BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The sharp, precise gunfire echoed through the air, slicing through the dreadful moans of the advancing zombie horde. One by one, the relentless attackers collapsed into lifeless heaps, their bodies piling up to create a temporary barrier that slightly slowed the progress of those still surging forward.
The fleeting moment of relief offered no comfort as the wave of undead continued to press onward. "GET THOSE DOORS OPEN NOW!" Granger roared, his voice trembling with urgency as he glanced back over his shoulder. His shaking hands fumbled to check the dwindling rounds left in his magazine, cold sweat streaking down his face as the weight of their dire situation became clear.
Beside him, Corporal Smith crouched low, his eyes darting toward Granger when the telltale sound of an empty magazine reverberated.
"I'M OUT, SIR!" Smith yelled without hesitation, gripping a large combat knife in one hand and a grenade in the other. He steeled himself for what could very well be their final stand. Meanwhile, on Granger's other side, Murphy let out a guttural scream of rage and desperation, firing white-hot rounds from his LMG into the necrotic flesh of the undead. The zombies exploded like overripe fruit under the relentless assault, showering Murphy and the others in blackened, viscous blood, though Murphy bore the brunt of it, now drenched in gore.
Amid the chaos, an armored zombie moved with unnerving agility, weaving deftly through the horde and evading the deadly hail of military-grade bullets that shredded the zombies around it into chunks of flesh and gore. Murphy's relentless barrage tore into the mass of undead, his feral screams shifting into a maniacal laugh as he reveled in the destruction.
But his triumph was cut short. The unmistakable click of an empty magazine broke through the cacophony of battle, freezing his expression in sudden dread.
With chilling precision, the bone-armed zombie surged from the throng of undead, using a zombie's skull as a springboard to hurl itself toward the terror-stricken Murphy.
Murphy twisted frantically, attempting to evade the attack, but his head was caught mid-turn by the bone-armored hand.
The air was rent with the grotesque sound of flesh tearing and bones snapping, accompanied by a horrific spray of blood as ruptured arteries and veins created a ghastly fountain of gore.
The bone-armed zombie landed on the far side of Murphy's lifeless body, which remained upright, spurting a fading arc of blood into the air.
The undead creature lifted Murphy's severed head high, inspecting its grisly trophy under the dim light. Suddenly, it unhinged its skeletal jaws and allowed the severed head to drop into its maw, consuming it as though it were a mere morsel.
The nauseating crunch of Murphy's skull shattered the heavy silence, echoing as fragments and bloodied tissue cascaded into the zombie's skeletal abdomen.
TINK!
The sharp clatter of metal striking the ground cut through the night, drawing the attention of the bone-zombies. Their malevolent, smoldering red eyes, set deep within bone-plated armor, locked onto the source, a grenade lying ominously nearby.
"GET DOWN!" Sergeant Granger roared, grabbing a nearby survivor mid-swing of his crowbar against a zombie's skull and pulling him to safety as the imminent danger escalated.
BOOOOOOM!
The grenade detonated at the feet of the skeletal zombie, propelling it backward into the mass of undead behind it. Its heavy, crumbling body crushed some of the creatures into pulp and toppled others like dominoes as it hurtled through the crowd.
The barricade was almost completely demolished. Splintered wood and twisted metal were being torn away by trembling hands as the soldiers worked desperately, their gasping breaths and the clatter of debris drowned out by the unyielding chorus of undead howls beyond the walls.
"Almost there, just a few more pieces!" one of the trainees yelled, his voice cracking under the weight of his fear.
Granger stayed silent. His ears still rang from the explosion, and the acrid stench of smoke and charred flesh clung heavily to the air. The grenade had served its purpose, the exit was clear, but the detonation had also sent the horde into a frenzy.
For a fleeting moment, an eerie silence fell… and then came the roar.
Through the haze of smoke, the bone-armored zombie emerged, its grotesque form illuminated by the flickering flames. Fresh blood trickled from its jagged maw, steam rising from the crimson puddle forming beneath its feet. It let out a guttural bellow, a monstrous sound that seemed to shake the very air, while dozens of undead swarmed behind it, a relentless tide of decay and ravenous hunger.
The roar thundered through the smoke, a deafening sound that froze the soldiers in place for a fleeting moment, just long enough for the monster to strike. The bone-armored zombie lunged forward, claws gouging deep trenches in the concrete as it charged toward the survivors, its molten-red eyes locked onto Granger with unrelenting focus. The air seemed to vibrate with the feral intensity of its approach.
And then—
Caine sprang into action.
