I didn’t wake Sunshine up bright and early like I usually did. She needed all the sleep she could get. Whatever this place had in store for us next, she had to be ready, and running low on energy wouldn’t do her any favors.

  When we arrived at the town’s church, we were immediately confronted by the two suited bodyguards the king had by his side. They gave me a dirty look, and I already had Sunshine riding on my back just in case the men had bad intentions.

  “You two got a problem with me?” I asked cautiously.

  The bodyguard with no eyebrows glanced at his partner real quick. “You’re the second talking zombie we’ve seen in our lifetime. Which is weird since we saw another one not even two weeks ago back in Woodshaven.”

  “And that girl you’re carrying looks strangely familiar to this other girl that zombie was trying to find,” said the other man—claw marks across his forehead.

  So that explained why they gave off such a familiar energy before. These were loan sharks. In other words, Dante’s former lackeys. They must have disbanded somewhat after I took care of that prick, but why come to Explosion City? And judging by their expressions, it was obvious they already knew who we were, meaning they were waiting for the perfect chance to catch us at our weakest.

  I could just take them out now, but I still gotta stay on that king’s good side for the time being. Telling them the truth was probably the best option since the town needs me to help anyway.

  “Well, congrats to your observation skills ‘cause that’s exactly who we are,” I admitted to them. “How has your team of assho… very rude people been doing since then?”

  “They’ve been doing shit since that day,” said no eyebrows. “A few days after that incident, a horde of zombies came in and took over most of Woodshaven.”

  “What!?” I exclaimed. “Weren’t there supposed to be walls put up? What happened to that?”

  The scarred man sighed. “You can’t exactly have good walls installed when the funding for them is low. You can blame the Underground City for that. Unless the community contributes to their cause in a significant way, then you can bet it’ll get abandoned at some point. Hell, the only reason that place stayed untouched for so long was ‘cause of Dante.”

  I gritted my teeth. “That’s BS, and you know it. All that bastard ever did was torment us.”

  “I didn’t say Dante was an angel. I wasn’t too fond of him myself. But he always made sure to keep a forcefield around the place, and made sure nothing dangerous got inside. He was pretty serious about earning money, even if it meant doing shitty things in the process.”

  “Don’t forget he was the one who led the Mighty Terror to Woodshaven,” I reminded him. “It doesn’t matter if he did some good in his life or did terrible things for a ‘good cause’. None of that changes the fact that he’s a bad person.”

  No eyebrows nodded. “Did I say I disagree with that sentiment? If it makes you feel better, Dante specifically told us to make sure no casualties took place that day besides Jerome Hunter. Assuming that’s you, then the Type Two plan worked in the end.”

  Type Two plan? I’m guessing that’s some Underground Radius shit.

  Before I could have that confirmed though, the sound of a phone ringing came out of the scarred man’s pocket. He pulled out an advanced version of a Status Board and checked it for a second before giving his partner a thumbs up.

  “Alright, you two can head inside now,” said no eyebrows. “We hope you enjoy the meal.”

  I hesitated to start walking. “Wait. Don’t you two hold a grudge for what I did in Woodshaven? Or what I did to Alicent and Dante?”

  They both gave me a blank stare.

  The scarred bodyguard put his Status Board back in his pocket. “We’re loan sharks. Our job is to collect what we’re owed—not to hold grudges. If we already got what we wanted, then we move on to the next. We couldn’t care less about you two.”

  With that final statement, the two walked to the entrance and went back to fulfilling their duties.

  Sunshine pressed her cheek against mine. “I guess they didn’t hate you as much as you thought they did. They think we’re totally irrelevant! That’s gotta feel nice for you, huh?”

  “No… I don’t know how to feel about that,” I responded, feeling my aggression die down like a flame in its final seconds. “I think I lost in some way. Why are humans such weird creatures?”

  My daughter smiled. “I haven’t been around so many types of humans in so long. This is a new discovery for myself.”

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying the experience.”

