The Complete Run Ending

[Trent]

I realize in a well paced story, information like this would be revealed over at least 50 pages or so but Run needs to be wrapped up soon. Perhaps we can try some better pacing in a sequel     In retrospect, I think I should have typed this up and posted it when I posted the rest. The story has been hung up here for a long time.


BTW  Part 4 is one huge spoiler so don't read this if you are not planning to work on Run.

In the last panel  Aran and the VN guy were giving each other looks for a reason. 

The VN guy grabs Weston by the neck and slams him into the wall yelling “Enough of This!”

Aran holds her gun to Westons head and says.   Did you think we didn’t notice?  How you happen to know your way around part of the base that even I am not familiar with?  How you just happen to have pass codes that only a General can grant.

The VN guy speaks now.  Leon and TJ are watching wide eyed.    “We let all that slide because up to now, out biggest concern was just surviving.  Now we have our way out and you want us to go deeper into that hole?  You’d better get to explaining why.

Aran speaks again,  she looks more glum that angry now.  I thought it was strange to find four people alive in a single building when there were no other survivors for miles around.

(camera on Leon but she continues speaking)
At least one carries a natural  immunity to the virus and Id bet the others do too..  Even the girl..
(you could pan back to Aran or show a pic of Aran throwing Jan off the helicopter)

Only you stayed quiet when I…    She was perfectly ok wasn’t she? And now she’s probably dead.

TJ speaks.. Hes too cool and he always has this look like he knows what’s up.

The VN guy speaks again.  I think you do know “what’s up” and you are going to tell us…  Now.

There is a pause and then Leon speaks
At the very least, there’s no way Im going any deeper into that place without a good reason.

Another pause..  (focus on Weston)

Weston speaks, looking like he has been broken.  Fine…  I’ll tell you.

During the cold war Germany stood directly between Communist Russia and the rest of free Europe.
Although it received nowhere near the press that nuclear arms did, to those in the know, biological weapons were just as great a threat and far harder to keep track of.

Two biological arms facilities were constructed this one and one in Germany. Together they would stay at the forefront of biological weapons research. With each side keeping the other in check. Counter agents were created for every weapon.

But there were those on both sides who realized the power they held and together they planned to use it.

TJ: what good does turning everybody in the whole world into a zombie do!?

It was never meant to be so widespread. Just a demonstration, it was supposed to be small and contained, one city block at most..  We had teams standing by to rush to the rescue.  The attack would be blamed on Al-Quaeda  and our heroic actions would lead to the formation of the UN’s Biothreat division. However in the shadows we would control the entire UN with the threat that we could unleash a plague much much larger at any time.

Aran: So what happened, How do we play into all of this?

Weson (to Aran)
You are an agent in the service of the US branch charged with keeping this facility secure (a shot of Aran holding the splinter cell spy at gunpoint) Your friends probably caught on to what was happening and a conflict broke out here..
(looks at some bullet holes in the wall)
Bullets and vials full of bioweapons… its obvious what happened here.

(to ______)
You, sir work for the conspirators for the conspirators on the German side.
The VN guy is shocked (know of a good German name for this guy?)
Weston continues.  Not that soldiers like yourself were told anything about it.

(to Leon)
We knew you were onto us so we leaked the info about that meeting to you.

Leon: So there was no meeting, I was there to become a statistic..

Weston: No, the meeting was real but it was a meeting of those likely to oppose our plans.

T.J.  And me?

Weston: Wrong place, wrong time

Weston:  I was the top field agent for the conspirators on the US side.  I was there to oversee our operations..

Aran… How.. could you do something so .. utterly evil?
 
Evil!  You speak to me of Evil!   I was There in Rwanda.  A secret agent sent to investigate the possible use of biological weapons in that massacre.
As if the means with which genocide is carried out makes a difference!  I begged, pleaded, sent them all the pictures and evidence they could have asked for but the UN stood back and did nothing!

