By the time the Hum-Vee made it back to base, Saeko had been waiting for them. She held a walkie-talkie in hand, and even though it wouldn't work beyond a certain distance, she still clung to it, waiting for any updates on Team Alpha.
However, as soon as the car arrived, the door flinging open, her heart immediately sank. The atmosphere felt tense, and Tysone, Takashi, Mai, and Kohta's expressions were grim. Saeko's brow creased in worry; she had been expecting a triumphant return or at the very least a sense of accomplishment.
Instead, there was only a silent, almost palpable dread.
"What happened?" She inquired, her voice laden with concern. They were safe, yes, but that didn't mean they didn't encounter anything on the way. "You're back early... and why do you guys look so pale?"
"..." Tysone's mouth twitched, but no words came out. It was quite eerie to see the always calm and collected base leader this shaken up. He took a deep, steadying breath before replying. "Let's discuss this inside."
Saeko nodded. "Alright."
The group moved into the living room, where everyone else had gathered upon hearing the commotion.
Tysone sat down, his hands clenching and unclenching as he processed what had happened. "We found something out there." He began, his voice low and grave. "Something... beyond our understanding."
"Something more dangerous than the zombies?" Shizuka asked, her face pale.
Tysone nodded slowly. "Unfortunately, yes. It seems like many creatures are evolving to a greater threat, just like that zombie cop." He sighed heavily. "We were fortunate enough to outrun this creature, but I fear that won't always be the case."
Saeko frowned, her mind racing with the implications. "What was it like?" She finally asked, needing more information to understand the scale of the threat they now faced.
"Unnaturally tall and thin. Pale. Long arms and legs. Its jaw seemed dislocated." Mai bit her lip as she described the abomination. "I think it could've been human before. But now, it's more like something out of a horror movie. It ran faster than anything I've ever seen before. It was strong too, ripping people apart like toys. Even bullets didn't seem to stop it entirely."
Saeko felt a shudder run down her spine. The picture painted by Mai's words was terrifying.
Takashi and Kohta nodded in agreement. "Yeah, whatever that thing was, it wasn't like any zombie we've seen." Takashi chimed in, his voice shaking slightly. "Its scream was something else too. It made the hair on my arms stand up."
"The thing was incredibly strong." Tysone added. "Far stronger than the zombie cop we fought off before. And this is what I want to emphasize. There might come a future where, if those things continue to evolve like they are now, conventional weapons might not even work against them."
"..." Everyone looked at each other, unease etched on their faces.
"But..." Rei began, her voice tentative, "If that's the case, then what do we do?"
Tysone looked at her. "Good question." He chuckled bitterly. "For now, we stay on the move. Keep searching for survivors and gathering resources. We'll figure out a solution to this problem as we go along. Let's hope that this... monster is the only one of its kind and is dealt with by the authorities."
He didn't sound too optimistic, but he was right. Running away wasn't an option.
Rei seemed to accept his response, though she didn't look happy about it.
Tysone's gaze drifted around the room, meeting the eyes of his comrades. "I know this sounds dreary as fuck, but we can't let this stop us. We've survived so far and we will continue to do so. At least for now, we'll keep searching for survivors and resources. One day we might figure out to match those fuckers in terms of power, but for now we'll just have to settle with running away. That said, if we encounter more of them, we'll need to work together even better. I'm expecting great teamwork from all of us."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Good." Tysone concluded. "Now, this depressing bit of news aside, we did manage to get supplies. Everyone, do your part."
...
Dinner was a quiet affair, with everyone lost in their own thoughts. Alice didn't like the silence, but she was an obedient little girl. Zeke was also unnaturally quiet, always by the girl's side.
That very same night, Shizuka slipped into Tysone's room. Perhaps the fear of death emboldened the older woman; she was unexpectedly aggressive in the way she threw herself at him.
And Tysone responded in kind.
His cock was already hard by the time she straddled him, her hand guiding him into her warm, wet pussy. She moaned loudly, grinding down onto his length as she rode him. Her hips moved with practiced ease, rocking back and forth as she took every inch of his thick shaft deep inside her.
