Exterminators Infected (The Exterminators Book 1)

by DeSantis, James

  “No way,” Peter said in disbelief. He was sure that would have killed it.

  “How the hell?!” Marshall said, wide-eyed watching the creature shake itself off.

  It looked at each boy before grunting and then it turned to walk away. It began walking towards where it had come from. The boys looked at it, confused and scared.

  “Is it running away?” Marshall asked.

  “Not a chance. This thing is a brute force,” Nick responded.

  “Where the heck is it going, then?” Marshall watched as the beast stopped near the forest.

  “The club,” Peter said simply. The Cyclops bent down and grabbed his weapon. He studied it then slammed it on the ground. The ice cracked and began sliding off the club. It slammed the weapon again on the ground, causing the rest of the ice to slide off easily.

  “Awesome. Not only is it pissed but now it has a car-sized weapon to kill us. Wonderful.” Marshall formed his hand back into the elemental blaster. He was in a weakened state with only one more shot at best.

  The Cyclops looked at the boys. Its breathing was slow and heavy. They could see its breath in the cold, rising to the sky. It was angry yet it didn't charge this time. Instead it was studying its prey, acknowledging them as a formidable opposing force. It stepped to the side and watched them closely waiting for them to strike.

  “Okay, so it's ready for round two,” Marshall sighed. He was panting. “Yet, I don't even think I can make it half way through this round. I'm exhausted. So I'm open to any plans. Preferably ones where we don't die.”

  “We have a fourth player now,” Peter said looking at Fred.

  “Yeah, just tell me what to do, Nick.” Fred looked down to grab his Rod, only just then realizing he didn't have one. “Oh crap...”

  “Just stay back! We can't afford you to get hurt. Riven might take over again.” Nick was angry. He didn't know why or how Fred got out but it ruined everything. He couldn't put his friend at risk.

  “I could distract him!” Fred pleaded.

  “I said stay the hell back!” Nick was screaming now. “You have no Rod. You're basically useless right now. So shut up and stay back!” Nick commanded. Fred wanted to argue but saw his face. His mind was made up.

  “All right...” Fred walked up the stairs to the cabin. He watched closely as the boys began to shift to the left, trying to figure out a plan of attack.

  “So leader,” Marshall said looking at the gigantic beast waiting for them. “What's the plan? Down a man, we're all damaged or weak, and this thing still looks at full strength.”

  “The odds are against us.” Peter flexed his fingers. He could feel his energy fading quickly.

  “Same plan as before. This time don't miss Marshall. Peter distracts it for just long enough. No more games, I'm going for its eye.”

  “Eye? Dude that's like right in its face. He's gonna kill you!” Marshall was surprised at Nick. Nick always wanted a safe plan, but this was the most dangerous so far.

  “I agree with Marshall. You get that close you take a very big risk of dying. You sure that's our best plan?”

  “Get this damn thing on its knees. It's time to finish this,” Nick said plainly. He had enough of this Unknown beating them down. He stepped forward. The beast shifted, getting ready for attack. Nick walked slowly towards it.

  “This damn plan is horrible. Leader my ass!” Marshall jetted to the right. He had to get far enough to be safe but close enough to make sure he didn't miss. This was his final shot; he could feel it in his body. He wouldn't have another chance.

  Peter formed a yellow ball. The one he hadn't had much practice with. It was his final trump card. He was hoping that it would work. If not they were in big trouble, their plans were coming to a full stop soon enough.

  Nick broke into a sprint, screaming at the top of his lungs while charging. He could feel the sharp pain in his chest but he ignored it as best he could, with the spear tucked to his side. He couldn't be afraid anymore. He had to be reckless if he wanted to kill this Unknown. It was too powerful to hit and nip.

  “Nick, eyes shut!” Peter screamed. He threw the yellow ball as far in the air as he could. Nick looked up at it, seeing it shine in the sky as it came falling down a few yards ahead of him. He covered his face. The ball dropped near the Cyclops’ feet. It roared and went to step on the ball. Peter closed his fist, and the ball exploded. A bright light went off and the Cyclops yelled as he became temporarily blinded. The explosion caused such a bright light that it made even Nick stop fully for a moment. He hid behind his arms, waiting for the light to die down.

