Surviving Apocalypse with Powers of Fictional Characters

"Can you hear me scream from outside?" (Jen)

Chai shook his head.

"Great job guys. Now we can 'interview' her in peace." (Zack)

Piles of mattresses, pillows, bedsheets, and blankets were hung around the underground basement they were in.

This was to avoid the 'female' creature's scream calling her zombie horde.

They put her on a chair and pulled the black cloth covering her.

Her bare chest heaves furiously.

'Her eyelids are trembling. She's dreaming about something?' (Zack)

Her long, oily jet black hair covered most parts of her left side of her face and draped her slender, nude shoulders.

"She looks too thin! Did she not had anything to eat at all?" (Jen)

Looking at her almost zero-percent body fat physique, it resembled a female bodybuilder's.

Except that she's smaller and almost famish-looking.

"Tie her up." (Zack)

CREEEEEEEEEEEAK

"Man, I hope this could hold her off." (Chai)

On their way to this abandoned house with an underground basement, Chai pulled out some steel railing and grilles.

As the creature's strength is on par with Chai, they decided to abandon the ropes they have and 'tie' her with steel instead.

Zack took out an ammonia inhalant.

"Jen, Chai…get ready." (Zack)

Chai nodded.

"Ah! Zack, wait!" (Jen)

With an anxious face, Zack looked back at Jennifer.

"I-I have been meaning to ask. Why didn't we upgrade our Skills immediately after getting the points?" (Jen)

She asked him innocently.

With a loud facepalm, Chai answered on Zack's behalf.

"Yeah, because getting experience points were easy, right?

Dude, you went through all that sh*tstorm to get points and you want to spend it on skills you're not sure are useful or not?

What if there's a life-and-death situation that needs you to read minds more rather than blasting everything through your reckless [Telekinesis] power up?

Ain't it stupid to do that? Sheesh…that's why I swear, newbies are…" (Chai)

"Teehee, sorry. I didn't actually think that far." (Jen). She answered meekly after being berated by Chai.

'Unless we could predict what Skills are going to be unlocked or the Skill's next level upgrade's capabilities…it's better to reserve the points. There's also the weapons and items available.' (Zack)

He then opened his status screen.

'KAL-EL!'

…

{HERO SYSTEM}

Name: Zachary Black

HERO EXP: 672

Equipment:

(House of El Kryptonian Suit) (0/1000)

…

'Damn, if only I have another 400 experience points.'

Time was too short for him to mass-kill 400 zombies. He needs to find Melissa, Annie, and Joy.

"Get ready!" (Zack)

'Huup!'. Zack inhaled and held his breath, to avoid inhaling the ammonia as his nose is many time more sensitive to smell than a normal human's.

Standing in front of the steel-bound female creature on a chair, he slowly opened the lid of the inhalant.

Jennifer who's a few meters away steadily levitates a few more thin steel bars, just in case the creature breaks out of the bondage.

As the creature is placed in the middle of the well-lit basement, Chai is behind it while holding an extension of the bent steel bars that ties it.

The ammonia inhalant made its way its huge nostril.

1 second.

2 seconds.

"KWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK!!!"

A horrendous shriek blasted out from its wide mouth.

It continued to scream and struggle to break out from the cold metal that constricts her.

"F*ck! Her strength is no joke!" (Chai)

Tightening up the bars, the sheer power of its despair was like a cornered dog. Chai could barely hold her off.

"Jen!" (Zack)

"Okay!" (Jen). The levitating steel bars flew to 'it' and started bending and wrapping its legs, arms and body.

Zack couldn't be tasked to hold the creature's binding because he's not adjusted to his new powers yet.

One wrong move and he might accidentally kill it.

Realizing that her captors weren't going to release her, she was getting tired after screaming and thrashing for two whole minutes.

*pant* *pant* shreeeeeeeeee… *pant* *pant*

"Are you calm now?" (Zack)

The female held her up and saw a good-looking tall man.

Staring at his face, she started to make a sniffing sound like an animal.

Ignoring her drooling face, Zack questioned her.

"Where did you get this?" (Zack)

He picked up a camo-print crossbow and held it in front of her.

Her eyeballs moved left and right, analyzing the weapon.

"Hey! Answer me, WHERE DID YOU GET THIS WEAPON?!" (Zack)

Detecting Zack's urgent tone, she narrowed her eyes and showed her disgusting grin that almost spans from ear-to-ear.

