Jealous? Jealous of humans? What a stupid question to ask a zombie of my importance. There was nothing a person could have that a Type Two Radion like me didn’t! Stronger, faster, deadlier, and to top it all off, superpowers. And mine was the most invincible of them all—invisibility.

  And yet, this human swordsman wearing the most ridiculous mask I’ve ever seen stood before me, while I was being restrained by a little girl. I lost a battle against that human loving disgrace as well… all because my power had failed me.

  If everything that seemed like an undeniable truth was being debunked and contradicted left and right, then who was I to question this envy supposedly present in my mind. Why did I keep my son chained up in here for so long anyway? At first, I presumed he would have run away. Given that he was less intellectually aware than me, then that case was very likely.

  But then… these disgusting urges would bloom within me upon the sight of him—the same ones I’d get when passing by a human. For some reason, Jaxon never ‘properly’ turned into a zombie. While he gained the green blood and the mental deficiency of an infant, his flesh remained, his overall appearance remained.

  And seeing that… made me hungry. Locking him up here was the best for both of us… and I hated that with every fiber of my being. No more talks by the sunset, no more games of basketball, no more of him in my life. And as I walked out the cafeteria that day, a realization forced itself into my mind—humans and zombies can’t mesh.

  So when I saw the duo of Jerome and Sunshine, talking, touching, embracing like a normal family, hatred began to build up.

  How could he do it!? Was it his ability? Her ability? What kind of zombie could see a walking sack of meat, and just… ignore it? And why couldn’t I have that?

  That’s right! I was jealous, envious of them and their relationship. I’d do anything I could to ruin it. Convince him to leave her, show him the value of eating, kill her, destroy everything about them. It really was never about that goddamn Sunvirus.

  I just wanted what they had.

  According to those suited up pricks, Radius Abilities stemmed from the hidden personalities hidden deep within a person’s soul.

  My invisibility’s purpose was wrong. I wasn’t using it for anything else than to hide from the truth I so desperately wanted to avoid, and when those truths were finally revealed to me, my ability had no need to come back.

  All this zombie king shit made me forget who I was, and what I really wanted to be. If I couldn’t be a father, then my hate was the only thing that could guide me.

  Jerome’s words from earlier today kept bashing into my skull, harder than the fist his little girl sent me to the floor with. It hurt. It made my ooze boil, it made my bones ache and crack. I wanted it to stop.

  “Jealous… of you humans?” A surge of power burst from my arms, sending Jerome’s kid flying off my body. However, I didn’t use it to attack. All my body did was crawl towards the rest of my brethren. “Humiliating—ending up so pathetic like this?”

  Sunshine immediately stood back up with a dastardly grin, but she only took one step before stopping. “We can’t stop! What if he uses his ability to escape again?”

  “He won’t. Trust me,” Jesus assured from behind me.

  The swordsman was right. That wasn’t my intention at all. “Embarrassed by humans—those idiotic beings. So why did it take humans to help me realize my fatal flaw?” Something green dripped from my eyes, and I proceeded to drag my finger across it. Were these tears? Why was I crying? Zombies can’t…

  “Is he crying?” asked Sunshine, raising her eyebrows.

  That single question was all it took for my pathetic screams to fill the room as I thrashed around like a toddler. “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I’ve been humiliated, humiliated!” I got on all fours and glared at the girl. “Brothers! Sisters! I’m done here. No, done with all of this! Get me out of here!”

  Once again, they didn’t listen to my orders. Zombies only followed a true alpha, and a mere human like me wasn’t fit to hold that title anymore.

  After all, there was someone else more fitting for that role, and I sensed his arrival. The wall to my right erupted into a cloud of dust and debris, and a scream loud enough to shatter the lights above us filled the cafeteria. Jerome Hunter, hunter of zombies, was truly living up to the title, smashing through the zombies like a sentient wrecking ball.

  The intensity of the man’s attacks, the blood splashing onto his body as his fury increased, the savage way in which he’d rip each member of the army’s heads off, the roar more powerful than any lion–I could never hold a candle to him.

  “You are the only… zombie king, Jerome,” I muttered, crawling away from the massacre.

  Passing the torch obviously wasn't enough to escape his wrath. Two hands had grabbed my legs, and I knew the end was approaching. After all the fucked up shit I've done, dying was the least I could do.

