*Discontinued* Project Storm

4. Kai Winters

Roman was just watching this man as he laid there. He was shaking slightly and even Ro could feel he had a fever. From a distance, anyone could confuse him for a zombie. He had purple hair and his skin as blue. However, he was right. It was barely blue. Only where the shadows hit the skin did it look that way. And his eyes... they were yellow around the rim of the iris, but they still had some brown. They weren't dead like the other z's. And watching him lay here unconscious, you could tell the difference even more. His skin paled to nearly white as the sweat fell from his face. He gripped his jacket tightly as he cried silently in his sleep.

"Is it just me or does he look like he's dead?" Roman spoke out without really thinking. He just wanted to know he wasn't alone. That he wasn't the only one who could have made that mistake.

"He does seem to have lost quite a bit of color." Roman turned to see Logan staring the poor guy down and he frowned. That wasn't what he was asking. Janus just started laughing as he slapped the scientist on the back.

"At least he's breathing otherwise I'd say just shoot him now." Roman noticed the sleeping man fuss a bit as he curled in on himself. He's cold... and they didn't have any blankets. Of course, he's that cold because of his fever and a blanket isn't going to change that. "Hey Pat, what are you doing?"

"I'm... I'm going through his things." Roman froze looking back at the doctor with narrowed eyes.

"Do you think that's wise?" He shook his head but continued to look anyway. Roman just sighed as he stood up and turned to see what Patton was pulling out. He froze the moment he saw the walkie talkie. "That's military grade." Patton stopped short and shot him this look. "What is he doing with that?"

"Should we turn it on?" Janus seemed almost too excited. Roman still couldn't get over how the stranger could have gotten it. After all you would have had to be in the military during Z day. Or... raid it off a corpse of someone who was.

"Go for it." Roman could hear the static before he even finished speaking.

"Hello?" Patton waited for a few seconds with a frown on his face. Roman just sighed. Like they're going to hear a simple hello? That is if there is someone on the other end. Roman simply held his hand out for the walkie and Patton sighed handing it over.

"Hello... This is Lieutenant Roman Sanders, please respond?" Roman waited a bit hearing the static cracking in the background. He was almost certain there would be no response but then again... Why would this man have this if that were the case? So, he tried again. "This is Lieutenant Roman Sanders, if there is anyone on the other end please respond." And yet... nothing. "Guess that settles that then..."

"Hello?" The walkie audio cracked a bit and we all froze in our spots. "Virgil, is that you?" Roman narrowed his eyes hearing the voice come through and he frowned.

"Not exactly. The names Roman. Ex-Lieutenant of the national guard." There was a pause for a bit and for a second he thought he lost them that until he heard the sigh.

"This is very important. There was a man carrying this walkie... "

"You mean the purple haired zombie boy?" Patton shot him a glare over that but Roman just smiled a bit. He was just teasing, however, the man on the other end didn't think that. In fact, he freaked.

"HE'S DEAD?!" Janus burst out laughing as Roman's smile slipped to a frown.

"No. I just made the mistake of thinking he was a z. This is the same guy, right? He never did tell us his name."

"Where is he?" Roman sighed looking over at the man fussing on the cot. "Can I talk to him?"

"He's not awake right now. The guy had a bit of an episode." Again there was static and Roman frowned looking at the walkie in confusion. "A... panic attack we think."

"That would be Virgil." The was a pause again and Roman was about done with all thse breaks of silence. "Look. It's imperative that that man gets to California. Alive..."

"Who even is he?" He could hear more fussing behind him as he saw everyone tense up.

"Subject Storm." Patton's eyes lit up as Roman froze in place.

"Kai?" Roman quickly spun around to see the very man of the subject sitting up and staring at him with wide eyes. "What are you...

"Hello? Are you still..."

"Yeah, still here." Roman said cutting the man on the walkie off. "Your man just woke up."

"I'm not his..."

"Virgil's up? Hand him the walkie." Roman did as he was told and Virgil glared at him as he hesitantly took it with a shaky breath. He didn't press the button. He didn't say a thing. He just sat there frozen. "Virgil? Are you really there?"

"I-I'm here." His voice was quiet and raspy as he gripped the walkie like a vice. "I'm n-not going."

"You have to. You're the only one..."

"I AM NOT GOING!" Everyone seemed to jump as Virgil yelled out, startling even himself. He took a shaky breath before looking away with a guilty frown. "I can't. I won't."

"Then you leave me no choice, Virgil. Pass the walkie back to the lieutenant." His eyes narrowed as he stared at the walkie. Roman groaned as he took it out of his hands watching as Virgil just sat there frozen.

"Go for Ro." Roman called through earning quiet the sour look from the storm cloud.

"This is Kai Winters. Current director and only member at the Aurora Base." His eyes narrowed as the audio cracked a bit. Kai... the same guy from the radio. Which mean that the man over there is... "It is imperative you get Subject Storm to Lake Ariel in California as soon as possible."

"Why?" There was another pause as Virgil glared over at him. Roman could already see him thinking of ways to escape. "Why should I risk my team's safety for this..."

"He has information about the cure to the zombie virus." Virgil's eye went wide in horror as he held his arm tightly making Roman frown.

"Again... why should I care?" Roman could hear Patton gasping in the background but it did nothing to dissuade him. "For all, we know it's a load, and we might not even make it there. I'm risking lives here for a potential cure. What's in it for us and don't say a vaccine."

"How about a reward?" Virgil jumped up and tried to run to the door when Logan grabbed his arm and forced him to his knees. Say what you will about the nerd, he is strong when he has to be. "Bring Subject Storm to Cali safe and alive... and the government will ensure you'll have whatever you want." Roman knelt down in front of Virgil who was currently holding back some tears as he looked up at the other in fear. All Roman could do was smile.

"You got yourself a deal."