Dying Light 2: Volatile Virus

The Peacekeepers held their line, weapons locked on the Daywalkers. Their breathing was sharp, erratic—pure instinct kicking in.

Volatiles didn't stand still.

Volatiles didn't wait.

And yet, here they were—crouched in hunting positions, glowing with an unnatural golden radiance, yet unmoving.

It didn't make sense.

Peacekeeper Sergeant:

"Volatiles don't hesitate! They don't stand there—they attack! What the hell are we looking at?!"

Aiden stepped forward, raising a hand cautiously.

Aiden:

"They're not enemies."

(The words came out calm, certain—but the Peacekeepers barely processed them. They were soldiers. They saw an infected, and their instinct was to kill it.)

One of them—a younger Peacekeeper gripping a crossbow—stepped back slightly, his hands trembling.

Young Peacekeeper:

"You're lying. They're Volatiles. Look at them!" (His voice was strained, eyes flickering between Aiden and the Daywalkers.) "I don't know what kind of sick trick this is, but—"

The sergeant barked out an order.

Peacekeeper Sergeant:

"ENOUGH. We hold position." (His eyes locked onto Aiden, his grip on his riot shield tightening.) *"You—**Aiden, or whoever the hell you are—*you better start talking. NOW."

Aiden exhaled sharply.

This was the moment.

He couldn't force them to understand. He couldn't make them believe. He had to prove it.

Slowly, he turned, stepping toward the Daywalkers.

The Peacekeepers stiffened, their fingers twitching on their triggers.

The Daywalkers… didn't react.

Aiden moved past them, standing in their midst.

Then, he did something no one had ever seen before.

He turned his back to them.

Aiden:

"If they were like any other Volatile, I'd be dead right now." (His voice was steady, calm—but firm.)

(He spread his arms slightly, an open stance—completely exposed. The Daywalkers didn't move. They remained still, patient, controlled.)

The Peacekeepers didn't lower their weapons.

They were watching. Waiting.

Aiden took another step.

The Daywalkers barely reacted.

Then—Aiden lifted a hand.

One of the Daywalkers turned its head slightly, glowing eyes locked onto him.

It let out a low, guttural snarl—not aggressive, not hostile. It was acknowledging him.

Aiden slowly moved his hand in a direction—and the Daywalkers followed his motion, shifting subtly, moving in unison.

Controlled. Disciplined.

Not wild. Not mindless.

The Peacekeepers were speechless.

Their stance wavered.

Peacekeeper Soldier:

"This… isn't possible." (His voice was barely above a whisper.)

The **sergeant's expression twisted—**part disbelief, part calculation, part unease.

Peacekeeper Sergeant:

"What… are they?" (His voice was quieter now, but still edged with caution.)

Aiden lowered his hand.

Aiden:

"They're called Daywalkers." (His gaze remained locked on the Peacekeepers.) "They're Volatiles, but… different."

(A brief pause.)

"They don't hunt people anymore. They protect them."

A long silence followed.

The Peacekeepers were soldiers, but even soldiers could be shaken.

They had never seen anything like this.

And now, they had to decide whether they could believe it…

Or if they would fight against it.

Fear and Doubt

The Peacekeepers didn't lower their weapons.

They were trained soldiers—they followed orders, relied on discipline and instinct. And every instinct they had screamed that this was impossible.

And yet… Aiden still stood unharmed.

The Daywalkers didn't attack.

They watched, listened, obeyed.

Peacekeeper Sergeant:

(His grip on his riot shield tightened, his expression darkening.)

"This… this doesn't make sense."

One of the Peacekeepers, still gripping his crossbow, took a slow step back. His hands were shaking.

Young Peacekeeper:

"They… they look like Volatiles, but they're not attacking. They're just… standing there."

Peacekeeper Soldier:

(His voice was sharp, uncertain.)

"That doesn't mean they're not dangerous!"

Aiden exhaled, forcing himself to stay calm.

This was exactly what Draemir had warned him about.

They feared what they didn't understand.

And right now—they were terrified.

Aiden:

"They're not your enemy." (His voice was calm, steady.) "They're here to help."

The Peacekeepers exchanged uneasy glances.

Finally, the Sergeant spoke again.

Peacekeeper Sergeant:

(His voice was low, controlled, but heavy with suspicion.)

