SSV: Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 1

Chapter 12

Jake and Pam materialized on the east end of Metropolis. It was late, and the night sky was obscured by the city lights and heavy clouds. Jake winced as he took his first breath of fresh air. Traveling through the shadow realm was becoming more natural and routine, but the air was always thick and icy. "Still think you could have handled this on your own?" Pam asked, noticing his discomfort.

"Probably not," he admitted, shrugging off the pain in his back, "Honestly, I just didn't want to drag you or Beth back out. You two have done more than your fair share for me already."

"Jake, we are a team," Pam said, checking their surroundings for any signs of unwelcome movement, "I'm not a fan of the hero notion that you two have, but the three of us are stronger together. It's my job to make sure that neither of you two end up in more trouble than you can handle. You two have an uncanny knack for that, though, so I've got my work cut out for me."

Jake smirked as he spoke, "Well, we appreciate your concern. I'm glad you're with us, and I know you're right about us working together."

"I'm glad you're seeing sense for a change," Pam said with a sincere smile, "Come on, let's go find Samantha. I want to get back to the Birdcage as quickly as possible."

"What's your hurry?" Jake asked as they made their way down the empty street to Sam's home.

"I'm worried about Beth," Pam replied as though it should have been obvious, "I can track her whereabouts and movements with the enchantment on her collar, but I can't do that when we're moving about. It requires focus that I can't spare at the moment."

"Could have stayed home," Jake pointed out, earning another glare from Pam to which he added, "I get it, though. Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it. Beth can take care of herself too, you know."

"I know," Pam lamented, "I know I worry too much about her, and it drives her up the wall sometimes. It's just that ever since we returned from our little excursion into Hell I've been more terrified of losing her than ever. I watched Rebecca run her through. I'm trying to find a balance between caring and being overbearing, if I'm being honest."

"At least you're working on it," Jake said.

"I'm sensing that you're having a bit of an internal dilemma," Pam remarked as they walked down the sidewalk, "Are you and Ashley getting along alright?"

"You know, the whole empath thing can be really annoying sometimes," Jake said.

"It used to annoy Beth when she first gave herself to me as well," Pam began with a smile, "She would try so hard to hide her discomfort, frustration, and even her lustful curiosities. I think it still does bother her sometimes, but I try not to press the issue unless I can tell it's really bothering her. You've been off since our first encounter with Courtney, Jake. I haven't said anything because I didn't want to push you away, but your emotions shifted with that comment. We're alone, so I figured I might as well speak up now."

Jake nodded and chuckled to himself as he pictured Beth flying off the handle at Pam. "I'm guessing Beth got pretty vocal at one point early one," he said, "She's not exactly the type to keep her mouth shut for long periods of time."

"She did better than you'd think for a long time," Pam admitted with a soft smile, "It wasn't until her and I began to become comfortable with one another before she said much. A passing comment here and there when I would question her, but she kept herself surprisingly well in check. The dossiers I read on her led me to believe that she would have been much more likely to flip, but I suppose it was the kindness and patience I showed her that made a difference."

"Huh, you might be onto something there," Jake said, "I always figured you were aloof and self-serving from every interaction we had. When I heard that Beth was in your custody, some far off part of me was scared for her. It made me feel like more of a failure, but I'm glad to see I was wrong."

"Part of me feels like I should be offended," Pam said, "Then again, I was one of Rebecca's most devoted students. I hung on her every word, and I wanted nothing more than to be as powerful as her. However, I had something that she lacked: humanity. She kept part of it up until the night of her ritual, but demonic oppression had a stranglehold on her long before then. My human nature gave me something that she had lost long before you or I ever met her, compassion. It was, and still is, a shame that she was trapped under the weight of her own lust for power. I was blind to it back then, but Beth helped me to see the monster I was going to become. Sometimes I still fear that I may turn into something less than human. The arcane is both captivating and dangerous, Jake. There is no drug on this plane of existence that can compare to the rush I get from gaining new abilities, learning more elusive spellcraft, and reaching new heights. What happens if I lose myself in the pursuit of magical greatness? What will I become if I choose to chase powers beyond my understanding? More importantly, what will I do to those that I care for? These are the questions that keep me up at night, and they are just a few examples of my own personal terror."

"Trying to open up, or are you hoping that you can trick me into talking about Ash?" Jake asked, genuinely unsure.

