"Whoa, hold up, y'all!" Finnley snapped at his crew, stopping them from wasting ammo like it was going out of style.
Plus, he caught that Zane had pulled a Houdini on them, just vanished into thin air.
A chill ran down his spine.
"Where'd that sneaky dude go?"
But then, like some horror movie twist, Zane popped up inside the house!
"No way, dude!"
Eyes bugged out all around, some folks even did a double-take, thinking their eyes were playing tricks.
"How in the world did he sneak in here?"
"What in the actual heck? Feels like we're in a horror flick!"
"He ain't no regular zombie, he's like a boss level monster!"
"...."
Everyone's hair was on end, like cats who just saw a cucumber behind them.
In a knee-jerk reaction, someone aimed their piece, finger twitching on the trigger.
But Zane was already on his game, unleashing the Zombie King mojo, a heavy vibe that felt like a mountain just parked on everyone's shoulders, freezing them in place.
Finnley, with his extra senses tingling, thought he saw a sea of blood behind Zane, swallowing them whole.
Whoosh—
Despite the heavy air, flames sparked up in Finnley's hands.
Being an Awakened with a Core crystal, he wasn't just any regular Joe.
Even under the Zombie King's heavy hand, he could still make a move, though it was tough.
"Bring it!"
Gritting his teeth, he threw everything he had, fists blazing, and charged at Zane.
Zane looked ready, but kinda unsure.
This was his first showdown with an Awakened, and he wasn't too sure about his own strength.
"Let's see what I've got."
Zane figured it was time for a test drive.
But he wasn't taking it lightly, knowing Finnley wasn't just some pushover, so he threw a punch with everything he had.
Boom! Their fists met, and the sound was brutal.
Finnley's flames died out, and his arm crumbled like it was made of chalk.
The force sent him flying back, smashing into the alloy wall.
Crack!
It was a mess, worse than a high dive onto concrete.
"Huh?" Zane looked puzzled.
"Is he out for the count just like that?"
Seemed like even an Awakened with a Core crystal wasn't much of a challenge...
Finnley's crew was shell-shocked.
Just a second ago, they were hoping Finnley would turn the tide.
But in a flash, he was down for the count!
"This guy's beyond tough..."
"He's not just a monster, he's a nightmare!"
"The end times are legit here."
"....."
Despair settled in among the guards.
Under the Zombie King's thumb, they were stuck, and the faint-hearted among them were already out cold.
Zane stepped up, plucking the Core crystal from Finnley's wrecked skull.
Unlike the usual loot, this Core crystal was clear, about the size of a small egg, and smelled way better.
The energy it packed was also top-tier.
"Snack time..."
Zane popped the Core crystal into his mouth. It dissolved with a sweetness that spread warmth through his body.
The pure energy was a quick fix, beefing up his strength.
Zane was feeling pretty good.
This one Core crystal was worth at least ten regular ones.
He pulled out a wipe, cleaning his hands meticulously.
Then, he strolled to the exit, flipping the safety door open like it was nothing.
"Kiddos, grub's up!"
"Roar—"
A whole mob of zombies went wild, storming the safe house and chowing down on the guards while screams rang out like a bad horror movie soundtrack.
But then... all quiet on the western front.
....
Just like that, the hunt was over. The joint, recently snagged by Quantum Leap Innovations, was overrun again. Zombies were strolling around, leaving nothing but bad vibes behind. Every now and then, some creepy crows swooped down to snack on the leftovers.
Meanwhile, Zane and his zombie crew had already bounced back to their hideout.
First thing, Zane hit the showers and slipped into some fresh threads.
Thanks to that Core crystal snack, he wasn't feeling peckish, so he poured himself some fresh blood into a cup and kicked back, chilling like he was just your average Joe next door.
"Boss, what were you up to just now?" Emma, who was scrubbing the floor, threw out casually. After all, chatting with Zane was her only entertainment, and it usually got pretty dull.
Without even looking her way, Zane was like, "Nothing big, just grabbed some munchies."
"Uh..." Emma paused, looking all kinds of confused. It's the Apocalypse, where does one even find snacks? She probably had a hunch about what he meant.
Maybe... better left unsaid. They weren't exactly speaking the same language...
After each raid, Zane would chill in his lair for a few days.
No matter the chaos outside, it was none of his business.
Zane kept powering up daily, evolving non-stop.
Since the Apocalypse kicked off, he was never short on grub.
So, Zane's idea of his own strength was kinda fuzzy.
He had hoped to test his might against Finnley, but Finnley was too soft, knocked out with one punch.
Was there anyone out there who could actually put up a fight?
But Zane's smackdown of Finnley and the fall of the prison made waves online.
Both the official shelters and Quantum Leap Innovations were all over this news.
When the 'Prison Under Attack' hit the Quantum Leap Innovations site, the comments section blew up.
"This Quantum Leap Innovations ain't cutting it, huh? Didn't they have some 'King Hunt Operation' in the works? Looks like a flop!"
"Finnley was an Awakened with a Core crystal, he'd be top ten in our shelters, right?"
"Man, he didn't even hold out for backup and got smoked, that's wild!"
"omg... is there a super Zombie King on the loose?"
"That's freaky! This Zombie King isn't gonna hit our shelters, is it?"
The chatter was non-stop.
Even in the Apocalypse, the post racked up three thousand comments because, with the network down, the only signals folks could get were from the official shelter sites and the Quantum Leap Innovations page.
Quantum Leap Innovations wasn't thrilled. They shot back with another statement.
'About the "Prison Under Attack," we're not letting this slide. We've got a lead on the Zombie King who offed Finnley and we'll track down his hideout soon. We're sending in an Awakened squad and the ultimate weapon—Hunter, to wipe out all the zombies in his lair. The King Hunt Operation rolls on...'