"Reapers?" Micheal inquired with curiosity, gazing intently at the man for answers.
"Please help me alert the others, otherwise they could all be wiped out" The man hurried to Micheal and pleaded, recognizing him as the captain of the squad.
"What are you talking about, slow down, you mentioned something about Reapers—what exactly are Reapers?" Micheal inquired with composure as the man anxiously darted left and right, as if he were being pursued.
"Mike, we don't have time, let's go, forget this guy, he's out of his mind," Bai said to Michael, who frowned and glanced at the man, who appeared anxious.
"Alright, lead the way to the others. Let's get going." Micheal let out a sigh and addressed the man, who smiled in gratitude before turning to lead them. However, he was swiftly halted by Bai, who pointed the gun directly at his face.
"Hey Mike, what are you doing? We don't have time to check on some 'survivors'; we have a mission, and it could be a trap." Bai urged Micheal to let go of the man and concentrate on the mission at hand.
"In case you have forgotten, rescuing any survivor is also part of the mission. We can't just leave them here when there is a nuke headed this way; that would be the same as abandoning them to die," Michael replied to Bai, who frowned and snorted in disapproval before turning around.
"Mike's right, we need to inform them about the approaching nuke and advise them to evacuate; we can't just leave them to die," Yoshi added, backing Michael's statement.
"I wasn't talking to you, buckethead. Mind your business" Bai shot back, clearly irritated, as he glared at Yoshi.
"Hey, watch your mouth, kid. I'm not someone who listens to nonsense like this," Yoshi said to Bai, who chuckled before shoving him backwards.
"Hey, stop it, both of you!" Hei suddenly stepped in between them to prevent the fight from escalating any further.
"Step aside, Hei, and allow me to teach this fool a lesson" Bai declared, he was prepared to confront Yoshi immediately, but his brother interrupted him with a gesture towards Micheal, who had his eyes shut.
"Micheal, what's going on?" Yoshi approached him and asked.
"Can you hear that?" Micheal inquired softly.
"Hear...what?" Racheal inquired, straining her ears to catch what he was talking about.
"Footsteps, they're coming from over there," Michael replied, pointing in a specific direction.
BEEP
"Enemies," Henry said, glancing at his watch before frowning.
"No, it's just one," Michael corrected, opening his eyes to gaze at a solitary figure that emerged at the far end of the tunnel.
"Uhh, who's that?" Bai observed the approaching figure with a sense of caution.
Yoshi's gaze sharpened as he focused on the figure, carefully observing its movements. He recognized the unmistakable gait of a zombie. His attention shifted to the figure's hands, which had transformed into a curved blade. The creature's body was tattered, marked by numerous bites and cuts.
"It's a reaper! Run!" The man who suddenly recognized the figure spun around in alarm.
"ROAR" The reaper, noticing the group let out a thunderous roar and lifted its transformed hands high into the air.
"I'll handle this; I don't understand why this guy is so afraid." Hei chuckled and lifted his gun, directing it at the figure who remained still, gazing at the group.
"BANG" Hei fired a shot and then lowered his gun, fully aware that he had dispatched his enemy. However, what he encountered was an entirely unscathed reaper who had inexplicably shifted in the blink of an eye.
"Huh, what the heck, hmmp, it seems like today is your lucky day." Hei muttered and aimed once more, pulling the trigger. This time, he observed as the reaper evaded the bullet, moving with astonishing speed as it rushed toward him.
"You little piece of.." Hei cursed in frustration as he witnessed his target remain completely unscathed. He took aim and unleashed a barrage of shots, but the reaper evaded them with astonishing speed, dodging every bullet fired in its direction. Hei continued to shoot until his ammunition was depleted, and just as he was about to reload, the reaper lunged forward with incredible swiftness, appearing before him in the blink of an eye.
"FU—" Hei couldn't even curse as the reaper's blades loomed before him, ready to tear him asunder. He shut his eyes, acknowledging that his moment had arrived, with no opportunity to respond. He closed his eyes for a few moments, preparing for the end but nothing occurred. As he opened his eyes, he discovered the reaper mere inches from him, and in an instant, the reaper divided in two, collapsing to either side.
