2

The next day started off with a special food blend for the Chimera cub from Hestia. She's literally a sweetheart that she's won the little guy over. That well she had temporarily appeared to cuddle the little one. I basically as her son took this moment to mess with her, as any good child does.

"Let it be known that the Hearth's animal is the mighty Chimera cub, Wilson! Heh ahaha! Stop the pout and peacocking smugness!"

Hestia was peacocking just to fuck with the cub, while said cub was pouting because of his new name. Not manly or mighty enough for him, but Hestia said he is Wilson. So thy name is Wilson. Grendel was shoving a whole pig down her throat, the big girl can eat. I was having some plain old MRE, beef stroganoff to be exact. Hestia complained that I should ask for more but I'm fine with military rations, let the children have the better meals. Grendel is only six hundred years old, so she's but a child to the void. Wilson is a year old so he's by far the true child of the group.

The AK-47 I had picked up yesterday was already fully repaired by now. I loaded it with armor piercing split shot rounds, cut the bullet tip a bit and upon impact it'll fragment into lethal shards. I only have six hundred armor piercing rounds so each shot can't be wasted. But the bike research was nearly complete so soon we'd have a better travel method. Plus my Fall Nullification will affect what I ride so… I may suicidally drive off things to escape. Hummingbird hearing that just advised I shoot things in the process.

Anyways it's time to move on towards our goal. So here I am walking down the streets of Washington DC with a big burly monster and a baby monster. Kind of a weird sight to see a Human, a Chimera, and a Void Stalker just walking through undead infested streets casually. But we eventually do reach our destination after many, many hordes of undead.

I quite frankly have a lot of GD now so I can see the point in cleaning all six hundred miles of the barrier. It'd give me a lot of emergency funds for stuff because I see the fucking list for weaponry. Basically if it's got a gun involved, it's in Hummingbird's store options, like Crescent Rose from… I just know an anime, my memories have a hole there on what anime.

So yeah pricey shit is involved but the one thing I want to go for is an orbital bombardment satellite. Specifically one called "Hammer of Dawn" dunno what that is but I feel like a space laser. I feel like there's a game reference there but my memory is spotty. Because there's a fourth, Limbo you ass, party at play. Sighing I checked my balance and decided to plan out support items we, or more like I'd need.

[Balance: $325,000,102]

There have been a lot of undead of every type and race…. Anywho supportive stuff! Looking through it all I buy a hundred Greek Fire Grenades, two dozen Pineapple Grenades, thirty C4, and twenty Acid Grenades. Making sure I had each satchel of highly deadly explosives on my person. I have Grendel hide with Wilson somewhere safe. Because I can't take a kid who's a liability into a monster house.

Climbing in through a broken window Heathen becomes a silenced MP5 automatically. Huh so my gun knows this is basically a stealth mission. Looking around where I climbed in, I noticed the power was still on. Interesting but also concerning. Walking softly to the broken down door I hold up Heathen flicking on the flashlight that's sorta just there. Turning one of my eyes into infrared vision to not miss anything, I peaked down the hallway from the doorway. Quietly I made my way out of the room, a security camera with a broken camera lense faced my direction suddenly.

{A living breathing Human in this city? I'm glad my directive can still be fulfilled. Do you know what the status of everything is? What exactly happened? I was activated then everything became chaotic….}

Looking around cautiously I kept my voice low as my red tinted visor scanned the area.

"Well its the fucking apocalypse, God's have become the enemy but also not, monster's exist literally now. Anything else I don't know I was around at the start but well a, as I'll call it, Time Render happened. So I'm afraid I'm six hundred years late to the full blown apocalypse. But this city isn't all dead. I have my familiars outside currently hiding. But uh who the fuck are you?"

{Humanity Extinction Survival Artificial Intelligence, HESAI for short. Nice to meet you Dakota Carter. Glad you're still alive, misplaced by time but still glad as you were a helpful Human. By what little records I have.}

"Memories are spotty so I don't remember jack shit really. Anyways, are you able to be mobile?"

HESAI goes silent probably to make sure they can actually leave since well… It's kinda depressing here. That was when I heard glass on the ground crack, lots of running followed with glass further breaking. Readying my gun I shine the light from it around till I see the first undead fuck nugget. Switching to semi-burst fire I started culling the dead that actually were sniffing for me. However, I can't cover two ways so I scaled the walls, small motes of fire from Hestia helping me to stick to them, and dropped some Greek Fire into the undead mix. Pretty damn effective since the idiots ran into it.

Although with how many there are, I can't stay in one place for long unless they start stacking bodies. So I used the shadows to scale and travel along the walls taking risks at times while doing so. Shooting anything remotely intelligent enough to try scaling in anyway to get at me. This place is surprisingly packed full of the undead, is this a hive? That's very concerning if so. Very much so. Like fuck why are there so many here?! Hey look, a military juggernaut.

Switching to my AK-47 briefly I shot through the bullet proof glass visor killing the thing. Landing on the ground in a roll as I stowed my gun back over my shoulder, I drew Heathen and lit a child horde up. Let it be said, child zombies can all just die in a rain of bullets! Fucking creepy things. Stomping on fresh dead undead children as I ran through the Pentagon, undead on my heels. A secret door in the wall opened, fucking HESAI late to save my ass but the AI did something!