  Sunshine and I finally stepped into the church, only to find the interior drastically changed. The religious images that weren't destroyed now showed a painting of a black guy with a blonde mini-fro, standing above a group of onlookers as though he were a god. All of the chairs and small tables had been cleared out, replaced by two long tables draped in red cloth.

  Whoever set all this up had to have been up all night. But who would sacrifice sleep for all this? I heard art took a lot of time.

  Both sheets seemed to be covering a display of items underneath, and curiosity was nagging at me to take a tiny peek.

  But my curiosity paled in comparison to my child as I found myself having to pull her back before she could pull the cloth up. “Sunshine, what do you think that guy meant by ‘enjoy the meal’?”

  She clawed at the direction of the table to our right, probably pretending to ravish whatever was inside with her little gremlin hands. Maybe I should say a prayer for this town’s belongings…

  “Wanna find out?”

  The ominous voice made me jump back, pulling my daughter with me who yelped in response. “Look, if you’re gonna stay invisible, can you put some clothes on so I can see where you are? Actually, why not just reveal yourself?”

  Kevon laughed boisterously. “Sorry, but I couldn’t just turn off my power in front of all those humans. It’d blow my cover, you see. That was also why I was being such a dick earlier and making you kneel like some peasant.”

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  I scratched my head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Also, can you not say the d word around my nine year old daughter?”

  Sunshine scratched her head. “I also have no idea what you’re talking about. And please continue to say as many curse words around me as poss-”

  I covered her mouth before she could say something heinous. “Anyways, can you elaborate?”

  “Ok, but don’t freak out, ok? ‘Million Chameleon’—undo!”

  Bit by bit, his silhouette took shape. His outline hardened, textures slipping into place like puzzle pieces locking in reverse. Rainbow colored scales crawled across a lanky frame, skeletal frame. Three bony ridges jutted from his skull like a crest, and both of his eye holes were shaped like spirals that took up the majority of the man’s face.

  No, “man” wasn’t the right descriptor for Kevon. That ooze on his body told me one thing, and that realization tightened my grip on my kid.

  I stepped back, unsure of what he’d do next in this form. “You’re a-”

  “A zombie,” he interrupted enthusiastically. “More specifically, a Type Two Radion just like you. Isn’t this amazing?”

  “You-You-You can talk!?” I screamed.

  “Holy discovery!” Sunshine exclaimed. “Another talking Radion! I gotta touch you—touch every part of you.”

  “Don’t touch that thing,” I demanded, holding her back.

  The Type Two tilted its head, its fingers twitching. “That thing? Don’t be so afraid, Jerome. Don’t you feel it in the air? That sense of camaraderie? The feeling that everything will be fine as long as we stick together? The trust binding us together? That’s what happens when two zombies are around each other.”

  “It’s not that I’m afraid for myself. I’m afraid of what you’ll do to my daughter.”

  Kevon raised his arms in surrender and laughed. “I’m not going to eat the girl. If you consider her your daughter, then I’ll consider her one of us. Is that satisfactory?”

  “Hey! When did you become a Type Two?” asked Sunshine. “Do you love being a Radion? Do you eat humans? If you do eat them, do they taste good? Does everyone here know you’re a zombie? Did you get your invisibility power after you became a zombie? And where’s your family?”

  “A couple years ago. Yes. Yes. Yes. No. No. They’re dead.”

  Wait, wait, wait! That went way too fast. I couldn’t even catch which questions he said yes or no to.

  “Those questions aren’t too important right now.” He gestured for us to follow him as he sauntered to the throne in the middle of the room. “You two are here to stop these explosions and save my kingdom, so let me tell you the truth.” He sat on his throne, but it wasn’t in the kingly way he did before. It looked more casual, like he was around friends. “There’s no such thing as a ‘God of Calamity’.”

  “There isn't?”

  “Well, that was obvious,” Sunshine murmured.

  “That name was just a cover up for what was really causing the explosions, and that was a human. A human with a Radius Ability.”

  Sunshine’s eyes gleamed. “Oooo, an explosion creator.”

