Blank Bullet

Driving along the highway was boring for kids, so Lex's father turned up the music.

A rap song was booming.

They were nodding their heads in sync to the rhythm. Forgetting about the world.

But it wasn't like you could put the world out of your mind forever. There were a few roadblocks they had to get past before they could get to the mansion.

And hopefully succeed in saving a friend.

The first was a higher number of zombies that could hear the car's engine roaring.

This being the whole reason why no one drove a car in the midst of an apocalypse.

Earlier, Lex's father did a real number on the bumper with the amount of legs he cracked. Zombies we're learning gymnastics with the way he flipped them.

But this was different.

Hundreds and thousands of them were gathering in one place at this moment.

Having basic common sense.

"Wow… They blocked us off?" Ryan whistled when he saw the vehicles having been moved to block the road. His eyes turned to see the driver's reaction.

'Woah…!' His eyes widened on how cool the man looked with his endless tranquility. He was practically a Buddhist monk that reached nirvana at this point.

Lex's father slightly turned his head to his child at the back. It twisted a bit.

Losing that charm from before.

"You think I don't see the MagiPistol you brought? Shoot them out the way." The driver slowed down a little, but didn't stop even with roadblocks in the way.

Lex acted a bit flustered.

Nearly dropping his gun in a panic when his father started doing expert driving.

The wheels kicked up a dust cloud as he skidded while turning the backseat window towards the blocked road. A red desert eagle was filled with power and shot. Releasing an explosive bullet.

Boom! Boom! Boom! BOOM!!!

Several shots cleared the path of the zombies, but the gap made via explosives between the vehicles was too narrow. It couldn't fit their entire car this way.

"Dad, please don't do it." Lex knew what was going to happen next and sat back.

Putting on two layers of car seatbelts.

Holding on for his life.

"What does he mean-?" Just as Ryan's words ended, he figured out the answer.

It was a good thing he was the type to follow safety rules, because he was thrown to one side. Only being able to hang onto the seatbelt while screaming.

"Don't be a weanie, dunceheads!" Lex's father kicked it to high gear and flipped.

That wasn't being metaphorical. The car itself turned sideways and drove on air.

Driving past the narrow gap before returning to normal. They were thrown around like two ragdolls. Unable to do anything but hold on for their dear lives.

The zombies watched them get past with their mouths agape. They looked at each other. Wondering if they had experienced some sort of mass hallucination just then.

That loud engine roaring answered their questions, so they continued the chase.

Because zombies knew no fatigue.

Even if they ran at full speed, there would be no way any of them would feel tired.

It brought their strength to a new level.

Bang!

A zombie landed on top of the car.

Lex didn't wait to be told to fight.

He quickly unfastened his seatbelt and threw himself out the open window.

Getting atop the vehicle.

"Should I help him?" Ryan was feeling scared by the moving terrain from where he was seated, but was still courageous enough to fight when things got tough.

"You're a guest here. Don't worry about this. My boy will take care of it." There was a lack of warmth in his voice when it came to his child. It was his training path.

The way he taught people.

Lex already expected this kind of reaction without speaking it. His father was tough.

And a bit of a training perfectionist.

Wanting his son to properly inherit all the skills he'd learnt rather than half of it.

The young Assassin threw a palm strike to raise the head of the kneeling zombie.

Standing on the vehicle while using Cartridge Prep to load back a 'Bullet'.

The flames of an apocalypse ignited all at once, and a 'Heart Bullet' was thrown.

His fist instantly landing on the zombie like a regular bullet. Hitting him off of it.

The zombie fell off the car and went splat on the pavement. It was a quick battle.

"Hmm?" Before he could get back, the car made an abrupt stop all of a sudden.

Throwing him in front of the window.

"What the hell was that?!" Lex found it outrageous. He looked at his father.

Seeing clear anger in the man's eyes.

'…What?' Lex thought. What did he do?

"You call that a Heart Bullet? That was a blank! You're going there to fight without having mastered our fighting style?" The man driving the vehicle looked a bit livid.

"But-"

"Get in the car!" His father roared at him.

The youth had no choice but to listen to his boomer dad. Even if Ryan was there.

That guy knew he had no say in this.

The zombies were surrounding them in the hundreds, but daddy dearest didn't think this was enough of a serious situation to get away. He slapped the car.

Speaking in a harsh tone: "What was that right there, huh? What did I tell you?"

"I'm trying…" Lex looked away in pain.

"Don't act so spoilt. We're already in an apocalyptic scenerio. Your mother is DEAD! Can't you fight seriously? Give me that gun!" The father held out his hand.

His son obediently handed him the desert eagle. Its features were altered a little after coming into contact with the Data being connected via the father's Limiter.

He turned the car around with a skid and started shooting like the gun was a glock.

It moved almost like a bumper car.

Doing car stunts that would make Lex's physics teacher hurl chunks of blood.

The laws of physics meant nothing to Lex's father. All he cared about was here.

His son he'd raised with all his heart.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The recoil wasn't bad when the red MagiPistol was used like a regular glock.

The father didn't seem inexperienced.

Ryan was holding on for his dear life. Like he was in some kind of rollercoaster ride.

