Welcome to Gaia! ::

One lone figure stood at the top of the roof. He stood facing the direction of the sun rising, with his long black hair flowing malevolently in the wind. The suit coat flowed as well, just nowhere near as much as the almost perfect black hair. The figure stood near the edge of the roof, the back of his heel touching the circle that contained a large "H" to signify a helipad. He could see the entire city from here.

It looked as many would expect a city filled with zombies would. Buildings had broken windows, some had boarded their doors closed, not that there was any way for them to defend themselves from the threat. The threat set into motion by this lone figure standing on the roof, with both of his hands in his pockets. Leonard Phyrce.

It wasn't long before the door on the opposite side of the roof opened. A woman in a suit stepped through the doorway and slowly began her approach. He high heels tapped their way across the roof to stand on Leonard's left side. She stood silent as Leonard pulled a lighter from his left pocket, and one lone cigarette from the right. He lit the cigarette, took one slow breath in, then let out a puff of smoke that blew away from the woman. Leonard pinched the cigarette between the index and middle fingers of his right hand before turning his head slightly to move his inhuman eyes to the woman.

The woman looked nice, her hair in a bun, the suit clean, a small pad in her hand that could access anything as though it were a computer. Only one thing gave away her emotions. Her eyes were filled with fear. Leonard couldn't blame her, to make eye contact with someone that had bright yellow eyes, with pupils similar to a cat, was fearsome enough. With the sun shining in them to enhance every tiny detail would paralyze many.

"You called f-for me, sir?" Her voice was light, but the stutter coupled with slight tone of fear made Leonard's face tense into a slight smirk. "I did. Sharon, how long have you been my assistant?" He turned back towards the sun to bring the cigarette back to his mouth.

"I've been here for five years, sir." Sharons voice gained some confidence as she said the statement. It seemed she thought that by stating her record she might be saved. Leonard inhaled on the cigarette again, then exhaled the smoke. "That's right. Its been five years now." Leonard paused to enhance his next statement, "Open your mouth, and stick out your tongue." The fear seethed back into Sharon's eyes, but she did as she was told.

Leonard took the cigarette from his right hand and passed it to his left, gripping it with his index and thumb. He turned his entire body to face her, took one step to close the distance, and dug the lit end of the cigarette onto the now exposed tongue. Sharon contorted her face with pain, then let out one small moan. It was obvious that she held back many more sounds of pain as Leonard continued until the cigarette was completely out. He tossed the cig off the roof, and then threw the lighter as well.

"Sharon, you were always a good assistant. You're still loyal, but you have thought. With no powers to hold your own against the zombies, you will betray me." Leonard's voice was level, and harsh. As the sentence hit Sharon's thoughts, she began to break down in tears. "Shir, I can sherve you effieshently." Her words became slurred with the large burn in the middle of her tongue. It had to cause her pain just to speak.

Leonard shook his head once, then brought his right hand to her cheek slowly, as a man might bring to a lover's face. He ribbed his thumb once her cheek once before he continued. "You will serve me now far better than you ever had before." With his last words said, he turned and began the walk towards the stairs.

Sharon fell backwards and began to scream uncontrollably. There was no stopping it now, in a matter of minutes she would be yet another of the mindless zombies roaming the city. Leonard had made it about half of the distance to the door when a blue human hologram appeared next to him. It wore the same suit Leonard was wearing, except that the shirt was still tucked in and it still had the tie. The face was almost identical as well, but the eyes were closer to what Leonard's had been like when he was human. The blue hologram version of Leonard had cut the hair, and slicked it back, as well as grow a tiny goatee. The hologram was a manifestation the AI of the PHYRCE building took.

Leonard kept walking, the hologram kept pace. "What's the situation, Jack?" Jack made a separate hologram appear, this one a screen that had some writing on it. "It appears that a band of mercenaries called the Gaian Mercenary League has been hired to handle the situation. Here is all the available intelligence we have on them." Jack's voice sounded as though it were coming through an old record player, with the occasional scratch. Leonard briefly read some of it, then waved a hand to make the information go away. There would be time to read all the information later.

"They'll be coming by plane. Arm the anti-air guns. Let me know when they pass over the wall. Inform anyone with the cure in any of the buildings you have access to." Jack nodded, then dissipated. By the time Leonard had reached the door to the stairs, Sharon's screams had ceased. The only sound that was left was the groan of a deteriorated mind.

The 20th floor of the PHYRCE building looked deserted, almost as if it had been abandoned years ago. Some roof lights flashed on and off, surely a sign that they would soon die out. The whole room looked like some sort of research and development lab, or at least what remained of it. There was a random clatter coming from the end of the vast room and there stood Luc, a computer in front of him and his fingers typing something at a remarkable speed. Despite the chaos that reigned everywhere around him, the man seemed unaffected and unaware of it.

Luc wasn't wearing the ordinary office man outfit. No, that was too common for him. To wear it would imply he's one of the crowd, that he has no individualistic thoughts and therefore is satisfied with the idea of going with the flock.
No, Luc wore elegant clothes; perhaps too elegant fof his working environment. The man wore a dark blue and brown coat that resembled a militia man's uniform but it wasn't exactly the same. It was a coat that Luc had designed himself for surely he would not be seen wearing the same clothes that another handful of people wear. His satin, white gloves muffled the sound that his fingers would normally make while typing. Luc was truly a ghost in that floor.

"Hn, interesting development, these creatures..." Luc said, his tone of voice couldn't have been any louder than a whisper. His face remained motionless, his hair neatly combed back and his cold eyes focused on the monitor in front of him.

For a moment, Luc's hand rested on top of the keyboard. Then with a single swipe, he pushed the monitor aside and off the table, where it made a loud crashing sound as it landed against the floor. Pieces and bits of the machine flew everywhere and soon, the once-computer blended in with the rest of the chaotic scenery that decorated the room.

"They have already infiltrated the building." A hologram had appeared to Luc's left and now illuminated the dim floor. Jack's image was as distant as Luc's. Despite his momentary outburst, Luc now stood still as if nothing had happened, as casual as when two old men discuss the weather.

"Interesting. That didn't take as long as expected." Luc replied as he moved next to the window and observed the chaos below, a habit he had picked up from his superior. It was already raining.

"A storm is approaching. How poetic." Luc jested and quickly turned around. His movements were swift and eloquent, almost as if he was dancing. The stealthy man moved towards the elevator, where he picked up his emerald cane that was resting against the wall. "Perhaps it is time to get some paperwork done." Luc pushed a button and the elevator doors opened up in front of him. He trusted Jack would make the elevator work for him and he hadn't been mistaken. At least the hologram appeared to be smarter than most people.
Without another signal, Luc stepped in, turned around to face the now closing doors and closed his eyes. Soon enough, he was gone and the floor had gone back to its deserted and abandoned state.