Everything was going to plan. We’d successfully thinned the horde. The fire would spread, feeding off the bodies as they rushed into the pile like moths to a flame. There shouldn’t have been any issue whatsoever…

  Then, it came. We heard it long before it arrived. A horrible cry that had our ears ringing. Then, we felt the earth quake, as if a titan was stomping down. Not a moment later, it broke through the pile of meat, literally plowing through metal, flesh, and bone with a single grunt.

  It was huge. Bodybuilder, Mr. Universe huge. Hulking muscles on muscles, a pair of tiny shorts that struggled to save us the horror of what lies just underneath. The muscles looked wrong; veins wriggled as if worms were inside its body. The pallor of its skin oddly opaque and dull, as if it rarely, if ever saw the light of day. Its hands were big and meaty, as well as its feet. Each finger and toe were tipped with gnarly nails that looked ready to rend flesh from bone.

  The hulking zombie pushed forward. Its initial charge stymied by the rapidly melting ice. It almost lost its footing, but one of its hands slammed through the ice into the concrete below. With another grunt, its other hand shot forward, it shattered the ice, its nails dug into the concrete below leaving deep gashes. Giving it leverage.

  It pulled. Like a climber, it dug its fingers and toes into the concrete. Rapidly making progress, crawling rapidly up.

  I stared in shock. A blast of water went shooting out, but the monster merely lowered their head, taking the brunt of the deluge with ease and continued its ascent.

  As it approached. As water continued to pelt it, doing little to nothing. As vine tendrils lanced out and failed to find purchase… I realized what I had to do.

  I inhaled. Exhaled. I let the ice submerge me. Bury everything. It coated me from head to toe. Frost covered the tips off my hair and eyelashes, making them white. My vision cleared. My heart slowed. My purpose was clear and without doubt.

  I had to hold the line. It wasn’t about being a hero; it was about doing my job.

  Not a second later. The abomination cleared the lip. I thrust forward with a fist, attempting to crush its skull or push it back. The abomination shifted its head, the blow cracked into its shoulder…

  Ice shattered. A dull echo of pain crackled up my arm. With a push, the abomination lunged. I shifted back, avoiding a swipe. Another step back had me avoid another swipe. The abomination made to press, but Diana came from the side, her pick covered in wind swept out. The wind gnashed around her pick, howling and screaming and reverberated through the garage as she prepared to swing. The abomination let out an annoyed grunt and backhanded her, just before she could strike.

  In that moment I shot forward. A pained yelp, a burst of air followed the strike. My mind ran through my options, settling for probing strikes. I sent a palm and grimaced when I hit the abomination’s stomach. It felt like hitting a stone. The internals inside were much the same. Unyielding. I could feel the sinews of muscle, feel their density akin to steel cords.

  I pulled back, avoiding another swipe. Leading it further back. Tendrils ripped out of the concrete and grasped at the abomination’s limbs, trying to pin it down. With contemptuous ease it ripped out the vines, root and all. Tearing out with it chunks of concrete.

  The single moment was not wasted. Sincerity sent out a finger width beam of water while the abomination pulled itself free. The abomination jerked to the side; the beam cut a deep cut along its temple that leaked black blood.

  It could be hurt. It could bleed. It could die.

  The abomination, feeling its wounds focused on Sincerity. It bolted forward in a sprint, but I crashed forward into the side of its leg, using my whole body as a battering ram. Ice cracked. Even braced as I was, it felt like I had thrown myself into a stone wall.

  Still, I succeeded. The abomination missed its footing. Crashed to the ground in a sprawl of limbs. I forced myself up and winced. A shadow of pain rocked through my chest and ribs. The abomination’s growl forced me to refocus. Fortifying myself with ice, I readied myself.

  It came fast. Now focused entirely on me. I dodged what I could. Redirected what I could not. My feet moving constantly with each blow. Every strike shuddering through me, shattering and cracking the ice coating me right into the ground with a loud snap and crack. Every blow had my teeth rattle and clack in my skull.