  But then, I felt teeth sink into me. And then another set. And another. Jerome wouldn't resort to this. Looking to confirm who my attacker was proved that statement, though the sight shocked me. The zombies who I previously called family were attempting to devour me.

  I could've asked ‘how could they?’ Although, another question instantly became more important the moment I spotted Jaxon sitting by the pillar.

  How was I going to get my son out of this?

  That’s when I thought back to the shotgun I walked in here with, and remembered that I dropped it a couple inches away from Jaxon. While the flames inside me were reduced to embers, that didn’t mean the fire was entirely gone.

  Using the last of my strength, I pushed beyond what my limbs were normally capable of. Breaking concrete and leaping into the air weren’t my specialties, adrenaline, a few drops of ego, and a whole bunch of some good ole human spirit was enough for me.

  I crashed down beside Jaxon, the shotgun glinting within reach. My chest heaved as the groans of the horde swelled behind me. My hand closed around the weapon’s cold steel, and for a brief moment, the world went silent.

  I glanced at my boy. His eyes—once so full of life—were nothing but a haze of hunger and death now. My fingers trembled on the trigger.

  I didn’t want to do this. God, I didn’t. But watching him bare those teeth, the same ones that once flashed a smile when I taught him how to shoot a ball for the first time, I knew there was no other way.

  With tears streaming down my face, I raised the shotgun. Taking away his suffering wouldn’t redeem me of any of my actions these past few years, but this needed to be done. Redeeming me as a father was what mattered the most to me anyway.

  The zombies chomped down at me like a group of piranhas, and it was in that moment I realized that none of these fuckers were my family.

  My son was.

  Kings, kingdoms, power—I didn’t want that, any of that.

  I just wanted him to be happy.

  My finger glided over the trigger, my aim remaining steady despite the situation. “I think I finally understand what you meant, Jerome.” I chuckled. “Enjoy the reign while it lasts… I love you, son.”

  The gun fired, and Jaxon was finally set free from his curse.

  Now, it was my turn. But before I go, I wanted to apologize for a few things.

  Jerome… Sunshine, I’m sorry for trying to ruin what you had. I’m sorry for killing those people in front of you. I’m sorry you had to show me what an actual father looks like. I’m sorry I almost made you eat those humans. I’m sorry for killing that kid you saved.

  I’m so, so sorry.

  And to my son. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save you. I’m sorry I didn’t put you down sooner. I’m sorry for keeping you chained up here. I’m sorry for forgetting our last name. I’m sorry for being such a horrible, disgusting father.

  I’m so, so sorry.

  I’m… so sor…

  *****

  I didn’t know how long I was fighting, but the emerald bloodbath below my feet suggested I’ve been doing it for a while. Considering there were a ton of more zombies to kill, the battle wasn’t done yet. Or so I thought. To my surprise, all of the undead still alive were now bowing down to me, as if they had finally found the king they were looking for.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Are they really gonna betray that invisible prick like that?

  That question was quickly answered once I spotted the bloody crown and cape Kevon loved to wear on the floor. Behind those objects were a group of zombies and a giant pool of ooze underneath their feet.

  Ironic. The “ruler of zombies” got devoured by them too.

  I wiped the ooze off my teeth. “Rest in piss, asshole.”

  Suddenly, something warm wrapped around my leg, causing me to look down. Sunshine was there, and her big smile lit up the darkness surrounding me.

  “Look around you, Jerome,” my daughter said, gesturing to the undead, “You took your rightful place on the throne and became the true ‘Zombie King’!”

  I chuckled, rubbing her hair. “Why are you talking like this outcome was in a prophecy?”

  “That’s ’cause it was a prophecy.” She pointed at her head. “In my miiind.”

  Her weirdness was amusing. What I didn’t find funny was Jesus sauntering over to us like he contributed anything to the fight.

  “Where the hell were you this whole time, Horse Head?” I asked, shielding my kid’s eyes.

  “Observing,” he answered. With all the rotten flesh on the floor, I didn’t think someone digging in their ass in front of me would be the most disgusting thing around me, but Jesus instantly changed that.

  Trying to set his current actions aside, I said, “So you can continuously bomb a town for weeks, but can’t help us fight?”