They clung to each other deep into the night, until exhaustion finally claimed Shizuka.
Her soft snores rang out, even as rain pettered the windows.
Tysone was still awake, despite everything. 'Why is that creature so familiar to me...?'
Unable to join Shizuka in peaceful slumber, he slowly dislodged himself from her clingy form. He went out, into the backyard, where another grueling training session awaited him.
He trained, and trained.
And trained.
Honestly, at this point it was all he could do.
...
The rain didn't stop the next morning, or the one after.
Team Beta should've departed for their own raid, but Tysone called it off. If it was only the zombie cop they had to worry about, he wouldn't have cared. After all, those things were slow, and they could easily outrun it.
But that thing...
Tysone's face hardened. He couldn't afford to take any risks.
Saeko wasn't pleased; she wanted to go out and help provide, but Tysone's word was final.
And so, a week passed, and no one dared to leave the safety of the mansion. Training continued as usual, but Tysone was the only one who still pushed himself to his limits.
This continued to be the routine, until...
"Ty! Ty! Help! C-Come here!"
Saya's desperate cry had Tysone barrelling into her space. When he noticed that there wasn't any threat, he heaved a sigh of relief.
"Saya..." He started, exasperated. After all, he didn't want this little brat to become the boy who cried wolf. "What is it now?"
"The crystal!" She grabbed the hem of shirt. "It disappeared!"
Tysone blinked slowly, processing the information. "What do you mean?"
"It's gone!" She exclaimed, gesturing wildly. "It's gone!"
"Show me."
He followed her to the laboratory. Indeed, the crystal was gone.
"..." He frowned. 'Where did it go?' He couldn't help but wonder. "You're absolutely sure that you didn't accidentally throw it away or something, right?"
"It's inside me!" Saya began to shake wildly. "Am... am I going to die?" She asked desperately. "Is it eating me from the inside?"
"What?" Tysone's eyes widened. "Inside you?"
He firmly grabbed Saya's shoulders, keeping her still. "Explain everything to me in detail, Saya. What the fuck happened?"
"I-I was just analyzing it, like I usually do!" She gulped, holding one hand up for him to see. "Then, I accidentally cut myself with it... and then..." Her face paled. "It... absorbed into me. Ty, am I going to turn into a zombie? I-I don't want to die! I-"
His heart sank as he briefly closed his eyes. "You won't, Saya." Tysone spoke firmly, yet softly. He gently cupped her cheeks in his hands. "I'm not going to allow that." His words rang hollow. After all, what could he even do? Still, he had to say something to calm her down.
She sniffled, her voice quivering slightly, "You... you don't know that! You don't know if it's going to kill me or not!"
Tysone's grip on her shoulders tightened slightly, his voice remaining steady and determined. "Saya, look at me." He waited for her tear-stained eyes to meet his own. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out together. I promise you. We've faced tough situations before, right? I don't think it's that simple. But we can wait it out if you want. I'll be right by your side. Even if you transform, I promise I won't kill you. I'll keep you alive until we find a cure."
Saya stared at him for a long moment, tears still streaming down her face. Slowly, she nodded, her bottom lip trembling. "You're a dumbass, you know that?" She hiccuped. "What if I turn and hurt everyone? What if I kill them?"
"If that happens, I will personally restrain you." Tysone declared. "But I won't let you die."
His words seemed to soothe her somewhat. Saya's sobs quietened, and she leaned against him, burying her face in his chest. He held her close, letting her cry it out.
"Ty..." She mumbled through her sobs.
"Hm?"
"Thank you..."
He smiled slightly. "No problem, Saya." As soon as his face was hidden from her eyes, his smile slowly fell down into a thin, hard line. "But you need to stay away from me for the time being. We don't know what's going to happen. We'll have to watch out for any symptoms."
Saya nodded.
"Good. Now, I'm gonna go get Saeko and Shizuka. We're gonna have to discuss this. For the time being, stay here. I'll lock the door."
The pink-haired genius nodded once more.
Author's Note: ( sorry for the late chapter)
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at P@treon.com/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.