Pam smirked as they walked, "I forget sometimes that Rebecca left a deep scar of mistrust in you. No, Jake, I am not trying to manipulate you. I would like to hear what's been troubling you, yes, but I respect you too much to use such a ploy."

Jake stuffed his hands into his pockets, somewhat relieved he'd left his suit back in the Birdcage. "I guess that's part of the problem," he said, looking up just in time to watch as a thick cloud rolled by, "I loved Rebecca, I still do, but she manipulated me at every turn. I was too naive to see it then, but now I'm suspicious of everyone, especially the people closest to me. Ash is pissed because there's a part of me that's afraid she's going to push me out of my body for good."

"Do you really think she would do such a thing?" Pam asked.

"I don't know," he answered honestly after a moment of pensive silence, "We finally talked about it after I woke up, but there's a part of me that's still afraid it might happen."

"What did she say about it?" Pam asked, watching him carefully.

Jake sighed as he tried to figure out to condense it down for her, "The short version is that she doesn't want to stand in the way of the man she knows I can be. She knows how much this city means to me, how much you and Beth mean, and she doesn't want to steal my life for her own gain."

"Now, the big question," Pam said, "Do you believe her?"

Jake bit his lip, and he saw Ashley sitting atop one of thr streetlamps looking down at them. "I want to," he finally said, and he noticed the sadness on Ashley's face, "She's done a lot for me, and I want to believe that she'd never do anything like that to me. I guess I'm scared that something might happen to push her over the edge."

"Funny, Beth feels similarly about me," Pam remarked with a forlorn look in her eyes, "There's a part of her that's more afraid that I'll turn into Rebecca than I am."

"How'd you two manage to move past that one?" Jake asked, noting that Ashley seemed equally intrigued.

"Who says we've completely moved on?" Pam countered, earning a confused look from Jake.

"You two seem to be getting along like nothing happened," Jake replied, "I just thought that you two had somehow managed to talk things out or something."

"You of all people should know that relationships aren't so cut and dry, Jake," Pam sighed, shaking her head as she continued, "I can't just say an incantation and make everything better, and just because I'm the one in control doesn't mean that I can control how Beth feels. She's still afraid that there's a monster hiding within me, as am I, but we came to a mutual understanding. The things that we do, the things we enjoy, they're based on trust, but that doesn't mean that there won't be fear and apprehension. This extends to our relationship outside of the bedroom. We are working to move forward, but to do that we have to continue to rely on the trust and communication that we've cultivated thus far."

"So, you two are just running blind in this?" Jake asked, "How exactly is that helping?"

Pam shook her head and tried to clarify, "You're missing the point, Jake. I don't have all the answers, as nice as that would be. Communication is what will propel us forward, and it's the trust that we have for one another that allows us to freely voice our fears and concerns. It is impossible to move forward unless we work together. You call it running blind, and there may be some truth to that sentiment, but that's where we rely on each other. Just because one of us can't see doesn't mean the other cannot. The most important thing is that the two of us keep the lines of communication open and true. If we do that, then we can keep the other from stumbling. It's difficult, and there will be times where we fail, but nothing that's worth doing is going to be easy."

"I'm scared, Pam," Jake admitted, feeling like a broken record, "I swear, I've said that at least ten times tonight, but it's the truth. I'm afraid of getting hurt again."

"If you care about Ashley the way I know you do, then you'll find a way to move past that fear," Pam said, "Relationships aren't black and white. After what you've been through, nobody can blame you for being afraid. The important thing is that you try to move forward. If you let yourself get bogged down by your apprehension, then you'll end up pushing her, and everyone else, away until you're miserable and alone. Talk to her and try to find a way forward."

Jake nodded but went silent as they walked. He contemplated what Pam had said as they neared Sam's house in the projects. It was a simple solution in theory, but Pam hadn't said it would be easy. She was right, he knew that much, but he still needed to put forth the effort. The groundwork had already been laid, but it would take time before he and Ashley could move forward. Now wasn't the time, though. Once Courtney was dealt with, then he could try to move past his hangups and fears. They could only work one step at a time, and while she didn't say anything, he knew that Ashley understood.