The UN is supposed to protect those who cannot protect themselves but, the leaders of each nation care only for their own interests. The current UN is corrupt and inept.

Under its new leadership the UN would have metal. Such atrocities would never be repeated.

Leon speaks: But instead, millions are now dead.

Weston: The virus had mutated.. it was more potent than we were aware of.  It even penetrated the suits of our containment units.

Aran:  I’m getting tired of waiting for a reason not to kill you .

Weston:  I would consider death a release.. but not yet!

Think about your missions. (speaking to Aran)  You and I were both searching for survivors to bring back here.
(speaking to the VN Guy) And you were sent here to secure the lower levels of this facility.

Leon: and you know why…

Weston:  Yes!  This facility is the gun that was to be held to the world’s head.  Stored here are ICBMs capable of delivering enough of a biological payload to wipe a nation from the face of the earth.    A sample can be created, mass cultivated and launched all from here!

TJ.. So how does more of this virus help us!?

Weston:  It can also culture and launch an antivirus!  (to leon) like the one your blood is certainly full of after you sniffed a vial full of virus culture. 

Please!  The lab is not far from here! I need a blood sample from him and the machines will take care of the rest.  After that, you may kill me if you want.

Bit of a pause..

Leon: He is right.. The virus is still spreading up there and  its not likely that we will be allowed out of the contaminated zone anyway. 
 
*sound of zombie  moans and groans from the hallway *

Aran “We’ve wasted too much time here. Lets go”

[Trent]

5. Just saving the world…

The group is on a balcony overlooking a huge room they just entered   Behind them is a heavy door that was already open and a bridge that took them over a holding tank for the reactor that powers the place (both unseen).

The room contains six huge holding tanks, each about forty feet high and twenty feet in diameter. The bridge from the previous room also continues through this room running between the tanks about 20 feet high in the air. Each tank has a walkway that rings around it and extends from it to the bridge.  At the other side of the room there is another door like the one they entered.  On each end of the bridge there are stairs leading down to the ground floor.         On the sides of the room, on both levels, there are holding cells most of the doors are close but some of the doors are open and others are ripped off.

Weston moves out in front
Weston “lets go”

The group moves about twenty feet along the bridge before Leon spots a shadow moving into view from behind one of the tanks (it is along the walkway ringing the tank).
When it looks their way Leon says 
“I think we’ve been spotted”
The creature roars and begins to run toward them. It is the same thing the scientist turned into.

The VN guy and Aran rush forward firing at the zombie
VN guy “We cant turn back now”
The Zombie stumbles backwards under their fire and the VN guy takes advantage of this by hitting it with a flying kick that sends it over the railing.
Weston leans over the railing and says “Its dead but I assure you there are….

He is interrupted by a thinner Zombie jumping up and grabbing the railing. The zombie emits a hiss as Weston finishes his sentence  … More!”

TJ Gives it a point blank shot from his shotgun. Splattered zombie brains.

Another one jumps up in front of them and another behind them
Weston rushes forward and simply punches the one in front to knock it off the railing.

TJ “These suckas aint got nothin

Next panel, a large shadow moves over the bridge. TJ  and the others look above them to see what looks like a Zombie, Dragon, Wolf mix.. Ill leave its exact appearance to you, its big, ugly , and has wings. The Dragon dives for, and misses Weston. Its impact causes the bridge to creak and shake.  The VN guy quickly regains his balance and sprays the dragon with bullets. He then has to roll out of the way as the dragons claw pounds the spot where he was standing.

The bridge is supported by its connections to the holding tanks. The impact breaks the connection on the right and the bridge tilts to that side.

Aran “This bridge cant support that things weight.”
Just as she says it the dragon lunges forward again, this time the connection on the left is severed and the entire section of bridge begins to fall at the unsupported end.

The group all slides down the bridge and to the lower level. As they are getting back on their feet they find themselves surrounded by the dragon to their left and more of the zombies to their right.

To their surprise, the zombies attack the dragon, which begins to shred them with ease. 

