The world devolved into a claustrophobic vortex of snarling death the instant Rick Grimes and Glenn Rhee tumbled through the service door. Right on their heels, three lean, impossibly fast Runner Variants squeezed through the opening before Ethan and Shane could react, their high-pitched shrieks a terrifying new sound in the confined space. Behind them, a wave of standard walkers from the alley clawed and pressed, a tide of rotting flesh desperate to follow.
"Door! Get that damn door!" Shane roared, shoving a heavy metal shelving unit he'd been trying to move back towards the breached entrance, even as he brought his shotgun up. The first Runner was already on him, a blur of tattered clothes and gnashing teeth.
Ethan reacted instantly, his System flashing urgent threat indicators.
[Hostile engagement: 3x Runner Variants (Class II - Agile, High Aggression) in immediate proximity. Multiple Standard Walkers attempting entry via compromised doorway. Tactical priority: Neutralize internal threats, then re-secure entrance.]
His machete became an extension of his arm. His Agility of 9 and enhanced Perception (also 9) allowed him to track the chaotic movements in the dim service area. One Runner feinted towards Rick, who was scrambling to his feet, Python already barking. Ethan intercepted, his Danger Sense flaring as the creature changed direction mid-lunge, aiming for him instead. He ducked under a wild, clawing swipe and buried his machete deep into its exposed neck.
[Runner Variant Neutralized. Battle Points +5. Significant Experience Gained.]
(Runners would give more BP/EXP than standard walkers).
Glenn, despite his exhaustion from the tank rescue and the sprint through the alley, was fighting like a cornered badger with his metal pipe, keeping another Runner occupied, its unnatural speed making it incredibly hard to land a solid hit. Andrea and Jacqui, their backs against a stack of crates, were firing their handguns, though the confined space and the chaotic movement made every shot a risk.
Rick, after dropping the Runner that had initially lunged for him, turned to help Shane, who was wrestling with the third Variant, a horrifyingly strong and frenzied creature. It had Shane's shotgun arm in its teeth, trying to bite through the thick fabric of his jacket.
"Get this door shut!" Ethan yelled at Andrea and Jacqui, seeing more walkers trying to force their way in from the alley over the bodies of the ones Rick and Glenn had downed outside. "We can't fight the whole damn city!"
While Andrea and Jacqui desperately tried to heave another fallen shelf against the groaning steel door, Ethan turned to aid Rick and Shane. The System highlighted a momentary opening as the Runner pinning Shane twisted its head. Ethan lunged, his machete aimed at its temple. A clean, brutal strike. The creature went limp.
[Runner Variant Neutralized. Battle Points +5. Significant Experience Gained.]
Shane shoved the corpse off him, his arm bleeding from deep bite marks in his jacket, though it didn't look like the teeth had broken skin. "Damn freaks!" he cursed, panting.
The last Runner, the one Glenn had been fighting, shrieked and suddenly leaped onto a stack of boxes, preparing to pounce from above. Glenn looked up, his eyes wide.
Rick didn't hesitate. His Python cracked three times in rapid succession. The Runner, riddled with bullets, crashed heavily to the floor, finally still.
[Runner Variant Neutralized. Battle Points +5. Significant Experience Gained.]
For a breathless moment, there was a lull. The three immediate, terrifying threats were down. The service door, thanks to Andrea and Jacqui's desperate efforts, was groaning but holding against the weight of the walkers outside, the barricade reinforced.
The six of them Rick, Shane, Ethan, Glenn, Andrea, and Jacqui, stood amidst the carnage, chests heaving, splattered with blood and gore.
[Combat Sequence Concluded. Multiple High-Threat Hostiles Neutralized. Significant Experience Gained. Battle Points Substantially Increased.]
[Congratulations! Host has reached Level 4!]
[All primary attributes (Health, Stamina) fully restored!]
[Attribute Points (AP) available for allocation.]
Ethan felt the familiar surge of energy, his wounds from the earlier UBE attack (which had mostly healed but left him scarred) and any minor scrapes from this fight vanishing. Level 4. And more AP. He quickly made a mental note to allocate them later. His BP count, after those three valuable Runner kills, would be significantly higher now (101 + 15 = 116 BP, before EXP/Level up BP rewards).
"Everyone alright?" Rick gasped out, already moving towards Glenn, who was checking his arm where the Runner had clawed him earlier (not the new fight). "Anyone bitten?"
There were shaken heads, a few curses. Glenn's arm was bleeding again from a fresh scratch, but it didn't look like a bite. Ethan quickly moved to him, his Basic First Aid skill coming to the fore. "Let me see that, Glenn." He efficiently cleaned and bandaged the wound with supplies from his own pack, his movements sure.
"Thanks, Ethan," Glenn said, wincing. "Twice in one day. I owe you more than I can count."
Rick watched Ethan's ministrations with a flicker of something – respect? surprise? – in his eyes, then turned his attention to the immediate, overwhelming problem. "That door won't hold forever. And what about the others? T-Dog? Morales? Merle?" His voice was tight with anxiety. He knew they were on the roof.
Before anyone could answer, before they could even begin to formulate a plan to get out of this blood-soaked service area and assess the store further, Shane's walkie-talkie, which he'd clipped back to his belt, erupted with a scream of pure terror. It was T-Dog's voice, strained and cracking with static and panic.
"Shane! Rick, if you're there! They're through! The walkers… they broke through the rooftop door! We're overrun up here! Morales is down! He's… Oh God, they got him! And Merle… Merle's gone crazy, screaming, trying to fight them with one hand! We need help! Now! Or we're all dead meat!"
The transmission ended with a horrifying shriek, then nothing but the hiss of dead air.
Rick, Shane, Ethan, and Glenn exchanged horrified looks. They had just survived one deathtrap, only to learn that their friends, the rest of their team on the rooftop, were now caught in another, possibly far worse. They were on the ground floor, surrounded by walkers inside and out, and the only way to the roof was back up through the walker-infested stairwells of Harrison's Department Store.
Ethan Miller -
* Level: 4
* Experience (EXP): 0/400 )
* Battle Points (BP): 116
* Attribute Points (AP) Unspent: 5
* Core Attributes:
* Strength : 7
* Agility : 9 (Soft Capped at L3)
* Endurance : 6
* Perception : 9 (Soft Capped at L3)
* Learned Skills:
* Basic First Aid (Active, Level 1)
* Basic Stealth Movement (Passive, Level 1)
* Featherfoot (Passive, Level 1)
* Danger Sense (Rudimentary, Level 1)