It was odd seeing the city streets as empty as they were. Parked cars near the sidewalks and lights in the houses were the only signs of life. It felt almost like Jake was still trapped in a nightmare, but word was beginning to circle about the attacks. Nobody had gone public with the mention of zombies or undead, but there was talk of rogue cannibals running about. People were scared, and rightfully so. Out of everything the city had faced, this was easily one of the sickest of unusual turn of events. As Jake and Pam made their way to Sam's, Jake couldn't help but feel like he was in a horror movie. He kept his eyes peeled for any signs of movement.

They were only a few feet from Sam's house when they heard some trash cans tip over across the street. The sound of the metal drum banging and rolling caused both of their heads to snap in the direction. The shadow of a lone woman could be seen approaching from between the houses across the street, but her silhouette was marred by the glare of the streetlights. She shambled out of the small space between the houses. Whoever she was, she was infected. Pam stepped in front of Jake, knowing that he wasn't in any shape to fight. A faint rattling sound graced their ears as the infected woman got closer. Pam frowned as she readied her magic; her hands began to glow in preparation for dealing with the approaching monster.

"Pretty girl…" the infected woman growled, "So hungry, need pretty flesh!"

Pam narrowed her eyes as she recognized the voice and got a look at her. It was the woman from the bar the other night, the one who'd tried to flirt with her. "I thought I already told you no," Pam said, her hands beginning to glow brighter, "I'm in no mood for games, Clarice."

"Clarice?" Jake repeated as the woman got closer and started to charge, "Is that the woman who was hitting on you?"

"It would seem so," Pam replied as Clarice snarled and rushed toward them, "She's nothing if not persistent, I'll give her that. Stay behind me, Jake."

"Let me have a taste!" Clarice shrieked as she dove at Pam.

Pam rolled her eyes and brought one hand up in an arc. A translucent barrier materialized, and Clarice's body slammed into it. She was held in the air for a moment, her mouth drooling and dripping with blood as she pounded on the barrier. Pam frowned as she extended her other hand to detonate the barrier and knock Clarice backward. Unsurprisingly, Clarice got to her feet no worse for wear. "I know you're not a fan of it, but I'm going to have to put her down, Jake," Pam said, conjuring her chains from the depths of the earth, "If I don't, she's just going to find someone else to chew on."

Jake hated to admit it, but he knew that she was right. Until they had a cure, there was no other option. Clarice was a victim of the virus, a victim of Courtney's, but she was still a threat to innocents. "Do what you have to do," he said grimly, turning away from the carnage that he knew was about to be unleashed.

"I'll try to make this quick," Pam said as she began waving her hands as though she were a conductor.

Clarice let out a guttural growl as she rushed at Pam once again. Pam's chains snaked up and tried to intercept Clarice, but the infected woman jerked to the side to dodge. Something about the way she moved was unnerving and unnatural. Her speed was impressive, and it didn't take long for her to close the gap between her and Pam. Pam was forced to abandon her efforts at subduing Clarice and try to defend herself. The second Clarice managed to get within a few feet of her, Pam snapped her fingers and her body became coated in a strange glow; an armor spell to prevent Clarice from sinking her teeth or nails into her flesh. Even with the spell, Pam didn't want to push her luck, so she sidestepped out of the way of an incoming bite.

Pam ducked under a frenzied swing from Clarice and opened her palms. Symbols flashed in above her palms, and two circular glowing shields formed in her hands. Jake took a step back to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. He knew he'd only be in the way should he try to interfere. Pam's training with Beth was evident in the way she easily danced around Clarice as the infected woman tried to land a blow. Pam spun around her opponent, but Clarice whipped around and tried to sink her teeth into her neck. Pam held out her hand, and Clarice's face slammed into the glowing shield. With a rough push, Pam caused the symbols to glow and fly outward. Jake watched I'm awe as orange lights swirled around Clarice before magical threads encircled and ensnared her.

Clarice was left immobilized and snarling as she fought to break free from the spell. Pam dispelled her other shield and readied a small fireball. However, a thunderous gunshot rang out and split Clarice's head open before she could hurl her spell. "What the fuck is going on in my yard?!" Sam's voice demanded as she stepped off of her front porch, "You two could have called and said you were coming and bringing company!"

"Good to see you too, Samantha," Pam said as she concentrated on Clarice's body and evoked arcane fire to burn her to a crisp.

