"Miss Kim, take a look at this and tell me your thoughts about what it is"
"You can call me Kim Hannah, it's weird being called by my first name after working my whole life but sure I'll gladly look at what you have"
Dean had taken the two jars with a brain contained in them and showed it to her while she and him left a corner in the room. He didn't show any restraint with showing something that would normally make someone else vomit. Kim Hannah continued to munch on some beans and examine the two brains in earnest.
"This should be the brains from the zombies, correct?"
"Mm, the one fully black is from the full turned zombie, where as the semi black brain is from someone that was attacked"
Kim Hannah put down her food and stared directly into Dean's eyes and whispered ever so slightly so that only he and she could hear what she said.
"We're fucked"
"From what I can briefly see is that this black colour is caused by a highly mutative "virus""
"I mean even I was able to figure that out but why call it a "virus" as if your not sure"
"Yes, but did you also find out that we should all currently be infected. Hahahahhaha"
Kim Hannah leaned on her chair and started to laugh maniacally hearing what she had just said. Dean stared widely at her words and had many thoughts running in his mind, The other people in the room had now begun to stare at Kim Hannah and stopped eating out of worry for her wellbeing. She was all moppy and depressed before, then finally became normal when she was eating with everyone and now she had started to crazily laugh. They were worried that her mother's death had made her have a mental disorder to cope.
"Sorry let me continue on"
Everyone stopped eating and looked at her waiting for her to talk. Abigail was still happily nibbling on her food while Roxas was cleaning the dishes in the sink while also perking his ears at what Kim Hannah had to say.
"I say we're all infected but not by the same strain of virus as this zombie"
"This virus that we're all infected with should be something that lies dormant with no proper stimulant. I can't tell what the proper stimulant is with no lab equipment but back to the topic of zombies"
"This virus is something that has never been seen before. A zombie carries a variant virus that changes and evolves the dormant virus in us to become the same as a zombie"
"As a zombie infects and taints the "S gene", the new tainted virus takes over the brain and gives super benefits. Enhanced strength, speed, endurance, senses are a few things that should start to appear in zombies"
"S gene?"
Dean asked Kim Hannah.
"Yes, super gene. It should be like captain America's super hero serum which is why I shall give it the name superhero gene"
Dean liked her naming style. He was an otaku at heart and felt the need to have a good name to identify something. He nodded and felt slightly excited at the name.
"Okay, carry on"
"As this virus is highly mutative, zombies should only become stronger and stronger over time. Also if the virus is stimulated by outside environments, mutant zombies should appear that are even stronger by adapting to the environment"
"That's means it's not safe to stay here"
"Correct, if we stay here for too long and don't get proper things to defend with we'll be overrun by the zombies that will only get stronger with time"
Dean had commented that it would no longer be safe in the store and Kim Hannah agreed with him. The rest of the group had become astonished at the new information. Dean asked one final question to Kim Hannah.
"What would happen if we could stimulate the dormant virus the "S gene" in us"
"Well it shouldn't be anything bad, we could show similar results to super human powers. If it's as mutative as the zombies, its effects should vary from person to person. I guess a days time should be enough for the mutation to occur, small benefits should be noticeable earlier though such as things the host couldn't do before"
Kim Hannah wore a sly pitiful smile and continued.
"Or we could turn into something worse than a zombie"
Dean started to think about the new information. If what Kim Hannah said was correct and that everyone was already infected. He should be in the process of mutation. His senses were never this good before and he should only continue to show improvements.
'As for how everyone became infected. It should've been the black hole'
Before when the black hole sucked in everything, it shouldn't have destroyed but instead moved everything inside itself. An isolated dimension. The world and solar system was now trapped in the black hole isolated from the outside universe. Dean couldn't fathom why the black hole had infected them with the "S gene" but his thoughts needed to be on survival first. He needed to plan how to survive.
Dean told the group some supplies to go grab so that he could make weapons. Everyone agreed briefly looking at the shabby brooms that lay on one side of the room.
The group went their separate ways going to find the things Dean had requested. Dean was someone that they could trust, he had risked his life multiple times and his character that they had seen so far was someone that wouldn't betray them. Although Dean thought that what he was doing was only he for his survival, he knew he was becoming closer to everyone. He didn't want to admit it but he was finding them trust worthy.
"Big brother, what can I do?"
Abigail the young girl had asked Dean what she could do, she had noticed that the rest of the group had gone out to do something. She was mature and smart and felt that she should also help the man that had saved her and her parents.
Dean patted her head and told her some tasks she could do, such as packing some food and water in a bag. The group had no desire to stay in the supermarket any longer now that they had learnt that zombies would only grow stronger. They needed to find somewhere more secure and have good weapons, preferably guns. The supermarket had good supplies but those would eventually run out, what would they do then with no guns to scavenge the surrounding buildings.
As the group had rushed out to grab the supplies Dean needed. A man had noticed their odd behaviour. This man was under Sang Woo and hurriedly reported what he saw to him. Ever since his encounter at the entrance of the store with Dean, Sang Woo had started to monitor his group.
Sang Woo was an ambitious man. He had always had the personality to climb over people ever since a kid. His job as a lawyer had only multiplied that feeling of dominance he wished for. He wanted to rule the supermarket and make the other groups inside come under him. He wanted to be the king.
Dean stood in his way. His group was already isolated from the others by the work of Sang Woo. Sang Woo also wouldn't let someone who had openly disrespected him come under him or live peacefully.
With an amiable smile on his face Sang Woo approached a member in Dean's group.
It was Harris.