  Marshall uncovered his eyes and aimed at the beast. He needed to take the beast down so he aimed low. He shot the half charged blast right at the Cyclops, hitting it on the right knee cap, and exploding on impact. The Cyclops cried out so loudly it made Fred jump back. As it collapsed to the ground it dropped the club.

  Nick pulled the spear back and drove it into the eyelid of the Cyclops. It cried the loudest cry, so far. Nick dug it in further, pushing it in with all his body weight. He went deeper, blood spurting out. He pushed even deeper, the Cyclops continuing to bellow in pain as it slammed its hands on the ground. Nick gave one final push, blood splashing all over him.

  The Cyclops was shuffling around his hand along the grass. It grabbed the club and swept his whole front. Nick wasn't prepared and was hit by it with full force. It made him slam into the ground and roll all the way to a nearby tree which he slammed up against. He groaned, feeling the original pain now amplified. Yet, it wasn't a full strength sweep. The beast wasn't fully ready to strike. It was still crying, trying to rip the spear out of its eye.

  “Nick!” Fred screamed from the cabin. He ignored his leader’s instructions and ran towards him. Marshall was on the ground breathing heavily. He had used about all the energy he had left. He let his elemental blaster turn back to a Rod and attached it back to his belt. He watched as Fred ran across the field to Nick. “Careful! Thing is still active!” he screamed. Yet he couldn't stand up to follow Fred in pursuit. He was just too tired from the last shot.

  Peter watched closely as the Cyclops swung widely. It was angry. He curled his fist up, knowing he had almost no energy left. He'd used his best attacks and the thing was still standing. “I need more power. I need more damn power!” He was getting angry. He kept concentrating, trying to think of another attack. He needed stop this beast. He just couldn't figure out a way to do that.

  Fred reached Nick and turned him sideways. Nick shut his eyes tightly, trying to fight away the pain. “Hey man, you okay?!” Fred watched as he saw blood trickling out of his friend's mouth. Nick opened his eyes and grabbed his friend’s shirt tightly.

  “I told you to stay back!” he gritted through his teeth and then coughed, blood coating the grass next to him.

  “Man, screw that. You're like dying here,” Fred said holding his friend back as he coughed some more. “That thing hit you dead on. How you're still alive is beyond me but I'm not leaving you here. Let's get you back to the cabin.” Fred grabbed his friends arm and put it over his head. Then he began to lift him up. He used all the strength he had to push him up. Nick was injured to the point he was almost completely dead weight. Yet Fred didn't leave him there. He pushed him up, leaning on the tree for a moment before he began walking towards the cabin. Nick wobbled and hopped with him.

  “Guys, get out of there!” Marshall roared. He saw the beast violently smashing the ground randomly. He was getting closer to Nick and Fred even though it couldn't see. It slammed its huge fist down as much as it could while also swinging its other hand with the club violently. It was hoping to strike one of its attackers in the process. “Hurry!”

  Peter summoned another ball of fire. He didn't have much strength left. He knew it couldn't do much. He knew he couldn't watch his friends get crushed, though. He did a full 360 degrees, gathering as much momentum as he could before he launched the ball. It flew directly at the beast's face, blowing up on impact.
The Cyclops roared as it tipped over and slammed face-first onto the ground. The fall was tremendously big, it almost knocked everyone off their feet.

  Peter fell to the ground, almost completely blacking out. He'd used far more energy than he anticipated. He transformed his glove back to his Rod and dropped it. He had no energy left to fight. Sweat was dripping from his head. He'd given it his all. He just hoped it was enough to stop the creature. His hope was crushed, however, as the beast rose yet again.

  It lifted its body with such ease. It was almost as if it wasn't damaged at all. It stood again, blind as a bat. It roared, but the roar was mixed with a cry. It wobbled for a moment, almost falling again. It was hurt badly, yet it still had too much pride to accept defeat just yet. It then broke into a full charge, going right for Nick and Fred.

  Nick looked back. “Move!” he screamed but Fred saw it was too late. No way to move them both out of the way. So he shoved Nick to the side hard, getting him as far as he could. Nick fell hard on the ground but in a safe distance. Fred was slammed hard by the Cyclops and went flying. The Cyclops grabbed him midair and began to squeeze him. Fred cried out in pain. He could feel his bones slowly being crushed. “NO!” Nick cried out as he watched his friend getting crushed.