"It is important to exercise more caution next time, and use your ability, you could have died" Hei turned around to see Yoshi cleaning the blood from his sword, his gaze fixed on the reaper's lifeless body. It became clear that Yoshi had acted swiftly, striking the reaper just as he was about to attack Hei, meaning that Yoshi had saved his life.
"Are you okay bro? That was intense," Bai asked, rushing to his brother, who was still shaken, staring at the body of the reaper.
"Yeah, I'm okay. I just...thank you, really..thank you," Hei replied to his brother before turning to Yoshi and bowing in respect.
"It's no problem, we are all partners," Yoshi said, smiling at Hei.
"Is that the reaper you talked about?" Micheal turned to the man and inquired, gesturing toward the lifeless body.
"You eliminated the reaper with a single strike. How did you do that? Who are you?" The man was utterly astonished, leaving him unable to think clearly.
"Hey! Answer the question: what are the Reapers?" Micheal inquired once more, seizing the man's clothing and forcefully pressing him against the wall.
"The ones below are Reapers and the ones above are creepers, but the most dangerous are the—" The man eventually regained his composure and collected his thoughts after a brief altercation with Michael; he was in
the process of explaining when an interruption occurred.
"BEEP BEEP" As the watches began to beep, all eyes turned toward them.
"What's happening? So many red dots." Racheal exclaimed in disbelief as she gazed at her watch, which displayed several red dots rapidly approaching their location.
"Let's move now, let's go, lead the way now!" Micheal swiftly guided his group through the tunnel, with the man taking the lead.
"Go ahead, I'll be right behind you." Micheal paused midway as he retrieved a pack of C4 from his bag. He meticulously positioned the explosives at strategic points while his companions took the lead. Just as he was nearing completion, he noticed a group of shadows emerging from one end of the tunnel. Quickening his pace, he continued to insert the C4, ready to bring down the entire building on the Reapers and impede their advance.
*********************************************
In the depths of the dark tunnel, various camping gear was arranged, creating a spacious area filled with tents. People wandered about, engaged in lively conversations, while children played joyfully, oblivious to their surroundings. Lampposts were strategically placed throughout the settlement, illuminating the scene. The group was notably large, comprising children, youths, and middle-aged individuals. Two entrances marked the settlement, with watchful individuals stationed at each end. As the merriment continued, the entire tunnel suddenly trembled.
"BOOM" A loud explosion reverberated through the tunnel, causing it to shake violently as the expressions of everyone shifted dramatically, leaving them bewildered by the sudden event.
"What was that?" One of the men who rushed out from the tents asked in alarm; he appeared to be the leader of the settlement. Immediately, some of the men on watch also hurried to his side.
"There was an explosion originating from the west flank. Tom isn't back either," one of the men responded, his expression filled with concern.
"Roger, assemble a team and go investigate what occurred; we must determine if we are facing an attack." The leader addressed the man named Roger, who nodded in response and prepared to move. Suddenly, a series of shouts erupted from one of the entrances, accompanied by threats.
"What's happening over there as well?" The leader let out a deep sigh and reached for his gun, making his way toward the source of the shouts.
"Hey, what's happening here?" He shouted in anger upon arriving to find his group with their guns aimed at a foreign group, who were also heavily armed and had their weapons pointed back at them. There were only five of the foreigners, a stark contrast to the larger force of his group. Oddly enough, the foreign group didn't appear frightened by their numbers; instead, they
looked calm and relaxed.
"Von, these individuals just showed up with Tom as a hostage. We asked them to lower their weapons, but they appear unwilling to comply." One of the men who had initially come across the group detailed the situation to the leader, who quietly reflected. He had never realized another group was still surviving in the zone. It was only after hearing the man's account that he spotted Tom within the foreign group.
