The blood-red moon hung low, bathing the battlefield in an eerie light. The sound of moaning zombies echoed through the broken landscape, their rotten forms shuffling forward in an unrelenting tide. Four figures stood at the heart of the chaos, unyielding, each poised to strike.
"Eliz!" Allan's voice rang out, half-laughing, half-excited. "This is the most fun I've had all week. You've got to let me try something new!"
"Focus, Allan!" Eliz barked, her voice slicing through the chaos like her blade through a zombie's neck. She swung her sword in a perfect arc, dispatching another pair of undead. "Left flank is exposed! Cover it now!"
Allan rolled his eyes but obeyed, twisting his fingers to summon a burst of fire and air. The resulting whirlwind roared across the battlefield, engulfing a group of zombies in a blazing inferno. "There's your cover," he said, smirking.
From the center of the formation, Harrison hefted his absurdly large, glowing machine gun and unleashed a stream of projectiles. The bullets ripped through the horde, leaving trails of light in their wake. "I swear, Allan, if you keep slacking, I'm using you for target practice," he joked, effortlessly pivoting to obliterate a charging zombie with a single well-placed shot.
"Slacking?" Allan replied, mock offended. "This is called strategy, my friend. Watch and learn."
He crouched low, combining earth and water to create a slick layer of mud beneath a cluster of zombies. Then, with a quick burst of fire, he hardened the mud into jagged spikes. The zombies stumbled, impaling themselves on the trap. "Efficient and stylish," Allan quipped.
Eliz didn't have time to respond, her situational awareness field buzzing as another wave approached. Her mind processed the scene in rapid detail—zombies closing in on all sides, the terrain limiting their movement, and her team's positions relative to the threats. "Sam, front and center! Harrison, suppressing fire! Allan—stop showboating and watch your right!"
Sam growled in response, her body rippling as she shifted into a monstrous, four-armed creature with claws like sickles. "On it!" she snarled, launching herself into the fray. Her smaller size made her speed almost inhuman as she tore through the horde. Limbs and heads flew in every direction.
"Eliz, you're killing my vibe!" Allan complained, sending a blast of steam into a tightly packed group of zombies. The creatures hissed and melted, and Allan grinned. "Though I do love the smell of boiled zombies in the evening."
Sam paused mid-slash to glare at him. "Seriously, Allan? You're enjoying this way too much."
"Hey, someone's got to keep morale up," Allan replied with a shrug, summoning a wall of earth to block an incoming group. He shaped it into the crude likeness of a zombie's face, complete with a tongue sticking out.
Sam groaned. "You're insufferable."
"Enough chatter!" Eliz snapped, cleaving through a zombie that had gotten too close. "Harrison, status?"
"Covering you," Harrison replied, his weapon transforming seamlessly into a sleek grenade launcher. He lobbed glowing projectiles into the densest clusters, each explosion creating a shockwave that sent zombies flying. "We're thinning them out, but I'm running low on ammo. Need a minute to recharge."
His free hand glowed, and a blue seal appeared. Scraps of metal and crystalized energy pulled themselves from the environment and fused into ammunition, which he loaded into his weapon with practiced ease.
"You're getting expensive Harrison, alright buying you a minute," Eliz said, she closed her eyes, "seal of placement" she muttered. "Allan, tighten the perimeter on the right! Sam, a horde of zombies is approaching from behind, I'll give you guys support cover!"
"Already on it," Allan called back. As he raised his arms, steaming mud appeared. "I hope these zombies like a nice hot mudbath," he said with an evil grin, zombies, screamed in pain as they started to melt in the mud. They really don't make zombies like they used to," he muttered, faking disappointment.
Sam let out a guttural yell, as she transformed into a werewolf, swinging her arms left and right, zombie heads fell, in a matter of a few seconds.
"Harrison, hope you're counting your minute, coz from what I can count it's been more than that" Sam growled.
"I'm sorry guys, I chose the wrong fucking weapon, I didn't think there would be these many of them, give me a second" Harrison said apologetically.
"You need to hurry up. Another wave will catch up to us in about 20 seconds," Eliz said, efficiently slicing the heads of five zombies who surrounded her.
Harrison was almost finished with whatever he was conjuring up, a huge zombie was sneaking up to him in the meanwhile, as he started running towards Harrison, Eliz shouted, "Harrison behind," Harrison, in a state of shock, was unable to respond, it's not like he had any combat abilities, Sam was still busy covering up the behind of the group, Eliz was handling the horde, and Allan was covering the right perimeter.
As the zombie came close, suddenly, he tripped, falling on the ground so hard that the ground shook.
"Lucky!" Harrison screamed, "Unfortunately, it's unlucky for you guys," he said as he smiled at the fallen zombie. "Guys on the ground right fucking now!" Harrison shouted.
As soon as he said it, everyone crouched on the ground. Harrison threw a ball up, and suddenly, red lasers came out of it, slicing everything in their area in half.
