Chapter 309 - It Awakens (1/2)

No one knew.

Laz had no idea. He had been sent here by giant forest spirits because here was where he needed to be, or so he figured. Even after the gate though, he wasn't sure. Yeah, it was a thing. A big thing. But that didn't mean he needed to be a part of it. He got some nice things from it, things he hasn't even had a chance to take a look at.

But did that mean he needed to be there? No. Laz had thought about that since he got out and started hunting the bugs. Ironically, while running, he had a lot of time to think.

There was more to take into consideration as well. He didn't know that groups were gathering. He had the feeling that after making the live stream, there would be some response from the government and probably from the chosen. That was kind of the plan with doing so. Give the people a look at an actual infected who was fine with his abilities while showing that the ones who were suppose to be protecting the people weren't actually doing anything.

There was no deeper part to the plan than this. Little did he know just how successful this strategy was.

...

”I can't believe he did this...” Leona said, watching clips. She, Ruby, Malene and Kennedy along with Vivi were sitting in the hotel room while watching clips that had been uploaded to social media sites.

”Look at how many views this one has gotten. Over 8 million. I mean, I don't know how much the other ones got so far, mostly due to them being taken down almost as fast as they are being uploaded. But since anyone can put the video up with a new account, people just keep loading up as soon as the big ones are taken down,” Malene pointed out.

”I honestly didn't think he was this... smart?” Vivi questioned. She had been the one to find the video after looking around for information about what was happening in the city.

”This does seem a bit... genius. I mean, looking at it from all angles. Sure you've got the idiot trolls who are just on here talking shit left and right. But there are many other's who have been sharing some stories of their own. It's not just evil us anymore. But... from our boy?”

”I don't think he intended this when he did it. Or, I should say, I don't think he knew it would be this big when he did it. He probably thought he'd just be a jerk and tell people that he's saving lives while the government and the chosen are letting people die. That would be where his thoughts stopped. But now... it's almost like he's created a sub culture. How the hell does that boy keep getting so lucky. The little bastard...” Kennedy added with a smile.

After a moment of silence with no responses, she looked up to find the Leona, Malene and Ruby all looked a little red in the face while not making eye contact. Vivi, on the other hand, was just trying not to laugh.

”What?” Stern faced Kennedy asked.

”Nothing,” The girls all said at once, not commenting. They knew she missed him most of all, but that for reasons she kept making up, she was avoiding him.

...

”I go away for just a few days. Just to unwind and get some rest after having worked my ȧss off. AND I COME BACK TO THIS?” Tommy yelled, throwing stuff around the mobile command center that Agent Wallace and his team was using. Although he seemed pissed off at Agent Wallace, Tommy wasn't a complete idiot either. He knew the man in front of him had no power to order around any of the Chosen. Even if Tommy had told them to listen to him, they would find some way around that.

What he was pissed off about was that now he had more work to do during this public relations nightmare.

”How the hell do some kids using fuċkɨnġ cell phones manage to gather a larger audience then almost every single national news network, huh?”

Besides just the PR nightmare, the other big problem was that this video had been seen by more citizens in the country than anything they had put out about the dangers of the infected. In fact, the video had even began circulation around the world, with hostile nations using it as fodder to attack the US's response to this crisis.

”Alright. Everyone out. Get back to what you should be getting back to,” Agent Wallace kicked his people out once he figured out that there was nothing useful that was going to be coming from Tommy who actually appeared to be drunk.

”Sir. Although now isn't the best time, it's better to do something now than nothing,” Agent Wallace suggested.

”And what the hell should that be, eh?” Tommy snapped back, staggering.

”Get your people out there, walking the streets. Have them meet up with some of our teams and make it showy. Then, when people ask where they have been, we just say they have been here the whole time, helping out,” Wallace responded.

”So we just act like we been helping out all along?” Tommy seemed to grasp the idea.

”Yes. After all, who could say otherwise?”

”Excellent. I'll make the call right now,” Tommy said, taking out his phone.

Agent Wallace got up and left the tent to where a few of his subordinates were waiting.

”Is it done sir?” One of them asked.

”Yes. He's ȧssigning some chosen to come ȧssist. I'll see who's coming and get them with the ground teams,” Agent Wallace informed them while rubbing the bridge of his nose.

”Is the young sir in there... ok?

”He's drunk. And he brought his pet so make sure the press stay the hell away from him for right now. I need to go report in now that we have a solution.”

”Yes sir!” The agent said, walking off to make arrangements.

”These chosen are fuċkɨnġ useless. The sooner we can control them, the better off we will be. I hope those ȧss hats in Research and Development have some good news for me soon or I am seriously going to start shooting these fuċkers...” Agent Wallace said to himself while dialing a number on his cell and walking away into a quieter corner.

...

Laz had no idea the girls were in town and also had no idea that Tommy was gathering chosen to come help out the clean up efforts as a way to save face. Instead, Laz was standing over the two dead bodies of the invaders while looking at the ground in wonder.

Laz had killed fifteen of them at this point, but this time was strange. Not only had he found two of them together, but after they died, a strange, reddish black circle spread out from underneath their bodies, looking like a scorch mark on the ground.

He had checked it out closely, even using his fingers to try to break the line of the circle, but to no avail. It was like it was there, but it also wasn't there.

What was more surprising was that there were more circles that had spread out from the remains of some of the regular humans the bug like creatures had killed.

All in all, nine such circles appeared all at once while Laz was watching. They flashed briefly while a star was formed inside of them, then, just as quickly as they appeared, the stars vanished, leaving behind just the outline of the circle.