  Something didn't sit right with me. “But why lie in the first place? You're a Type Two Radion, so just go and fight him yourself.”

  The ridges on Kevon’s head twitched like antennas. “I already did, and I realized that he was stronger than me, way stronger than me. In fact, I'm not much of a fighter since I prefer to be on the sidelines.” He looked at his hand as it turned invisible. “That's probably why I have this power. It reflects my very nature. However, I can't let the people here realize how weak I am, or how I let that human beat me. If that happens, then my rule here ends.”

  “Does ruling a place full of disfigured survivors really matter that much to you?” I asked.

  The zombie stared at me, as if the answer to that question was obvious. “I hate humans. And that hatred didn’t just start after I turned into this. Even as one of them when I was still a human member of this town, I never liked their species. They’re weak and selfish. They kill and discriminate against our kind when we kill for sustenance, but turn a blind eye to animals who do the same.” His hand reverted back to normal, and he stood up with his arms raised. “My dream is to rule over humanity with an iron fist, and create a world where zombies like us can live in peace. A world where we can eat who we want, and I stand at the top as the king of zombies!”

  “Yeah, yeah, that sounds… cool.” I thought the exact opposite in my head. This dude had one too many screws loose if you asked me. “So, uh, about this explosion user. Where do I find him?”

  “There’s a gas station fifteen minutes away from the town. Once you get there, you’ll see a large hole in the ground that leads to a cave filled with the most beautiful stones and gems you’ll ever see in your lifetime. Go in there, and you’ll see that bastard.”

  “Hey, wouldn’t having Jerome do the work for you make yourself look weak anyway?” Sunshine did have a point with that question.

  “It does, but why do you think I had to put on that act last night? If it looks like I have someone who can beat that human under my control, then the illusion continues.”

  The task sounded simple enough. Find the guy, beat him, scare him off for good, and then get what I want from this “zombie king”. It definitely wasn’t the best idea to bring my child along, but I didn’t trust leaving her here by herself.

  But I’d never let anything happen to her, even with an unknown enemy on the horizon.

  The zombie’s ridges twitched again while he slid his hands against each other. “To honor our newfound partnership, I’ve prepared a meal just for us, Jerome. Feel free to-”

  “Sorry, but we better get going,” I said, carrying Sunshine by her hoodie. “Don’t wanna waste any more time.”

  “Buh-bye, Mr. Radion! Keep being cool!”

  ******

  “This is way bigger than I thought,” I muttered, staring at the gaping hole that had somehow torn half the deli in two. “Please try not to fall in there.”

  I wiped the drool off of the girl’s smiling mouth. “Jerome, aren’t the sparkly jewels in there so divine? Can I please snag a few? It’s not like anyone else is gonna take ‘em.”

  Inside, there were a wide array of stones lodged into the cave’s walls that ranged from red to purple to light blue. At the bottom, it looked like the floor was made out of ice or diamond. You’d think the birthplace of deadly explosions would look less… beautiful.

  “Sure, but only an amount that your pockets can hold. We can probably sell them at Jammers Base when we leave this place.”

  Sunshine’s face pouted. “You should be ashamed of yourself—selling precious souvenirs.”

  I laughed at her frustration as I jumped into the hole, firing energy from my feet to help me fly. I descended with caution in mind while Sunshine grabbed way more crystals and gems than she could handle.

  Once we reached the ground, a deafening scream echoed across the area, causing my daughter to drop a handful of her new collectibles on the icy bottom. The sound they made wasn’t any competition for what we just heard, but it was still loud enough to attract unwanted attention.

  Sunshine was about to speak. My hand covered her mouth before she could. Just as I feared, something was coming, something big. Luckily, there was an opening in the cave big enough for the girl to hide in. I rushed over there and hastily pushed her inside, leaving me to deal with whoever or whatever made that noise.

  What I expected was a radioactive bear, or some abandoned zoo animal. However, the thing that approached me wasn’t your regular mutated beast. Sure, it has the body of a spider, but it dwarfed me in size. Instead of those pointy tips that a spider’s legs had, this one had human hands. And its face… was one of a baby smiling down at me without a hint of malice within that expression.