"Sam, you're okay!" Jake exclaimed, genuinely relieved that his half-sister was alive.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Sam asked, holstering her revolver, "Zoey called and told me to stay inside earlier. She didn't say what was going on, but I've been hearing lots of weird shit outside. Does someone wanna tell me what's going on? I didn't realize that Pam was back on the dating scene. Personally, I'm not sure that thing is your type."

"Eh, I've had worse first dates," Pam replied with a shrug.

"Worse than someone trying to eat your face?" Sam asked, "Now I'm curious. Explain on the way in, though. I'd rather not get any more corpses on my lawn."

"Yeah, I'm interested to hear this too," Jake said, following behind Pam as they walked towards Sam's house.

"How quickly you two are to forget," Pam said with a grin, "My first date with Beth was her murdering me."

"You can't be serious," Sam scoffed, "That doesn't count as a date!"

"Moonlight, an intimate moment alone, and a level of vulnerability that is impossible to put into words," Pam countered, "What else would you consider a date? The scenery was really rather remarkable looking back, and it was the first time I felt the weight of everything she carries with her."

"You have got a serious screw loose, you know that?" Sam asked, shuddering as she walked into her living room, "You are the only person I've ever met who would consider murder romantic."

"Yeah, I'm with Sam on this one," Jake agreed.

"It's not that I find murder romantic, it's the emotions that I felt from her," Pam said, slightly defensive, "She was so angry, and yet she was so sad and consumed by feelings of failure. There was a kinship that was almost kismet between us in those final moments."

"Kis-what?" Sam asked.

"It means destiny," Pam sighed, "It was as though the universe was pushing us together, and I felt a need to comfort and care for her. Everything that she felt, I'd felt before. My last moments were spent yearning to take her pain away. I didn't care if I lived, but I knew that my death wouldn't erase the agony she was trapped under. That night, I swore that if I could return, I would do everything in my power to have her for myself. Not because of some selfish and lustful want, but because I knew that she needed someone like me to help her through the darkness that surrounded her life."

"That's surprisingly sweet, in a fucked up kind of way," Sam said, "Still doesn't make it any less weird and creepy, though. So, moving away from Pam's weird lovelife. What brings you two by?"

"This coming from the criminal dating the police commissioner," Pam countered.

"Ex-criminal, smart-ass," Sam said, "Between your trigger-happy girlfriend, you're freaky magic, and Zoey, I ain't got any interest in chancing pissing one of you three off."

"What about me?" Jake asked.

"Meh, new look, same tactics," Sam shrugged, "You don't scare me, bro, not compared to getting shot, getting hexed, or having Zoey flip out on me."

"Hexes are not something I specialize in," Pam corrected.

"Whatever, it's all voodoo to me," Sam said, earning an exacerbated sigh from Pam, "Seriously, what are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be out stopping whatever is causing all this chaos and shit?"

"We came to take you back to the manor," Jake replied, "It's not safe out here, and I'd feel better knowing you're somewhere out of harm's way."

"I can handle myself, Jake," Sam said, walking over and grabbing a pint of whiskey she had on her table, "I've got plenty of firepower here, and I already told Zoey I'd stay put."

"Zoey would most likely feel better if you were somewhere more secure," Pam chimed in, "I'm sure that you've got ample ammunition, but these things can't be killed with bullets, Samantha. I burned that woman because if I didn't she would have gotten back up."

"Get the fuck out of here," Sam said, stopping before she unscrewed the cap on her bottle, "I blew her brains out, and you're telling me she'd have gotten back up!"

"It's true, Sam," Jake said, "I've seen it myself, all of us have. The people that are infected are controlled by an ancient parasite that takes over the body. It doesn't matter if you remove the head, the parasite remains in control of the rest of the body."

"Jesus, fuck," Sam groaned, "First a demonic invasion, then your nutjob ex goes berserk, and now a fucking zombie apocalypse! What the fuck is this city coming to?!"

"Technically, this one is also being caused by one of Jake's exs," Pam pointed out, "We are doing everything we can to stop her, but until then we need to keep as many people as we can safe. Zoey needs to be at her best in order to keep things under control, but she won't be able to do that while worrying about you."

"Fucking hell, what is with your taste in women, dude?!" Sam demanded, glaring at Jake, "Fine, let me grab some gear and we can head out. You still got the good stuff in your kitchen?"

"First, everyone is entitled to a lapse in judgement," Jake argued.

