Got bored, started playing Prototype, had an idea, and wrote it down. Not much more too it than that. I have no idea if this will become an actual story or if I'll just leave it here, but I wanted to get it out of my head and down onto paper, as it were. So here it is.
_______________________________________________________
Strained Relations
CH-0001: Outbreaks
ôIt has been three weeks since Marine Forces first began to occupy Manhattan Island,ö Batman began without preamble. This was not the time for speeches about responsibility or their purpose, so he didnÆt waste any time. ôTwo days after that, the Island was quarantined completely. All subways were shutdown, all bridges were fortified, and attempts to leave the Island were met with military response.ö
With a touch to the holo-screen before him, images appeared before every League member, showing pictures of destroyed helicopters and airplanes, sinking ships, and people bleeding on the bridges. Alarm quickly appeared on the League members facesùtheyÆd heard of the quarantine, but information about what was happening on the Island itself was being tightly controlled.
ôWhat!?ö The Flash reacted first, as was his nature, staring at a picture of a gunned down family that had tried and failed to escape. ôThey canÆt do that!ö
He paused for a moment, though he knew how long that was for someone with his speed.
ôCan they?ö
ôThey can,ö Batman replied grimly. Another image appeared on their screens. ôThe 1st Biological Warfare Command, also known as the Blackwatch Special Forces, is in charge of the Island, and have been given free reign to do whatever needs to be done to solve the problem.ö
Eyes widened around the table at the mention of Biological Warfare as everything took a different light, Captain Atom and the Green Lanterns looked confused for a moment and it was easy to guess why. Adams and Jordan had been members of the Air Force and Stewart had been a Marine.
ôBlackwatch?ö Captain Atom wondered. ôIÆve never heard of them before.ö
ôNeither had I, until this incident.ö Batman admitted. ôA black ops organization that didnÆt officially exist until it was needed three weeks ago, but IÆve managed to find evidence that theyÆve been present since the early sixties. They are responsible for handling and containing biohazard and viral outbreaks, such as the current situation in Manhattan, and are amazingly well-prepared for that purpose. They have access to vast supplies of military and experimental technologyùand some of the most impressive information control IÆve ever seen. After two weeks of digging, all I found was a mention to one previous incident in the town of Hope, Idaho, which was turned into a ghost town in the sixties, shortly after the organizations formation. The official story is that there was an armed rebellion led by a cult in the town and the military had been forced to interveneùbut since the Biological Warfare Command handled the incident, I think its simple enough to imagine what actually happened. Beyond that, they also have full authority over all military forces and local police when it comes to biological warfare, and can request any information or amount of forces be placed under their command. The marines present in Manhattan are there under their orders, to aid in dealing with the situation.ö
ôAnd what is the situation, exactly?ö John Stewart asked. More than a few of his old military friends had been sent to Manhattan and he hadnÆt heard a word back from them since.
A green map appeared across the screens.
ôSigns of the infection first started appearing shortly before the quarantine on Day Three,ö Batman said. ôOn Day Fouràö
A red circle appeared on the map.
ôFour percent of the population was infected. By Day Six, that number rose to twenty percent. On Day Eight, nearly half of Manhattan was infected. On Day Ten, sixty-eight percent of ManhattanÆs population was infected by the disease and on the twelfth day, over four-fifths of the city was infected.ö
Faces paled as more and more red started to fill the map as Batman continued.
ôOn day eighteen, Operation Firebreak was authorized. The plan itself is a simple oneùremove all military forces to a safe distance and detonate a tactical nuclear warhead on the infected area.ö
ôWhat!?ö Hal Jordan demanded. ôWe nuked Manhattan!? That was our plan B? Did we just decide that was the only way to be sure!?ö
ôAlso, I think I would have noticed if there had been a Mushroom Cloud over Manhattan.ö Superman added.
ôIndeed. Operation Firebreak failedùso weÆll classify it as ænot sure enough.Æö Batman remarked dryly at Jordan. ôDetails on why it failed, like details on everything related to the incident, are few and far between, partially due to BlackwatchÆs information control, but mainly because everyone who knew anything about the incident seems to have been systematically exterminated. What information I did manage to gather from the databanks of the organizations involved paints an incomplete picture, because the most important details are all off the recordùbut hereÆs what we know. Military records on the Island indicate that there were, in fact, two types of biological weapons at work on the Island. The first, according the BlackwatchÆs available records, is called DX-1118 A, codename Redlight. This is the biological weapon responsible for infecting Manhattanùand for causing this.ö
More images appeared on the screens, depicting walking corpses, bald and bloated humanoid figures, large tentacles with vertical maws, massive hairless quadrupeds with exaggerated musculature.
