Chapter 28: The Devil’s Resurrections

As all the other scientists and guards looked at the screen in panic, Victor couldn’t help but grin. He snapped his fingers, “Let him in.” One of the scientists gasped, “Are you sure, sir?” “Yes, put two guards by the door, and when he walks in they’ll fire.” The scientist nodded and walked toward two of the guards. Victor leaned his head over to a guard, “Tell your men to get ready and use the others as hostages.” He whispered. The guard nodded, “Yes, sir.” Two guards ran and stood on opposite sides of the door while one of the scientists stood over a button that would open the door.

Ferral lowered his head to look at the door. His ears twitched, hearing the sound of two heartbeats against the wall by the door. He could hear their breathing and catch their scents, even through the thick walls. The started to open, Ferral crouched on his hand, and as soon as there was a big enough gap, he bolted inside, surprising the two guards. He spun around and threw a pair of knives he took from two other guards. The two by the door couldn’t react in time, one of the knives impaling their right eye and the other hit their shoulder. Ferral ran at the one on the left with the knife in the eyes, he grabbed his head and smashed it into the wall before taking out the knife and throwing it at the second one straight in the throat. The two guards fell, Ferral turning his attention toward everyone else in the room. To a small surprise, the rest of the guards grabbed the other scientists or pointed their guns at them.

“Looks like you’ve got a choice, my son,” Victor remarked smugly, “Save them or let them die.” They all looked at him in fear, some looking at Ferral, their faces filled with plea. However, Ferral’s expression remained cold. “Do it.” He replied. The scientist panicked, even Victor being caught off guard. “Well? DO IT!” Ferral ordered, the guards then firing their weapons. Victor chuckled, “Oh how far you’ve fallen, my son. But, to turn all your pain and hate into power is impressive, I’m almost envious. However…” The guards pointed their guns at Ferral, “You’re still not making it out of this alive. You must see the position that you’re in, right?” Ferral scoffed, “All I see are weak and pathetic dead men.” He looked at each one, his heartless gaze striking fear in each guard. They started to sweat, some even gulped, their hands shaking knowing full well they would die. One of them couldn’t take it anymore and shot himself. The rest quickly did the same, thinking it was better than to face Ferral. Victor scoffed in annoyance, “No matter. If you want something done right, you do it yourself!” He lunged forward at a shocking speed, Ferral purposely taking a right hook, and sliding back and outside the room. The attack did no damage, but Ferral did wonder how he was a lot stronger than the average normal human. 

“You ungrateful brat,” Victor commented, “I made you a god, and THIS is how you repay me?” He took off his lab coat and threw it to the side. “I OWN YOU!!!” Ferral didn’t reply, then Victor sighed and composed himself. “Now, while I want to teach you some respect, I’d like to show you something first.” He reached into his pocket and took a small phone-like device. He pressed a couple of buttons, and three elevators came up and stopped at the floor they were on. They opened simultaneously, five people walked out. Ferral’s eyes widen, but he grit his teeth with anger. They stood beside Victor, only upsetting Ferral further. “You wanted me to reopen the reanimation project, and that’s exactly what I did. A little reunion before you die.” The five people standing with him were Ezekial, Belle, Dr. Atlas, Dr. Amber, and Ferral’s biological mother.

“W-What is this?” Atlas spoke, “Where am I?” He looked around, gaining his surroundings, and turned to Victor. “Stone, you bastard! What’ve you done?!” “I brought you back, you senile old fool. You should be grateful.” Slowly, each one of them seemingly gained consciousness. “Belle,” Ezekial said, “We’re alive.” She looked at her brother, “Yeah, but how?” Their focus turned toward Ferral. “F-Ferral?” Belle asked surprised. “Buddy!” Ezekiel exclaimed, “What’s happened to you?! You look older than before! What’s going on?!” The next one was Dr. Amber. “Wh-where am I? This doesn’t feel right. Dr. Stone?” Ferral clenched his fists. She turned to Ferral, her eyes widening with shock. “Ferral?” She walked over to him, placing her hands on his cheeks. “Oh Ferral…” She studied every part of his face, tears filling her eyes, “Oh Ferral…..you’re in so much pain, aren’t you?” “More than I’d care to admit.” She went to hug him, Ferral almost letting it happen but pushed her away, the others beside Victor gasping. “I know what you’re doing, father. But I won’t be swayed. I hold no emotion toward these..…these puppets.”

