2.53

"Hormones are a bitch," I sniffled, still struggling to stop crying despite it having been nearly an hour. We were in an alleyway between two tall office buildings, the meteorite roughly a mile ahead of us.

"Yes, they are," Lex wiped my face with a handkerchief that looked foreign to this time and place.

Before I could study the intricate embroidery, he stuffed it back into his lab coat pocket that for some reason he insisted on wearing.

"It'll be sunset by the time we get there," Ty complained, putting his teacup away, I wondered just how many hot drinks he had stored in there, trying not to be jealous that I hadn't the foresight to do the same.

"It's not like we cannot see in the dark," Lex rolled his eyes, turning me to walk again.

"Haven't you been listening to your doctor daddy, they're stronger without the UV rays," Ty threw his banana skin at Lex's head and snatched my hand from his to walk ahead.

"What kind of doctor are you?" I asked Lex when he caught up.

"Virologist," he smiled proudly.

"I take it that it was you, not Silas, that studied then?" He had said he had been here for years.

"I came on board whilst the poor sod was in med school, killed by a patient," he sighed, "met that old geezer straight away, and was told to go study viruses' like this body's dad."

"I take it you're not a fan of your profession?" I halted to a stop, being stuck between the two of them, pulling one of the bottles out of my space, that Lex had given me. Warmed just right for the furry baby I had put into the sling I'd found at the maternity store. Never thought this would be how I would ever use it when I picked it out.

"Was just torture being forced to act like I was learning it for the first time, my first exam score freaked them all out," he shrugged, then bent to tickle the fox's belly whilst I was trying to keep him still to feed.

"Stop that," I huffed, pulling ourselves away to quickly try and walk ahead.

By the time we reached the meteorite, we learned why it had been so quiet in the city so far.

The meteorite had landed inside the park, which was surrounded by high-rise buildings. The dead filled the whole space, spilling out to the alleyways.

In the distance, gunshots could be heard.

"Looks like it's going to be a race," Ty smiled, going to climb down the iron fire escape we stood on.

I grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Let's rig the race," I had an idea, if the rock was as small as the last one I could maybe get away with it. "Disguise me as dead," I gripped his hand, my System wide open for him to manipulate as he pleased. I wasn't sure if his powers were biological or psychological, whatever worked.

Seeing a green tinge on my skin I passed the kit and sling to Lex then jumped down, staggering through the dead until I felt the pull of the meteorite.

Though System had slowed my heart it still felt like it was racing, pumping loudly in my chest, at each slight contact with the dead, who barely raised their head at my interaction. They all stood like dormant machines, awaiting orders whilst charging in the meteorite's radiating power.

As soon as my foot touched the soil I connected to the network under my feet, allowing it to show me the frightening number of dead in the park alone.

The soldiers were still fighting, demolishing the dead in their path, reaching the edge of the park. It was only a matter of time, they had the means to kill each and every one of the dead here.

My fingers dug into the soil, lending my power to the network of roots below to fetch me the meteorite.

I flinched as a zombie brushed against me in passing.

Distracted by the increasing dead staggering towards me, I felt something being shoved into my hand, "no, no, wait," but it was too late. The lump of space rock was firmly planted into my palm.

I tried to shake it off, my attempts were as futile as the last time.

"Shit," now more than a few heads were turned my way.

Instead of focusing on the meteorite, I did my best to directly fuel the park with the meteorite's strong concentration of virus. The dead standing on the grass around me was pulled underground, leaving only upturned soil in their place.

"Phew," I caught my breath, looking back at the crowd of dead on the other side of the park's metal fence that I needed to walk through despite the agonising pain in my arm, that was slowly rising to my chest.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

With a cry, I fell to my knees just as I reached the park's gated entrance.

"System, not again."

"Who told you to touch it?" System chided, showing not an ounce of pity or regret.

"Fuck," I cursed under my breath, but it was enough to make a few wander in my direction.

"I am not," I pulled my twin dao swords out of the space, the meteorite was already painfully under my skin, "not, being buried alive again."

I focused on decapitation and using the bodies as a weapon to shove the surrounding mouths back just that bit further.

"Lex," I called out loudly, no longer caring who heard, it's not like it was his actual name here anyway, "Could do with a hand now…"

Lightning bolts appeared from the other side of the crowd, hitting one after another skull, burning each zombie in a chain reaction only to stop with the zombie closest to me, making it fall to my feet. Its charred flesh assaulted my nose.

"Just a hand?" Lex stood at the other end of the line of fallen charcoaled zombies, hand outstretched, electric sparks bounced from finger to finger.

I threw my swords into my space and pulled out two daggers instead, uncaring if I lost them in the skull of any who got too close.

With System giving me a boost, I was able to swiftly make it over the pathway Lex had so graciously given me. I only lost around four daggers.

Lex crouched down in front of me, indicating for me to climb onto his back. Pain and fatigue clouded my judgment, I no longer cared for my safety, I just needed to have a long, long nap.