Thomas and Noah agreed to travel together, with Noah selecting a handful of his men while the rest remained behind to guard the base. At dawn they set out, stepping into the dense pink fog and heading toward the meeting point.
Noah Okada led the march in his Glint form, a Drake. He had a large build and walked on four thick limbs, each step steady and heavy on the pavement. His scales were a mix of green and brown, his eyes narrow like a snake's, and his mouth lined with sharp teeth. He moved with calm control, climbing over rubble and broken curbs without slowing.
Beside him, Thomas drove the hammer truck. One hand gripped the wheel while the other rested lazily outside the window. From time to time he popped a pink fragment into his mouth.
Ahead of them, Nevin drifted in his Wisp form. His glow pulsed bright, then dim, like he was testing something.
Noah had been impressed enough seeing a vehicle move in the fog. His Safe Zone had grown larger after merging fragments, and he still had a few left unused. He promised himself he would build a mobile Safe Zone someday.
He was still watching the truck when Nevin caught his eye. In the dim morning haze, the glowing figure was impossible to miss. His body pulsed brighter, the light pushing outward.
Then it happened. Nevin's glow flickered hard, his body stretched and solidified. Two glowing legs pushed out beneath him, forming in an instant.
Thomas blinked and frowned. "Huh."
Nevin turned back with a huge grin, now standing on two feet. "Took me long enough. I can walk now!"
Noah slowed, his reptilian head tilting. "What? You can do that?"
For a moment, Nevin thought about explaining the truth, that his body was half-gel and flexible enough to reshape, but no. This was his moment. He wanted to own it.
So he puffed his chest and nodded proudly. "Yeah, man. Crazy, right?"
A second ago he was drifting slow, barely keeping up. Now, with legs under him, Nevin could run, jump, and finally stand with the rest of them. For once, he did not feel like dead weight.
Then, suddenly, a group of Fades blocked their path.
Noah's Drake form reacted instantly. A rat-like Fade lunged from the mist, claws snapping for his throat. Noah twisted aside, caught it by the neck, and slammed it into the pavement. He crushed it under his claws, tearing it apart.
More movement. Six… no, seven of them. Lizard-like Fades with crawling bellies and flicking tongues, goblin-shaped ones with jagged weapons of bone. They spilled out of the fog, circling.
Iris moved fast. A goblin-like Fade swung at her, but she slipped past its blade, flipped mid-air, and drove her armored boot into its chest. The creature flew back, rolling across the cracked road.
Bryan's tiger wings burst open. He leapt into the sky, eyes glowing sharp as he spotted a lizard-Fade crawling low to flank Noah. He dove in a blur, crashing into it claws-first. The Fade screeched before Bryan's jaws clamped down on its neck, ending it cleanly.
Thomas stopped the hammer truck and stepped out. His body swelled into his Oni form in an instant. A rat-Fade lunged at him head-on. He didn't bother dodging. His fist connected mid-air, the sheer impact sending the monster tumbling back with bones snapping.
Thomas didn't wait. He ripped a chunk of broken pavement free and hurled it into another Fade's chest, the boulder smashing through its spine.
Noah slashed a goblin-Fade's throat, then turned quickly as a lizard-Fade lunged for his leg. He whipped it away with his tail.
Nevin stayed at the rear, his glow pulsing as he prepared to step in if anyone needed help.
One of the Fades tried to bolt into the fog. Its escape stopped short as a shadow loomed over it. Thomas was already there, swinging a jagged boulder down like a hammer. The Fade's back crunched under the blow, the ground cracking from the force.
The battlefield went still.
Noah exhaled, shaking his claws clean. "They're getting more aggressive."
Thomas crushed the boulder to gravel in his hand. "Stronger, too."
Nevin kicked one glowing foot against the ground, pretending to stretch like the others. "No big deal. We're stronger."
Noah's eyes narrowed on him. "Are we?"
For once, Nevin had no comeback. He only thought of the Caller waiting ahead.
It took them more than two hours to reach the designated meeting point at the heart of the Oyster Bay Safe Zone in District 8.
The Oyster Bay Safe Zone had seen better days.
