Chereads / ZO2014: Extinction / Chapter 23 - Try (1)

Chapter 23 - Try (1)

In the midst of the chaos and blood-soaked battleground, Cody's unwavering determination shone through as he took careful aim with his rifle and squeezed the trigger. 

 

The deafening gunshot echoed through the air, and another biter fell, but more were closing in, their grotesque forms a menacing threat. His heart raced as he realized the dire situation they were in. 

 

"We need to go! Now!" Aryton's urgent warning pierced the chaos, and he cast a worried glance back at Mars, who was tending to a gravely wounded comrade.

 

Just as despair seemed to creep in, a glimmer of hope arrived in the form of Raven and his battle-hardened soldiers. Raven, a commanding figure in his own right, brandished a fearsome mace with an air of authority. 

 

With a mighty swing, he smashed through the skull of a biter, causing its black, corrupted blood to splatter in all directions. The sight of Raven's arrival injected renewed strength into their hearts.

 

"GET THAT MAN TO SAFETY!" Raven's voice thundered through the fray, and Mars swiftly sprang into action. 

 

He expertly wrapped a cloth around the wounded man's stump, his patient and gentle touch contrasting with the man's anguished cries. One of Raven's loyal soldiers joined in, offering support from the other side, and together, they lifted the injured comrade to safety, their teamwork a testament to their unwavering camaraderie.

 

Amidst the pandemonium, a biter drew perilously close to Cody just as he attempted to reload his gun. Frustration welled up within him as the weapon jammed, and he muttered an expletive under his breath. 

 

The biter's grotesque hand reached for him, teeth bared in a grotesque snarl. Yet, just in the nick of time, Aya, a nimble and agile fighter, catapulted herself at the biter. 

 

With an agile kick to its chest, she sent the foul creature stumbling backward, narrowly sparing Cody from its deadly grasp.

 

Thinking quickly, Cody reversed his rifle, presenting the butt end as an improvised weapon. With a swift, well-aimed strike, he delivered a powerful blow to the biter's skull, sending it crashing to the ground. But the horde of biters was relentless, more of them swarming in from all sides.

 

As Mars and the compassionate soldier made their way back toward the safety of the camp, the rest of the group began their organized retreat. 

 

Raven, their unwavering leader, swung his mace once again, its brutal force causing yet another biter to crumple to the ground. The urgency in his voice was evident as he barked orders, "We need to kill all of them. We can't risk this group reaching the camp!"

 

Cody, now shouldering his jammed rifle, knew there was no time to lose. In one swift motion, he withdrew his knife, its gleaming blade a symbol of determination and resilience. 

 

Aryton, by his side, was equally relentless, swinging his weapon with unyielding resolve. Blood pooled on the ground as the biters fell one by one.

 

With Raven's leadership and guidance, the group fought on, their loyal comrades by their side. The battle-hardened soldiers, each with their distinct weapons and fighting styles, played their roles with precision. 

 

Badger, a fierce warrior, brandished dual curved machetes, expertly slashing through the biters, a dance of death that brought them down one by one.

 

"Dogface, Splinter! On me!" Raven's voice cut through the cacophony of the battle. 

 

Dogface wielded a two-sided hammer, one end blunt and the other unnaturally sharp, creating a gruesome spectacle as he swung with all his might. The air was filled with the gruesome splatter of black blood.

 

Splinter, on the other hand, exhibited finesse with a chain, twirling it around to trip up the biters, sending them crashing to the ground. Aya, the agile fighter, stomped on one of the fallen biters, her movements a blend of grace and lethal precision.

 

The final soldier, with distinctive armor adorned with spiked gloves, possessed immense brute force. Alone, he waded into the midst of the biters, his spiked fists making a brutal impact as they collided with the twisted creatures. The dark blood of their foes splattered and glistened in the harsh light of the battle.

 

Amidst the harrowing battle against the relentless biters, the tenacity and bravery of these warriors remained unwavering. 

 

Dogface, an indomitable force, couldn't contain his excitement as he cheered on the final soldier, Guts. With a jubilant grin, Dogface commended, "Guts, good shit!" Guts, a mirthful madman of a fighter, continued to swing his fists, dealing deathly blows to the biters. 

 

His cheerful laugh echoed through the battlefield, and his voice resounded with fiery determination, "THESE UNDEAD FREAKS WILL NOT GET THE BEST OF ME! NOT TODAY! NOT EVER!" With a thunderous roar, Guts threw another devastating punch, his fist piercing through a biter's skull.

