Chapter 21: Hunters Hunted (2)

Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Hunters Hunted (2) "What are you spacing out for?" Nico yelled, hacking through another undead. "It’s just a zombie!" Luis shook his head, before kicking away the severed head. For a moment, all color had drained from his face. He thought it was Nico’s head and panicked. After all, he couldn’t even run if something were to happen to his meat shields. "Luis, will you stop idling around and lend us a hand?" Darnell asked, fighting two zombies himself. "On it!" Luis yelled back, reaching for his trusty nail gun. We hunt zombies. Obviously, their heads will roll on the ground. Stupid me. Luis aimed the gun at the farthest zombie. However, before he could press the trigger, something came crashing down from above. Something was standing between him and the rest. A zombie? Luis thought, staring at the tall and muscular zombie. The shirtless creature had a wide stitch mark on its stomach, as if it was used for drug trafficking, but came alive during the apocalypse. To make things even strange, the creature had claws in place of fingers and his crimson eyes remained fixed on him. It was a zombie, but unlike the others, he wasn’t stumbling or groaning. But the most disturbing thing was... the creature almost looked human. That realization brought fear with it. Luis’s eyes widened as he pointed the gun at Blaze. "E-Evolved zombie!" Luis yelled, pulling the trigger, but nothing happened. Fear gripped Luis’s heart as he tried to lift his gun again, but his hand wouldn’t move. Confused, he looked down, only to let out a painful cry. His hand... was on lying on the ground, along with the nail gun. His blood gushed out like a fountain as he stumbled backwards. The zombie had already severed his arm. "What the hell...?" Nico turned around, but couldn’t believe the sight before his eyes. If it hadn’t been for Luis’s cries, they wouldn’t even notice the zombie behind them. "Get him—!" Luis’s voice got cut off as the zombie plunged its claws through his skull, killing him instantly. Darnell and Nico both froze as the undead turned towards them and threw Luis’s corpse aside. "Shit!" Nico cursed and turned to the zombies they were fighting before. Luis’s death completely threw them off, which led them to make a grave mistake, leaving their backs exposed to the undead. But to their surprise, the undead remained still. They were attacking them fiercely moments ago, but now they were as still as trees. Even Darnell couldn’t understand their strange behavior... until he followed their stares. "That zombie... he’s their leader!" he whispered. "What? A zombie is controlling other zombies? Is that even possible?" As far as they knew, zombies could act together, but even then, they didn’t have any coordination. It was just their hunger making them act out. That’s why the thought of the zombies having a leader seemed absurd to Nico. As if to confirm their thoughts, the evolved zombie nodded towards Luis’s corpse and simultaneously, all the zombies rushed past the humans and began feasting on it. All the while, the leader didn’t move from its spot, staring at the humans. "...what in the god’s names in this—" Although Darnell was the one who suggested the zombies had a leader, he was shocked to find it true. Nico, however, had a very different reaction. "You bastard!" "Nico, NO!" Darnell tried to grab him, but Nico was already charging towards the leader, flailing his machete. As Nico got closer, the latter didn’t flinch and even turned its back towards the human. Nico smirked, thinking the zombie leader was still a dumb zombie. As he was about to swing his machete, the leader somersaulted off the wall. Nico looked above, trying to follow the zombie, but its claws were the last thing he saw, as they pierced into his eyes and yanked his skull open like a cracked coconut. Nico’s body twitched for a second before collapsing on the ground. The zombies looked at their leader, who nodded again. They didn’t hesitate before dragging Nico’s corpse and began tearing into him just like they had done with Luis. All the while, Darnell looked at the events unfolded with terror. Just seconds ago they were alive and bickering with each other, and now... a pack of zombies were feasting on their flesh. No... No... No! This can’t be happening! Darnell panicked and began looking for exits. However, the only way out was blocked by the evolved zombie, and it kept staring at him. He looked at the zombies behind. They were distracted by his fallen comrades. As long as he made it past the leader, he could survive. That zombie... he’s faster than me, but I’m stronger. I could ram him into the wall before making a break for it. With a plan in mind, Darnell gripped the sledgehammer tightly and charged at the leader. However, just as he was about to hit the leader, it ducked and kicked his knee. His legs buckled as he met the ground face-first, only to see Nico’s hollow eyes staring back at him. He was next to his fallen comrades. "Argh!" Darnell screamed in fear, sitting back up. The zombies surrounded him, ready to attack, but then something unexpected happened. "ROAR!" The leader let out a roar, and the zombies backed away. Darnell didn’t question anything, just scrambled to his feet, clutching his hammer. It wasn’t what he imagined, but he made it past the evolved zombie. All that was left was to run with all his might. However, that plan failed even before he acted on it. The zombies weren’t eating anymore. Instead, their eyes were fixed on him. Damn it! Darnell cursed, realizing he was surrounded. While he was thinking of ways to run, something strange happened. The evolved zombie... it pointed at him and then curled its fingers. The zombie was challenging him. Finally, it dawned on him. The zombie before him wasn’t a mindless creature. He could kill Darnell any time it liked, but it wanted to toy with him. "What are you? Ugh!" Darnell asked, only to be punched in the face by the zombie. Blood drizzled from his broken nose, but Darnell didn’t stop. He raised the hammer over his head. However, as the hammer came crashing down, another zombie jumped in between. The hammer shattered the creature’s skull, but the leader remained unharmed. Without wasting even a second, Darnell raised the hammer again, but this time the leader reacted and slashed him across the chest. Blood gushed out of the wound as Darnell staggered backwards. Though the wound was deep and he was losing too much blood, he didn’t let go of the hammer. He had to take down the leader or who knew what it’d do to more humans. "You... have to die..." He grumbled, raising his hammer one last time. He swung it, ready to take the zombie down once and for all. Only for the zombie to catch the sledgehammer mid-swing. It snatched the hammer before divining it right into Darnell’s exposed chest. The hammer’s handle crushed his lungs as he collapsed on the ground, staring at the crimson sky before darkness claimed him.