Green Valor

Third mission

Jack's mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions as he and Saskia raced through the ruined corridors of Dr. Wormsly's lab. His thoughts kept circling back to Alec and the horrific scene he'd just witnessed. The lifeless body of Dr. Wormsly, the blood on Alec's hands, the resignation in his friend's voice as he made the impossible choice to stay behind.
And then there was Dr.Wormsly,a man he could never save. Two friends lost, one to death, the other to a fate Jack could only imagine.
Saskia's voice broke through the chaos in his head, snapping him back to the present. "Jack," she said, her tone edged with panic. "Wormsly injected you with the serum. We need to find a way to stop it—before it's too late."
Jack clenched his jaw, his thoughts shifting to the weight of what that meant.
The serum would transform him, just like it had so many others. He could feel it already, a faint heat spreading through his veins, a ticking clock counting down to his loss of humanity. But there wasn't time to worry about that now. The war was at its breaking point, and they had to stop it before everything was lost.
"We have to end this," Jack said, determination hardening his voice. "Before the serum takes hold."
They burst out into the open city, the chaos of the riot still raging around them. Fires blazed in the distance, and the roar of the crowd was deafening, a cacophony of anger and fear.
People fought in the streets, against each other and against the ghouls that had begun to pour into the city. It was pure anarchy.
"Why would Wormsly create a stronger army?" Saskia asked, her voice trembling with fear and confusion. "What's the point of this madness?"
Jack's eyes lifted to the sky, and his heart sank as he saw the answer. Dozens of planes, black and menacing, cut through the clouds like a swarm of locusts. General Archer's fleet was here, a dark cloud that promised only death and destruction.
"That's why," Jack muttered, cursing under his breath. "Wormsly wasn't just playing with science. He was preparing for this—for Archer's invasion."
Before Jack could process the full implications, Quinn and Yuri appeared, breathless from the chaos of the city. The worry was clear on their faces, but it was Yuri who spoke first, his eyes scanning the wreckage for any sign of Alec.
"Jack, where's Alec?" Yuri asked, desperation lacing his voice.
Jack ignored the question, his thoughts too focused on the growing threat above. "Where are Cordero and Yoshi? We need to find them. Now."
Yuri pressed on, unwilling to drop the subject. "Where is Alec, Jack? What happened?"
Jack's patience snapped. "Shut up, Yuri! We don't have time for this!" His voice was raw with emotion, but he couldn't bring himself to tell them the truth. Not yet. Not while there was still so much at stake. "Where are Cordero and Yoshi?"
Quinn stepped forward, his face pale but resolute. "They're attending a briefing. Trying to rally what's left of the military to take on the ghouls and Archer's forces."
Before Jack could respond, their earpieces crackled to life, and a voice barked orders through the static.
"All units, report back immediately! We're launching a full-scale assault on Archer. This is our last chance to end this war and take back the city."
Jack's heart pounded in his chest. The war was coming to a head, and they were running out of time. The serum was already working its way through his system, and soon, he wouldn't be himself anymore. But until that moment came, he was going to fight. He was going to end this war, no matter the cost.
With one last look at the burning city around them, Jack steeled himself for what was to come. He didn't know if they would win, or if they would even survive, but there was no turning back now. This was it—the final battle.
As Jack stood amidst the chaos, the sounds of war all around him, a plan began to form in his mind. He knew that simply fighting the ghouls and Archer's forces would not be enough to end this nightmare. The root of the conflict had to be cut out, and that meant going straight to the source: Cordero.
Jack gathered Yuri, Quinn, and Saskia around him, urgency in his voice. "If we're going to stop this war for good, we need to take down Cordero. But first, we have to divide and conquer. Cordero is strong, but without Yoshi by his side, he's vulnerable. If we can kill Yoshi during the briefing in Cordero's White House, it'll break their alliance."
Yuri and Quinn nodded, determination etched on their faces. Quinn, ever the tactician, added, "We can disguise ourselves as waiters and sneak into the White House. It'll be dangerous, but if we pull it off, we'll have the upper hand."
