Resurgo Saga - 8 months later

Liam stumbled down the dimly lit alley he had been living in for the last 10 months. He paused for a moment as he thought about all that had lost everything. He was fired as a detective with the Mega City Police Department for filing false reports. Some of these reports included; people jumping over the tops of buildings, vanishing into phone booths, and in one report he talked about how a man came back to life after a guy in a black suit shot him to death.

For a couple of months after he was fired he tried to locate these mysterious people. He could never find them. When he did he could never get any real evidence. This last until one day he came home to a note on his door, he had been evicted.

Now he spent most of his time in the Uriah and Mara area, usual drunk. He often smelt of mouth wash, some times beer. He trip and tumbled to the ground rolling until rested by a dumpster. His jeans had a new rip in them and he was bleeding lightly. He struggled to his feet and then he leaned against the dumpster. Reaching into his pocket he felt around for a bottle. He took it out and incoherently mumbled to himself. Looking around he unscrewed the cap and took a drink then he shouted “PEOPLE DON’T DISAPPEAR INTO PHONEBOOTHS.” Thunder rumbled in the distant.

A homeless man was sleeping by the garbage can, but was startled by Liam yelling, he then pointed at Liam and yelled “RUN! RUN! IT’S A DEMON!” The homeless man jumped up and ran screaming words of insanity.

Liam watched him for a moment and then twitched “You know nothing of demons.” He unscrewed the cap on the bottle of mouth wash and began to drink. He kept drinking until he fell backwards, landing in a puddle of liquid that smelt like urine, and then passed out.

(( To find out more see previous stories; Chapter 4 - Resurgo Saga, Chapter 3 - A Program's Mistake, Chapter 2 - Denolus's Journey,  Chapter 1 - Error... Reboot))

Over the last month Liam had managed to find shelter.He had discovered a semi-deserted warehouse in Uriah.He had heard about some people squatting in the area and luckily wasn’t completely alone anymore. Though, he wondered about the mental stability of these people, he even wondered about his own sanity.Am I crazy? He thought to himself.Did I see what I think I saw… or have I lost it?

Liam got up and moved across the warehouse.Some one offered him a drink when he walked by.He gladly accepted the bottle and took a long drink then screwed on the cap.“Thanks” he said to the guy on the floor when he handed it back.

The guy nodded and reached for the bottle. The guys eyes widen and he looked as if he had just had a revelation “We are connected you know” then guy started laughing manically.

Liam just nodded his head slowly to appease the man and made his way out of the warehouse.The sun was rising just over the deck of the bridge that led to Downtown.Liam stopped a moment to take in the warmth of the Sun. He didn’t get much enjoyment out of life anymore, but how does a person when they think they are going crazy and have lost everything in the process.

He thought back to when he was a detective.He paused for a moment and stared at the ground.I use to protect people… I use to have honour… I use to fight for what was right… what … what am I doing with my life? He thought to himself.The more he let his mind wonder about what he had witness and experienced the more he grew depressed.

He made his way down the alley and started heading towards Mara.Along the way he was asked various people for spare change, his goal, a bottle anything that would make the pain go away, hopefully this time Vodka and not mouthwash.

After a couple of hours of asking for change he had enough for a small bottle of Vodka.He was just around the corner form the liquor store.He slowly walked to the liquor store and entered.

A man standing on top of a roof watched Liam enter the building.“It’s my fault…” he whispered to himself. With that the man jumped high into the sky and disappeared.

A couple of moments later Liam walked out of the store with a brown paper bag.His plan was to head back to Uriah to sit by the pier and watch the sun saunter across the sky to complete yet another day.

Denolus swayed with the wind as it blew gently. He was stared at the Mjolnir Monument across the canal in Magog. His ears perked up as he heard the sound of rushing wind. He looked up and saw Viral Marauder land right beside him. “Hey Viral” he said quietly.

“Good evening, sir.” Viral replied.

Denolus watched the bluepills move about below with a troubled look on his face. “So many ….So helpless…. They have no idea, no clue about this war. Do you ever wonder the affect we have on them? I mean, when you hyper jump over a building and someone sees you... Do you ever wonder what they think?”

Viral was silent then a moment. “It's even more worrisome when you consider my combat style... I've often wondered what the blues think as they watch me fight.”

Denolus looked to Viral and then spoke “I think I might have ruined someone’s life... I mean I know it’s nothing more then a dream, but to them... It’s real to them….”

Viral appeared disturbed as he looked out over the waterway “I know that all too well. It was real to me until the bomb hit and woke me up.”

“How did you survive? I mean when we do an extraction… we got Hovercraft and Hoverbarges ready...”

“I don't know... From that moment on, I've believed in miracles.”

Denolus was a quiet for a while, he just stood there staring at the monument in Magog. “Is there an age limit on when a human can be woken? I mean, can they be any age?”

“It all depends on the mind I suppose.”

“What if you were faced with a choice.... but its not your’s to make… if you help this person, it would change their life.. Maybe even give them back their humanity... how.. do you decide?”

Viral paused for a moment “All the help in the world won't do any good if that person doesn't want it.”

Denolus watched the traffic go by for a while. “But how do you ask a bluepill if he wants to ... wake up? How do you get someone to seek the truth?”

Viral Marauder replied “I don't know, and I really don't think I'm the right person to ask.”

“I don't think it’s my place....either, I feel bad enough...”

Viral Marauder appeared confused.

“What is it Viral?”

“I don't understand what you're talking about.”

Denolus closed his eyes for a moment and drew a deep breath. “I ... about a year ago, some detective started trying to track me down, to find me….”

“And?”

“He saw me in Murasaki, in the park one night... I was atop of the pagoda in the park, when some gang members started messing with this couple. No one was around just them and the gang, so I figured I would remedy the issue. Well I did that... but she lost her husband in the process. Gang member came up behind me before I could kill... He shot the husband, after I took care of the gang, I called MCPD, and reported what had happened, then I ran to the Hardline to get the heck out of that part of the city... Well lone behold, Detective Collins got a picture or me... not a good one mind you... but he got one, and down hill since then.” Denolus paused for a moment then continued “He lost everything Viral. He tried so hard to track me ... he was fired from his job, they thought he was insane. I hack his file... that’s how I know this; you aren't the only one with tricks up your sleeve. Now, he's homeless and living in Uriah... I saw him there the a while ago, drinking mouth wash. I feel horrible Viral.” Denolus appeared ashamed. “He was a bright guy... I had to change my RSI to lose him. I think he had what it takes ya know? but now... he would need to clean up his life... A LOT. I want to make things right......” His voice trailed off.

Viral sighed as memories came rushing back.

“What is it Viral?” Deno asked curiously.

“Just a few memories of my own that I thought I had forgotten…”

“I'm sorry I didn’t mean to stir memories of your past but this has really been troubling me lately.”

“I can understand why. I've been stuck in a bit of that myself lately.”

“oh?” he questioned.

Viral pulled out a picture of a very attractive woman and handed it to Denolus ”she’s pretty.”

Viral fell silent for a moment “She died on the day before we were supposed to be married. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time and she took a hit that was meant for me.”

“I'm... I'm so sorry Viral.” He said as he carefully handed back the picture.

Viral put the picture away as he spoke “So yeah... I know how you feel.”

Denolus watched the water crash into the walls of the canal. “It’s getting late. I should get going. I need to head out to Murasaki and check on someone, then I need to head back to the Resurgo.”

“Be well sir.”

“Thanks Viral, Thanks for listening. Take care.”

With that he Denolus leapt into the sky over the river and out of Viral’s sight.