Jade had the Snow Knights stay at the mansion that night. She knew they would be tired having traveled through the night.
Nova had a lot of questions but he chose not to ask anything.
He realized Jade had a lot of secrets.
She was incredibly strong, she seemed to be able to change expressions in an instant, and those people...
He knew exactly who they were.
The blond was Lisa Aero, The Rising Storm.
The brunette was Rose Wilson, The Deadly Blizzard.
The man with dark, almost black, hair was Liam Kent, The Smiling Tornado.
The guy with red hair was Jake Helios, The Laughing Eruption.
Then there was the last man. Dylan North, The Golden Disaster.
They were all dangerous people.
However Nova chose to trust his sister.
After all, they seemed to listen to her.
...
Having returned to her room Jade smiled gently. She was happy to see them. Last time the Virus came too suddenly and she wasn't able to contact them. She wasn't going to let it happen again.
[Tell everyone to be at the base in 2 days.]
After sending the message to Dylan she puts down her phone and gazes out the window as her mind wanders. It was hard being the only person who knows what's going to happen.
Truthfully, she was afraid. She didn't fear the zombies, mutant plants, or even mutated animals. She was afraid to be alone again.
Having to always be on alert for fear of being attacked by monsters or even humans. Always having to keep an eye on the people around her in case they decided to backstab her.
She was exhausted. She couldn't do it again.
For these last few days she decided to enjoy herself. She would act spoiled with her brother. She would play to her hearts content. She was going to act like a child before she was forced to fight for survival.
...
The next day.
When Jade walked into the living room, yawning she was surprised to see Lisa, Rose, Liam, Jake, Dylan, and Leonard casually sitting on the couches as if it's their own home.
They weren't talking to one another, rather they were all on their phones.
She slowly approaches the couch where Dylan, Jake, and Liam were sitting and leaned down near Dylans ear.
"You guys head to the base, meet up at the emergency hideout in a few weeks. Make sure to bring everything from the base. Set off in 2 days no matter what happens. If anyone dies it's because they're weak. And remember, if you see someone's skin turn grey they're dangerous. I want them killed. No matter who it is. Even you." She whispers heartlessly, surprising Dylan and Jake who is sitting beside him.
"Yes, Young Miss." Dylan whispers back before standing up and gesturing to the Team Leaders to follow him out.
She could have had everyone go there now and avoid losing anyone but she knew she couldn't. Some people would inevitably be infected and she needed the others to understand the danger. No where is safe in the apocalypse.
If they couldn't even fight their way to the hideout they wouldn't survive the new world.
Seeing the group walk out the front door Jade returns to acting like Nova's cute little sister like she had been yesterday.
This was the last day she could be so carefree.
"When are you going home?" She asks Leonard lazily as she lays across couch comfortably. It sounded like a casual question but she was really trying to see if he would be here when the virus spread. She hoped for her brothers sake that he would be. She didn't want him to be upset if his best friend died when he could have been saved.
"I don't know yet. Probably tomorrow." Leonard replys with a smile.
"Oh. I feel like I've seen you before." Jade says staring intently at his face. She only now realized he seemed familiar but she couldn't quite figure it out.
"I've seen you at several banquets but I don't think we've ever gotten the chance to talk." Leonard says, still smiling, but his smile seemed fake. She didn't like it but she didn't say anything.
She was sure she didn't remember him from a banquet. She always blurred out people's faces at social events. She didn't care who they were so she wouldn't bother seeing their faces even if she had to look right at them.
She thought she had seen someone who looks similar to him but not quite the same.
She decided not to dwel on it and just as she was about to change the topic her brother came down the stairs.
"Good morning, Brother~" she calls sweetly as she runs over to hug his arm.
"Good morning Jade." He says gently as he rubs her head lovingly.
...
They spent the whole day together "playing" in the gym.
They took breaks to pley games on their phones but most of the time Jade was teaching Leonard and Nova how to fight.
She secretly hoped it would help when dealing with zombies at the start.
She didn't know exactly how the apocalypse started but she remembered the researchers in the base she stayed at learned that it started as a virus. Someone had released some kind of expiramental virus that started turning people into zombies. It took time for the symptoms to appear but it could still spread from anyone who had been infected long before that.
