“It’s about time we had a new king these days,” my daughter said, walking over to me. She gestured for a fist bump. “You think you can do it, Jerome.”

  Taming a bunch of man-hungry beasts would be fun. If only I knew how to do that. “If it can stop this whole mess, then I’ll try anything new. Any way to do that though?”

  “Uuuuh. Be brave?” Sunshine suggested.

  “Be confident!” Angela added.

  “But most importantly, be yourself.” She shook her fist in my face. “Don’t leave me hanging.”

  I bumped her fist and said, “You two aren’t any help, but if we do this together, then maybe we’ll find a way.”

  “I think it’s better if we don’t come along,” said Angela, petting the Spider Baby’s abdomen. “I think the zombies will respect you more if you do this alone. Besides, I really wanna check out where this wire leads to.”

  Was a silly mystery really more important than defeating the enemy? I guess Angela had always been the type to lose track of things. “That’s alright. Sunshine, you going with her or staying up here?”

  “Obviously I’m going with Dr. Angela,” my daughter exclaimed.

  With that decided, I waved them goodbye and flew back into the battle. It didn’t take long for a few zombies to jump onto me like savage monkeys, picking apart my oozy skin with their teeth. My body skidded through the concrete, giving them the chaos they wanted as their bodies were reduced to mush.

  When I regained my bearings, I saw the undead closing in, saliva leaking from their mouths. Never heard of zombie-on-zombie crime until today, so this was a first for me. It was time for it to be my last. Although, it seemed my enemies didn’t feel the same way considering they haven’t moved yet, their lazy eyes shifting around.

  Weird. The only way they’d stop paying attention to me was if they sensed something… or someone tastier.

  A loud bang entered the field, followed by the sound of a zombie’s head exploding into green goop. The flesh eaters scattered like pigeons, presumably searching for the mysterious attacker. Regrettably, I joined them. Assuming the shooter was human, I needed to find them before they did.

  Remembering the shot came from behind me, I sneaked into the alleyway, avoiding any unwanted eyes on me. No one was there. A gunshot to my neck immediately proved that statement wrong. It didn’t damage me too badly, allowing my head to turn to see the dumbass confident enough to shoot me.

  The floating shotgun told me all I needed to know.

  I rubbed the dents on my neck. “What? Your little light attack wasn’t working, so you switched to human-like tactics.”

  Kevon revealed his face to me. “Hmph! I don’t know how long we were in that other place together, but it was long enough for the sun to start setting. ‘God’s Light’ won’t work anymore.”

  I held up two fingers. “So that’s two weaknesses I’ve figured out. I’m ready to find the third one.”

  “Don’t get so cocky, fool. As long as my family is on my side, you’ll never touch me, let alone beat me.” More zombies came into the alleyway and waited patiently behind their king. “Also, the gun isn’t here to kill you. I needed a loud sound to lead my siblings to where you were. And now you have nowhere else to go.”

  Energy blasted from my feet—a reminder to the Type Two that flying was always an option for me. Just then, a sudden weight pressed onto my back, and it was increasing by the second till I ended up back on the ground—a zombie dog pile. My power was on the verge of depleting again, so getting out of this situation would be tough.

  Save my energy and find an opening later, or go full throttle now?

  What felt like a minute passed, and that was when another question came up. Why wasn’t Kevon ordering them to attack me yet?

  “Jerome… you sneaky bastard!” said Kevon, his voice filled with hatred. “You sent those two humans after my son?”

  Son!? What the hell is he talking about? I watched his son die with my own eyes.

  Kevon deactivated his invisibility completely. “Change of plans, my siblings. We’re going to save your brother!”

  The weight vanished.

  One by one, the pressure on my back lifted as the undead scrambled off me like cockroaches fleeing light. But they didn’t move. Even when Kevon gestured for them to follow, his army stayed. It was like the zombies were unsure if their leader’s orders were the right decision, or if their priorities were better spent with something else.

  Suddenly, Kevon backhanded one of the zombies, causing it to fall. “I said… let’s go.”

  In seconds, the alley was clear, the once-crowded swarm now a rushing stampede of limbs and growls heading toward another destination.

  I pushed myself up, still buried in confusion.

  “I gotta get to the bottom of this.”

  *******

  FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE KEVON ARRIVES TO THE SCHOOL

  Sunshine rubbed her hand on the small water tower. “Angela, can the… ‘Spider Baby’ break this? I wanna see what’s inside.”

  “BABABABABABA!” the Spider Baby bellowed, swinging its arms like it was ready for a fight.

  Angela snickered, flexing her arm. “Why use Bibby when you can use me? Studying his strengths and weaknesses are fun, but I wanna test my own power out. You’re able to see the aura around my body, right?”