 

Guts reveled in the macabre dance of battle, his laughter punctuated by his disdain for the grotesque remains of their undead foes. "That's gross as shit!" Guts exclaimed, his eyes fixed on a particularly gruesome biter – a woman with a jawless face and a single, malevolent eye. 

 

Her stomach had been gruesomely torn open, a testament to the horrors they faced. But Guts was unapologetic, even amidst the horrors of this new world.

 

 "You're just as gross, sweetheart!" He continued to laugh maniacally, grabbing the biter and delivering a brutal knee to its face. Blood spattered, and he swiftly dispatched another biter that ventured too close for comfort.

 

Splinter, the sly and resourceful member of the group, grinned and displayed his own prowess, kneeing a biter with precision. 

 

The unfortunate creature was sent hurtling into a nearby tree, the impact ending its miserable existence. Dogface, on the other hand, swung his weapon, a merciless blow that instantly silenced another biter.

 

As the relentless biters dwindled in number, Cody, displaying his newfound combat skills, rushed to Dogface's side. 

 

In a swift and life-saving maneuver, he plunged his knife into a biter that had crept dangerously close to his comrade. 

 

Dogface turned to Cody, offering a rare moment of praise, "Nice job, kiddo!" Raven, their fearless leader, finished off the last biter with a powerful swing of his mace.

 

 The battleground was now littered with the remains of their gruesome foes, a testament to their hard-fought victory.

 

Aryton, the elder member of their small group, walked over to Cody and patted him on the back. 

 

His voice was filled with pride as he remarked, "You've grown in the past couple of weeks." Cody met his gaze with a determined nod.

 

 "I have to, for her," he hinted at Lilly, the beacon of hope that kept them moving forward. Aryton smiled faintly, a silent acknowledgement of their shared purpose. "We'll visit her tonight."

 

With a sense of unity and camaraderie, the group gathered around Raven, who commended their valor with a warm smile. They were a band of survivors, bound by a shared purpose and a deep-rooted determination to overcome the horrors that surrounded them.

 

But the jubilant atmosphere was abruptly shattered by a deafening hum, the ominous sound of an approaching engine. 

 

Trees began crashing down in the distance, the ground shaking beneath them as the cacophony drew nearer with each passing second. The group's joy turned to shock and apprehension.

 

Suddenly, an armored vehicle burst through the trees, colliding headlong with a towering oak. The impact left the tree dented and the vehicle emitting thick plumes of smoke. Cody stared at the monstrous machine in stunned disbelief. It was massive, and the implications of its sudden appearance were deeply unsettling.

 

Raven, realizing the imminent danger, wasted no time. He sprinted towards the three kids and barked orders with an urgency that sent a chill down their spines. "TAKE COVER! NOW NOW!"

 

Splinter, the agile fighter, reacted swiftly, tackling Cody to the ground, shielding him from potential harm. In the chaos, Raven seized Aya and Aryton, and with a swift roll down the hill, they sought refuge behind the cover of the terrain.

 

The other three members of the group swiftly darted towards the concealing refuge of the trees, their movements a display of precision honed through countless battles.

 

But as the whirring sound intensified, Cody's heart sank as he recognized its ominous nature. "SPLINTER, GET OFF!" He screamed in desperation, fear coursing through him.

 

In the midst of the looming danger, Splinter met Cody's gaze with unflinching resolve. "Don't look at me, pal," he retorted, a calm determination in his eyes. 

 

The whirring sound morphed into the deafening staccato of machine gun fire. Splinter clasped Cody in a protective embrace, shielding him from the onslaught of bullets that rained down upon them. 

 

His armored form absorbed the devastating impact of the bullets, and the twisted echo of machinery continued to rip through the air.

 

Cody's eyes widened in sheer horror as Splinter, his valiant protector, coughed out blood. 

 

The crimson liquid splattered around his helmet, a grim testimony to the sacrifice he was making. Splinter strained to move his body, with every ounce of strength he could muster, pushing Cody down the hill to safety.

 

The machine gun continued its merciless symphony, as Splinter's body twisted and turned, its integrity giving way to the relentless onslaught. 

 

Blood poured from his armor, painting a nightmarish tableau of sacrifice. A final, fatal bullet struck his head, and he fell to the ground, his life extinguished in the blink of an eye.

 

Cody tumbled down the hill, his body landing in a bush, its sharp branches providing little comfort. He let out a pained grunt, his senses overwhelmed by the surge of adrenaline and the nightmarish reality of the world they inhabited.