ôThe Redlight virus mutates those infected by it into a variety of creatures based off of different strains of the virus, which itself can grow and evolve at an accelerated pace. Old research reports by Blackwatch and Gentek, an organization found to be related to the viruses, propose that it can produce thousands of new strains in a few weeksùmaybe even just days. Many of these strains have little effect on the human body, but nowhere near all of them. From what is known of the virus, the mortality rate is at least 99.9%, with some reports going as far as to propose 99.999%, with those that are infected moving quickly to infect as many others as possible. BlackwatchÆs plan C, if Firebreak failed, was to quarantine the Island completely and let the virus burn itself out over time, a process estimated to take at most another month, at which point the Island would be sterilized.ö
ôAnd let it kill everyone on the Island,ö Green Arrow said roughly.
ôWhat about the other virus you mentioned?ö Wonder Woman asked.
The monstrous images on the screens disappeared, replaced by a picture of a man in his late-twenties or early-thirties.
ôDX-1118 C, codename Blacklight, was an artificial created version of Redlight made by Gentek scientists, most notably one Dr. Alexander J. Mercer, perhaps the worldÆs foremost expert in genetic research. After infection, the virus activates junk DNA inside its victim. As a retrovirus, it contains both RNA and the reverse transcriptase enzyme, allowing it to insert its own genetic codes into living cells. It enters a host body, re-purposes it on a cellular level, and causes dramatic physical changes which prove almost exclusively fatal.ö
ôThat æalmostÆ makes me nervous,ö Aquaman said.
ôThere is one known survivorùDr. Mercer himself. Exact details are not known, but what is known is this. On Day One of the infection, at Pennsylvania Station, Dr. Mercer was cornered by Blackwatch operatives, at which point he threatened to unleash the virus heÆd created if not let go. He was refused and shot repeatedly, but not before making good on his threat and unleashing Blacklight on the city, which quickly killed everyone in Pennsylvania station and then began to spread further into the city. Dr. Mercer himself was pronounced dead and then taken to the morgue, where his status quickly changed as he got up off the slab and walked out under his own power. He largely disappeared from BlackwatchÆs sight for two days, breaking into Gentek on the third and unleashing the Redlight virus, at which point he was declared a major priority after he proved how dangerous he had become.ö
ôWhat happened to him?ö Black Canary asked, sizing up the picture before her. He didnÆt look like much, but if things were this serious she would treat them as such, so she memorized his face until she was certain sheÆd be able to spot it in a crowd.
ôOnce again, Blackwatch hide the details and as near as I can tell, Dr. Mercer proceeded to kill them and hide their bodies, so I do not know for sure what, exactly, happened to themùbut Dr. Mercer proceeded to display a variety of powers apparently based off of the diseases ability to change his body, including shapeshifting, superhuman strength, speed, agility, endurance, senses, and healing factor, though precise details are still being researched. Blackwatch has codenamed him Zeus.ö
ôThatÆs a bitàpresumptuous.ö Wonder Woman muttered. Batman glanced at her for a second before looking back at the others.
ôThere is not yet a full recording of Dr. MercerÆs actions, but Blackwatch estimates that he has cost the US more lives and money then World War II, by a fairly large margin, especially if one includes his acts of bioterrorism. As of today, when the US Government released details pertaining to him to foreign nations, he has been listed as the most dangerous and most wanted criminal in the world by several dozen different organizations and has been listed as an international threat.ö
Even Wonder Woman had to pause at that.
ôWhy wasnÆt the League called in on this?ö Captain Marvel demanded. ôIf he killed that many peopleàif the League had been informed, we might have been able to save thousands of lives!ö
ôThe official explanation from Blackwatch is that it was too much of a risk. Both viruses evolve based on their circumstances and their hosts. The only reason Blackwatch managed to contain the viruses at all was due to their inability to cross bodies of water. The possibility of them potentially infecting Aquaman or a member of the League capable of flight was deemed too great a risk to involve the Justice Leagueùas was the potential of them infecting people with Superpowers and potentially adapting them amongst the infected.ö
ôThat doesnÆt explain all of us,ö John Stewart spoke up. My ring insulates me from the possibility of infection and it has nothing to do with my Biology.ö
ôIndeed. There are a number of heroes that could have involved themselves in the matter, but were denied from doing so. I suspect thereÆs more at work here and we need to find out what.ö
ôWaitàyou said the Government released information about Mercer today? Why did they change their stance so suddenly?ö Superman asked.
