(Unedited) Stage One: Hope in Darkness

A City full of Rippers

It is because of you, inside your genetic code is the key. The last piece of the puzzle. You will help me bring about a new world. A new age of superior beings. Immune to the infection. More than just immune but more than. We will become gods.

One last test, one last sample of your blood and I will have everything I need to complete my formula.

He had been so close. So close to finishing what he called his formula before I had escaped. He had spent years looking for me. All this time later and now I was just going to waltz back into his arms. For Lara. I had to remember that. I was here for her, nothing else mattered except getting her back.

"So how are we breaking into that place?" Shadow piped up. I'm not alone anymore. I have Shadow and Hannibal. They were all I would need to bring back the people he had taken.

'There is an underground passage. It will take us right under the city. All the way to his lab.'

"Lead the way." I lead the way.

I had to clear away years of dirt and leaves. Underneath all that was the hatch. Shadow went down first. Then I lowered down Hannibal. I climbed down last, closing the hatch as I went.

"Ugh it reeks down here." I put my hand over Shadows mouth, we need to be quiet. The walkers and Rippers might be able to hear us even from down here. The tunnels lead all through the city and had air vents all throughout. It echoed everywhere. Shadow licked my hand again. Weirdo. He just smiled as I wiped my hand on my pants.

I went first, Hannibal next and Shadow brought up the rear. The tunnels could be confusing so I had no choice but to turn on my flashlight. It had been a long time since I had memorized the map of these tunnels. Since I had used them to escape this place. I could only hope my memory didn't fail me.

I took us left and right, deeper into the tunnels. I stopped under a ladder. This should be it. I started to climb the ladder. Hannibal was attached by a rope so I pulled him up after me. We emerged into a room. White walls glared back at us. This was one of the back rooms. We needed to get to the experimentation cells. That would be where they were holding Lara. The three of us slipped silently into the halls. I knew every inch of this place so getting around unnoticed was a piece of cake. It was the getting back out that would be the problem.

I stopped in front of a thick locked metal door. This should be it. I started picking the lock. This is where I had perfected that particular skill. I smiled as I heard the last tumbler fall into place. I pushed the door open. Lara! I rushed over to her. She was curled up in a ball on the floor in the corner. Her eyes opened, there was a wild look in them. I knew she was going to attack. I grabbed hold of her, locking her into a hold on the floor with both my legs and arms. She was thrashing, about. I remembered what that was like. His chemicals did terrible things to the mind. I needed to calm her, I did the only thing I could think of. I licked her face. She stilled.

~~~~~Lara

I froze and blinked

"You're so gross.." I mumbled but knew the hallucinations wouldn't do that to me. I looked up and winced as I looked to see Shadow watching the door and Hannibal in-between them. "It really is you...." I repeated to myself. My nerves wanted to refuse it but it was really them. The gas. "Bell....the tower in the city...we have to destroy it... he's got this gas made into smoke bombs....I think he's going to attack other camps...." I said frantically. I needed to say it all otherwise I wouldn't be able to "you have to run he's using me as bait to get to you" I said grabbing her shoulders.

Everything I said didn't sound like it had made sense so I continued to try to explain. Everything worked in my head but I couldn't seem to express them properly.