"To an extent, but this is a bit excessive," Pam said.

"Second," Jake said, purposefully ignoring Pam's comment, "I've got plenty to drink at home, and I've got plenty of supplies in case things go south."

"Shit always goes south when you three are involved," Sam grumbled as she walked to the back room to grab her stuff, "I swear you're a magnet for dysfunction and bullshit!"

Jake and Pam waited in silence while Sam rummaged through her footlocker for her weapons. The young woman returned toting a shotgun, a submachine gun, two pistols, an assault rifle, and what appeared to be a grenade launcher. "Jesus, Sam!" Jake exclaimed, rushing over to help her before the pile of weapons fell, "How much do you have?!"

"I got two more trips, tops," Sam said, welcoming his aid, "Relax, they're not loaded. At least, I don't think they are. Look, after that bullshit with Goth, I'm not taking any chances on weapons. I'm not keen on leaving my shit here for looters either. Stuff is better off with me than some dumbass who doesn't know how to handle themselves."

"I'll go grab the rest," Pam said, walking down the hall and preparing to use her telekinesis to carry what was left.

"Does Zoey know about all this?" Jake asked.

"Most of it, yeah," Sam replied, "She made me swear that I wouldn't use any of it for bad and what not. Hell, she gave me a third of this stuff. Said something about a task force or something she was working on."

"She hasn't said anything to me about that," Jake said, frowning, "I'll have to ask her about that when this is over."

"Go ahead," Sam said, setting her weapons down, "I'm not sure what it's about, but she said it had something to do with the potential for major threats to the city and world. A last resort type deal, but I need to be on my best behavior to be safe."

Pam returned with a literal arsenal floating behind her, "Okay, is everyone ready?" she asked as she neatly set the items down in a pile.

"Wait, we're not taking your portal thingy, are we?" Sam asked, her face going pale.

"It's not a thingy, Samantha, but yes that's exactly what we're doing," Pam replied, readying her spell, "It's the safest way for us to travel long distances."

"Fuck me," Sam groaned, "I hate using that! Fine, just…let's get it over with."

"It's not that bad," Jake said, hoping to reassure her.

"Let's agree to disagree," Sam scoffed as she closed her eyes and waited for the darkness to fold in around them, "I hate this feeling…"

The three of them became surrounded by shadows. Sam's copious weapons followed suit, and they were gone within seconds. The lights were left on, the door unlocked, but the likelihood of anyone breaking in was low. Sam still had a reputation, and it seemed the bulk of the citizens were becoming infected. They fell through the shadow realm at blinding speed, but elsewhere, Beth attempted to gain insight into the infected's movements.

—--------------------

Beth was crouched on the roof of a local pawn shop on the north end of Metropolis. It was late, she was tired, and she'd yet to uncover anything useful about the attacks. She'd encountered limited resistance so far, and the infected she had encountered she managed to trap. She'd called Zoey to have someone pick up the infected for containment and study; she held onto the sliver of hope for a cure for these people. Alexis, sad as it was to say, was there only hope in synthesizing some kind of antigen to defeat the parasites.

"This is getting me nowhere fast," Beth mumbled to herself as she stood up, "We need to lock down the city, but how are we supposed to do that without causing a mass panic? Maybe I should head back to base for the night."

Before Beth could decide, a scream cut through the night air. Beth's head whipped in the direction of the panicked and terrified scream. Cries for help could be heard overlapping the shriek as well. Grabbing her grappling gun, Beth fired it in the direction of whoever needed her help. She flew through the night like a bat out of hell, and her eyes scanned the ground for any signs of a struggle. She spotted a group of civilians, four of them by the look of it, running for their lives as a cluster of infected chased after them. Beth watched as they cut down an alleyway in hopes of losing the infected, but it was no use. They were too fast for them, and if she didn't act quickly they would be food for the parasites.

Beth swung into the alleyway, and dropped down in front of a young woman who'd tripped over a garbage can. The woman gasped and whimpered when Beth appeared, but Beth didn't waste a second checking on her. She could worry about the civilians once the threat was dealt with. She pulled out her pistol as a hungry looking infected man rushed towards her. The alleyway was narrow, and that meant that the other infected were forced to funnel in. Beth aimed her pistol at the man's kneecap, and the gunshot startled the group behind her. The infected snarled and growled as the bullet ripped through his knee and he fell to the ground. Beth stepped back to distance herself from the man as he crawled toward her and focused on the others fast approaching.