As the lasers stopped and everything came to a dead silence, Eliz got up.
"Everyone okay?" Eliz asked, scanning the group.
"Still alive," Sam muttered. "Although I'm running currently running on negative mana."
"All good over here," Allan said, dusting himself off. "Although, I think I outdid myself this time."
"You're welcome," Harrison said, grabbing the ball from the ground. "My covering fire kept you from getting eaten, you know."
"Your 'covering fire was the reason we were in a bad position in the first place," Allan replied in a mocking tone.
"Oh yeah, well, if you would have done your job well, you wouldn't have needed my cover fire, mister 'I hope these zombies like a nice hot mudbath,' huh," Harrison said in a similar mocking tone.
"All right, enough," Eliz said, her tone brooking no argument. "Harrison, resource hunt. Let's regroup and restock."
"On it," Harrison replied, he chanted "Essquorath Lyskaaran vorithin arane", suddenly a glowing seal emerged on the ground. He began scouring the battlefield, collecting ammo, energy cores, and anything else of value.
"Everyone else, gather what you can and bring it to the clearing," Eliz instructed.
The group moved quickly, hauling fruits, herbs, and supplies into a central pile. Harrison kept a careful tally, occasionally grumbling about efficiency.
"Guys, you know the rules, everything that you bring needs to fit into the circle, otherwise it won't get in," he said, since the seal started shaking.
"All right, Mom," Allan teased, tossing a bundle of strange, glowing fruits into the pile.
"Watch it," Harrison warned, though his grin betrayed him.
As the group finished their task, Sam who was in a dog-like form, smelled something, alerting her to an anomaly. Something—or someone—was moving near their stockpile.
"Eliz, be ready," she said quietly.
"I see it," Eliz replied, her eyes narrowing as she held her hand on the sword.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—a man, his arms full of the group's fruit and supplies. He moved quickly, stuffing items into a makeshift bag.
Sam growled and leaped forward, cutting off his escape. "Drop it!" she snarled, shifting back into her human form.
The man froze, his face a mix of guilt and defiance. "Uh… I can explain?"
"Start with putting the food down," Eliz said coldly, stepping forward with her sword drawn.
The man sighed, placing the bag on the ground. "Fine. But in my defense, you guys have a lot of fruit."
"You stole from us," Harrison said, his voice icy. "That's not a defense—it's stupidity."
"Look," the man said, raising his hands, and putting the fruits down. "I was hungry, okay? Your stash looked… generous."
"You took half the fruit!" Allan exclaimed. "What were you planning to do, open a smoothie shop?"
The man shrugged. "Could've worked." Allan was seen smirking as he was bested in sarcasm.
Sam crossed her arms, glaring. "You're lucky we didn't catch you earlier. Who are you, anyway?"
"I'm just a wanderer, the name is Saket," he said casually, brushing dirt off his clothes. "And before you ask, yes, I'm just as charming as I look."
Sam snorted. "Charming isn't the word I'd use."
Harrison stepped forward, glaring. "What's your deal, Mr. Saket? Why are you lurking around here?"
"Passing through I guess," Saket said, his grin never wavering. "But honestly, your stew smelled amazing so I couldn't resist, unfortunately, it didn't taste as good, it felt like eating soap froth."
The group exchanged glances.
"Wait," Allan said, squinting. "You've been watching us this whole time? And you disrespect my food? Alright, you're fried".
"Why are you following us, Mr. Saket?" Harrison asked, pointing a freshly materialized pistol in his face.
Saket gave a nonchalant shrug. "What can I say? You're an interesting bunch."
Eliz stepped closer, her expression hard. "You're coming with us. We'll figure out what to do with you once we're back at camp. Although one bad move and I order Sam to cut you in half and then Allan will cremate you, and Harrison, haven't you been short on bone powder?" Eliz said, threatening him.
"Hey, hey, hey, no need for violence," Saket chuckles after giving a big audible gulp
"No funny business, hehe," he said, picking up a few of the fruits he'd dropped. "But I'm keeping these. Call it a travel tax."
Sam growled "I'm only keeping him alive coz he dissed Allan's cooking,"
"Let's move. Keep an eye on him." Eliz commanded.
As the group began their journey back, Saket followed, his easygoing demeanor unshaken.
Eliz couldn't shake the feeling that this stranger was more than he seemed. But for now, they had bigger concerns.
The gates of the camp creaked open as the group trudged in, weary but victorious. It had been a long day of battling zombies, gathering supplies, and arguing over Allan's ridiculous zombie pun of the day: "They're just dying to meet us."
"Home, sweet fortress," Harrison said, waving a hand to deactivate the security field surrounding the camp. The hum of energy faded, and the group stepped into the safety of their headquarters—a sprawling compound that looked like a mix between a tech lab and a post-apocalyptic survival bunker.