  Jesus sighed, folding his arms. “Listen, Jerome. There’ll be a lot more enemies in your time that would love to see you dead. If you can’t handle the jobbers, then don’t step into the main event.”

  “Woah!” I exclaimed. “Was that a wrestling reference?”

  He gave a thumbs up. “There’s a reason there’s a separate division for tag teams, Jerome.”

  “Sure, but…” I looked at Sunshine. “Even main event guys need help from time to time.”

  “If you’re thinking what I hope you’re thinking, then I’m proud of you. This world isn’t kind to children, after all. Toughening up is the only medicine she’ll need from now on.”

  “Hey, what are you guys talking about?” Sunshine cut in.

  I got down to my daughter’s level. “Training! You’re gonna do everything in your power to get stronger so that we can take on this world together, ok?”

  Her eyes began to sparkle like diamonds. “S-S-Seriously!?” She lightly tapped my chest with her fist. “This is gonna be awesome! Have you finally learned the power of trust, Jerome?”

  “Eh, it’s more like… I’m gonna need all the help I can get, and who better to help me than family, right? Besides, after all that crying you did earlier about how you felt so we-”

  Sunshine quickly covered my mouth. “Please don’t embarrass me,” she whispered, her face turning red.

  I laughed softly. “Oh my. I’ve never seen your face turn that red before.” My attention turned to Jesus, who was staring at the exit. “Nothing can be more embarrassing than what he’s wearing.”

  Jesus didn’t respond to my jab. Instead, he said, “Someone’s coming.”

  I tilted my head. “Who?”

  The answer came in the form of the cafeteria doors slamming open. A rush of footsteps echoed through the space, followed by the sharp clang of metal on bone.

  A man with a thick mustache and a bloody mark across his cheek led the charge, swinging a rusted pipe with brutal precision. Behind him came a group wielding various weapons—bats, broken bottles, knives dulled with use but still deadly enough. They tore into the undead horde without hesitation, the sound of snarls and shrieks mixing with the wet crunch of makeshift weapons meeting flesh.

  “C’mon, Boomsbarrow!” said Mustache Man, raising the pipe in the air. “We’re not gonna let these zombies destroy our town anymore! Keep fighting even if we die trying!”

  A man in a flannel jacket laughed, dodging a swipe from a zombie. After stabbing it in the skull, he said, “Now this is what I’m talking about, Rocky! Fighting for what you believe in, doing everything you can to win—this is everything I ever wanted from this place!”

  His booming voice drowned out the sound of the zombie closing in from behind. In order to save him, I roared. Loud enough for everyone, even the other zombies, to stop in their tracks. If these monsters really considered me their king, then that meant they’d do anything I’d say. Hopefully.

  My fists tightened. “Zombies! Let the humans kill you!”

  With that, the army stood down, raising their arms in surrender. Now it was up to the dumbfounded townspeople to get the message.

  “Hey, that’s the guy who saved us in the bar!” said the Flannel Jacket guy, pointing at me with a smile. “I don’t know his name, but I’m gonna call him ‘Zombie Man’.”

  Please don’t call me that…

  “A human who dresses up as humanity’s current greatest enemy? Very risqué. Although, purposely doing that makes him trustworthy to me.”

  Interesting logic…

  “Yeah! And he somehow has the power to control whatever these zombies do. Just like how Spider-Man controls spiders.”

  What kinda comics were you reading?

  “Well, what are we waiting for? Our hero gave us a chance to go wild, so let’s take it!”

  A collective “Yeah!” filled the room as the survivors made quick work with the horde, adding even more to the oozebath.

  “Are we gonna tell them you’re actually a zombie, and not some dude in a costume?” Sunshine whispered to my ear.

  “Nah. This oughta boost our reputation with the humans,” I replied. “Also, let’s not tell them that the zombies came here ‘cause of me.”

  Sunshine smirked. “Sooo, pin the blame all on Kevon?”

  I patted her head. “That’s my girl!”

  A trio was nice, but this new team was missing someone crucial. I turned around to look for Angela, and noticed she was sitting down near the stacked chairs with a hand over her chest. Just before I could see what was up, a tap on my shoulder stopped me.

  It was the Flannel Jacket Guy, flashing a dumb smile at me. “Hey, Zombieman! My name’s Larry, it is truly an honor to meet you. You might not remember me, but I was at the bar when you saved my friends. Thank you for that, by the way.”