"Sigh, I think she's reta-" (Chai)

HELP ME.

As Chai was about to give up on it, it suddenly spoke.

"So you can speak. My buddy here thought you were unable to understand us. Tell us-" (Zack)

NOOOOOOO!

HELPPP MEE!!

PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!

RUN! RUN AWAY!

It talked as if a child just learned from its parents on how to talk by copying what they say.

Then, it spoke something disturbing that made the three of them panicked a little.

"ANNIE…JOY…R-RUN AWAY…" (Female Creature)

Doom! Crack!

The creature's smirking face became pale in a second.

"WHERE ARE THEY?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THEM?!!!!!"

Chai and Jennifer was shocked that Zack lifted the creature up by its neck!

Rage and anger seethed in his heart.

His teammates. His friends. The ones he gave his word to stick together and protect each other.

The very thought of anything happening to them was unacceptable to Zack.

"Bro! BRO!! CALM DOWN! SHE'S GONNA DIE IF YOU KEEP AT IT! CHILL MAN!!!" (Chai)

Chai dashed to him to forcefully loosen Zack's grip on the creature's neck.

Foams start to bubble on its mouth.

Plop.

It dropped down like a lifeless mannequin.

"Sh*t! Is it dead yet?" (Chai)

He squatted down to the ground and observed its chest movement.

*huff* "It's still breathing. I can hear her heartbeat." *huff* (Zack)

'Jeez, what happened to all the 'don't kill it, we gotta extract information' plan…' (Chai)

Zack suddenly felt a palm on his left shoulder.

"It's okay Zack. I'm pretty sure the girls are okay." (Jen)

She told him that she detected various emotions and thoughts from it.

"This…'woman' felt excited when she sees you. Like a little child seeing a cookie. When she started talking, I could sense…that those were words she learned she heard recently." (Jennifer)

"What do ya mean 'recently'?" (Chai)

"Like…how new words we heard when we played sport with friends. 'Awesome' 'Wicked' 'Sick'…the phrases that we learn from others while we're doing something." (Jennifer)

'N-No…no way. Could it be?' (Zack)

With his otherworldly enhanced brain, he started connecting the dots.

'But…if she's…a human, aren't we going to kill a-a living person?' (Zack)

There was only one way to prove his suspicions wrong.

"Guys…we have to do this quick. If what our observations connect so far…I'm afraid-" (Zack)

He then showed Chai and Jen a picture.

***

Skweeeee! Skeee Skeeekiyaaaah!!!

The creature was once again woken up abruptly by an ammonia inhalant.

This time, it was Jennifer who is going to interrogate the creature.

She lifted Zack's crossbow in front of it.

'Hm? Jealousy? Wait, wasn't this feeling…' (Jennifer)

The creature did not say anything this time.

*Grrrrrrrrrrrrrowwwwwwwl*

A low but fierce growl was produced by it as if a lioness getting ready to protect her territory.

"Hah!" (Jen)

She opened her eyes in shock.

"Chai! Zack! I saw them!" (Jen)

Jennifer explained that she saw glimpses of blonde-haired women and a stunning Asian beauty.

"Any clues on where did this 'thing' and they might have met?" (Zack). His face started to show a little ray of hope.

She shook her head with a frown.

No matter how much she strained her mind, she can't clearly read the location where Annie, Mel, and Joy might have been.

At this point of time, Zack's [Super Senses] was missing just one link in order to trace them: their smell.

'I regret not taking anything that has their smell.' (Zack). He didn't expect that his impulsive instinct to save another human being would lead to his friend's peril.

If they could locate where they were last at, he can track them back like a hound dog.

"D*mmit. Stupid thing is f*cking useless! Bro, let's not waste time anymore! Ditch this b*tch and let's go find them!" (Chai)

"We still haven't tried one more thing, brother." (Zack)

He nodded to Jennifer.

She took out Zack's iPhone.

She started pressing the 'Play' button and it showed…the brainless heads of the Air Force soldiers.

The creature saw the moving images and started smiling again.

Her tongue, as long as a cow's tongue began to dangle from her thin lips and jagged teeth.

Nyuummmmm Nyummmm Nom! Nyumm Nyumm Slurrrppp Nyom!! Nyommmmm!!!!

Her salivating chin drips clear liquid down the floor.

Clack!

"Ughhh~Uweekkkkkk!"

The phone dropped on the floor and Jennifer started vomiting.