  “Yeah,” she responded, nodding. “When did you learn how to use it, by the way?”

  “When your dad was going on a rampage and almost ate you,” said Angela, smiling.

  He did that… again!? Do I smell like cookies or something?

  “Using those tricks Jesus was talking about in the cave, I was able to save you pretty easily,” the doctor continued. “You know, fun fact about me: I’m actually a very quick learner. One time when I was six, I successfully did CPR on my mom after skimming through a few pages of this health book she borrowed from the library. Speaking of quick learners, you figured out this aura thing pretty fast.”

  “Yeah, I know. I don’t know how, but when I was unconscious, it felt like my brain was constantly being fed information. And I would hear these horse sounds in between. Weirdly cool stuff.”

  The woman raised an eyebrow. “Horse sounds?” She then approached the water tower and readied a fist. “Well, we can figure that out later. It’s time to see what’s inside this thing.”

  Considering the tower wasn’t installed correctly, the idea of it being a backup supply of water was becoming more unlikely. And yet, what else could possibly be in there? It wasn’t until the horrid stench invaded their nostrils from the spot Angela punched through that the answer was revealed.

  Inside was a pool of blood, rotting flesh rising to the surface. The doctor reeled back in fear, covering her mouth. Sunshine remained there, looking inside with curiosity. Her hand grazed against the red liquid and meat until the smooth texture of a cylinder caught her attention. It seemed to be the same wire connected to whatever was inside the building.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Sunshine chuckled to herself, taking her hand out. “Now I’m really curious about what's going on here. I’m guessing this is some sort of feeding tube, and whoever’s eating it really likes blood.” She didn’t hear a response, so she turned to Jerome’s friend. “Um… are you ok?”

  Beads of sweat covered Angela’s face, and her skin had gotten paler. “H-How are you touching that so casually?”

  The girl furrowed her brows, glancing at her bloody hand. “What’s wrong? It’s just blood.” A smile crept across his face as she waved her hand in the air. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little b-”

  “Stop that!”

  Sunshine’s face turned blank, swiftly stopping her gestures. Why was a doctor scared of blood? That didn’t make any sense. She cleaned it off of her back in the shack, didn’t she?

  Angela swallowed, keeping her distance from the kid as she climbed back on top of Spider Baby. “Bibby, let’s go! Sunshine, climb on.”

  After wiping the blood on her jeans, Sunshine climbed on to the woman’s new pet. The asphalt was easy enough for Bibby to claw through, allowing the three to enter inside. Nothing inside was particularly out of place. In fact, every chair and table they found in a classroom were tidy. Even the floor didn’t have any dust.

  The only thing that looked weird was Angela’s face. Sunshine wanted to ask her about what happened before. She didn’t want to anger her further though.

  I wonder what Jerome would do…?

  Knowing him, he’d just say whatever was on his mind. Guess she should do the same.

  Sunshine glanced at the woman while keeping an eye on the tube they were following. “Angela, is there something about… blood that makes you scared of it?” the kid asked softly.

  The doctor’s lips quivered, a hand running through her orange hair. “I just had a… bad experience as a kid. I snuck into the operating room my dad was getting surgery in, and I heard everything. The beeping, the sounds of cutting, the alarms… the doctors rushing in and defibrillating him…” She smiled, but it looked fake. “Oh, why am I even telling you this? We have other things to focus on.”

  Sunshine moved to Angela’s right, and held her hand. “You’re telling me this ‘cause I’m your friend. And I’m listening ‘cause you’re my friend. You helped with my body pain, so it's the least I can do.

  “Wow,” she said quietly. “Thank you, Sunshine. And sorry for that outburst earlier. You know, fun fact about me: helping kids like you is one reason why I chose to become a school nurse rather than a conventional doctor. A lot less blood.”

  “Well, maybe one day you can become a surgeon or something once you get over that fear of blood.”

  The woman looked confused at that response, but Sunshine didn’t pay it any mind. After all, their journey following the wire was coming to an end. They turned a corner, and the sterile hallway gave way to the sight of metal trays and the sour smell of expired broth. The wire snaked beneath a rusted door, and with a hesitant push, Angela opened it.

  They stepped into a small, dimly lit cafeteria. Tables were stacked against the walls, and overturned chairs made the place feel long abandoned. But in the center of the room was a sight that made both of them stop cold.

  A boy—barely older than Sunshine—sat slumped against a yellow pillar, wrists bound in thick, rust-speckled chains. His eyes were sunken, and his movements were slow. But what caught their attention most was the tube inside his mouth.

  Angela gasped at the discovery. “Jesus Christ, that sick freak is making this poor boy drink this?”

  Just as she was about to grasp the tube, Sunshine pulled her arm back. Good thing she did considering the boy narrowly missed chomping down on her hand.