"You expect us to believe that? That these… these things aren't a threat?"

(He took a step forward, his voice firm.)

"We've been fighting Volatiles for years. We know what they do. We know what they are. And now, you're telling me that somehow… they've changed? That they follow you?"

Aiden met his gaze without flinching.

Aiden:

"Yes." (He let the word hang in the air for a moment before continuing.)

"I know how it looks. I know what you've seen, what you've fought. But this is different."

(His gaze flickered between the soldiers, making sure he had their attention.)

"You saw what happened here. You saw me walk through them, stand next to them. You saw them listen to me."

(He motioned toward the Daywalkers, who remained still, their glowing golden veins pulsing faintly in the morning light.)

"If they were like the Volatiles you know, I'd be dead already. So would you."

(A brief pause. Then—his voice lowered slightly, more controlled.)

"But we're not. Because they are not the same."

A heavy silence followed.

The Sergeant's jaw clenched. He was still on edge, still suspicious, but…

There was hesitation.

Doubt.

He couldn't deny what he had seen.

Finally, he exhaled sharply.

Peacekeeper Sergeant:

(His voice was rough, uncertain.)

"Then prove it."

Aiden's eyes narrowed slightly.

Aiden:

"What?"

The Sergeant squared his stance.

Peacekeeper Sergeant:

"You say they're not a threat. That they're different. That they follow you." (His voice hardened slightly.) "Then prove it. Show me what they can do."

The other Peacekeepers shifted uneasily, their grips still tight on their weapons.

Aiden could feel the tension in the air—this wasn't over yet.

They were watching. Testing.

And now, Aiden had one chance to show them the truth…

Or risk losing everything.

The First Command

Aiden hesitated.

This was it—the moment that would determine whether the Peacekeepers believed him or saw him as a threat.

Slowly, he turned toward the Daywalkers. Their glowing golden eyes locked onto him the moment he moved, their crouched bodies still waiting, anticipating.

Aiden:

"Kill every infected in the surroundings."

The Daywalkers didn't move.

Instead, they glanced at each other, their glowing veins pulsing faintly. Their heads tilted slightly, like they were… questioning him.

They let out low, guttural growls—not aggressive, not directed at Aiden, but at each other.

They were communicating.

Aiden:

(Frowning slightly.) "They don't understand words…"

Then, he decided to try something else.

He snapped his fingers.

Instantly, the Daywalkers turned back to him, their attention fully locked on.

Aiden lifted his hand, pointing at a Biter nearby.

Then, with deliberate motion, he dragged his finger across his throat—the universal gesture for kill.

The Daywalkers' heads tilted slightly, watching his movements.

Then, he raised his hand, one finger up, and started making a slow circular motion.

A long, tense silence followed.

Then—the Daywalkers growled.

Not hostile. Not confused. Understanding.

And then, they roared.

Each one let out a piercing, Volatile-like scream, loud enough to send echoes bouncing through the streets.

Then—they moved.

Fast.

Blurs of gold and shadow as they rushed through the streets.

One Daywalker lunged at the nearest Biter, a single clawed swing cutting clean through its head, sending it collapsing instantly. Another moved through an alleyway, intercepting a Viral that had just emerged from a ruined building. It didn't slow down—it simply swiped once, and the infected dropped, lifeless. Two Daywalkers ran together, covering the area in sync. Biters barely had time to react—every attack was instant, precise, a single strike ensuring death.

The streets around them began to fill with bodies.

Aiden watched as the Daywalkers worked with deadly efficiency, hunting anything infected, anything unnatural.

Then—they started entering buildings.

One leaped through a shattered window, and almost instantly, the sound of a Viral screeching was cut short. Another pushed open a weakened door, vanishing inside. A few seconds later, a body came flying out—lifeless. Two more climbed a rooftop, scanning the area, making sure nothing remained.

In mere minutes, the area around them had gone from a dangerous warzone to completely cleansed.

And not a single Daywalker had harmed a human.

Finally, Aiden turned back toward the Peacekeeper Sergeant.

He let the silence hang for a moment.

Then, his voice came out calm, steady.

Aiden:

"Now? Is that enough proof for you?"

The Peacekeepers didn't answer.

Because they were too stunned to speak.