Once it was a thriving coastal city. Now it was little more than a dying outpost. Many buildings had already collapsed, and the creeping fog pressed in from all sides. The central plaza, once used for trade and gatherings, now served as a rallying point for war.
When Noah and his Okada Family arrived, he immediately saw they were not the first.
Two groups already stood waiting in the plaza.
The first was a large, disciplined force in military uniforms. They looked like people who had seen many wars. Noah's first thought was clear. The Government.
The second group was much smaller, yet somehow more unsettling. Only two figures stood apart, silent and still, their presence heavy even without words.
Noah and his family approached carefully, every step measured. Thomas and his crew followed close behind, steady and composed. They kept their guard up, but none of them showed a hint of fear.
The line of soldiers turned toward them, their attention fixed. One stepped forward, a tall man with a solid, muscular build.
He gave a single nod. "Marcus Hale. This is Selene Ward. We're with the Hounds, a government unit."
The government. Noah's thoughts tightened. He had heard whispers of government remnants trying to rebuild order and reclaim control. He had not expected them to show up here in force.
Selene stayed quiet. Her face was unreadable, but her stance told Noah enough. Twin daggers hung at her sides, her body loose but ready. If a fight broke out now, she would be the first to move, and likely the last one standing.
Marcus gestured toward the two silent figures.
"They are Tarsen and Cara Hayashi of the Hayashi Family. I assume you know the name."
Noah did. The Hayashi Family had influence even before the apocalypse, with ties to politics, business, and the underground. From the looks of the twins, it seems the Hayashi family were still doing well even now. They stood with authority, and the fact that they were here by choice only made them more unpredictable.
Neither Tarsen nor Cara spoke. They simply observed, their eyes sharp and distant.
Noah exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders before giving Marcus a respectful nod. "Understood." He motioned to his people. "I'm Noah Okada. This is my family. We've survived and operated as an independent unit ever since the world changed."
Marcus returned the nod. The government already knew the history between the Okada and Kuroda families. They knew how close the Okada Safe Zone had come to defeat. The fact that Noah and his people were standing here now meant only one thing. The Okada Family had survived and defeated Kuroda.
Beside Noah, Bryan grinned. "And this is Thomas," he said casually, jerking his thumb. "And, uh, we're his friends."
Thomas gave a lazy wave. "Yo."
Nevin leaned closer to Bryan. "Seriously? That's your intro? You could've hyped us up a little."
Bryan shrugged. "What? That's the most accurate description."
Marcus's eyes lingered on Thomas. His face did not change, but the soldiers behind him shifted slightly, their focus tightening. They had heard the rumors, stories of a man who singlehandedly destroyed a small base run by the Red Hands. None of them had seen it themselves, which was why it spread as rumor, but the government had intel. They had tracked Thomas and knew exactly what he looked like.
Before anyone could speak further, the air shifted.
Loud laughter rang out.
It echoed through the plaza, unrestrained and mocking, cutting into the heavy silence.
Figures spilled in from the ruined streets, moving with swagger and arrogance, their voices carrying over the still air.
"The DMW Gang has arrived!" someone shouted, the cry slicing through the plaza.
Almost instantly, a chant followed, the gang roaring in unison as they marched forward.
"Deadman Walking!"
"Gang!
"Deadman Walking!
"Gang!"
Their voices shook the walls of the Safe Zone, every repetition dripping with arrogance.
At the front was Big Roz. Broad, grinning, he strode forward like the plaza belonged to him. His eyes swept across the gathered forces with open amusement before he threw his arms wide.
"Well, well, well. Look at all the little squads, huh?"
Behind him, twenty-seven gang members spread out, every one of them walking with the same cocky confidence, like the outcome of the battle had already been written.
"Four-man teams? Family squads?" Big Roz laughed hard, shaking his head. "This is a war, people!" He jabbed a thumb at his crew, still grinning wide. "Look at us. We brought a whole damn army."
Noah stayed silent.
Marcus's expression did not change.
The Hayashi twins did not even glance at them.
"That's a lot of dead guys," Thomas muttered under his breath.
"No, that's the name of their group," Bryan whispered quickly, trying to correct him.