Annie's Power

"Bl… Black Hand…" the commander stammered through his broken jaw.

"Who?" Zack's eyes narrowed.

"Black Hand… Lord Black Hand," the man repeated, his words slurred but desperate to be understood.

Zack frowned. The name didn't ring any bells. "And your organization?"

"Vanguard… we're the Vanguard Organization," the commander said, his voice trembling.

Zack tilted his head, the name stirring a faint memory. But something about it didn't match what he'd heard before.

"Where's your base?"

The commander hesitated, his voice growing weaker. "Newark City… but we're just a branch. I don't know where the others are…"

Zack's expression darkened. He tugged the wires away again.

"Ahhhh!!!" The commander's cries filled the room as the pain roared back with a vengeance. His body convulsed, tears streaming down his face.

Zack sighed, setting the pliers aside. "I was going to start with your fingers, but it seems like there's no need for that anymore."

The commander's eyes widened in terror, though he lacked the strength to respond. Zack studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable. "One last question." Zack leaned forward, pressing the wires against the commander's skin again.

The commander's body relaxed slightly as the current dulled his nerves. His head lolled to the side, tears dripping onto the floor. "Please… just kill me…"

"Not yet," Zack said, ignoring the plea. "What's the deal with him?"

He gestured toward the mutilated body of a strongman lying nearby, cut down to a horrifyingly unnatural state. The commander shuddered, his words barely audible. "H-he's… a superhuman… serum… developed by the organization… to make ordinary soldiers…"

He gasped for air before continuing. "Less afraid of pain… a super soldier… not afraid of death…"

Zack's eyes narrowed as he processed the information. "A Superhuman Serum?" Hearing those words, something immediately clicked in Zack's mind. His expression turned serious as he stared down at the commander. "Tell me everything you know about this serum," Zack demanded.

The commander gasped, his breath coming in ragged bursts as if it hurt just to speak. His voice was shaky, his words disjointed. "I... I don't know much..."

The man's condition was deteriorating fast—his body trembling, his pupils dilating. Zack recognized the signs immediately: long-term exposure to the serum's side effects. The pain, amplified by the nerve-stimulating drugs, put his brain under immense pressure. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the commander's body gave out. "You have to... suppress it... regular injections..." he rasped. "That's it... That's all I know..." With a final gasp, the man managed to finish his sentence.

Zack processed the information. Now, he had a better understanding of this so-called Superhuman Serum. It could indeed elevate a normal person's strength to superhuman levels. But the price? Severe. Not everyone who received the injection became a super soldier. In fact, the failure rate was terrifying—70% of those injected turned into zombies.

That meant, out of ten people, only three would survive the transformation. Even then, those who survived weren't exactly "super" in the way Zack had hoped. They were mindless drones, immune to pain, existing only to follow orders. And if that wasn't bad enough, the survivors still needed regular doses of a suppressive drug to keep the Zeta virus in check. Without it, even the so-called "successes" would eventually turn into zombies.

Zack scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. "This? This is what they call a Superhuman Serum? What a joke."

But as much as he despised it, the serum's existence served as a wake-up call. It was a reminder that his enemies were experimenting with dangerous advancements. "If I remember right..." Zack muttered to himself, his mind racing. "Ego, doesn't your database have information on Serum like this?"

His AI companion responded promptly. "Yes, sir. The serum is documented in detail within my archives."

Zack's eyes lit up. Serum from ego will be far superior to this crude things. Maybe it could serve as inspiration for something better. Suddenly, a low, guttural roar echoed through the basement. Zack turned sharply to see the strong man—who had been reduced to little more than a limbless torso—begin to convulse violently. His mouth opened wide, releasing an animalistic growl.

"Is he... turning into a zombie?" Zack's curiosity flared. He'd seen people turn before, but never this close.

Quickly, he grabbed a chair, sat down at a safe distance of about a meter, and observed.

First, the strong man's pupils shifted from black to a pale, milky white. Any trace of humanity in his eyes disappeared. Then came the behavior. Like a rabid animal, he began snapping at the air, drooling uncontrollably as if desperate to bite something—anything.

"So this is how it happens..." Zack murmured, fascinated and horrified in equal measure.

His focus broke when the commander's body began trembling violently. His condition was worsening. The side effects of the nerve-enhancing drug were taking their toll.

The veins on his forehead bulged grotesquely, as though they might burst at any moment. He clawed at his head, groaning in agony. "Kill me..." the commander begged, his voice weak but desperate. "Please... I told you everything... Just end it..."

Zack didn't respond immediately. Instead, he silently adjusted the intensity of the electrical current running through the machine. Moments later, the commander slumped over, lifeless. His heart had given out, but at least the end had been quick and relatively painless.

With a sigh, Zack turned off the power switch. Then, he glanced at the zombie that had once been the strong man. "Ego, does he have any research value left?"

The AI's voice was calm and efficient. "Negative, sir. The target has fully transitioned into a standard zombie. There is no research value."

"Got it," Zack replied coldly. "Send Tarantula in to clean this up. Tell it to burn the body and disinfect the basement."

"Understood, sir."

Zack washed his hands in the small basement sink before heading upstairs. When he stepped into Mansion No. 9, he found Sophia standing at the bottom of the staircase, looking anxious. "Zack! Annie's awake," she said quickly. "But... she's acting a little strange."

Zack's brows furrowed. "Strange? How?"

"I don't know how to explain it," Sophia admitted, clearly uneasy.

"It's fine. I'll check on her," Zack said, heading upstairs without hesitation.

Inside Annie's room, Zack found her sitting on the bed, staring at the television with an oddly fascinated expression.The TV was playing one of her favorite movies, but something about her demeanor seemed off. "Annie, are you okay?" Zack asked cautiously.

She turned to him with a big grin. "Brother, the TV's stuck!" she said, giggling as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

Zack frowned and glanced at the TV. It was playing just fine. "Stuck? It looks normal to me."

Annie clapped her hands, laughing again. "But you're moving in slow motion too! Just like Sister Sophia!"

"Slow motion?" Zack repeated, confused. Then, realization dawned. "Annie," he said carefully, "what exactly are you seeing?"

Before she could answer, her focus shifted, and suddenly the TV seemed normal to her again. "Huh? Never mind, it's fine now! Everything's back to normal!"