Green Valor

Docks

Jack and Alec walked through the endless expanse of snow, the bitter wind whipping against their faces. The silence between them was heavy, only interrupted by the crunching of their boots against the frozen ground. The remnants of the asylum were long behind them, now just a distant memory.
Jack glanced over at Alec, noticing the somber expression that had settled on his friend's face. Alec's usually bright eyes were dulled, lost in some private thought. Jack, always one to break the silence, nudged Alec lightly with his elbow.
"What's on your mind, Alec?" Jack asked, his tone gentle.
Alec sighed, his breath visible in the cold air. "I lost something important when we were attacked by that ghoul. My pack... it had my drawings in it."
Jack furrowed his brow. "Your drawings?"
"Yeah," Alec nodded, his voice tinged with sadness. "I know it sounds stupid, but I've been sketching the girl I care about. Viktoria... I wanted to give her one of those drawings and finally tell her how I feel. But now..." He paused, his voice breaking slightly. "Now I don't even remember what she looks like."
Jack felt a pang of sympathy for his friend. He knew what it was like to lose something that connected you to someone you cared about. He placed a reassuring hand on Alec's shoulder. "We'll figure something out, Alec. You'll see her again, and when you do, you'll remember. I promise."
Alec tried to smile, but the weight of his loss was clear. He nodded, though, appreciating Jack's attempt to comfort him.
They continued walking in silence, the snow crunching beneath their boots, until Alec suddenly stopped in his tracks. His eyes lit up with a spark of excitement that Jack hadn't seen in a while. "Look," Alec said, pointing ahead.
Jack followed Alec's gaze and saw a small flock of gulls nestled in the snow, their white feathers blending almost seamlessly with the ground. Alec's eyes lit up, and before Jack could say anything, Alec took off running toward the birds.
"Alec, wait—" Jack called out, but he stopped himself mid-sentence. Alec hadn't looked this happy in days. The sight of his friend chasing after the gulls, a wide grin on his face, was something Jack hadn't realized he needed to see.
For a moment, Alec seemed to forget the horrors they had just survived. He was simply a young man enjoying a moment of innocence in an otherwise bleak world. The gulls, startled by Alec's approach, took to the air in a flurry of wings and squawks, their cries echoing across the snowy expanse.
Jack couldn't help but smile. He knew they had to stay focused, but seeing Alec like this, free and happy even if only for a brief moment, was worth it. Without thinking, Jack started running after Alec, laughing as he joined his friend in scaring the gulls.
Together, they chased the birds across the snow, their laughter mingling with the distant cries of the gulls. For a brief, precious moment, they were just two friends in a winter wonderland, the weight of their burdens forgotten.
After a while, they slowed down, both breathless but smiling. Alec looked at Jack, his face flushed from the cold and the running, and there was a light in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
As the laughter from their carefree chase faded, Jack and Alec resumed their journey, the harsh reality of their situation settling back over them like the snowflakes gently falling from the sky.
The cold bit at their skin, but it was nothing compared to the chill creeping into Jack's heart as he replayed the events that had led them here.
Alec, still buoyed by their brief moment of joy, glanced over at Jack. "So, where's the rest of the team? They must be ahead of us, right?"
Jack's heart dropped like a stone. The memory of Dr. Wormsly's betrayal, the twisted truth he had uncovered, surged forward in his mind. He stopped walking, his gaze fixed on the ground, the weight of what he had to say pressing down on him like the snow-laden sky.
"Alec," Jack began, his voice heavy with a mixture of grief and anger. "There's something I need to tell you."
Alec noticed the shift in Jack's tone and stopped as well, concern knitting his brows together. "What is it, Jack? What's going on?"
Jack took a deep breath, struggling to find the words. "Dr. Wormsly... he's not who we thought he was. He's the one who kidnapped my father. He used him in his experiments... to create those ghouls."
Alec's eyes widened, a mixture of shock and disbelief washing over his face. "Your father...?"
Jack nodded, his jaw clenched as he forced himself to continue. "General Wolf. I noticed it when I saw my father's skin—green, sickly, like the ghouls. His eyes were swollen, red. I didn't want to believe it at first, but it was him. Dr. Wormsly turned my father into one of those things... as part of his plan to create the perfect army."
Alec's mouth opened, but no words came out. The horror of what Jack was saying sank in, the reality of the danger they were all in becoming painfully clear.
