CRYSIS: ALCATRAZ

Crysis 2 belongs to Crytek

Summary: Gould succeed to take off Prophet's nanosuit from Alcatraz as that young marine's demand. However, there was a risk that he had to take if the nanosuit was taken away from him.

Alcatraz was trying to reach a mirror on an end table on the left side of his bed. Once he got it, he wasn't sure to see his reflection in it. He bet his face was full of scratches. However, finally he decided to put it in front of his face. A pair of droopy emerald eyes was staring at him. Heart-shaped face, nice-shaped nose, attractive thin lips. Alcatraz was an attractive young man. He was surprised, no scratch at all!

"Nicely done, nanosuit…" he snorted and put back the mirror.

He looked at his hands. In that hand, New York was freed of Alien's colonization. He wondered, was he a hero? What if… Prophet didn't find him? His mind was wondering through the past at that time.

"Cheryl…" he remembered of his girlfriend.

Alcatraz looked around him. He thought he needed to get out from that place. He never liked hospital. He hated the smell. An IV was stabbed on his left arm. It was better than when he was in critical condition where a lot of things were placed on him.

He was about to take the IV off when suddenly the door opened.

"What are you trying to do, Mr. Alcatraz?"

Tara Strickland.

"Seems our hero is getting bored…" now she was standing beside his bed. Staring at his eyes.

That young man didn't say any words and put off his hand.

"By the way… Gould phoned me, he asked me to do a favor,"

Alcatraz knew where that topic was going to. He just wanted to say something but he closed his mouth back.

Tara smiled. She loved to see that man. Yeah, Alcatraz never failed to attract women. Even a though-hearted woman, Tara Strickland, couldn't resist against his charm.

Alcatraz felt anxious because she just staring at him. Then, he decided to break the silence.

"Ms. Strickland, thank you…"

Tara was surprised. Just like Gould, that was the first time for her to hear his clear tenor voice.

"Thank you for everything," he emphasized his previous words.

"Oh, nevermind. Ehm, that's been my duty,"

Alcatraz showed a slight smile. Suddenly, his vision blurred and a great pain hit his head. Tara tried to help him. She called his name and pressed the button to call the medic. Alcatraz grimaced, he couldn't hear anything. But, the pain was suddenly gone quickly. He looked around and was confused of what he just had last time. A doctor and a nurse rushed into the room. However, Alcatraz was fine already at that time.

After he was examined, the medics left the room.

"What was that, Al?" there was a big worry in her voice.

Alcatraz shook his head. He had no idea of that. The pain was gone as fast as it came.

"Ms. Strickland… do you have the data of the survivors?"

Tara knew, Alcatraz wanted to ask about a girl named Cheryl.

"I'm sorry, Al. We have no information about a girl named Cheryl Bernard."

Alcatraz bowed. So she didn't make it, he thought.

Day passed. Alcatraz had been spending all day on his bed. He was not allowed to go out. Gould said he needed to have a total rest for weeks. For an active guy like him, it was so annoying. Had he planned to escape? Of course, he had. However, he never tried to do it due to his high respect for Gould.

It was a sunny day on July. Alcatraz was sitting on a bench in hospital's park when Gould came to take him out from there. Alcatraz sighed in relieve, at last, he thought.

"I could have been worse if you didn't show up and told me that good news…"

"I understand, Al…" Gould chuckled.

"So…where are we going?"

"My apartment! You will love it…"

"Well, anywhere but hospital…"

In their way to Gould's apartment, for the first time after his most unbelievable experience, Alcatraz was back to the city. The city was still in recovering, but the condition was much better compared to what he knew last time.

He closed his eyes. He had no family left. Yes, he was an orphan. And at that time, he lost his girlfriend. He lost most his fellow marines. He thought, nothing's left for him. But then he turned his sight to Gould. Perhaps, he had found a new family. Then, there was Tara Strickland. Not bad at all… he still had friends.

"Hei, Gould…"

"Yes, Al?"

"Thank you…"

"Alright, here we are! This is your room…"

Alcatraz stepped into his new room. It was a small white room but everything was well-placed. He walked to the blue bed then sat on the edge of it.

"Not bad…" Alcatraz nodded. "How much?"

"No need to know, young man!" Gould smiled. "By the way… I need to tell you…something…"

Alcatraz could hear there was something in that voice. Not a good one.

"Alcatraz...You're an unexpected man, Prophet gave you his suit…and fitted well, I admit that, but…" Gould paused for a moment. He looked trying to find some best words.

"Say it, Gould… I don't like you're buffering like that..."

Gould stared at those green eyes. He took a deep breath. He wondered, was that a perfect time to tell him the truth?

"Alcatraz, it is better for you to know this thing now than later…"

Alcatraz shook his head. He knew it, it would be a bad news.

"Young man… without the suit, your life is… well… you are going to survive no more than one week…"

Alcatraz bowed, he knew about that. Gould had told him, anything could be happened if he let the nanosuit was taken off from him.

"Al…"

"This is my choice, Gould…" Alcatraz lifted his head and stared at him. "And I don't want that suit anymore. It's enough!"

"Alcatraz! You know that the Cephs have been…"

"Then…let a new hero bears that…" he snapped. "I know I'm so egoist. Please, give that suit to another one…"

Gould shook his head. He stepped closer to that marine.

"Alcatraz…the suit has chosen you…"

"And it is going to wash my brain and I will know myself as Prophet…" Alcatraz stood up.

The nanosuit was close to take full control of his memory. Even he thought himself as Prophet without his awareness. Luckily, he could gain his true identity back. Alcatraz thought he wasn't worthy to be the man behind that magnificent suit. He was just a private with lack of experience. Although his action with that suit increased his skill greatly, he knew it wasn't him. Without that suit, he was just an underdog marine who still needed a lot of training.

"So…you choose to die?"

Alcatraz didn't say any words. He turned back and pressed his head to the glass window.

"I am making another nanosuit. But, I doubt it's done before the time," Gould added.

Alcatraz closed his eyes. Did he want it? Did he want to back to alien-terminating duty? There were a lot of choices in his mind but he couldn't decide it. He needed time, he needed something. Something that could support any of his choices.

"Alcatraz, the world needs you. Do you think it is easy to find a person who can control that suit? So far there are only two nanosuit soldiers, plus you…there are three…"

"Why Gould? If United States wants to create unbeatable, perfect, and effective army, why you make it…complicated?"

"You're not a professor, young man…" Gould sighed. "If you couldn't control the nanosuit, it could control you back…"

Alcatraz narrowed his eyes. If that was true so he could control the nanosuit?

"Your nanosuit belonged to Prophet. Prophet saved all of his memory in it. That's why…after you wore it for a long duration, his memory started to replace your own memory. Besides, you could control yourself. You were aware what you had to do. It means… you can control the nanosuit. The only problem is…it was Prophet's,"

Then Alcatraz realized, Gould was going to tell him another thing. A hope. However, he doubted that would he depart to another mission?

"Al, I could reset the nanosuit for you…"

"Damn you, Gould…"

"What?"

"Just…gimme some time to…take a decision, will you?" Alcatraz put on his jacket then walked out.

Alcatraz couldn't deny, there was a big relieve in his heart. He had two choices. Live or die…

-to be continued