It seemed to react to the heat, that's why everyone began turning around the same time. That day there was a giant heatwave stimulating the virus in people's bodies.
What started as an already terrible situation became worse when an outside supernatural power somehow merged with the world and all it's inhabitants.
No one could figure out what it was but they realized that this mysterious power was the reason people gained abilities. Ability users were people who's bodies had adapted to the virus without becoming monsters.
People were originally relieved, thinking ability users would soon wipe out all the zombies and the world would become peaceful again but then the plants began to mutate. Followed by the animals.
Just when everyone believed it couldn't get worse zombies became capable of reproduction. There were some zombies known as the zombie kings who had the ability to create baby zombies. The stronger zombies even gained intelligence making things even harder for humanity.
As one of the strongest ability users Jade was constantly being sent to fight to protect the base.
Although she wanted to save her brother she still hoped he would be able to protect himself.
His body was fairly weak, being a businessman who spends most of his time in the office signing paperwork.
Leonard wasn't much better. He learned self defense when he was younger and he runs every morning but Jade still felt he was weak.
He couldn't even compare to the weakest member of the Snow Knights and she was only 12-years-old.
She was getting really worried. Even she would have a hard time protecting both of them.
One slip up and someone gets hurt. If that happens there's no stopping the virus from spreading and turning them.
In fact her worries were unnecessary. Comparing regular people to the Snow Knights was like comparing a mouse to a tiger.
The Snow Knights had been fighting from a young age. Some came from underground fighting rings, some were former assassins, and some were retired special forces soldiers.
Combing their original skills with Jades martial arts they were some of the strongest people in the world.
And Jades idea of "strength" was still stuck in the late stage apocalypse.
Even regular people at that time were much stronger than people now.
Compared to normal people, Nova and Leonard were actually considered pretty strong.
...
The next morning.
Jade gazes out the window, knowing it will start soon.
She had already packed her secret weapon collecting in space ability.
It wasn't absurdly large, only about the size of her family's manor.
Compared to other people with space abilities hers was quite small. She once met someone who could fit an entire large town's worth of stuff in their space.
She was a little jealous of those people, but she wasn't in any position to complain.
She was better as a fighter than a support anyway. She couldn't imagine herself diligently cooking for a team while they fought off the zombies nearby.
She was a multiple ability user so she was envied by almost everyone she met and she could protect herself rather than having to submit to someone stronger.
Finally, the sun became brighter and the temperature started to rise.
Jade had to change into a tank top and shorts as her onsie was much to warm.
She watched as the people outside began to hurry towards their houses but it was already too late. Their bodies began to mutate. Their skin took on a greyish hue and the eyes turned a deep shade of red. Their hair turned lighter at a speed visible to the naked eye until every one of them had pure white hair.
There were some people outside who didn't change and Jade could see them beginning to panic as their loved ones began to attack them trying to bite them.
Some people were able to escape and began to run but most people were eventually bitten and their flesh was torn from their bodies by the monsters and became just like all the others.
Zombies.
It was a terrifying sight but Jade didn't look the least bit scared.
She had seen much worse.
Taking a deep breath she turned to leave her room, knowing Nova and Leonard were probably watching the situation unfold.
They should still be in their rooms at this time and she wanted to deal with the servants who were infected.
She remembered that everyone was already infected when she got back in her last life.
Last time she was out shopping when it happened.
By the time she was able to fight her way through the hundreds of zombies and return home Nova was cornered and she walked in just as he pushed a zombie towards the door. The creature had knocked her over as she wasn't expecting it and Nova used his body to block it before the infected could touch her with it's claws.
He was able to save her but he was already scratched and the giant cuts in his chest were oozing black blood as the virus spread quickly through his body.
She still remembered his gentle smile as he looked at her crying face.
At that moment his eyes darkened and became the same blood red as the other monsters.
She knew if she stayed there he would kill her the moment the transformation finished so she gritted her teeth and cut off his head.
It was her only choice. She knew he wouldn't want to become a monster. It was the only thing she could do for him.
