how well you suck my cock. Especially since I’m supposed to be the no good homo, right? Walt walked back to the two and feigned shock. W: Why, whatever do you mean by that Zeek? Z: Oh well, back when me and your brother were younger and just starting to smoke out, I let out a secret after one of our jerk off sessions. I told him that I was bisexual and liked guys sometimes. This freaked him the fuck out. He said I was hitting on him and only wanted to get at his dick. So he called me a dirty homo and kicked me to the side like yesterday’s left overs. W: oh damn. He did you dirty like that? Z: yeah, fucked up huh? Well, who’s laughing now? Who wants who’s dick now? All Ray could do is sit there in embarrassment. He had become lower than low. He wanted to get up and run away and never look back. But he looked over at his brother Walt, whom was waving the pipe as he reloaded it. This made him complacent and he remained in place. Zeek looked to his side and saw the pipe getting reloaded. He waved at Walt. Z: Plan C bro. W: Okay. I’m down Walt walked off to his dresser and came back with a baggie of powdered Tina. He handed it to Zeek. Zeek reached in and grabbed a pinch of powder and drizzled in on the head of his dick. He grabbed another pink and drizzled in on the length of his 9 inch dick. Z: oh come on now my little bitch. Come clean off my dick with your hot little mouth. Take it back in your throat in one go and we’ll start the pipe again. Ray went from frozen with fear to horny slut in the flash of second. He lunged forward and took the 9 inch monster into his throat like a seasoned whore. Once it was in, he started to gag but Zeek held him head in place. There was no escape from the situation. Ray’s mouth was filled with the awful chemical taste of raw Tina. But he loved the effect. He felt the headrush immediately. Before he knew it, a brown bottle of poppers were placed to his nostrils. Zeek held the bottle in place while Ray took a hit from each side of his nose. Zeek felt Ray hit the rush from the poppers and felt his throat relax. He took the opportunity to start to jackhammer Ray’s throat. Zeek’s balls were smacking Ray’s bottom lip. Z: yeah, I love this you dirty bitch. Zeek continued to assault Ray’s mouth for a few minutes. When he finally pulled his dick out, Walt immediately had the pipe up to Ray’s used mouth. Ray puffed out 3 good sized clouds. He tried to get back at Zeek’s dick but was slapped to the right cheek. The slap bounced in the room. Walt handed the pipe over to Zeek. He took a few hits himself before returning the pipe to Walt. Z: Hey Walt, help the chem whore to the bed. Put him on his back. Walt walked over to Ray and helped him to his feet. He walked Ray to the bed and had him sit on the edge. Zeek walked over and maneuvered Ray into the spread eagle position. Z: yeah, I like to see a good whore show off the hole before I strike. Hey Ray, play with your hole for me you Tina slut. Ray reached between his legs and started to finger himself. Walt bend down and spit on Ray’s hole to help him out with some lube. The spit helped revitalize the load that was already deposited into his ass before. Ray was pushing three fingers into himself. Walt approached Zeek with another baggie. This time, this baggie was filled with large shards. Zeek picked two out and handed the baggie back to Walt. Zeek approached the bottom as he assaulted his own hole with his fingers. Zeek grabbed the hand and pulled the fingers out. He placed the first shard into Ray’s hole and released his hand. Ray pushed the shard into himself. When he got all three fingers back in and started to feel the burn he tried to pull his fingers out. Zeek pushed on his hand so that the fingers remained in place. Z: Tell me when the heat stops. R: Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck. Z: yeah, let me hear it baby. Ray had made a whimper to signal that the burning had stopped. Zeek read the scene and pulled the fingers out of the hole. he placed the second shard just inside the boy’s hole. He placed the tip of his dick at the entrance. Z: Shhh, shhh, shhh… Zeek slowly pushed the second shard into the quivering hole. He stopped for a moment when he had pushed half of his dick into the boy. He waited for the shard to dissolve. Once he felt the hole quiver again, he pushed the rest of his dick into Ray. He bottomed out and held steady with his balls against the bottom’s bottom. Zeek pulled Ray’s legs up and placed them on his shoulders. He then pulled almost entirely out, leaving only his mushroom head inside the warm hole. He slammed back into Ray with full force. Ray tried to yell but found he had all the air punched out of him. He tried to yell, scream, something, but could only make a moaning sound. Zeek kept power thrusting like that over and over and all that he could make out was the damn moaning sound. Ray knew that moaning sound. He was very familiar with that moaning sound. It was the same sound he would get his girlfriend to make when he fucked her. R: Oh gawd… what are you guys doing to me? Ray looked around to try to get his brother’s attention. Surely he would help him and stop the man from raping him. When he found his brother in his view, he noticed that he had his phone out and was recording the whole ordeal. Ray was filled with embarrassment. Not only was he getting fucked like a common whore, not only was he dripping precum by the bucket load, not only was he getting a revenge fucking from his ex-best friend, but his brother was recording it. To Ray this was the stuff of nightmares and he thought this is what hell must be like…that’s what he was thinking but as he thought that, his body was in ecstasy. He kept dwelling on the fact that he was being recorded. The thought made his dick throb. Then without any warning, right in the middle of a passionate thrusting, he let out a loud moan as he shot his thick load all over himself. Zeek looked down at this whore wetting himself from the fucking he was delivering. He started to laugh. His laughs were echoed by Walt’s own laughs. Z: Looks like the little Tina slut loves my dick enough to cream herself. Zeek scoops up some of Ray’s cum and puts it to his own mouth. Oh the amount of times he had jerked off thinking about the taste of this guy’s nut. Now that he tasted it, he felt a sense of relief. He scooped another finger’s worth and tasted it again. This sent him over the edge and he grabbed Ray by the hips. He delivered another warm load into the bowels of the Tina whore. Z: Well, you took my load so well. Who’s the homo now? Zeek and Walt laughed like they were dying of laughter. Zeek collected his clothes and got dressed. He turned to the two brothers. Z: I’ll hit you up later to see if you want another load. And Ray, the next time I see you, I want you to say “I’m a fucking homo and I need another load from my man.” That will be worth a bowl or two. Zeek turned around and headed for the door. Walt threw on a pair of boxers and walked Zeek out the bedroom door. All Ray could do was lay there on the bed on his back and continued playing with his now empty hole.

Non monogamy is very common in the gay community. Couples switching partners or hooking up with the other's partner in a monogamy partnership was more than common most guys confess. My partner & I was already gifted in the early 2000's when we met and had other couple friends who were gifted as well but knew a 4 couples in the neg more monogamy lifestyle. I knew my partner who was a Top but versatile was very active in our open relationship with many men. Before meds like PrEP was available all of those couple were blessed with the gift.

One of the most underrated things is getting fucked, it's been around that long that you know he's going to pop soon, and I'm building towards the finish because I know it's coming, but then in walks another cock and I get super excited all over again. Riding the rollercoaster is amazing. I just never know when the cocks are going to stop.

Chapter 9: Be Careful What You Wish For Helixion Genetics, North Hallway, Building 3, Basement Level 5, Maintenance Area. REDACTED LOCATION. 22:40 MST. 30-Oct-20XX Stag opened the door, and strode into the room, not caring if something unpleasant lurked on the other side of it. He shut the door behind him, and took in the view - the lights were in low-power mode, giving everything a soft blue-grey hue. Half-expected to see a ruined place with blood spatters or blackened walls or his taken comrades in cocoons, or something straight out of a sci-fi film. But the room was quite ordinary, just filled with massive HVAC systems, humming away as they filtered the air, medical equipment, scientific equipment, and resembled a storage room for items that were no longer needed. A hoarder could have put this space together. Then he remembered the mission briefing: this place was originally a bomb shelter, and converted after the Cold War, but the original structure still stood and was built over. In that light, the overall layout of the massive basement did indeed resemble a massive bunker for such a catastrophic event and plenty of space to hold a thundering lot of people. The walls were a pristine white, and for a moment, his heart sank as it dawned on him that he might have got lost again, or chose his path incorrectly. He didn’t know which possibility was worse, but seeing the rapidly transforming Sticks out in the hall was an indication that it must be the right place. Perhaps it was just beyond here. Then Stag noticed how much warmer this room was compared to the hallway, and the almost overpowering scents of sweat and testosterone told him he was on the right trail. The smilers would have chosen someplace warm to hibernate and incubate, somewhere out of the way of main traffic. A logical conclusion. He found a nearby table, and removed all means of defense; he emptied his tranq gun and placed it gently on the table next to a pocket knife and the tin of spray paint. Removing his hat, he ruffled the hair once with his hand, and set down the hat. Stag double-checked that his pockets were empty, and he carefully placed the partially-empty pack of cigarettes in a safe spot with the rest of his possessions. He turned about, and looked for an obvious sign of the creatures. What a creepy-assed liminal space, he thought as he walked, the stark white walls and countless metal pipes almost repeating on themselves in the dimly lit space. This originally large room was divided into several smaller rooms, and Stag poked his head in all of them. One was filled with medical gurneys that had no pads on them; another was stacked to the ceiling with cardboard boxes containing who-knows-what; a third had what looked like a deconstructed medical cart and a stack of hard-backed chairs that had seen better days. Stag decided none of these were important. Finally, a clue appeared: a foam pad tinged with a huge, dark yellow and black stain. It reminded Stag of his teenage years when he would hump his bed pillow; he unloaded so much spunk into it over a year that the pillow turned a nasty yellow color, became hard and crusted, and never came clean. He treasured that thing until his mother discovered it and, disgusted, burned it in their fireplace. Now he held a similar object, and holding it to his nose, the testosterone-laden stench told him he was close. The foam pad was replaced where he found it, and Stag turned his gaze to a discarded metal vent cover. There. Walking over to it, he could barely contain his excitement. He quickly inspected the cover, and located where it came from: a large opening in the wall, presumably for vent installations and maintenance. Climbing through the darker space, he realized he finally hit pay dirt. There, in a corner, lying on the floor, were his comrades, Patch and Pixel, just finishing their metamorphoses. Both were completely naked, and taking in their new surroundings. As soon as he appeared, Pixel looked up at Stag, and grinned, showing his newly-formed teeth for the first time. “Hey, Stag,” Pixel said in a dreamy voice, his voice slurred as he spoke like he’d spent the night behind a bottle of something especially strong. “What’s up? Glaaad you could make it.” A little liquid corruption drooled from his mouth at the end of the sentence. Stag didn’t get to inspect Sticks out in the hall, but Pixel provided enough of a show. His heart raced with excitement, and his dick slowly hardened as he took in the sight. “Pixel! Patch, oh my god,” he said with feigned relief. “We saw what happened on the monitors. You okay, bruh?” Pixel’s blackened eyes looked directly into Stag’s, and didn’t notice the insincerity. “I’mmm terrific. Look, my shoulder’s completely healed.” Pixel pointed at his previously-dislocated shoulder, and sure enough, there was no sign that it was ever damaged. Stag instinctively turned his head to Patch for an answer. “I diii-idn’t do that,” Patch admitted in a dazed voice. “We woke up, and were healed. I’ve never seen a fast recovery like this.” Patch blinked, and after a breath, said, “I feel… different. But in a good way!” “Your…” Stag couldn’t finish the sentence, lest he give away his excitement. So becoming a monster also gives one rapid healing from wounds, he thought. Interesting. Think how useful that would be in the field. Patch would be out of work so fast. “Imagine!” Patch said enthusiastically, his voice thick as he shook it to try and clear his head. “If we could speed up the healing process from wounds… What an incredible lifesaver!” Then he realized his career as a field medic would be over, and he might be forced to take up arms instead of saving lives. A twinge of sadness hit his heart,and he let out a quick sniffle and half sob. “This has always been my worst nightmare – I’ve become a patient.” “Annnnd how do you feel right now?” Pixel asked of him. Patch inhaled slowly, and moved his limbs, taking stock of his surroundings. “Actually? Pretty damn good!” “And…. and we’re still alive!” Patch sighed with relief. “Maybe it won’t be so bad,” he said brightly, smiling drunkenly, a line of drool now going down his chin. “What are you doing here?” Pixel enquired, suddenly sniffing the air around Stag. “You haven’t been attacked by one of those things yet, have you?” “Oh no… I gave them the slip. Can you stand? Let me help you up,” Stag said, piling on the fake concern by offering a hand to Pixel. In an instant, Pixel leapt to his feet, and Patch just after. Stag withdrew his hand, and now could take in their new forms. Their skin had taken on an almost sickly greyish pallor. The iris of their eyes looked odd, beginning to take on an almost golden orange color. The veins on their skin had already begun to stick out slightly as their muscles already appeared slightly more defined. The normally slightly pudgy looking Patch already was looking slimmer. Pixel seemed taller somehow. They both swayed slightly as they adjusted to the multitude of new sensations they were feeling. Both men were breathing slightly faster, and looking down, they noticed that both were sporting massive hard-ons and kept giving each other looks when they thought Stag didn’t notice. The two began to drool as their muscles tensed up in anticipation. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, their fingernails began to lengthen into the claws that the other creatures carried. Stag needed no convincing. He did an about-face, and shouted deeper in the dark room, “Hey, you sick motherfuckers! I wanna talk to your boss. Got a proposition for you!” Patch and Pixel exchanged looks of interest. “You think we could take him?” Patch asked in a whisper that he thought only Pixel could hear. Pixel nodded once silently, but they also wanted to see what Stag was going to do. Turning back to them, Stag stared at them and laughed. “You both are clearly infected… and stupider than I gave you credit for,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Come on, I know that you have to have some real brains running this show,” he yelled out loud. A sudden scream growl echoed out of the dark, and the two suddenly stepped back, as if making way for something revered. From seemingly nowhere, a new creature came into Stag’s sights, climbing along silently on the ceiling. This one was larger than the others: his muscles were denser, his skin was black as night, his mouth and eyes poured corruption in tiny waterfalls. The thing’s claws were slightly longer; a pair of massive horns protruded from its skull, and large curving spikes had emerged from its back. The thing suddenly dropped from the ceiling in a graceful twist, and landed delicately on the open space of the floor a short distance away from Stag. Stag’s breath caught in his throat when the beast stood to full height and began to speak in a deep, resonant voice. “Well, well, well. What have we here?” The creature before him grinned widely, its head cocked to one side and showing an uncountable number of razor sharp teeth, and took two steps forward. All of Stag’s rehearsed speeches suddenly left his brain. He hadn’t expected it to speak so well, looking more monster than human. The scent coming from the big smiler was overpowering, like too much cologne and days of unwash. Since Stag didn’t give an answer, the beast continued. “You do not belong here, soldier. If you came looking for a swift death, you have found it.” “I… er…” Stag stammered, reveling in the beauty of this twisted thing before him. Remembering his purpose, he cleared his throat before trying again. He spat a yellow goober to one side, and said, “Are you the leader? I have something you want.” “I control all and rule all. My brood serves and obeys me fully. What could you possibly have that I ever want or need?” It paused its slow movement forward, glaring at Stag with intense curiosity as a few lesser creatures like the big one entered in behind their boss. “The name’s Stag,” he began, trying to choke down his nervousness. “I came to join you. I saw what you do on security feeds, and…” He let out a shuddering, almost reverent sigh before he continued to speak. “I think it’s beautiful. I want to be part of this.” The die was cast, and there was no turning back. Not now, not ever. The creature’s eyebrows flicked up in interest, its head cocking to the other side as if fascinated. “That is… interesting. Go on.” “As no doubt you’re aware, a military team has infiltrated your base,” Stag began, sensing a little formality and a deft touch would be needed here. Cutting him off, the larger beast suddenly snapped its head back up and began to crouch. A deep almost dangerous growl emitted from it as it replied, “Your presence is noted, your weaknesses observed. If you want a fight, you will only prolong your suffering.” I just knew this infection was intelligent! Pixel thought. It's been watching us since we came in. Stag felt unbalanced again. He struggled to resume his place in his rehearsed oration. “Let me continue. You’ve already taken four of the men on my squad, and besides me, four others still remain… unblemished. A second team will come in for rescue once we are all changed, and your team with ours can take them all. I can give you access to all of them, and you will have an unstoppable army. We could take over the world, and you can have whatever you want.” Stag knew he was lying - he had no intention of giving up his teammates. They’ll all get converted, anyway, eventually. I might be an ass, but I’m not a goddamn traitor. All I want is the upgrade, he thought wickedly. This fucker ain’t getting jack out of me. Patch and Pixel silently exchanged looks of concern that turned to disapproval when they took Stag’s offer at face value. I knew this ass was a sellout! Patch’s mind screamed in anger. But a swift look from the boss quelled that line of thinking. Let him finish. If it’s a trick, he won’t leave this room. Turning back to Stag, the boss weighed the offer, looking up at the ceiling as it turned around for a moment as if in deep thought.. The prospect was appealing, and Stag had put all his cards on the table willingly. Calmly it turned around and glared at him as it replied. “And you want to share in our glorious evolution? Is that right?” “Let me join you, and you will have one more soldier in your cause. I’m a deviant fucker, and can do things you probably don’t want to do yourself. I don’t presume to know your endgame, but I willingly surrender my humanity for this. I am yours to command.” He bowed slightly, attempting to keep the creature in a peaceable mood. Stag felt pretty good about this little show of bravado, but his conscience started telling him, You’re going too far. Stop before you regret this. “Tempting,” the boss said evenly. “But we do not act impulsively. Once you are committed —” Stag seized his buttoned shirt in two hands, and in one swift motion, he ripped it open, scattering buttons everywhere. “Fuck me and find out.” The boss nodded gently with approval three times, then suddenly shot a volley of its venomous spit at Stag’s face. It hit him with a soft ‘splat’, and quickly ran down his face. Stag barely stuck out his tongue to taste it, and the sensation reminded him of bukkake films he watched on occasion. “You will address me as the Alpha, and you have a deal. Welcome, Stag. What wonders we will show you.” The Alpha tilted his head to the right and looked behind Stag to indicate Patch and Pixel. “You two, hold him down. I will do this deed myself.” Perfect, Stag thought just before the chemicals took over. Just the very thing I wanted. Knowing what was coming next, he began to lower himself to the floor, but the sedative worked too quickly on him, and he fell over in an undignified position before he could get on all fours. —------------------ Helixion Genetics, North Hallway, Building 3, Ground Floor. Hallway. REDACTED LOCATION. 22:35 MST. 30-OCT-20XX Step. Step. Step. Keep your wits before you. Everyone’s depending on you. Just keep moving. Zero moved slowly through the corridor, weapon in hand, and always searching for visual and aural clues. So far, the move from the 2nd floor chem lab had been thankfully uneventful. No noise, no people, no creatures. It was as if he was completely alone in the facility, the only sound emanating from the soft tap of every footstep he made, and the occasional gentle whirring of the vents. The isolation and silence with nothing to break up the monotony made the minutes seem like hours, yet Zero pressed himself onward. His goal was the security office - a plan had begun to form in his mind. In war, diversionary tactics are often useful and effective. He wanted to create a diversion for the smilers so his comrades could escape in the opposite direction. Always taking one for the team, eh, Mason? Dammit, I need to retire from this life. Go somewhere sunny. Take in the ocean. Maybe I'll collect starfish and seashells. Get sand in my boots. Settle down with a nice girl. Army provides a nice pension. I can go anywhere. Anywhere but here, anywhere drug lords and terrorists and random chaos don’t exist. There must be such a place. I’ll find it someday. Next week, perhaps. Before he knew it, the door of the security room loomed before him. —----------------------------- Helixion Genetics, Main Corporate Office Building, 4th Floor Security Office. REDACTED LOCATION. 22:38 MST. 30-Oct-20XX “Jeames.” At the sound of his name, the driver for the General rose quickly from his seat on the hard leather couch, instantly ready to serve. “Yes, General Krell?” the man asked, tidying his smart looking suit. “I would like some more coffee,” the older man said, pointing at the unused coffee pot in the corner. “None of that vile liquid, mind you.” “Absolutely, sir, your usual?” the man said, nodding as he pulled out a phone and began tapping away. “That’s all for now,” the older man said, waving a hand negligently in the air. As the driver quickly left the room with efficient grace, General Krell sat alone. The room was thankfully silent again as he began to ponder. Even the regular communications over the secure channels of the soldiers had ceased, and in a fit of anger, he removed the offending earpiece that was tickling the hairs of his ear. Unfortunately, the order to shut off the fire alarms had done little good, and now a small army of fire trucks were sitting at the entrance to the facility, their captain arguing with his staff. Still blind to the majority of the cameras, he flipped through the few he had yet again, yielding nothing of note. As far as he hoped, the mission was still active. But, the lack of any communications from Briggs had become somewhat unnerving. Even that bootlicker Kade had been in total radio silence. He supposed that they could be deep in the bowels of the building, effectively unable to get a signal out. He walked over to the large glass window, overlooking the campus, holding his hand to it and feeling the cool surface under his fingertips, the chill just barely seeping through what was surely a cool autumn evening setting in. Suddenly, he heard a crackle come from the radio, and he quickly stuffed the earpiece back in. He waited a moment, listening for another signal. “Patch… are you….pying…” the sound of Briggs’ concerned voice just barely cutting through the heavy static. “Lockjaw… -ow about y… Zero…. Do you have…. On anyone?” Krell stood still, listening intently. “I… I might have someone, sir. I just made it to the security office on the 1st floor,” the voice said, presumably Zero. “Soldier, this is General Krell,” the older man said, years of command taking over and allowing his voice to carry an air of authority. “Are you able to patch me into the feeds?” “Um… sir…” Zero’s voice said, sounding small and confused. “This is Lieutenant Hawke. I… I don’t know how to do that. The guys who would —” Krell quickly cut him off, annoyed. “That’s an order, soldier,” Krell demanded, slamming his fist on the window. “Surely you’re smart enough to plug a damned USB stick into a computer!” Krell was met with a few moments of silence until another voice cut in. “Just…. I left one on the desk. I forgot it when I got hit in the head,” another voice said. “Oh… yeah. I see it. Let me just barricade this door and-” Zero said, sounding out of breath from exertion. “You can barricade the door after, soldier,” Krell said angrily. “I need eyes on the situation. NOW.” “Belay… order,” Briggs said, the coldness of his voice not being hidden. “He…. no authority in your… Secure the ro-... then get the bastard what he wants.” I knew that fucker was still holding a grudge for the whole Berlin thing, Krell thought to himself, flopping down in the chair in frustration. Unable to do anything, he waited, knowing better than to push his luck. Hopefully the man would establish the link in short order as Krell was left to ponder. Odd as hell the rest of Briggs’ team isn’t answering, he thought to himself, wondering what could be the cause. Suddenly, it hit him. The project. But how? It wasn’t ready like this on my visit last month. Maybe that stupid shit Blaine actually delivered for once. Almost letting out an excited whoop, he watched as a progress bar suddenly popped up on his screen, the link to the security feeds finally coming alive. Quickly scrolling through each feed, Krell suddenly stopped as he saw something flash before one of the cameras. He flipped through more before finally, he saw it. A black hulking creature was slamming its fists on the door, unable to get it to budge. Well I’ll be fucking damned… the dumbshit actually delivered on his promise… Krell thought, a smile creeping across his face. The driver suddenly entered the room, silently placing the hot cup of gourmet coffee on the desk before him. “I’m afraid our schedule has been moved up drastically. I will also require a team to begin extraction. Make it so,” General Krell said, turning his attention back to the monitors, curious as he had now lost sight of a redhead in the lowest level of the building. Flipping through the feeds, he let out a huff of surprise, counting as several more monstrous creatures began to body slam the door on camera. “Better make sure this team is properly equipped,” he said, perturbed as he was finding no further evidence of the tall, lanky redheaded man. “Not what I ordered, but I guess it's better than nothing,” he said, slouching back in the chair. “Tell them to equip the heat vision