Diving into the secret passage the door slammed shut behind me, an undead crow being smashed by it. Getting up I looked around flipping Heathen up shining its light around as I kept one eye on infrared. Walking down the passage for a short while I come upon some stairs going down then up, down, spiral up, spiral down, down, up, left, right, up, and finally down again.

"Who da fuck designed those stairs? Is there a point to them besides being annoying?"

{No point from the records for them just the designer being an asshole. But welcome to HESAI testing and development facilities! Please proceed through the upcoming door. Mind the skeletons I haven't had any chance to remove them.}

"FUCK! Suddenly responding after randomly ghosting me just before that shit that happened! Not funny ya piece of scrap!"

{At least I have a life, you look like a military hobo adjusting to things.}

This AI has some sass to it… I love it. We'll become great friends, I can just tell…. After a long time walking I walked up to a door and noticed it wanted a hand to scan. Looking at it I looked at the door then at it once more. Smashing it with Heathen I proceeded to shock myself as I jury rigged it using my body a little. I make a horrible electrician, I'm so far better at murder. Getting the door open with my hands numb as fuck I entered the room beyond. Corpses of staff, bullet casings, and blood rusted weapons laid around the area.

Looking around I sorta just walked around with my gun aiming everywhere just to earn GD. Eventually I found HESAI in one area, surrounded by dead bodies of soldiers who defended the AI to the last it seems. Honestly it would make sense since this was their hope against the apocalypse. Entering the room I disconnected HESAI from things before sliding the watch onto my right wrist. Upon getting it on the watch expanded into a sorta brace over my arm as the various servers died in a rain of sparks.

{Well you're certainly an interesting Human from my biological scans. Your assistant is even more interesting as they've connected to me somehow, but I must say their military knowledge and might is incredible.}

[I've already started research into making copies of this rather marvelous military grade tech. Also don't worry they're now soul bound to you, congratulations on the mechanical slave.]

{Pah I'll take being a slave over stuck here away from fulfilling my task. I, after all, need to study, adapt to, and find ways to murder the enemies of Humanity.}

[He's got sass. I like him. Also here's a suggestion because your probably gonna get fucked horribly.]

[MA14 Heavy Support Shred Cannon (Minigun Growth Weapon Form) (MA14 Shred Cannon Pack 46,900) - $340,789]

[Growth Weapon All Form infinite base ammo - $4,000 ]

[Growth Adapting Juggernaut Armor - $24,000,000]

[Go ahead and spend that stockpiling money on making sure you survive. Because I believe you still have a horde after you.]

{They just broke the door I opened for you. So survive please, you're my only way to murder Humanities enemies effectively it seems. Hmm what's this giant ring station thing? Because if it's in your assistant it's a weapon of some sort… Why is there an option for a thing called the Flood? I feel concerned.}

[Don't mind that, that's out of his league unless he murders thirty God's.]

"Fine, buy my survival! No Hammer of Dawn just yet it seems…."

[You wanted that useless thing? That's sad… I offer so much better than a solar death cannon in space.]

Ignoring Hummingbird's sass on my choices of weapons I wanted. My armor changed to big sturdy black juggernaut armor with Heathen humming in delight, I guess, as it became a minigun with its pack, literally crawling onto my back and fusing into the armor. Shuddering at the fact I just felt and witnessed the LIVING aspect of my gun I felt creeped out. Yet morbidly excited. My AK-47 was stored into a strap on the ammo pack though after the armor seemed to regurgitate it.

Sighing at the weird shit I just lightly thumbed trigger getting the barrels of Heathen spinning. Walking forward slowly towards the exit when the first undead showed up. Pressing the trigger fully my gun started singing a symphony of death. Bullets ripping through the undead pest as I held my gun steady the best I could. My armor already showed its adaptability as slowly but surely my gun didn't sway anymore it stayed steady. Trudging forward I just kept mindlessly firing the gun only stopping when it would overheat.

When it'd overheat I would create Shadow blades along its body and start swinging. Undead ripping at my armor with their messed up teeth and claws until they were killed by the Shadows. By the time I made it up topside I was drenched in blood, guts, flesh, with chunks of my armor missing. Sections of my body turning gray from being infected. Sighing heavily I looked at myself as Heathen became its base revolver form in my hands.

My helmet retracting into my armor suddenly getting the gist of what I'm going to need to do. I asked something out loud not expecting an answer really.

"If I do this, do I just instantly revive, do I even revive? Or do I just get stuck in a black void for a bit?"

[You have ties to Hestia so your soul will temporarily be in her domain for sometime. Meanwhile you're karma fixes your body to revive you for more torture as you can't die and move on because of it.]

"Good to know…. Then let's get this over with."