  It took me a bit to stray my attention away from that smile to the blood running down its face. Something or someone must’ve injured it. That would explain the gash on its forehead. Both of us didn’t move for what felt like minutes, and I debated making the first move or not.

  Then, the spider baby’s mouth opened. “BABABBABABABABABABABABA.”

  “What the fuck?”

  I aimed all of my fingers at the monstrosity and opened fire. To my surprise, the spider evaded them, its body moving like a puppet controlled by strings. Spider Baby sprang toward me, its mouth opening to reveal what looked like a bottomless pit of darkness.

  I rocketed forward, preparing to launch my fist. That was until time seemed to stop the second my knuckle touched the monster’s nose, leaving us suspended in the air. A red ball of energy emerged from Spider Baby’s wound and morphed into a heart the size of my head.

  Eventually, we fell. I got up, readying a battle stance. The spider stayed down, now sleeping soundly like an actual baby.

  “What the hell was that about?” I murmured.

  My attempt at poking the thing's head with my foot was met with a loud, “Don’t touch that creature’s face!”

  Suddenly, an orange haired woman pushed me to the ground.

  “Who the hell are you!?” I shouted, regaining my footing. “And why can’t I touch it? That thing tried to kill me!”

  The woman wore what looked to be a lab coat that was ripped in half. Her hair was tied in five short buns, and parts of her skin were gray like rock.

  She had a smile on her face as she adjusted her glasses. “For your information, you attacked it first, right after it gave you a cry for help. Just heartless!”

  “The fuck kinda cry for help is ‘babababababa’! Sounds like a cry for a fight to me.”

  “It’s actually pronounced ‘BABABABABABABABABA’. You really have to emphasize the chaotic nature of it. You know, fun fact about-”

  “Ah! Who cares about that, lady!? Look at my hand!” Whatever happened in that exchange had caused my zombified hand to revert back to what it was before.

  The woman pointed at my hand and laughed. “Mmm, looks like the Ageling caught you before I could stop it. Don’t worry. It’ll wear off soon.”

  “Bullshit. You did this,” I spat, looking at the red heart above us. “Whatever that is, it showed up and did something to me. Do you have powers?”

  “Good eye—Well, good eye holes. However, I used my ability to save you and the creature.” She glanced at the sleeping spider. “That’s an Ageling. I named it that myself once I discovered it… a few days ago, that is. You know, fun fact about myself: I’ve been trying to get this New World Journal officially pub-”

  “I don’t care! Just keep explaining the Ageling thing.”

  “Rude… But I like your urgency, so I’ll bite.” Her childish laughter was really starting to bug me. “The Ageling is what I presume to be a mutation involving a human/spider hybrid, and anything that touches its face rapidly ages backward. From what I’ve seen, it’s generally harmless, and was only trying to find someone to heal its wound. So that’s what I did.”

  Just as she said, my hand went back to normal. Well, I guess the human hand was also the normal version. “If you knew it had that power, then why'd you still hurt it?”

  “I would never hurt such a beautiful creature,” she replied. “Something else did that somehow.”

  I scratched my head, still unsure of her intentions. “Ok… You're not freaked out by the talking zombie in front of you?”

  She giggled again. “You're a Type Two, silly. Most of you guys can talk. You know what's funny? I saw another Type Two just six days ago in that town with all those warning signs. Fun fact about myself, I have trouble remembering names of people I don’t like. I’m 100% certain he told me his name, but he was very rude to me, so I threw that memory in the trash bin where-”

  “Wait, just stop talking for a moment. Please. You’ve talked to that guy? So, you’re aware of the explosions that place has?”

  “Yep!”

  “Alright, ‘cause he actually asked my daughter and I… Oh shit! Sunshine!”

  I zoomed towards the hole I shoved her in, but a feeling of dread hit my body the second my hand didn’t feel her.

  Sunshine was gone.

  But where could she have gone!?