"All of you, get back!" Beth yelled over her shoulder, "Help your friend up, and keep your distance!"

An older gentleman hurried to help the young girl to her feet before pulling her back toward the group. Beth fired five shots at a low angle as more of the infected continued trying to charge in at her and the others. Two more fell to the ground, but they continued crawling and growling towards them. The other zombies simply stepped over or on their comrades, but they knocked into one another in their frenzy. There was no order to their movements. Their only motivation was a ravenous hunger, but that only made them unpredictable and more dangerous. Beth counted her shots as she continued trying to slow the small horde down. Unfortunately, their movements made it so that her bullets either grazed them, missed, or occasionally found a home in their lower extremities.

Frustrated and worried, Beth grabbed a grenade with a red casing from her belt. "Sorry about this," she whispered as she threw the grenade down into the center of the encroaching mob and jumped back.

The grenade hit the ground, and a burst of flames illuminated the surrounding darkness. A special alchemical mixture that Beth had been saving caused a swirling vortex of fire to spring up and engulf the infected. They screamed, howled, and shrieked in agony as they stumbled in their tracks toward her. She could see more coming through the fire off in the distance, but at least she had time to reload and swap weapons. Beth holstered her pistol after ejecting and jamming another magazine into it, and she grabbed the small shotgun that she'd taken to carrying. It dangled from her back, hidden by her coat, and it was simple enough to get to. She hoped that the buckshot would be enough to knock back the infected once they got close. Once it was out, she still had one trick up her sleeve, but she wasn't fond of showing off her sword in front of civilians.

As the flames died down, the infected began to resume their aggressive charge. Beth was ready for them as they rushed at her. She waited until one was close before pulling the trigger and blasting him back; his chest was filled with holes and he shrieked in surprise. She cocked her shotgun and fired again as another leapt at her. She blasted a woman with skin missing from her jaw back into the crowd, but more continued to come. Four shots left, but there were at least seven more still to contend with. Beth held her ground as the civilians cowered behind her, and she timed each of her shots with pinpoint precision. Still, she had to figure something out quickly lest she end up one of Courtney's zombified minions.

Over the roar of the infected and gunshots, Beth swore she heard someone singing off key. She couldn't make out the words, but their tone was strangely merry given the circumstances. "Ring around the rosie~!" the voice sang louder as Beth watched a few infected in the back fall with a thud, "A pocket full of posies~!"

That voice, Beth knew it from somewhere, but where? A red and black blur swept through the approaching horde, and Beth stepped back as it got closer. Whoever it was, they were wielding some type of large mallet, almost comically so. It was a woman, from the sound of her voice, and she moved with a shocking amount of grace for someone carrying such a heavy weapon. She cut a path through the horde of infected; swinging wildly and madly as she crushed their legs and knocked them away. She hummed to herself all the while, and Beth prepared herself for a fight.

The woman stopped in front of Beth with her back to her, planted her gigantic mallet on the ground, and reached into her top to produce two strange looking explosives. She threw them into what remained of the infected, and the exploded in a torrent of flames. "Ashes to ashes, we all fall down~!" the woman yelled before erupting into a fit of insane sounding giggles.

Beth watched as what was left of the horde fell to the ground convulsing and shrieking as they were burned to a crisp. Beth raised her shotgun at the stranger as she twirled around and flashed a sadistic and gleeful smile. Behind her helmet, her jaw dropped as she stared at the girl before her. Pigtails, a round face, and a set of eyes that she'd only seen once before. "Miri?!" Beth asked, lowering her gun, "What the hell are you doing out here?!"

Miri continued to smile as she walked over to a corpse and smashed its skull with her mallet. She giggled as she replied, "I could ask you the same thing, Mrs. Feral," Miri countered as she skipped around the dead, "It's such a nice night for a walk, and these things are so much fun to play with! Oo, who's that back there?! He's kind of cute, and I wouldn't mind getting to know that girl a bit better!"

"Back off," Beth warned, stepping in front of the civilians, "They're scared people trying to find someplace safe from these monsters. The last thing they need is to spend time with your crazy ass."

