From the end of the corridor, a distant rain of footsteps echoed from armored boots. A dozen soldiers aimed their weapons from one side of the corridor to the other, laser sights targeting the monster's vital points as it drank the young man's blood.
A heavy metallic object was heard dragging in the distance… from the darkness, a figure pushed its way through the soldiers and their assault gear. Black armor plates dragged an axe as long as a short spear. It threw the axe to the ground and drew a greenish combat knife from its side, the length of a forearm from the base of the handle to the tip of the blade.
The monstrous being hurled Strakh at the special agent standing before it, disemboweling him like a stuffed animal after an encounter with a dog, its entrails spilling onto the complex's corridor.
The special agent dodged Strakh's body as it passed him and fell onto the first soldiers cordoning off the corridors.
"Under Article 91 of the 52 District Constitution, you are sentenced to death for the crime of biological threat," said the voice inside the suit.
The monster let out a shriek before marching toward the special agent, its claws tearing through the concrete walls and creating a cloud of dust that filled most of the corridor, which had been barely visible in the darkness.
The soldier assumed a fighting stance, both arms raised, his left hand covering his chin and chest, and his right hand covering his abdomen and torso, gripping his weapon tightly.
When the monster was close enough to taste his breath, it furiously slashed at the special agent's head with the claws of its left limb.
A limb fell to the floor, and blood soaked the entire corridor of the complex, followed by a scream of pain from the creature as it lost its limb. With a swift and decisive movement, the agent severed the monster's arm, bathing in its blood.
With a powerful thrust of his other hand, he intended to pierce the stomach of the agent in front of him, but before he could, with a second movement, the agent severed his left leg, causing him to fall to the ground. In this condition, the beast began to crawl in the opposite direction, trying to escape the agent.
Little by little, the monster lost its bestial features; the dense, brown fur of its body fell away, its elongated face transformed into that of a person with delicate features, and its leg once again resembled that of a normal person. Crawling on the floor in the other direction of the corridor, still with its sharp teeth and claws, it planned to fight the soldiers, hoping to escape, but they aimed efficiently at the monster and riddled it with bullets in a dance of spent casings that fell to the floor.
In her final moments, the lady with blonde hair and brown eyes turned crimson as her body was riddled with holes from which the lifeblood oozed. "Help," the woman whispered before a bullet shattered her eye and she fell dead into the pool of blood and viscera that was the scene.
The young Strakh's organs were scattered for more than sixteen meters along the corridor that connected the apartments of the housing complex; the mingled blood of Strakh and the girl left pools of blood everywhere.
The young Strakh's body lay in the arms of a soldier, on the verge of death, his gaze vacant and his pulse barely perceptible. The medical team arrived at the scene and approached the young man's body to begin preventative treatment before his subsequent transfer.
"Subject: 17 12273000 14, health status relatively 0, the subject presents irreparable physical damage, advanced medical intervention is required"—these were the last words Strakh heard before losing consciousness.
"Subject: 17 12273000 14, health status relatively 0, the subject presents irreparable physical damage, advanced medical intervention is required"—these were the last words Strakh heard before losing consciousness. The medical team injected adrenaline directly into Strakh's heart to force it to work long enough to then assist him mechanically. Before they could collect the usable remains of his organs, the special agent approached the blonde woman's body and, with a stomp of his armored boots, crushed her skull.
"Target neutralized. The team will process this," he said to one of the nearby soldiers. "I'm returning to base. I'm leaving the rest in your hands."
"As you command, Sergeant," the soldier replied. After this, the monster's remains were incinerated.
Thus, on the night of April 15th, 3016, an Other named Farkas Brun Predator was sighted in the sixth precinct of the seventeenth district, attacking thirteen people, killing twelve and leaving one on the brink of death. The deceased were: Saída Castillo Sawada, Roxo Sumangka Smith, Letto Doninha Moon, Lety Nuvem Monclouth, Melancia Bring Parlo, Enrique Bach Bunbury, Alexa Cazanova Blackstar, Levi Simon Sandler, Farraige Leigman, Astór Libertman, Clog García Slake, and Alexander Strange Voldmort. The sole survivor was Strakh Strange Cazador, who has been undergoing treatment for the past three months in the seventeenth district hospital.
The young Strakh awoke in a hospital room, disoriented. Looking around, he saw countless tubes and clamps entering and tightening around his body, connecting him to sensors and various equipment. "Hello Strakh, how are you feeling?" the doctor said, standing beside him.
"What happened?" he murmured, his voice raspy from lack of use.
"You suffered an attack from an Other. You were in an indescribable state. It's truly a miracle you're alive. We performed organ reconstruction surgery, adding artificial tissue to your body and implanting special synthetic organs. Only your liver and pancreas arrived in acceptable condition for reconstruction. You had three organ reconstruction surgeries and two more for the implants. You've been in a coma for over three months," the doctor said with a forced smile. "Rest. We still need to keep you under observation," he said before disappearing from the room through a magnetic door.
"Congratulations on your discharge, sir," said the receptionist, handing Strakh his belongings: a holographic wristband, black pants, a worn green trench coat, and a torn white t-shirt stained with blood that hadn't quite washed off.
"The hospital bill will arrive shortly. Have a good day," she said before Strakh put on his trench coat and left in the clothes the hospital had given him for his discharge. As he put on his holographic wristband, a notification popped up from the system.
"Your account balance is 12,379 Aces. Please pay as soon as possible to avoid interest."
"Damn it, I'm supposed to have insurance. This must be a mistake," he muttered, walking dejectedly through the district center. "The company offices are nearby. Liang will help me with this." Strakh walked past the tall concrete and glass buildings until he reached the intersection of 5th Street and 8th Avenue, entering the high-rise building.
"It's good to see you're alright, my dear Strakh," said the tall man with meticulously combed dark hair.
"Liang, I need your help. I think the hospital made a mistake and charged the hospital expenses to my account instead of the insurance," he said, expecting an expression of astonishment and embarrassment on Liang's face.
"Strakh, the hospital didn't make a mistake. You no longer have insurance," he said in a cold voice as he adjusted the white shirt of his gray suit.
"What does he mean?" he thought, first making a face of bewilderment and then of understanding.
"Wait, you fired me!" he shouted, slamming his palms forcefully on the desk. "I didn't fire you, Strakh. Your absence was interpreted as a voluntary resignation," he said, forming a triangle with his fingers. "It was good to see you, Strakh. I think it's time for you to go. I have other matters to attend to."
"What the hell? You can't do this to me!" he said, his face now red, grabbing Liang by the collar. With a swift movement, he touched his wristband, and security officers burst into the human resources room. "You'd better leave, Strakh. These friendly men will escort you to the exit."
Strakh turned to face the two armed men in riot gear.
"I won't forget this, Liang," he said, his eyes blazing with rage, before letting go and leaving the human resources room.
"Don't touch me. I know how to get out of here," he grumbled, trying to avoid being grabbed by one of the security officers' arms.
Once outside, Strakh walked through the streets of the district center, lost in thought.
"Government insurance only covers 30% of major medical expenses. Factories don't pay more than 4.5 Aces a day. My only option seems to be joining the decontamination brigades. They have the highest salaries someone from the lower districts can hope for." Then an advertisement caught his attention: "Special Forces, the heroes who bring peace and order to the 52 Districts."