Leon indicates one of the cells with an open door and says “Now would be a good time to hide”
They all run into the cell and the VN guy pulls it closed behind them. 
For a panel or two, there is just darkness. Then a click and the small room is illuminated by a glow stick in Aran’s hand.

Leon “Guess that’s it then..”
VN Guy “Did you see that thing? Bullets only annoyed it”
Aran Peeks out of the room to see the dragon sniffing the remains of the zombies.
“ There isn’t any way we are going to make it back up the stairs”

Another panel of silence

Weston, hanging his head “Im sorry, Im so sorry”
Again silence.

Leon turns to the Aran,  “Don’t think I ever caught your name”
She is surprised  “Ermm.. My name is Aran.. Aran Leigh”

“Leon Winters, pleased to meet you”

“Im _____________ Wish it could have been under better circumstances.”

“Terrance Jaeger Jr Yo”

“Im Weston, Isaac Weston”

Leon lights a cigg and takes a puff.. “Its funny really, a group like us, ending up here. What are the chances of people like us even meeting each other”

Aran “Let along die trying to save the world together.”

TJ  (with a crazy grin on his face) “Word, Y know what else s funny?  Me, tryin to impress some gang by jackin cars and gettin inta fights How many of my old homies could say they helped save the world?”

TJ Gets up and looks out the door, The dragon is looking around on the other side of the room..
Leon “Hey what are you up to”

TJ “Heh, I did get one thing from my years on the streets.. Speed”  TJ takes off running toward the end of the room away from the groups destination

Leon “Wait!”
_______  Grabs Leon by the collar and pulls him out of the room with him as he and the others run past. 
“Lets go now!”

Initially the dragon turns for them but TJ fires two shotgun blasts at it, yelling “Yo! Over here!”

The dragon begins to chase after TJ

The rest of the group is halfway up the ladder when ______ Looks over his shoulder just as TJ and the dragon are running out of view behind one of the holding tanks.
Wide eyed he says “Wow, he is fast”

The group enters a room that appears to be a much smaller version of the previous room, just one level. Holding tanks about five feet in diameter with monitors on each one.

Weston turns to leon and indicates a chair beside some medical equipment
“Please, over here”

Standing several feet away ____ turns to Aran and asks
“What do you think his chances are... he was fast”
Aran doesn’t answer

Weston now has a needle in Leon’s arm and is drawing blood.
Leon “Your going to leave some for me right?”
Weston “Just a bit more”

Weston looks at some computer readings and says “Perfect”

He pulls two keys out of his pocket “Normally these would be held by two generals”
He tosses one to Aran and indicates the console next to the one he is at,  “There is a keyhole below the monitor, I need you to turn as I do”

They turn the keys and Weston says “Good, production is on track, now I can begin the launch sequence.  In a few hours even the virus in here will be destroyed”

Suddenly something hits the door to the lab they are in with a loud crash or wham or whatever.

Leon “It doesn’t look like we have hours”

The door is hit again, this time it begins to cave.

Weston indicates a locker on the other side of the room “Open that cabinet and take on of the launchers in it”
Aran “Launchers?”
He then types something on his computer, In response a light on one of the vats glows and small window on it opens with a ding, revealing a canister inside.

“Attach the canister to the end of the launcher”  While Aran holds the launcher _______ pushes the canister into it and it attaches with a click.”

That thing out there is obviously not of the same virus build but it is similar, A good shot should hurt it but it wont kill it.

Leon gets to his feet and says “whooo, everything is spinning”
Weston “Do you think you can run”

The door is hit again, this time a bolt comes off and the wall cracks.

Leon “From that thing? Definitely”

Weston “Get going then”

Leon “And you?”

Weston “Its going to take a bit longer to finalize the launch, there is nothing more for you to do here”

With a loud crash the door goes flying and the dragon pokes its head through the opening. It roars as it sees the group.