  “He’s not human,” Sunshine muttered, eyes narrowing. “He’s a Radion.”

  Angela raised her brows. “Girl, you might be blinder than me, and I need to wear glasses. That’s a person right there. Isn’t that right, Bibby?”

  “BABABABABABABA!”

  “See? That’s 2-1.”

  She understands Spider Baby language now?

  “Trust me on this. He’s not one of us.”

  “Or maybe he is one of us, and being fed mushy raw meat every day messed up his brain,” she argued, ripping her arm out of Sunshine’s grip. “I’ve dealt with kids like him all the time as a nurse, and I can say he’s fully human. Just a little different from you—that’s all. Now, let’s get him out of these chains.”

  Sunshine’s dad once told her that proper communication was the best way to get someone to listen to you or hear your opinions out. But when that failed, a good hit to the noggin worked just as well. And with Angela’s hands inching further to who she was sure was a Radion, she needed to take that chance.

  Sunshine smacked the doctor’s hands away. She hadn’t expected that small act of defiance to send the woman spiraling across the room until she crashed against another pillar.

  Before Sunshine could even process what happened, a sharp pain exploded in her hand. She looked down—teeth had sunk deep into her flesh. The chained boy was the cause. A scream tore from her throat as she swung her free fist, slamming it into the Radion’s head while ooze welled from the bite.

  Everything seemed to be collapsing around her—until it wasn’t.

  Aura shot out of her body. Emerald light blazed outward, forcing the boy to recoil, his eyes squeezed shut against the glow. And as the light washed over him, it seared a mark into his forehead. The Radion gritted his teeth, veins popping from his forehead. His moans were loud. He covered his mouth, as if trying to hold back what was about to happen.

  He failed.

  “Kill… me.”

  The pain froze. The fact that the boy just spoke was more important.

  “Everything… hurts. Please… kill me.”

  “Fascinating and terrifying.” Sunshine jumped. She was so caught up in the zombie’s words that she didn’t notice Angela was already next to her. “Here, I’ll help you.”

  Angela took the girl’s hand. Emerging from the wound came a red bubble that morphed into a heart, dragging the blood and ooze into its inners. The cut restitched itself, taking her pain with it.

  Sunshine was in awe of the woman’s power. How could someone be so kind after getting knocked into oblivion? “Did you just heal a zombie bite?”

  “Yep. To keep it short, I can take the pain of others away, and form these constructs with it. When that happens, wounds like zombie bites disappear like magic. I would give you a fun fact, but we have other things to worry about.”

  As though to add another problem to the situation, a horde of the undead exploded through the door. The two were surrounded in seconds, but none of them closed the distance.

  Did Jerome actually do it? I wonder where he i-

  “Get the fuck away from my son!”

  Blood erupted from Angela’s thigh, and a cry ripped from her mouth. She collapsed, trying to stop the blood from pouring out. In response to her screams, Spider Baby bellowed, fighting off the army to the best of his ability. Many were defeated, though the numbers were just too high for the beast, and he was pinned down seconds later.

  Sunshine’s legs shook. Holding, pinching, not even punching them made the shaking stop.

  That wasn’t her dad’s voice. It was the king—a very furious king. The girl didn’t know someone could even sound that angry. Visions of that woman’s throat being slit replayed in her brain as she caressed her own neck. That only made Sunshine shake even more.

  King Kevon deactivated his ability, allowing Sunshine to see the shotgun he used. Approaching the two, he said, “You have no idea of the pain I’m about to put you through.” He paused. “What-What the hell is that? What is that on my son’s forehead!?”

  Son? He has a son!?

  “Answer me!” Kevon demanded, pointing the gun at Sunshine.

  “I don't know, man!” she replied nervously. “It just showed up out of nowhere.”

  “Bullshit! You're a liar! All you humans do is l-”

  “Kill… me.”

  Those two words from the boy put a stop to the king’s shouting. Although, Sunshine knew Kevon’s twitching limbs was a bad sign.

  “Jaxon… you're speaking. You're actually saying words!” He turned around to his army. “Isn't this great, friends? My son can talk again!”

  Geez. It's in one ear and out the other with this Radion.

  Kevon rushed over to his son's side, kicking Angela out the way. “Isn't this great, Jaxon? My royal family wouldn't be complete without you by my side.” He began cutting through the chains with his claws. “This is going to be great. We'll rule this human infested world with iron fists!”

  “Dad… it hurts,” Jaxon muttered, drooling. “I can't live like this.”

  Kevon stopped. “Wha-What are you talking about, son? I-I saved you… You're alive because of me.”

  “Just… let me… die.”

