Chapter 67: Take Me To Your Leader

No one had expected Zane's plan to be on the safe side. However, what he was about to do was just ridiculous.

"Zane, this is crazy! You'll be killed if you do this!" warned Serenity.

"Exactly, bro! We don't even have weapons to fight! We'll be massacred!" also warned Nick.

Zane didn't respond. He peeped around the corner to see three Anunnaki standing next to a vehicle that closely resembled a human truck.

He planned to have the Anunnaki take him to their royal family. Though it seemed risky, Zane had run multiple simulations through his head.

"It'll be fine," he replied, "The Anunnaki aren't trying to kill humans. They want to enslave us before eating us. If we reveal ourselves defenseless, they'll be sure to lower their guard. That's when we'll take our chance and subdue them."

Layla pondered about Zane's plan. It seemed like a decent idea, but there was one major issue that concerned her.

"Okay, but how do we go about subduing them? We have no weapons and they are armed! We'll die if we try defying them..."

Zane smiled as if Layla's concern was not a problem. Calmly he turned to face Anastasia before explaining the rest of the plan.

"You don't need to worry. None of you will have to put yourselves in harm's way. Just leave it to me and Anastasia."

"You talk as if things will go exactly as planned..." mumbled Deandre.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they did, yo... This man literally came back from the dead!" exclaimed Lamar.

Zane then took Anastasia's hand and looked her in the eyes. He had to make sure she was ready. If the Anunnaki found out that she was an Apocrypha, then they wouldn't hesitate in taking her life.

"Are you ready, Anastasia?" asked Zane.

Anastasia gnawed her tongue. She was anything but ready. She could easily die with one mistake.

"I don't know, Zane... This is riskier for me..."

"These are only Rank 1 Anunnaki. You're a Rank 4 Apocrypha, so you should be stronger than them. There's nothing to worry about."

Anastasia knitted her eyebrows at Zane. She had found his statement a little weird.

"How did you know the Anunnaki are divided in ranks? Who told you that..?"

Zane calmly placed his hands in his pocket and gave a simple reply, "It's been a week. A lot has happened. Me knowing about the Anunnaki shouldn't be a surprise."

"Okay... I guess that makes sense..." Anastasia paused as she took a deep breath, "I'm sorry though... The Anunnaki just makes me really uncomfortable."

Zane needed to get the fear out of her if the plan was to go smoothly. However, before Zane could comment, Layla stepped forward and placed her finger on his lip.

"You know, I'm starting to grow tired of this. It's always Anastasia and no Layla. Are you implying that just because she's an Apocrypha, she's better than me?"

"Well—"

"Well, nothing! Don't forget who I am. The name's Layla and I kick any kind of ass— even if that ass belongs to you, the Apocrypha, the Anunnaki, or the devil himself. So hush up and take me with you before I pummel you."

Zane whistled as he stared into Layla's lioness-like eyes. "Feisty."

Layla then flashed her hair and placed her hand on her side. She would be replacing Anastasia's role in the plan and no one could change her mind.

"So all we have to do is get the Anunnaki to lower their guard then interrogate them?"

"Yes, but I'd rather you not kill any of them. That would complicate my plan— since I know how feisty you are." teased Zane.

"Oh? Are you mocking me?"

"And what if I am?"

"You may regret it."

"As if you could make me regret something."

Layla smirked as she launched her hand towards Zane's throat— hoping to catch him off-guard. However, Zane had quick reflexes and caught her hand mid-strike, before slamming her gently against a wall— bracing his arm against her throat, subduing her.

Zane smirked as he placed his face closer to hers. Their breath mixed as they stared into each other's eyes.

"You know, you have really beautiful eyes?", flirted Zane.

Layla bit her lip as she answered, " I know I do. Sadly, they might not get to see a little something below."

Zane was left in confusion for a short moment as he tried to decipher what Layla meant. However, his answer was delivered with a painful kick to his balls. He staggered to his knees, clutching his stomach in pain.

Everyone else watched the two in complete awkwardness. They were actually playing when they were supposed to be putting the plan in effect.

"Okay, you got me..." muttered Zane.

Layla stood above him feeling proud. It might have been a cheap shot, but it was one she was willing to take.

Layla's moment was however cut short as she felt Zane pick her up and toss her out in front of the Anunnaki. It was time to get the plan going.

Layla wanted to argue because of Zane's sudden action. However, the Anunnaki were looking directly at her. Their dark eyes inspected her body and their elongated skulls moved around as they looked at one another.

"A human?" asked one in English.

"Da?" answered another— seemingly in latin.

Layla knew it was time to play her role. Immediately, she placed a scared look across her face and scurried across the ground.

