Mary hurled Jarlath unceremoniously into the Life Storage building and slammed the doors shut behind him. Wasting no time, she grabbed the RPG and began loading it with a PG-7G round, all while fending off zombies that lunged at her with gnashing teeth.
Their bites tore into her flesh, but she gritted her teeth and dispatched them with brutal efficiency, her wrench crashing down with deadly precision.
Once the RPG was loaded, she turned her attention back to the Gargantuan.
She steadied her aim and fired.
KABOOM!
The rocket struck the towering zombie's chest, causing a small explosion that barely pushed it back a step. The Gargantuan paused momentarily, then resumed its lumbering advance, seemingly unfazed by the attack.
"You're certainly a tough one to deal with," Mary muttered, already reloading the RPG. This time, she aimed for the creature's center of mass and fired again.
The impact forced the Gargantuan back further, smashing it into the facade of the Loft 51 building. Though the blast didn't seem to harm the massive behemoth, the fact that it was being pushed back confirmed Jarlath's claim.
If she kept firing, its impenetrable defense would eventually wear down.
Mary let out a frustrated sigh as a new wave of zombies swarmed toward her. "But you pests are starting to be a real problem."
Dropping the RPG, she pulled out her wrench and waded into the fray, her weapon swinging with feral precision.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
She was fortunate there were no Evo-types yet; if one appeared, she'd be in real trouble. She killed several zombies in quick succession before pulling a grenade from her belt.
With practiced ease, she hurled it into the crowd.
Kaboom!
The explosion tore through the horde, sending mangled bodies flying and buying her a brief moment of respite. But the blast also sent a ripple through the hivemind, guaranteeing more zombies would soon converge on her location.
She retrieved the RPG and began reloading, only for her focus to be interrupted by a shadow overhead.
The Gargantuan had ripped two abandoned taxis from the road and hurled them toward her.
"Shit!" Mary dove to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed.
The taxis slammed into the ground with deafening force, blocking the entrance to the Life Storage building. Her RPG clattered to the pavement as she rolled to her feet.
"You're very stubborn," she growled, only to be abruptly restrained as something coiled around her torso. She glanced back to see a Whip-Hair zombie, its sinewy tendrils pulling her closer.
With a furious yell, Mary twisted her body and yanked the zombie forward, slamming her head into its face.
Krak!
The impact sent it reeling, its grip loosening just enough for her to break free. Grabbing it by the throat, she hurled it at the Gargantuan in a fit of rage.
She whipped out her shotgun and fired several rounds at the Gargantuan, aiming for its eyes. The creature roared in pain, raising its massive arms to shield its face.
Seizing the opportunity, Mary scrambled for the RPG and reloaded it once more.
KABOOM!
This time, when she fired, the rocket hit with enough force to knock the Gargantuan off its feet. The massive zombie crashed to the ground, struggling to rise.
Its recovery was slow, and its once-impenetrable flesh was beginning to glow an angry red.
Mary smirked, her confidence bolstered. "Looks like your defense is starting to crack," she said, her tone dripping with satisfaction.
Calmly, she loaded another rocket, her eyes glinting with amusement as she aimed for its head.
"Now die, monster."
Before she could fire, a sharp instinct screamed at her to move. She dropped the RPG and leapt backward just as a bullet tore through the space she had occupied moments before.
She looked up sharply and spotted three figures standing on the rooftop of the Mason Alexander Ltd. building. They wore masks, and the unmistakable Kade logo was emblazoned on their gear.
Though their dramatic poses might have seemed theatrical, Mary wasn't amused.
"Those three again," she muttered, narrowing her eyes. She recognized them immediately—henchmen who had somehow survived Byron Kade's wrath, and who clearly still had a vendetta.
Reaching for her revolver, Mary fired a single shot, the bullet striking one of the henchmen squarely in the leg.
The man screamed in pain, collapsing to his knees as a few nearby zombies were drawn to the commotion.