"Don't try showing off, Dad. My friend is getting woozy." Lex pointed at the guy.

"Don't change the subject." His father was having none of that at this moment.

It was at this point he stopped stalling.

The wheels started to turn at a hyper velocity. Kicking up the winds of a storm.

Sounds of an engine roaring had vanished, and their prey had too.

The zombies looked around seriously. It was as if they had magically teleported.

The surviving zombies started to search around the immediate vicinity for them.

None of them noticing a particularly standout figure who'd just arrived.

A tall and threatening figure with golden dreadlocks. He looked to be corrupted.

But a special one.

The blonde zombie sniffed around before finding their scent like he was some dog.

He chased them like an apex predetor!

…..

….

…

..

.

Lex's father parked atop a random roof of a mall. He cracked his knuckles and got out the car, then gestured his son follow him. There was a deep frown on his face.

"Are you kidding me?" The father talked down to his son. Looking annoyed.

Ryan found this near abusive relationship hard to watch. He almost butted in…

…only to stop with one look from Lex.

"I know the real 'Heart Bullet' is like a pistol. I'd been throwing blanks." Lex didn't argue and admitted he wasn't doing it right. Showing his own stance.

This calmed his father…

The man sighed while patting his shoulder. Knowing what he was thinking.

"I'm only harsh so you can withstand the weather. Life is a tough battle, so you can never fight without being prepared. I'm not taking you anywhere until you throw a proper 'Heart Bullet' like I once did."

It wasn't the time to be training, but there was no way Lex could refute his father.

"Yes…" He responded by nodding.

Lex's father looked at the carsick young man at the side, and thought a bit.

"Would you like me to create a Mystic Tool for you?" It was an unexpected offer.

"You'd do that for me…?" Ryan didn't know if he was worthy of such a thing.

"Nonsense! Why wouldn't I do that for my child's comrade? Come here and give me those swords. Lex, I see you found a suitable vessel for 'it' too." The man reached out his hand again towards them.

Only this time there was pushback.

"You can't be serious!" Lex stood in front of Ryan as if to protect him from his dad.

"What's wrong?"

"We can barely handle Jinns. How would Ryan stand them?" It was too risky.

"The reason 'we' can't stand them is because we use bootleg Internal Qi to suppress them. Your friend over there is a noble, isn't he?" Lex's father had a different attitude from that moment on.

He bowed towards Ryan respectfully and helped him out the car like a chauffeur.

"My apologies for the disrespect." This was a more natural reaction towards him.

"…How did you notice?" Ryan didn't do anything to give his internal state away.

"Let's just say my instincts are strong. A normal person wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but people like me and my son are a bit different." His eyes were sharp.

Even after expelling the Red Wind from his body, there were some lasting effects.

"Will I gain that power you two use if I agree?" Ryan rolled with the attitude.

Explaining would be a pain.

"Unfortunately, no. You see… proper Qi and Mana are purer than Red Wind. Even if I create a Red Wind Mystic Tool, you will alter it into something else after connecting." He explained it briefly.

Lex's father was much more patient with Ryan than he was towards his own son.

"Why are we here?" The boy asked his father after feeling a little bit jealous.

"Training dummies. Go practice until you can throw a proper Heart Bullet. Don't come back until you solved it. I'll be making your Red Wind Mystic Tools in the meantime." His father turned and droned.

Not giving his son any leeway here.

The two boys stood in front of the father after he promised to make them tools.

Lex's father held his arms towards them.

With the remnants of Red Wind within his system, he reached for their souls.

Beckoning the 'Qareen' within them.

A small ball of spiritual energy left their chests, before being placed into charms.

It looked like the man kept many magic talismans on his body for such occasions.

He then kept the talisman charms and held out his two hands towards them.

The two Heroes gave him their weapons without trying to hide anything from him.

Ryan gave all seven of his blades, and Lex gave the MagiRing he had found.

However, his father didn't stop.

Still reaching out his hand.

"…What?" Lex didn't like where this was going. The man looked at him with anger.

"Give me that gun unless you want a spanking. Didn't I tell you they were useless to you?" His father saw that his son had taken back the firearm earlier.

Not wanting him to cuff his progress.

"Right." The boy looked heartbroken.

The gun was so cool…

…but he knew his father was right.

Once the real 'Heart Bullet' was mastered fully, he wouldn't need a gun anymore.

His arms would be better than a gun.

It was a good time to go over the basics of his fighting style and check what worked in this apocalypse, so he simply gave the MagiPistol before heading down.

Going towards the stairway.

Ryan held the door open.

Once they were out of his father's range of hearing, Ryan was the first to speak:

"You have a hardcore dad."

"You think?" Lex simply shook his head.

Trying to shrug off the attitude his father had been giving. It'd become too much.

Worse than in the past.

Perhaps his mother dying have a much deeper wound on his father's heart.

Making him more resolute.

'I have to avenge my father properly.' This incident was put on the list of crimes.

He was ready to impose his justice.

Perhaps completing his martial arts beforehand wasn't such a bad thing.

Little did the duo know that another Named zombie was heading to them.

Quickly finding their location.