The last one to awaken was Ferral’s mother, Emma. “I-I…what is this?” She looked around, noticing Victor and Atlas. “Victor? Amrin? What’s going on?” “I brought you back to life, my wife.” Victor said. “After you killed her!” Atlas jabbed, and everyone else watched their argument. “Th-THAT’S RIGHT! Victor, how could you?!?!” Emma punched him across the face. He chuckled, “How I missed your fiery spirit. Your son is the same way.” He pointed at Ferral, all them them turning their attention toward him. “That’s…our son?” She gazed at him and studied his almost emotionless face. “Victor….what’ve you done to that boy? There’s nothing but hatred and suffering behind that face.” “It’s almost frightening,” Amber added, “The way those eyes almost pierce your soul.” “You really have been through hell, huh buddy?” Ezekial said.

Victor started to laugh, “You shouldn’t feel any sympathy for him. His current state is all HIS fault. The reason he’s in this situation is because of the decisions HE made. By his own free will…the very thing he wants to protect.” “And I can only assume you brought us back to do your dirty work?” Atlas asked. “I could do it myself, but I thought I’d give the boy an emotional reunion with some of his loved ones. Before he joins them.” “You’re still such a monster, Victor.” Emma sighed. Before anyone else could talk, Ferral bolted forward, ramming a hole through Atlas’s stomach. Everyone jumped back, Ferral taking out his hand and kicking him away. “Woah Ferral, chill!” Ezekial shouted. “He’s so much faster and stronger than the last time we saw him, brother.” Belle added. As they readied themselves to defend, Atlas got up, surprising Ferral. The hole in his stomach closed up. “Of course, you go for me first.” He scoffed. Ferral groaned and turned his head at Victor. “Don’t think it was gonna be easy. Their resurrected bodies are infused with five different species of reptiles. They’ll regenerate from any injury no matter how severe. But they don’t feel pain, so you can go as wild as you want.” He pressed some more buttons on his device, and they all charged at him.

They were fast, but he blocked and dodged their attacks, knocking each one back. “I’m not in control of my actions!” Belle exclaimed. “Damn you, Victor.” Emma cursed. “I’m sorry, Ferral! None of this personal!” Amber called out as she came rushing at him. He blocked her attacks, kneeing her in the stomach before grabbing the back of her clothes and throwing her over the railing. She screamed as she fell toward the bottom, Ferral jumping off after her. He sliced her head and torso before grabbing the railing of one of the bridges, the pieces of her body hitting the floor. He looked up as the others followed after him, each of them lading on the same bridge. They weren’t strong or fast enough to warrant any caution for Ferral, they must’ve been around to tire him out. He needed to figure out a way to get rid of them. He backhanded Ezekial, tearing off his jaw, but it just grew back. He grabbed one of Atlas’s punches, “Hey, Atlas. How do I stop this?” Ferral asked. He ducked and kicked his mother away, still holding onto Atlas’s fist. “If he stuck with the original design, then there should be a syringe in our hearts that pumps the revival fluid.”