"You think this is a movie or something?" Mary called out mockingly. "Striking a pose like that? Grow up."
The injured man howled, his frustration boiling over. "That bitch! I'll kill her!" he snarled, punching one of his comrades in blind rage.
"Relax," the first henchman barked, dragging the injured man to his feet. "You don't want to face the boss's punishment if we screw this up."
The third henchman groaned, clutching his shoulder. "Seriously, can't you—"
A grenade rolled to a stop at their feet.
The first and third henchmen reacted immediately, bolting for safety. But it was too late.
Kaboom!
The grenade detonated, engulfing all three in a fiery explosion.
From Mary's vantage point, she saw blood and body parts rain down from the rooftop.
Mary smirked in amusement. "I held the grenade for four seconds before tossing it into that building. You didn't stand a chance."
Despite the carnage, Mary couldn't help but admire the tenacity of those henchmen, desperate as they were to impress their boss.
However, their lack of situational awareness and their penchant for preying on the weak disgusted her. Those were exactly the kind of people she despised.
The explosion had attracted a flood of zombies, giving her a brief respite from their attention. Unfortunately, her momentary lapse in vigilance allowed the Gargantuan to seize her once again.
"Again!? Are you kidding me!?" Mary shouted, struggling against its crushing grip.
A wry smile crossed her face as her lips parted, revealing a grenade that she swallowed earlier clenched between her teeth.
With a mocking grin, she spat the explosive out. "Hasta la vista, ugly!"
The grenade detonated directly in the Gargantuan's face, flinging Mary to the ground. The explosion had disfigured her face grotesquely, but her regenerative abilities quickly restored her features to their original state.
The Gargantuan, however, didn't fare as well. Its face was a ruin of scorched flesh, and the explosion had blinded and deafened it.
The hulking creature knelt on the ground, swaying as it struggled to orient itself.
"Not so tough now, are you?" Mary said coldly, her tone devoid of mercy. Ignoring the loaded RPG, she instead picked up her pipe wrench and a dagger, her lips curling into a sinister smile.
"I'm going to enjoy this."
Mary launched herself at the Gargantuan, swinging the wrench with relentless fury. Each strike landed with a sickening crunch as she bludgeoned the creature over and over, disfiguring what remained of its face.
The Gargantuan swung at her sluggishly, unable to match her speed, and she easily dodged its clumsy attempts. She mocked its helplessness, battering it until her anger ebbed.
With a final flourish, she raised her dagger and placed the tip against its forehead. Blood trickled down as she pressed harder, savoring the sight.
"Vulnerable, aren't you?"
With one decisive thrust, she drove the blade deep into its skull, piercing the brain. The Gargantuan collapsed, its lifeless body crashing to the ground.
Mary twirled the knife idly in her hand, ignoring the mournful cries of the surrounding zombies. "Evo-types," she muttered with disdain. "Turns out they're not so special after all."
As she turned toward the Life Storage building, her eyes caught a photo lying on the ground near the Gargantuan's body.
Curious, she bent down to pick it up. The image showed an elderly man cradling a baby, the scene clearly from the early days of the apocalypse.
She noticed a faint bite mark on the man's shoulder. Realization struck her—this monstrous behemoth had once been that man.
For a moment, Mary stared at the Gargantuan's corpse, her mind replacing its grotesque form with the frail image of the elderly man in the photograph.
She shook her head violently, dispelling the thought.
"Why should I care? That man died long ago. These things aren't human anymore. They're just monsters."
A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the area. Mary's muscles tensed as she turned to see someone approaching. She instinctively reached for her revolver, leveling it at the figure.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice sharp and unwavering.
The figure stepped into view, revealing themselves as one of the henchmen she thought she had killed. His hoodie was half-destroyed, singed from the earlier explosion.
"What do you think?" he replied smugly, his voice dripping with derision.
Mary's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "How the hell are you alive? I saw all of you die in that explosion. No one could've survived that amount of blood loss unless..." Her voice trailed off as the pieces clicked together. "You're not ordinary, are you? What are you?"
