The group had managed to get into the Apocrabile and sped off down the road. They were finally out of the deadly house. However, this didn't mean their troubles had taken a break. Things were about to get a whole lot worse. Dark clouds had begun hovering over their heads, signifying the troubles to come.
Anastasia drove at a high speed trying to ensure they were far away from Hades. There was no telling what a Rank 5 Apocrypha could do in such a situation.
Serenity and Deandre both sat gloomily behind her. They had failed to save Brandon— their new friend. They now understood Zane's words. It was impossible to save everyone. It was a cold reality that they had to accept.
They wished Zane could have taught them in a better way, but they understood his reasoning. The best way to learn something was by gaining experience. It wasn't something they wanted, but it was something they needed for what the future held.
As they drove, silence blasted its music through the vehicle. Layla had taken her original placing in the lap of Zane. However, this time she ensured to consider the pressure she placed on his legs. She didn't want a repeat of what had happened earlier. If they were to get into a tough situation, it would be hard for him to move with anemic legs.
Layla stared at Zane from the corner of her eye. She didn't know what to say to him. For some weird reason, Zane seemed slightly different. It was almost as if he had reverted to the dark side of himself. The part of him that had been awakened after Ashley's death.
If that were the case, then it was a cause for concern. Something back at the house had definitely affected his mood. Layla wanted to ask Zane how he was feeling, but she felt slightly intimidated. She feared Zane's answer would be something she didn't wish to hear.
"Hey, Zane, bro... You okay?" suddenly asked Nick, saving Layla the trouble.
Zane averted his eyes to Nick— his face still void of expression. "I am. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I honestly kinda feel bad, fam. We're best buds, yet we hardly talk, even though we're always together. I know you're going through a lot right now, and I want to be there for you."
Zane sighed as if he was bothered by Nick's sudden softness. "Everything's fine, Nick. We all have our problems. I never stopped seeing us as best buds. It's just this cursed world that makes things seem that way."
Nick felt a little relieved hearing Zane's words. He had started to think that they had begun to grow apart. Knowing Zane still viewed him as his best friend was comforting.
Layla then traced her fingers across Zane's hand in a slightly romantic manner. Since Nick had started asking the questions, it wouldn't be a bad idea to follow up with some of her own.
"Zane, you're not reverting to that dark side of you, right..? The side of you that was reckless enough to challenge two Rank 5 Chimera..." she asked softly.
Zane pondered for a short moment. He would be lying if he said he didn't at least feel a little similar to how he was then. However, he could think clearly and make correct decisions. This meant he wasn't completely allowing his darkness to manipulate him.
"I'm not. At least not completely like I was back then. I can think clearly and my number one priority, for now, is keeping you all safe. If anything, I'd say I found equilibrium with both my light and dark halves. This is who I need to be."
"So, you won't do anything reckless like challenging Chimera to fights again?"
Zane smirked as he looked at her. A part of him even wanted to laugh for some reason. "I'm just a simple human like everyone else, Layla. I'm not dumb enough to fight their species the way I am right now. I need to somehow grow stronger if I'm to do that."
Layla stole a breath of relief. She was happy Zane was continuing to grow, but she didn't want him to grow too much. If he did, there was a possibility he would lose his humanity. That was the last thing she needed, especially given her feelings for him.
"Hey..." she called softly.
"Hmm?"
"I wanted to ask you a question..."
"Then do it. I won't bite."
Layla took a deep breath. She was scared of Zane's answer, but she needed to get it off her chest. She needed to ask him how he felt about her. They had been together for quite a while now and she wanted to know how it had impacted him. Did he fall in love with her too? Or was it a one-sided event all along?
"I've never been this nervous or flustered about something in all my life... So please, when I ask you, be gentle with me... Okay..?"
Zane's facial expression remained the same. He stared at Layla nonchalantly while nodding. "Go ahead."
"Okay... I wanted to know... What do you think of me..? Like, what am I to you..? How do you feel about me..?"
Everyone froze as they stretched their ears to listen to the conversation. They could hardly believe Layla was asking for a confession from Zane.
Zane averted his eyes from Layla and stared through the tinted window— not wanting to look her in the eyes. His answer would be simple and short as it needed to be.