"Hey, Jenny! You ok? Dafuq did you ate just now?!" (Chai)

Zack comforted her and slowly helped her stand.

"Jen, does this mean…" (Zack)

Wiping her mouth, she nodded hesitantly.

Zack explained to Chai that if this 'woman' has anything to do with the death of the hollowed headed bodies of the soldiers, Jennifer would detect a reaction to it.

Or worse, specific memories or scenes of it happening…

"What the f*cking f*ck…HEY MUSCLE B*TCH?! YOU F*CKING EAT PEOPLE?! WTF MAN?!! ZOMBIES ARE KILLING AND EATING OFF OTHER PEOPLE BUT YOU- oh." (Chai)

Chai turned his head back to Zack and Jennifer.

Their suspicions are 99% almost accurate.

"The feelings and thoughts of this woman, I mean, creature…eating the brains of those soldiers. It treated it as if they were delicacies…exactly like how she felt when she stared at Zack's head! And our heads!" (Jen)

Jennifer's facial expression was contorted.

"Jenny! Fo real?! So this…this nudist muscle b*tch here is like a different type of zombie or something? Like that 'I Am Legend' movie zombies?" (Chai)

"Brother, if we humans can evolve…why not them too? Since when anything makes sense nowadays?" (Zack)

"Sh*t! How are we gonna find Mel and the others now!" (Chai) .He was furious and started panicking a little.

"We have one more method to try, Chai. Jen, please save our friends." (Zack). With his head bowed down, he begged Jennifer in his heart to find the clues to find his other teammates.

"I'll do my best, Zack. They did indirectly save my life." (Jen)

She held his head up again with her supple, pale palms.

Her smile was one of the most beautiful smiles Zack has ever seen.

'Here goes. Jean Grey!' (Jen)

[ Upgraded Telepathy! ]

[ Telepathy (Lv.2): 'Telepathic Defense' and 'Telepathic Cloak' enabled. Overall ability to read thoughts, project own thoughts and broadcast own thoughts enhanced. ]

She then turned towards the constricted 'anomaly' zombie.

"Hey! Where did you meet them? Annie, Joy and Melissa!" (Jen)

Once again, she held up the crossbow.

This time, the thoughts were clearer. It was as if the fog was lifted a little.

"GOT IT!" (Jen)

She quickly opened the Maps app and searched for the freshly acquired location.

She screen-shot the location and drew an 'X' at the exact location where the 'creature' and the girls have met.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" (Chai)

He was once again on guard duty, making sure that the she-creature does not break loose from the steel bindings.

Looking at the creature, Zack felt complicated.

It resembled a human so much…it didn't have that distinct undead smell. Everything about it is so human.

'But it eats human brains. Why? Is it a requirement for its evolution?' (Zack)

Tons of questions ran through his head.

Does the amount of brains determine its strength? How about the quality of the brain?

Do any human brains suffice? Or it only eats…brains of people who have a [SYSTEM]?

'We have no time for that now. Perhaps this might be the only mutated zombie ever.' (Zack)

Turning his head to the roided undead, he said: "Hey, you're capable of speech. I think you understand us to a certain point. I'll hold you up for a deal. I let you go…we go our separate ways." (Zack)

The female creature followed Zack's index finger pointing to the basement's door.

"It's your choice." (Zack)

He then took the iPhone from Jennifer and put on a table.

"If you're a human…and I really, really hope you are just a human who somehow requires human brains to level up or something…you and I are bound by a code honored by time immemorial: RESPECT." (Zack)

The iPhone started recording.

"Lady! We do not mean you harm, we just need answers from you! We will now release, and not hinder your escape. That is the door. If you so choose to attack us, we will reply back in force!" (Zack)

If she turns out to be a human and they killed her, the video is solid proof that she was the one attacking first and the three of them responded in self-defense.

Zack nodded to Chai.

Receiving the signal, he let go of the steel bars' extension.

Grrrrrr- ngeee?

Noticing that the binding wasn't as tight as before, it began to struggle around again.

"Jen." (Zack)

With that signal, she proceeded to loosen the bindings little by little.

Less than twenty seconds, the 'creature' began to break free completely.

She looked at the basement's door, and back to Jen and Zack.

Then she creepily bent her back, tilting her head backward to get a good view of Chai.

"You still here, b*tch? Scram!" (Chai)

Detecting the furious tone, 'it' didn't move one bit but started whistling.

Just as the whistling ended.

