Backup incoming

Tarantula roared to life, charging through a hailstorm of bullets with mechanical precision. The ground trembled beneath its weight as it closed the distance to Sophia. One of the attackers noticed Tarantula coming up from behind. Turning, the man swung his fist with shocking force, connecting directly with Tarantula's chest.

BOOM!

The impact was deafening, leaving a dent in Tarantula's alloy steel armor. But Tarantula wasn't built to feel pain. Instead, its mechanical arm retaliated immediately, extending twin alloy blades that plunged forward with deadly accuracy. The sharp blades stabbed deep into the man's chest. Although they didn't go all the way through his body, the wound was severe enough to damage internal organs. Yet, the man didn't even flinch. There was no pain on his face—only pure, unrelenting rage.

The man roared, grabbing the blades with his bare hands, heedless of the sharp metal slicing his palms. Blood dripped to the ground, but it didn't slow him down. "Get this thing off me!" he bellowed, struggling against the machine.

Another brute nearby charged toward Tarantula, ready to join the fight. Before he could reach them, a deafening sonic boom echoed across the battlefield. Sophia's head snapped up, relief flooding her features. From the sky, a sleek metallic figure streaked downward, leaving a trail of sound and fire. It was Zack in his upgraded armor, MV02-W, armed with a Vulcan machine gun. As he descended, the gun spat out a hail of bullets, wiping out most of the enemy soldiers in a storm of fire and smoke.

BOOM!

When Zack landed, only two soldiers, the three brutes, and a stunned commander remained. The battlefield, once chaotic, fell into an uneasy silence. Zack stood tall, his armor gleaming under the dim light. He eyed the remaining enemies and smirked. "Who sent you?" he asked. But before anyone could answer, he shrugged. "Forget it. I'll just kill you first and ask questions later."

He reached behind him and pulled out his signature weapon—a chainsaw sword. The motor roared to life as the blade spun with a menacing hum. The nearest brute charged, letting out a guttural roar. Zack didn't back down. He swung the sword in a clean, practiced motion.

SLASH!

The brute's body was split in half, his powerful muscles no match for the weapon's relentless teeth. Blood and viscera spilled onto the ground. The remaining two brutes, undeterred by their comrade's gruesome death, lunged at Zack. "These guys fight like mindless zombies," Zack muttered, frowning. "Did your mutations come with a free lobotomy?"

The first brute reached him, swinging a massive fist. Zack dodged effortlessly, bringing the chainsaw sword down in a deadly arc. The brute screamed as the blade cut through his torso, splitting him in half. His organs spilled out, painting the ground red.

"Sir, I've detected traces of the Zeta virus in their systems," Ego's voice cut in through Zack's comms.

Zack's eyes narrowed. "The Zeta virus? You've got to be kidding me."

Before he could process the revelation, the last brute charged. Zack adjusted his approach, targeting the man's limbs instead of his torso. The chainsaw roared as it severed the brute's arms and legs one by one, leaving him a helpless, writhing human stump. "AHHHHH!" The man screamed, his rage undiminished even as he was reduced to a literal shell of himself.

Zack glanced down at the brute, who continued to thrash and roar despite the gruesome injuries. "Yeah, something's seriously off here." He turned his attention to the remaining soldiers and their commander. 

Sensing Zack's focus, the commander barked, "Take your capsules! Now!" The two soldiers scrambled to obey, pulling out small capsule-shaped pills. They bit into them, and within seconds, collapsed to the ground, dead. Cyanide.

"Cowards," Zack muttered, turning to the commander. The man pulled out his own capsule, but before he could bite down, Zack darted forward and crushed the man's jaw with his armored hand.

CRACK!

The commander screamed, his broken jaw preventing him from closing his mouth. Zack reached into his mouth, yanked out the capsule, and tossed it to the ground. "High-concentration cyanide," Ego reported after a quick scan. "Also known as Quick Death Poison."

Zack crushed the capsule under his boot. "Nice try, but dying's not on the menu today."

The commander's cries of pain intensified as Zack calmly broke all four of his limbs, one by one.

"AHHHHHH!" The man's screams echoed across the battlefield, growing more pitiful with every passing second. Zack stared at him coldly.

"Shut up, or I'll rip your tongue out," he said flatly. He leaned in closer. "Don't worry. Even without your tongue, I have plenty of ways to make you talk."

The threat sent visible tremors through the commander's body. His face turned pale, and his eyes rolled back as he fainted from the agony. Zack straightened up, his gaze shifting to the battlefield. "Ego, mark this virus as top priority. I want answers."

"Yes, sir," Ego replied smoothly.

Zack turned towards Sophia after dealing with the last commander. His expression was calm but heavy with thoughts.

Following Zack's orders, Tarantula carried the unconscious commander and the maimed strongman—reduced to a limbless stump—on her back. Without a word, she turned and ran towards the community, disappearing into the night. Sophia stood waiting as Zack approached. Her eyes were filled with worry as she flicked up her visor to look at him directly. "Zack, who are these people?" she asked, her tone betraying her concern.

"I'm not sure yet," Zack replied, his voice clipped and distant. He wanted answers as much as she did.

These weren't just any attackers. They were soldiers, highly trained, and backed by someone powerful. At least three mutants were among them. No ordinary survivor base would have the resources to organize something like this. Whoever sent them was a problem Zack hadn't anticipated, but he knew one thing for sure: they had targeted the wrong person.

"It's probably connected to the last zombie wave," Zack guessed aloud, though it felt more like stating a fact. His sharp eyes turned cold. "Someone must've noticed us during that fight."

The conversation with Antonny's group earlier had shed some light on the situation. Zack knew he wasn't the only one with access to satellites. Other powerful organizations and bases also had their eyes in the sky—like his faction. The massive zombie wave must have drawn attention, and Zack's efforts to protect NYC City had made him a target. He had become too noticeable. Too much of a threat.

"Whoever they are, they'll regret it," Zack muttered, his voice low and dangerous. He wasn't a good person. He had always been selfish, cautious, and vengeful—traits that had kept him alive this long. He wasn't about to change now.

Sophia's voice broke his thoughts. "By the way, why are you back alone? Where's Erza?"

"She's on her way. I had her take a separate route," Zack replied. He gave Sophia a quick nod and gestured for her to head into the community.