"The world is ending. Romance will only hold us back if we wish to survive."
Layla squinted her eyes repeatedly as she steadied herself. She placed a smile on her face and fiddled her fingers. She would be lying if she said she wasn't a little hurt, but what Zane said was the truth. As much as she wanted it, romance would only hold them back.
"Right..." she muttered.
Just then, not even giving Layla enough time to embrace her heartbreak, was the sound of heavy machinery. The group dashed their eyes forward to see military tankers, trucks, and hundreds of other highly classified vehicles approaching them. Even jets were being flown over their heads as if ready to bomb them on the spot.
"Oh crap, man! Is that the military??" asked Lamar.
"Yes... This is really bad... The military is hunting Zane and Layla. We can't let them see us." mumbled Nick.
"That's not the major issue here!" screamed Anastasia as she pulled the Apocrabile to a stop. "We're all in an Apocrypha vehicle... They'll shoot at us if we don't show ourselves as humans!"
"What are we going to do then, yo? It's either we show them Zane and Layla or we let them shoot us down!" declared Lamar.
Zane squinched his eyes as he pondered. Even though they were in an Apocrabile, it wouldn't be enough to stand against an entire army of human soldiers. They had to reveal themselves and prove their innocence before they were reduced to pools of blood.
"Let's get out and show them we're humans. It's the only way."
"Wait! What about Anastasia? They might find out she's not human and try to kill her!" suddenly exclaimed Serenity.
Zane hissed at the situation. However, they had no choice. He would just have to think of a plan to keep her safe as they went along.
"I'll think of something. Just hurry and exit before they start firing at us. Ensure you show no hostility when you reveal yourselves. They might mow us down before we can prove our innocence."
No one argued. It was the best course of action. They had to hope luck was on their side. Carefully, they stepped out into the open— their hands placed above their heads to show their lack of hostility.
The group of friends looked forward to see the entire army of military vehicles and soldiers halting to a stop. The jet engines above shrieked through the air like invisible bombs, circling the army. It was obvious they were ready for war.
The soldiers then suddenly arched their guns forward, pointing at the group. It was almost as if they were planning to shoot them down.
"Man! Is this how I'm going to die? They gone full us up with bullet holes, yo! Rasta going to become holy now, yo!" cried Lamar.
"Geez... Calm down with the pun. It's just a safety measure..." declared Layla.
After a few seconds of waiting, a high-ranking military soldier then stepped out from behind the army of soldiers. He had bright blue eyes and short brown hair which complemented his tan skin color. He looked at the group intensely as if observing them.
"Hello! My name is Colonel Brady!" he started with a croaky voice. "I'll keep introductions short so I can get to the point. Who are you? And answer my question honestly. Otherwise, I'll be forced to take you all down."
Zane calmly stepped forward, ensuring they could hear his voice. "My name's Zane. The runaway from the military base around three weeks ago. We were there when Commander Frost and the others died."
Colonel Brady squinched his eyes to get a better view of Zane's face. Carefully, he walked over to them to confirm Zane's claim. He washed his eyes over Zane from head to toe. Physically, Zane looked like a real human being. However, he needed to be sure before he let his guard down.
"So, if you're Zane, then where is your girlfriend? The other one called, Layla?"
"I'm right here..." stated Layla as she stepped forward.
"Okay, but can you prove you two aren't Apocrypha under disguise?"
Zane lowered his shirt, revealing the dark-purple spot on his neck. Layla did the same also proving her humanity.
Colonel Brady rubbed his half-shaved beard as he looked around at the others. Zane and Layla had proved their innocence, but he needed to ensure the others were human as well.
"What about the others?" he asked.
"They're all humans, sir. The game has changed since the last time we were with the military. Instead of just two of us, eight others were selected to join the game. Unfortunately, we lost some on the way, but everyone else here is safe." explained Layla.
Not needing to be told, the others pulled down their clothes, revealing the dark-purple spots on their necks. The only two that were unable to do so, were Anastasia and Lamar since they didn't have a marking.