  No one could help him though. Everyone was defeated. Nick laid on the ground, not able to get up by himself. Marshall was stuck on his knees as he watched his best friend getting crushed. Peter was blanking out, not able to even lift his head off the ground.

  Marshall watched in horror. Again, he had no power to save his friend. He grabbed his Rod and tried to concentrate. He needed just one more blast to win. He needed that one more attack to save his friend. He focused hard. “Body please, just need one more go. He needs me!” He tried but couldn't. He couldn't summon anything. He had no strength left. He laid his head onto the ground. “Not again...” he muttered. He wasn’t able to save his best friend again.

  Nick began to get back on his feet. He didn't have much left. His body ached everywhere. He was the leader, though. He couldn't just give up. He was back on his feet. No movements made. He didn't know how to approach the situation. How to stop a Cyclops without any power? He stepped forward, and collapsed. He couldn't do anything. “No, get up! You are their leader. They count on you! Get up!” But no matter how much he wanted to he couldn't. His body couldn't move. He sat there, his fingers gripping the grass in anger.

  Fred was losing consciousness. He felt his arms snap. He would have let out a cry but he was already fading out. He couldn't comprehend what was happening. Again he was on the verge of dying. His life was slipping away from him. “I don't want to die,” he thought. He was scared.

  “Let me in. Give up.”

  He heard the voice. The voice that once talked to him. The only voice that helped him before. His friends on the ground were not able to do anything. He liked the soothing feeling. He could feel the pain slip away.

  “Let it go. You've been through too much. I will take care of you.” The voice was filled with kindness. It only wanted to help.

  “Will you save them?”

  “Save who?”

  “My Friends.” Fred heard no response. He couldn't hear anything. He looked to his side and saw his friends trying their best to rise but no luck. Nick was pushing himself up despite being badly injured. He couldn't risk his friends getting hurt any worse. “I will let you in, just promise to save them,” Fred pleaded.

  After a moment of silence the voice spoke up. “I promise,” it responded.

  Fred smiled. Up until now he didn't have a choice. Things got so bad yet everyone always chose for him. Nick saved him multiple times. Marshall always tried. Even Peter helped him before. Yet, he never made a choice. This was his one choice. He had a choice to save his friends. He smiled as he let himself drift away. He could feel everything floating away. Everything slowly becoming dark. He couldn't hear his friends cry for him but he saw a glimpse of Marshall on the field, his hand reaching out for him. “It's okay Marshall, it's my turn to save you...” he thought. It was his last thought before slipping away.

  The Cyclops began to tighten his grip. It was ready to finally break its prey. It had finally won. It could feel it. The prey was in his hand with the heartbeat slowing. It had won the hunt.

  “Someone help him!” Marshall screamed. Everyone wanted to, but no one could.

  Fred slithered his arms free of the grip and struck downward. The claws, already inches long, dug into the Cyclops’ fingers. He slashed across, leaving a huge claw mark across its hand. Blood instantly starting flying everywhere. The Cyclops yelped and let go of Fred. Fred landed on his feet in a heavy way, his body trembling from the change.

  Nick looked up at his friend, seeing his face changing. It became more elongated. His skin began ripping off, pieces falling to the ground. His teeth become sharp and long. His nose was longer than any others. His ears perked up, with hair forming on them. His entire chest ripped out of his shirt, hair growing in pitch black in color. He grew in height to almost nine feet tall before he stopped. The beast howled in victory. Nick saw the first Unknown he had fought in front of him. Riven. “Fred...no...” he muttered looking horrified at his friend's change.

  The Cyclops roared back. It couldn't see but he wasn’t ready give up. It swung its fist violently forward. Riven jumped, using the fist to launch himself at its head. It began slashing at the already injured eye. Ripping away at it quickly, slashing over and over again while blood and tissue went flying from the claws. The Cyclops toppled over and fell on its back, crying out.

  The boys watched in horror. Peter was back to being conscious, watching as his friend fully became a wolf hybrid. It was no simple tale, his friend was truly changing. Now it was too late to help. He'd fully become what they had feared. Peter looked at him. An emotion he never felt before began to swirl in his stomach. Fear.