  My first fan, huh? “Um, you're welcome. But you should thank these guys too. Especially my daughter here. Without her, your former king would've never come here to meet his demise.”

  Larry smiled at Sunshine. “This little bundle of cuteness is your sidekick, huh? What is it with superheroes bringing kids into action with them?”

  The girl groaned. “I’m not a sidekick! We’re equals.”

  “Does it really matter?” asked a new voice. Mustache Man joined the conversation, resting his arm on Larry’s shoulder. “Whether you’re equals or not, you guys still helped Boomsbarrow out a lot. And for that, all of you deserve a drink!”

  A drink?

  *******

  Since drinking alcohol, or anything for that matter, wasn’t a privilege of mine, I stuck to absorbing the zombie ooze from before through my mouth. My body was in desperate need of an energy boost, after all. As for my child, I made extra sure the only things in her cup were milk and water. We didn’t need a repeat of what Dante did.

  A large group of the townspeople were out killing the rest of the zombies I ordered to stay still, so the bar wasn’t too packed. You’d think that would mean peace and quiet, but Jesus and the Flannel Jacket guy were filling the rooms with their horrible singing.

  I set my bottle on the counter. “Remind me next time to scavenge for earplugs,” I told Sunshine.

  My daughter took a sip of her water. “Jesus knows a lot about the New World, so maybe finding useful items are in his resume.”

  There was a literal fiery aura enveloping my daughter, and it was strange how no one brought it up yet. Maybe only a few people could actually see it.

  “You know what, kid…” I placed my hand on Sunshine’s head. “I hope that guy can level me up too. I felt a fire in my bones when I was fighting him, like my mind-”

  “Was being fed with information?”

  “Yeah, exactly that… We’re a really good duo, Sun. I hope we can stay like this.”

  Sunshine looked down at her glass. “Ok, but… what if I did something bad. Like something you didn't like. Would you still wanna be around me?”

  I chuckled at the thought of my kid twirling a mustache while discussing some evil plan with her minions. “What kinda ‘bad’ could a nine year old possibly commit?”

  “That doesn't answer my question,” she replied, pouting.

  “You're my number one priority, girl. I'll stick by you in any situation.”

  Sunshine didn't respond back. Jesus falling off his table seemed to hold her attention more.

  “Good on you, Zombieman.” Behind me, the Mustache Man, who I learned was named Rocky, was walking towards the counter, cleaning a cup. “Even in a screwed up world like this, you can still have family around. Only a few people can say that confidently, so you’re pretty lucky.”

  My grip on the cup tightened while he went behind the counter. “Not everyone here was lucky…”

  Rocky’s expression darkened. “Yeah, a lot of people I knew didn’t make it to see what your group did for us today. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that we won, and now that we did, we’re gonna make sure no one else dies again.”

  I nodded, finding that plan acceptable.

  The bartender’s eyes widened a bit. “Hey, isn’t that your other friend?”

  Turning my head, I was glad to see Angela had finally decided to join the party. Guess that meant Boomsbarrow clean up was all finished. Although, she didn’t look like she was in the drinking mood.

  We closed the distance between us, and I asked, “Everything ok, Angie? You’ve been looking off since we were in that school.”

  My friend sighed, dragging her hand across her face. “I’m just… processing a lot.” She looked around, noticing everyone talking and having fun. “It’s commendable how you guys can be so casual and optimistic after everything we went through. It’s kinda creepy.”

  “Huh? I remember you being a lot more optimistic than me.” I placed her into a gentle headlock and snickered. “Remember our high school wrestling team? You’d lose, like, every match, but you’d never complain about it. Why do you think you became our first freshman vice captain?”

  Angela tapped on my arm, and I let her go. “According to my memories, I was only made vice captain ‘cause the boys wanted a ‘cute face’ to represent the team. I’m pretty sure you were one of those boys.”

  “Hey, no one told me what that voting paper was for when they gave it to me. Besides, what matters is what I think you being vice captain meant.”

  “All that matters is what you think, huh?” she murmured.

  “Ok, something is definitely wrong with you. Just tell me what happened, Angie.”

  The woman readjusted her glasses. “Look, I don’t want to spoil your win, but did you see a little boy in the cafeteria when you busted the wall open?”

  I shook my head no.