  I could feel with every blow, my entire being slowly shattering. Hairline cracks ran through me. Widening with each exchange. Even with my lacking talent, I could hold the line, only because the abomination focused on wild uncoordinated strikes and the ice that made the world crawl by. It was nothing like my master, my shishou.

  More vines shot forward, seeking to impale flesh, only to fail. They struggled to find purchase, failing to bind the abomination. Another beam of water shot out, thinner and more lethal, only for it to be dodged, leaving a gouge in the abomination’s shoulder.

  “I can’t do anything!” Amanda cried out in frustration, after another tendril failed to pierce.

  I was struggling to even stand, but…

  “He’s too hard!” Amanda followed up with.

  An idea came to mine.

  “Then shove it up its ass!” I declared, just when the abomination shot forward again. It caught me in a blistering assault. I was being pushed back. Unable to pivot or control anything. I felt my back hit the concrete wall. The abomination loomed above me. my arms crossed. The ice grew deeper and for a single moment… I saw it.

  Staring into the abomination’s eyes. I saw my own reflection. Tips of my hair frosted white, my brilliant blue eyes coated over in frost, glimmering just so, almost like that lake during winter. I felt like I was back under the ice. Cold numbing me. Then… I felt it… The burning heat. The warmth that gushed through my body.

  The warmth of death.

  The abomination reared back, then froze. A horrible cry ripped out of its throat, one of pure pain. I took full advantage. I shot forward, my entire being focused on a single kick slammed into the abomination’s knee. I felt it shift, something roll. The ice along my leg shattered. Pain shot through my spine when I put weight on it, but the burning heat flowing through my body ignored such trivialities. Ice gave way to burning fervor, a final flickering light in the coldest of winters.

  I jolted away, noticing the green tendril behind the creature. Its aim had been true. Like a certain moon space station and a certain missile. That was what had given me that chance, given me this moment.

  The creature tensed. Its whole body pulsed. With a single momentous clench, it sheered the tendril loose. It reached down to pull what was left free, but I saw it squirm deeper within.

  Amanda had a look of conviction on her face, even as her cheeks blushed red. The creature roared in frustration, only to be cut short by another beam of water aiming for its head, this time managing to score out one of its eyes.

  It let out another scream and shot forward, only to stumble when the knee I had hit shuddered under its weight. Then, Diana arrived. Blood covering her face, a snarl on her lips, murder in her eyes. She bolted forward, her pick covered in gnashing winds that squealed like an industrial shredder.

  The abomination, hearing the whistling wind, tried to turn, but I shot forward. Forcing the abomination to focus on me, it swung its arm at me, and I aborted, slashing out with a chop, leaving a thin line along its opaque skin. Black blood gushed out, the abomination focused on me, completely forgetting about Diana, until she struck.

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  With horrible fiery, her pick struck, aiming right for the abomination’s one good leg. Shearing through muscle and tendon, not like a knife, but as if it had been grated or run over by thousands of small knives. Like an axe had chopped into the limb, over and over, or perhaps more fittingly, like his limb had been dunked into a shredder.

  The limb was intact still, but its strength failed the abomination. Like a tree, it fell. The seconds ticked on. Diana panted and stumbled back. More blood trailed down her face and dripped to the ground. Her eyes were flickering.

  I took up my stance again, and prepared. The abomination forced itself up. Even as it stumbled, with one leg now useless, it soldiered on.

  Then it went worse. A scream cut through the tense silence. Like a hot knife through ice cream cake. Then a wet sound echoed out, followed by a splat.

  “They’re breaking through!” Serenity cried out. More splashes echoed; more bodies hit the ground. The abomination flickered its sight to the oncoming horde and back to me... and it grinned. Showing black gums and bone white teeth.

  In response, I merely welcomed it with a gesture. The abomination froze, then forced itself forward, and I shot forward to meet it. My fists crashed into its skin. Uncaring of the damage to my body. Ice crackled with each blow. Small spikes formed on my knuckles dug in, shredding flesh as I went.