The henchman chuckled, his amusement evident. "Funny question, coming from someone like you. Between your abilities and that boy's, I'd say we're more alike than you'd care to admit."
"So, you're unnatural too," Mary said flatly, her grip tightening on her revolver. The implications of his words unsettled her.
If he was telling the truth, his abilities could be anything—something she wasn't prepared to face.
"Let me guess. You won't stop until I go with you to Kade's hideout?"
The henchman smirked, extending an arm toward her. His fingers curled in a deliberate motion, and an agonizing pressure gripped Mary's body as her blood vessels constricted.
"Exactly. And you don't have a choice."
A sharp, searing agony tore through Mary's body as the henchman's power took hold, her blood vessels straining under the unnatural pressure.
The pain was overwhelming, a fiery heat coursing through her veins as though her very essence was being set ablaze. Her regenerative abilities offered no reprieve; each second stretched into an eternity of torment.
Her muscles spasmed uncontrollably, her vision blurred, and her lungs burned as she gasped for air. Every heartbeat sent another wave of unbearable agony rippling through her.
"I must commend your audacity for showcasing your regeneration earlier," the henchman remarked coldly, his lips curling into a cruel smirk. "Very bold. Now I know better than to hold back."
With deliberate malice, he curled his fingers further, amplifying the pain tenfold. Mary's screams only seemed to fuel his satisfaction.
"Now, answer me. Will you come with me willingly, or shall I make this far more painful for you? It would be my pleasure to do so."
From the side, Jarlath's mocking voice broke the tension. "That's what she said."
"What—?" The henchman's concentration faltered as six zombies suddenly lunged at him, their decayed bodies moving with unnerving speed.
Startled, he released his grip on Mary to fend them off.
"You little brat!"
"Make sure he can't use his hands! Pin them down!" Jarlath ordered gleefully, his maniacal grin widening as he watched the zombies overwhelm the henchman.
His eyes gleamed with a crazed intensity.
"I never thought I'd meet another one after her. And if you're anything like us, you need something specific to activate your ability—your hands. Lucky for me, I've been paying attention."
"Let go of me!" the henchman shouted, thrashing in frustration as the zombies clawed at him, immobilizing his arms. "This isn't how it's supposed to go!"
Jarlath erupted into uncontrollable laughter, nearly doubling over as he kicked the air in delight.
"Oh, of course not! Did you really think that just because you've got a flashy ability, you're unstoppable? That you're destined to be some big, bad antagonist? News flash, pal—you're not that guy!"
Mary groaned in pain, clutching her side as her regenerative powers slowly repaired the damaged blood vessels and organs within her.
Her breaths came in ragged gasps as her body stitched itself back together.
"You're awake already, you bastard?"
"Awake? I've been awake since the start." Jarlath grinned wickedly. "You're terrible at knocking me unconscious, by the way. I've just been hanging back... and maybe saving your sorry ass a little bit."
He cackled again.
"Why do you think the zombies stayed back during your little 'oh-no-you're-screwed-big-guy' speeches? Seriously, were you a theater kid or something? So cringey... even for me."
Mary gritted her teeth at his taunts, fighting the urge to snap at him. Instead, she took a calming breath. "That man you pinned down—he's one of Byron Kade's most trusted henchmen. His name is Aden Ngawang, a foreigner from Tibet."
"Oooh~ smooth topic change," Jarlath teased mockingly, clearly enjoying her irritation. "Very subtle."
"How do you know who I am?" Aden demanded, his voice filled with rage as he struggled to break free from the zombies holding him down. His eyes burned with indignation. "Where did you get that information?"
"Oh, please." Mary sneered, stepping closer and staring him down. "You think I didn't do my homework, you piece of shit?"
Without warning, she stomped on his face, eliciting a satisfying crunch as she exacted revenge for the agony he had inflicted on her.
