Quantum Leap Innovations is like the big boss of tech, launching rockets to space and shaking hands with countries all over the map. They've got the goods, no doubt.
In Verdantia, it's just one of their outposts, but even with the world going bonkers, they're killing it.
Zane, chilling with his crew, was like, "Man, Quantum Leap must be sitting on a goldmine..." plotting his next big move.
But here's the kicker: with a thousand-plus awakened beings guarding the joint, it wasn't gonna be a walk in the park. Zane was tough, sure, but he wasn't Superman. Flying solo? No chance. Even with his squad—Jake, Zoe, Nathan, and a couple thousand of the finest zombies—it was a tough call.
Unless he could rally a zombie army a million strong. Then, it'd be game on!
Maybe it was time to go big or go home.
Zane's current zombie crew was just local talent, rounded up to keep his pad disturbance-free.
Now, he was thinking bigger—more troops, more turf.
Over the next few days, Zane was all about that grind, chowing down on flesh and blood, snagging five Core crystals, and getting beefier by the minute.
His [Dead Zone] power was off the charts now, lasting a solid twenty minutes and more potent than ever.
As darkness took over and a blood moon painted the sky a creepy red, it was clear—another wild night was just getting started.
Lately, the area had been buzzing. Rival zombies stumbled into Jake's turf, all growls and attitude, sparking some serious throwdowns.
Jake, never one to baby his zombie crew, went full Gallagher on the intruders' heads.
Meanwhile, Zane was posted up at a massive window, peeping the chaos outside.
Out of nowhere, a high-pitched squeal cut through the night, followed by a sea of glowing green eyes in the shadows.
From a nearby sewer, a gang of giant rats, each the size of a dog, burst out.
They shrieked, sniffing out their next meal, and zeroed in on the zombies below.
"Roar—"
Covered in rats, the zombies didn't stand a chance. They hit the deck, screaming as the rats went to town.
These mutant rats treated zombies like fast food.
The crunching noise got the rest of the zombie crew riled up, and they charged, trying to smash the speedy rats.
But these rats were slick, dodging and weaving, totally taunting the zombies.
This just ticked off the zombies even more.
Just as the rats were having a blast, Zoe zipped in like a ninja, her fingers a blur, slicing and dicing the rats.
Her speed was insane, turning rat-slaying into her own personal arcade game.
And that's not all.
Out of the shadows, another figure loomed. He grabbed a rat, squeezing until it squealed. Despite its wild thrashing and screams, it was game over; the rat was crushed.
Jake, getting a kick out of it, wiped rat blood off his hands, all pumped up.
He then went beast mode, either stomping a rat flat or ripping another in half like it was nothing.
Jake's moves were as casual as snapping a twig...
The rats, freaked out, scattered, vanishing into the night.
"Hehehehe~~~"
Jake was cracking up, clutching two blood-soaked rats, and bolted to a nearby alley to chow down like they were juicy watermelons.
Blood splashed everywhere, his face a mess...
He kept it on the down-low because Zane had laid down the law about steering clear of nasty stuff, dubbing it junk food.
If the big boss caught him, he'd definitely catch some side-eye.
Lately, these rat rumbles and zombie showdowns were the norm. Zane was so over it, he barely blinked an eye anymore.
The next morning rolled in under a sky so dark it looked like spilled ink. Then, outta nowhere, it started raining—not just any rain, but a shower of black worms.
Talk about bug storm.
These critters, no bigger than a pinky, plopped onto streets and rusty cars, making a sound like Rice Krispies.
In no time, they swarmed everything, a squirming blanket of creepy.
"Hisss..."
Inside, Emma nearly jumped out of her skin. The end times were getting weirder by the minute. Now, a bug deluge—what's next?
Zane peered out the window, his face all scrunched up.
Man, the weather was a total bummer...
But he remembered pre-Apocalypse TV news talking about 'fish rain' from tornadoes scooping up fish and dropping them like wet surprises.
This bug rain had to be something like that.
Except these bugs were no joke; they had teeth like mini saws and dug into zombie flesh like it was pumpkin pie.
The usually slick zombies turned into stiff boards once the bugs got under their skin.
Luckily, Zane's crew was top-notch. They didn't just stand there; they yanked those bugs out and even munched on them.
Jake, tough as nails and never scared, scooped up a bunch and crunched them like they were Pop Rocks.
He seemed to dig the flavor...
So, he threw his head back, opened wide, and let the bug rain pour in.
"Ah—"
"Thanks for the snack, Mother Nature..."
...
The bug downpour was quick but left the streets crawling. Hating sunlight, the bugs dove into sewers and cracks faster than you could say "hide."
In the alley by the building, Jake, built like a tank, was scooping up bugs by the handful and popping them like they were M&M's.
Zoe and Nathan rolled up, watching him go to town.
"Hey, the boss said lay off the junk food," Zoe teased.
"Shh!" Jake shushed them, hinting they keep it quiet, then passed Zoe some bugs.
Zoe eyed them, shrugged, and tried one.
"Mmm, tasty!"
Soon, she and Jake were squatting there, cracking bugs like they were sneaking candy.
Nathan just shook his head, leaning against the wall, amused by the scene.
"You guys are gonna get busted by the boss."
"No way... The boss is a homebody, barely steps out," Zoe shot back, sure she knew Zane's habits.
But just as they were yukking it up, a chilling face suddenly popped up at the alley's entrance...