Zane then jumped out and purposely tripped himself over her. He rolled across the ground dramatically, before looking up at the Anunnaki like a scared kitten.

"L-Layla! No! Look what you've done! Now we're both gonna die!!"

"Shut up!!" Layla gasped for air dramatically, "This is all your fault! If you hadn't run off like an idiot, then this wouldn't have happened! Now we're about to die because of you!!"

"Don't blame this on me! If you hadn't attracted the infected to us, then I wouldn't have needed to run off in the first place!"

The three Anunnaki watched them argue in bewilderment. To them, Zane and Layla were completely helpless and panicking. All they had to do was cuff them and take them back to their base.

"Calm down, foolish humans! We won't kill you. You'll simply be used as slaves, which means you get to live." stated one of the Anunnaki.

Zane shook his head in defiance to ease the Anunnaki even more. "S-Slaves?? But that's giving up our freedom!! I-I can't live my life as a slave!! Please, spare us such a horrible fate!!"

Zane then got on his knees and used his forehead to kiss the ground. He was bowing to the Anunnaki as if begging them. Layla also did the same, hoping it would all be enough to catch them off guard.

The Anunnaki sighed as they lowered their weapons. Calmly, they began walking towards Zane and Layla. They were ready to cuff the two, expecting little to no resistance.

As the Anunnaki approached, Zane shoved his lips close to the ear of Layla. He needed her to know something very important.

"Don't kill them. Unlike the Apocrypha, their bodies are built more like humans. Normal jabs can seriously hurt them. So just render them unconscious. Killing them here might complicate my plan."

"This plan of yours better work. I demand a full explanation about everything after we're done with this," murmured Layla.

"If I feel like it,"

"Do you want me to ruin the plan right now and prove to the Anunnaki we're faking it? I-DEMAND-AN-EXPLANATION."

Zane ignored her remark as if he didn't care, "If you want them to kill you so badly, then gladly knock yourself out."

Layla hissed at Zane but had to quiet down as the Anunnaki were now standing above them.

"Humans," started one of the Anunnaki. "I am sorry to say that we must take you back to base. Come with us without reluctance and I promise no harm may come to you."

Zane and Layla remained silent. They instead awaited the Anunnaki to get closer to them.

Slowly, two of the Anunnaki eased their weapons by their side. They then stretched forth their hands to pick up both Layla and Zane.

This was the chance Zane and Layla had been waiting for. Quickly, the two sprang up and slammed their hands into the windpipes of both Anunnaki.

Feeling shocked and in pain, the Anunnaki grasped their throat in agony while staggering backward. However, Layla and Zane weren't finished. Hurriedly, they simultaneously grabbed the weapons from each Anunnaki and pointed them towards the third one.

By this time, the other two Anunnaki were laying on the ground unconscious. The third one however didn't dare to move. The cold steel muzzle of each weapon was pressed against its cheeks.

"You insolent humans! How dare you do this to the Anunnaki!! You will pay with your lives!!"

"Blah, blah, blah... Do you guys ever shut up? Like bro, does it look like I give a damn about insolence? If anything, you're insolent for talking back to me when I have a gun pointed at your head." stated Zane without a care in the world.

"Let's just hurry and get this over with. I don't plan on interrogating some dumb Anunnaki all night," added Layla.

The Anunnaki began to tremble. Its comrades were taken out in an instant and the humans around it showed no fear. It quickly deduced that it wouldn't be smart to defy the two humans any longer.

"One question before I let you both continue," started the Anunnaki. "Are my comrades dead?"

"Nope, just unconscious. They could be dead if you do anything stupid though." threatened Layla.

The Anunnaki then swallowed carefully. It had to choose its words wisely. "What do you want from me?"

"Intel," said Zane.

"What kind of intel?"

"Does the Anunnaki have a base here on Earth? If yes, then tell us whether or not the royal family can be found there."

"Yes, we have an Earthly base, but the royal family resides within the mothership!" The Anunnaki then took a deep breath to calm itself, "What do you want to do with the royal family? They'll kill any human who dares to look upon them."

Zane smirked as he looked the Annunaki in the eyes, "I want to negotiate with them. As for whether my life will be in danger or not, that's not your concern. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see me."

"Fine then... You got your answer, so can you let me go?"

"Nope," suddenly noted Layla.

"What?? Why not?? I answered your question!"

"That's because we need you to take us there. Once you do that then we will let you go."

The Anunnaki looked intently at Zane and Layla. It was in quite an embarrassing predicament. However, it knew that no human being could look upon the royal family and live to tell the tale.

A road of destruction laid ahead of them.