The day began not with the clatter of Mallory stumbling around her apartment, but with a tense silence that lingered in the aftermath of the battle at Raven's camp. The group had packed up their gear, collected new supplies, and readied themselves for what promised to be a journey unlike any they'd taken before. Mallory, for her part, made a dramatic show of tying her sneakers as though she were preparing for a marathon.
"You know," she said, gesturing to Blinky perched happily on her shoulder, "we could just go back to the apartment and wait for this mysterious zombie overlord to come to us. Much less walking involved."
Vanessa shot her a flat look, slinging a bag over her shoulder. "And let them send more of those mechanical horrors to rip through every camp in the area? Great plan."
Mallory sighed. "Fine. But if this ends with me carrying everyone's stuff again, I'm revolting."
The map Raven had provided them was spread out on the table, its surface marked with circles and annotations in her sharp handwriting. Altair traced a path with his finger, stopping at a cluster of dots near the edge of what used to be the city.
"Based on these reports, it seems the largest concentration of attacks has been in this area. If we start here and move outward, we might find clues about where these creatures are coming from."
"Or," Mallory said, leaning back in her chair, "we might find more creatures and get eaten. Just throwing that out there."
Zara rolled her eyes. "Your optimism is inspiring."
With the plan set, they set off on their journey. The streets were eerily quiet, the usual background noise of distant groans and shuffling feet replaced by an unsettling stillness. It was as though the city itself was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
Mallory walked in the middle of the group, her bat resting casually on her shoulder. Blinky's glow provided a soft light that made the shadows seem a little less menacing, and his occasional chirps broke the silence.
"Do you think Blinky ever gets tired?" Mallory mused, glancing at the little blob.
"I doubt it," Altair said. "He's made of some kind of bioluminescent gel. If anything, he probably thrives on activity."
"Great," Mallory said. "At least one of us is enjoying this apocalypse."
As they moved deeper into the city, the once-familiar landmarks became increasingly unrecognizable. Buildings were overgrown with vines, cars were rusted husks, and the streets were littered with debris. They passed a playground where swings swayed eerily in the breeze, their chains creaking with every movement.
"This place gives me the creeps," Zara muttered, gripping her bat tightly.
"It's not so bad," Mallory said, kicking a can down the street. "Just think of it as a really intense scavenger hunt."
"Where the prize is not dying," Vanessa added.
Their banter was cut short when they heard a noise up ahead—a low, rumbling growl that made the hairs on the back of Mallory's neck stand up.
The group froze, weapons at the ready. The growl grew louder, and a moment later, a pack of zombie dogs emerged from an alleyway, their glowing eyes locked on the intruders.
"Well, that's new," Mallory said, taking a step back.
The dogs were fast—too fast. They darted toward the group, their movements unnaturally coordinated. Zara swung her bat, connecting with one of the creatures and sending it flying into a wall, but another leapt at her from the side.
Mallory reacted instinctively, using her bat to deflect the attack. Blinky leapt into action, his minions swarming the dogs and creating a chaotic tangle of glowing blobs and snapping jaws.
Vanessa and Altair fought side by side, their movements precise and efficient. Vanessa's knife flashed in the dim light as she dispatched one dog after another, while Altair used a makeshift spear to keep them at bay.
The fight was over almost as quickly as it had begun. The zombie dogs lay motionless on the ground, their glowing eyes dimming as their bodies dissolved into ash.
Mallory wiped sweat from her brow, her chest heaving. "Okay, that was not a scavenger hunt. That was a very angry petting zoo."
Zara laughed, though her hands were still shaking. "What the hell were those things? I thought zombies didn't do animals."
"Another experiment, maybe?" Altair said, crouching to examine the remains. "Whoever's behind this isn't just targeting humans. They're testing something bigger."
Vanessa looked around, her expression grim. "We need to keep moving. If those things were guarding something, we're getting close."
They pressed on, the encounter leaving them more alert than ever. The streets became narrower, the debris more concentrated, as though the city itself was trying to funnel them toward a specific destination.
As they turned a corner, they found themselves facing an old factory. Its windows were shattered, and its walls were covered in graffiti, but there was something about it that set Mallory's instincts on edge.
"This place screams 'bad idea,'" she said, gripping her bat.
"Which means it's exactly where we need to go," Vanessa said, already heading toward the entrance.
Inside, the factory was dark and damp, the air thick with the smell of rust and decay. The group moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing in the vast space.
They found evidence of activity almost immediately—discarded tools, broken machinery, and strange markings on the walls that looked like some kind of code.
Altair studied the markings, his brow furrowed. "This isn't random. These symbols… they're coordinates."
"Coordinates to what?" Zara asked.
"Let's find out," Altair said, pulling a notebook from his bag and jotting down the symbols.
Their search led them to a large metal door at the back of the factory. It was reinforced with thick steel and covered in scratches, as though something had tried—and failed—to break through.
Mallory stared at the door, her stomach twisting with unease. "Whatever's behind that door, I vote we leave it there."
"We can't," Vanessa said. "If this is where those creatures are coming from, we need to know."
Altair found a control panel nearby and began tinkering with the wires. After a few tense moments, the door creaked open, revealing a dark hallway that stretched deep into the earth.
"Of course it's a creepy underground tunnel," Mallory muttered. "Why wouldn't it be?"
They descended into the tunnel, the air growing colder with each step. Blinky's glow lit the way, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The tunnel eventually opened into a massive chamber filled with rows of cylindrical pods, each one containing a figure suspended in a greenish liquid.
Mallory's breath caught in her throat. "What… what is this?"
Altair approached one of the pods, his hands trembling. "These aren't zombies. They're people… being turned into zombies."
The realization hit them like a punch to the gut. Whoever was behind this wasn't just experimenting—they were creating an army.
Vanessa clenched her fists, her jaw tight. "We need to destroy this place."
Before they could act, a voice echoed through the chamber, cold and mechanical. "You shouldn't have come here."
A figure stepped out of the shadows, their face obscured by a mask. They wore a long coat that billowed as they moved, and their hands were covered in gloves that crackled with electricity.
Mallory tightened her grip on her bat, her heart pounding. "Great. A villain with a flair for drama. Just what we needed."
The masked figure raised a hand, and the pods began to hum with energy. The figures inside stirred, their eyes glowing as the transformation accelerated.
"Leave now," the figure said, "or face the consequences."
Mallory looked at her friends, then at Blinky. "What do you think, Blobfather? Time to show this wannabe villain what we're made of?"
Blinky chirped in agreement, his glow intensifying.