goggles as well as live ammo. These little demon creatures seem to be packing quite the punch.” “Right away, sir,” Jeames said, quickly tapping more commands on his smartphone as he held the phone to his ear with his left shoulder. “Will that be all, sir?” the smartly dressed driver said, holding his hand to the device’s microphone. “No, leave me be for a while. Let me know when the new extraction team is here,” Krell said, watching the camera intently. The driver disappeared again, as Krell finally forced himself to turn to another feed in search of more information. “This calls for a celebration, I guess,” he said, taking the bottle of scotch he was gifted upon arrival, and pouring a healthy amount into the cup. Shame what’s happening to Briggs’ team, but… as the saying goes, sometimes one must break a few eggs. At least now that thorn in his side would finally get what was coming to him. —---------- Helixion Genetics, South Maintenance Corridor, Building 3, Basement Level 5. Location REDACTED 22:42 MST. 30-Oct-20XX “Hey guys, take a look at this!” Tex said, pointing at an old blueprint sitting on a workbench. “I think we finally have a way out!” Gravestone and Elias walked over to the blueprint in front of Tex, examining it. “This definitely wasn’t on the map we got,” Elias said, pointing to one of the shafts extending out from the boiler section. “But it's not on any of the other maps we found. Are we sure it's even accurate?” “This does seem to be a rather old layout,” Gravestone said, stroking his chin as he pondered. “I mean, it could be someone forgot it on a newer iteration, and it just got left out.” A sudden sound of something falling over in the next room caused the three men to suddenly be on guard, aiming their weapons at the doorway. Silently, they stalked into the next room, the sight of a man crawling on all fours trying to make a fort meeting them. “Oh fuck… it’s Crazy,” Tex blurted out, watching as Jack haphazardly continued building his cardboard fortress. “Got to make a safe room… make it all safe… No monsters getting in here,” Jack muttered to himself, not paying attention to the three men as he worked. “Should we… do something?” Tex said, letting his weapon down as he watched the manic pace at which Jack was stacking the boxes. Pinching his nose, Elias sighed. “Do you want the blame if something happens to him?” Elias said, slowly crouching down, putting his hand on the man's shoulder, causing him to jump. Blinking around, Jack looked at the three men. “Oh, hello again mister soldier man,” Jack said, his eyes darting around the room. “Hi… Jack…” Elias said, looking at him with an almost sad look on his face. This guy really has lost all grip on reality, he thought to himself. “I’m making a safe room to keep all the nasty homo monsters out,” Jack said, turning back to the boxes with renewed energy and working even faster. “But I can only make it big enough for me. If you all help, we can make a really big room to keep them out.” “Why don’t you come with us,” Tex said, talking to him like one would to a 5-year-old. “Wouldn’t you like to get out of here, buddy?” Jack stopped for a second, staring at the three. “We can leave now?” he said, a leery expression on his face. “Is the scary man here?” Jack looked around nervously for Stag’s unfriendly face. “No, he’s gone,” Tex answered quietly, remembering the bump on his head. “Hey… buddy… it’s time to go…” Gravestone said, going along with their logic awkwardly, speaking to him as a child. “You want to go, right?” “Yes please. I wanna go now,” Jack said, smiling and hopping up fast. Elias looked over at Tex, who only shrugged his shoulders. Leading the way, Gravestone grabbed the blueprint as they continued to walk. As the four walked, Jack continued to mutter to himself in a fractured conversation, not making any sense to the other three men. Finally, they found themselves at a chain link framed door, with a rusted sign that said “Maintenance” in fading letters. Slowly, Elias pushed the door open, hearing as it creaked loudly open. Holding his finger up to his lips, Gravestone took point and slowly walked through the pipe and HVAC-filled area, the occasional hissing of steam escaping several pipes as they slowly walked around more and more of the clear slimy-looking puddles. “Fuck, you think this might be their den?” Tex whispered, pointing to the numerous puddles. Elias nodded, thinking exactly the same thing. Fear was quickly pooling in his stomach, as he wondered if they were in fact walking into the belly of the beast. As silently as they could, they slowly explored the large basement, passing various pieces of medical equipment, HVAC units and more boxes. Finally, the team made it to a large rusted-looking door, the sign above clearly stating “Maintenance Tunnel to Building 2 and 4.” Next to it, a green lit numerical keypad sat next to the handle. “Shit… do we have a code?” Tex said, pointing at the keypad. Suddenly, Jack started rocking back and forth on the heels of his feet. “I know it… but… the monsters, they’ll come just like last time…” Jack said, nervously glancing all around. “He likes it down here… him and all the other nasty homo monsters. They like the warm and dark. They were so mean last time.” “He…. who is he… actually, you know what… just give us the code and we’ll keep you safe from him,” Elias said, quickly deciding to not overtax the already frail mind of Jack. “1, 2, 3, 4….” Jack said, rocking back and forth, hugging himself as he spoke in a sing-song-like tone. “5, 6, 7, 8… 1, 2, 3, 4… 5, 6, 7, 8…” “So much for that idea,” Tex sighed, shaking his head. “Fucking guy is truly looney tunes.” Elias slowly watched Jack to continue counting out loud, deciding to give the numbers a try. Firmly pressing 12345678, he almost laughed at the sheer stupidity of the code. “No fucking way…” Tex said, shocked as the indicator light turned from red to green. “Seriously… that's the code?” Pulling on the handle, Elias frowned as the rusted frame barely budged. Suddenly, a loud screech overhead broke the calmness of the basement as Zero’s voice broke out over the speaker. “Black Sigma, this is Zero in the security room. The primary liquidation team has just entered the building and will be at your location in five minutes. Repeat, the primary liquidation team is in the building.” Suddenly, multiple scream growls broke the relative silence of the basement. “NOOOOO NO NO NO NO!!!” Jack suddenly started screaming, clawing away as Tex tried to grab him. “I DON’T WANT THE SLIME! I DON’T WANT TO SEE HIM!” Several creatures came lumbering out of the room they had just checked, sniffing the air and looking around. Suddenly, three of the group of monsters turned and faced the soldiers, smiling and baring their sharp teeth. They almost seemed to chuckle as Jack suddenly ran at them, quickly pushing past the monsters as he ran away. Two of them gave chase after Jack and vanished from sight. “Shit!” Gravestone yelled, taking a defensive stance and pointing his weapon at the nearest monster. “You guys get the door open! I’ll cover you and get Zero.” Gravestone quickly put a tranquilizer into the nearest monster. For a moment, the team thought he was successful as the monster staggered, and gave a quick sleepy shake of its head. However, their hopes were quickly dashed as the monster simply looked down and calmly pulled the dart out of its chest, leaving a trail of thick black liquid dripping down its chest. It wiped the liquid away with its hand, before it looked back up at the men and seemed to smile even wider, drool pouring out of its mouth. It threw the dart away, and hissed at him. Turning around, Tex frantically began to tug at the door, slowly budging it an inch more open as air from the hallway rushed around the frame. The smiler calmly walked up to Gravestone, who tried to raise his gun to defend himself. Taking a massive swing, the monster slammed the man across the room, his head hitting one of the metal air vents with a solid thunk. “Commander!” Elias yelled, reaching out and trying to grab for the man, watching the entire scene in horror. Suddenly, Tex was finally able to fully open the door, pulling it open with a resounding metallic slam. Grabbing Elias, he pulled him away as the monster’s claws sliced through the cloth of Elias’ jacket, causing him to scream out in pain. Pulling the both of them as hard as he could, he grabbed the heavy door behind them, slamming it shut as the the monsters began to bang hard on the other side. Both men doubled over in shocked silence, their gasps hard and fast as they looked at the door in horror and astonishment. —------------- Helixion Genetics, South Maintenance Corridor, Building 3, Basement Level 5. REDACTED LOCATION. 23:20 MST. 30-Oct-20XX Slowly, Stag woke up, feeling somewhat groggy as the effects of the saliva finally wore off. An intense pain in the ass was the first thing he noticed. Looking behind him, he watched as the Alpha smiled down at him, slamming hard and fast inside of his ass. His arms were pinned to the floor making a T-shape by Patch on one side, and Pixel on the other. He instinctively tried to press himself up, but their grip was too strong, and he found he couldn’t move an inch. “Wakey, wakey… pretty boy…” the Alpha said, grunting as he continued to slam hard and fast in Stag’s ass. Stag groaned in pain and pleasure as his abdomen cramped up, feeling full of liquid like someone was flooding his insides. “Time for a second round,” the Alpha growled out, as a sharp pinching sensation shot through Stag’s core, forcing him to gasp out in pain and pleasure as he felt the infection start to take hold. Looking to one side at his hand, he watched as his veins plumped and skin already started to take on the sickly grey pallor. A euphoric smile spread across Stag's face, feeling the sudden rush as he felt his heart begin to race, and the room took on a hazy glow. Satisfied, the Alpha withdrew from Stag’s ass, leaving a gaping hole in its absence as a pool of thick black cum slowly drooled out of Stag’s ass. His comrades released him, and made space for the Alpha. Reaching back, Stag felt his hole, smiling as he brought his fingers to his lips and sucked them clean. The act surprised him, and left him wondering what had compelled him to do this. It had never previously occurred to him to taste the juices. Looking up, he watched as the Alpha spoke to a group of the creatures, unable to make out what they were saying in his muddled state of mind. The Alpha suddenly turned around and pulled Stag by the chin, licking his face with its large forked tongue before shoving it into his mouth. Stag again was surprised to find himself enjoying the feeling, rubbing his tongue alongside the Alpha’s. The taste was slightly metallic, and Stag couldn’t drink enough of the fluid as it transferred mouths. He would now be tasting this for a lifetime. “Hope you enjoy the ride, boy… The infection is going to set in fast this way,” the creature growled, suddenly releasing its grip on his chin as it walked away. “Just remember, this is what you asked for. And remember our deal. I expect you to come through.” Stag frowned at the parting words, when the group of smilers suddenly walked over and one knelt down, roughly shoving its glistening black cock deep inside Stag’s already brutalized guts without any words. Letting out a scream, Stag fought back tears as the monster quickly got to work.

Chapter 8: Zero Hour Helixion Genetics, South Passage, Ground Floor. Building 3. REDACTED LOCATION. 22:30 MST. 30-Oct-20XX “Man, this hallway goes on forever,” Elias complained aloud. “There better be cheese at the end of this maze!” Navigating all the twisting corridors in the dark hadn’t been a fun experience for either him or Gravestone. Twice he nearly walked into a wall that he didn’t expect to find there, prompting Gravestone to remark, “Careful, there, soldier. Wouldn’t want to have to carry you out of here.” “Hardy-har,” Elias responded with sarcasm to cover his embarrassment. “Let me look at the map.” Gravestone handed the single sheet of paper to him silently, and began to examine a plaque on the wall while Elias inspected the map. After a quick scan, he shined his field light down the hall they just came through. “We just went through there, and if I’m reading this right, the map indicates a left turn from here. Do you see a left turn ahead?” Gravestone turned his light ahead in that direction, and quickly found the corner. “Yup. Right… er, left here.” His beam hit the unremarkable wall. “Okay, then the security room should be at the end of the hall. Tex and Stag should have got access to the cameras by now.” The walk through the hall was uneventful, and both men kept silent as they proceeded. The only sound was the soft clip of their tactical boots. Elias was grateful that the annoying alarm had ceased, and he inwardly prayed that it stopped because Tex or Stag found a switch in the security room. Finally reaching the door to the room, both men stopped suddenly. Elias sniffed the air, and said, “Smell that?” “Someone’s been smoking, right here.” He pointed his light at the floor, and immediately found a cigarette butt, smashed from what looked like a boot print. “And here’s the evidence.” He bent over and picked it up, and after a quick examination, said, “This is that brand that Stag likes.” He threw it back on the floor with contempt. “I’d like a smoke right now, but that guy seriously has no respect for protocol.” Gravestone stood at full height. “Remind me to chew him out for it later.” Elias nodded twice, and then tried the door. To his surprise, the knob turned easily, indicating that it wasn’t locked. He pushed the door open quickly, and was surprised to find Tex lying on the floor, and the contents of the trash can strewn about him. “Shit, Toby!” Elias rushed to him, and knelt beside him. Gravestone entered the room, joining Elias over Tex’s slumped form. “Damn it! Please tell me he’s still alive,” Gravestone said, watching as Elias held two fingers to Tex’s neck. “Yep. I think he was just knocked out,” Elias replied, rolling the man over and looking around for any injuries. Gravestone then walked over to the bay of monitors. “Good, try to get him back with us while I take a look. This gives us access to the whole building,” Gravestone said, looking at the various feeds, trying to get a bit of situational awareness. “Wake up, buddy.” Elias removed the wads of paper and food wrappers from around his friend, and gently slapped his face once or twice. Tex came to, with a start. “Wha…” He groaned at once, and put his hand to the back of his head where Stag had struck him. “What the hell happened to you?” Elias asked him. “It was Stag. Sick twisted fuck knocked me out,” he said as he pushed himself up to sitting while nursing his wounded head, hissing as he touched the back of his head. “Damn…. That hurts.” “Why would he do that?” Gravestone asked with a touch of anger in his voice. “No idea. We were watching the monitors, and… oh, shit… They got Patch and Pixel,” Tex said with irritation. “Who is ‘they’?” Gravestone demanded. “Who got Patch and Pixel?” Tex hesitated, then exhaled loudly. “We were watching the monitors when we saw this… huge thing chasing them and Zero.” He kept blinking as he remembered witnessing the awful event. “They tried to barricade in an office, and the thing broke the door down when those alarms went off. It was like a man possessed, only it wasn’t a man. Or I don’t think it was. It … looked like…” Tex’s breath started coming shorter as he tried to find the right words to accurately convey what he saw. Elias and Gravestone exchanged intense looks of concern, and then returned their gaze to Tex. “What? What did it look like?” Gravestone asked impatiently. “I can’t begin to describe it,” Tex finally said. “It was black, and big, and of monstrous size, I mean, it looked human-shaped but didn’t, and it hurt them, and sliced their clothes. Then another one came in, and they started…” Tex struggled to find the right word here. “The creatures got Patch and Pixel naked, and they raped them.” “Oh my god…” Elias whispered, drawing a hand to his lips. Gravestone’s face pinched while he processed the fact. “Wh… why the hell would they do that?” “It was terrible,” Tex choked out. “And then a third one came in, but I guess Zero hid somewhere, and it didn’t find him. But it left, and then the things carried our guys away. I think maybe they’re dead, they weren’t moving and I don't see how they could have survived that.” Tex’s voice trailed off. Elias and Gravestone shot looks of puzzlement at each other. Gravestone turned back to the monitors. “God damn it! Show us which room. Where did this happen?” Gravestone asked, eyes never leaving the array of screens. Tex stood to his feet, and hobbled over to the displays. It didn’t take him an instant to find the one he wanted. “There. This room,” he said, pointing. “And look – oh thank god, Zero’s still there!” “Guy’s probably freaking out,” Elias said. He activated his earpiece. “Zero, come in.” The figure on the monitor raised his head at the call, and leapt to his feet. “Z-z-zero here,” he answered in a broken voice. “Commander, it’s good to hear your voice! Please tell me you guys are safe!” Gravestone also activated his device. “Zero, we’ve found Tex. He saw the whole thing on the monitors in the security office. Are you injured?” “No, sir. I was able to get into the ceiling.” “Did you see what happened?” Gravestone asked, concern in his voice. “Yes, sir. It was brutal. Those… monsters got Pixel. Patch, too.” “We’ve heard,” Elias said. “We’re going to find the security tapes, and have a look for ourselves.” “You… you aren’t doubting me, are you sir?” Zero asked in a hurt voice. “No,” Elias answered gently. “No, Zero, but for our part, we need to see what this was, and maybe fill in some holes in the story. We need to see what you saw.” Zero sighed but with no visible relief. “Understood, sir. I’m… just going to sit here a minute.” Zero resumed his seat on the floor in a position of defeat and what looked like coping. He cradled himself, and started rocking back and forth on the hard office floor. Gravestone looked at Elias, jaw slightly dropped, and eyes full of compassion. “Jesus, he’s starting to shut down mentally. We gotta go get him. Can you handle Tex by yourself?” “I’m fine, guys,” Tex answered. “Just gonna have a nasty bump for a few days.” “Any idea where Stag is?” Elias asked, “I want to give that fucker a piece of my mind.” “Screw him,” Tex said. “Like I was telling you, we were watching that crazy scene, and I went to throw up. When I came up for air, I noticed him… I dunno, maybe touching himself. He was clearly getting off on what we watched happen.” Tex shook his head slightly. “He said something really fucking weird, and the guys on base say he’s been off his rocker for a while now. Probably took off on his own. Didn’t exactly say where he was going.” Elias wasn’t terribly surprised. With all the venomous remarks and ambivalence toward the mission thus far tonight, he almost expected Stag to do something drastic and stupid to top it all off. “Wait!” Tex suddenly said. “Fuck, I remember now. He said, ‘I can’t have you stopping me’ right before he clocked me. What the fuck did he mean by that?” “I… think I know,” Gravestone answered gravely. He pointed at another monitor. “Take a look. Down in the basement here.” The three of them watched the CCTV as they saw Stag walking by himself, confidently, and almost strutting from one end of the screen to the other and out of sight. Elias consulted the map. “What the hell is he down there for? There’s nothing down there but a maintenance shaft.” Tex looked at Elias quizzically. “If he wanted to bolt,” Elias continued, “he’s going in the wrong direction.” “Dammit…” Gravestone said with irritation. He put his hand to his earpiece. “Stag, come in.” In another monitor, they could see Stag remove his own earpiece, drop it on the floor, and crush it beneath his boot. He then found the nearest camera, and flipped them the bird before walking off screen again. Elias’s jaw dropped open in shock. “Yep… leave him, he’s gone,” Gravestone said, pursing his lips tightly. “I hope the monsters get him, the reckless bastard. I’m done trying with him. One less psycho in the world.” Tex and Elias expressed silent surprise that their commander would so easily cast off one of the team without a moment’s hesitation. “Where are the others?” Gravestone again put his hand to his earpiece. “Patch, give your location.” No reply. “Lockjaw, what’s your status?” No reply again. Gravestone looked at the others. “Why is no one answering?” Tex shrugged. “Remember when Sticks stopped responding? Maybe this whole place is full of dead zones.” Gravestone put his tongue between his teeth with frustration and shook his head, but said nothing. “Seriously, fuck this place.” Elias continued to check various monitors. “Hey, guys, I don’t see Lockjaw or Sticks anywhere on these feeds, either.” Gravestone silently looked at the screens, inspecting each one, and hoping he’d see them somewhere. “See? Here’s where the fire door came down on the Major, and he’s not there. Shit, we told him to stay put!” Elias slammed his fist down on the panel, and it gave a small electrical buzz in response. “If they ran into those things that took Patch and Pixel,” Gravestone began in a dark tone, “then they’re probably gone, too. Fuck! That’s almost half the squad.” He sighed, shut his eyes, and silently wished he was somewhere else. This can’t be happening. “Zero, how are you doing?” Elias asked. It took a minute to get a response, but Zero finally answered, “I’m holed up here. Those things are still out there. You guys can’t risk getting caught, too. Get out of here, and get help. Reinforcements. Something.” Tex and Elias and Gravestone all exchanged looks again. “No, soldier. Stay put, we’re coming to get you.” “No, sir! I’m telling you, it’s too risky,” Zero answered back. “I’ll buy you some time. I just… need a minute. Give me a second to think.” “This night just keeps getting better and better,” Tex said sarcastically, finally finding his glasses in the bottom of the trash, a large piece of uneaten banana stuck to one of the lenses. Elias looked around the control panel, searching for something that would indicate a playback of the assault on Patch and Pixel. After pressing a few buttons at a static monitor, he cued the footage to a guesstimate of when the event occurred. With singular luck, the video feed showed the exact moment when the third creature left the room in frustration. Elias and Gravestone watched in blank surprise as they got their first look at the monsters that attacked their teammates. —-------------- Helixion Genetics, East Hallway, Building 3, 2nd Floor Chemicals Lab. Office, Site of the Double Assault. REDACTED LOCATION. 22:32 MST Zero sat in a crumpled mess, attempting to smack the demons out of his head. He kept replaying the horrific sequence of events: the running down the hall, the attempt to keep the beast out, the view of the double rape from the ceiling. His mind screamed in terror. Each time he replayed it in his head, he invented a thousand and one scenarios where something might have been different and resulted in a different outcome. But none of them convinced him that he didn’t see it, and the images would be burned into his memory for the rest of his life. He removed his earpiece, and placed it on the floor. No distractions. Taking several deep calming breaths, he tried to meditate. His mind went back to the first mission he’d ever been on: a simple mission to free some hostages from one of the nameless cartels in the region. A set of twin siblings, one male and one female. Apparently the drug lord had taken a liking to twins as of late, and the two had been pulled from their family, children of the American ambassador, in the dead of night two months prior. He’d been tasked with helping extract them. They’d almost made it out of the compound when the brother had been shot, his sister screaming in agony at the site of her twin lying in a quickly growing pool of her own blood. In an instant, she snapped and went running out into the courtyard, armed only with a blunt piece of wood. Before Zero could do anything, she was gunned down, landing just within arms reach. Before Zero could escape, he was caught by the cartel’s men. Over the week he spent in captivity, he’d endured nearly every form of torture they could think of, before their leader decided it would be a perfect time to have his way with him. Zero had been worn down and was nearly ready to lay back and let it happen when his team finally came in and rescued him. Zero covered his face with his hands and wept uncontrollably. This whole thing was a picnic compared to that. But, every time he thought back to what he witnessed, he was somehow transported back to that fateful night just before he was rescued. Smacking the side of his head one more time, he took several deep breaths and put the radio back in his ear. He had promised to cover his comrades while they escaped the facility, and this time, he would not fail. He wiped his face with one hand, checked his pistol, and resettled his uniform. After a deep inhalation, he went to the doorway, and boldly walked out with a false confidence he knew he didn’t feel. —------------ Helixion Genetics, North Hallway, Building 3, Basement. REDACTED LOCATION. 