  “Well, there was. And I think that was the other Type Two’s son, but he was already a zombie at that point. And yet, he looked pretty normal at first glance. And the Type Two was doing some very humiliating things in order to save him from Jesus. And Sunshine was pretty brutal with him. And the Type Two had to kill his-”

  I grabbed her shoulders, snapping Angie out of her ramblings. “Woah there, slow down. Can you just summarize it so I can understand?”

  She held my hands, and gave me a sad stare. “My point is… this world can be very, very complicated. In order to find your place in this world, you have to know deep down who you are first, Jerome. Do you know who you are?”

  “I’m Jerome Hunter. You know me, Angie.”

  Angela chuckled softly. “No. That’s your name. Who are you?”

  At that moment, memories pierced through my mind like bullets, trying their best to answer what should’ve been a simple question. There were so many problems Sunshine and I faced these past weeks—the Mighty Terror, that loser Dante, the Underground Radius, Kevon and his zombie army. The only way I was able to solve those problems was through very simple solutions.

  Then, an answer sprouted. “I don’t know if this is who I am fully yet, but I’ll just say this. I want to be a simple solution to complex problems.”

  The light in her eyes dimmed, and then she poked my chin with her fist. “In other words, you want to solve all your problems by punching it. That’s so you, Hunter.”

  In return, I tapped her chin with my fist too. “I wouldn’t wanna be anything else. Maybe you’ll see a lot more of that when you’re traveling with me.”

  “No, man, I can’t,” said Angela, immediately getting a ‘Huh?’ out of me. “It’s that kind of reasoning that proves I could never fit in with your group. You guys are just too… crazy for me.”

  My mouth gaped, putting my hand down. “Being crazy is our thing though. You were the Queen of Crazies.”

  Her arm returned to her side. “I thought the same thing too, but seeing you and Sunshine again, I guess, reminded me of how human I was compared to y’all.” She took out a textbook from her black backpack that said ‘Surviving the Apocalypse 101: The Sequel. “I just want to research creatures, and keep adding more info for my book. If I’m gonna help people, this is what I should focus on. Fighting and killing aren’t my style.”

  “But… you can work on your book without having to fight anyone. I mean, Sunshine would be happy to have you as…” I rubbed my head awkwardly. “a mother figure.”

  Angela hugged me, snickering like a girl who just found out your secret. “Jerome, I thought Sunshine was your main priority. You don’t have time for other relationships, do you?”

  I stayed silent, glancing at my daughter. Pouring milk in some drunk dude’s mouth seemed to distract her enough.

  “If you’re gonna leave, then at least say bye to Sunshine. She’ll miss you.”

  The woman looked up at me, her cheeks rosy. “I’ll miss you both too, but I don’t want to grow too attached to the girl. Then I’d never leave. If I can grow attached to a giant spider, then imagine me with her… You know, you smell tolerable for a Radion.”

  “And you look good for someone pushing fort-”

  A swift uppercut to my jaw cut the words off before they could leave my mouth. Dazed, I struggled to regain my bearings. Angela gave me a small wave on her way out, and I returned it. With the bar’s door busted open by those two suited pricks, no one heard her leave.

  Maybe that was for the best. It still felt like shit though. Watching her walk away felt like losing a piece of the old world I thought I’d never get back. Even so, if that’s what made her happy, then I didn’t want to stop her.

  Angela Angels, I hope to see you again.

  After a couple minutes of reflection while I sat on a snoozing big guy, I made my way over to the counter table to speak to my kid again.

  I took away the cup of milk she was still pouring out of her hands and asked, “Hey, Sunshine, do you think we’re crazy?”

  “Being crazy sounds fun,” she laughed, attempting to take the cup from me.

  I gave the cup to Rocky, and sat the girl down. “Even if it makes people scared of you?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with people being scared of you. If they’re scared of you, that means you must be strong. Kinda like… that Jason guy.”

  “AIDs!”

  A cloud of dread shadowed over me, raining down droplets made of fear onto me. It felt like the pressure in the room increased tenfold, and yet no one besides me noticed it or the tall hunk of murderous meat sitting next to me, enshrouding my body with his bloodlust.

  The glass shattered beneath my fingers. Not ‘cause of any anger.

  It was fear.

  How did he get in here? When did he get in here?

  But most importantly, why the fuck was Jason back!?