He burst from the wreckage like a missile, the steel bat clenched tightly in his grip, his body a blur of motion fueled by raw determination. The ground cracked and splintered beneath his feet as he surged forward, the world around him dissolving into a haze of speed and force.
The monster's guttural roar clashed with Caine's own primal shout as the two forces collided in a cataclysmic meeting.
CRACK!
The bat struck the creature's skull with unrelenting force, the impact shattering bone and sent fragments scattering like lethal shrapnel.
The blow drove the zombie back several feet, but it remained standing, its head twisting unnaturally as it fixed its glowing red eyes on Caine, a feral rage burning within them.
Caine's instincts surged to life as the bone zombie raised its clawed hand, reshaping it into a deadly flat blade. Before the creature could drive the weapon into him, Caine sprang to the side, narrowly evading the strike. Without hesitation, he swung the bat in a sharp arc, slamming it against the back of the bone zombie's armored skull.
CRACK.
The bone zombie fell forward slightly before catching himself on one foot, his bone-armored foot causing multiple spiderweb cracks in the ground under him.
As the barricades at the exit descended, the survivors bolted out, some casting fleeting glances behind them to see Caine gazing up at the bone zombie.
"That's so cool!" one boy exclaimed, his voice brimming with admiration.
"That's so stupid!" another boy retorted, his tone dripping with disdain, his expression even more scornful.
The group hurried through the Walmart doors, their load of supplies incomplete but their lightened burden making them swift. Before long, they reached the neighboring Lowe's.
Trailing close behind were the last two remaining soldiers, Sergeant Granger and Corporal Smith. With their ammunition depleted, each clutched a combat knife in one hand and a grenade in the other as they made their way toward the garden center of Lowe's.
They exchanged glances before entering.
Caine's breath came in ragged gasps, the steel bat in his grip slick with blood, some his, some the monster's. His heart thundered against his ribs, each beat reverberating through his skull like the pounding of a war drum.
Opposite him, the bone-armored zombie straightened its colossal frame, jagged ivory plates clicking together as it moved. The left side of its skull was shattered, caved in where Caine's bat had struck, fragments of bone and decayed flesh dangling grotesquely. It turned toward him, blackened tissue swaying with the motion.
With a guttural roar, a horrifying blend of dying animal and grinding stone, it charged.
Caine didn't hesitate. He surged forward to meet it.
The creature's first swing was wild, the bone blade slicing through the air just above Caine's head as he ducked beneath it. Its clawed feet slammed into the concrete, sending cracks spidering outward with each step, the ground trembling under its immense weight. Caine retaliated, swinging the bat at its ribs. The impact jarred his arms as it struck, but the armor-hard bone absorbed the blow without splintering.
Too solid.
The zombie countered with its other arm, a ferocious swipe that Caine intercepted with the side of his bat. Sparks erupted as metal scraped against bone, and the force of the blow sent him skidding backward, his boots struggling to find purchase on the blood-slick floor.
As the monster lunged again, Caine sidestepped, his eyes catching the glint of a fallen metal pipe. Snatching it up with his free hand, he drove it into the creature's leg. The strike landed with a sickening crack, the joint buckling slightly as the massive figure stumbled forward.
Caine seized the opportunity, swinging the bat down onto the back of the creature's neck with a guttural growl.
CRACK!
A burst of dark fluid sprayed into the air, splattering across his face. The zombie crumpled to one knee, its other arm dangling uselessly as it attempted to rise again.
"Stay down!" Caine bellowed, delivering another series of blows, once, twice, then a third time. Each strike grew more forceful, fueled by mounting rage and desperation. The bat started to bend under the pressure, its edge dented where bone had resisted.
The creature flailed wildly, managing to graze his shoulder and send him sprawling. The world spun, and his vision pulsed with blinding light.
He hit the ground hard but instinctively rolled, barely dodging the zombie's next thunderous stomp. The impact shook the earth, leaving deep fractures radiating out like a web of cracks.
Suddenly, a voice resonated in Caine's mind:
As the words registered, the fresh wound on his shoulder began to visibly contract, healing rapidly until it completely vanished.
The bone zombie unleashed a deafening roar that echoed through the ruined store, its sound raw and primal, like stone grinding against bone. The horde surrounding it began to stir unnaturally, not with mindless hunger, but with an unsettling sense of purpose.
Caine's eyes widened in alarm. They're responding to it.
The nearby undead hesitated, their movements jerky and uncertain, as if awaiting orders. Then, with a guttural snarl, the bone-armored beast grabbed the nearest corpse by the spine and hurled it like a missile.