Jack turned to Saskia, who had been quiet but visibly tense. Before he could outline the rest of the plan, she spoke up, her voice filled with concern. "Jack, we're overlooking something important. The ghoul outbreak—it's getting worse. If we don't find a way to stop it, even killing Cordero won't save the city."
Jack paused, weighing her words. She was right. The ghouls were a looming threat that could wipe out everything if they weren't stopped. As much as he wanted to bring down Cordero, they couldn't ignore the ghoul issue.
Then an idea struck him. He remembered Dr. Wormsly's old laboratory, the place where all of this had started. If Wormsly had developed a cure for the ghoul virus, it would be there. Jack's heart pounded with a renewed sense of purpose. "Dr. Wormsly's lab," he said, meeting Saskia's eyes. "It's in his house. If there's a cure, that's where we'll find it."
Saskia's eyes lit up with hope. "I can do it, Jack. I can find the cure. Let me go to the lab."
Jack hesitated. The thought of sending Saskia off alone, especially after everything they had been through, filled him with dread.
But Saskia's resolve was unshakable. She placed a hand on his arm, her voice soft but firm. "I want to help you, Jack. Please, let me do this."
He looked into her eyes and saw the determination there, the same determination that had kept them both alive this long.
He couldn't deny her the chance to make a difference. With a heavy heart, he nodded. "Alright. Take the train; it'll get you to Wormsly's house faster. But be careful, Saskia. I can't lose you too."
Saskia gave him a reassuring smile, though there was fear in her eyes. "I'll be careful. You just focus on taking down Cordero. We'll end this, Jack."
As they prepared to part ways, the ground shook beneath them, and they heard the rumble of tanks rolling into the city.
The final battle was drawing closer, and time was running out. Jack watched as Saskia headed towards the train station, her figure growing smaller in the distance. He turned back to Yuri and Quinn, his resolve hardening.
"This is it," Jack said. "Yuri, Quinn—you head to the White House and take out Yoshi. I'll join the front lines and do whatever it takes to make Archer surrender. Once Yoshi's gone, we'll regroup and finish Cordero."
Yuri clapped a hand on Jack's shoulder. "We'll get it done, Jack. We'll see you on the other side."
With a final nod, they split up, each heading towards their part in the plan. Jack took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. The war was reaching its climax, and there was no turning back now.
As Jack made his way toward the front lines, the city around him burned. He knew that the path ahead would be one of blood and fire, but if they succeeded, there was a chance—no matter how small—that they could bring peace. All that was left was to fight, to survive, and to hope that when it was over, there would still be something left to save.
As Saskia walked towards the train station she watched as the tanks made their way and the sky turning a sickly orange, she looked over the address that Jack had given her and boarded the train.
The train ride was long and the city started to fade into the country side, Saskia looked out the window while holding her rosary tightly then the train stopped at its destination, a quiet town that looked abandon as if the people who once lived there were the ones who got drafted in the war.
Saskia admired the country side and as she crossed a small bridge she saw a house nestled in the distance which must've been Dr.Wormslys house.
Saskia stood in the doorway, taking in the haunting beauty of the abandoned house. The once grand structure was now a relic of the past, its walls draped in vines and its windows fogged with years of neglect.
The foliage around the house was thick, the garden overgrown with wildflowers and ivy that seemed to cling to the very soul of the place. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and decay, a stark contrast to the vibrant life that must have once filled these rooms.
She hesitated for a moment before stepping inside. The rickety door creaked on its hinges as she pushed it open, and a cloud of dust rose up to greet her, filling her lungs with the stale scent of time forgotten.
The interior was just as dilapidated as the exterior, with peeling wallpaper and furniture covered in a thick layer of dust. As she walked further into the house, her footsteps echoed softly on the worn wooden floorboards.
Clutching her rosary tightly, Saskia felt a chill run down her spine. The house felt alive in a way that was unsettling, as if it held memories that were just waiting to be unearthed.
