Mark started circling Conquest, waiting for him to come at him. Conquest didn't raise his hands or tense himself up for a fight, he just casually moved when Mark moved. Getting impatient, Mark growled out. "Well? What are you waiting for?!" Conquest smirked a little as he answered in a cool voice. "If you wanted me to be aggressive in battle. You'll be disappointed. I'm not undefeated because I rush into a fight. So, make a move, princess." Mark clenched his jaw, stating out. "Chicken." Conquest pulled his braided long hair over his shoulder, chuckling out lightly. "I'm unarmed. Why do you hesitate?" Mark stayed tense as he snapped back. "You think I'm stupid? Cause that won't work!" Conquest lifted his chin, stopping as he told him calmly. "Now who's a chicken." Exhaling, Mark grunted out through his teeth. "Fine!" Rushing at Conquest, Mark tried to land a punch across Conquest's face. Conquest leaned away narrowly avoiding the blow, before raising his arm toward Mark's ribs. Mark didn't see his arm move, but he heard the soft 'click' and felt something pierce into his side just under his arm.

Mark staggered to the ground, grabbing his side to feel the small shaft of an arrow. Conquest turned to face him, raising his same arm out to reveal that his gauntlet had a small crossbow built into it. Conquest removed a small arrow from a flat holster on his boot, sliding it into the end to reload as he said smugly. "Just let me finish you now. I'll make it quick." Mark sat back on his heels, letting Conquest extend his loaded arm out to aim at his temple. Then acting quickly, Mark grabbed his wrist and aimed it away as the arrow was released into the air. With the arrow gone, Mark yanked his arm down and flipped him over him to the ground. The second Conquest was down, Mark grabbed his metal mask off that was held on by blue ribbon and began beating him across the face with it. Conquest yelped and screamed as the metal scarred his face. Realizing the mask had a metal crown, he stopped to switch it around in the hopes of stabbing Conquest in the neck with it. He raised his arm to stab him, then screamed himself as Conquest yanked the arrow from his side and stabbed him in the shoulder with it.

Conquest looked him in the eyes with a murderous look as he twisted the arrow in his shoulder. Mark grabbed Conquest's armored wrist, screaming as the pain made his vision break out in black spots. Clenching his teeth, Mark took a deep breath to fight off the pain. Grabbing Conquest's braid, he yanked his head down and then punched him with his hurt arm in an adrenaline fueled rage. Conquest fell back stunned by the blow, allowing Mark to catch his breath for a second. Taking another quick breath though, he grabbed the arrow in his shoulder and pulled it out with a cry of pain. Blood was soaking his side, but he leaned over Conquest to try stabbing him in the throat with it. Conquest kneed him in his wounded side to stop him, shoving Mark back away from him. Conquest rolled away to get up on all fours, blood dripping from the cuts across his beautiful face. Spitting a mouthful of blood, Conquest growled out. "Alright... Now it's personal!" Mark staggered up to his feet as Conquest ran straight for him.

Mark braced hoping to flip him, but Conquest didn't tackle him. Instead, Conquest put his momentum into a spinning kick to his face. The armor boot had hit Mark so hard that it knocked him to the ground and had his whole body threatening to pass out. Blood poured from Mark's mouth as he forced himself to stay on all fours. Conquest grabbed his hair, yanking the fake hair off of him. Mark flinched from the hair being yanked off, raising his good arm defensively to protect his face. Conquest grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him back to backhand his face with the gauntlet. Mark managed to protect his face with his arms, but they were getting beaten bloody by the metal. Forcing his neck to the ground, Conquest yelled out at him angrily. "Say your prayers! Cause I'm sending you straight to HELL! But don't worry... When we're done with your boy... I'll send him down to join ya! Although, his face might not be as pretty as you remember!" Mark huddled himself up on the ground to protect himself as best as he could. Upon getting a small peek at Conquest's legs, Mark swallowed the blood in his mouth. Was it worth the risk?

