Looking at "Zombie" Dolores left them shocked. The zombie before them wasn't some movie monster.
Dolores was pale—like someone who'd avoided sunlight, not the weak, sickly kind. That was her only undead trait.
She had hair tied in a ponytail, purple as if it absorbed the sun and crescent moon's light.
Her forehead was proportionate, with thin sharp eyebrows and long eyelashes. Her eyes glowed like purple gemstones. Her cheeks, contrasting the pale skin, held a light blush—like ripe peaches begging to be bitten.
Her light pink, plump, kissable lips curved into a smile, revealing pearly whites, as if she were delighted by zoo animals on display.
She wore a gothic dress with mesh at the forearms; the black skirt was pristine yet dark, the blouse like a maid's.
The satin-like fabric glistened while evoking an undisturbed abyss.
Black high-top boots completed the look, as if ready for a heavy metal performance.
Seeing her, Olivia and Slade shared near-identical thoughts, worded differently:
"She is so beautiful, like a doll suited to this apocalypse." (Olivia)
"She seems to blend into her surroundings due to her equipment." (Slade)
Dolores raised a hand; her fingers moved elegantly, wrapped in purple aura that formed threads spreading into the sky.
She brought her other hand—holding a handkerchief—to her mouth. A pleasant muffled sound tickled their ears.
"Wow! It's my first time seeing humans after being turned. I thought everyone except us died. Maybe it's because I'm so far from our city? Or maybe we've settled in different areas?"
Slade and Olivia processed her words differently. Slade thought: "OUR CITY? Are there zombie settlements in this shit apocalypse world? SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! I need to get out alive. I need to get stronger."
Olivia thought: "We are not alone." She was thrilled—this meant zombie cities existed beyond human ones, and her family might be in one.
Both wanted to move or speak but couldn't, bound by Dolores' ability. Noticing this, Dolores waved her hand, releasing their speech.
Before Olivia or Slade could utter a word, the cave behind them trembled. The small hill overhead cracked, filling it with stones.
From the rubble, a figure rocketed out in a black mechanical high-tech suit, bursting from the hill's top.
This seized everyone's attention. The suit landed between Dolores, Slade, and Olivia.
A beastly growl emanated: "BACK AWAY!" A sound wave shredded Dolores' ability, hurling her into a tree that snapped. She crashed through two more, leaving a trail of dragged feet.
It was none other than Ren. He glanced back at Slade and Olivia, who teetered on the verge of passing out.
Worriedly, he asked, "Are you both okay? Did she hurt you?" Unaware of the pressure he leaked—the main cause of their breathlessness—and the info bar atop his "human android-like" figure.
They could see only his name and question marks. One final glance, and instinct drove them unconscious to shield their minds from the pressure.
Ren checked the fainted Olivia and Slade, then scanned the forest where Dolores had crashed. Her energy signature had vanished; his senses found nothing but a few daring beasts.
With the humans safe from the zombie, Ren slung them over his shoulders and set them aside, then approached the blocked cave entrance.
Donning his knuckle dusters, Ren punched away huge chunks, clearing space to reopen the cave.