Then—
BOoM!!
A deafening explosion rips through the air, shaking the floor beneath my feet.
Without hesitation, I sprint up the stairs. Bursting through the rooftop door, I'm hit with the sight of Atlanta—burning. A thick cloud of smoke devours the skyline, while the skeletal remains of buildings loom, battered and blackened.
Down on the street, a Humvee is swarmed by walkers, its doors buckling under the weight of the dead. Another lies wrecked against a crumpled car, its bumper torn away. A handful of soldiers stand their ground, rifles barking as they desperately try to protect whoever is trapped inside.
Tch… too loud.
That racket's gonna draw the whole damn horde in a minute.
I step off the rooftop—thirty-six meters down. Heel catches the edge just enough to slow me, twist midair, land crouched, silent.
Hands snap—two kunai blink into existence. I swing hard, slicing the air.
"GET DOWN!" I shout.
---
[Vladimir's POV]
"Goddammit, Edwin! We have to move—now!" I shouted over the gunfire, my rifle spitting rounds into the advancing horde. "Those fucking undead aren't stopping, and neither are we!"
Edwin slammed his fists against the mangled car door, face twisted in desperation. "No! I'm not leaving her, Vlad! I won't let my wife die here! Help me—she's our last hope for a cure!"
I cursed under my breath, clicking my tongue. A walker lunged at me, and I smashed my rifle butt into its skull, bone and rot bursting under the blow. "Alright, boys! Cover us, or we're all dead!" I roared.
"Go, Captain! We'll hold them!" one of my men shouted back, unloading his magazine into the swarm.
I sprinted to Edwin's side. Together, we wrestled with the crushed door until it groaned open with a metallic scream.
"Arghh!"
Edwin dove inside, slashing through the seatbelt. He pulled his wife free, cradling her in trembling arms. Blood trickled down her temple. He wiped it away, gently patting her cheek.
"Candace? No… no, no, no! Please, wake up! Come on, hon! I need you… we need you…" His voice cracked, tears streaking his dirt-covered face.
I fired into the horde, grabbing his shoulder. "Edwin! We're out of bullets! My men are dying for this—move!"
"But… she's… no—God, please! I can't lose her!" Edwin sobbed, clutching her tight.
I didn't wait for his permission. I shoved him aside, lifting Candace into my arms, and barked, "I'll carry her. You move your ass, Edwin — if you die here, everything we've done means nothing! Do you understand me?!"
His hands shook, but he nodded.
"Boys, let's—"
"Old man!" John's voice cut me off. Grinning through the chaos, he fired in short, controlled bursts. "Leave us! Keep Dr. Jenner and his wife safe—they're the last hope for humanity. Now go!"
My eyes burned red as I clenched my jaw. "Say it again, punk—"
"GET DOWN!"
The voice came from behind. A blur of movement burst through the walkers—a young man with wild, unkempt hair. His kunai flashed, carving through the dead in a fluid, almost effortless rhythm, bodies dropping like wheat before a scythe, each strike fast, precise… almost like a deadly dance.
In one fluid motion, he halted and tossed a key to Edwin. His voice was calm, yet edged with authority. "That building—third floor. Safe. Go. I'll cover you."
Edwin stared in shock. "Who are—"
"MOVE!" the young man snapped. He was already cutting back into the horde, blades singing through flesh and bone.
We didn't waste another second. Biting down our fear, we turned and ran, boots pounding the cracked asphalt, every step taking us closer to the apartment… and further from the kid still holding the line.
---
🔍 Did you know?
- Madara Uchiha awakened the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, a powerful evolution of the Sharingan, granting him unmatched visual prowess and formidable combat abilities.
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