Shwaaaaak! Clangg!!

From a bridge position with its head facing the back with the spine bent upwards, she propelled herself towards Chai!

Its bare feet's nail was as sharp as her fingernails!

"Heh, you failed to hit me with your hands, and now you're using your legs! At least you know how to fight!" (Chai)

He blocked her attack by using [Nyoi-Bo].

Borrowing the force of the attack, he redirected it to the end of the staff and elongated it enough to reach its head!

Shngeeee! Krrhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Seeing that her prey, her delicious meal is retaliating, she has been annoyed and impatient ever since she got captured.

In its mind, she was thinking that meals like them should shut up, sit down and stay quiet while their skull is being pried open for it to enjoy their delicious brain!

These three meals in particular, not only they smelled ultra-delicious, but they're strong too.

But it was still a creature of instinct.

Nnnngggghhhhyaaaaaaaaaahhhh! Yakyakyak!

It exchanged blows with Chai again for the second time of the day.

But this time, it felt a slight disadvantage.

"Kreeeeeee…"

Narrowing its eyes, it noticed that this noisy 'meal' has a 'stick' that gets in its way.

Sikyyaaaaaaaaaaaa!

It went into offensive again!

"Should we help Chai?" (Jen). The previous difficult battle restrains it raised a concerned tone in her.

"If you can see the look on Chai's face now, you won't have the heart to take this away from him." (Zack)

With his [Super Senses], his eyes could follow their speed in exchanging blows.

Chai was smiling and having fun.

The mutated zombie kept punching, kicking, slashing and thrusting.

Chai replied back in parrying, sweeping, reverse striking and downward thrusting.

After a few minutes of fighting, he noticed one thing.

'This b*tch is actually aiming for my [Nyoi-Bo]!'

Shrill cries escaped from the creature's mouth, signaling intense desire to take away the 'stick'.

"You want this so bad? Here!" (Chai)

Chai held the other end of [Nyoi-Bo] as if offering it to the creature.

Skweeeehehehehehe!

"Hey bro! What're you doing?!" (Zack)

Zack was about to leap in to save Chai.

The moment the creature's hand gripped the other end of [Nyoi-Bo], it suddenly became heavier.

Zululululu~

The one-and-a-half meters staff began to grow in length and size!

"Scchhhkeeee!Skweeee!Skweeeeee!Ap!Ap!"

The creature got crushed under [Nyoi-Bo]'s weight and diameter, which is roughly about the size of a Classical Greek Pillar.

The battle ended with the mutated zombie squealing in agony under a thick, unbreakable maroon pillar that upsized from a staff.

"Did you have fun?" (Zack)

He rested his arms on Chai's shoulders.

"Have you seen the grin on my face? Hehe. Yeah, b*tch isn't that bad. How are we going to deal this little sh*t?" (Chai)

"She chose to attack us. With an intention to kill, nonetheless. If we let her roam free, who knows how many people she will harm and kill." (Zack)

With a determined face, Zack approached the creature's head.

"Jen, would you help me to hold down her arms, please?" (Zack)

The entirety of its lower body was being crushed under the [Nyoi-Bo]'s weight, but it's still flailing and thrashing its arms around, desperately pushing the now over-sized staff away to lessen its pain and escape.

Focusing her mind on the creature's arms, her [Telekinesis] starts its work.

'Ugh, it wasn't as bad as before…but why is it moving so much?! This is actually more tiring!' (Jen)

Seeing Jennifer tremble, Zack knew that her first level [Telekinesis] isn't strong enough to hold down this mutated zombie.

[ Upgraded Telekinesis! ]

[ Telekinesis (Lv.2): Force Field technique obtained. Overall telekinetic abilities enhanced. ]

Shyuuut, boom!

'It's much easier now!' (Jen)

The creature's arms were completely pinned down to the floor like a frog about to dissected, compared to before where it could still struggle a little.

As if sensing its impending doom, the mutated zombie screamed even louder.

Zack's shadow hovers over its head.

"Please forgive me if you're human, but you did try to kill us. I never thought I'd hope someone being a zombie that much." (Zack)

He inhaled a deep breath, and like a gun's hammer striking accurately to the bullet, his right fist found its way to the creature's skull.

Doom! Dhoom! Crack!

It took Zack three consecutive punches to the head's temple area to crush the brain.

[ Congratulations on individual <Zachary Black> for eliminating a Second-Level Undead! ]

[ Party System enabled! ]