ôDr. Mercer was assumed dead after Operation Firebreak, which he prevented by stealing the Warhead and flying it away from Manhattan in a helicopter. After it detonated, Blackwatch officially recorded him as deceasedùa designation they were forced to change again two days later when he reappeared. With the large majority of Blackwatch command dead and the rest in disarray, they were unable to formulate a response quickly enough to stop him as he escaped from Manhattan Island. As of today, Alexander MercerÆs location is completely unknown. I donÆt think I need to explain why we must change that as quickly as possible, before Manhattan has a chance to repeat itself.ö
Resolved expressions filled the room. An incident like thisàto happen so quickly without any of them being able to stop itàit would not happen again. TheyÆd make sure of it.
ôWhat do we know aboutàZeus now,ö Wonder Woman questioned.
ôVery little. He left Manhattan on a boat, heading towards New Jersey, which was found abandoned there this morning. Signs at the landing site point to him having more than one person with him. Their identities are currently unknown, but they are likely they are the group of people Blackwatch refers to collectively as Athena, who are responsible for provide Dr. Mercer with the information he should not have access too. Blackwatch seems certain that there is more then on person aiding Dr. Mercer in this regard, but currently only have one suspectùhis younger sister, Dana A. Mercer, who he rescued from Blackwatch on Day One of the Infection, shortly after leaving the morgue. Dr. Mercer has shown signs of being highly protective of herùif we wish to find her, she is likely our best chance. Flash and the Green Lanterns will investigate the landing site. All League Members capable of flight will patrol the surrounding area from above, in case he is still here. The rest of the team will assist me in attempting to uncover the information Blackwatch has, in the hopes that we will be able to make use of the information, which unfortunately may take some time. The President has given us full access to Blackwatchs information, but at same time, Dr. Mercer was very through in killing everyone who knew anything. We will hopefully be able to find someone he missed. WeÆll meet up here to exchange preliminary information. Dismissed.ö
_______________________________________________________
Strained Relations
CH-0001: Outbreaks
ôIt has been three weeks since Marine Forces first began to occupy Manhattan Island,ö Batman began without preamble. This was not the time for speeches about responsibility or their purpose, so he didnÆt waste any time. ôTwo days after that, the Island was quarantined completely. All subways were shutdown, all bridges were fortified, and attempts to leave the Island were met with military response.ö
With a touch to the holo-screen before him, images appeared before every League member, showing pictures of destroyed helicopters and airplanes, sinking ships, and people bleeding on the bridges. Alarm quickly appeared on the League members facesùtheyÆd heard of the quarantine, but information about what was happening on the Island itself was being tightly controlled.
ôWhat!?ö The Flash reacted first, as was his nature, staring at a picture of a gunned down family that had tried and failed to escape. ôThey canÆt do that!ö
He paused for a moment, though he knew how long that was for someone with his speed.
ôCan they?ö
ôThey can,ö Batman replied grimly. Another image appeared on their screens. ôThe 1st Biological Warfare Command, also known as the Blackwatch Special Forces, is in charge of the Island, and have been given free reign to do whatever needs to be done to solve the problem.ö
Eyes widened around the table at the mention of Biological Warfare as everything took a different light, Captain Atom and the Green Lanterns looked confused for a moment and it was easy to guess why. Adams and Jordan had been members of the Air Force and Stewart had been a Marine.
ôBlackwatch?ö Captain Atom wondered. ôIÆve never heard of them before.ö
ôNeither had I, until this incident.ö Batman admitted. ôA black ops organization that didnÆt officially exist until it was needed three weeks ago, but IÆve managed to find evidence that theyÆve been present since the early sixties. They are responsible for handling and containing biohazard and viral outbreaks, such as the current situation in Manhattan, and are amazingly well-prepared for that purpose. They have access to vast supplies of military and experimental technologyùand some of the most impressive information control IÆve ever seen. After two weeks of digging, all I found was a mention to one previous incident in the town of Hope, Idaho, which was turned into a ghost town in the sixties, shortly after the organizations formation. The official story is that there was an armed rebellion led by a cult in the town and the military had been forced to interveneùbut since the Biological Warfare Command handled the incident, I think its simple enough to imagine what actually happened. Beyond that, they also have full authority over all military forces and local police when it comes to biological warfare, and can request any information or amount of forces be placed under their command. The marines present in Manhattan are there under their orders, to aid in dealing with the situation.ö
ôAnd what is the situation, exactly?ö John Stewart asked. More than a few of his old military friends had been sent to Manhattan and he hadnÆt heard a word back from them since.