  I remembered the lessons. The feeling I was now feeling, oddly reminiscent. An odd time, when I sought to master myself. To truly go beyond. Only to meet the limitations of flesh.

  I remember smashing my fists into wood. Feeling my bones crack. Blood running down them as the skin and muscle was peeled away under the onslaught.

  Back then, over time, the wood post had relented, now… the abomination’s body did so. With each blow, came the snap and crack of ice shattering. It absorbed a majority of the shock, but my arms were burning. I couldn’t feel any pain. I could only feel the fire burning through my limbs. Urging me onward. Urging me deeper into the ice.

  And deeper I went.

  I ignored the cries of the beast, all there was, was my fist, the burning heat, the precipice of life and death. I weaved in and out. Striking with all I had. I struck with purpose, like a drill, digging through the flesh to muscle and bone underneath, but… I was not alone. As I dug, so did tendrils of green. Blossoming vines and flowers broke through the openings I made. Tearing and digging through gaps in muscle and sinew. The abomination’s face was marred with creeping vines. A bouquet of flowers blooming from its rent eye socket.

  Eventually, it was not my fists that slayed the beast. With a final shake, a rattling breath, it fell to its knees. More vines shot out. More flowers bloomed. Where once an abomination stood, was now merely nourishment for new life. As it gave its final heaving breath, a deluge, a stream of starry light poured out and covered each of us. Signifying the gains of a coin.

  I stared… the ice wrapping around me scorched and burned. I let out an icy breath. I inhaled and coughed… Blood spattered the concrete. Short, quick breaths were all I could manage. Even that was enough to get me settled. I couldn’t feel any of my limbs. My knuckles were stripped bare of flesh, the bone revealed…

  I tried to stand up, but my legs failed me. My entire body slowly began to shut down, that final surge of warmth fading rapidly. Yet, I did not fall. I let the ice recede. Let it pull back. I let the pain register and flow on. All the while I looked at the ongoing massacre. With me occupying the abomination, and Amanda helping, the other two had taken to handling the incoming horde.

  The fire had done serious damage. The abomination had left a trail of trampled bodies in its wake. What was left were mere dregs. Diana was still unsteady on her feet, but her eyes no longer flickered. Serenity steadily and assuredly sent out whips of water that tore through and ripped apart the undead.

  I didn’t let myself fall unconscious. I slowly eased myself up. Rousing up my body as best as I could. Like babying the pedal on a dying car. Little by little, I walked forward. I didn’t join the fight. Merely watched. Amanda soon joined in and soon enough, the horde was dealt with.

  None of us spoke or cheered. None of us collapsed with relief. No, with grim determination we went forward. Inching forward towards the mall. Past the burning corpses, past the mashed remains. Towards the empty lot. Towards the main doors.

  They were indeed barred. With some work, we shimmied them open and went inside. The entire mall was lit. Not a single sign of undead visible. Not even the living.

  Signs were up. Supplies laid out. As if this had been a rescue center that had never been used. We followed it, towards what looked like a small dormitory on the second floor. Beds were laid out and a separate room for showers was just next door. We explored as much as we could, until we were certain it was safe.

  The rest was a blur. The hot water flowed over my wounds. Immediately igniting the pain throughout my body. I let out a loud hiss, a hiss that could be heard over the sound of the showerhead. My entire body near locked up in that moment. Even getting out was difficult if not impossible. My fingers didn’t work as intended. Making it a struggle to get changed.

  I managed, but the moment I had the bare minimum clothing on, I collapsed into a bed. Every muscle contracting and pulsing in pain. My vision cutting in and out. In the midst of that, a voice cut through the noise.

  “Let me help.” I didn’t complain, nor could I, my jaws locked as the muscles clenched tight like bear trap. My hands blossomed with new pain as they were cleaned and wrapped. Cuts were disinfected and covered up. As she continued to work, I finally took notice of who was helping me. Serenity.

