BANG BANG BANG
Gunshots reverberated through the massive skyscraper, echoing loudly off its steel walls as Ali stood on an adjacent rooftop, observing the chaotic scene unfold from a distance.
This isn't good, Ali thought, his gaze shifting to the ground where the undead horde was growing more frenzied, stirred by the echoing gunfire.
His sharp eyes tracked the movements of the undead as more and more zombies joined the throng, drawn to the noise like moths to a flame. The crowd was swelling by the second, zombies shuffling in from side streets and alleys, adding pressure to the already strained barricades surrounding the skyscraper's base.
'If they join the horde at this rate, my mission is done for' he thought grimly, setting down his bag of rations and water. Wasting no time, he sprinted to the roof's edge and leapt to the adjacent rooftop, positioning himself along the path the approaching zombies would inevitably follow.
Landing in a crouch, Ali quickly made his way over to an enormous, rusted water tank perched on the rooftop. With a powerful swing of his quinque, he severed its metal connectors, freeing it from its base. He pushed the heavy tank to the edge, carefully aligning it, waiting patiently as the first wave of zombies began to flood the street below.
Minutes passed before the horde surged beneath him, tightly packed, a writhing mass of rotting flesh and snapping jaws. With a final push, Ali sent the water tank tumbling over the edge.
BOOOOOOOM!
The tank slammed into the horde, flattening dozens of zombies upon impact. The tank burst apart, sending metal shards and debris flying outward, tearing through the first rows of undead like shrapnel.
The zombies that survived looked up, spotting Ali silhouetted against the sky. He put two fingers to his lips and let out a sharp, piercing whistle, emptying his lungs to ensure the call reached every zombie in the vicinity.
As he watched the horde shift direction and pour into the building below, Ali stepped back to avoid their ravenous gaze, letting them funnel inside as they lumbered up the stairwell. He had closed off the rooftop door beforehand, barricading it securely to trap the zombies on the floors below.
To maintain their attention, he tapped the flat of his massive longsword against the metal pipes around him, creating a dull clang that echoed enticingly down the stairwell.
The zombies surged upward, filling the floors beneath him, snarling and clawing at the blocked access door. Unfortunately for the mindless creatures, they failed to grasp the perilous state of the building.
While waiting for them to enter the building Ali had carefully sabotaged the interior walls and structural supports, weakening the framework. Large sections of wall hung precariously by threads, while columns crumbled at the slightest touch, ready to give way.
From the roof's edge, Ali glanced down at the narrow entrance of the six-story building, watching as the zombies continued to jam themselves into the structure below.
This should do it, he thought, observing the masses squeezing into the tight confines of the building. It was a death trap just waiting to be sprung.
Ali took a few steps back and then bolted forward, activating his enhanced strength. His black-veined legs powered him forward as he deliberately stomped down with every step, adding pressure to the strained rooftop.
Each footfall was heavy and deliberate, cracks spidering out beneath him. With a final burst of speed, he lunged to the adjacent rooftop, leaving behind the sabotaged building just as the roof buckled under his last step.
B00000000000000M!
The roof gave way entirely, collapsing onto the floor below. The combined weight of the zombies and the collapsing ceiling triggered a chain reaction, each floor crumbling under the accumulated pressure.
The building imploded floor by floor, each level cascading onto the next, until it was nothing more than a heap of rubble and crushed bodies, a mountain of broken concrete and bloodied, lifeless flesh.
Ali observed the destruction below with a cold satisfaction. Perfect, he thought, surveying the collapsed structure. The building is now a roadblock, forcing the zombies to either go around or climb over-something they're not exactly equipped to do.
He looked beyond, noting the other zombies moving toward the area in large numbers. 'Though with this many... I can't risk leaving it as is', he thought
Determined to minimise the horde further, Ali spent the next few hours devising and executing various tactics, luring zombies into traps, picking them off in clusters, or rerouting them into dead ends.
Every strategy he employed chipped away at their numbers, diminishing their strength and reducing the threat they posed. By the time he had thinned their ranks to a manageable size and redirected the remainder away from the skyscraper, the sky was beginning to take on the deep hues of sunset.
Ali took a moment to rest, sitting atop one of the rooftops he had left untouched.
'At least I got some good practice in swarm-killing', he mused, feeling a rare sense of improvements to his skill set which he thought he'd maximised a long time ago. 'I've never done anything like this before. Definitely not on this scale.'
Returning to where he had stashed his rations and water, Ali rehydrated and refuelled, replenishing his energy reserves after the exhausting ordeal.
He allowed himself a brief rest, keeping an eye on the sky as he waited for the sun to dip below the horizon. By the time night had fully descended, he was ready. Rising to his feet, he strode to the edge of the roof and looked toward the final skyscraper he needed to clear to complete his mission.
From his vantage point, Ali could see that the upper floors of the skyscraper were faintly illuminated, while the lower floors remained in shadow, an eerie darkness that seemed to swallow any stray light.
His eyes narrowed as he studied the opening in the building, partially concealed by a curtain. There was no movement, no hint of activity from within.
Who cares, he thought, shrugging off the mystery as he backed up to take a running start. With a powerful leap, Ali launched himself from the rooftop, extending his arms toward the edge of the skyscraper's open floor.
His hands found purchase on the lower edge of the opening, and he hung there for a moment, suspended above the ravenous zombies swarming below.
The undead, sensing fresh prey, turned their milky eyes upward, their mouths opening in guttural moans, arms outstretched in a futile attempt to reach him. Ali glanced down, unfazed by their hungry stares, then quietly used his strength to pull himself up, hauling his body into the quiet opening. He lay flat, listening intently for any signs of movement nearby.
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