After hearing the truth, Tyler's expression turned dangerous as he looked at the three intruders. The two of them interrogated the trio together, quickly extracting the organization's hideout, their numbers, and what kinds of abilities they had. All in all, the group wasn't especially powerful. Only the leader and his deputy had any real power. This group has to be wiped out, Tyler said, deadly serious. Caroline felt the same way. Any group that could treat people's lives as worthless just for their own gain couldn't be allowed to survive. And with what had happened, Caroline's team had already made enemies of William's crew. With Nelson around, the plague crisis would probably be resolved, but that only made this group more likely to seek revenge. Leaving them around would be asking for trouble. They'd just keep coming back for payback. "As soon as we've dealt with the plague at the shelter, we'll wipe them out," Caroline said firmly. It was only then that she remembered to introduce Medusa to Tyler. "This is my mutant tree. I named her Medusa." Caroline gestured at the willow that had just battled Tyler. Tyler nodded as he looked Medusa up and down. "Not bad. She's strong." He reached out, and Medusa wrapped a branch around his hand in greeting. Medusa froze for a second, then gave a quick shake in return. Tyler didn't ask where Caroline had found such a massive mutant tree, nor how she could control it so quickly. For one thing, they already had Handsy, so having another odd tree wasn't that surprising. Second, Tyler trusted Caroline, and if she trusted Medusa, that was enough for him. He wasn't the kind of person to pry or ask a bunch of questions. Caroline decided not to put Medusa back into her storage space. She'd keep Medusa up on the rooftop—both as company for Handsy and as an extra layer of defense. After today's events, Caroline realized even the rooftop wasn't safe. Once the interrogation was done and they'd worked out their next move, Caroline and Tyler turned their attention back to William and the others. Anyone cruel enough to unleash a plague to kill them was not getting off easy. Together, Caroline and Tyler dragged the battered trio downstairs. Their destination, Nelson's lab. By now, the shelter was nothing short of a living hell. The infection was spreading even faster than anyone expected. Before most people even understood what was happening, a third of the shelter had been infected. Worse, some people were infected and didn't even know it yet. The uninfected soldiers quickly split the sick and healthy into separate groups. But those who'd caught the plague developed sores and an unbearable itch within minutes. Soon, some of them began rolling on the floor in agony or clutching at others nearby in panic. Some of the infected were ability users. They'd finally felt "superior" after awakening their abilities, like they'd earned a better life. But now, just two days in, they found themselves infected, terrified as they stared at the raw flesh under their fingernails. Their reactions were even more intense than the average person's. Crying, wailing, and groans of pain echoed throughout the shelter. Many people had scratched themselves bloody, leaving streaks of blood on the floors and walls. Those whose faces and necks had started to rot clawed desperately at themselves, becoming monstrous. Some whose scalps were rotting ripped out their hair by the handful—sometimes along with pieces of their scalp. Francis rushed around, barking orders to everyone to avoid scratching their skin. He hurried to Dr. Summer's clinic to check on her progress.Her voice came out weak from behind the door. "Colonel Sutton, I'm doing my best. All I can confirm is that this is a virus that attacks the human immune system and skin tissue. I've managed to make a medicine that relieves symptoms, but I don't know how to cure it yet ... " Even that much was impressive—she'd created a treatment to ease the pain in such a short time. But this virus was so deadly. If it ever spread beyond here, it could easily wipe out humanity.