Aran squeezes the trigger on the launcher and a large syringe is fired out at the dragon.
It hits the dragon between the eyes and injects its dose of antivirus into it.  The dragon recoils in pain and roars.
“Now!” ________   Yells

They rush out of the laboratory and run along a small walkway on the side of the wall to the door they came in.
The dragon below them is thrashing around, really ticked, but its eyes are closed from the pain.  It opens its eyes and looks around just as they make it out of the large room.

As they run across the bridge over the water they hear zombie moans coming from the hall in front of them.

They continue running forward, guns ready
Aran “No other way to the Garage”
______ After all that, there’s no way some puny zombie is taking me down.

Back in the lab, Weston is typing away
“Almost there” he says
He glances over his shoulder to see the dragon looking in the door but he doesn’t stop
“Almost there”
The Dragon has entered the room
“Almost there”
The dragon is lunging forward at him, mouth open
“Done!”

Blood splatters on the monitor and keyboard.

Another splatter of blood as  Leon’s shotgun takes a zombie’s head clean off

We see a shot of the hallway with zombie parts all over the place and bloody footprints leading away from the mess.

______ Is perforating a couple of zombies as Aran, her back to his, is reloading her gun.
“Im on my last clip” she says “You?”

“Same”

A zombie is approaching Leon but his gun is empty, it clicks as he pulls the trigger.
“Aww nuts” he says before he calmly flips the gun over and uses it like a baseball bat on the zombies head.

The zombies keep coming. Looking over at Aran and  ________ he says “Its really going to suck if we bite it this close to the end”

“No kidding” Aran answers.

End Scene.

6. Riding off into the night.

It is Night or late afternoon.
Jan and Matt are on the run again, this time from hoards of zombies outside the main research building.
Jan “You made it sound like this place would be safe”
Matt : “It should be!  My grandpa was working on a cure for the virus and…”   Grrrraarrrr!  A couple of the jumping zombies lunge out in front of them. They are surrounded.

Matt: “This kind of thing gets old after a while ,you know.”

From off the panel, a high caliber machine gun opens up with a choom choom choom, or some other appropriate sound fx.  Several of the zomibies are cut to pieces.    An armored Humvee with Machine gun mounted on the top plows into the zombies. It makes a sharp cut that swings the rear of the vehicle around. This sends zombies flying. This cut brings the passenger door of the vehicle right in front of Jan.  The door pops open to reveal Leon coolly sitting in the drivers seat, one hand on the wheel. 
“Need a ride?” He asks.
Jan and Matt are speechless.
Leon grips a joystick on the dashboard and the gun on the top opens up with a brief burst. Two zombies sneaking up behind Jan and Matt slump to the ground.   At this, Jan and Matt both dive into the Humvee, Matt ending up upside down in the seat. Leon hits the gas and they are off, another zombie jumps out in front of them but only becomes roadkill.

The road is dark and the moon is setting in the sky.

Leon  glances down at Matt as matt  straitens himself in the seat.
“Hi Im Matt. Do you two know each other?”
“Sort of” Leon replies “Im Leon”   To himself Leon repeats the name Matt…

“Where are all the others?” Jan asks

Leon:“Weston and TJ are gone.  There was another guy you didn’t meet, he and Aran  took another truck.  They said something about linking up with the German division so they can figure out who was responsible for all this.”

Jan leans her head against the window.  “Both Weston and TJ…   Aran.. she isn’t that mean brunette is she?
Leon “Yup”

Jan “Why did Weston have to die? He didn’t seem like a bad person..”
Leon remains silent

“Hey Leon”    My grandpa was one of the scientists in that place. You didn’t meet him in there did you?”
Leon pauses “No… sorry.”

They crest a hill that allows them to see over the entire complex.

With a roar, over a dozen rockets shoot from the ground and take off through the sky.
One of them explodes overhead and releases individual glowing balls that scatter and then explode with a loud puff.

Leon leans his head out the window to watch.
“I love fireworks” He says “Makes me feel good to be alive”


END

[babdon]

neato... who's gonna put it all together?

I'll probably do a part down the line...