"Awe," Miri pouted, pushing her bottom lip out, "I just wanna play with someone, is that so wrong? The boss has been gone forever, and I'm starting to get bored!"

Beth shook her head as she tried to remember who she was dealing with. The girl was a product of Alexis' harsh conditioning, and her mind was undoubtedly warped beyond repair. "Miri," Beth sighed, trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation, "I get that you're bored and lonely, but these people are terrified. If you're bored, why don't you try to escort them home? I'll put in a good word with your boss if you can do that without trying anything with them."

"You mean it?!" Miri asked, practically bouncing on her heels in excitement, "You think that would make a difference?!"

"It won't hurt," Beth replied, "But if I tell her you weren't listening she won't be happy. She and I are pretty close."

Miri hummed to herself as she danced around the writhing corpses and smashed a few more heads. Beth grimaced as she watched as the blood and gore splattered around and onto her knee high converse. "Okay!" Miri exclaimed, striking a pose and hoisting her mallet high into the air, "I've made a decision! I'll help these folks get home, but then I'm gonna go back out and try to find Mr. Suit and Tie!"

"Mr. Suit and Tie?" Beth repeated, "Is that one of your imaginary friends or something?"

"No!" Miri snapped, sticking out her tongue and closing her eyes while bending over before crossing her arms and standing up straight, "He's this guy I saw walking around! The zombos didn't so much as blink when he walked by, can you believe that?!"

"Woah, hold on," Beth said, moving to try to reign Miri's excitement back in, "What do you mean they didn't blink? You mean they didn't try to attack him? Was he showing any signs of infection, or did he seem just like a regular person?"

"Nope!" Miri exclaimed, tripping over a corpse and landing her butt before bursting into another fit of giggles, "He was as normal as me or you, well those people anyway. He looked like he was in a hurry, but he passed through a huge crowd of zombies! Maybe they didn't like his cologne."

"Can you tell me anything else about this guy?" Beth asked, "Hair, clothes, age, anything that we could use to identify him."

Miri got back to her feet and grinned at Beth. She put her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her heels. "Maybe~," she said, drawing the word out in a sing-song tone, "What's it worth to ya?"

Beth ground her teeth as she began to lose her patience, "Miri, I swear to God, I will break your legs."

Beth's hand shot out and grabbed onto Miri's shoulder strap to pull her close. "Okay, okay!" Miri exclaimed, slamming her hand into Beth's forearm and breaking her hold, "If you want to play rough, then at least buy a girl a drink first!"

Beth rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. She glanced behind her at the group of survivors still cowering in fear behind a dumpster. "Miri, I need you to understand what's at stake here," Beth said, her tone calm but clearly holding an edge, "This is more than just the people of Metropolis being scared. Courtney Tellar is planning something major, and we don't have a clue as to what it could be. All we know for sure, is that this is more than just a zombie outbreak. We need a lead, Miri. If this guy can breeze through infected, then he's either working with her, or he's got something that can keep these freaks off his scent. Either way, I need to know about him."

"Boo, you're no fun," Miri pouted, blowing a raspberry and crossing her arms, "The boss would see this as an opportunity to play, but you're too stupid and serious to see that!"

"Oh my God, I am this close to shooting you in the foot," Beth growled, holding her fingers barely an inch apart, "Your boss is working with us to stop Courtney, you idiot! If Courtney succeeds in whatever she's planning, then that means that there won't be a city for you two to play in!"

Miri's eyes widened, "Oh!" she shouted, "Why didn't you lead with that? Yeesh, you hero types don't know how to talk to people, do ya? Okay, let's see…hmm, he was kind of lanky looking, his hair was dark and messy, and he had on one of those white lab coats that the boss sometimes wears."

"You said he was in a suit and tie!" Beth exclaimed.

"He was, under the coat thingy," Miri countered, rolling her eyes, "Keep up, Mrs. Feral gal."

"What did I do to deserve this?" Beth mumbled to herself before asking, "Is there anything else you can tell me? Did you see where he was going, or notice anything that could lead us to him?"

"Hmm," Miri hummed to herself before jumping and shouting, "Oh, I know! He had on one of those dorky badges that the science and bigwig guys at Blackridge wear!"

"A employee badge?" Beth asked, thanking her stars that she was finally getting somewhere, "I thought you said you couldn't get close to him?"