Locking his jaw, Mark snatched an arrow from Conquest's boot holster and stabbed it into Conquest's chainmail covered thigh. Conquest screamed, jumping back from Mark. Running on adrenaline, Mark ran up on him while he was looking over his thigh and punched him. Conquest staggered back more, dazed but still on his feet. So, Mark began wailing on him like a boxer with swift and fast blows to his face and neck. Conquest managed to block the last few, trying to get a swing in of his own, but Mark jumped in to headbutt Conquest. The headbutt broke Conquest's nose, right before Mark hit him with a powerful uppercut that knocked him completely off his feet. As Conquest slowly started to sit up, Mark kicked him in the face with his boot. Conquest fell back, panting heavily. Mark leaned down to yank the arrow from Conquest's leg, watching him flinch... but his fighting spirit appeared to have diminished. Standing over Conquest, Mark uttered out in a dark voice. "You shouldn't have threatened Sean."

Mark dropped on Conquest, slitting his throat with the arrow. Staring down into Conquest's face, he added in a dark voice. "Take a good look. You've been defeated. Go to hell." Mark watched him choke on his own blood, making sure that he was dead. Slowly rising to his feet, Mark grabbed his bleeding side and let himself breathe normally for a minute. He couldn't believe that he'd killed him, but he was sure that Conquest wouldn't have spared him. Glancing at the vent, Mark swallowed down everything that wouldn't help him get Sean back. Wincing his way to the vent, he hefted it up with one hand and made his way carefully inside. The pain in his side and shoulder was intense, but he'd worry about it after finding Sean. Favoring his wounded side, he hobbled through the vent on his knees and just used his good arm for support. Blood was splattering the vent, but it was just the occasional heavy set of droplets. He followed the streaks in the dust to an open vent and groaned with disappointment.

It was a straight drop to the floor. He could tell by the dust streaks that the others had simply climbed down by holding onto the sides. Mari must have helped Nate get Zero and Chica down... but for him, this would be torture. Closing his eyes, he swung his legs out to sit on the edge and grabbed the edge of the vent with his good hand. Locking his jaw, he took a deep breath and forced himself to slide off. His weight played against him as his hand gripped the vent tight, causing the edge to slice his palm. Yelping from the pain, he was about to let go to drop the rest of the way, only to have the vent give. The vent broke from its welded clamp, sending Mark roughly to the floor to land across his back. The vent didn't fall from the ceiling though, it just hung loose now. Moaning on the floor, Mark balled himself up to ride out the pain. Looking at his bleeding palm, Mark groaned out. "Fuck... Sean, please be close..." The door to the storage room opened and Mark only had the strength to look at whoever it was.

Nate gawked at him, closing the door as he shakily asked. "Oh shit. Mark, what happened? Are you ok?" Mark stiffly sat up, brushing off the questions to grunt out. "I'm fine. Where are the others?" Nate's hands went to Mark's shirt to look at his bleeding shoulder but said excitedly. "We know were he is. Mari took Zero and Chica on a gurney to meet us there. Since she's welcome here, she doesn't need to hide. I came back for you. You'd been gone for so long." Mark gestured to the roof, mumbling out. "I ran into some trouble... but I'm fine. Let's just get Sean and go." Nate frowned at his bleeding wound, saying seriously. "Maybe you should wait here. We'll get him and-" Mark grabbed Nate's party bra, sternly telling him. "I said I'm fine! I need to see him!" Nate swallowed, but nodded. Wrapping Mark's arm over his shoulder, Nate helped him up. Once he was on his feet, Mark released Nate and stiffly made his way to the door. Nate peeked outside, then gestured him out. Mark headed out with Nate following behind him. They crept through the hospital as explosions rocked the building and doctors rushed around.

The doctors were yelling about research papers and subjects in containment. The building rumbled, shaking the swinging lights and causing them to flicker. Nate moved closer to Mark as the power faded for a few seconds, sending the place into a pitch-black darkness, before slowly coming back on. Nate nudged him, quickening their pace as he said. "Come on. We have to hurry!" Over the speakers of the hospital, Lexi's voice calmly told them. "Everyone stay calm. The building is built to withstand this. Focus on securing patients with backup generators." Nate used his ID tag to open a door, ushering Mark inside. Mark forced himself into a jog. He couldn't have power go down before he got to Sean. Nate ran ahead of him to open a door, telling him in a rush. "It's this one!" Slipping inside, Mark slid to a stop. Laying on the floor were two unconscious laboratory personnel. While Mari was beating on a single glass tube with some metal piece of lab equipment. On a gurney nearby, Zero was coughing and Chica was whining.