...
When she opened her door she was almost immediately attacked by a zombie and a pair of daggers appeared in her hands.
Her body moved almost reflexively as she decapitated the creature.
It was the Butler. She was a little upset but she knew he wasn't the same person anymore so she didn't feel guilty knowing she killed him. He was already dead anyway.
Before long she had cleared out all the zombies in the mansion but she had yet to see her brother or his friend.
She began to panic.
What if they went out last night and hadn't returned home?
She soon calmed down remering she had yet to check their rooms yet.
She hurried back up the stairs and knocked on her brothers door.
"Brother! Are you alright?" She asks loudly.
She wasn't worried about the noise as she had already locked down the house and this was the 3rd floor. No zombie was going to hear her and even if they did they wouldn't be able to enter the building.
The door flew open and she met Nova's relieved gaze.
"Thank God, you're alri-" he suddenly stops when he notices her blood soaked clothes and the bloody daggers in her hands.
Jade looks down at herself and suddenly remebers he had never seen her after a fight with those things before.
"It's not my blood. I got rid of all of them in the house, so it's safe to walk around now. They shouldn't be able to break in so you don't have to worry." Jade calmly reassures her brother.
"It's good that you're alright. Have you seen Leo yet?" He asks after a moment.
"Not yet. I came here after killing them all and I haven't had the chance to check his room." She says as the siblings walk through the blood-covered hallway.
"He was on the second floor right?" Nova asks having not been paying attention to his friend as he was too focused on his new relationship with his sister.
"Third room on the left." She says as the step onto the second floor.
When they reach the door Nova knocks loudly.
"Leo! Are you there?" He asks worriedly. He wasn't sure if Leonard would have become one of those creatures.
The door opens quickly and the siblings are surprised to see him so panicked. Even Nova wasn't that worried when he saw what was happening.
"I need to get to my brother!" He says quickly.
"You have a brother?" Jade asks surprised. If she had known that she would have had him bring him here where it's safe.
His bodyguards could have very well become zombies.
They could only pray he was safe until they got there.
"Alright. I guess we need to hurry. There's a few vehicles in the garage. Motorcycles would be best but I think we only have one here. That won't work for all of us so we can go on foot for route flexibility or a car for speed. If we take a car there's the risk of running into an area with too many stopped vehicles leaving us with no way to pass. If we go on foot we expose ourselves to danger. If we slow down we'll be easily surrounded with how many creatures there are out there." Jade says. She was leaving the choice up to Leonard and Nova.
Both ideas were dangerous but she knew she could get them out of most situations if she used her abilities. She was hoping she wouldn't have to resort to that as it would be hard to explain. For now she only wanted them to know about her shapeshifting power.
She knew it was dangerous for girls in the apocalypse so she wanted to change to a boy.
"Both are too risky." Nova says in frustration.
"I have one more idea but I don't know how you'll feel about it." Jade says hesitantly.
"What is it?" Leonard asks looking desperate to leave. He was worried about his brother.
"When I was fighting those things I was thinking how great it would be if I could just rip them apart with my hands and I suddenly looked just like them. I tested it out a few times and it seems I have the ability to shapeshift into anything I want. You two could ride the motorcycle together and I could become a wolf or a tiger or something and run beside you." Jade suggests hesitantly. She knew Nova wouldn't like it but it was the safest choice.
"That... Is actually a really good idea. At this point having superpowers isn't that shockng." Leonard says as he begins to calm down
"I don't like that plan." Nova says pressing the space between his brows in frustration. He too knew this was the best plan, buy that didn't mean he had to like the idea.
"It's the safest option." Jade says secretly excited. She liked the feeling of running on all fours as an animal. It was almost calming. The feeling of the wind in her fur was a welcome distraction from the constant smell of blood and rotting flesh.
"Alright, we better hurry then." Nova agrees unwillingly and the ground hurries downstairs to the garage.
"I'll meet you out front. I'll be the big white tiger." Jade says before turning to leave through the front door.
She carefully makes her way outside and she easily takes care of a few nearby zombies before circulating her energy through her body and Imagining herself turn into a large white tiger. When she opens her eyes her vision has improved and her sense of smell was much better than before.