"And it gets worse," Jack said, his voice hardening as the fury he felt toward Dr. Wormsly grew. "Dr. Wormsly staged my death, Alec. He did it to get away, to create that serum without anyone stopping him. He's planning something big, something that could bring hell down on everyone if we don't stop him."
Alec stared at Jack, the enormity of the situation reflected in his wide eyes. "Jack... if Wormsly succeeds, the whole war would never end. No one will be safe."
"Exactly," Jack said, his voice filled with grim determination. "That's why we have to stop him. We can't let him finish what he's started."
They both stood there for a moment, the weight of their mission pressing down on them. The stakes had never been higher, and the danger had never been more real. But as Jack looked at Alec, he saw the resolve in his friend's eyes, a mirror of his own.
As they kept moving, Jack's eyes caught sight of something massive in the distance—a towering dam wall, cutting across the landscape like a barrier between them and whatever lay beyond.
"There," Jack said, pointing to the dam. "The docks are just over that wall. If we can make it there, we might be able to find a way to stop Wormsly."
Alec nodded, his face set with determination. "Then let's do it, Jack. Let's end this before it's too late."
As Jack and Alec approached the massive dam, they paused at the sight of a large watchtower looming in the distance. The structure stood tall and foreboding, a stark reminder of the challenges that lay ahead. Jack squinted, his keen eyes scanning the area, and spotted something that sparked an idea.
"There," Jack said, pointing toward the watchtower. "See that zip line? If we can get our hands on some climbing gear in the watchtower, we can zip line down to the dam, then climb down the side and make it to the docks."
Alec glanced at the tower, then back at the dam, calculating the risks in his mind. "That's a solid plan, but it's easier said than done. We'll have to move quickly."
Jack nodded, already considering the next steps. "We'll need to be quiet. The Snow Hare rangers will be patrolling the area. We can't let them see us until it's too late."
The two men crept through the snow, their footsteps nearly silent on the icy ground. As they got closer to the watchtower, the presence of the Snow Hare rangers became evident. The rangers moved in pairs, their breath visible in the frigid air as they scanned the area for intruders.
"We'll have to take them out, one by one," Jack whispered, his voice barely audible over the wind. "We can't afford to be seen."
Alec nodded, drawing his knife. The two split up, each taking a different side of the tower. Jack moved like a shadow, silently approaching the first pair of guards. With quick, precise movements, he dispatched them, dragging their bodies into the shadows. He glanced over to see Alec doing the same, his blade flashing in the dim light as he silently took down another ranger.
But as Alec moved to disable the last guard, his foot accidentally struck a metal canister lying in the snow. The clatter echoed through the quiet, drawing the attention of the nearby guards.
Alec's eyes widened in panic. "Jack—"
Before he could finish, the alarm blared, the shrill sound cutting through the air like a knife. Red lights flashed as the watchtower came alive with activity. The Snow Hare rangers, alerted to the intruders, began pouring out of nearby buildings, weapons at the ready.
"Run!" Jack shouted, already sprinting toward the zip line. Alec was right behind him, the two of them dashing through the snow as bullets began to whiz past them.
They reached the base of the tower, Jack grabbing the zip line handle. He hooked himself onto it and launched off without hesitation, the cold wind whipping his face as he shot toward the dam. Alec followed close behind, barely a second ahead of the barrage of bullets that chased them.
The zip line carried them swiftly over the open space, the dam looming larger with each passing second. The Snow Hare rangers fired at them from the tower and below, but the bullets missed their mark, striking the metal line or zipping past harmlessly.
As they neared the end of the zip line, Jack unhooked himself, landing on the edge of the dam with a heavy thud. Alec landed beside him, the two of them immediately ducking down to avoid the incoming fire.
"We need to move, now!" Jack shouted over the roar of the sirens.
They scrambled toward the side of the dam, where a narrow path wound its way down to the docks below. The dam wall was slick with ice, and the climb would be treacherous, but they had no choice.
"Go, go, go!" Jack urged as they began their descent, hooking the climbing gear rope. The Snow Hare rangers were already trying to find ways to reach them, but the steep drop and icy conditions slowed their pursuit.
The climb down was harrowing, every step a test of balance and nerve. The world seemed to shrink to just the narrow ledge beneath their feet, the drop below threatening with every misstep. Jack led the way, his hands and feet finding purchase on the slick surface, guiding Alec as they made their way down
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the bottom of the dam. The docks lay ahead, their escape route within reach. But the Snow Hare rangers were still on their heels, and the danger was far from over.