Nate took in the scene after closing the door, asking perplexed. "What they hell happened?" Mari stopped, panting heavily as she told them. "They came to get Sean. I surprised them... Help me! He's dying!" Mark rushed forward, yelling out in a frightened voice. "WHAT?!" Mari pointed to the small tubes hooked up to the bigger one as she told them. "Those were pumping air into the container, until the last power surge. He's running out of air!" Mark looked inside the tube to see Sean for the first time in weeks. Sean was curled up around the floor of the tube. He looked exhausted and he stayed so still. Was he holding his breath to make it last? Placing a hand on the tube, his heart leapt when Sean smiled sleepily and touched the glass with weak fingers. Mark hefted his skirt, pulling the little hammer off his thigh. Standing up, he struck the glass and only chipped it. Mari dropped the lad equipment, shakily mumbling out. "Oh god... I thought that shatters plexiglass?"

Nate removed his hammer, moving up as he told them seriously. "It chipped it. Better than nothing. Beat on it until it gives!" Mari removed her sword, moving to the side to stab at it, while Mark and Nate hammered at the glass. Sean watched them for a minute, before his eyes started to close. Mark hammered the glass through his pain, yelling out. "JACK!" Nate stopped to pant, they had made lots of deep chips in the glass, but it still hadn't shattered. Mari's sword barely scratched the glass and she fell to her knees to pant. They were giving up, but Mark refused too. Taking his frustration out on the glass, he saw the hammer finally puncture a small hole. He beat on the glass in different spots to help weaken the glass with more holes. With the little holes in the glass, Mark dropped the hammer and clenched his jaw before he began punching the glass. Nate and Mari screamed at him to stop, but Mark ignored them. His blood splattered the glass as his knuckles were shredded by the rough edges. Mark didn't care. He was lost to fear and determination to break it. Using all his adrenaline and rage, he punched a single spot over and over with every bit of strength he had.

He could no longer feel his knuckles, when he punched the glass for a final time, and it shattered. Dropping to his knees, Mark reached into the tube to cup Sean's cold face. Leaning over him, Mark put his forehead to him, pleading out. "Sean? Jack! Open your eyes!" Sean's eyes stayed closed. He tried to tell if Sean was breathing, but he couldn't tell. His hands were numb and shaking too much. Groaning from his pain, Mark pulled Sean's limp body into his arms, whispering into his ear. "Jack... Baby, open your eyes? Please..." Mari moved closer, asking softly. "Is he breathing?" Mark loosened his hug on Sean, unable to answer. Staring at Sean's face, his heart sank a little. Why did he have black veins along his skin and eyes? Even his bangs looked whiter. Mark brushed his hand along Sean's cold cheek, smearing his cheek in his blood. Why was he so cold? Mark sniffled, tears running down his cheeks. He was going to have Nate check his pulse, until Sean's eyes slowly opened.

Sean's eyes were almost entirely a faded white color with just a rim of black. The whites of his eyes decorated in thin black veins. Mark swallowed but bared his neck. If Sean was infected than he wasn't going to keep fighting. Sean's hand raised to touch Mark's cheek, turning his head to look at him. Mark stared into his eyes, unsure what to think. To his surprise, Sean's voice was so normal as he asked almost hazily. "Mark...? You're bleeding." Mark chuckled softly, mumbling out in a choked voice. "Ya. It wasn't easy getting back to you." Sean chuckled, resting his head on Mark's shoulder as he told him. "You came back... like you promised." Mark kissed his temple, telling him warmly. "Not even the end of the world could keep me away. Come on. Let's go home." Wrapping his arms around Sean, he gritted his teeth and lifted him off the ground. Mari sighed with relief, then told them hopefully. "What do we do about Zero?" All eyes turned to Zero, before Mari screamed.

Chica was whining and staring wide eyed at a small plant that was resting on Zero's chest. The flower looked like a lily, but it was black with purple tips on its pedals, the stem was black and slimy looking. Had Zero coughed it up? The black roots touched different points of Zero's exposed skin, piercing into his flesh like thin needles. Mark shuddered watching the plant take in Zero's blood. Mari raised her sword to attack, but Nate stopped her as he said quickly. "Wait! I've seen that plant before..." One of the plant's petals lowered to Zero's mouth, pouring what looked like clear nectar into his mouth. Mari jerked against Nate hands, yelling out. "It's infect-!" She fell silent as Zero gasped loudly. The black veins that had formed on his skin were disappearing. To Be Continued...