A green map appeared across the screens.
ôSigns of the infection first started appearing shortly before the quarantine on Day Three,ö Batman said. ôOn Day Fouràö
A red circle appeared on the map.
ôFour percent of the population was infected. By Day Six, that number rose to twenty percent. On Day Eight, nearly half of Manhattan was infected. On Day Ten, sixty-eight percent of ManhattanÆs population was infected by the disease and on the twelfth day, over four-fifths of the city was infected.ö
Faces paled as more and more red started to fill the map as Batman continued.
ôOn day eighteen, Operation Firebreak was authorized. The plan itself is a simple oneùremove all military forces to a safe distance and detonate a tactical nuclear warhead on the infected area.ö
ôWhat!?ö Hal Jordan demanded. ôWe nuked Manhattan!? That was our plan B? Did we just decide that was the only way to be sure!?ö
ôAlso, I think I would have noticed if there had been a Mushroom Cloud over Manhattan.ö Superman added.
ôIndeed. Operation Firebreak failedùso weÆll classify it as ænot sure enough.Æö Batman remarked dryly at Jordan. ôDetails on why it failed, like details on everything related to the incident, are few and far between, partially due to BlackwatchÆs information control, but mainly because everyone who knew anything about the incident seems to have been systematically exterminated. What information I did manage to gather from the databanks of the organizations involved paints an incomplete picture, because the most important details are all off the recordùbut hereÆs what we know. Military records on the Island indicate that there were, in fact, two types of biological weapons at work on the Island. The first, according the BlackwatchÆs available records, is called DX-1118 A, codename Redlight. This is the biological weapon responsible for infecting Manhattanùand for causing this.ö
More images appeared on the screens, depicting walking corpses, bald and bloated humanoid figures, large tentacles with vertical maws, massive hairless quadrupeds with exaggerated musculature.
ôThe Redlight virus mutates those infected by it into a variety of creatures based off of different strains of the virus, which itself can grow and evolve at an accelerated pace. Old research reports by Blackwatch and Gentek, an organization found to be related to the viruses, propose that it can produce thousands of new strains in a few weeksùmaybe even just days. Many of these strains have little effect on the human body, but nowhere near all of them. From what is known of the virus, the mortality rate is at least 99.9%, with some reports going as far as to propose 99.999%, with those that are infected moving quickly to infect as many others as possible. BlackwatchÆs plan C, if Firebreak failed, was to quarantine the Island completely and let the virus burn itself out over time, a process estimated to take at most another month, at which point the Island would be sterilized.ö
ôAnd let it kill everyone on the Island,ö Green Arrow said roughly.
ôWhat about the other virus you mentioned?ö Wonder Woman asked.
The monstrous images on the screens disappeared, replaced by a picture of a man in his late-twenties or early-thirties.
ôDX-1118 C, codename Blacklight, was an artificial created version of Redlight made by Gentek scientists, most notably one Dr. Alexander J. Mercer, perhaps the worldÆs foremost expert in genetic research. After infection, the virus activates junk DNA inside its victim. As a retrovirus, it contains both RNA and the reverse transcriptase enzyme, allowing it to insert its own genetic codes into living cells. It enters a host body, re-purposes it on a cellular level, and causes dramatic physical changes which prove almost exclusively fatal.ö
ôThat æalmostÆ makes me nervous,ö Aquaman said.
ôThere is one known survivorùDr. Mercer himself. Exact details are not known, but what is known is this. On Day One of the infection, at Pennsylvania Station, Dr. Mercer was cornered by Blackwatch operatives, at which point he threatened to unleash the virus heÆd created if not let go. He was refused and shot repeatedly, but not before making good on his threat and unleashing Blacklight on the city, which quickly killed everyone in Pennsylvania station and then began to spread further into the city. Dr. Mercer himself was pronounced dead and then taken to the morgue, where his status quickly changed as he got up off the slab and walked out under his own power. He largely disappeared from BlackwatchÆs sight for two days, breaking into Gentek on the third and unleashing the Redlight virus, at which point he was declared a major priority after he proved how dangerous he had become.ö
ôWhat happened to him?ö Black Canary asked, sizing up the picture before her. He didnÆt look like much, but if things were this serious she would treat them as such, so she memorized his face until she was certain sheÆd be able to spot it in a crowd.
