Miles had just thought he'd caught a bug that the Walrider was fighting, since the damn thing was practically his new immune system. Mild dizziness and some chills - but maybe the chills were the weather, he couldn't quite be sure.
He goes for a jog late one night to clear his head, maybe get the ol' inner ear back to normal with some physical activity. It's cloudy; the moon is hidden, and he's found himself in one of those rare parts of the city where he's completely alone.
Then he hears, very quietly, the rattling of chains. His breath catches.
No.
Walker's dead, he saw the guy get turned into chunky tomato sauce by the disaster now sharing his body, he's dead. It's not real.
The dragging noise gets louder, and he hears heavy breathing.
Oh, fuck me.
He crouches down, trying to hide, trying to keep his breathing quiet and calm and even. Then he hears a voice he never wants to hear again.
"Oh goddamn it, how did you get out? We're gonna have to do something about those hamstrings."
Tears begin to leak out of his eyes. No. Not Trager. No. He got crushed. Miles saw him. He's dead!
Then it comes to him. He doesn't have to hide anymore. He never has to hide again.
It's painful, being stabbed with pins and needles all over his body, but he releases the Swarm. It curls all around him like dark smoke, and he stands, looking for the men who hurt him, and smiles.
They have reason to be scared of the Walrider. They will have reason to be scared of Miles Upshur.
OTA [cw for subsequent threads: descriptions of blood, gore, body horror...y'know, fun horror stuff]
He goes for a jog late one night to clear his head, maybe get the ol' inner ear back to normal with some physical activity. It's cloudy; the moon is hidden, and he's found himself in one of those rare parts of the city where he's completely alone.
Then he hears, very quietly, the rattling of chains. His breath catches.
No.
Walker's dead, he saw the guy get turned into chunky tomato sauce by the disaster now sharing his body, he's dead. It's not real.
The dragging noise gets louder, and he hears heavy breathing.
Oh, fuck me.
He crouches down, trying to hide, trying to keep his breathing quiet and calm and even. Then he hears a voice he never wants to hear again.
"Oh goddamn it, how did you get out? We're gonna have to do something about those hamstrings."
Tears begin to leak out of his eyes. No. Not Trager. No. He got crushed. Miles saw him. He's dead!
Then it comes to him. He doesn't have to hide anymore. He never has to hide again.
It's painful, being stabbed with pins and needles all over his body, but he releases the Swarm. It curls all around him like dark smoke, and he stands, looking for the men who hurt him, and smiles.
They have reason to be scared of the Walrider. They will have reason to be scared of Miles Upshur.