22:30 MST. 30-Oct-20XX “Baby…,” Lockjaw struggled to say, the saliva gurgling around in his mouth before he could finally spit it out. “What are you doing?” He continued to try spitting out the disgusting concoction that Sticks was now dribbling into his mouth. “Shhhh, it’s okay,” Sticks answered in a sickeningly sweet voice. “You’ll be okay, I promise. It’ll only hurt at first, but once you give yourself over to it, you’ll forget aaaall about the pain. On the other end is nothing but pleasure.” Lockjaw had to admit that the situation was incredibly kinky. In all their prior sexcapades, Sticks had never done anything like this. Lockjaw was always the top, and Sticks was his bottom. Now the roles were reversed, and Lockjaw felt uncomfortable with the unexpected shift in their dynamic. “Give…over…to what?” Lockjaw answered with trepidation, his mind swimming and he tried desperately to focus. Slowly, Sticks began to undress him, unbuttoning his pants and pulling them down with surprising strength. Roughly, he ripped off Lockjaw’s shirt, exposing his hairy chest. Playfully, Sticks ran his tongue up his chest in one long lick, before biting down hard on his left nipple. Lockjaw let out a loud groan, looking down and seeing a deep bruise already forming around the tender flesh. “To everything I want to give you, baby,” Sticks said, running his hands up and down Lockjaw’s chest. “You want it, right?” “Wh…. what are you wanting to give me…” Lockjaw said, shaking his head as the world around him bloomed in technicolor, his brain struggling to process everything. “I want to make us one…” Sticks said, hurriedly untying the man’s boots and ripping them off, quickly followed by the socks. “You want that, don’t you? You want to be mine forever, right?” Suddenly, Lockjaw gave a pained gasp as Sticks began to pull harshly on his balls, before diving deeply on his cock. Never before had the smaller man been able to deep throat him like this, always gagging at the last second. Now, it was almost like Sticks was a starved man, his teeth scraping the skin of his cock and he tried to swallow him whole. Finally pulling away, Lockjaw couldn’t help but moan, the cool air of the corridor causing his cock to throb. Sticks quickly pushed his legs over his head, sniffing and rubbing his face around in Lockjaw’s ass. “I want us to be together forever,” Sticks said, pulling back and staring almost feverishly at Lockjaw. “Tell me you’re ready for it.” “Ready for what,” Lockjaw said drunkenly, the chemicals making his mind feel like it was actually melting out of his ears, making it nearly impossible to focus on anything as his own body began to feel hot and flush. Sticks repositioned himself in reply, and then suddenly thrust his engorged, monstrous penis into Lockjaw’s rectum. “This!” Lockjaw gasped sharply as he felt the intrusion. It was larger than he remembered. For a split second, he thought Sticks might be using something as a dildo, because Sticks was never this thick or this rough. The texture of his member felt wrong, almost like the wooden leg from a piece of furniture. In that same instant, Lockjaw’s vision blacked out and came right back into focus. The mucus was working its magic, and seeping deeper and deeper into the brain. His vision swam, and the room fell into a slow, heavy spin. As Sticks continued thrusting in and out, Lockjaw swore he could barely make out the sound of approaching footsteps. They sounded like boots, and he feared discovery in this most compromising of positions. The boots stopped suddenly, and after a few seconds, the sound began again but receded, and he relaxed once again. In and out and in and out, Sticks worked himself up, and made sure that his partner was enjoying every single ministration. Lockjaw’s head lolled to one side, then suddenly rolled to the other as he relished the assault on his sphincter. He knew he would have trouble walking in the morning, but he didn’t care. This felt so good, so amazing. Everything in the world suddenly made sense. Stars occasionally came into view and burst as fast as they appeared across his vision. Why hadn’t he ever asked Sticks to top before? Probably his own impressive phallus consigned Sticks to an eternal bottom role, and Lockjaw was too happy to oblige. No longer though, he thought to himself. “You like this bigger dick, don’t you, Adrian,” Sticks hissed seductively. “It’s tearing you apart, making you miiiine forever. You - you will love this feeling as m-much as I do. God, your hole is like velvet!” Sticks’s breathing started coming heavier and faster and shorter. Lockjaw knew he was getting close, and his own prick had swelled to full size. He tried to move his hand down toward it to stroke himself, but Sticks had him pinned. Movement in any direction would require more effort than he could muster at the moment, and he didn’t want Sticks to stop ravaging him, either. The speed increased; the green hair flopped all about; the thrusts became shorter but more forcefully. Finally, Sticks shot his first toxic load into Lockjaw, and let out a terrifying howl of satisfaction. It was a sound Lockjaw would never forget; a bestial, feral roar that distorted the very fabric of reality. His body spasmed in response, but he didn’t feel that he had begun to leak his own cum during the copulation. It flowed out gently like a quiet stream in the woods, and dribbled slowly, coating both of them in his natural juices. Sticks stuck out his split tongue, and lapped it up, all the while keeping eye contact with his lover. He wanted him to see that he enjoyed the fluid, and was tasting his first meal since his conversion. “Welcome to my dark side,” Sticks said just before Lockjaw collapsed with exhaustion and into unconsciousness. “You. Are. MINE.” He bit his lover gently on the neck, making a miniscule puncture, blood barely beading on the surface. He didn’t know why he did this, but part of him knew that now Lockjaw would have another distinctive scar. Sticks cradled him, and just sat with him, his cock continuing to pump more and more of the black cum inside. —------------ Helixion Genetics, North Hallway, Building 3, Ground Floor. West Corridor. REDACTED location. 22:30 MST. 30-Oct-20XX Stag continued his cocky walk, not caring if anything surprised him from the shadows. He had got lost three times along the way, and kept finding himself back in the lobby of Helixion Genetics. After the third attempt, he opened a pocket in his shirt, and removed a tiny can of spray paint. He marked a large blue X on the paths he had already taken, and by process of elimination, he saw the one way he hadn’t gone. He was now on that path, and so far, he hadn’t returned to the lobby by surprise. He was confident - perhaps overconfident - that this was the right way toward a night of evil revelry. What do you think you're doing, Bryce? You're not gay. Fags are sick, twisted things. His internal voice was trying to protect him from the impending danger of the situation. But the devil on his shoulder also whispered to him. Oh yes, you are. You wouldn't have come down here otherwise. And you yourself are a sick, twisted thing. Remember that guy who spurned you just when you started to accept it? Stag remembered the beautiful man, wistfully, and a smile spread over his face at the memory. Then it turned to a scowl as he recalled the rejection. I'll show YOU who's not good enough! Oh, yes, that guy will get — His earpiece suddenly demanded that he respond to his comms, so he swiftly removed it, and crushed it beneath his boot. He passed a security camera on the way, and flipped it the bird, not caring if Tex or his superiors or anyone else was watching. Stag made no effort to stop in any of the rooms, or make any detours, but like a man on a mission, he made a beeline from one end of the hall to the other. Finally, he found the stairs leading down into the basement, and casually looked over the rail. Humming happily to himself, he pulled out another cigarette, lighting it up and smiling before bouncing down each step. At last, he reached the bottom, and opened the door, wandering aimlessly until he reached the corridor he had briefly seen Sticks leading Lockjaw down. This has to be the place, he said to himself, smiling as he watched as Sticks continue to pound Lockjaw’s ass without abandon, the older man’s face rolling around in sheer bliss. A part of him wondered if it truly felt as amazing as it looked. Briefly, he took in the smaller man’s appearance. He had a feeling Sticks might be gay, but the Major? He was a man’s man. Apparently so, he chucked to himself. And now he’s the little twerp’s bitch. Stag stood still for a moment, and quietly observed. He could make out the altered features of Sticks, and it piqued his interest. Is this what I can look forward to? He smirked, and forced himself to stay quiet, a monumental task. Better to not interrupt their mating. Who knew if these things could get violent, and how much stronger their aggressions would be? The improved size of Sticks, and the sharpness of the teeth were what fascinated him the most, so he regretted he couldn’t inspect these features a little more closely. He calmly walked past, neither man paying him any attention as he strode along, before finally reaching the end of the corridor, and what he presumed might be where the smilers are holed up. He threw his cigarette on the ground, and extinguished it with his boot. Opening the door, he was greeted by what he’d been looking for. The monster’s den.

Chapter 7: Darkness Unbound Helixion Genetics, North Hallway, Building 3, Ground Floor. REDACTED LOCATION. 22:00 MST. 30-OCT-20XX “That….. That’s his sock…” Lockjaw said, pointing down at the ground as Elias and Gravestone came up beside him. “He had them on this morning and… Why is his sock here?” Elias and Gravestone looked around, hoping to possibly find any other signs of the missing soldier around before Elias finally noticed the large puddle of clear liquid shining in the dim light of the hallway. Lockjaw picked up the sock, and found it sopping wet, covered in the same slimy residue that the team found earlier. His head was filled with new, confused questions. “Commander, over there,” he said, pointing at the end of the hall. “There’s another puddle of that liquid.” Suddenly, Lockjaw broke out into a sprint, running down the hall. “Sticks, are you down here?!” he frantically yelled, giving just a passive glance into the various rooms. “Please, just call out so I know you’re here!” “Shit, Lockjaw, get back here, we still need to clear the rest of the floor!” Gravestone yelled, as the two broke out into a run, trying to take off after him. “Lockjaw, stop man, we will find him, just hold on,” Elias yelled, holding his gun loosely at the ready, unnerved at the lack of response. Lockjaw rounded the corner, quickly vanishing from their sight. His boots echoed ominously down the hall. “God damn it, this is turning into a real problem fast,” Gravestone said, keeping pace with Elias as they both tried to follow, unable to close the distance as Lockjaw frantically continued his search. “I’m going to have to address this as soon as we finish the mission.” “I’d say give the guy a break, but yeah… this is totally against protocol,” Elias said. “He’s starting to lose it, sir.” They continued their chase, rounding the next corner. To their horror, more and more puddles of clear liquid dotted the floor. Suddenly, they both watched as Lockjaw’s step faltered, slipping in one of the puddles and sending him careening into the wall in front of him. Crashing to a stop, his hand accidentally slammed down on the large red fire alarm, catching the pull in the process. Immediately, a large metal shutter slammed down between the two men and Lockjaw, and the lights flickered off, the only light coming from the now flashing red lights over the doors. The dim light was occasionally pierced with a regular strobe of light. The hallway was suddenly flooded with the sound of the fire alarm blaring, three short chirping klaxons repeating over and over. Finally making it to the metal rolling door, Elias began trying to pull up on it, frustrated when he was unable to make it budge. “Lockjaw, can you hear me?” Gravestone yelled, pounding his fist on the metal door. “Are you okay?” Finally, they saw the door getting banged on in return. “Shit… sorry Commander, I-I didn’t mean to slip,” Lockjaw replied, his voice muffled behind the door. “I can’t get the door to open.” “Just… stay there while we figure out how to get it open for you,” Gravestone replied, his voice louder than usual as he tried to raise it above the alarm. Looking around, he scrubbed his hand over his face in frustration. “Kade… any ideas?” “Um… I think maybe the security office might have an override?” Elias replied in a near yell, putting his hands on his hips as he looked around. “Good idea. Lockjaw!” Gravestone yelled, putting one of his fingers in his ears from the loud noise. “We’re going to reset the alarm and see how we get you out of there. Stay put!” Quickly the two men pulled out their flashlights, cutting into the darkness. They slowly backtracked to the lobby as they spoke, the sound of the fire alarm dimming the further distance they walked. “Damn it, this day just keeps getting worse,” Gravestone sighed, looking at the map on the wall. “First the survivor and Sticks, now Lockjaw, and we’re walking around in the darkness.” “I’m sorry sir, I should have anticip-” Elias began to apologize before being cut off short. “Don’t. It’s nobody’s fault,” Gravestone said, shaking his head. “You had no way of knowing how everything would turn out. Although I feel like the further we go, the more it seems we weren’t given anywhere near all the information. You know what I mean?” “I…. yeah…” Elias replied, seeing the commander’s point. “Nothing is really making sense so far tonight. The mission brief was pretty clear that this was just a simple in and out, information and survivor extraction.” “Exactly, and knowing General Krell, the fucker has decided to keep up out of the loop for his own benefit,” Gravestone said, slamming his fist on the wall before waling down the hall. “Just like Berlin all over again.” “What exactly happened in Berlin?” Elias said, looking over at Gravestone briefly as they walked down the hall towards the stairwell. “I’ve heard bits and pieces, but everyone seems pretty tight-lipped.” “Krell was the one who approved the lab to make the virus that almost wiped out the city,” Gravestone explained as they walked. “He sold it to the upper brass as a global safety concern, found a way to protect the general public from the Marburg-Lyssa variant, and hired a genetics lab there to help develop a vaccine. Got billions to spend towards it after that outbreak a few years ago down in Uganda.” Opening the door to the stairwell, Elias entered, holding the door behind him to let Gravestone through as he continued speaking. “Turns out, the lab they were using wasn’t anywhere near equipped to handle working with the virus, and instead of creating a vaccine, they made it airborne. A sample got out and was infecting people like wildfire. Krell ordered a part of the city to be firebombed in an effort to sweep it all under the rug. Actually tried to blame our team for the bombing, saying we went rogue. Congress found out, and in an effort to save face, decided to force him into retirement instead of the backlash of the US losing total control of the situation.” “Jesus… that was him?” Elias said, opening the door to the lobby as he continued. “I thought that was just a random outbreak.” “That’s the story the general public got. Personally, I think Krell might have been pocketing some of the funds. Guy always seems to have his hand in these company’s pockets. But never got anything concrete,” Gravestone continued, looking again at the map. “This way to security. Needless to say, I don’t trust Krell in the slightest. And neither should you.” —----------------- Helixion Genetics, Corporate Office Building, Temporary Security Room, Fourth Floor. REDACTED LOCATION. 22:02 MST. 30-OCT-20XX An alert popped up on the General’s laptop. “Fire alarm triggered, building 3, corridor 7, basement level 1.” General Krell sat up straight in his chair, startled by the pop-up. He tried to listen closely, but the alarm couldn’t be heard from his secure room. He instantly rose, and went to the window, expecting to see the entire facility going up in flames. What met his gaze was the silence of night, and no burning buildings in sight. Apart from the blinking lights that could be seen inside a well-placed window with a view, nothing about Building 3 seemed out of the ordinary. “Dammit,” the General swore. “What are they doing over there? This was supposed to be a covert operation!” His fist came down on the windowsill, producing a dull thud that hardly did justice to his frustration. He instantly pulled out his mobile phone, selected a number from the speed dial, and held the device to his ear. “Yeah, it’s the General,” he said hurriedly. “The fire alarm in Building Three has been set off. Intercept the emergency response call, and tell them not to come.” Pause. “Yes, understood. There is no visible fire from outside, but the built-in containment system should be able to handle it.” Another pause while he listened. Then he moved back to his computer, and sat down. “I’ve got it here.” The person on the other end gave him instructions, and he began to type with both hands while holding the phone between his left shoulder and his ear. “I don’t have eyes inside yet, but heat sensors show absolutely nothing. So there probably is no fire.” Taking the phone back in his right hand, he continued to listen. “That’s right. See to it.” He closed the phone, and exhaled loudly through his nose. “Black Sigma, don’t fuck this up. I will not be disgraced again.” —------------ Helixion Genetics, North Hallway, Building 3, Basement Level 1. Opposite side of the metal shutter. REDACTED LOCATION. 22:00 MST. 30-OCT-20XX. Lockjaw began to panic. Try as he might, the door wouldn’t go back up. In his mind, he envisioned coming out the other side through another room, and wouldn’t Reaper and Gravestone be surprised? Then they could resume looking for Sticks, and all would be well again. He put his back against a wall, and slid down in defeat. He began to imagine the worst: that other metal doors came down in other parts of the facility and Sticks had been unlucky enough to be pinned beneath one of them; that he would be trapped in this strange place for days without food or sight of any soul; that he would search endlessly for Sticks and never find him. Then came the self-reproach. “I never should have left his side, not for an instant,” he whimpered. “I was so stupid to go off in a panic. Sticks, you idiot, why couldn’t you have waited for backup? Why did I let him put me on point like that?” Then he spoke aloud in a mocking voice, trying to imitate Gravestone. “Uh, no sense in taking risks! Lockjaw, you’re on point! Go fetch your stick! Ha!” Then in a normal voice, “Shit, I gotta get out of here. Sorry, commander, I can’t wait for you.” Lockjaw stood to his feet, brushed his pants with his hands, and wiped his face. He looked at the door accusingly, then down the rest of the hall. The blinking lights and the alarm were annoying, and he was grateful when they suddenly stopped. But the absence of the lights plunged the hall into near darkness, and his eyes could see little spots where the lights had previously been flashing. It was disorienting, so he waited until his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He felt in his utility belt for his field light when he discovered the slot where it ought to be was empty. “Shit!” Then he remembered it flying out of his hand when he fell, and skittering across the floor away from him as the metal door came down. In the near darkness, he was able to make out movement some distance away. It crossed the hall from the left side to the right and disappeared. Might be two rooms over, possibly three or more. But it was enough to make Lockjaw curious. “Sticks? Is that you? It’s me.” He slowly moved down the corridor toward where he saw the movement, listening intently, and moving almost noiselessly, fearing that any sound he made would cause him to miss what he longed to hear. —---------------- Helixion Genetics, East Hallway, Building 3, Ground Floor. Security Room. REDACTED LOCATION. 22:04 MST. 30-OCT-20XX Tex recoiled from the monitor in abject horror. “Oh…. oh god…” he said above a whisper. “I think I’m gonna be sick.” He moved to a nearby trash can, and proceeded to dry heave over it. “Pussy. You ain’t got the stomach for this,” Stag said. He turned back to the monitor. The room they were viewing was now emptied of its occupants, save for the figure that slowly descended from the ceiling. Stag could tell by the figure’s movements that it was Zero. He didn’t have to see Zero’s face to know he was probably traumatized by what they just witnessed. It was then that Stag noticed he had a massive hard-on. He smirked at the realization that he just watched something truly fucked up, and he adjusted himself from outside his pants. Better than any of the wildest porn I’ve got at home! Fuck, that was wicked. Whatever those things were… they were beautiful. Then a new thought sparked in his head, and went into full bloom almost at once. I want to join in the fun. Stag suddenly had butterflies in his stomach while Tex continued to try to empty his to no avail. Stag had an instant to decide: stick to the mission, or go have a little fun. But to do the latter, he’d have to ditch Tex, and now was the best opportunity to do so. Then, for no reason at all, a jingle appeared in his head: In the army or the navy, ‘tis the same, you know, You must either take your chances, or away they go. It was part of a song in some goofy musical that he was dragged to on a date, and he was never able to forget it. Taking this as inspiration, he removed his service revolver from its holster, and turned it over in his hand. He held the gun backwards, the handle protruding. He took a couple steps over toward Tex, who was still bent over the trash can, much like an undergrad who drank too much on spring break would be found perched over a toilet bowl. Frustratingly, Tex lifted his head, coming almost face to face with Stag’s still hard and throbbing cock. “What the hell, man?” Tex backing away slightly. “Are you fucking hard right now?! You’re fucking sick…” “Sorry, buddy, but I can’t have you stopping me,” Stag said with a very slight twinge of fear for what he was about to do. Before Tex could react, Stag struck him over the back of the head with the revolver, and knocked him out cold. Tex fell face first into the can, which then fell over with a metallic clatter. Stag let out a sigh, surprised that he got it on the first try. Before he decided on senseless violence just for kicks, he holstered his weapon, and turned back to the monitors. After a minute of inspection, he found what he wanted, and swiftly let himself out of the security room, leaving an unconscious Tex lying on the floor with his head in a wastebasket. Upon exiting the security office, the alarm abruptly ceased, and the lights stopped flashing. Stag took out his flashlight, and proceeded back up the stairs. He silently prayed that he wouldn’t be spotted by any of his comrades in his flight. Absent-mindedly, he began to whistle the tune he remembered in the security room as continued his ascent. —------------- Helixion Genetics, North Hallway, Building 3, Ground Floor. Accounts receivable. REDACTED LOCATION. 22:15 MST. 30-OCT-20XX. Lockjaw had been resuming his search for his missing partner for only ten or so minutes, but it felt like an eternity. As the minutes passed, several agonizingly slow minutes, his concern began to increase. Sticks had just vanished without a trace. As wild scenarios began to form in his head, he kept reminding himself that it was just his imagination. But where was the thing he saw earlier? Could it have been his mind playing tricks? That he saw something only because he wanted to see it? Reaper told him to stay put, but if Sticks were down here after all, Lockjaw thought it better to find him now. At the very least, it would pass the time, and if he were successful, then he could relax and resume the mission. This was the only thing that kept him going as he continued to check every cubicle, under every desk, and in every room. “Damn, this place is huge,” he muttered. “And it’s just one of the buildings on campus!” He heard a distant, unidentifiable sound, and spun around toward where he thought it came from. “Hello? Sticks?” No answer. “Gravestone? Reaper?” He listened again, and got no reply. He may as well have asked the moon a question. Proceeding a few more stops, something new came into his vision. A boot, size 8. The exact same size as Sticks’s. Lockjaw quickly rushed forward to retrieve it, holding it in both of his hands like a valued treasure. Looking around, he tried to find the source of where it came from, sure that he’d finally found his absent lover. Holding it close to his body, he cradled it for a half a second before holding it away in near disgust. The smell coming from it wasn’t just that of a normal boot, but reeked, making his eyes water. “Jesus… how can it smell so bad?” Lockjaw asked himself out loud, jumping as a giggle in the corner of the room broke the silence. It caused him to drop and completely forget the boot. “Eric? Is that you?” Lockjaw called out, feeling around in the near darkness. “Hiiiiiii Adrian,” Sticks’s voice said, his voice sounding somewhat strange in Lockjaw’s ears. “I got pretty lost, but guess what….” “Where the hell… what happened?” Lockjaw said, finally finding him in the darkness, laying his hands on the smaller man’s shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug. “Oh my god, you have no idea how glad I am that I found you!” Relief washed over him, followed by hope, then confusion, and finally, a resurgence of relief as his heart soared. Yet, questions still plagued him. “I missed you too, Adrian,” the smaller man rubbing his face around on his shirt. “I got sooooo lost. But guess what? I found a way out. Wanna see?” Lockjaw slowly pulled him away from his chest, his brain registering how wet it now felt. Touching one of his hands, he could just make out the shiny slickness on his fingers. Repulsed, he quickly wiped his hands on his pants in disgust. Grabbing his lover’s hand, Lockjaw slowly led him down the hall, stopping finally in front of the dull red glow of the exit sign. Looking down at Sticks, he slowly began to assess the smaller man. In the red glow of the sign, Lockjaw could just barely make out Sticks’s face, grinning almost like a loon, saliva dripping down his face, his pupils almost like two dark pools, sucking in the small amount of light. The smaller man’s flesh, fully exposed as he could now see, was almost feverish to the touch, a slight sheen of sweat covering it. His normally pale skin somehow seemed darker, and his veins seemed almost to stand out harshly. “Did you come in contact with something, baby?” Lockjaw said, running his hands gingerly across his skin, no longer concerned about his own safety from an infection, but instead wanting to find some sort of break in the skin. “Follow me, I want to show you the way out I found…” Sticks said, still grinning profusely, shaking out of the man’s grasp before gripping one of his hands, tugging him down the hall further. “Come with meeee, I want to show you.” At first, Lockjaw followed, unsure what to do as they almost seemed to go deeper into the facility. The two reached a stairwell, going down the stairs as Sticks began to hum a tune that Lockjaw couldn’t identify. Lockjaw began to get unnerved, unsure how Sticks could be so sure of where to go in the near darkness, at how they were going deeper into the building and not up and out. Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore and stopped as they finally reached the bottom of the stairs. “Eric… I don’t think this is the right way… I think we need to go back up and have Patch or Tex take a look at you,” Lockjaw said, feeling more and more concerned that something was wrong, something that he couldn’t quite put a finger on. “NO!” Sticks said, the sudden change in mood causing Lockjaw to try and pull away, shocked at how strong of a grip Sticks had on his hand. Just as suddenly, Sticks’s mood was softer again, smiling and pulling Lockjaw in on a tight hug. “No, baby, I… I’m naked, and I want to show you the way out so I don’t get lost again,” Sticks almost sobbed, the wetness growing again on Lockjaw’s shirt as he spoke. “You don’t want me to get lost again, right?” “Um… Eric… why are you naked?” Lockjaw asked, his head feeling slightly fuzzy as an odd smell began to come off of Sticks. “What happened to you?” Suddenly, Sticks released him and went running through the door, giggling again as he ran. Lockjaw, worried, immediately ran after, trying to keep up. “Wait, stop running. Where are you –” Lockjaw called after, suddenly slipping in a large pool of liquid, the smell coming off Sticks being much stronger in the room they were now in, looking like a long maintenance hallway. Lockjaw fell onto his back, slightly dazed as the wind was knocked out of him. The smell of the hallway was making his head swim as he involuntarily gasped in a deep breath in pain. Suddenly, Sticks was sitting on top of him, almost straddling him as he finally got a good look at his face, the light in the hallway being just a touch lighter than the rest of the basement floors. Sticks’s skin had taken on a sickly shade of grey, his pupils blown wide with an almost orange tinge to his normally green iris. The veins in his skin stuck out, looking almost black under his pasty white skin. It was when Lockjaw looked at Sticks’s teeth that he realized just how odd and wrong everything was. The teeth themselves looked too sharp, like someone had taken a file to his teeth. Foul-smelling drool was dripping profusely out of his mouth, threatening to drip on his face. “Oh my god… Eric, what happened to you…” Lockjaw said in disbelief, unsure what to do as the much smaller man on top of him held him in place with almost an inhuman amount of strength. “Don’t worry, baby,” Sticks said, smiling almost evilly as he cocked his head to the side. “I’m going to make you feel soooo good. Just give in to everything. I have an amazing… gift for you.” The way Sticks said ‘gift’ just now gave Adrian pause. He slightly raised an eyebrow in response. Lockjaw’s attention briefly turned to the scream growl coming down the hall, echoing on the concrete walls. Panicked, he looked back towards Sticks when his face was suddenly covered in a clear sheet of saliva, getting into his eyes and mouth as he accidentally gasped in shock. The entire world was covered in a blur as he felt the spit seeping into his eyes, making them water as his brain began to feel numb. “Shhh…. Just relax and let it take over, baby…” Sticks said, lovingly stroking his hand through Lockjaw’s hair, his face in a harsh grin. “You’re going to feel so good in a few minutes. My new friends are going to be here, and then the reeeeal fun will begin.”