She stretched her body and walk around the yard a bit to familiarize herself with her new body.
It didn't take long for the garage door to start opening. The sound attracting the attention of a bunch of zombies.
Jade moves to stand in front of the garage and easily crushes approuching zombies before they can get near the opening. It doesn't take long for the two men to come out on a blue motercycle. Nova didn't know how to ride so Leonard was driving and Nova was clinging on for dear life.
Jade meaws in greetings and the two men fix their gazes on her in astonishment. She wasn't sure if it was because of her white fur being dyed red with blood or the factbthat she was actually a tiger right now.
She motions with her head that they should get moving and Leonard nods slowly.
Jade crouches into position and one motercycle and one tiger bolt out of the driveway and onto the road as they speed towards the Wolfe family mansion.
Jade occasionally has to leap on top of cars as she runs because of the lack of empty space on the roads while Leonard has to move into the sidewalk sometimes.
When zombies would group up in the pathe Jade would speed up and sweep them away with her body so the motercycle could pass.
It takes almost half an hour to get to the manor as they had to slow down considerably due to the road conditions and the overwhelming number of obstacles including zombies.
When they get close to the building but not enough for the people inside to see them Jade slowly to a stop making Leonard do the same.
Jade takes a deep breath before shifting back to human form but she appears as the same boy she became on her first day back.
"Why are you a guy?" Leonard asks in confusion.
"It just feels safer. I don't have to worry about my long hair and I don't have to get smacked by my boobs every few seconds. Also at times like this it's dangerous for women to walk around. This just saves me a lot of future trouble. I'd appreciate it if you both pretend I'm a boy. I'll just be Nova's little brother instead of his sister." Jade says simply. She had a good reason and neither guy could refute what she said.
"Alright. I'll keep your secret." Leonard agrees easily. Jade nods in appreciation.
"Ok, little brother." Nova says, agreeing immediately.
"Alright then. Let's hurry and find your brother." Jade says and they all hurry towards the manor with Jade cutting down the zombies in their path with her daggers.
When they finally reached the door they realized Leonard hadn't brought his key when he left the house and the door was locked.
"Let's just go to the windows and hope someone sees us sothey can open the door." Nova suggests, to which Jade and Leonard both agree.
Jade could have easily broken the door but if she did they wouldn't be able to stay there once they found Leonards brother.
The group moves from window to window hoping to spot someone inside so they could get them to open the door.
Finally coming around the back of the house they spot a group of 5 in the kitchen.
Leonard immediately recognizes his brother among them and starts knocking loudly on the window.
If Jade didn't have her back to the window she too would have recognized him but she was killing the approaching zombies.
"You can yell. I'll handle the monsters." Jade says. It seemed the group was ignoring the knocks. The zombies had probably been pounding on the windows before now so it makes sense for them to ignore the noise.
"Alex!" Leonard yells and everyone turns to look at them only to see Noav and Leonard standing at the window facing them while occasionally glancing back at the third person who was fighting off a large group of zombies that had been attracted by Leonard's shout and the continuous knocking.
The number of monsters was overwhelming to Jade and she was struggling to hold them off all on her own.
"Open the door for us!" Leonard shouts urgently and one of the men rushes off at Alexanders instruction. He was going to unlock the door.
"Hurry the fuck up!" Jade suddenly says to Nova and Leonard who are still standing there.
The two men suddenly realize her situation and the immediately turn to run in the direction of the front door. Jade follows close behind while she still fends off the crowd of infected.
They soon reach the front door again and this time someone immediately opens the door upon seeing them.
Jade stabs a dagger into a zombies skull before turning to run inside with her brother and Leonard.
"Who would have thought running 3 miles then fighting a couple hundred zombies would be so draining." Jade says panting as she collapses to the floor in exhaustion.
"I told you I didn't like that plan." Nova says pulling her to her feet and supporting her wait as she tries to regain her footing.
"But it worked though." Jade says smugly.
"That it did." Nova says as he releases his hold on her so she can stand on her own.
She had forgotten that her younger body wasn't used to being pushed so hard.