Who's the real Monster?

~ Armstrong's POV

Already out of bed before my alarm clock could beep. It's 5:59 AM. Grunting as I start my morning warmup for the day. My body ain't what it used to be. Everything aches more than usual, doesn't help that I didn't get enough sleep last night. Getting dressed after a quick shower. Right as I was done lacing up my shoes an alarm blasted: ALERT! ALERT! INMATES RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN RELEASED! ALERT!

Anderson. Rushing to her room I find Anderson still at her desk staring at the monitor's screen. "What are you doing? Did you not hear the alarm?", I ask. Anderson kept her eyes glued to the monitor while saying, "Yes I heard the alarm blaring just now. I'm looking into what's going on. I can't get a hold of Smith in the surveillance room." Keeping my face schooled I went to Anderson's side to look over her shoulder to see the monitor. "From what I saw the collars, bracelets, and bombs have been disarmed in every unit. The only people who have that kind of access are you, Smith, and I. Plus Smith was the only one awake and at a desk. As of right now I'm looking into the detainee units."

My eyes catch non other than Inmate Zero using her powers. Of course this would be her doing. She's barely here under a week and now there's a breakout in the process. I knew she would be trouble from the first night I laid eyes on her.

"We have to deal with her now", I tell Anderson. She side eyes me before nodding her head. I reach for her phone and speed dial the emergency number. "Yes, sir", someone answers.

"This is Colonel Henry Armstrong II calling for a Scorch Earth procedure."

"Your confirmation code Colonel?"

"CE9687."

"Charlie Echo 9-6-8-7."

"Correct."

"I'll need Director Anderson's code as well."

Passing the phone over she said, "This is Director Patricia Anderson, confirmation code is BH19650827."

"Bravo Halo 1-9-6-5-0-8-2-7."

"That's correct."

"Codes are accepted. Now both of you and everyone else at the facility has two hours to vacate the island and reach safety. Take the time to save all the data needed to move forward." Anderson hung up the phone. A notification dinged followed by a message reading 'files have been transferred to a USB drive'. "What do we do about Project Omega?", she asks.

"Protocol is to vacate the premises with all the data on that USB drive. As of right now Project Omega is not our problem", I tell her.

"We don't know if Project Omega will survive the missiles or not. If that happens then our data will be useless", she argued.

"That's why there are samples of Project Omega in other locations."

"Why wasn't I notified of that?"

"That information is on a need to know basis", I answer in a clipped tone.

Grabbing the USB drive I leave the room with her still in the chair. I've grown tired of her vendetta against Inmate Zero.

Heading for the stairs I'm surrounded by panicking scientists. I knew my men would be getting ready to fight off the detainees. They only had a few minutes before heading to the freight ship with the other scientists and civilians. I made my way to the roof of the building. The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion should be getting ready.

Going up the steps I run into my wife Rita walking down the steps instead of up. She should be going to the helicopter, not the freight ship. "What are you doing?", she asked.

"I'm leaving, if you were smart you'd follow me."

"I'm not leaving our daughter here", she retorts with a bite.

Fueled by rage I slam her against the wall as the word 'daughter' leaves her mouth. "I do not have a daughter. If you aren't in the chopper I'll leave without you. You two can die here for all I care."

I have never seen her face look like that before. Without a second thought I left Rita there against the wall with her mouth agape. The fact that we were ever married didn't phase me at all.

We had been drifting apart for so long I can't even pin point when everything started going down hill. For over a decade now we barely even looked at each other. A couple of years before everything changed my son came out as queer. I couldn't accept it. Then Rita started giving my boy hormone therapy. Which lead to so many fights. Then Project Omega attacked him and I had to mourn for my son in silence.

The mission comes first and foremost. That has never clouded my judgement and won't start now. As of right now the mission is to leave with the data we have collected over the years. If Project Omega survives or not we'll find a way to continue the research to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

Finally reaching the rooftop to see our top scientists waiting to board. Anderson exited right after me.

~ Project Omega/Thing

Finally. Seeping into Z's body the part of me that was separated came back. I feel everything. Every cell, muscle, nerve, every part of their being. All of it was going far too fast...then it stopped. I knew what this was. I felt it once before.

Live I command.

The heart beat came back. Lungs inhale. I saw everything from behind their eyes. Is this living?

It's different.

I'm whole now.