So, only five of the Awakened crew are left standing, right? Three of these bad boys have leveled up, packing some serious Core Crystals, while the other two are just chilling at the Brain Nexus phase, basically just a bit tougher than your average Joe.
For Zane, squaring up with them wouldn't be too much sweat off his back.
Just then, Kai and the tall dude strutted into the first-floor lobby.
Spotting them, the survivor squad hustled over.
"Yo, Captain Kai, we've scoped out the whole mall and nada on the monster front," they spilled, all wound up.
"Figures, that critter's slicker than a greased pig," Kai shot back, his gaze heavy with the weight of the hunt.
He figured this beastie wasn't into munching on regular folks, just those with a bit of extra juice like him.
The rest of the gang? Safe as houses...
"Huh?" the crowd grunted, scratching their noggins.
"So, what's the game plan, Captain?"
"Chill, we'll have this wrapped up quick," Kai threw down with a wink.
...
Up on the sixth floor, Easton and his posse were glued to the railing, eyes like hawks.
"Stay sharp. If Kai gets into a scrape, we're his cavalry," Easton laid down the law.
"Roger that," they nodded, all business.
Little did they know, Zane was already making his move, sneaking up behind them.
The lady Awakened, her senses tingling, whipped around.
"Who's there?" she snapped.
But then she froze.
A dude, all dapper and smooth, was ambling up.
Dude looked like he could charm the scales off a snake.
"Man, you had me going there. Thought you were the monster," she exhaled, her hand on her heart.
"Monster? What monster?" Zane played dumb...
Easton and his buddy turned, figuring Zane for another stray survivor.
"Props for making it up here," they chimed in.
"Just killing time," Zane grinned, sliding over to join them at the rail, peering down at the lobby.
Nearby, the lady Awakened caught a hint of fresh laundry off him. She glanced over, catching his sharp, flawless profile.
Her heart skipped a beat.
If it weren't for the whole end-of-the-world vibe, she might've made a move...
In this crazy new world, lady Awakeners are hot commodities, and a gal can have her pick of the litter.
"You should stick with us. Downstairs might get dicey," she suggested.
"What's the big deal with the first floor?" Zane asked, all casual.
Easton, quick to heat, was getting ticked off.
"You wouldn't get it, quit grilling us. You're throwing us off our game."
"Why isn't the sixth floor risky?" Zane teased.
"I'm telling you..." Easton started, then clammed up. Something was off.
His vibe wasn't matching up with just some random survivor.
Could it be...
So, the chick was totally freaking out, remembering how Zane had snuck up on them like a ninja in the dark. Dude didn't even need a flashlight or anything, just casually leaning over the railing on the sixth floor, eyeballing the lobby below like it was no big deal.
That thought alone sent shivers down her spine, her skin breaking out in goosebumps.
What kind of creature was chilling right next to them???
Easton didn't waste a second, he lunged at Zane shouting, "Grab him! It's that guy!"
But Zane, smooth as ever, just sidestepped, dodging Easton's move like it was child's play.
Easton, pumped up from all the tips from the brainiacs back at base, thought he had the upper hand with his beefed-up strength against what they called the 'Zombies' types who were supposed to be pushovers.
"Running's over, buddy! Time to meet your maker!" Easton was all fired up, throwing a punch that could've knocked out a bull.
His muscles were popping, looking like they might tear through his gear. This punch was no joke, full throttle.
Meanwhile, Zane was mulling over how hard he should hit back. Last time he clocked a guy, it was lights out with just one hit. So, he figured he'd go easy, maybe use half his strength this time.
He threw his punch.
"Boom!"
When their fists met, it was like a sonic boom went off, sending vibrations all around, making the whole railing shake.
"Snap!"
That sound was Easton's arm breaking. The dude's arm just crumbled, twisted up like a pretzel.
"Man, that's gotta hurt!" Easton gasped in pain, clutching his busted arm, sweat dripping down his face.
He realized this guy was no joke, way stronger than the eggheads had told him. That punch could've taken out an elephant!
Despair hit him like a truck.
"Who the heck gave us those reports? If I make it out of this, I'm gonna give them a piece of my mind!"
That was Easton's last thought before he went down.
His buddies, not nearly as tough, were easy pickings for Zane.
In a blink, Zane took them down too.
...
Back in the lobby, Kai was shooting the breeze with the other survivors when suddenly, a loud thud echoed from above, and the railing shook.
"Something's up!" Kai's face tensed up as he scanned the upper floors.
But no sign of Easton or his crew.
"This is bad!" The tall dude with Kai sensed trouble too.
"It's Easton and the gang; they're in trouble. We gotta move!"
"Wait..." Kai held him back, a sinking feeling in his gut. He might've seriously underestimated what they were up against.
Easton was one of their top guys, second only to Kai. If he and his team couldn't handle it, what chance did they stand?
And they should've been able to hold their ground longer, but they were wiped out in seconds!
The tall guy was getting antsy. "Kai, we can't just stand here! Are we gonna help or what?"
"It's... too late!" Kai's eyes narrowed, a chill running through him. He felt like a target, with danger lurking around every corner.
Meanwhile, the survivors were clueless, peering into the darkness, seeing nothing.
Then, out of nowhere, one of the burly guys felt something wet on his neck.
"Uh, what's this?" He touched it and then checked his hand—his face went white.
"Blood... this is blood!!"