The body slammed into the ground near Caine, erupting into a cloud of black rot and bone fragments. Before he could react, two more cadavers came hurtling through the air, one crashing into a metal shelf, the other spinning end-over-end like grotesque cannonballs.
Caine dove behind the mangled remains of a display rack as the corpses smashed into it with a sickening crunch. Flesh and bone splattered across his back as he gritted his teeth.
Through the drifting haze of viscera and smoke, the bone zombie charged.
The lesser undead, still animate, shifted aside in a grotesque wave, instinctively parting for their master as it barreled forward, using them as a moving wall of decaying shields. Caine caught only a glimpse of the gleaming ivory plating before the creature closed the distance in a flash.
"—shit!"
The kick struck like a sledgehammer.
Caine's chest crumpled under the impact, sending him hurtling backward with bone-shattering force. The world blurred into a chaotic swirl of metal and shattered glass as he crashed through an aisle of shelving. Cans, tools, and debris scattered like shrapnel as his body collided with a pillar, leaving a crater in the concrete.
For a moment, he couldn't breathe. The shockwave reverberated through his ribcage, and the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth.
The voice resonated icily within his thoughts, detached and mechanical.
A searing pain ignited in his abdomen, radiating in agonizing waves. The nanites surged into action, their silvery glow threading delicately beneath his shredded skin, attempting to mend the wounds. Yet, the injuries were profound, the damage immense.
Through the dense, swirling mist, the bone zombie advanced with deliberate, resounding steps, each movement radiating a terrifying precision and a predator's unwavering confidence as it closed in for the kill.
Caine pushed himself to his feet, a violent cough spraying blood onto his lips. His bat fell to the ground with a sharp metallic clang, but he snatched it up again, his trembling hands gripping the worn handle with a desperate intensity, his knuckles whitening under the strain.
"Come on, then," he growled, his voice hoarse but steady, defiance blazing through the agony. "If you're coming for me—"
Before he could finish, the zombie lunged forward, bridging the distance in a single, monstrous leap, its claws slicing through the air and raking across his chest with a sickening impact.
Caine stumbled backward, his bat swinging instinctively in a wide arc. The blow struck the creature's forearm with a resounding crack, shattering the outer bone plate and snapping several jagged spines from its wrist. The impact sent a violent shockwave up his arms, rattling his bones and nearly ripping the bat from his hands.
The bone zombie didn't even react.
It grabbed a mangled corpse from the floor and hurled it like a club, striking Caine squarely in the ribs. The force drove the air from his lungs, the bat slipping from his grip as he slammed into a toppled freezer unit. The steel groaned and caved inward, leaving a dent shaped like his body.
The alert blared in his mind like a klaxon, followed by a static hum that seared the edges of his consciousness. His breaths came in ragged gasps, each one a sharp rasp laced with the pain of fractured ribs and nanite strain.
Through the fog of agony, Caine discerned the creature's approaching footsteps. Not hurried, but deliberate. Predatory. Certain.
He spat blood and pushed himself upright, steadying against the crumpled freezer.
The monster's molten-red eyes pierced the smoke like beacons, locking onto him with predatory malice.
"Yeah," Caine muttered, his voice fractured but unyielding. "That's right. Keep walking."
The bone zombie responded with a hissing exhale, its jagged teeth gleaming in the shifting light. Its right arm extended grotesquely, bones grinding and reshaping into a long, jagged spear. It aimed the weapon at Caine's chest, the air thrumming with the malice pouring off it.
Caine reached for his bat, only to find it crumbling at the damaged edge, its structure battered by overuse. He stared at it for a moment, his breath heavy, then tightened his grip with defiance.
"Still good enough," he growled.
The creature lunged.
Caine dropped low, sliding forward beneath the thrusting attack, the bone spear slicing clean through the freezer behind him with a metallic scream. In the same motion, he swung upward with all his strength, the bat colliding with the zombie's jaw in a brutal uppercut.
CRACK!
Shards of teeth and bone sprayed into the air. The monster's head snapped back violently, but it refused to fall. Instead, it drove its knee upward, slamming into Caine's midsection.
Caine's body folded around the impact, the air leaving his lungs in a choked gasp as he collapsed to his knees.
The internal voice rang colder now, detached and clinical, indifferent to his suffering.
Yet beneath its tone, something else stirred, a jolt of static, a pulse that felt less mechanical and more primal.
His vision wavered, the world around him fracturing in bursts of red and white. His heartbeat thundered in rhythm with the flickering nanite glow crawling across his skin. The pain felt distant now, muffled by the swelling, metallic hum coursing through his veins.
The bone zombie raised its claws high, poised to deliver the killing blow—