Ezekial, Belle, and Amber charged at Ferral who had to let go of Atlas and cut down each one. “A revival fluid?” Atlas and he clashed, “Yes, it’s liquid made out of secret special ingredients that can restart all bodily functions in the human body. In theory, it could even work on the living to cure the disabled or those with cancer. Without it, we’ll turn back into corpses.” Ferral knocked him away, the five all standing across from Ferral. “You better be right, Atlas.” He charged at them, the group going on the defensive. He pushed past Atlas’s defense and rammed his hand into his chest. He could feel something glass-like sticking out on the bottom right of his heart. Ferral grabbed it and tugged it, pulling it out. It was a large syringe with green liquid inside. He threw it on the ground and it shattered, Atlas’s body becoming limp. “Kill…him….” These were his final words before collapsing like a lifeless doll. Ferral grinned, aiming his sights on the others, and they went on the attack. “Ferral,” Belle started, “I don’t know what you did to Dr Atlas, but before you do it to us, can we say one last thing.” “No.” He reached his hand out, but Emma blocked it. Ferral hopped on the railing and jumped up onto the bridge above them. The rest do the same. “Please, Ferral.” Ezekiel pleaded, “They won’t be long.” Ferral sighed, “You each get one sentence.”

He knocked three of them away, leaving him and Belle. “I’m sorry for not being able to keep our promise, if only I was stronger. Maybe if I lived, things-” He stopped her before she could finish and tore out the fluid. Ezekial came rushing forward, “It’s sad that this is how we see each other after what can imagine is years, huh buddy? Life must’ve been shit to you.” Ferral impaled Ezekial’s chest and tore out the fluid. Both Amber and Emma attack him from both sides and he blocks them. “Ferral, was it?” Emma spoke first, “This is the first time we met, and it’s under such horrible circumstances. I’m sorry you’ve been put through so much pain, if only I’d caught on quicker, maybe things would’ve been dif-” She stopped after Ferral punched her in the stomach. He kicked Amber away and tore out the fluid from Emma leaving Amber. The two stared off, “Well? Aren’t you going to say something?” Ferral asked. “What is there for me to say? Words can’t describe the pain I feel, even now. But…” Ferral stabbed his hand into the chest, but before he could pull out the fluid, Amber pulled him in for a hug. “Just know, I will ALWAYS love you.” She pushed him away, his hand coming out of her chest with fluid. As her body fell to the floor, Ferral wanted to feel sad. He wanted to shed tears, but there were simply no more tears to be shed. Any sense of sorrow he could’ve felt was gone, lost in the black sea of his hatred.

Ferral looked down at the revival fluid, wondering if he should crush it. But, he heard a sound coming from above and when he looked up to see what it was, he was quickly impaled in the chest but something. He coughed out blood, as he looked up to see a humanoid lizard. It was a Thorny Devil Lizard. “I had a feeling Armin would’ve told you how to stop them,” That was the voice of Victor. Ferral tried to grab his arm to pull it out but was stabbed by the spikes all around his skin. This wasn’t like a normal experiment transformation, he looked more animal than man. “Interesting isn’t it? During your time at Armin’s facility, I was part of a project to see if adults could become experiments too. All the other subjects died due to their DNA rejecting the process. I on the other hand…” He took his hand out of Ferral’s chest and his body hit the metal. “I used my hate and disgust toward mankind to power through. I did nearly die, but it all worked out in the end.” Ferral gasped as he slowly died. Victor stood over him, chuckling, “If only you could’ve seen things my way. Maybe then you’d live.” He turned around and walked off. “You know I have your little friend here, Ferral.” Victor said as he was leaving, “Maybe I’ll kill her just in case.” As he walked away, Victor heard Ferral chuckling, he turned to see him actually getting up.

“Do you think I care about her anymore? I cut my ties with them, remember?” “How? How are you alive?!” Once Ferral fully got up, he saw the syringe with revival fluid stuck near his heart. The wound started to close, “So that’s what dying is like. Not a fan,” Once the wound fully closed he took out the syringe. “Oh, this? I used all my strength and threw it up in the air at the last second before you struck me. And because of my continuously evolving body, I’m not bound to having the fluid constantly pumping into my system.” He threw the half-empty syringe to the ground. “The effects aren’t permanent, but that’s fine. Because you’ll never get the chance to kill me again.”