She reminded herself of her mission—to find the cure that could stop the ghoul virus and save the city. But as she moved through the rooms, something strange began to happen.
The air around her grew warmer, and the walls seemed to shift.
The faded, overgrown interior of the house started to transform before her eyes. The vines receded, the dust disappeared, and the furniture regained its former glory. It was as if the house was coming back to life, reversing the years of abandonment in a matter of seconds.
Saskia froze as she saw two figures appear in the room. They were ghostly, translucent, but there was no mistaking who they were.
Sam, looking younger and healthier than she had ever seen him and without a daisy on his head, was running towards a woman—his wife, Daisy. The spectral couple seemed unaware of Saskia's presence as they embraced, their love for each other palpable even in death.
"I missed you so much," Daisy whispered, her voice soft and filled with emotion. "You're not sick anymore, my love. You're free."
Sam smiled, tears in his eyes. "I'm finally home," he replied, his voice choked with emotion. The two of them kissed, a tender, loving gesture that seemed to erase all the pain and suffering they had endured in life.
Saskia watched, captivated by the scene. It was as if she had stepped into a memory, a moment frozen in time. But just as quickly as it had begun, the vision started to fade.
The walls returned to their dilapidated state, the furniture once again covered in dust and cobwebs. The ghostly figures of Dr. Wormsly and Daisy disappeared, leaving Saskia alone in the cold, empty house.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. The vision had left her shaken, but she knew she couldn't dwell on it.
There was too much at stake. She moved quickly through the house, heading towards the basement where she knew Dr. Wormsly's laboratory was located.
The lab was in complete disarray. It had been overrun by plants, with vines creeping across the walls and wildflowers growing out of cracks in the floor.
The old lab equipment was barely visible beneath the foliage, rusted and forgotten. But Saskia could see that this had once been the heart of Dr. Wormsly's work—the place where he had conducted his experiments, the same experiments that had led to the creation of the ghoul virus.
Saskia began her search, carefully moving aside the plants as she sifted through the debris. She needed to find anything that could help her create a cure—notes, samples, anything that Dr. Wormsly might have left behind. As she worked, the memory of the ghostly couple lingered in her mind, a reminder of the man Dr. Wormsly had once been, and the love he had lost.
The lab was filled with remnants of Dr. Wormsly's work—broken test tubes, scattered papers, and old, rusted equipment. But there was no sign of a cure.
Saskia felt a pang of despair as she continued her search, pushing deeper into the overgrown lab.
Then, hidden beneath a mass of vines, she found something—a small, metal box, half-buried in the dirt. Her heart raced as she cleared away the foliage and pulled the box free. It was old and battered, but still intact. With trembling hands, she pried it open.
Inside were vials of a clear liquid, carefully labeled in Dr. Wormsly's handwriting. Alongside the vials was a notebook, its pages yellowed with age.
Saskia flipped through the notebook, her eyes scanning the notes and diagrams. It was all here—the research, the formulas, everything Dr. Wormsly had done to try to find a cure for the virus he had created.
Tears welled up in Saskia's eyes as she realized what she was holding. This was it—the key to stopping the ghoul virus and saving the city. She had found the cure.
But as she stood in the ruined lab, the weight of her discovery pressed down on her. This cure, born from Dr. Wormsly's guilt and desperation, could be their salvation.
But it was also a reminder of the terrible cost of his experiments, the lives lost, and the suffering caused. Saskia knew that this was only the beginning. There was still so much work to be done, and the war was far from over.
Clutching the box tightly, she turned to leave the house. The wind howled outside, and the sky had darkened, a storm brewing on the horizon. But Saskia felt a spark of hope. With the cure in hand, there was a chance to make things right.
As she crossed the small bridge again, the house faded into the distance behind her, its secrets now revealed. She knew that whatever happened next, she had done everything she could to honor the memory of those who had fought and died to save the world from the horrors unleashed by Dr. Wormsly's work.