  Silence filled the room. Even the injured Angela couldn't keep her eyes off the two. Sunshine’s mind was in a sea of confusion. The boy was a Radion–no doubt about that. But he was aware of his situation, and the girl’s… “power” caused that.

  What did the king mean by “you're alive because of me”? How long did he keep the boy like this?

  Sunshine didn't need the answers to those questions to know that everything here was wrong. “What did you do to him?”

  Kevon whipped his head to her, his hollow eyes exuding a fierce intensity. “No. What did you do!?” Before she could even react, his hand was already around her neck. “Turn off whatever you did, human! You’re tricking his mind somehow. A mind trick!”

  Sunshine gritted her teeth. “I already told you… I don’t know what hap-”

  The Type Two tightened his grip. “He smells different now. You have the same scent. It has to be connected to your Radius Ability. Deactivate it or I’m going to kill your friend over there.”

  A sudden, guttural scream tore out of him. His grip faltered as he staggered back, clutching his side like something inside had turned on him. Sunshine dropped to the ground, gasping for air. Without thinking, she scrambled away, bolting back toward Angela’s crumpled form while Kevon writhed behind her.

  “Are you ok?” Sunshine asked quietly, struggling to pick Angela up.

  “Yeah,” Angela said tiredly, hearts surrounding the two. “Nice stalling, girl. I needed something to distract him while I sent that heart inside of him.”

  “I see,” she replied, noticing the doctor’s healed skin. “So you took the pain from your wound, and gave it to him. Very cool.”

  “Well, it was actually your wound from earlier, but that’s exactly what it does.”

  “What did you do to me!?” Kevon growled, jumping at the two girls. Another round of agony entered his left arm. His body hit the floor, and he quickly grabbed his arm. Gritting his teeth, his eyes shifted to the Radions around them. “What are you people doing? Your king is getting hurt! Save me, and get my son out of here!”

  Surprisingly, they ignored their king, staring at each other like he had said a bad joke.

  “What…? Why the hell aren’t you listening to me!?”

  “Maybe because you’re not a good king.”

  All three of them turned. Jesus stood confidently, his blade resting at the throat of Kevin’s son. Sunshine didn’t know how he did it, but the dude was able to hide his presence just enough for no one to notice him. The thought of it made her body burn with excitement, completely overwriting her fear from earlier.

  That was sooo cool! I wanna do that!

  “It’s the swordsman!” shouted Kevon, pointing at Jesus. “What do you think you’re doing!? Get that sword away from-”

  The Type Two’s words were shattered by a punch to the face from Sunshine. She swiftly followed it up with a kick to his knee, sending him to the floor.

  Kevon tried to pick himself up, but Sunshine restrained him with all her might. “This is just like before… Why isn’t my power working? And why is this bitch suddenly so strong!?”

  Horse Man laughed. “Good job, kid! Violence is always the answer.” He then lifted Jaxon up by his blonde hair, and tore him out of the chains. “Listen up, ‘king’. If you don’t do what I say, I am going to kill your son.”

  Angela gasped. “Um… Mr. Hernandez, sir! We definitely did not sign up for child murder.”

  “Kill my…” Kevon clawed at the floor. “He’s just a boy , you evil fuck!”

  “No, he’s not,” chuckled Jesus. His voice became dark and oozed with certainty. “This thing is a zombie like you—an evil, disgusting monster. My only job is to protect humans that can’t protect themselves from creatures like your ‘family’. Embarrassing you is a nice bonus too.”

  “You will not embarrass m-”

  Kevon never finished his sentence. The sight of the green liquid oozing out of the small cut in Jaxon’s neck must’ve been the reason.

  Jesus shook his horse head and neighed. “If you don’t want the cut to get any deeper, then say… ‘I am a lowly zombie who is completely subservient to all humans’.”

  “I…” The Radion groaned. “I am a lowly zombie who is completely subservient… to all humans.”

  A huge cackle came out of the Horse Man. “God, this is hilarious! Ok, ok, say, uuuh, ‘I’m a dickless chump!’”

  “I’m a dickless chump!” repeated Kevon, bowing down to the swordsman.

  “Oh, man!” Jesus exclaimed. “?Me encanta esto! You know, I find it very funny how human some of you zombies really are.”

  The Type Two raised his head a little. “H-H-Human? Don’t compare me to your kind. Just let my son go.”

  “Hmm. It’s true though. Your goals, dreams, and beliefs are all driven by a very human emotion—hatred. Your desire to protect your son and build a kingdom for your ‘zombie children’ is because you love them—like any father would. However, you’re still a zombie at the end of the day. Emulating our feelings doesn’t stop your natural evil. That’s your curse.”

  “No… not you too. Can you people… stop lecturing me!?”

  “You’re jealous of us, aren’t you?”