He rubbed Desmond’s back. “Why don’t I fill you in another room? I’ll show you what’s going on.”
“I don’t… Alex.”
He chuckled softly.
“Holy shit! Desmond? Alex, you actually brought him back?”
Desmond’s head shot up. “Dana?”
“You’re Desmond? Fuck! I’ve fallen in love.”
Alex rolled over and looked at them. He felt hands settle on his shoulders. He stood up, dumping Desmond before he turned and offered him a hand. He helped the man up. Dana was by their sides in a heartbeat, hugging her friend tightly.
“You’re back!”
Desmond chuckled, and he found a small smile on his lips. “We’re both glad you’re back.”
He watched them hug, then turned to look at the web of the hive. There were so many small bulges in the webbing.
“Yes, we have some twenty-something Pieces now,” Shaun said, stepping over to him. “Your hairless gorillas are quite good at searching for things.”
Alex smirked. “Yes. They’re extremely good at searching. It wasn’t until after Manhattan was cleared of the Infection Dana woke up from the Leader Hunter tracking her down.”
Shaun quirked an eyebrow. “Do they know where Rikkin is yet?”
“Not yet. But they’re holding off the armies and spreading hives well. This takeover might not be as hard as we thought.”
“What about that shit that almost killed you? Detoxin or something?”
“Bloodtox? They’ve been taking the planes and ships out of the sky. There’s no way it’ll survive. They’ll have to take out me first, then Desmond. And if we reach Pariah, then there’s a third.”
“They’re working on Pariah now,” Lucy said, watching Rebecca glomp Desmond with Dana.
He looked at her. “Thank you. It’ll be good to have someone to infect the Americas. And find the other Pieces.”
“You’re serious about the world take over, aren’t you?”
He could feel the grin creeping up again. “Of course. As long as you guys are safe.”
“You’re freaking me out, mate.”
“I’m not surprised,” Lucy said, and Alex jumped slightly, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “I mean, it seems as if it’s just like any other human. War, conquest—human nature, animalistic nature—it wants to spread. The difference is, this virus can. And can’t be stopped.”
Alex smirked. “And I won’t let it be. You’ve seen how heartless I am. I don’t care who it is who dies, so long as it’s not someone I care about. Speaking of which, how long was I…?”
“Two bloody months,” Shaun said. “And then we go out for a moment—the Templars distracted by the millions of hives around now, and come back to find you and your lover rolling around like animals.”
Alex nodded slowly. “They’re getting close to the army with Rikkin in it. And the Pieces of Eden. If I can contact Pariah, we’ll have all fifty in no time.”
“Two of them were destroyed,” Lucy said. “In a—”
“I don’t care,” Alex said, walking forward and slowly prying Desmond out from the two women. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Desmond smiled softly at him, and together, they walked out of the underground labyrinth, up into the church, slipping in and sitting in the pews as tourists walked through.
Viral 21
“I don’t… Alex.”
He chuckled softly.
“Holy shit! Desmond? Alex, you actually brought him back?”
Desmond’s head shot up. “Dana?”
“You’re Desmond? Fuck! I’ve fallen in love.”
Alex rolled over and looked at them. He felt hands settle on his shoulders. He stood up, dumping Desmond before he turned and offered him a hand. He helped the man up. Dana was by their sides in a heartbeat, hugging her friend tightly.
“You’re back!”
Desmond chuckled, and he found a small smile on his lips. “We’re both glad you’re back.”
He watched them hug, then turned to look at the web of the hive. There were so many small bulges in the webbing.
“Yes, we have some twenty-something Pieces now,” Shaun said, stepping over to him. “Your hairless gorillas are quite good at searching for things.”
Alex smirked. “Yes. They’re extremely good at searching. It wasn’t until after Manhattan was cleared of the Infection Dana woke up from the Leader Hunter tracking her down.”
Shaun quirked an eyebrow. “Do they know where Rikkin is yet?”
“Not yet. But they’re holding off the armies and spreading hives well. This takeover might not be as hard as we thought.”
“What about that shit that almost killed you? Detoxin or something?”
“Bloodtox? They’ve been taking the planes and ships out of the sky. There’s no way it’ll survive. They’ll have to take out me first, then Desmond. And if we reach Pariah, then there’s a third.”
“They’re working on Pariah now,” Lucy said, watching Rebecca glomp Desmond with Dana.
He looked at her. “Thank you. It’ll be good to have someone to infect the Americas. And find the other Pieces.”
“You’re serious about the world take over, aren’t you?”
He could feel the grin creeping up again. “Of course. As long as you guys are safe.”
“You’re freaking me out, mate.”
“I’m not surprised,” Lucy said, and Alex jumped slightly, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “I mean, it seems as if it’s just like any other human. War, conquest—human nature, animalistic nature—it wants to spread. The difference is, this virus can. And can’t be stopped.”
Alex smirked. “And I won’t let it be. You’ve seen how heartless I am. I don’t care who it is who dies, so long as it’s not someone I care about. Speaking of which, how long was I…?”
“Two bloody months,” Shaun said. “And then we go out for a moment—the Templars distracted by the millions of hives around now, and come back to find you and your lover rolling around like animals.”
Alex nodded slowly. “They’re getting close to the army with Rikkin in it. And the Pieces of Eden. If I can contact Pariah, we’ll have all fifty in no time.”
“Two of them were destroyed,” Lucy said. “In a—”
“I don’t care,” Alex said, walking forward and slowly prying Desmond out from the two women. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Desmond smiled softly at him, and together, they walked out of the underground labyrinth, up into the church, slipping in and sitting in the pews as tourists walked through.
“So, what’s going on?”