Chapter 6: Secrets That Endanger Us Helixion Genetics, East Hallway, Building 3, Ground Floor Lobby. REDACTED LOCATION. 21:52 MST. 30-OCT-20XX “Maybe we should divide and conquer in teams,” Elias suggested. “The sooner we’re out of here, the better. Something about this whole thing is just giving me a bad feeling.” “It would be a good idea to find security, see if we can locate Sticks through the cameras,” Tex suggested. “And we might avoid a trap if weren't running around in the dark here.” “Agreed. Pixel… Patch… you both go with Zero upstairs and retrieve whatever data you can. Knowing Krell, this is some nasty stuff we’re working with. Tex, you and Stag stay here on the main level, see if you can find a security office and get in there. I know Krell wants eyes on the operation, but we need them more than he does. Reaper, you and Lockjaw are with me on the lower levels.” The men all nodded save for Stag, who had a bitter expression on his face. Quickly, the teams broke apart, and split up. Gravestone continued to issue his orders. “Lockjaw, you’re on point. Reaper and I need to discuss some operational stuff. We’ll be right behind you. Just take it slow, understood soldier?” Lockjaw let out a nervous nod, quickly moving ahead of them and exploring the first floor of the basement. “Think that’s really a wise idea letting him go off alone?” Elais asked, nodding his head at Lockjaw who had already sped ahead of them and entered the room glancing around. “He needs to burn off the anxiety,” Gravestone signed, checking his weapon nonchalantly. “He seems to be taking Barlow's disappearance pretty hard.” “Yeah, I don’t think Stag being his normal asshole self helped it,” Elias sighed, his voice soft in the quiet and dim hallway. “I tried to talk the Major down, but I’m not sure how much it helped.” “Anything I need to know about?” Gravestone said, stopping outside the door and watching Lockjaw almost feverishly look under every table. “Not really my place to tell you, sir,” Elias said, his shoulders slumping in anticipation of having to break the delicate trust he had just built with Lockjaw. “I told him I wouldn’t say anything until he was ready.” “Let me guess, the two have been a lot more than just fuck buddies,” Gravestone groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Damn it. Knew I should have addressed it back when I found out.” Elais stopped walking and stared at Gravestone in shock. “Jesus… You knew?!” Elais whispered harshly, making sure to only say it loud enough for only Gravestone to hear. “For being an elite squad dealing with covert operations, you boys really don’t know how to hide shit from a commanding officer,” Gravestone said quietly and smiling, letting out a slight laugh as he looked over at Elias. “I found out about that months ago. Almost as long as your little elopement with that husband of yours.” “It was that obvious?” Elias asked, feeling stupid for how easily Gravestone was seeing through everyone’s lies. “Eh, granted, I’ve been in the game for a long time and know the signs,” Gravestone said, shrugging as they moved forward, Lockjaw oblivious to their discussion with his sole attention on finding Sticks. “But you all really have to do better on covering your tracks. Especially those two.” “Do I even want to know?” Elias asked, wondering if it was anything like what he’d walked into in the hotel the night before. “Well, I know they both like it rough. Sticks is a moaner, and apparently Lockjaw is hung like a horse,” Gravestone said, counting off each fact on his fingers. “And they love hooking up in the bathrooms at HQ. Makes for an interesting experience when you’re trying to use the head.” “Please don’t tell him, sir… he’s kind of on a wire trigger right now,” Elias said, watching as Lockjaw quickly exited one room and moved on to the next with renewed haste. “Seriously don’t know why you all seem intent on hiding it from me,” Gravestone said, shaking his head. “Do I really give off the vibe of being a homophobe or something? Even my own kid tried to hide it from me, only to accidentally walk in on one of his sleepovers with a friend of his. I guess his boyfriend now…” “Um… well.. No… I don’t think it’s that, sir,” Elias said, somewhat shocked at the abnormally relaxed demeanor from his commanding officer. He struggled for a second to explain. “It’s more of not wanting to disappoint you, I think,” Elias explained. “You’re kind of like the dad a lot of people wanted growing up. Strict, but fair. Not wanting to see failure and demanding better, but within reason. I know I’ve only been on the team for a short while, but they really seem to respect you and look up to you.” “Well, I guess that’s nice to hear,” Gravestone said, watching as Lockjaw picked the pace up even faster, muttering under his breath as he went. “Denise said the same thing about Mason, you know? He begged her not to tell me.” The conversation was cut short as they turned the corner, seeing Lockjaw frozen in place, staring at the ground. ----------- Helixion Genetics, East Hallway, Building 3, 2nd Floor Chemicals Lab. REDACTED LOCATION. 21:58 MST. 30-OCT-20XX PIxel, Patch and Zero quickly explored the two floors, peeking into the rooms as they walked. “Do you think Sticks is okay?” Patch asked, checking the large, mostly empty lab as they slowly made their way back up the stairs to Pixel’s field computer. “I mean, kinda freaky that he went radio silent.” “Well, it is a bit odd for him,” Pixel replied. “Could be he just broke his radio, maybe?” “And what was with Lockjaw flipping out like that,” Patch continued, walking out of the room with Pixel as they walked, the almost ghostly presence of Zero lost on the two as they walked. “Seriously, have no idea on that?” Pixel laughed, looking at him skeptically as they walked. “I thought my people were repressed when it came to this.” “What do you mean, repressed?” Patch said, stopping for a second and staring at Pixel. “Haven’t you noticed how close Lockjaw and Sticks are?” Pixel said, looking over at Patch incredulously. “It’s kind of obvious.” “Well, I mean that makes sense. They’re really good friends,” Patch replied, confused. “I mean, Sticks is like everyone’s little brother.” “Meongcheonghan baeg-innom…” Pixel groaned, rolling his eyes at Pixel. “You are seriously that clueless, man? Anyone with eyes can see it.” “Stupid white guy indeed,” Zero said, causing the two to jump, having forgotten momentarily about him as they entered the stairwell. “I’m not stupid!” Patch exclaimed, looking back at the two as they climbed the stairs. “What is it that I’m missing that you two geniuses can see?” “I can not even with you…” Pixel sighed, gripping the hand rail as they climbed. “Zero, care to fill in our resident idiot?” Wordlessly, Zero closed one fist and extended his index finger, before shoving it into the hole of his fist repeatedly in pistoning motion. “Aw man… you’re both a couple of [banned word],” Patch groaned, rolling his eyes before climbing the stairs again. “Nunchiga eopda,” Zero said, looking at Pixel before shaking his head. “Come on guys, you know I don’t know that much Korean yet,” Patch moaned. “What the hell are you saying?” “Should have done the Duolingo like I told you,” Pixel laughed, opening the door and holding it for the two other men. “He’s calling you clueless. Which you are.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Patch said, bending over slightly catching his breath looking up and down the hall. “This is the floor, right? Getting tired of climbing those stairs.” “You know Sticks and I are best friends, right?” Pixel sighed, walking calmly down the hall. “So usually we bunk together. Most of the time, they think they’re being clever, but I’ve definitely caught him and Lockjaw hooking up when they thought I was asleep.” “Same,” Zero said, staring at Patch with a blank expression. “Oh ha.. ha…” Patch said, looking at the two before briskly walking down the hall. “What’s the next thing you’re going to say? Tex and Reaper are close, too. Does that make them a couple?” “Well, they are always hanging out together, so you never know…” Pixel teased. Suddenly, Pixel stopped short, pointing at the door to the lab where his equipment was. Zero suddenly stood at alert several yards behind them, looking around and holding his weapon at the ready. “Woah… What in the actual fuck?” Patch said softly, looking at the now-destroyed remains of the doorway, looking as though the door itself had been ripped from the frame and tossed aside. The window of the door had shattered and showered the entire hall with broken glass. Pixel silently pushed Patch to the side against the wall before holding his finger up to silence him. The sound of something large clattering around in the lab broke the sudden silence as Patch cautiously took a peek into the room. Ragged breathing and a deep growl echoed out of the room, much like a hungry dog eating food. A large, dark figure was in the room, its face buried in Pixel’s discarded bag, left there in a hurry as they tried to chase after Sticks earlier in the night. The creature’s nearly pitch black skin glistened in the dim light of the lab, the glow of the computer casting harsh shadows on the walls and giving its skin a sickly sheen. A trail of clear slime was puddled around it as its chest heaved quickly. Two large horn-like growths came out of its head. Pulling its head out of the now emptied bag, it looked blankly up at the ceiling and around the room, its face pulled back in an almost evil grimace, rows of needle sharp teeth, saliva drooling out at a startling pace. The creature gave a massive huffing sniff of the air as Patch quickly pulled his head back and clamped his mouth closed. “What is it?” Pixel mouthed, causing Patch to vigorously shake his head no. Slowly, Pixel then looked around the doorframe, before quickly hugging his body back against the wall as well, taking in the same sight as Patch. Zero slowly started to walk forward when both men motioned at him to stop. Gently, the two began to extract themselves from the wall when suddenly a large piece of glass snapped under Pixel’s foot, the sound permeating the silence. Suddenly, the monster let out a bloodcurdling scream growl before crashing through the destroyed door frame as the three men suddenly took off running down the hallway. —------ Helixion Genetics, East Hallway, Building 3, Ground Floor Lobby. REDACTED LOCATION. 21:58 MST. 30-OCT-20XX “I thought you were supposed to be kind of a genius when it came to locks,” Tex said, watching as Stag continued to struggle to unlock the door to the security room. “Bunch of fucking incompetent fags…” Stag muttered, still angry at being called out by the men earlier. “Come on, you fucking piece of shit, open up already…” “Wow, kiss your mother with that mouth?” Tex said, annoyed at the sheer level of homophobia he’d had to endure so far tonight. “Here, move. Let me give it a try.” “No, but I’m sure you kiss your boyfriend’s cock with yours,” Stag said, tossing the tools away in frustration. He stood up and made space for Tex to try his luck at the stubborn lock. “Wow… great comeback there, Champ,” Tex said, sighing as he bent over to pick the tools up before crouching in front of the door. “Well, if you could tell your fucking prissy-assed boyfriend to lay off my ass, I’d appreciate it,” Stag said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pack of cigarettes, quickly lighting one. “Wow, real professional there,” Tex said, looking over briefly at Stag before turning his attention back to the lock. “Gravestone is going to rip you a new asshole if he sees you doing that.” “Awww… you gonna go crying to your boyfriend and daddy? Like I care.” Stag said mockingly, blowing the smoke towards Tex. Waving the smoke away from his face, Tex rolled his eyes and went back to work. “Your funeral, I guess,” Tex muttered, turning his attention fully to the lock and smiling as he felt a few of the pins click into place. “What, you don’t like that? I figured a prissy-ass like you would love it,” Stag sneered, annoyed at the lack of rise out of Tex. “Oh yeah man, you know it. Almost got the…” Tex said lamely, grinning as the last pins fell into place and the door unlocked. “Got it.” Standing up, he opened the door and gestured for Stag to enter. “After you, Prince Charming.” Taking one last drag, Stag dropped the smoldering cigarette to the floor and ground it out with his boot. “Fucking showoff…” Stag muttered as he entered, intentionally slamming his shoulder into Tex as he walked through. Tex simply shook his head in resignation as he followed Stag to the large bay of monitors, showing various cameras. The two men stood in front of the wide row of over 40 camera feeds, slowly taking note of each area. “Heads up, Commander, we got access to the security room,” Tex said, scanning the screens as he tried to find the detached members of the team. “Copy. Stand by, we found something,” Reaper’s voice said on the radio. Looking at the various labels, Tex noticed a sudden flurry of activity on one of the screens. He watched as three men went running down a hall, something large and black chasing after them in hot pursuit. “Oh shit… what is that thing?!” Tex exclaimed, pointing at the screen as the immense figure exited the frame. “That’s a tv screen, dumbass,” Stag said, annoyed as he looked where Tex was pointing. “No, just… god damn it… keep watching, something’s chasing Patch, Pixel and Zero,” Tex insisted. The two men stood and watched the screens for a few moments before they saw their men enter a lab, two of them quickly locking the door and staring at the door in disbelief. “Oh shit… what the fuck is that?” Stag said, watching the next screen as a massive black creature began to slam against the door. “What in the fuck were they creating here?!” Tex said, unable to look away. —--------- “Shit shit shit shit…” Patch breathed out, doubled over from the escape the three had made, his heart pounding as he stared in abject horror at the creature through the safety glass of the door. “What in the actual fuck is that?” Pixel yelled, aiming his tranquilizer gun at the door in the dimly lit room. “That was NOT on the mission brief!” “Door isn’t going to hold forever,” Zero said, interrupting the two men’s disbelief as he climbed on to the cabinets in the corner, pushing up on one of the large ceiling tiles before shining a flashlight up into the space surrounding it. “We need higher ground.” Slowly, he climbed in, before holding a hand out to the other two, beckoning towards them to follow suit. “We are so fucked,” Patch said, looking over at the door, still holding strong at the slams from the monster, thankful to have some sort of layer between them and the creature. “Please tell me one of you packed something stronger than tranqs? Like some actual bullets.” “Come up, guys!” “Mission called for just some lab people in here, not…. THAT…” Pixel said, shaking his head in response. “What in the fuck were they working on here?” Suddenly, the room was cast into darkness, lit only by a single red exit sign. The sound of a lock releasing on the door echoed in the sudden silence, causing all three to turn their attention to the door. Patch and Pixel quickly ran to the door in an effort to hold the door close when it suddenly slammed open, sending both men back. Zero watched in horror as Patch’s head hit the nearby counter with a sickening thwack, and Pixel was sent spinning, his shoulder having been clipped as the door impacted it. Both men hit the ground hard, with Pixel immediately screaming out in pain as his now dislocated shoulder hit the ground, and Patch letting out a pained groan. Suddenly, three large inky black creatures entered the room, two of them pinning Pixel and Patch down as the third took in the surroundings in the lab, sniffing the air in anticipation. As silently as he could, Zero slowly lifted himself the rest of the way into the rafters, gently replacing the ceiling tile behind him. He quickly climbed across the dark space, his flashlight shaking as crouched in fear as he carefully measured each step, fearing at any moment the delicate suspension system would fail and send him crashing down into the room below. Pixel screamed as Zero imagined the monster was roughly moving him, his cries cut short as a wet sounding splat hit something. A second wet sound echoed with a muffled sound as he made his way across the space, finally stopping at where he guessed the two men were. Zero’s heartbeat pounded in his ears as he slowly lifted one of the tiles, looking down at the scene below him. His imagination only offered the worst, expecting to see two large puddles of blood spreading from the men, their throats slit much like the mission he’d been on years ago, the monsters ripping his two teammates to shreds as the life leaked out of their mortal wounds. Instead, what he was met with defied logic and sent a cold shiver down his spine. He watched in abject horror as each man was straddled by a large creature, their faces covered in saliva from the creature above them, coating their faces as they weakly tried to fight off their attackers. The two creatures let out happy growls, looking at each other briefly before turning their attention back to their prey. The third creature let out an angered screaming growl as it searched the room, presumably at Zero’s sudden disappearance. Closing his eyes for a moment, Zero took several deep breaths, willing himself to calm down from the sudden surge of adrenaline, preparing himself for another fight, feeling as his hands continued to shake in fear. Looking back down again, he watched as each of the creatures slowly stripped the clothing from his comrades, slicing away with almost surgical precision any offending piece of clothing they couldn't easily remove. Pixel let out a pained moan, his face in a grimace, as the creature on top of him moved his arm, the limb now sitting at an unnatural position, likely broken or at the minimum dislocated out of its socket. The creature quickly sent another volley of thick saliva into his face, silencing him as he laid back, a glazed blank expression now on his face. Zero covered his mouth, fighting back a gasp as he watched the two men’s pants being pulled down and off, in one shared swift motion as each creature began sniffing and rubbing their faces in each men’s crotch. One of them arched its head back, letting out a happy growl before starting to lick and suck on Pixel’s now hard cock, causing Pixel to suddenly smile, his eyes rolling back in his head. Zero looked over at Patch, who was now flipped over, letting out a happy moan as the creature began to take long leisurely licks on the man’s hole, its bifurcated tongue lazily lapping around the puckered flesh. Patch let out a surprised gasp as the tongue began to breach his hole, saliva dripping obscenely in a puddle underneath him. Apparently satisfied at his preparation, the human-shaped creature began to crawl up his body, before quickly plunging his long inky black penis deep into Patch’s ass in one quick jab. Zero forced himself to try and look away at the sudden invasion, instead watching as Pixel’s legs were pushed over his head, the creature on top of him now doing the same, preparing him for entry as well. For a brief moment, Pixel and Zero locked eyes, the Asian man’s face relaxed in a happy drugged-out smile, his pupils black pools as whatever substance was in the saliva caused them to relax. He let out a pained gasp as the creature above him quickly breached his ass as well. Zero found himself unable to look away, much like a person who is unable to watch as a car accident occurred in front of them. Suddenly, both creatures began to speak, the deep growling voices causing the hair on the back of his neck to raise. “Good…. So tight and warm,” the creature on top of Pixel said, quickly beginning to fuck the man in hard fast jabs, the smell of the saliva now reaching the rafters as Zero forced his hand over his nose at the offending scent. “Must… infect…” the creature inside of Patch growled, saliva drooling down its face as it, too, began to fuck its prey. Patch’s virgin hole resisted the intrusion, but the saliva performed its magic, and within seconds, Patch’s anus gave up the fight and relaxed completely. Slowly, the third creature began to edge in on the other two, eliciting a scream growl from the other two. “Mine!” the first creature said, swiping the air near the third creature. “No! Get your own. Must be nearby…” the second creature said while protectively cradling Pixel in its arms. Frustrated, the third creature backed away and began sniffing the room before giving up and lumbering back out the ruined lab door. The two creatures momentarily watched as their fellow creature left before going back to their previous machinations, fucking each of their prey hard and fast, eliciting happy moans from each of the men. Brackish liquid began to puddle under each of the men. Slowly, Zero grabbed his previously forgotten sidearm and carefully took aim at one of the creatures, forcing his arm to steady as he took aim. Doing the mental math, he kept coming up unsure if he would be able to take both of the creatures out before the third returned to investigate, or if the tranquilizer darts would even be effective against them. Deciding not to risk it and his hiding position, he decided to hold off, only being willing to change his mind if one of the creatures tried to kill one of his teammates. I can’t save them right now… Zero thought to himself, feeling tears stream down his cheeks, thinking back to that same helpless feeling he had years ago when he’d been cornered behind enemy lines. I can’t risk exposing myself and being in the same position they are. I can’t. Not again. He lowered his sidearm, and replaced it in the holster. Suddenly, one of the creatures began to spasm, likely coming to completion as it let out a roar. Black liquid seeped out of Pixel’s ass, likely overflowing with the fluid. Almost as if egged on by the sounds of its companion, the other creature also began to spasm and jerk, almost tenderly gripping Patch’s relaxed form against it. Slowly, the smiler pulled out of Pixel’s now sleeping form as it began to lick around his groin, cleaning the remains of Pixel’s load, shot during the ordeal. The creature almost seemed to be relishing the taste as it did so, much to Zero’s ever-increasing horror. The other creature slowly withdrew from Patch, doing the same to the puddle of cum underneath, gently rubbing along Patch’s naked body as it did so. After a short while, both creatures gently gathered each man up, grabbing their clothing in the process before carrying them out of the room, leaving a shell-shocked Zero to grapple with what he had just seen. The only remains of what had occurred were two thick black puddles on the ground and a destroyed door off to the side.