"Okay, I can't get all the details from you now, but there are still two among you who haven't proven themselves. I need both of them to prove their humanity—"
"With all due respect sir," suddenly interrupted Zane, "I am not dumb enough to travel with an Apocrypha. I have checked every person in this group time and time again. You are only wasting time blabbering about this nonsense. Can we move on already?"
Zane's eyes had a serious expression cast over them. Colonel Brady examined his eyes, becoming discouraged that any of them were Apocrypha. "I'm sorry, Zane. But when you all show up in an enemy vehicle, we have to be thorough."
"We simply managed to trick the Apocrypha and steal the vehicle. I guess soldiers wouldn't be able to pull something like that off, so it's expected that you're skeptical." Added Layla, hurting Colonely Brady's pride.
Colonel Brady hissed at their taunts. However, he knew they had a point. Arguing about the situation would only cost them precious time. They needed to get back on the road as soon as possible.
"Fine, but you're all coming with us. We'll also be taking the stolen vehicle for research."
Zane wanted to argue, but it wouldn't do them any good. The military wouldn't just let them go when they were the final hope of humanity. He had to persevere for now and go along with it.
It was very unfortunate that at this time, none of them knew the events they were planning would never come through.
Suddenly, the roaring of dozens of Apocrabiles came into play. Every human being present swung their head around in shock. Their eyes met upon an army of Apocrabiles of different shapes and sizes approaching them at high speeds. Hundreds of Apocrypha's of different ranks were inside and ready for war.
"Man! What's the point of life? We all about to become food, yo!" Murmured Lamar.
"What the hell are we going to do? We'll get caught in this battlezone!" cursed Nick.
Bits of panic began creeping up on every human being present. Deandre and Serenity were scared to the point where they wrapped themselves around Anastasia as if she were their mother.
Layla and Zane also stared at the approaching Apocrypha with pained faces. This was a very unprecedented situation.
"Don't run. Go take shelter behind our army. The Apocrypha won't strike yet." muttered Colonel Brady getting his gun out.
Zane had no intention of taking cover behind the army of soldiers. It was absurd to think that they could protect them from an army of Apocrypha. Little did they know the worst was yet to come.
Just then, before they could even move off, the Apocrabile's came to a stop. Hundreds of Apocrypha and Chimera emerged from the vehicles with alienated weapons in hand. The dark clouds in the sky were shielding them from the pelting sun.
Calmly stepping in front of the army of Apocrypha, were everyone's worst nightmares. The leaders of the Apocrypha army were none other than Hades and Apollo themselves. A sinister smile placed across each of their faces as entertainment found its way to them.
"Hehehoo!! This shall be fun!" squealed Apollo.
"Zane! You will never escape me! I shall savor your brain for myself! The taste shall be delectable!" screamed Hades.
"Hmph! Like a dumb Apocrypha like yourself can take my brain. I dare you." laughed Zane manically.
Apollo pinched his snake-like eyes as he stared at Zane. Apollo realized he was acting differently from before.
"Ooh! Zane!! It seems you have grown... How interesting! Hehehoo!!"
Zane didn't get the chance to respond. Another awful noise was making itself known within the distance. Every living organism present went quiet as they looked over to their right.
Humans, Chimera, and Apocrypha alike began flinching in fear as one of their worse nightmares ran towards them. The infected of the Apocravirus was running towards them in a number greater than a thousand. They tripped over one another aggressively— gnashing their teeth at one another. Purple blood and Apocravirus particles spewed from their bodies like rain. It was now a three-way deadlock.
"This is really bad..." muttered Anastasia.
"H-How can this get any worse..?" trembled Serenity.
Serenity should have kept her mouth shut. It was far from over.
A sudden rumbling began coming from above the clouds. It roared as if something extremely huge was approaching— similar to when the Apocrypha had taken over New York.
Slowly, the clouds began to make a path as something forced its way through. Coming through the sea of dark clouds was a giant spacecraft that had lightning flickering around it. Anastasia and all the other Apocrypha alike began trembling with fear. Even Apollo and Hades looked slightly scared. Their very worse nightmare was upon them.
Zane looked up at the giant spacecraft as it descended. On the bottom, somehow written in English, were letters in red-bold. The letters formed together to give the chilling name of 'The Anunnaki'.