"I wish to speak with your leader." Von handed his gun to one of his men and stepped forward, instructing them to lower their weapons. The group appeared non-hostile, prompting him to adopt a gentle approach. If that failed, he could always resort to other methods. With the advantage of numbers on his side, he felt confident about facing a direct confrontation, yet he understood the wisdom in being cautious.
"Our leader is currently occupied, so I will step in for him. Are you the leader here?" Yoshi stepped forward, lowering his gun as he inquired of Von, who assessed him before responding.
"Well, you could interpret it that way. And given that you have one of my men held hostage, it seems reasonable to view it as a form of aggression, wouldn't you agree?" Von chuckled and spoke to Yoshi, who remained unfazed by Von's words.
"We came here to warn you, and he's not our hostage," Yoshi replied, grabbing Tom and shoving him toward his group.
"Von! Von! Von! We need to leave instantly. Please pack everything, and let's get going." Tom, having been gagged by Bai, removed the gag and spoke to Von as soon as he was released, with a tone filled with panic.
"Is it because of them? Relax and speak, What's wrong?" Von inquired of Tom, who took a moment to catch his breath and steady himself before responding.
"There are Reapers heading towards us, a whole squad of Reapers." Tom paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before delivering the shocking news to Von, whose expression shifted immediately, revealing his shock.
"Wait, what did you just say? Reapers?" Von requested confirmation that he had indeed heard correctly.
"Yes, you heard him correctly—a whole herd powerful enough to eliminate all of you in mere minutes. So, gather your belongings and exit the zone immediately. Once you're outside the city, seek shelter and wait for 3 and a half days, perhaps four. You will be rescued and taken to safety," Yoshi responded on Tom's behalf, guiding them toward the wisest decision: to leave the zone completely.
"Whoa, hold on a minute, Robocop. I don't know who you all think you are, but you can't just waltz in here and start barking orders at us like we're livestock." Von responded, a hint of irritation in his voice, as Yoshi's tone came across as commanding.
"Listen here 'Von', I don't think you fully understand the situation. Reapers are on their way, so gather your belongings and leave. In just 4 days, this entire area could be reduced to rubble. As a leader, it's your responsibility to ensure the safety of your people, so act accordingly." Bai, already irritated by their presence, approached Von and spoke coldly, his desire to punch him evident, but he was restrained by his brother.
"Von, they're right, we have to leave. On the way here, they explained their reason for being here; they were sent by the government for a special mission. The time limit for the mission is 5 days, and they've already been here for a day. After that, a nuke will be dropped onto the zone, leveling it to the ground and destroying the Reapers and Creepers," Tom added to what Bai said, trying to convince him. After hearing Tom, Von stayed silent for a minute, trying to decide whether to follow their instructions or not. He had the responsibility to take care of everyone here, so he had to be careful with their lives.
"Alright, we'll leave, but we're uncertain of the exit. After everything that transpired, we gathered all the survivors and have been living here ever since. Our supplies, food, and ammunition are running low, and we're uncertain if we can navigate the tunnels with the ammunition we currently possess." Von let out a sigh before addressing Yoshi, who then turned to the others and nodded before facing Von again.
"Take this watch; it will guide you through these
tunnels. Each red dot indicates an enemy. Stick to the tunnels, don't go out of the sewers until you reach the last exit. And remember, eliminate everyone infected, or it could escalate into something worse, attack their necks, and if possible, burn them alive" Yoshi instructed Von, handing him an assault rifle, a handgun, and two grenades.
"These are all we can give you; manage them wisely," Yoshi added after handing him the supplies.
"Thank you. Tom, please help the others pack quickly; we're leaving immediately." Von said graciously before turning to Tom; he then realized that he had misunderstood the group.
"No problem, just leave," Yoshi replied with a casual shrug as Hei whispered something into his ear.
"Thank you for everything. So, where are you all headed? I know it's official, but perhaps we can assist. We have been here longer than you, and we would love to show our gratitude." Von implored Yoshi, who hesitated, contemplating a thought.