Chapter 5: The Price of Priority Helixion Genetics- East Hallway, Building 3, Floor 3; REDACTED LOCATION 21:20 MST 30-Oct-20XX “Barlow! Respond, private! That's an order!” Gravestone’s voice boomed over the radio. Only silence followed as the private failed to answer the repeated requests. Gravestone’s eyes showed irritation and simultaneous concern as he waited for the familiar static and his comrade’s voice. “That’s not like him,” Lockjaw interjected, a hint of disbelief in his voice. “He wouldn’t go AWOL on us.” “What makes you so sure?” Patch asked. “He just wouldn’t!” Lockjaw exclaimed. “There must be some interference from the structure.” Stag clicked his tongue loudly. “The pipsqueak shouldn’t have run off in the first place.” The others turned to look at him, some with silent, accusatory eyes. Elais took a single step forward. “Stag’s right, he really should have waited for us, or at least some backup. The survivor wasn’t going to give us any useful intel, and we’ll probably find him just around the corner.” Stag snickered. “Yeah, or inside in a stall in the lavatory with a lighter and a spoon. Who knows what the hell drugs he was on?” Gravestone’s lips twisted to one side. He had enough of Stag’s smart mouth and dismissive comments. “Let’s not forget why we’re here.” He paused and finally said, “I agree with Lockjaw. It’s not normal. Patch, Pixel, go find him and find out what happened. If we have problems with the comm inside the facility, this mission will be a lot harder.” “Make sure to stay alert. We have no idea what that sound was, so keep on high alert,” Elias added. “Ten-four,” Patch’s voice came over the radio. “Zero, go with them and provide backup,” Gravestone ordered. “If anyone finds the survivor, tranq his ass, and don’t let him get away this time.” “Yessir,” Pixel answered cheerfully. Patch and Pixel looked at one another with obvious but silent concern. Pixel left the workstation while the download to the flash drive continued. —-------------- A speedily-moving car. Location unknown. 21:23 MST. 30-Oct-20XX The elderly man in the back of the car closed the unmarked folder gently, and set it down in his lap. Leaning back on the headrest, he closed his eyes, and exhaled gently. He swiftly ran his liver-spotted hand across his bald head in a backward direction, and tried to moisten his lips with his tongue. General Anton Krell had been called in at the insistence of DARPA, but their request was something out of the ordinary. Nine men forming the Black Sigma team had been despatched to the Helixion Genetics Labs to mount a rescue mission for the scientists, or so they had been told. But Anton knew differently: those men were lambs for the slaughter. What he had read in the dossier, and what Black Sigma had been told, were two different things. In reality, the men were expected to find the scientific data for a top secret military project (as they surely would find), but returning alive and unscathed wasn’t accounted for. The project was to create super-soldiers, and Black Sigma would provide the guinea pigs. The first test subjects. However, if the men survived the ordeal… well, the ‘Powers That Be’ didn’t account for that particular outcome. It would be classified a mission failure, even if Black Sigma considered it successful themselves. It wasn’t the first time Anton had been involved in such a deceptive experiment. After a bioweapons experiment in East Germany, he had the unhappy duty of damage control, and many ethics guidelines were violated to do so. But it had been in vain - a leak in his tightly-constructed plan created a situation where the news got out. Paragraphs got into all the papers, and Anton was discharged from service as a public show of enforced ethics protocols. The General took an early retirement with a hefty severance pay, which was most certainly a bribe to keep quiet about what really went on in Berlin. Now he was whizzing away in the back of a dark-windowed vehicle to the site of Helixion Genetics to deal with a similar situation. His previous experience in military cover-ups, despite the fallout from his German experience, made his reinstatement an inspired choice. DARPA thus brought him out of retirement with a substantial bribe to superintend this mission. Anton did not see their true intent - if the program failed, or if scandal should follow, they could point the finger at Anton and keep their hands clean. And the General was aged enough that they could call his faculties into question if they needed a scapegoat again, and no one would doubt that he was a little past it. This won’t be like Berlin, he assured himself. Helixion, at least, is better prepared. The thought irritated him, and he wished the car had been equipped with a bottle of bourbon or something to ease his nerves. “Driver, can this thing go any faster?” he demanded from the cushy black leather seat. “ETA 12 minutes, General,” came the driver’s kind reply. “Good. Thank you. See if we can’t do it in ten.” It will be a shame to waste all those good soldiers, he thought. It's a little premature to launch the super-soldier initiative. But the data is too valuable to lose. Then we can sell it to the highest bidder, and make a fortune. One must break a few eggs sometimes. —----------------- Helixion Genetics- East Hallway, Building 3, Floor 1; REDACTED LOCATION 21:25 MST 30-Oct-20XX Patch and Pixel reached the bottom of the stairwell with Zero hanging back between the first and second floor. No sign of Sticks was to be found anywhere, no sound at all. “I still say he went up, not down,” Pixel said with irritation. “It was 50-50,” Patch answered. “We’ll look down here first, and work our way back up. Zero, what’s your 20?” “Clear.” It was then that Patch noticed the glass double doors, and an umbrella curiously discarded in the middle of the hall. Its metal bent slightly to one angle, and the glass doors wide open. He picked it up and inspected it. “Looks like someone left in a hurry,” he said coolly. With the umbrella in one hand, he examined the door with the other. “There are scratches in the frame here. Looks like … maybe someone tried to… I don’t know, lock the doors with this?” Pixel came closer, and nodded his head slightly. “Whatever it was, it didn’t work,” Pixel said after a moment. “But there’s no other sign of struggle here. And the doors are wide open. Sticks probably didn’t come this way, like I said.” Next, Patch observed a small amount of liquid on the glass. Droplets had run down a little ways, then abruptly ended. A memory crossed Patch’s mind before it was instantly gone, his attention quickly going back to the task at hand. Meanwhile, Pixel had spotted a janitor’s closet. The door was ajar. Pixel raised his flashlight, and peered inside. Nothing to be seen here, he thought. Some of the cleaning supplies were in disarray, and a mop had fallen over. Then he spied a puddle on the floor. The room smelled of chemicals and solvents, and something that Pixel couldn’t identify. Someone had been in here very recently, and they were badly in need of a shower. Considering the environment, this was not deemed notable, and Pixel left the closet. He could still smell this odd mixture in the hallway, and wondered briefly if it was him who needed a bath. Patch looked down the hallway beyond the glass doors, shining his light in every corner he could. The air had a different smell down here, and reminded Patch of unwashed socks and underwear, the scent stinging his nose and giving him a headache. He had seen it in the field when he treated a soldier who hadn’t changed their undergarments in a month. The smell was so rank that he was never able to forget it. He was smelling a watered-down version of it right in that hallway. “Pix, do you smell that?” Pixel came to the doors, sniffing for whatever Patch had discovered. He waved his hand before his face. “Whew, like my grandpa’s feet,” he said, wincing. “Well, how long has it been since our survivor fella had a shower? Maybe he went this way?” They silently weighed their options. Activating his earpiece, Patch spoke into it. “Zero, we’re going down this hall with the glass double doors.” “Roger,” came the reply. Zero descended the stairs to the bottom, and began to follow them at a distance, always remaining in the shadows while Patch and Pixel carefully moved through the long hallway. —--------- Helixion Genetics, exterior. REDACTED LOCATION. 21:35 MST. 30-Oct-20XX The car moved into the parking lot, and came to a stop. A few seconds later, the driver popped out of the car, moved around to the opposite side, and opened the rear passenger door. Out stepped the General. Grateful to be on the scene at last, Anton rebuttoned his Brooks Brothers suit, shook out his arthritic left leg, and brushed away some lint that he really couldn’t see. After a deep inhalation, the driver shut the door behind him. Anton looked at his surroundings. The sun was gone for the day, and the last vestiges of daylight were fading. The vans that carried Black Sigma to the site sat parked a short ways away. Anton turned to his right, and could just barely see the building where the team ought to be right now. By now, he thought, they should be fairly entrenched with it. Good. He and his driver walked up to the conference building, the driver always a couple silent steps behind him as a sign of respect. It was the General who insisted on being accompanied everywhere by his driver/bodyguard in case he needed a swift exit. Or a human shield. So far, the former had proved far more useful than the latter. They entered the lobby of the building, and briskly walked to the elevator. The driver pressed the ‘up’ button, and the doors instantly opened. They stepped inside the elevator, the driver pressed the ‘4’ button, and the doors shut quietly with a soft WHOOSH. The infernal machine swiftly moved them upward. This mission would serve as a small test of loyalty for the driver, and after clearing his throat, Anton began to speak. “Is it understood that, whatever you hear or see here tonight, you will not repeat a word of it to anybody.” It was more a statement than a question. “Yes, General,” the driver replied. “See that you don't. We will have no leaks this time.” The elevator dinged as it reached the fourth floor. They stepped on to the shiny lacquered floor, and after a few steps, they reached a security room, now turned into a temporary base of operations. Anton was greeted by the sight of a top-of-the-line security monitor, a laptop computer, and a comm system. The room was tastefully decorated, designed for comfort, and Anton was pleased. He spotted a bottle of expensive imported Scotch whisky on a low table to his right. Without being asked to do so, the driver instantly went to it, and poured two fingers of the brown liquid into a short glass. “Ice, General?” “No, thank you, Jeames.” Anton sat in the tall leather chair, and accepted the beverage from the driver. After a light sip, he placed it on the ornate table, picked up the comm, and said to no one in particular, “Let’s see where they’re at.” —--------- Helixion Genetics, East Hallway, Building 3, Ground Floor Lobby. REDACTED LOCATION. 21:40 MST. 30-OCT-20XX “Men, gather round.” Gravestone stood in the center of the room and his remaining team came in close around him. “General Anton has just arrived,” Gravestone informed them. “I served under him in Berlin, and he's been brought out of retirement for overseeing our mission.” “So we get our hands dirty and do all the grunt work while he sits in a cushy office across campus?” Stag asked. Gravestone let out an irritated sigh. “Yes, that's why we are here, and he is not.” Elias suddenly got a bad feeling he couldn't explain. “Why does he need to be on site with us?” he queried. “Can't we handle a rescue and retrieval on our own?” Gravestone shrugged. “DARPA asked him, and I don't know their reasons. But it's not up to us to question. He'll reveal his purpose when he is ready to. I’m not fond of the man, but he is an excellent strategist and was well-respected.” Lockjaw and Reaper exchanged glances, but said nothing. For the briefest of seconds, Lockjaw interpreted Reaper’s look to mean, I know what you are. He quickly looked away, and Elias read his comrade's reaction as nervousness. A voice like gravel and bourbon suddenly came over their radios. “Commander, this is General Anton Krell. Give me a status update.” “Good to see they pulled you out of retirement, General. This is Commander Nathan Briggs. We entered the facility at 2100 hours. One survivor found so far, but no bodies have been located. My team is working on the hard drives and getting them prepped for extraction.” “Good work, soldier.” Gravestone wanted to say more, but didn’t think it appropriate to tell the General that Sticks was MIA, especially without any real facts other than going incommunicando. “Any other updates on the mission?” Gravestone hesitated before resuming. With a sideways look at Reaper, he began, “Private Barlow is missing. The man we found was delirious, possibly intoxicated, and ran off on his own. Barlow went in pursuit, and we’ve been unable to establish contact since. We think he may have hit a dead zone in the building. I've sent three others to —” “That won't be necessary,” Anton interrupted. “The mission comes first.” The General's curt reply elicited looks of surprise on the team's faces. Gravestone paused, and then answered, “Sir? We don't leave men behind.” “I gave you an order, Commander Briggs. The mission takes priority. Do I need to remind you who is in charge here?” Anton hotly answered. “Give me access to the security system and footage, and I'll find your men.” “Sir,” Gravestone said with trepidation, “the tech guys who can handle that are searching for Barlow right now. I can't personally do anything from my end.” “Defying me?” Anton asked in a warning tone. “No, sir. But I don't have the skill to get you what you need. That's Corporal Yun’s department, and Private Barlow’s. Yun is on the team I sent to find Barlow. There’s likely a security room with feeds, but we haven’t located it yet.” Gravestone was grateful he couldn't see General Anton, likely scowling from the office right now. An uncomfortable silence followed. Then Lockjaw suddenly activated his earpiece. “General? Major Adrian Reese here. We must locate Sti – er, Barlow! He’s an important part of the team. If he can’t get us out, we’re basically trapped in here while the lockdown is in effect.” Gravestone gave Lockjaw a reproving look during the speech for the impassioned interruption, but made no move against him. “Please, sir. It’s imperative we find him. And we can’t bring you any data if we’re still inside.” Elias raised an eyebrow as he observed Lockjaw. He wants his boy back. As we all do. This has got to be killing him right now. The radio crackled again after a pause. “Unacceptable, Briggs. Continue the mission, but don't bother looking for Barlow. I will have him court-martialed for abandoning the mission, and you too, if you disobey my orders. And anyone else who disagrees with them!” Anton sternly thundered. “This research is worth more than your lives or personal feelings.” “Wow. What. An. Asshole,” Tex whispered. “Sir, this is Commander Kade. If we don’t find Barlow, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to get you the data you need.” Elias hoped to appease the General and provide a little relief for Lockjaw as well. “If you find him, that’s well and good, but it’s not a priority,” Anton continued. “I want those cameras on, and I want that data. Then I will work on extraction. Until then, I will hear no more requests to look for him. Understood, Commander? Major?” The men were in disbelief, except for Stag, who found interest in a ficus in one corner of the lobby. “Who does he think he is?” Lockjaw said in an appalled voice. “I heard he was a hard-ass, but…” Gravestone begrudgingly pressed his comm button. “Any other orders for us…, General?” Gravestone gritted the last part, having more than a little trouble hiding his disdain for the man. “That will be all. Dismissed.” Stag was the first to speak. “We should follow the General’s word. What matters is the intel. I just want to go home, and forget this fetch quest. Besides, fuck Sticks and his lack of work ethic.” Lockjaw glared at him silently while Elias shot him a similar dirty look. This could get ugly, Elias thought. “Major, a word in private?” Elias gestured lightly toward his shaken comrade. Lockjaw blinked twice, inhaled sharply, and the two of them went around the nearest corner, out of sight of the others. Before Elias could even begin, Lockjaw was already frantic but kept his voice low. “Reaper, we gotta go now. I have a bad feeling. We can’t leave him.” Elias looked back at the other men, then turned back to Lockjaw. “I agree, and we won’t.” “Then why are we wasting time arguing?” Lockjaw hissed. “We’re not arguing. Stag is arguing, but he’s not in charge. Gravestone and I are,” Elias answered sympathetically. He lightly reached his arm out to Lockjaw, and held his hand on the panicked soldier’s left bicep. “I’m with you. And I know, he’s important to you.” Lockjaw’s eyes widened slightly as he took in the multiple meanings of the statement. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just want to make sure he’s okay, he’s part of the team. How…” Elias did not release his gentle grip, and repeated, “Look… I know. Adrian. I saw you both yesterday at the hotel.” He looked into his eyes, never blinking, and smiled gently. “I know,” he repeated quietly. Lockjaw silently sucked in a breath, half-relieved but also terrified that he had been observed, and his mind scrambled to save some dignity. He was nearly outed in his first week in basic, and this current exchange with his superior felt exactly like that. Just like last time, he chose panic and lies. “Shit…. Shit shit shit… he even said he thought he heard someone come in… I told him to stop j-joking like that… Kade, man, it’s nothing, i-i-it just a one time thing,” Lockjaw said, stammering slightly as he spoke, working his jaw side to side anxiously. “W-w-w-we were both drunk, and umm… um..” “We both know you don’t drink because it fucks with your jaw. And Barlow tips over at a single can of beer. Don’t worry, I won’t tell the others. It’s not my business to share. Not until you do.” He gave a slight smile, and squeezed his arm gently, then released it. “I’m here if you need someone to talk to about it, and I think you’ll find more allies in the team than you think. Anyways, let’s just focus on finding him and getting out of here.” Lockjaw instantly understood - his secret had been discovered, but Elias was trustworthy. His frequent rolls in the hay with Sticks would not become public knowledge. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief through his nostrils, but still didn’t feel better about the situation. “He’ll be fine,” Elias reassured him. “And so will you.” Lockjaw nodded once. “You don’t have to put up with any shit from Stag. Let him be mine and the Commander’s problem, okay?” Nodding, Lockjaw silently followed as Reaper led them back into the group. They rejoined the team around the corner. “Commander, the General is wrong. We will find survivors, we will get the intel if we can, AND Sticks, and then get the hell out of dodge. No amount of information or money is worth their loss,” Tex said, pointing at the glass doors of the lobby, separating them from freedom. The other men nodded in agreement, except for Stag. “You all are fucking stupid. I’m with the General,” Stag said, to the surprise of his comrades. “He’s above the Commander here guys. And personally, I’d like to keep my job. Fuck Sticks. If he wants to go adventuring and poking around in shit and not answer his comms, leave him. He clearly doesn’t want to be here.” “Shut your goddamn mouth,” Lockjaw ordered, to the surprise of everyone but Reaper and Gravestone. “I am so sick of your holier-than-thou bullshit. You don’t have any right to decide that, especially after what you did in Berlin last year, you vulgar piece of shit. Sticks is one of us. We don’t leave men behind, no matter how we personally feel about them. If you fell in battle, and Sticks could save you, would you rather bleed out and die because of your fucked-up pride?” Stag didn’t answer, but suddenly took an interest in the pattern on a marble wall. “All right, everyone, shut up!” Elias said, finally getting fed up and raising his voice. “The General isn’t here in the situation, and if you want to blame anyone when this is over and done, they just say it was an order. Shit rolls downhill, and I think I speak for the commander and myself when I say we can take the heat. Do I make myself clear, Lieutenant?” Gravestone joined in with hostility, “If you can’t follow orders, then go sit in a cozy office with the General. I don’t need his input or yours, Lieutenant Mercer. I’m responsible for getting everyone out at the end of the day, not some retired General. Am I crystal clear?” A moment of awkward silence followed as the others tried not to fidget. “If we have the intel, then we completed our mission, right?” Tex asked, trying to get back on course and dispel the tension. The others nodded in silent assent. The weight of the mission began to settle on them. Gravestone said, “All right, boys, you heard ‘im. Let's do it. Stag, not that it matters, but you’re outvoted. First thing first, we find our guys. Pixel was working on the data drives back upstairs, so let's go there, and get the data. We'll begin our search there. If General Krell wants to give us hell for it, he can do it on his own damn time.”