"Not super close, but I recognized the thingy dangling from his hip," Miri replied, sporting a triumphant grin, "One of my old playthings from when Goth was in control had one. Hehe, I used it to tie his little balls! You should have heard him screaming, oh man, good times."

"Jesus, you're perfect for Alexis," Beth said with a shudder, imagining her attempting to castrate someone with the wiring from the badge.

"I know, right!" Miri exclaimed.

Beth shook her head and prepared to take her leave, "Alright, that's as good a lead as I'm gonna get. Get these people back to their homes, okay? Can I trust you to do that?"

"Yes ma'am!" Miri shouted, standing at attention and performing a mock salute, "Promise you'll put in a good word for me with the boss?"

"You have my word," Beth assured her as she grabbed her grappling gun and turned to the survivors, "Listen to me, all of you. You need to get home, and stay indoors until further notice. These things are running rampant, and the last thing any of us want is for someone else to get turned. This is Miri, and she's going to make sure that you all get somewhere safe."

"Doesn't she work for Footgirl?" the older man asked.

"Yessir!" Miri bellowed, "But you're safe with me, mister! The boss don't want to cause any problems until this whole thing has been resolved!"

"Ugh, just trust me on this," Beth sighed, fighting the urge to punch the young sidekick, "Footgirl is crazy, this one too, but she's not stupid. I've dealt with her enough to know that she's not on board with what's happening. She worked with us to stop Goth, and she's not the type to let someone else steal the show from her. If anything happens to any of you while under this girl's care, I'll personally be making sure she pays the price for it."

"You're working with villains now?" a scared woman asked.

"No," Beth lied, "We are trying to prioritize dealing with an immediate threat, so we can move onto cleaning up the city."

"You can trust me!" Miri exclaimed, a little offended at the citizens' obvious doubt, "I won't bite, not unless you want me to~."

"Not helping," Beth sighed, "This is a temporary alliance to make sure that you all are safe. I've got to try to track down the whereabouts of Courtney Tellar, and we are working to find a cure for the virus she's been cultivating."

"I trust her," a young man said, stepping forward, "If The Feral says that we can trust this girl, then that's good enough for me. She and the others have been fighting for us, and she saved my sister a few weeks ago."

"Dennis," the young woman argued, "That is a sidekick to one of our city's greatest threats!"

"And she tore through those things like it was child's play," Dennis countered, "We don't stand a chance against those things, but she's clearly more than capable of handling them. We get home, we lock the doors, and we call it a night until this is over. You've seen that maniac on TV, she's more dangerous than anything right now. Is there anything that you have that you can use to track us and make sure we get home safely, Feral?"

Beth nodded and reached into her utility belt to produce a small cylinder. She pressed a button on top of it, and handed it to the young man who'd taken it upon himself to step closer. "This is a tracker that goes straight to our mainframe," Beth explained, "Tell me your address, and I'll make sure that we monitor it to know you got home safely."

"Thank you," Dennis said, accepting the device and stowing it in his pocket, "We are going to twenty-one forty-two Miller Street apartment G9."

"I'll be monitoring this closely," Beth promised, turning back to Miri, "You understand that I can and will be watching this, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Miri waved her off, "I already said I'd get them there safely and not try anything. Okay, folks, it's time to move out! The one and only Miri is going to save your bacon! Stay close, try not to get bit, and watch the master work while we get you home!"

"This is a terrible idea," The young woman sighed.

Beth wanted to argue, but even she had her doubts about this. There was nothing she could do, though. She needed to get back to the Birdcage, and let Jake know that one of his employees might be working with Courtney. "I'll be checking in soon," she said to the group.

"Get outta here!" Miri shooed Beth off, "I got this, don't worry!"

"Yeah, cause that inspires oh so much confidence," Beth said sarcastically.

Beth didn't like it, but what choice did she have? She grabbed her grappling gun, and fired it up at the nearest building. She flew into the air and headed back to Blackridge Manor. It wasn't much to go on, but at least they had something of a lead. The fact that Jake's company was involved in this didn't sit well with her, and she knew that it wouldn't sit well with Jake either. She would call Sally once she got back to the Birdcage, and hopefully her aunt would be willing to take shelter with the rest of them. If not, she knew that Sally could handle herself. Still, she didn't like the thought of losing family after everything they'd been through. She could only do one thing at a time, though, and right now she needed to get back to the others.