The group's latest "guest," Saket, shuffled in behind them, a half-eaten apple in his hand and a sack of stolen fruits still clutched over his shoulder.
"I gotta say," Saket drawled, glancing around at the fortress and Harrison's high-tech gadgets "For a bunch of kids, you've got quite the setup here."
Sam spun around, her fists clenched. "Kids? Who are you calling a kid?"
Saket blinked, tilting his head to look at her. "Wait… are you someone's kid? Whose child is this?"
The group froze for a moment before bursting into laughter, except for Sam, who looked like she was about to burst into flames.
"I'm NOT a kid!" she yelled, her voice a mix of rage and disbelief. "I'm 21, you idiot!"
Saket raised an eyebrow, his expression one of exaggerated confusion. "Huuuhhhhhh. Are you sure? You're kind of… fun-sized."
"Fun-sized?" Sam sputtered, her voice growing more shrill as Allan fell to his knees, clutching his sides.
"Dude," Allan gasped between laughs, "I think she's gonna turn into a bear and maul you."
"Let her try," Saket said with a grin. "Might finally burn off some of this energy she's got."
"Enough," Eliz interjected, though the corner of her mouth twitched. "Saket, sit. We need to talk."
Sam glared daggers at Saket as he sauntered over to the metal stool in the center of the room. Allan leaned against the wall, still chuckling, while Harrison busied himself unpacking the day's haul. Eliz stood front and center, her presence commanding as usual.
"All right," she began. "Who are you, and why were you stealing from us?"
Saket shrugged, tossing his half-eaten apple onto the floor. "Name's Saket. I'm just a guy trying to survive, the same as everyone else. As for the stealing the food? That was um a… misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding?" Sam snapped, stepping forward. "You mean the part where you helped yourself to half our supplies?!"
"Hey, I was hungry. I figured I'd help myself. Didn't know you guys were so territorial about your produce." Saket said.
"Territorial?" Sam shot back. "You took "half" our stash!"
"Only the good stuff," Saket said with a smirk. "Look," Saket said, raising his hands defensively. "I was hungry. I didn't think you'd miss a few apples and… whatever those glowing things are."
"Glonuts," Allan interjected, not looking up from his device. "Harrison named them. Don't ask."
Sam threw her hands up. "That's not the point!"
"You're clearly not an ordinary drifter," Eliz interjected, her eyes narrowing. "You knew how to bypass our security, you managed to sneak past Sam. So I'll ask again: who are you, and what can you do?"
Saket leaned back on the stool, crossing his arms. "What can I do?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, if I had to pick, I'd say my superpower is… cooking."
There was a beat of silence.
"Cooking," Sam repeated flatly.
"Yup," Saket said, completely serious. "Best food you'll ever have. I'm practically a legend."
Allan snorted. "I think he's serious."
"Oh, I am," Saket said, grinning. "You should try it sometime. Might improve your mood, kid."
Sam opened her mouth to retort, but Eliz cut her off. "That's enough. Saket, I don't know who you think you're fooling, but if you want to stay here, you'll need to prove you're not a threat."
"I'm not looking for trouble," Saket said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Just passing through. But if you need a chef, I'm your guy."
Eliz pinched the bridge of her nose. "You'll stay for now. But step out of line, and you're gone."
"Fair enough," Saket said, leaning back. "Now, when's dinner?"
The campfire crackled in the courtyard that evening as the group gathered to eat. Harrison's drones buzzed in the background, unpacking the last of the day's resources and organizing them into neat piles.
"You know," Allan said, holding a skewer of grilled meat over the fire, "this whole day feels like the setup for a bad movie. A mysterious drifter shows up, acts all shady, and turns out to be the hero of legend. Classic trope."
"Hero?" Saket asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah," Allan said with a grin. "Haven't you heard? There's this guy—supposedly single-handedly took down the Zombie King. People are calling him the Hero of the Wastes. He's, like, ten feet tall, shoots lightning from his eyes, and can summon dragons or something."
Saket laughed. "Dragons?."
"Allan, stop filling his head with nonsense," Eliz said, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Wait," Sam said, narrowing her eyes at Saket. "You're not… him, are you?"
Saket looked genuinely surprised. "Me? A ten-foot-tall lightning wizard with dragons? Sorry to disappoint, but I'm just a guy who likes good food."
"Convenient," Sam muttered.
"Honestly," Harrison said, adjusting one of his drones, "the whole hero thing is probably propaganda. No one person could've taken down the Zombie King."
"Exactly," Saket said, nodding. "Let's just say I'm not your guy. But hey, if you want a legendary chef, I might qualify."
"Right," Eliz said, standing. "We'll see about that. For now, you're on probation. No more stealing, and no more wandering off without permission."
"Got it, boss," Saket said with a mock salute.
As the group dispersed for the night, Eliz couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Saket was more than he seemed. His casual demeanor, his deflections—it all felt like a carefully crafted facade.
As if now he seemed harmless.