Chapter 4 - A Sticky Situation Helixion Genetics- East Hallway, Building 3, Floor 1; REDACTED LOCATION. 21:15 MST 30-Oct-20XX The creature stood calmly as it watched the short green-haired man furiously scrape at his face, trying to wipe away the slimy spit it had just flung effortlessly at his face. A feeling of satisfaction flooded its mind, as the memory of being in a similar position not all that long ago echoed at the back of its mind. It knew that the chemical and hormone-laced fluid would make quick work of incapacitating its prey, as shock flooded his body, forcing a flood of adrenaline to flow through his veins, causing an inescapable increase in his heart rate, further speeding along the new chemicals in the process. A wicked smile spread across the monster’s face as it watched the smaller man ripping away his mask in a vain effort to free his face and further allow for him to wipe the foul saliva away. He watched as the green-haired man let out a few coughs, wiping hard at his eyes, not realizing the act was actually rubbing the chemicals further into his eyes, further allowing a quick route to the blood. Its former knowledge as a scientist told him that the various near-microscopic veins of the sclera would allow for an easy path to the brain. “Sticks… Seriously, man, you need to answer right now!” the frantic voice called out, normally barely audible to the average human, but somehow loud and clear with the creature’s near superhuman hearing. “What’s your 20?” A small, nearly insignificant part of the creature felt abject horror and sadness as he watched Sticks fight against the feelings while the saliva took hold. In its former life, it would have rushed the man to the nearest eye wash station, trying to clear out the concoction before it was too late, knowing that there was one just a short run away from here. However, this voice was snuffed out as he felt the presence now in control felt smug satisfaction. Finally clearing out his eyes, Sticks spit out the remaining saliva from his mouth as he looked up at the source, his eyes growing wide as he saw the source. “Oh fuck,” he said, his voice slow and thick, more likely to himself than to the creature, slowly backing away and hitting his back on the nearest wall. He let out a slight jump, the confused shock at hitting the wall distracting him slightly. The creature let out a large smile, feeling a sense of pleasure as he watched the man slowly look around, swaying almost drunkenly. It won’t be much longer now, it thought to itself, replaying the scene of its own infection, remembering the overwhelming feelings of euphoria and the massive head rush, the world taking on an almost ethereal soft glow. Colors were likely becoming more and more vibrant, taking on an almost cartoonish quality. The memory felt like it was from years ago to the creature as its mind drifted back to its own infection. He just barely remembered he had been a scientist on the third floor. A geneticist as it were. He’d only come in that day because their boss had demanded it, cutting his hard earned vacation short, and was annoyed at another one of the scientists calling in. “Stop thinking about pointless things and focus on your prey,” the entity in his brain demanded, its power sending a shudder through the creature’s body and the memory faded away. The voice was still echoing in its head, causing it to briefly clutch its head before shaking it off. Sticks crumpled to the floor, landing in a most undignified position with a soft thump. The abomination that just subdued him grinned menacingly, proud of itself for having caught some fresh meat. The creature in the lab coat on the opposite side of the now-bolted door continued to pound furiously on the glass, producing only dull thuds, enraged that someone else got what it felt rightfully belonged to him, but was powerless to do much about it now. The umbrella wedged between the wall and the door jamb held surprisingly well, and would not budge. The creature knew that the Alpha, as the entity demanded it be called, would be disappointed at the other one now stuck behind the door, but now that the prey was fully incapacitated, the creature found it didn’t care. Its guess was quickly confirmed as it watched its labcoat-clad brethren slump to the ground, clutching its head and squirming around, whimpering and choking on its cries. Sensing that Sticks was not alone in the building, the creature stood over him and opted to get his victim moved. It looked around for a solution, scanning its memory as he thought of a suitable place to go. Finally, it decided on a janitor closet to its right. Seizing Sticks in two mighty hands, it picked him up as if he were a delicate flower, and carried him into the closet. The young private was carefully dropped back to the floor of the closet, and the creature shut the door behind them. A small sliver of light beneath the door provided the only illumination. The closet smelled of acidic cleaning chemicals and a mildewing mop that sorely needed replacing. The creature began to undress Sticks roughly. It yanked his boots off and discarded them, leaving a pair of black socks on his feet which read “Fuck my socks off” around the top. With a harsh smile, the irony was not lost on the creature. It decided to leave them on for now, opting instead to continue with other more important areas. With a hard, frustrated yank around Sticks’s waist, the dark grey camo pants were removed in a flash. The sounds of a stray button to the pants popping off and hitting the ground echoed in the room. Its attention was briefly drawn to the button, catching the motion of it bouncing easily in the dark room. Then it got to work on the other clothing. The shirt proved trickier, and in the end, the thing drew his hand back. With a swift slice through the air, the shirt now bore the evidence of being slashed with a claw in a downward arc. Surprisingly, Sticks was physically undamaged by the shredding of his upper garments, the creature having an almost surgical precision with its claws. Sticks remained almost motionless on the hard stone floor, completely spaced out on the saliva cocktail that he was unable to remove before it seeped into his pores. All he could do was blink, the flood of neurochemicals effectively causing him to have a silent drug trip of sorts. With a sick curiosity, the creature wondered what the smaller man was feeling. Was he feeling the same abject horror the creature had during his own infection? Or had the chemicals already taken full control and given him that same warm feeling in his chest, causing that fear to drain away? Now that the toxic solution had begun to work its magic, Sticks felt like he was on a glorious acid trip. Having tried various illicit drugs as a teenage boy, common for growing up in the less reputable part of his hometown, he was fully aware what each drug felt like, and how each caused a different experience. But no matter what he experienced, he knew none of the hallucinations were real, and he knew he would be safe. This, however, was a wholly different experience. His mind felt like it had melted in his skull. With each heartbeat, he felt that warmth in his chest ebb outward, flowing into his limbs and leaving his head feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. His heartbeat thundered away in his ears, and he could feel his cheeks were flushed and hot. He knew he should be scared, that he should be fighting to get up, move, get away from the creature, but he found he not only couldn’t, but also that he was beginning to not care. His mind slowly took in the features of the massive creature above him. On first glance, one would think it was just a normal human man, its skin inky black with a slight shine even in the barely lit room. Bulging veins that throbbed with each slow heartbeat of the creature spread across its naked upper torso, spider webbing across almost like battle scars. The dim light of the room, mixed with the effects of the drug in his system, made every detail hard to distinguish. A smiler, Sticks thought. Now I get it. Instead of fear, he only felt curiosity, as the creature almost tenderly flipped him over, its forked tongue tasting the air much like the lizard his older brother had when they were kids. The cold hard floor felt soothing on his face, helping to drain away the heat as he felt the creature gently pull him into a position that he could only describe as vulgar. He wanted to laugh, knowing how erotic it must look, his tight round ass sticking up in the air, face and shoulders slumped on the ground. The cool air on his exposed hole felt nice. Shouldn’t I be worried in this position? Sticks thought to himself, feeling like he should be concerned but unable to bring himself fully to that. Suddenly, he felt the creature slowly run its hands along his pale skin, the sensation leaving ripples of pleasure as he felt the too-sharp claws lightly rake his skin, threatening to break the skin but not quite doing that. He let out a faint moan, loving how it felt, the cool skin of the creature contrasting the heat of his near feverish skin. He slowly began to focus on the sensation, letting his mind drift pleasantly. It barely registered in his mind when the massive creature looming over him began to drool on his exposed hole and that forked tongue began to breach him. Suddenly, an even stronger wave of euphoria flowed through him, causing him to let out a relaxed sigh. It was a truly blissful feeling, better than any poppers he had ever sniffed. A cleaner burn than smelling fresh paint, and a greater body high than any THC he ever ingested. His blurry eyes adjusted to the darkness, and Sticks looked back sluggishly. He could now make out dark soulless eyes, the claws that scratched his shirt, fangs revealed from the wicked-looking grin on its face, and what looked like small horns atop the forehead. Despite struggling to see more, in the near-darkness of the janitor closet there truly wasn’t much else to be seen. Sticks felt every muscle in his body relax, causing him to slump and the thing suddenly stopped moving. For a brief second, nothing was heard in the closet. Slowly, the creature let out a satisfied clicking growl, and pulled the strange tongue out of his ass. Sticks loud out a sad moan, missing the sensation and the continued waves of pleasure it brought. “Don’t ssssstoooop…. Pl…..pleeeease…. mmmmmooore…” Sticks whimpered, his mouth feeling cotton-filled, his tongue not wanting to move and feeling as though it was flopping around as he spoke. The feeling of the high started to slightly let up, allowing his muddled mind to attempt to form a few words. Then Sticks felt an incredible amount of pressure against his ass as the beast forced its engorged phallus inside him in one long solid push. It burned like a bad experience with spicy food, but quickly dissipated. Without any sort of wait, the creature began to vigorously fuck his ass, slamming deeply inside with each solid thrust. Sticks’s breath was short and gasping as he felt the pain of every single thrust. Damn, he thought. Even Lockjaw isn’t this hung or rough! The pain began to subside and shifted into pleasure as Sticks’s body adjusted to the size and rhythm of the unplanned activity. The creature fucked his new toy like he hadn’t been sexually active in years. Sticks found himself so relaxed, calm, and submissive. This was the best fuck of his life. As the copious amount of foul precum of the creature flooded his mind, he barely noticed as his thoughts took on an almost more sinister and cruel edge. I’ll have to tell Lockjaw it’s over between us, he thought, panting with his tongue flopping out of his mouth, as he compared the sheer unadulterated pleasure flooding his mind from this raw fucking to the amazing night before with the Major. He will never have the same skills as this fucker, Sticks admitted to himself. The creature’s animalistic abandon fed a primal urge growing in Sticks’s mind. He leaned further into the fucking, enjoying the pain and pleasure mixing in his brain, each thrust causing a new sensation. This is what breeding and destruction should feel like, his thought, relishing in the sheer depravity of the situation. While his mind wanted to egg the beast on and beg for its load, he didn’t have enough breath to get more than gasps and grunts out. Roughly, the monster flipped over Sticks while being deeply seated inside him, causing a new wave of pain and pleasure as he felt as if something tore inside him, his mind quickly masking what would feel like agony as something more blissful. The creature continued fucking the green-haired boy, quietly staring into his eyes the entire time. Sticks dared to look up at his rapist only once, and thought he could see his reflection in the beast’s blackened eyes. He barely recognized himself, and let his head drop back. The creature slowly began to run its too-long forked tongue along Sticks’ face, causing the smaller man to shudder in both fear and pleasure. They began to sweat together, and it formed a sticky puddle beneath them. But the beast didn’t last long in Sticks’s rectum, and then something new happened. Though neither one could see it happen, the creature’s girthy penis unsheathed tiny pinpricks from inside the foreskin. As the brutal thrusting continued, these little needles grazed and scratched the interior of Sticks’s hole, creating openings for the toxic brew that would be coming any second. Deep inside him, Sticks felt like something new was now stabbing him deep inside, easily puncturing the walls of his guts, causing his abdomen to feel like a fire was flooding him. Suddenly, the beast let out the same scream that Sticks heard earlier in the stairwell, and flooded his guts with a volley of infected spunk. Knowing he was good and fucked, in more ways than one, Sticks emptied his store of healthy cum from his balls, hands free. The suddenness of it caused him to thrash around in pain and pleasure. It was the most euphoric moment of his life: better than the childhood Christmas when he got a puppy. Better than graduating high school. Better than driving his jeep at top speed through the open country. Better than his acceptance into the military academy. No, this moment excelled all of them. Sticks began to hyperventilate from the overload of sensations, the dopamine hits, and the endorphins that were coursing through his veins. Then it felt like the end of a roller-coaster ride, and an immense wave of relief washed over him. The creature bent down and greedily slurped up the cum from his victim’s body, the forked appendage licking every surface where it landed. The creature slowly withdrew his penis, and let out a low, satisfied growl. “Mine now…” it said, satisfied, the voice almost shocking Sticks at the deep huskiness of it, almost making the air vibrate with how low it was. The smiler sat on the floor, panting, then stood to full height. Silently, it exited the room without any further words, leaving the door slightly ajar. A minute later, the door of the closet opened again, and Sticks saw that a new smiler had entered the room, and was slowly sniffing and licking the drying remains of his uncorrupted cum from his crumpled body. The first smiler had exited the closet, and went back to the glass double doors. It removed the bent umbrella from the door, and reopened the doors. The brother he stole Sticks from had apparently given up and left the scene. So it returned to the broom closet, and discovered one of its brethren had moved in on his prey. Annoyed, it pushed the other creature away, growling dangerously at the brother. He went to let out an angry warcry when he felt the sharp pain reverberate in his skull. “Share with your brother,” the Alpha’s voice echoed in his head, causing him to clutch his head in agony, feeling scared by its annoyed tone. “You’ll get plenty of time to enjoy him again in a bit.” Silently, it acquiesced, letting the brother pick up and carry the prey out of the small closet. The other retrieved the discarded clothing and boots, and held them like a prized trophy. Sticks felt himself floating up into the air as the corruption spread throughout his body. Closing his eyes, he fell back into a deep, blissful sleep. In reality, he was hoisted by the creature in two hands, and Sticks had simply passed out. It carried him out of the closet and into the hall, adeptly navigating toward the nest. The newly-infected brother needed time to complete his metamorphosis.

Chapter 3 - The Unseen Threat Helixion Genetics- Hydroponics Lab 7, Building 3, Floor 5; REDACTED LOCATION 20:24 MST 30-Oct-20XX “Okay… so…” Patch began with a sigh as he started addressing the team, leaning back against the counter, his cheap disposable stethoscope dropped around his shoulder, “As far as I can tell, physiologically, he’s a little dehydrated. Normal heart rate, normal lung sounds, eyes are equal and reactive to light. Hell, even a normal temperature, albeit a bit sweaty.” “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Stag snickered. “Guy’s clearly out of his fuckin’ mind.” Patch glared at Stag, annoyed at the interruption, before continuing. “Like I was saying, physiologically normal. iSTAT shows he might be a bit low on electrolytes, so… that’s about it. Guy doesn’t even have a fever,” Patch said, still glaring at Stag as he spoke, before turning his attention back to the rest of the team. “Mentally, however, I think we can all agree something is seriously wrong.” “Shock,” Zero said quietly, much to the surprise of the group. “Saw something traumatic.” “Guy acts like a junkie comin’ down from his latest fix,” Stag countered. “See how he keeps sniffing? And sticking his finger in his mouth and rubbing his teeth? That’s a coke fiend thing.” Elias looked over, seeing as Jack continued to rock back and forth, his eyes watching almost unblinking at the door out of the lab. “Well, until I can get to a machine that can handle blood chemistry and hematology, I can’t really test for much else,” Patch said. “Regardless, men, we need to focus on the current task,” Gravestone said, cutting through the discussion. “We’ve still got to clear nine more floors, search for any more survivors and find a way to either lift the lockdown or get out of here. Reaper, a word.” Elias nodded, following Gravestone’s lead and moving to a different corner. “What’s the game plan here, son,” Gravestone said, glancing over at the team and Jack. “You’re second in command here, so I want to hear what you think.” Elias stood for a second, thinking. He looked over at Jack, still muttering to himself and rocking even harder back and forth. “I think we continue as planned, and have Recon 3 babysit,” Elias replied. “He’s not in any position to be left alone, and they’re the least likely to encounter something. Also, I want-” Suddenly, their conversation was cut short, as the lights suddenly shut off, leaving only the glow of the green lights to bathe the room in an odd iridescent-like light. “No. No, no, no, NO!” Jack began to moan loudly, taking on an almost childish quality, jumping up and waving his hands frantically. “Come back on, lights! Don’t go away!” “The hell was that?” Lockjaw said, weapon drawn as he looked around. “Can’t be a power outage since everything else is still on.” “Has to be the automatic lighting,” Pixel said, looking down at his watch. “Just hit 20:30. A lot of these offices shut down lights in unused rooms. Usually they use motion sensors to shut the lights off in rooms not in use.” “They do things in the dark,” Jack moaned, tears starting to stream down his face. “I don’t want to watch. I want to go home now. Can we go home now please?” “Okay, everyone, turn on your flashlights,” Gravestone said. “Pixel, are you able to get the lights back on?” “Sorry, not possible,” Pixel began to explain. “The lighting and everything else is probably controlled by a central computer here in the building. I’d guess in the basement, or the lobby if we’re lucky.” “Shit, pretty dark out there,” Sticks said, looking out the window on the door, shining his light around. “Going to make it a lot harder to clear the floors.” “Damn nutcase over there is really losing it,” Stag said, nodding at Jack as the group turned to watch as Jack began to claw at the thick plate glass window, sobbing as his hands slid helplessly and the smooth surface. “Please… just let me go home! I learned my lesson!” Jack moaned, hiccuping between sobs. “Don’t make me one of the smilers! I don’t want to be like them!” “Put a sock in it, tweaker!”, Stag hollered. Jack whimpered but said no more. Letting out a resigned sigh, Elias walked over, slowly guiding Jack away from the window as the man clutched on to him. “Don’t worry, uh… buddy, we’ll get you out of here,” Elias said, awkwardly patting Jack on the back. “We won’t let the ‘smilers’ get you…. Ok?” Looking up at Elias, Jack gave him a shaky smile, wiping his tears and snot covered face with the tattered remains of his sleeve. Slowly he nodded, letting Elias lead him out of the corner. “Okay, buddy, why don’t we go with my friends here,” Elias said, pointing over at the team. “Okay team, let’s stick to the plan here… and Recon 3, if you can, try and get access to a mainframe or something, see if we can get those lights back on,” Gravestone said, motioning at the door. “Take it slow, and report anything you see. We’ll finish clearing this floor and meet at the stairwell. Reaper, anything to add?” “We’re going to stick here for a few minutes and look over those results on the substance from the stairwell,” Elias said, remembering the reason why they entered the lab in the first place. “I think we need to know what we’re dealing with.” “I don’t like the mean scary man,” Jack said, whimpering and rocking, while pointing his finger at Stag. “Can I stay here with the nice people where it's light and safe?” “Right… Okay, you two stay here and keep an eye on this guy. Zero, you team up with Recon 3 and finish clearing the floor. We meet up in 15 back here,” Gravestone said, carefully checking his weapon as he spoke. “Everyone clear on their roles?” Most of the men gave a sound of agreement, before splitting into two teams and walking out. “I’m going to go check how the test is going,” Tex said, shooting a glance at Jack. “He’s definitely gone over the cuckoo’s nest, hasn’t he?” Jack was back in the corner, knees pulled up to his chest, rocking back and forth while looking out the window, oblivious to what was going on. “Yeah, but… I don’t know…” Elias said, “He keeps saying the same things over and over. It’s got to mean something, right?” Elias leaned against the counter, watching Jack as Tex worked at the computer, checking a few things on the large machine next to it. “He kinda seemed to respond to you,” Tex said as he stared at the screen. “Maybe see if you can coax something a bit more coherent out of him?” Nodding, Elias walked over to Jack, letting out a small groan as he kneeled down. “Hey, buddy…” Elias said, talking to Jack with a soft tone, likening him to a small child or scared animal. “How are you doing so far?” “Are we leaving soon?” Jack said, sniffing as he spoke, staring blankly out the window. “We really need to go. Please. I really really really want to go now.” “Sure buddy, really soon,” Elias said, “But hey, about that stuff earlier… I wanted to ask… what did you mean? Can you help me understand what you’re talking about?” “No… I want to leave instead,” Jack said, frowning at the window. “But I bet it's already too late. It’s dark now. It’s when they wake up.” “They do?” Elias said, attempting to get Jack talking more, changing his approach. “Yeah… I don’t think they like the light,” Jack said, running his hand down the window. “We won’t make it out of here, you know. He told me. The spit… they’ll turn us to smilers. They’re all just a bunch of dirty homos.” “Oh, okay then. So they will? Why?” Elias continued probing, feeling like he was in a way talking to an upset toddler trapped in a grown adult’s body. “Why do you think they smile?” “Dunno,” Jack said, trailing a finger up and down the glass. “I bet he makes them. Probably wants everyone to be a filthy fag like him. That’s all those queers like to do.” “Are you fucking kidding me…” Elias muttered to himself, trying to keep himself calm while listening to the many homophobic slurs Jack spouted. “Can you tell me who he is?” Jack suddenly stopped running his finger along the glass, turning and looking at Elias with a scowl on his face. “Why do you want to know?” Jack said, glaring at Elias intensely. “We just want to know so that we can punish them for you,” Elias said, calmly, his voice soft as he spoke. “We can stop them and get you out of here.” Suddenly, Jack let out a disturbing laugh, turning away from Elias and letting his head slump forward on the glass, his fist thumping softly against it. “What’s so funny, Jack?” Elias asked, pulling away from him slightly, concerned at the massive mood swing from Jack. “I get it now. I died. All of us are already dead or ghosts…” Jack said, his voice and demeanor changing suddenly, smiling and rocking himself even harder than before. “We already died, and now we’re going to be smilers, too.” Disturbed, Elias slowly got up as Jack slowly began to hum to himself, hugging himself tightly, repeating the word dead over and over in an almost melody. Walking over to Tex, he noticed a confused look on the man’s face. “So, that was a bust,” Elias said, placing both of his hands down on the counter. “Please tell me you figured out what that slime was.” “Yeah… so, don’t laugh,” Tex said, pulling his glasses off and cleaning them with the corner of his shirt. “Doubt I’m going to be laughing with how fucked everything has been so far, Tex,” Elias said, letting out an exasperated breath. “Just tell me, what is it? Nerve agent? Acid? Some new type of poison?” “Well, it’s really quite a chemical cocktail. Among the mix, there’s amino acids, water, calcium, glucose, fructose, magnesium, protein, and zinc. Also, massive amounts of hormones, namely dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, testosterone and a ton of endorphins… also seeing various nitrates in the mixture, namely amyl and butyl” Tex explained, running his fingers down the screen. “The computer keeps spitting out… and I swear, I am not kidding, that it's likely human semen… and, um… poppers.” Elias stared at Tex for a few moments, blinking, then letting out a slight laugh. “Okaaay. No, seriously, what did it actually say,” Elias asked incredulously. “I told you not to laugh,” Tex said, satisfied his glasses were now clean as he pushed them back up onto his nose. “I ran it twice just to make sure.” “You have got to be absolutely fucking kidding me,” Elias said, pinching the bridge of his nose as he let out an exasperated laugh. “Are you trying to tell me someone beat in the door and then… what? Gooned out on poppers…And what, jacked off on it? Humped it?” “Yeeeah… Well, that’s the thing… some of the trace amino acids aren’t found in semen,” Tex said, continuing as he turned around away from the computer, leaning against the counter. “They’re only found in saliva…” “So… what? Someone punched in the door, huffed a bottle of poppers, then sucked someone off and spit everything out?” Elias said incredulously, turning his head and staring at Tex. “That sounds like the opening of a really… really bad gay porno. Next you’ll be telling me there were traces of cheese and pepperoni.” “I can only tell you what the analysis showed. That and what looks like a really powerful sedative and opioid. What happened to cause those chemicals to be there could be anyone’s guess, but now I know what you and your hubby watch on a Saturday night,” Tex said, turning his head and looking at Jack. “So, couldn’t get him to talk then?” “No,” Elias said, shaking his head. “Guy is extremely manic, too. One second he’s like a little kid, the next, he’s fucking creepy and talking about how we all died already.” “I’d almost be willing to guess and say that maybe he got in contact with this stuff,” Tex said, shaking his head as he spoke. “Flood someone with as much of those hormones as is in that stuff, you’d probably fry someone’s brain out. Definitely would put you in a coma. Not to mention what those nitrates would do in your system if they got in your bloodstream.” “Semen, spit, and poppers putting someone in a coma? From what, the shock of it all?” Elais said, shaking his hands in the air dramatically. “Clutching their pearls in the sheer depravity of it all?” “No, asshat, it’s the opioid in there. That stuff has a similar formulation to fentanyl,” Tex explained, still staring at Jack. “Let’s just say, if it was fentanyl, that much would literally stop your breathing in seconds.” “Well, back to the drawing board on what broke his bigoted brain,” Elias said. Both their attention turned to the radio as it crackled to life. “South side clear. What’s your current status, Recon 1?” Gravestone’s voice came out of the speaker, causing both men to relax. “North side clear as well, returning to lab. Reaper, what’s your status?” Zero’s voice replied. Activating the comm device in his ear, Tex pressed down the button before he spoke. “Lab results are back, we’re waiting in the lab with the survivor,” Tex said, slowly starting to gather up his supplies. “Copy. Team, regroup at the lab and we’ll set out for the next floor.” Gravestone’s command reverberated in the speaker, before cutting off and filling the room with silence. Jack continued rocking in the corner, muttering and staring out the glass. “So, who’s going to tell them the results,” Elias said, picking up his bag as well and hefting it onto his shoulders. “You are second in command, you know,” Tex said, smiling, “All part of your job, boss