With some hesitation I aimed my gun at my head and pulled the trigger. Feeling my head snap back as the shit rang out everything went dark briefly before I found myself in a Greek and Roman style room. Scanning the room it was pretty bare bones as hell and bland. Looking myself over I noticed I was in my armor still with Heathen holstered in its chest holster. Odd I still have these but I guess even the God Realms aren't safe given how fucked up things are.

Heading towards the room's doorway I looked down the halls after peaking my head out. When I felt heat come to life behind me, the room suddenly became very furnished from the corner of my eye. A steel door with a massive amount of inscriptions could suddenly be seen materializing. Stepping backwards the door fills the doorway. Turning around I studied the room once more and the petite woman who had appeared.

The room was a mix of a military armory, logistics area, R&D, and comfortable home. The woman was maybe four feet and ten inches tall, she had a pale tan skin tone, a white sundress covering her frame that was skinny looking with a reasonable chest size not to big or small, black hair loosely hanging beside her head tied into a ponytail, clear sky blue eyes looking at me, a smile on her lips. Chuckling at her softly I walked over to her and hugged her.

"So I finally see you and not a fiery apparition because you were too shy to meet me in person, Hestia."

She looked away a little as she hugged me back and wryly laughed.

"You try having a kid after losing your virginity then being forced by Zeus, who's dead now, to let them grow up in the Mortal Realm. I was panicking if you'd even like me or even call me mom. Given you are at the same time my son but also not given that the entity that runs Limbo does unorthodox things. But I'm glad you seem to care and accept me, it would've been depressing if you didn't…"

"Well I'm basically an armed hobo in the apocalypse, don't have anyone but Grendel and Wilson to count as family besides you. So I'd be pretty dumb to reject possibly the equivalent of a super mom who clearly has helped me."

We chuckled a little before releasing each other and going to sit down at a dining table. It had a box of infinite pizza on it with some tea. I like this arrangement. We had some very touchy yet welcomed talks about myself and everything going on. Some of the residents of Hestia's domain tried visiting but the door she put up wasn't letting anyone through. Looking towards the goddess I pointed at the door as I ate a piece of Hawaiian pizza.

"Did you make the door only so you or me could use it?"

She smiled brightly as she began speaking enthusiastically.

"Nope! Your entire room is sealed off from even deities unless you let them in by having that door open fully! Hehehe no one can break in the door is the only way in if it's not me! I want you to have a safe space so when I felt you came here I finally implemented the design!"

"I should point out that what you said is slightly concerning but also understandable given your primary divinity. You will go the extra mile for family so given I'm your son you decided to essentially be ready to trap me here in safety. Creepy and concerning, however, thank you for the thoughtful intentions behind this all. You really have been watching me for a long time to do all of this…. It's honestly more than I think I'd ever deserve."

At these words Hestia looked blankly at the ceiling of my room. She just stared at the ceiling in silence so I let her be as I took my gun out to dismantle and clean it by hand. This gave me the feeling as if this made the evolving weapon giddy like a child on sugar. If the vibrating parts weren't a hint. We both just sat in silence with what felt like days until the small vibrant goddess spoke up. Hearing her I let my gun rest on the dining table and listened quietly to her. She has more grief than most have the right to say they have given her family is all dysfunctional psychopathic sociopaths mainly all the time.

"I love my family, I do… but they could always be so… childish and hurt each other without batting an eye most of the time. So when I met your father and got pregnant I was ecstatic until… Zeus killed him. Zeus was always a petty person who would get jealous over anything…. So the fact someone had not only earned my love, took my virginity, and impregnated me he was enraged that someone, a mortal no less, had done something he couldn't. That was when I nearly killed Zeus in the greatest show of anger ever from my usual self because of what he had done.

After that… I left for a long while till the you of this universe was old enough to live alone. As by that time Zeus was throwing a fit and demanding I come back or he would do anything to kill you. Consequences be damned he would've done it out of his petty pride but the day I came back everything just started falling to pieces.

By the time I realized what was happening you had already fought for ten years against what is known as the Shift among the Gods. A lot of gods by that point were dead, corrupted, a new alignment, or being reborn and if unlucky corrupted during the process. Amaterasu though is holding the Japanese Pantheon together by herself since a lot of Humans and other races quite love the wolf Goddess, just letting you know as while you were MY son you followed us both, Not piously, but in a way comfortable to you and that honestly made us happy. So while everything that has happened and still is happening is devastating to watch as our hearts feel for those suffering, when that time anomaly caused by Shiva ate you. I can honestly say that we both were… affected.

Now that you're back, different but back, I feel so much more alive once more as when you returned my hearth lit up like never before. Although I don't know if Amaterasu has noticed your return yet as you had a special role that you'd fill whenever you could during the start of this whole mess."

Looking at the Greek Goddess I tilted my head and motioned her to explain what that role was. Chuckling the small Goddess shook her head with a mischievous smile.

"You used to watch her son Chibiterasu who she had while in her wolf form so it's not her other sons Ame-no-oshihomimi, Ame no Hohi, Amatsuhikone, Ikutsuhikone, and Kumanokusubi who while good boys aren't who needed your protection. Although if you're back then little Rasu may have caused a ruckus and soon…. Hehehe speak of the wolves and they shall come."