"Now tell me—will Byron Kade be at his hideout this week, or is he off terrorizing other settlements? Choose your answer wisely."
"I'm not telling you shit!" Aden spat, his defiance short-lived as a zombie sank its rotting teeth into his arm. His bravado dissolved into horror as he screamed, "What did you do!?"
"What? You're not being cooperative, so there's no point keeping you around." Jarlath tilted his head, a childlike smile playing across his lips. "I was going to ask you to play a game, but you're too dangerous, and cutting off your hands would just make you bleed out. So... bye-bye."
"That was supposed to be my call!" Mary snapped, glaring at Jarlath.
She had intended to extract more answers from Aden, but now it was too late. His transformation had begun, rendering any interrogation useless.
"Do you ever think before you act!? You're just like earlier—letting me nearly die and blowing your only chance at finding Kade's location!"
"Thinking's not really my thing, princess. I just do." Jarlath's grin widened, his tone dripping with mockery. "Speaking of, you still haven't answered my question. Go ahead, while this bloodbender is still halfway through turning."
Mary shot him a deadly glare and looked away. "Ask something else. I'm not answering that one."
Unbeknownst to them, Aden's convulsing form suddenly stilled. His body, wracked with the beginnings of his zombification, betrayed no signs of life—except for the subtle twitch of one freed finger.
Summoning every ounce of will, he pointed it at Mary, his eyes blazing with malicious intent. If he was going down, he'd take the Zombie Slayer with him.
Mary caught the motion too late. Her body froze mid-step, her limbs locking up as her brain seemed to short-circuit. She crumpled to the ground with a heavy thud, motionless.
Jarlath's grin vanished, replaced by an icy glare. Someone had dared to interrupt him.
Slowly, his gaze turned to Aden, who now laughed weakly, his voice bubbling with sadistic glee.
The sound—a twisted, mocking chuckle—reminded Jarlath of the bullies who had once tormented him.
"You enjoyed that, huh?" Jarlath's voice dropped to a menacing murmur. "Well then, let's make your death a real comedy."
He crouched by Mary, casting a fleeting glance at her lifeless form.
"My 'friends'," he addressed the zombies, his voice suddenly brimming with dark delight, "slowly peel off his skin. Slowly peel off his flesh. Then his organs. And finally... his everything. Save his face for last, and when you're done, maul it before he turns into one of you."
Aden's laughter turned to screams as the first zombie's decayed fingers tore into his arm, digging deep into his flesh.
The pain was instant and overwhelming, a white-hot agony that seared through his body. His mind reeled as the creatures began their slow, grotesque work.
The zombies moved with terrifying precision, their claws scraping away the outermost layers of his skin. Each movement was deliberate, agonizingly slow, as if savoring his torment.
"AAAAH!!!"
Aden's screams echoed through the desolate area, hoarse and raw, his voice cracking under the strain of unrelenting pain.
As the undead peeled back his flesh, the air burned against the exposed nerves, intensifying his suffering. His muscles twitched uncontrollably, his body flailing in desperate, fruitless attempts to escape.
The sight of his own mangled form—a horrifying blend of raw tissue and blood—fueled his terror.
When they reached his organs, the pain reached an unfathomable level. Every tug and tear felt like it lasted an eternity. His vision swam with dark spots, his consciousness teetering on the brink of collapse.
"AAAAAAAHHH!"
By the time they began tearing at his face, Aden's screams had dwindled to weak, gurgling moans. The agony was all-encompassing, consuming every shred of his awareness.
His final moments were a blur of excruciating pain and the grotesque sight of his disassembled body.
Jarlath watched the scene with detached amusement, his smirk returning as Aden's screams finally ceased.
"Now that was a spectacle," he muttered, comparing the gruesome scene to the most graphic zombie films he had ever watched.
None of them came close.
He turned his attention back to Mary, whose motionless form lay in eerie silence. Squatting beside her, he tapped her cheek lightly and frowned.
"What's the matter, ugly hag? You dead for real this time, or just napping?"