man.” ———— Helixion Genetics- East Hallway, Building 3, Floor 2; REDACTED LOCATION 21:08 MST 30-Oct-20XX Sticks felt around in his pack, looking frantically for his tablet computer. Annoyed, he let out a loud groan in frustration. “What’s up?” Patch said, keeping a close eye on Jack, their new survivor. The man several times had been resistant, trying to sneak back up the stairs. Each time, they’d had to catch him, telling him repeatedly it wasn’t safe to leave the group. The man continued to mutter, just like he had in the lab. Sticks had laughed along with everyone else when the Major had told them what the scanner showed. In the back of his mind, Sticks reminisced on the hot night before with Lockjaw. Damn that man could pound someone’s ass hard, Sticks thought to himself, feeling his asshole slightly ache almost in an echo. The man knew what he was doing with his dick, and could shoot like a fountain, sometimes going multiple rounds. It amazed him that with as many times as they’d hooked up, they’d never been caught, sometimes hooking up in the bathroom on base, other times in the hotel rooms one of them was sharing with another member on the team. He blushed as his thinking went to the one time in the steam room at a hotel where they’d nearly had three of their team walk in. Part of him secretly had been hoping to get caught, so they didn’t have to keep sneaking around. Jae… Pixel, he mentally corrected himself, was as straight as they come, having unsuccessfully tried to drunkenly hook up with him. In fact, it was because of that drunken fail that he’d ended up finding out Lockjaw secretly had the hots for him as well. From that point on, part of him wondered about the rest of his team. Gravestone was for sure straight, the man had a wife and kids and was extremely devoted. He practically oozed dad energy whenever his wife would make them baked goods, or a kid had a fundraiser. The guy was hot though, in a similar way to Lockjaw, giving off major daddy vibes. Who knew about Zero… the man was a stone wall and kept to himself. And Tex was constantly going on dates with different girls in each town, always sharing pictures like a teenage girl. At first he thought maybe Tex and Reaper were a thing, but now figured it was more of a bromance. And Patch just seemed like he’d be better suited in a monastery. Asexual was the first thing that came to mind. That left him guessing at Stag and Reaper. Reaper was surprisingly kind, and if he had to admit it, frustratingly sexy in his book. There had been many a load shot with Sticks imagining a threesome between the Major, Lockjaw, and himself. The man had that rugged hotness to him, driving Sticks wild. But, there was something off on how the guy was surprisingly tight-lipped about his relationship. Sticks had yet to get anything out of Tex, who seemed to know everything about Reaper. So, that just left Stag. Sticks felt a physical shudder run through his body. Not only was the man a massive dickhead, but on the one occasion where he’d been forced to bunk with him, Sticks had stolen a glance at the man’s laptop screen, waking up in the middle of the night. The man was clearly jacking off under the covers to what was on the screen, headphones in. The guy was into some really fucked up freaky shit, and Sticks wanted nothing to do with it. “Fuck,” Sticks realized with a start, “I think I left it upstairs.” “The major and commander are both going to rip you a new asshole,” Pixel said, not looking up from the wall terminal he was typing at, the flash drive sticking out the side flashing from the side as the man continued to try and access the door to the server room. “Not if they don’t know,” Sticks said, setting the bag down. “I’ll just run upstairs and get it.” “Oh yeah, they both would really love it if you did that,” Patch said sarcastically, turning his attention to Sticks. “Just wait to get it until we regroup and just get your ass chewed out. Better safe than sorry.” Suddenly, a door slammed shut farther down the hall, causing the three to look briefly in that direction. Sticks was the first to look around as the survivor, Jack, had suddenly bolted, running as fast as he could towards the stairwell, knocking Patch over. “Fuck, he’s getting away!” Sticks exclaimed, suddenly bolting into action and pursuing Jack. “Get back here!” Patch yelled, trying to get up. “I’ll get him,” Sticks called out as he ran, watching as Jack swiftly opened the stairwell door and ran into the near darkness. “I’ll get my tablet as well on our way back.” “Fuck, we’re not supposed to break formation, man,” Patch yelled at him as Sticks entered the stairwell door, letting it slam behind him. Up or down, Sticks thought to himself, straining to hear what direction the sounds of Jack’s feet were coming from, echoing in the cavernous stairwell. The sound of a door opening below answered his question, as Sticks took off down the flight of stairs. Crazy dumbass is probably trying to make a run for the front doors, Sticks realized, as he burst out of the doorway onto the ground floor. Looking around, he tried to listen for where the man was running, when he heard the sound of someone screaming. The high-pitched sound caused him to jump, his flesh to prickle, and the hair on his neck to stand up. The sound had an almost guttural growl to it as well, giving it an almost primal sound. His heart pounded. Every step felt heavier as he edged toward the frosted glass doors, the shape of Jack struggling with the elevator doors, blurry through the slime-streaked glass. Weirdly, Jack was trying to force the doors open from the bottom. Giving a quick look around, Sticks eased the door open, the glass muffling the sounds behind it. Inside, Jack clawed at the elevator doors, but something was wrong. Jack’s hands were unnatural—fingers ending in jagged claws. Pallid skin stretched tightly over bulging veins beneath. The tattered lab coat hung loosely, entirely different from the sharp-suited man he’d known. His eyes widened, and a nameless fear clenched his stomach. Slowly, Sticks began to back away, his back hitting the door as he kept an eye on the man in front of him while blindly grabbing for the door. Shit, this is not cool!, he thought. Suddenly, the radio crackled to life, as a panicked Patch’s voice boomed out of the small earpiece, now hanging casually off to the side of Sticks's neck, having fallen out during the chase. “What was that sound? Sticks, get your ass back up here!” Patch yelled. Suddenly, the figure stood up and wheeled around, facing towards the sound and Sticks. That’s not our guy… Sticks realized. The first thing he noticed was the unnaturally golden yellow eyes with black ooze seeping out like teared-up mascara. Next was the unnaturally sinister smile on the man’s face, whose teeth looked almost sharpened. The man was hyperventilating, his shoulders heaving quickly as clear saliva dripped profusely down his chin. Finally, Sticks felt the handle and rushed through the door, pulling it just open enough to slip through, hopefully blocking the creature from following him. Using his arms, he held the door in place, as the deranged-looking man/creature began to slam himself against the door. Looking around, Sticks saw a sturdy-looking umbrella. Straining, he reached for it, holding the doors in place as the man backed up, clearly positioning himself for another lunge. Finally, his fingers just barely grabbed ahold of the umbrella, and he swiftly shoved it between the handles, holding the doors closed partially, as the man impacted the doors again. Surprisingly, the door and umbrella held, the glass letting out a heavy thud on impact and wobbling slightly. Sticks let out a sharp sigh of relief, believing he had a narrow escape. Okay, back upstairs, he thought. However, as he turned back around, a massive glob of wetness hit his face, covering his mouth and eyes in a slimy residue. Reaching up he went to wipe it away, the smell strongly reminding him of the bathhouse trip he’d taken a year prior. Through the blurriness of the liquid in his now burning eyes, he could just vaguely make out the shape of a person. Suddenly, he felt flush in the face and his head began to swim, the liquid soaking through his gloves easily as he wiped and making them feel numb. He tried to spit out the fluid, but found his lips and face also felt strangely numb. He began to feel warm and tired, yet also breathless. The room felt brighter, and Sticks could almost feel his thundering heartbeat in his ears. Son of a bitch, he thought. This feels like… Finally able to clear off his eyes, he blinked before coming face to face with another of the creatures.

Chapter 2- No Turning Back Helixion Genetics- Building 3 Rooftop; REDACTED LOCATION 20:05 MST. 30-Oct-20XX Elias looked over at the Commander, before waving his arms to get everyone’s attention, pointing down at the radio on his hip and signaling to turn to channel one. Soon, everyone changed their radios over. “Okay… so the primary access point we had is clearly a no-go,” Elias said, gesturing at the door. “Any suggestions on how we get in?” “Are you serious? It looks like a gorilla attacked that door!” Patch yelled, causing the radios to screech at the loud sound, eliciting several muttered curses from the team. “I thought you said the animal research building was on the other side of the campus!” “Fuck, man, watch the volume,” Stag said, turning his head slightly. “If you’d have paid attention to the mission brief, you’d know it IS on the opposite side of this place. Besides, they only use specially bred mice here. I seriously fucking doubt a mouse did that to a door.” “Maybe it was an explosion in the building?” Sticks asked. “I mean, it would take a lot of force to do something like that, man. I doubt a person did it.” “No, we didn’t get any triggers like that from the environmental system,” Pixel said, before pointing to the fire alarm above them. “Besides, we’d hear that thing going off and see smoke coming from the building if that were the case.” “Again, men, task at hand,” Gravestone said, breaking up the conversation. “We need an entrance point. The doors are a no-go with the damage. Any suggestions?” “Maybe rappel down the side and break one of the windows?” Stag said, shrugging his shoulders. “Got to maintain the negative pressure and limit access,” Tex replied, shaking his head in disagreement. “Besides, these are blast-resistant windows. Whole campus is equipped with them, and they look to be over a half-inch thick. I think the brief said they replaced the entire campus a few years back when that ecoterrorism group tried to blow the place up.” “Elevator maintenance shaft,” Zero said, pointing over at the squat elevator equipment shack on to the right of the door. “That…. Could actually work,” Elias said, walking over to the small door on the side, barely coming to his hips. “I mean, it’s a tight squeeze, and we’ll have to override the controls and bring them to the top so we don’t have to lug back up the rappelling equipment. But… yeah, elevator shaft is the way to go here.” “Two small problems,” Tex said, pointing at the small door. “First, the entire building is under lockdown, so right now, every single pump in the building is running in negative pressure mode. Standard clean lab procedures.” “Shit… so that door is going to feel like it weighs probably 100 lbs, easily…” Stag replied, kneeling down and pulling on the handle, barely causing it to budge before it suctioned back shut. “I agree, shit. But that’s just half the first problem. The second we do get that thing open, the opening is going to turn into a giant wind tunnel as the pumps kick into overdrive. And once the door shuts, which we definitely will need to do to maintain a lockdown, there is going to be even more pressure on the door,” Tex continued, using his hands to gesture as he spoke. “Think of it like when you slam the door down on a chest freezer too fast. It creates a suction and makes it a real bitch to open. Put simply, that door is likely going to be a one-way trip. At least until we can get to the basement and shut down the air filtration pumps.” “Something we will have to tackle when the time comes,” Lockjaw said, sighing. “But you said we have two problems.” This time it was Elias who spoke up. “Yeah, it’s going to be dark. Like pitch black dark, and cramped. We’re essentially going to be going in blind, so someone is going to need to go first and cut the lock on the top of the elevator, then force open the doors so we can get a drone out there for some recon,” Elias said, his shoulders slumping. He didn’t like the idea of sending someone in on their own, glancing back at the door, his mind trying to work out who or what had damaged it like that. “Looks like you’re up, Zero,” Stag said, slowly taking a step back from the door. “Fucking asshole… doesn’t want risk his ass…” Elias could hear Tex mutter, the microphone picking it up crystal clear. “Hey, he’s the smaller of the two of us,” Stag retorted angrily. “No fucking way I’m going to fit easily in there AND be stealthy about it, fucker.” Elias stepped between the two, ready to stop a fight as the two stepped towards each other when Zero walked over to the door. “He’s right,” Zero said, before turning to Sticks. “Hand me a recon drone.” Sticks nodded, dropping his bag on the ground and opening it up, rummaging through it. “Pixel, can you tap into the elevator controls and move them to the top?” Elias said, walking around the squat shed before finally finding a control box. “Should be easy enough,” Pixel said, prying it open and pulling out a laptop and ethernet cable from his bag. “Just keep in mind, once I put it in maintenance mode, they won’t move. So that only leaves us with the stairwell.” “Sounds like that’s our best shot,” Gravestone said, dropping his bag on the ground, “While he’s working on that, I want everyone to load their weapons up with the maximum strength tranq rounds. We don’t know what we’re messing with, so I want us to be safe and run a clean mission. Understood?” The men replied in agreement and got to work loading the weapons. ——— “Fuck, this thing is a bitch to open!” Stag growled out, wedging the crowbar into the frame of the door, putting his body weight against it before finally breaking the seal. Air suddenly began to whistle through the thin opening, sucking a few stray leaves in like a vacuum cleaner. Taking the opportunity, Elias and Tex grabbed the door, and slowly pulled it open, the sound of wind rushing through the opening picking up immediately. The opening was pitch black as the dying evening sunlight failed to penetrate into the elevator shaft. Aiming their weapons and lights on the opening, Zero took a quick look inside, ducking his head in. “Looks clear,” his soft voice said before he climbed in, crawling in and shuffling across the metal mesh floor before flicking on the light in his hazmat suit. “Going in.” The wind continued to whistle through the small door as Elias watched the video feed on his tablet, streamed from the camera on Zero’s hood. Slowly, the man looked around before finally crawling to the top of the elevator car, looking down at the roof to the access door. Grabbing the bolt cutter beside him, he quickly snapped the metal of the lock, gently setting the tool down and removing the lock. Zero opened the small panel and blinked at the bright lights of the small car before expertly lowering himself in. To the right, a large touchscreen displaying a spinning 3D copy of the Helixion logo glowed, with a large red MAINTENANCE MODE: ACCESS LIMITED underneath. “Open the doors, Pixel,” Zero said quietly, drawing his weapon and aiming it at the center of the door. Elias looked over quickly at Pixel, giving a nod as he watched the man tap a few things on the touchscreen of his laptop, before turning his attention back to the tablet’s feed. The gleaming metal of the elevator doors silently opened, revealing a dimly lit hallway, surrounded by fresh white walls, freshly waxed vinyl wood floors, and large frosted glass doors, a small electronic screen beside each to denote the room number and designation. “Releasing the drone,” Zero called out softly, before returning to an aiming stance. “You’re up, Sticks,” Elias said, nodding at the young tech. Sticks nodded in acknowledgement, and began steering a drone by way of a remote control. His movements were careful and precise; he didn’t need to see the machine to know how it felt and what it was doing. With the tap of the screen, Elias’ feed switched to the camera of the small helicopter drone, watching as it gracefully swept through the halls, only a small buzzing sound giving its position away. Unnervingly, nothing looked out of place. Every spot looked clean and tidy. No dropped papers. No busted doors. Not even a speck of dirt on the ground. The team sat in silence watching the feed as Sticks continued to loop, finally making the full circuit and stopping at the elevator. “All clear,” Elias said, firming himself as he spoke, “Let’s roll in. Take it slow and watch for any sharp edges in the shaft. We haven’t cleared the air safety test yet.” The team slowly entered the shaft one at a time, making their way into the elevator car before stepping out into the hallway, Gravestone only gave a quick nod to Elias as he went in, signaling Elias to pull the door shut. The door slammed shut, the suction of the air easily pulling it closed, the metal sound reverberating through the confined space and echoing down the elevator shaft. Elias froze in place, half-expecting a yell or some roar to rip across the deafening silence that followed. He was met, however, with just more silence as he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Slowly, he followed behind Gravestone, before gently lowering himself down into the elevator. They both stepped off the elevator and into the hall. “Tex, Patch, how are the air quality readings?” Elias asked, hoping they were still clear. His gut told him he didn’t want to risk being partially blind in the massive hazmat suit. “All clear. Local sensor is showing green, with just pollen from the outside air we let in. Still negative on the main sensors down in the labs,” Tex said, looking at the tablet screen. “Best guess is that whatever we’re dealing with is not airborne. Schematics show this lab is only rated at BSL-2, so they shouldn’t have anything airborne here.” “As long as they told us the truth,” Patch added, slowly packing back up the local air quality tester. “Well, so far everything is checking out and matching perfectly with what we were told, so I think we’re good to de-suit,” Tex said, slowly pulling off his helmet. “Still want everyone to keep the eye protection and gloves on. We’ll have to switch to the standard radios as these are stitched into the suit.” The team quickly shucked the suits off, leaving them in the elevator before re-situating themselves. “Ok, time to split the team up. Stick to the original plan. Recon Team 1, to the north labs. Recon 2, you’ll both be with me to the south,” Gravestone said, holding his tactical rifle in one hand, and pointing with the other at the general directions. “Recon 3, try to find access to the servers and see what we might be messing with here. See if we can also get camera access. I don’t want us walking around blind. We meet back here at the 15 like planned. Report anything you see out of the ordinary.” Splitting up, Elias, Tex, and Zero took a left and began walking down the hall, slowly checking each room they encountered, each one dark and empty. A computer, clear glass desk, occasionally some stray papers or nicknacks on the desk. One office had a rather sickly looking ficus in one corner. Finally, they made it to the stairwell door. “Think we should take a look?” Tex said, pointing at the door. “Well, better to find out what it might be…” Elias said, letting his voice trail off, part of him wanting to avoid the stairwell. “I’ll cover. Allow for safe evac if needed,” Zero said, nodding and standing at alert, aiming the rifle at the door. “That settles it, I guess…” Elias said, taking a deep breath in and slowly blowing it out before pressing the talk button on his earpiece radio. “This is Recon 1, we’re going to enter the stairwell shaft and check the other side of the doorway. See if we can get some idea of what we’re dealing with. Permission to proceed?” “Granted. Use extreme caution and report back in 5 minutes,” Gravestone’s voice replied over the earpiece, static punctuating the end of his reply. “Copy. Entering now, Recon 1,” Tex replied, before slowly pushing open the door, letting Elias and Zero enter before softly letting the door close. Nodding silently in the softly lit stairwell, Zero took a stance at the top of the stairs leading down as Tex and Elias quietly climbed up the stairs, guns aimed upwards. Taking the stairs quickly and silently, both men relaxed as they turned the last flight of stairs only to be met with the empty stairwell and the outward bowing metal doors. “What is that…” Tex said, slowly letting his gun down and walking up to the door. Quickly, he reached into a pouch on his tactile belt and produced a small test tube. Popping the top, he slowly scraped it along the door, which appeared to be covered in a clear slime. Filling it halfway, he handed the first tube to Elias, who held it up to the light. What at first appeared to be clear slime actually had a slight whitish appearance. Taking a small sniff of the air, Elias nudged Tex with his elbow, getting his attention. “You smell that?” he asked, looking around. Something about it seemed familiar, but Elias couldn’t put his finger on it. “Yeah, seems… familiar. Definitely a ripe funk to it. Almost like a locker room maybe?” Tex said, sniffing and scrunching his nose. “Something else I can’t really identify. Almost an alkaline smell. Also has a medicine or solvent smell. A lot stronger the closer you get to the door.” “Yeah… making my face feel flush… like smelling a marker or something,” Elias agreed, forcing himself not to touch his nose. “You definitely do seem like the type to smell markers as a kid,” Tex said, putting a stopper on the second sample before grabbing the first back from Elias. “You really think now is the time to joke around…” Elias said, glaring at Tex. “Left yourself open for that one,” Tex said, smiling. “Just trying to make the situation a little less tense here.” Walking back down the stairs quickly, they waved at Zero before motioning back at the door. Zero softly opened the door and held it as the three men exited back out into the bright hallway. “Recon 1, Upper stairwell all clear, found a clear biological sample for testing on the surface of the door,” Elias said after the door fully closed with a soft click. “We’re going to check the first lab for a mass spectrometer and get it running before coming back to the rendezvous point.” “Copy, let us know when you are on the way back,” Lockjaw replied, as the three continued the walk down the hall. Finally, they made it to the first lab and entered, looking around. The door outside denoted it as a general lab. Several long bays ran along the middle of the room, with standard lab equipment on each side. A few test tubes sat inside the large vent hood on one wall. Otherwise the lab was empty, save for a computer in the corner, the same twirling helix logo as the elevator bouncing across the screen. Stepping out, they walked further down the hall before stopping in front of a room labeled Hydroponics 3. Opening the door, the three men were greeted with row after row of large bushy plants, a small breeze blowing across them as the red and blue LEDs glowed above them. Suddenly, Elias noticed a shoe peeking out from behind the last plant in the row. Silently, he motioned at the other two men and pointed at the end, holding his gun at the ready. The three men glided in silence towards the end of the room before finally turning the corner. “Don’t move! Hands where I can see them and lay flat on the ground!” Elias commanded, aiming the gun directly at the face of the man crouching behind the plants. “Fuck! Please don’t tell me you’re one of them,” the man cried out, holding his hands up. The man on the ground fell backwards, slamming his ass on the ground as he shivered. His business suit was missing an arm, and the white undershirt below was half ripped off, the hastily loosened tie looked rumpled as if someone had grabbed it hard during a fight. Sweat covered his forehead as he looked back and forth rapidly between the three men. A name badge hung loosely off the lapel of the suit. Elias looked down, reading the name tag; Johnathan Blaine, Military Corporate Liaison, it plainly stated, the photo on it showing the same man before him, albeit with a smirk on his face and wearing a different suit. “Please, don’t shoot. I’m not one of them! We have to get out of here or they’ll find us,” the man blubbered, looking between the three. “Recon 1, survivor in Hydroponics Lab 3. Recommendations, Commander?” Zero asked, turning his head slightly as he talked with his hand to the earpiece radio. “Oh, thank god! You’re military! I work with the military here, you’re here to save me, right?” the man asked, his voice jittery and nervous. “I’m Jack. I called and you came. We can leave. Nothing left. I knew my father wouldn’t leave me here. They said he would… but I knew…. I KNEW….” Elias stood silently for a second as he thought back to the mission brief, trying to remember the names on it. A tiny flicker of unease and simultaneous dread suddenly settled on him. “We’re coming to you, stay in place,” Gravestone’s voice replied sternly on the radio. “He look like he’s infected?" “Your father? Why would your father send in the military?” Tex asked warily. “He’s the CEO’s son. I remember the name from the brief,” Elias said, finally piecing it together. “Unknown. Seems very jittery and is sweating, has some torn clothing, but seems like he’s otherwise fine, just… acting really off,” Zero replied, still loosely holding the gun aimed at the rumpled man. “I swear, I’m fine. They tried to catch me but I got away,” Jack anxiously explained, sniffling occasionally and trying to get up and show his bare arm. “See! Look! Not a scratch! I didn’t even let them kiss me, cuz I’m not a dirty homo like him.” Elias’s expression changed almost imperceptably to mild surprise. “We said don’t move and stay on the ground!” Tex suddenly barked, aiming the gun intensely at the man, pressing the barrel hard into the man’s chest, causing him to clamp his mouth shut and slump back to the ground. “Please, you have to believe me,” Jack moaned, scooting slightly away until his back hit the wall of glass behind him. “I don’t have the teeth! Even my skin is skin color!” “Just… stay down. We’ll let you back up once we have a medic check you out,” Elias said, looking around for a brief moment before nudging Tex with his elbow. Elias motioned his head over at the large white machine on the counter to the right of the man. “Is that a mass spectrometer on the counter, sir?” Elias asked, turning his attention back at the man and motioning his gun toward the machine. “I… I don’t know… that’s something the eggheads in the labs could tell you… but they can’t help you now… they’re all smilers now,” Jack said, twitching a little as he spoke. “Yeah, looks like a top of the line model,” Tex said, glancing over at the machine. “Which you would think the boss would know. Guy’s acting… fuck, I don’t know.” “Yeah… Tex, let’s go start running the samples in the machine,” Elias said, aiming the gun at Jack. “Zero, give the man a bottle of water. You can take it from my bag.” Zero nodded, getting to work grabbing the bottle of water from the side holder, before tossing it at the man, who quickly opened the bottle and gulped the contents down before tossing it to the side. Jack brought his knees to his chest and started rocking back and forth, scratching at his arms occasionally and looking around at the ceiling, his eyes darting around. Jack began to mutter to himself. “Not here. Safe from the spit. Have to hide. No Jack, no lab, no monsters, no no no no no…” To Elias and Tex, Jack’s prattle was indistinct but audible, and continuous like a fugue state. Zero kept his weapon trained on the delirious man. Tex and Elias stepped over to the mass spectrometer, quickly trying to get it working. “Fucker seems truly out of his gourd,” Tex whispered, pulling out the two samples and quickly opening the tops as Elias grabbed a testing tray. “‘My skin is skin color… I don’t have the teeth? I wouldn’t let them kiss me?’ He’s not really making much sense. Clearly is a homophobe. And what the fuck did he mean about smilers? And spit?” “I don’t know,” Elias sighed, watching as Tex took a pipette and quickly added the samples in before putting them in the machine. “He almost acts like he’s on something. Drugs, maybe? A psychotic break?” The machine whirred to life and began to analyze the sample’s chemical composition. “I’d almost say he looks like a junkie looking for his next fix…” Tex replied, his shoulders slumped. “I mean, look at the signs: Sweaty, super agitated and looks like he hasn’t slept in a few days. Probably hallucinating. Keeps twitching, too. I mean, we’ll need Patch to do a work up on him, but… yeah, I think he’s coming down off something.” A loud knock broke the tense silence, causing Tex and Elias to jump. “Don’t let him in! I- I need a flashlight. He controls them with his mind, you know. And he looks like you and me, but he’s not. A smiler too, but he doesn’t have their eyes!” Jack moaned, rocking back and forth even faster, hugging his knees tight against himself, and hiding his face in his knees. “Cavalry’s here,” Zero said quietly, looking over at the door as the team quickly entered the lab.