  On the opposite side of the room, Amanda was helping Diana out. An icepack on her head. Her bag by the door.

  “You’re in really rough shape…” Serenity muttered. “I think you have a few broken ribs… Your fingers have multiple fractures, as do your arms and probably your leg…” She continued on. Until finally, “It looks really bad to be honest.”

  I didn’t have any energy to even shrug. Serenity looked at me. A frown on her face.

  “I think… I might be able to do something to help.” She starts and looks at me. “If… you don’t mind me trying.”

  “Go, ahead…” I managed out through clenched teeth.

  “Alright, try to… try to relax.” She said and laid her hands on my arm. She massaged it, slowly. At first, it didn’t really help, but soon enough, a cooling sensation ran through my limb. I felt the muscles in my arm loosen and unclench. My entire body soon followed as she ran her hands throughout my body.

  Sweat ran down her nose while she worked. Her breathing heavy. A steady stream of sensuous moans left my lips with each passing second. Still, she worked away the pain and aches until finally, I relaxed, all tension leaving my frame, transforming into a human equivalent of a wet noodle. Unable to muster the strength to even life a hand, let alone stand.

  I tried to ask what it was she did, but my jaw, like the rest of my body decided now was not the time to work.

  “I’ve been thinking… for a while now.” She started, realizing she had an audience. “That maybe I could do something different with my… ability. At first, well, I wasn’t sure how effective it would be.” She continued, looking down at me and helping me into bed, even covering me with a blanket.

  “At first, I thought, I could just help wash away lactic acid build up. You know, prevent muscles from further degrading. Then I thought, what if I were to hydrate the body whole giving a massage? Clearly, you were suffering from… a lot, so I figured I’d go a bit further and…”

  She pauses again, everyone looks at her.

  “It looks like I can heal wounds, at least, not by much.”

  As she finished that thought. A clamor broke out. Diana asked that she be next, but Serenity wasn’t sure.

  “Doing Prima was rather intensive, if you’re the same, I don’t know if I can.”

  Still, Diana persisted. Moans broke out, somehow more lurid with me unable to look at them. Which forced my beleaguered mind to imagine what was happening just across the room.

  When I finally got a look at Diana, she was coated in sweat, her lips and eyes glistening like she had a full makeover, combined with her flushed cheeks painted quite the picture. Amanda was next, though, her show was less provocative.

  Eventually Serenity worked over herself, to minimal results. By then, I had some control over my limbs and stretched out. Being careful not to pull anything. Slowly, I eased myself up while Amanda and Diana both went out for food.

  Alone with Serenity, I found myself curious. “Where do you work?” I asked, innocently enough.

  “A clinic. We mostly work with the inhabitants of the lower district though.”

  The city slums then? Or the closest equivalent.

  “Oh? I didn’t figure you to be someone in the medical field.” I followed up with.

  “I am…” She trails off and I didn’t pursue. Food arrived soon after, we all ate quietly, and slept in turn.

  I woke for my shift near midnight. I went to go keep a look out and while at it, I found myself a tracksuit and some shoes to wear in the nearby clothing store. Nothing jumped out at me, which was a plus. I settled in with a beer in hand that we found. Chilling it with my power, something that the others just loved about me. The mobile cooler…

  I sighed and looked out over the lit-up mall, and up at the moon shining in through the skylight. Another sigh left my lips as I recalled what had just happened and pulled out a familiar momento. A carton of cigarettes, and inside a lone cigarette sat.

  I question why I brought it with me… then again, I tried to carry it with me no matter where I went. I let it bounce around in its box. I shook it back and forth, merely eyeing it.

  I felt a lot better, but… a single session wouldn’t be enough to push me back to full health. I’d abused my body way too much and I still felt stiff.

  I sighed again, louder this time…

  “I didn’t take you for a smoker.” A voice echoed out. I lanced back at Amanda, her glasses flashing in the light. She stepped out and beside me. “You do know those can kill you?”

  I laughed.