Nick held back a comtemptuous laugh as he saw Joseph raise his arms, ready for a fight. Nick shrugged, pulled out his knife and tossed it aside. He shrugged out of his flak jacket to allow for easier movement, and cracked the tendons in his neck.
"Alright, Joseph, let's dance." Nick said, before charging Joseph.
Joseph neatly side-stepped to avoid the blow, but Nick stuck out his arm and tackled Joseph to the ground with him. They rolled together, each trying to get on top of the other, while occasionally managing to get an arm free to hit his opponent.
Joseph managed to get on top, pin Nick with his legs and repeatedly hit Nick in the face. Nick managed to shove Joseph off him and get to his feet. He staggered and wiped a trail of blood from his nose.
"You'll pay for that!" Nick snarled, and hip-checked Joseph over his shoulder, sending him to the ground. Nick then picked Joseph up by his collar, and threw him through a plate-glass window into a lab, across a table, landing in a crumpled heap at the other side.
Joseph got back up and steadied himself against the table. That had hurt. Alot.
Nick vaulted the broken window, circled the table, and before Joseph had come to his senses, he found himself pinned up against the wall, gasping for air.
"Looks like it's your turn to be strangled, bitch!" Nick said with a laugh. The viral part of him laughed too, and ordered him to finish him off. Gladly. Nick began to tighten his fingers, and Joseph started to choke as his airway began to shrink.
Nick stared into Joseph's eyes as he suffocated. No! This was his friend! Nick released his grip to let a semi-concious Joseph slump to the floor.
The viral part became angry. Finish him, it ordered. No, don't, yelled his human half. Yes! No! Yes! No!
"Yessss...." Nick jerked his head up and looked around. That command hadn't come from the virus...it had come from....
"Of course." Nick muttered looking down at the floor, as if he had suddenly developed X-ray vision. "The "Source". How hadn't I seen it before? That's how Johenson controlled the Zeds."
"Say what?" sputtered Joseph, still trying to breathe normally.
Nick looked down at Joseph, his eyes still red, but his voice normal, "Get everyone out of here, I'm going to the basement. There's something down there, and it's the key to my infection. Hurok. The Zeds. Everything."
"How...?"
"It's talking to me, it can see in my mind, and I just saw in its. I'm going to go kill it, then blow this place to hell. I'd strongly advise to clear out, unless you wanna be buried alive again. Sir." Nick finished, giving him a painful-looking salute.
"No need to call me that, I've been fired, remember?" Joseph said, finally regaining his feet.
"I'll see in a few, and again, don't stick around for the fireworks." and with that, Nick made for the elevators, and hit the basement button.
"Time to finish everything right now." Nick muttered, knowing full well he was likely to die in this crazy-ass mission.