ôOnce again, Blackwatch hide the details and as near as I can tell, Dr. Mercer proceeded to kill them and hide their bodies, so I do not know for sure what, exactly, happened to themùbut Dr. Mercer proceeded to display a variety of powers apparently based off of the diseases ability to change his body, including shapeshifting, superhuman strength, speed, agility, endurance, senses, and healing factor, though precise details are still being researched. Blackwatch has codenamed him Zeus.ö
ôThatÆs a bitàpresumptuous.ö Wonder Woman muttered. Batman glanced at her for a second before looking back at the others.
ôThere is not yet a full recording of Dr. MercerÆs actions, but Blackwatch estimates that he has cost the US more lives and money then World War II, by a fairly large margin, especially if one includes his acts of bioterrorism. As of today, when the US Government released details pertaining to him to foreign nations, he has been listed as the most dangerous and most wanted criminal in the world by several dozen different organizations and has been listed as an international threat.ö
Even Wonder Woman had to pause at that.
ôWhy wasnÆt the League called in on this?ö Captain Marvel demanded. ôIf he killed that many peopleàif the League had been informed, we might have been able to save thousands of lives!ö
ôThe official explanation from Blackwatch is that it was too much of a risk. Both viruses evolve based on their circumstances and their hosts. The only reason Blackwatch managed to contain the viruses at all was due to their inability to cross bodies of water. The possibility of them potentially infecting Aquaman or a member of the League capable of flight was deemed too great a risk to involve the Justice Leagueùas was the potential of them infecting people with Superpowers and potentially adapting them amongst the infected.ö
ôThat doesnÆt explain all of us,ö John Stewart spoke up. My ring insulates me from the possibility of infection and it has nothing to do with my Biology.ö
ôIndeed. There are a number of heroes that could have involved themselves in the matter, but were denied from doing so. I suspect thereÆs more at work here and we need to find out what.ö
ôWaitàyou said the Government released information about Mercer today? Why did they change their stance so suddenly?ö Superman asked.
ôDr. Mercer was assumed dead after Operation Firebreak, which he prevented by stealing the Warhead and flying it away from Manhattan in a helicopter. After it detonated, Blackwatch officially recorded him as deceasedùa designation they were forced to change again two days later when he reappeared. With the large majority of Blackwatch command dead and the rest in disarray, they were unable to formulate a response quickly enough to stop him as he escaped from Manhattan Island. As of today, Alexander MercerÆs location is completely unknown. I donÆt think I need to explain why we must change that as quickly as possible, before Manhattan has a chance to repeat itself.ö
Resolved expressions filled the room. An incident like thisàto happen so quickly without any of them being able to stop itàit would not happen again. TheyÆd make sure of it.
ôWhat do we know aboutàZeus now,ö Wonder Woman questioned.
ôVery little. He left Manhattan on a boat, heading towards New Jersey, which was found abandoned there this morning. Signs at the landing site point to him having more than one person with him. Their identities are currently unknown, but they are likely they are the group of people Blackwatch refers to collectively as Athena, who are responsible for provide Dr. Mercer with the information he should not have access too. Blackwatch seems certain that there is more then on person aiding Dr. Mercer in this regard, but currently only have one suspectùhis younger sister, Dana A. Mercer, who he rescued from Blackwatch on Day One of the Infection, shortly after leaving the morgue. Dr. Mercer has shown signs of being highly protective of herùif we wish to find her, she is likely our best chance. Flash and the Green Lanterns will investigate the landing site. All League Members capable of flight will patrol the surrounding area from above, in case he is still here. The rest of the team will assist me in attempting to uncover the information Blackwatch has, in the hopes that we will be able to make use of the information, which unfortunately may take some time. The President has given us full access to Blackwatchs information, but at same time, Dr. Mercer was very through in killing everyone who knew anything. We will hopefully be able to find someone he missed. WeÆll meet up here to exchange preliminary information. Dismissed.ö
