The old dog's face twisted in shame and anger, but Zack's words hit home. In a world as brutal as this one, cowards and opportunists like him managed to scrape by—but only until they ran into someone like Zack. "Do you have to kill me?" the old dog asked, a hint of defiance creeping into his tone.
"Yeah," Zack replied bluntly, "but not just yet. Once I'm sure the serum's side effects are under control, you'll get your turn."
"Damn you!" the old dog cursed, his façade cracking entirely. But before he could say more, Zack shut the iron door with a resounding clang, leaving him in darkness.
"Monitor Subject No. 2 for any changes and notify me immediately," Zack instructed his mechanical assistant. Peeling off his gloves, he washed his hands thoroughly, then left the lab without a backward glance.
As Zack stepped out of the lab, he was met by Erza, a fiery redhead lounging on the wall of Mansion No. 13. Her sharp eyes bore into him, suspicion written all over her face. "I've been watching you for days!" she announced, sliding down from the wall and sauntering toward him. "What's the deal? Did you kidnap a bunch of innocent girls to... have fun or something?"
Zack raised an eyebrow, completely baffled. "What?"
"Don't play dumb! I've seen the soundproofing and sealed windows! You're hiding something in there, aren't you?"
Zack sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You've said all that just to ask if you can go in and take a look, haven't you?"
"Maybe," Erza replied with a mischievous grin. "Will you let me?"
"Widow." Zack's voice dropped to a commanding tone. A mechanical spider skittered out from behind him. "On it! Little lady, scram!" Gwen hissed in her metallic voice.
Erza immediately bolted, but not without yelling over her shoulder, "You're no fun!" She wasn't here just out of her own curiosity. Sophia and Annie had expressed concern about Zack's safety and the nature of his experiments, and Erza had volunteered to investigate. Still, she wasn't entirely sure if her motivations were for their sake—or her own.
That night, Zack returned to the Mansion and took a rare evening to rest. Though his body didn't feel fatigue, the relentless pace of his work weighed heavily on his mind. Even while lying on the sofa, he couldn't completely relax. Images of mutating zombies, the mysterious vanguard organization, and other looming threats raced through his thoughts.
"If this keeps up, I'll develop a full-blown persecution complex," he muttered.
Just then, a pair of slender hands gently pressed against his temples, massaging away the tension. "Are you overworking yourself again?"
Without looking, Zack knew it was Sophia. She leaned closer, her voice soft with concern. "You've been pushing yourself too hard. I know you're worried about what's out there, but you're going to burn out if you keep this up."
"Don't worry," Zack replied, his lips curving into a small smile. "The ants are doing most of the heavy lifting now. I've even managed to sneak in some laziness. Becoming a full-blown business owner is just around the corner."
Sophia chuckled, shaking her head. "Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that." But she didn't press further, focusing instead on soothing him. Slowly, Zack let his mind drift, her presence calming the storm of thoughts.
He leaned back into the sofa, his body finally giving in to the rest it desperately needed. Before long, he was sound asleep, the tension in his features easing for the first time in days. Even for someone as close as Sophia, Ego's protocols dictated constant surveillance. While Zack was asleep, Ego diligently monitored her behavior to ensure no harm came his way. Deep down, though, Ego knew the odds of Sophia betraying Zack were as likely as Mars crashing into the sun.
"Is big brother asleep?" Annie's voice chimed from the living room doorway not long after Zack dozed off.
Covered in engine grease, her face smudged with grime, she stood there looking every bit like someone who had spent hours tinkering in a workshop. "Shh. Don't wake him up," Sophia whispered, raising a finger to her lips.
"Aww, but I wanted to share the good news!" Annie pouted, lowering her voice. Over the past few days, she had finally completed Tarantula's ultimate transformation. The mechanical marvel could now perfectly keep up with her sharp reflexes.
"Go take a shower first," Annie sighed, muttering under her breath. "Sister Sophia, make sure you cover him with a blanket. Don't let him freeze."
Sophia rolled her eyes, nodding as Annie scurried off to clean up. "You're so bossy sometimes," Sophia muttered to herself. Despite her lighthearted complaint, she couldn't help but wonder at Annie's overly intimate attitude toward Zack. Still, she reminded herself that Zack was likely Annie's sole pillar of support, which eased her concerns.
When Zack woke the next morning, he found himself in his bed instead of on the sofa. Confused, he rubbed his face and muttered, "Who carried me here? It's not like Sophia could have done it. Annie, maybe?"
"Actually, sir, it was Ms. Erza," Ego chimed in, his tone laced with hesitation. "She didn't carry you on her back, though... she carried you like a sack of potatoes."
Zack sat upright, startled. "What?!" Ego pulled up the surveillance footage from the previous night. On the screen, Erza entered the Mansion to find Zack passed out on the sofa while Sophia crouched nearby, stretching her legs after what must have been a tiring vigil. Without a word, Erza walked over, lifted Zack like a bundle of laundry, and hauled him upstairs.
"This woman treated me like cargo!" Zack fumed, his face turning an amusing shade of blue. "Where is she now?"
"She left early this morning," Ego replied. "The GPS shows her at the steel plant."
Zack shook his head in disbelief, muttering, "She ran off fast enough." He got dressed and headed downstairs. "Ego, how's Subject No. 2 doing?" Zack asked as he descended the stairs.
"The subject is highly agitated but otherwise stable. Early this morning, the damaged joints began healing themselves. To prevent a breakout, the spider interrupted the subject's limbs again."
"Well done," Zack said with a nod. After washing up quickly, he made his way to the lab.
Inside, a pitiful sight greeted him. The test subject, an old enemy dubbed "Old Dog," lay sprawled on the floor, his hands and feet shattered, his body limp like a broken puppet.
"Ahhh! I'll kill you!" Old Dog roared, writhing like an enraged worm at the sight of Zack.
"Functional tests confirm the serum's viability," Ego reported.
"Good." Zack's voice was cold. "But there's one last thing to take care of." With that, Zack grabbed a polished Desert Eagle from his collection, cocked the pistol, and entered Old Dog's containment room. The shot echoed sharply through the lab. When Zack emerged, his expression was blank. He set the pistol down and said, "Ego, have the spider clean up the mess."