Primitive Splicers
Turns out the single zombie splicer was the easy part. Max wondered if this was going to be a feeling she'd experience often, wishing she could go back to the room before and stay there rather than keep advancing. She stepped trough the doorway into a green lit room. It smelled pretty much like the other one, and didn't look much better, but that's not what made her want to turn around.
The three splicers staring at her did that on their own.
"Ok then," she stated as calmly and quietly as she could, eyes darting between each one as they licked their lips and took a few steps towards her. All three were holding a weapon of some kind: A piece of broken furniture, a strip of metal and a baseball bat seemed to be their weapons of choice.
They walked like they were bow legged, and slightly sideways like a crab, their skin grey and taunt to their faces, which looked like it was on its way to being a zombie splicer face: The cheekbones protruded too far and their lower jaws looked smaller than they should be.
Max took a step backwards and pushed the button down. "When were you going to tell me that not all the splicers are the same?"
"I figured it would be wiser to try and describe them to you once you have a safe place to hide," Fang's explanation crackled over the radio, distorted by the static. "Since there's quite a few different kinds you need to know about…"
His communication cut off, and Max instantly meshed her finger to the button. "These guys are holding bats and pieces of metal, and are pretty ugly. Got any detail on these for me before they try and rip my limbs off and use them to club me to death?"
"Stop being melodramatic," came his reply, and Max growled at him, even though he couldn't hear her. It seemed to stop the advancing splicers for a few vital seconds, which Max was grateful for. "They're Primitive splicers, which means they have about as much intelligence as a wild money. They travel in small packs and can use a basic bludgeoning weapon, but they have the bloodlust of a hungry lion."
"Fantastic," Max replied as soon and as sarcastically as she could, readying her weapon as her eyes predicted which one would attack her first, her finger still pressed to the radio. "Remind me, when I find you, to hit you upside the head for lousy warning times."
Fang replied, but she didn't hear it. Just as the radio crackled into life the splicer holding the baseball bat jumped forwards and swung his weapon down hard at her left shoulder. Max ducked and avoided most of the swing, the impact as it did hit her sending a jar down her arm. Without giving it a moment to think she swung her own metal bar at it's leg, catching it right in the knee. There was a loud crack, it gave a squeal in pain and fell to the floor.
Picking up it's forgotten baseball bat in her left hand, Max stepped over it, holding both her weapons high. The remaining splicers had taken a few steps backwards, eyeing her wearily as they decided if it would be wiser to run or fight.
They made the wrong decision.
The second splicer, holding the piece of metal, charged forwards with a yell and swung its weapon at her stomach. Max jumped it with ease and brought her both her weapons down on the splicer's head as hard as she could. With a normal person it might have cracked their skull, but this one seemed to barely feel it, letting out a single yelp before aiming another hit at her rib.
This one caught, and Max was knocked off her feet and onto her side by the impact. Before she had time to comprehend the pain, the other splicer was looming over her, a wooden table leg aimed like a spear between her eyes. She rolled as it thrust the splintering pole forwards, getting to her feet in the process and taking another few steps backwards, putting some thinking distance between her and the remaining splicers.
They spread out to either side, blocking each exit like a pack of wolves cornering their prey. Max felt something grip her ankle, and quickly pulled it out of the grasp of the injured splicer, kicking him in the head for good measure. It went dead still, and her attention flipped back to her living opponents.
"Shit," she quickly ducked to avoid a blow to the head, the metal bar whizzing past her ear with a metallic tang. She dropped to the floor and caught herself with her hands, swinging her leg around and pulling the splicer's feet from under him. He fell to his back like a rock, giving Max just the millisecond she needed to plunge her metal pole into his chest.
He gurgled, and blood began to bubble in his mouth as he tried to utter something, then he was gone. Planting a foot firmly on the splicer's chest, Max pulled her metal bar out in one swift movement, her eyes never leaving the creature's face.
He may have been mutated, but you could still see the human in him. His face was still distorted in the fear he felt just before he died, and his face was a lot more human looking than the zombie splicer's had been, just a little small for his body.
She was brought back to the situation at hand abruptly as the splintered weapon of the remaining splicer came into sharp contact with her cheek. She was thrown a foot from her present position, sliding a few inches on her side when she slammed into the floor. Pulling herself off the ground, Max spat a shot of blood onto the already soiled floor and glanced up, her brain acknowledging the now incredibly pissed splicer charging at her, weapon raised for another impact.
Rolling onto her back, Max scrabbled for her weapon, unsure where it was but panicking brain not letting her take her eyes off of the creature in front of her. As it was staring to bring the weapon down, her and finally closed around her metal pole. She thrust it up in front of her as he jumped forwards, and the force of the splicer's attack impaled himself on the metal bar before it could hit home.
Breathing heavily, Max watched as the pain registered in the monster's eyes. It seemed scared, yet well aware of what was going to happen to it. Its weapon dropped to the floor with a thud as it tried to stem the bleeding with his now shaking hands, but it was no good. Her face softened as the monster that was trying to kill her just seconds before looked at her sorrowfully, and she swallowed hard.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, and then the splicer's eyes went blank, and his body limp.
She sat there for a few minutes, unable to take her eyes from the dead splicer hanging over her. Its blood was dripping onto her shirt, the smell of dirt, sweat and faeces burning her nose, but she couldn't move as a realisation dawned on her.
She was killing human beings. They looked different, but they were still human.
With all the strength the situation would let her muster, Max pushed the corpse to the side using the metal pole as leverage. It fell with a sickening thud, its limbs splayed and his face still set in a scared expression. Max scooted backward, away from it, before falling back on her backside, breathing heavily.
Silence followed as Max daren't take her eyes off of the fallen splicer. She wasn't sure if it was fear that it might get up again, or her brain trying to comprehend what she had done. Finally, she sniffed hard and wiped some blood off her face, composing herself before pressing a finger to the radio.
"They're humans," she finally stated after a short silence, trying to think of how to word what was on her mind. "Human beings, Fang. And I just killed them."
"They're aren't human anymore," he reminded her as Max pulled herself to her feet and advanced on the last splicer to fall, her metal pole still sticking out of his chest. "They used to be, but the only piece of human left now how they appear, and even that is lost on a zombie."
She nodded, trying to convince herself to believe him as she took a hold of the metal pole protruding from the splicer's chest. "You need to believe that Max." He continued as she yanked the pole from yet another body. "You need to believe they are no longer human, because they aren't going to spare you if they see you."
"It's kill or be killed," he added gently. "And I'd rather it was them than you."
