BLOODHOUND.

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I was frozen, unable to move my legs, as if the Earth's gravity had intensified and glued them to the floor. With a horrid creak, the hand crushed the shutters up into the ceiling. What was attached to that hand only filled me with more confusion and panic.

It was something beyond human. Beyond animal, even. A colossal beast with monstrously oversized limbs, its veins popping like a feral wrestler. Its skin gleamed; a pulsing, shifting bio-metal. Its face was warped and mangled, mouth unclosing and eyes melted.

Horrible, violet, pinprick eyes.

The nurses were practically screaming for me to follow them now. "We need to evacuate, immediately-!"

It opened its maw. Everyone winced as the creature released a guttural howl, the roar sending the walls rumbling. Its gargantuan fist smashed through, sending rubble and glass flying.

At that very moment, my body finally responded. I sprang out of the way of its sucker punch as a brick whizzed past my head. Footsteps scrambled behind me as it audibly punctured the wall.

The beast peeked its head through the hole, its eyes locked on me. Its shrunken pupils almost bore into my skull, as if I were looking down a shotgun barrel.

It soon began pushing the roof up. Paint chips and rubble rained from above. As the ceiling cracked and crumbled, noises rang from above. Screams. Falling objects. I felt my eyes widen with pure horror, as I witnessed the colossal being's attempt to penetrate the building.

If it got in, it'd destroy everything.

Innocent people that would die.

Any sane human would have run, but something told me to stay. I momentarily looked back at the nurses, who were desperately contacting emergency services on their comms. "It's lifting the roof! Hurry!"

No. I couldn't run.

"For God's sake, hurry! You don't have time left!"

If I did, people would die.

I didn't know what was going on in my head back then, but something kicked off within me. It pulled a trigger, launching my fight response like a firework.

Before I knew it, my feet were carrying me. I sprinted across the room, charging forward. The nurses pleaded and begged for me to not get involved, but I didn't listen. I couldn't.

As soon as I reached it, I swung my arm back - and a warcry erupted from my throat.

"Fuck off!"

My fist soared through the air like a missile, right into the creature's eye.

A ghastly shriek was all that came out of it as it was sent flying back across the yard. It bounced and rolled all while it cried out in agony. Its body smashed and cratered the car park. Soon enough it was skidding across the roads, its iron skin screeching and sending sparks flying, before its gargantuan mass quickly ground it to a halt.

The adrenaline was strong enough to make me shudder. I looked down at my own hands, my heart pummeling in my chest. Just seeing one of those things again awakened part of my memory. Part of me felt as if I should've been shocked, asking millions of questions at once, but I wasn't.

Yes - this was it.

This was my job: to kill Diseased.

Rubble and paint began to crumble from the ceiling, and I looked over at the nurses. "Get everyone out! Now!"

Soon enough, they snapped out of it. As they began talking into their radios again, I glanced ahead once more.

The car park was empty. No cars, no vans, nothing. Just broken tarmac and a monster at the very end of it. Sirens wailed and tannoys barked orders. The giant was on its side now, wailing as it cradled its face.