"We're almost there!" Jack called, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Just a little further!"
As they reached the bottom of the dam, Jack and Alec were greeted by the sight of a vast, frozen lake stretching out before them.
The solid ice beneath their feet cracked ominously with each step, but it provided a treacherous path to the docks ahead. The frozen surface glittered in the dim light, a deceptive beauty hiding the dangers they were about to face.
"Keep moving!" Jack urged, glancing over his shoulder. The Snow Hare rangers were still in hot pursuit, their shouts echoing across the icy expanse.
Alec, his breath coming in sharp gasps, nodded and quickened his pace. But just as they thought they might be putting some distance between themselves and the rangers, a deafening roar filled the air.
Jack's heart sank as he saw a helicopter rising from behind the dam, its rotors chopping through the air with a menacing thrum. The searchlight from the chopper swept across the ice, locking onto their fleeing forms.
"Run!" Jack yelled, the urgency in his voice unmistakable.
They sprinted across the thick ice, their boots slipping and sliding on the slick surface. The helicopter descended, its mounted machine gun spitting bullets that ricocheted off the ice, sending shards flying in every direction.
The world around them became a blur of motion and sound, the icy wind whipping at their faces as they ran for their lives.
Suddenly, the helicopter unleashed a missile. Jack's eyes widened in horror as it arced toward them, a deadly projectile that slammed into the ice with a thunderous explosion.
The impact sent shockwaves through the frozen lake, causing the ice to buckle and shift violently. Jack barely managed to grab hold of the ice, his fingers digging into the cold, hard surface as the world tilted beneath him.
"Hold on!" Jack shouted, reaching out for Alec as the ice heaved beneath them. But before they could regain their footing, a second missile struck, the explosion even closer this time.
The ice gave way, shattering under the force of the blast. Jack and Alec were thrown into the air like ragdolls, the shockwave sending them spiraling. In a split second, Jack grabbed Alec's arm, pulling him close as they braced for impact.
They hit the snow-covered ground hard, the breath knocked out of them as they rolled and skidded across the frozen earth. Pain shot through Jack's body, but he ignored it, his focus solely on getting up and moving. He scrambled to his feet, pulling Alec up with him.
"Come on!" Jack urged, the urgency in his voice pushing them both forward. They stumbled toward the docks, the helicopter still looming overhead, its searchlight piercing through the darkness.
But when they reached the docks, Jack's heart sank. Every boat, except for an old, weathered rowboat, had been sunk. The docks were littered with debris and shattered wood, a testament to the chaos that had unfolded.
"That one!" Alec pointed, and without hesitation, they ran for the rowboat, their boots splashing through the ankle-deep slush where the ice met the shore.
They reached the boat and pushed it into the icy water, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as they fought against the freezing cold and their own exhaustion. The helicopter circled overhead, its searchlight sweeping over them as it prepared to make another pass.
"Hurry!" Jack shouted, throwing himself into the boat. Alec followed, and together they grabbed the oars, rowing with all their might. The wooden oars creaked under the strain, but the boat began to move, cutting through the icy water as they headed for the open ocean.
The helicopter's spotlight continued to search for them, but the darkness and the choppy waters made them difficult targets. The rowboat was small and unassuming, its low profile making it nearly invisible against the inky blackness of the water.
As they rowed furiously, the icy wind stung their faces, but they pushed on, driven by the knowledge that their survival depended on it. The sounds of the helicopter grew fainter as they moved further away from the dam, the Snow Hare rangers losing sight of their intruder.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the helicopter veered off, the sound of its rotors fading into the distance. Jack and Alec didn't stop rowing until they were sure they were well out of range, the dim lights of the Snow Hare territory disappearing behind them.
They were exhausted, their bodies aching from the ordeal, but they had made it. They had escaped the clutches of the Snow Hare rangers, and for the first time in what felt like forever, they were free.
Jack leaned back in the boat, his breath coming in deep, shuddering gasps. He exchanged a glance with Alec, who looked equally drained but wore a small, triumphant smile.
"We did it," Alec said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Jack nodded, a sense of relief washing over him. "Yeah... we did."
But even as they floated in the cold, dark water, Jack knew their journey was far from over. Dr. Wormsly was still out there, and the world was still in danger. They had made it out alive, but the battle had only just begun.