The sound of footsteps echoed through the narrow stairway. Walking towards the second floor on high alert. They Caleb and Tamsin were standing at the entrance door observing for any strange movement.
"Quit poking your heads out like a fearful dog, you see nothing once proceed with extreme caution." He taught walking through the door.
[ You Advance Closer ]
[ It Waits ]
[ Return before or at 35:57:06 ]
[ …Or Confrontation Becomes Mandatory ]
Pausing for a moment Arthur looked at his squad who all saw the screen pop up in their individual system interface. "This means we're going for an invasive sweep." Looking at the metal rod and thick wooden stick in Noah's and Caleb's hands.
" We cover the space and find the way to the next floor. Call for help if it's above you, if not make sure the enemy is dead. Caleb you are with me, Tamsin go with Noah." Arthur instructed activating his mapping skill.
The squad nodded and when to work immediately. Arthur kicked open the door of the first class, his eyes and gun scanning the room. Caleb went before him and checked the next class.
"Clear." Caleb announced, Arthur gait briskly towards the next door and checked it. He immediately saw a zombie trapped under a slab of fallen concrete from the wall. The groaning creature raised its head, staring at his direction with its grey eyes.
' Enhanced smell confirmed.' Walking closer the zombie struggled in freeing it self as it screeched at him. A single shot and it was dead, however Arthur found out he just made a mistake.
From the hole to the next class, he heard zombies groaning and pushing against the wall. "Caleb don't open that door." He said running out but it was already too late.
Caleb was already being pushed against the balcony. His stick was held horizontally in front of him stopping the attacking zombie from biting or scratching him. A second one came out of the class.
Quickly Arthur shot the zombie holding Caleb down. As the zombie fell, Caleb threw a powerful swing at the approaching zombie. It didn't die but fell, Arthur rushed forward blocking the door while Caleb handled anything coming.
Shoving his Glock into his pocket, he grabbed the Colt M4 EPR rifle and sprayed bullets on the approaching zombies. They fell in numbers yet most weren't dead, they rose just to get stomped by other zombies.
"You need help boss." Caleb called out amidst the loud shots. "Join Noah and Tamsin, I will handle this." Arthur replied removing the empty cartridge.
Following his orders Caleb dashed towards the opposite direction, Arthur however created space for him to reload. The tipping zombies were rising, his time was ticking.
His hands moved grabbing a full magazine and reloaded the rifle. During the reload some zombies had already reached him. Arthur swong the gun, using the butt of the gun to knock a zombie of the balcony.
He kicked the next on the knee; almost simultaneously he delivered another kick at the zombie's temples and sent it flying of the balcony.
With some distance created, he fired at the zombies, this time at the head. A lot of bullets were wasted, the rest had found their targets.
Again Arthur was forced to reload, however he didn't have time to do that. ' I can't use my remaining mana now.' The butt of the rifle flew in powerful arcs, crushing the zombies heads or throwing them down the balcony.
[ Fatigue: 60% ]
In the end he was still outnumbered and he knew it, just when he was about to use telekinetic strike, a blur appeared. In a blink several zombies fell with punctured skulls.
While he was stunned by the sudden display, someone leaped over his head flattening a zombie who was about seize an opportunity.
Noticing how his life nearly ended, a pang of embarrassment briefly washed over him. Caleb stood in front of him wiping the blood on him, Noah was a few paces away taking down zombies as a blur.
' Fast but mobility is faster, Strong but weapon augmentation is stronger.' Straightened up he said looking at Tamsin behind them, "Took you all long enough." The girl nodded with a smirk.
He reloaded his last rifle magazine and his pistol, before charging at the remaining standing zombies. With Noah speed blitzing the zombies, they wouldn't have to waste much time.
Catching a zombie who went after Caleb, Arthur lifted it with an arm and threw it down the balcony. He caught another by the neck, and forced its head on the balcony railings before pounding it to paste with his pistol.
Dropping the body he was pushed to the railings by another zombie. It was formerly a teen girl, so he easily lifted it by the waist and threw it off the balcony.
[ Fatigue: 90% ]
Panting erratically Arthur lowered himself to the ground to rest. He glanced over at Tamsin's direction and found her reaching into the bodies of zombie corpses.
He didn't care about what she was doing, he needed to rest. "Boss are you okay." Noah asked standing before him. Their eyes met briefly when this question was asked, Arthur even noticed Caleb's concern expression.
"I'm alright, you still have strength to find the way upward so do that." Noah looked over at Caleb and they both walked away with Tamsin joining them a few moments later.
' Wasn't Caleb just fighting as if his leg was fine, how come he is limping more obviously now. Strange.' Raising he looked down at the courtyard, he saw the bodies he just threw down. However something made him shiver.
' The children zombies where the duck are they…, Did another person follow us here. Is Silas stealing the bodies, what the fuck is happening.'
Just as he was piecing together this uncanny mystery, Caleb, Noah and Tamsin approched him. "We found it, the next stairway." Tamsin informed.
Arthur turned back to the unmoving zombies and then at the group. "Let's…" He couldn't complete his statement when the gaze of something locked on the squad. Arthur immediately felt his heart ting in fear.
A feeling he didn't feel in his first encounter with the zombie juggernaut. Fear, slowly growing fear. Not only could he fell it, he saw it written on the faces of his squad.
"B…B…Behind you." Noah stuttered in a silent whisper.