  Marshall watched in disbelief. His best friend was a creature now, not the boy he'd been friends with for years. Not the boy who he told his secrets to. Not the boy he went to school with. He was fully changed into an Unknown. The very thing they are meant to hunt.

  Riven flung his arm forward. It ripped through the beast's eye, plunging deeper. Riven tore out a ton of the eye tissue. Blood was everywhere on Riven, but also flowing down from the Cyclops eye like tears. The Cyclops could barely keep its fist raised anymore. It tried to pull Riven away but the mighty creature slashed the arm away, cutting off a finger. The Cyclops finally stopped moving after a few more moments of brutality from Riven. After a minute, Riven stopped attacking the lifeless creature and moved to stand on its chest. It looked up the sky, hands by its side as it howled. It had won the battle.

  The boys didn't know how to react. They knew it wasn't Fred anymore. That didn't mean they accepted it. It didn't make sense. Fred was standing there one second, the next Riven stood there - fully transformed. The body barely resembled anything of Fred now. They saw an Unknown standing there, not their friend.

  Riven looked around at the boys. He saw Nick was the closest and went forward. Hopping off his fallen prey he walked towards the Exterminator. “Hello boy,” it said as it stood over him. It could strike at any moment, finishing off the helpless boy.

  “Riven?” Nick said unsure.

  “Good guess. We meet again don't we?” It laughed. “You were pretty good the last time. I don't remember quite well but I think you might have killed me.”

  “How are you still alive?” Nick didn't even need an answer. A demon couldn't simply die like an Unknown normally does. That much he gathered.

  “I passed my spirit on to Fred when I bit him. It was a seal. It's why I was in a weakened state when we fought. Did you actually believe you could kill me so easily?” The creature laughed. Nick looked disgusted. He was too late to save his friend after all. All the work since then mattered not.

  “Actually...” Peter was now standing on his feet. “I was the one that killed you.” He looked into Riven's eyes. He coul
d feel the beasts power. He wanted that power. He wanted it so he could crush him. Anger filled his body.

  “Lucky then, boy,” Riven laughed.

  “Let's see if I can get lucky twice.” Peter had no energy left. He knew the bluff was fake. Yet, his emotions overran him. He was simply pissed off. His friend was gone and now an Unknown stood in front of him.

  “Give him back...” Now Marshall was dragging himself towards the group.

  “No can do. He gave himself to me. He's gone now.” Riven touched his chest. “It's quite a great body. Full of youth. It's been awhile.”

  “Give him back...” Marshall demanded again, only a few feet away now from Riven.

  Riven watched as his host's friend pushed himself forward. He liked his spirit. “Like I said boy, it's simply impossible.”

  Marshall grabbed Riven's fur. He pulled himself up and looked into the beast's eyes. “Give me my best friend back. Right now!” he yelled. Tears were flowing down his cheeks. “Give him back, you son of a bitch!” He hammered one hand on Riven's chest, crying out in pain. “Give him back! Give him back! Give him back!” he repeated over and over again. Tears were falling to the ground.

  Nick watched, no feeling in him. He felt numb. He failed. He couldn't save his friend after-all. It was his responsibility and he had messed it up. He wasn't sure what to say or do at this point. He just watched as Marshall begged.

  Riven grabbed Marshall and flung him to the side. Marshall lay on the ground, beaten and battered. He tried to pull himself back up but couldn't move. Riven watched the boy try. He felt pity, in a way, for the boy. “His sacrifice was to save you. Without me, you'd all be dead. He gave himself to me. You Exterminators need to learn to respect that. He made a choice. Now you must deal with the consequences.” Riven looked to Nick. “Tell Carl the day will come. We will rise. No more hiding. No more running. It's time to end this war. It's time to bring it all together.” Riven began walking away towards the forest.

  “I will-” Marshall said through his teeth. He had his face in the ground. His pain was too much to bare. He couldn't stand thinking about it. So he turned to anger. He looked up at Riven. “-kill you. I will find you. I will corner you. Then I will kill you. You took away my friend. I promise you I'll take away your goddamn life in return,” he said, spitting with anger.