Chapter 1: Into the Hot Zone Helixion Genetics- Main Corporate Meeting Room; REDACTED LOCATION. 19:42 MST. 30-OCT-20XX “Okay, men, listen up,” Commander Nathan Briggs said, addressing the team of soldiers in front of him. At 52 years old, his time in the Biohazard Threat Response Division had taken a toll, causing his jet black hair to start greying prematurely. This earned him the call name “Gravestone,” a morbid joke among his team, who quipped he looked ready for one. His 6 foot 2 inch frame was starting to get a bit of a dad bod, but still he attracted the ladies easily with the muscular frame underneath (and a few men who are still recovering from severely broken hearts when they found out he was married and straight). Beside him stood his second-in-command, 34 year old Major Elias “Reaper” Kade, a 6ft tall, dark wavy brown hair and deep blue-eyed man, with well-defined muscles contained behind the black tactical shirt. “Let’s go over the plan of entry, and designated roles one last time. The main goal here is recon. Assume any survivor we find is infected. They are to be detained and held in isolation on exit. Hazmat teams are setting up the temporary holding trailers as we speak. Reaper, you’re up.” Also in the room were seven other men, all part of the elite Black Sigma Team. Looking at each one, Elias mentally reviewed each man. Sitting at the conference table was 27 year old Lieutenant Mason “Zero” Hawke, 5 ft 8 inches tall with short blonde hair with piercing grey eyes, known to the team for his ability to pass lie detector tests with no heart rate change, barely speaking to anyone due to some unknown trauma he suffered during his time in special ops. Next to him was 34 year old Lieutenant Tobias “Tex” Vahn, the resident virologist and chemical weapons expert. He was called Tex due to his thick Texan accent. Originally their civilian CDC expert, he’d been brought over to the proverbial dark side when funding for the CDC had dried up during the post-COVID era. Tobias was also the only member of the team that Elias trusted enough to come to his wedding, coming over regularly for game night with him and his new husband, Trevor. Trevor and Tobias were good friends from college, both graduating from Washington University in St. Louis. Beside him was 24 year old Corporal Jae “Pixel” Yun, on permanent loan from the South Korean military. 5’9 with dark brown eyes and black buzzed hair, he was the lead tech expert of the group; there were whispers among the men that his parents were secretly the owners of a major Korean tech company. However, Elias had yet to find any link there. Pixel and Sticks had become best friends, often bonding over one game or another, or some anime. Both were definitely the babies of the group. Which led him to Private First Class Eric “Sticks” Barlow, across the table from Pixel. At 20, he was the true baby of the group, and knew how to use it to his advantage. Barely coming up to barely Elias’ chin, he stood at a mere 5 foot 2 inches. A true prodigy when it came to electronics and coding, he had been a direct hire straight out of West Point. Somehow he’d managed to talk the Commander into keeping his hair dyed a bright, neon green with black undertones. Elias liked to think of him as the puppy of the group. Next up was 28 yr old Specialist Cole “Patch” Hannigan, the field medic of the team. He was second-newest to their team, with this being their first real deployment in the field after 6 months of training. Standing at 5 foot 11 inches, the guy was the chubbiest of the group, having been reassigned to the team after pissing off a commanding officer. Nobody knew what for exactly, but whatever it was, it had to be bad in Elias’ book. Last at the table was 30 year old Lieutenant Bryce “Stag” Mercer, the resident asshole and bullshitter of the group. 6 foot 1 inches tall, he was lanky with fiery red hair, pale skin and freckles. Previously he was the lead recon specialist of the group and former second in command, but after being caught pocketing some particularly gruesome photos from one of their missions, Gravestone had decided to put him on strict probation. His nickname came from his ability to stay in one spot almost eerily like a statue for hours at a time, like a deer in the woods. Elias cleared his throat, pleased as the group watched him with a respectful and quiet expectation. This would be his first true second-in-command position on the team. Part of him feared the men would never respect him, as only a few on the team knew he was gay, let alone had just gotten married. Pushing down his fears, he began to speak. “What we know so far is that at approximately 15:30 local time yesterday, a manual biohazard alarm was triggered in one of the labs in building three, on level sub level 5… as seen here on the map,” Elias said, aiming a laser pointer at the projected map on the wall. “Air quality sensors indicate no detected contamination, but still I’m going to stress that we at least enter wearing full BSL-4 until further testing can be done on site. This is a DARPA-funded bio lab, so anything could be down there. Lockjaw, anything to add on Tactical?” Major Adrian Reese, or as the team knew him, Lockjaw, stood off to the side, his jaw clenched in a permanent scowl from nerve damage he received a few years prior. 47 years old and standing at a towering 6 foot 5 inches, he was tall and muscular, with short buzzed brown and grey hair and a steely dark grey pair of eyes. All Elias knew was that Lockjaw and Gravestone went back to the “Berlin days” as the two cryptically referred to them, not sharing much information other than that. “Contact has been lost since the moment the alarm was triggered and the building is in full lockdown. Since we have no idea what we’re really dealing with, it’ll be standard clearance of each floor. The lab has 10 floors in total,” Lockjaw said, waving his hand to the map on the wall. “We’ll be entering the building on the roof. Each team will consist of three men. Patch, Pixel, and Sticks, you’ll be closest to the elevators and stairs in the core of the building. Your jobs are to maintain communications, and get into the company mainframe to see if we have any information to work off of. Company liaison doesn’t know what we could be dealing with due to the nature of the project, and access is still being worked on from our DARPA contact. Tex and Zero, you’ll be on the north side with Reaper where the labs are. Stag, you’re with me and the commander on the south where the offices are.” “We clear each floor and regroup at the elevators before moving to the next floor down as a team,” Elias continued. “Once the air quality is confirmed, you can take off the respirators, but we want to keep this clean, so maintain at least BSL-3 gear.” “We should expect at least 27 male bodies in the building,” Gravestone added. “It looks like the female scientists were at a conference for women in STEM, which has been confirmed by the company liaison here on site. Full lockdown has been initiated in the building, so once we get in, we won’t be getting back out until the lockdown is lifted or someone from outside lets us out. Expect quite a few locked doors and rolling fire doors to be in the way.” “We’re going to take this slow and check in every 15 minutes. Report anything you find as soon as you can,” Elias added. “And most of all, play it safe. We don’t need to lose anyone on this mission. This is a civilian lab with government funding, so we shouldn’t expect any real pushback from any survivors here, but don’t hesitate to use force to keep safe. Got it?” Elias was met with a few small murmurs and nods from the team as everyone started getting up, pulling on their tactical packs and checking the fit on their respirators. Elias turned his attention as Gravestone came over and patted him on the shoulder “Good work on the briefing, Eli,” Gravestone said, giving his shoulder a slight shake. “I knew you’d be a perfect fit for the job. This looks like a pretty easy in and out job, so we will get you home in time for breakfast with the husband. Dr. Trevor Bingham, isn’t it?” A slight flush spread on Elias’ cheeks, feeling slightly embarrassed as he realized that his commanding officer did in fact know he was gay and married. His husband Trevor and even his team mate Tex had said he should just tell him - that it wouldn’t be a big deal. That he should be proud of who he was and that he deserved to be in this position. “Oh, well… uh… I didn’t know you…” Elias stammered, unsure what to say. “Who do you think signs off on your benefits paperwork?” Gravestone said, nonchalantly checking his fit on his back, and for any openings on the seals around his suit. “Denise wants you both over for dinner soon. Besides, you know our youngest, Mason, is gay, right? Just so you know, Tex was right… I wouldn’t have cared.” He shrugged his shoulders quickly in a non-chalant way. “Th….. thanks sir… I… thank you,” Elias stammered as realized that he’d put himself through untold amounts of stress… for nothing apparently. Sighing out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, he walked over to the large double glass doors to the conference room and stood beside Tex as the others filtered out of the room. “Good work on the briefing, by the way,” Tex said, smiling as he gave a once over on Elias’ biohazard gear. “So, you and the commander have a fun chat just now?” Elias gave Tex a flat stare, unsure whether to strangle the man or give him a big hug. “When did he ask you?” Elias sighed resignedly. “Two weeks before your super secret wedding, bud,” Tex said, a shit-eating grin spread across his face. “You seriously didn’t look at the wedding gifts, did you?” Elias stared at Tex expectantly, waiting for further explanation. “Who do you think got you guys the espresso machine…” Tex said, taking a quick glance at the commander. “Didn’t you even read the gift card?” “Fuck…. No… I just thought it was from one of his coworkers at the hospital. Trevor is working on the thank you cards right now,” Elias groaned. “Damn it. We are definitely gonna have to have dinner with him and his wife. So… the commander is more of a wine guy, or a scotch guy?” “Neither. Cigars and bourbon for him, cake from that bakery just outside the base for the wife, and make sure you bring something fun and unique for the kids,” Tex said, satisfied on his inspection of the biohazard suit. “I owe you,” Elias said, sighing as he began to shove the massive hood of the suit on his head, adjusting the earpiece and microphone in the process. “How you thought you could get away with keeping it from him is lost on me, bro. Didn’t you think it was odd how he didn’t even bat an eye at your request for a week off? Well… I guess you can pay me back by giving me the details on what you walked in on yesterday in the ‘barracks’,” Tex said, grinning. Knowing that he would need to talk in private about it, Elias simply held up six fingers and pointed at the radio on his right hip. With an exaggerated rolling of the eyes, Tex threw his hood on as well and the pair started walking with the group across the sprawling grassy lawn in the center of the laboratory campus. “So, what’s the piping hot T, sis,” Tex’s voice filled his right ear, the crackle of the plastic suit punctuating each of their movements as they walked. “Oh my god… Just stop… Cultural appropriation. Only gay guys can talk like that,” Elias rejoined, trying not to laugh at Tex. “I’m waiting, guuuurl, and it best be hotter than last week’s Untucked,” Tex continued, doing his best to lay on an even, thick Texan accent. “Oh God… why am I friends with you… Thank fucking god this radio channel is encrypted right now…” Elias muttered before continuing. “So… you know how I was supposed to do the barracks check last night?” “I’d hardly call a Vegas hotel “barracks”, but… continue,” Tex said, gesturing his puffed up arm as the two began getting closer to the gleaming glass and metal building looming ahead, a large well lit 3 glowing on the side of it in the pale light. The two followed behind the group as they began to walk around to the back of the building towards a well-guarded fire escape. Both nodded at the two heavily armed soldiers wearing full respirators and shuffled into the cordoned off utilities area. “So, I went and finished checking on everyone. Couldn’t find Barlow… I mean Sticks, and Pixel said something about him going down to the gift shop for something… candy I think… and I got back to the room I’m sharing with Lockjaw,” Elias explained, waiting behind the team as one by one they began to climb the ladder. “Ok… so what…” Tex said, shifting from one foot to the other anxiously. “Still afraid of heights, huh,” Elias said, laughing slightly. “It’s only 40 feet off the ground we’re climbing.” “Shut the fuck up man and distract me with the story, because if I fall, I’m taking you with me,” Tex grumbled. “So, I got back to the room quicker than I thought and heard some noises coming from Lockjaw’s side of the suite,” Elias continued as he watched Tex shakily grab the first rung of the ladder. “Called out for him and got no reply. So I went in there to check on him. You know, I worry about the guy.” Slowly they began to climb up, stopping occasionally as a member of the team held up the group climbing off the ladder with the heavy gear on their backs. “Well, anyways, I go in the room… empty. So I check the ensuite bathroom… and I swear to fucking god… this stays between us…” Elias said, grunting slightly as they continued climbing. “Sure man,” Tex said, his voice carrying a slight nervous inflection as he quickly replied. “No, I’m fucking serious, man. I will pull you off this ladder myself and let you fall to your death on the ground if you share a fucking word of what I’m going to tell you,” Elias said, gritting the words out as they began climbing again. “Fuck…. Fine… I promise…” Tex said, gripping on the ladder tightly as they stopped again. Satisfied at putting the fear of God in his friend, Elias continued. “So… um… apparently I’m not the only gay on the team,” Elias said, glad to see that they had finally made it halfway up the building. “Oh shit… holy… The fuck is that supposed to mean?” Tex said, his voice quivering as his foot slipped on one of the rungs and began flailing in the air. Sighing, Elias grabbed Tex’s foot and firmly planted it back on the rung. “It means… -grunt-… I walked in on Lockjaw and Sticks fucking like a pair of bunnies in the shower,” Elias said, helping Tex finally pull his legs over the half wall on the side of the building before finally bringing up the rear. “No fucking way,” Tex said, bent over and holding his knees, panting. Elias’ mind went back to the night before, when he had walked into the bathroom of the shared hotel suite and caught Lockjaw and Sticks in the act. —---- The night before... Elias had just entered the room when the sound of someone grunting in the bathroom beyond hit his ears. Did he slip and fall in the shower? Elias thought to himself as he rushed to the door. He stuck his head in about to speak when he took in the sight. Lockjaw was kneeling on the floor of the tiled shower, hips thrusting in time almost like a metronome, his back facing the doorway as steam and water barely blocked the view on the glass shower wall and door. Heavy, low hanging balls swung in time to the strokes, slapping occasionally against the smaller framed man in front of him… Sticks. Slowly, Lockjaw slid his hands across the wet, water-slicked back of Sticks, before finally resting his hands to be wrapped around Sticks’s small, graceful neck. The wet smacking sounds of Lockjaw’s thighs connecting with the back of Sticks’s echoed in the small room. Elias stepped back into the shadow of the room and watched as the two continued fucking rough and hard. “Fuck… Destroy my hole, fucking pound my tight boy ass into oblivion,” Sticks’s moans echoed out of the bathroom. “Fucking breed me like a bitch, daddy.” Elias’ eyes bulged as he watched Lockjaw pull most of the way out of the slimmer blond man’s ass, before spitting on his dick and slamming deeply back in. Lockjaw’s hands wrapped tightly around Sticks’s neck, squeezing tightly. The taller, older man slammed as hard as he could. For a second, Elias considered interrupting, fearing that the younger man would be seriously injured. “Yeah, you fucking love taking daddy’s giant load in your pussy, don’t you bitch,” Lockjaw growled out. “You want daddy to plant a nice thick load deep in this hole and make you his, don’t you boy?” “Fuck…. Yes, daddy, fucking choke me and destroy my ass,” Sticks replied, moaning deeply as Lockjaw changed his angle of attack on his strokes. “Make me your boy. Breed my ass and claim it.” Lockjaw’s strokes began to falter slightly in their regularity, but somehow he slammed even harder in the small blond’s ass. “Yeah, you fucking want daddy’s swimmers deep in there, don’t you, baby,” Lockjaw moaned. “Make that tight boy hole ooze my load for days with how much cum is gonna flood your guts. Make you send me pictures of you fingering my thick load back into your cumdump.” Suddenly, Lockjaw grabbed Sticks’s face and turned to him before locking lips. “Oh fuck, daddy, I’m gonna cum,” Sticks groaned, suddenly breaking the kiss. “Please give me your load, please shoot it deep in me!” “Oh fuck, baby, here it comes,” Lockjaw groaned, suddenly pushing as hard as he could into the smaller man, intent on burying his cum load deep in his ass. “Here. It. Comes!” Suddenly, Sticks’s cock shot volley after volley of thick cum across the shower floor. Slowly, the two straightened up, and Sticks turned around slightly, making out deeply as Lockjaw slowly stroked the last remaining drops of cum out of Sticks’s dick. Slowly, Lockjaw brought the cum-covered fingers to his mouth, licking the cum off of them before locking lips with Sticks again. Elias was shocked to see the size of cock the smaller man was carrying, his smaller frame making the size seem even bigger. Slowly, he backed away, before quickly making his way swiftly out of the shared hotel room. A short elevator ride to the gift shop and then out to the pool, Elias shakily lit up a cigarette. It had been six months since he quit, a promise to Trevor, an ultimatum for their marriage so to speak. But damn it, he needed it after what he had just seen. His cock was still raging hard in his pants as his mind kept replaying the events over and over. Suddenly, the voice of Commander Briggs knocked him out of the loop in his mind. “Okay there, soldier?” Gravestone asked, his gravelly deep voice said, causing Elias to nearly physically jump. “Oh, um. Yeah. Sure,” Elias replied, quickly trying to smooth over his emotions. “Just nerves, I guess.” Grabbing the lighter from Elias, Gravestone deftly lit the cigar he was holding, bringing it to life with ease. “Thanks, forgot mine upstairs,” Gravestone said, breaking the silence. Unsure what to do, Elias quickly put the cigarette out on the railing surrounding the pool. “I’m gonna head back up,” Elias said. “Try and get some sleep before we go back on duty tomorrow.” “Have a good one, then,” Gravestone replied, pulling out his phone as Elias walked back into the hotel. He snapped a selfie with the fat cigar in his jaw. Hopping on the elevator, Elias rode it in silence, trying to will himself to stop thinking about what he had just seen between his two teammates. Suddenly the door opened and Sticks stepped in. “Oh, hey Major,” Sticks said, his normal bright, bubbly attitude beaming as he spoke. “Got lost on my way back from the pool. Wrong floor.” Suddenly, Elias thought back to all the times he had bumped into Sticks getting off on the wrong floor, forgetting what side of the building he was on. This clearly has been going on for a long time, Elias thought to himself. “Cool, um… just get plenty of rest,” Elias said lamely. “Oh, I will… I’ve just got to work on my back stroke,” Sticks chuckled, before pressing the button for his floor. “Have a good one, Major!” Elias felt a blush spread across his face as he walked back to the room and went over to his room in the suite, hearing the soft sound of Lockjaw snoring coming from his partially open door. That night, Elias jacked off furiously several times, replaying the scene in his head, until finally drifting off to sleep in the sperm-covered sheets. —- The present… “Yes fucking way…” Elias replied to Tex. “Just don’t say anything…” “No man… look…” Tex said, pointing up at the metal security door that led from the roof top to the main stairwell of the building. Elias’ mind briefly went back to what he had read in the briefing. The exterior door was a steel door, rated for 2.5 hours of fire protection. The strongest they make. Elias walked over and slowly ran his hand along the door, pushing in the center on the off chance that maybe the door was just really weak. It didn’t budge when he pressed hard. Which made whatever had slammed hard into the door… strong. The center of the door bowed out, like someone had repeatedly slammed a sledge hammer into the center in a desperate attempt to get out or escape something inside the building. Somehow, the door had withstood the onslaught. “What in the fuck…” Elias said, unable to contain his disbelief.