Apocalypse: Dawn of the Dead
Sorry about the delay guys, it's been a rough first few weeks of school for me, and I haven't been able to write as much which drives me insane.
Now that we've got that out of the way…
WHAT THE HELL!? WHAT THE F*CKING HELL MAN!?
The ending…the ending to Origins…what the hell!?
I refuse to accept that as the true ending. SERIOUSLY!? WHAT THE HELL!?
I have been able to work with what new info I've been given with every new map, but this…
Sigh…
If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't look it up. Just remain blissfully unaware of how badly Treyarch screwed up.
Also, Origins in general is incredibly confusing, and is stretching things even for Zombies. Maxis having his brain cut out, Giant Robots, and Samantha being in the Aether and sent from the future to the past…just…just confusing. I might not cover Origins, simply because twisting it to my own ends may prove to be too challenging for me. It also might just be doing what I've done with his story as well.
I'll keep you posted.
The following chapter involves Time Travel, which as you know is a central part of the Zombies storyline. Just roll with it, because it's a tad complicated and doesn't follow physics or time rules, per say.
That's the fun thing about magic. It doesn't always follow the rules.
Also, I've updated chapter 1 of Apocalypse, so now that I've actually started doing this, more chapters will be updated and corrected as well. Feel free re-read the earlier chapters, and if you're feeling awesome, review them and tell me whether the updates made the chapter better or not. For every update, I'll let you know which chapters have been updated/re-uploaded whenever I update a new chapter. I'll finish the revisions before I start my next project.
Anyway, shoutout to the awesome people who reviewed last chapter, which includes Dustchu, tjelledge262, katerinavalentine62601, Lord rage quit, lolperson2, Princess Shahnaz (AKA Serena and Abella), Trapinchh, Bu11etB1iss115, Killz718, a new guest reviewer named silverrandoman, BobbyD, another new guest reviewer known as XxXYoyoyoXxX, Noskansho (You have no idea how happy I am to see another early reviewer pop up. Good to hear from you again!), and MetaKnight0011. Thanks for the support guys. Your feedback keeps this story going, which keeps me sane…more or less.
Since this chapter was so late, I figured I'd do something I've been putting off for a while now. An AMA (Ask me Anything).
Here's how it works. Once you finish reading the chapter, you leave a review. In that review, just ask me a question. The limit will be two questions per reviewer. This can be about myself, the story, future works, ANYTHING. Come. At. Me. Bro.
Alright, here's the chapter.
Enjoy.
Chapter 36: Call to Arms
"It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it"- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Flashback:
Location: Der Reise:
"That's right you slimy flesh sores! DON'T F*CK WITH A MARINE!" Dempsey yelled as he bashed another Zombie in the head with his Galil and shot it in the head, blowing its skull apart with a savage grin.
"Good shooting Dempsey! Now if you could only hit the other Zombies like that!" Richtofen laughed, gleefully blasting Zombies apart with his Thompson.
"DIE FOUL DEMONS!"
"Shut it Takeo!"
Nikolai and Takeo ran out of the building, machine guns firing into it like no tomorrow. The group heard a growl of annoyance from Samantha, the demon child who was trying to kill them all for reasons they didn't even know. They knew the Doctor had something to do with the Zombies…but what was his connection to Samantha?
Richtofen skillfully ducked under a Zombie swipe and slashed at it with his knife, killing it. He spun around and unloaded another clip of his Calamity and Jane into the rampaging undead, mowing them down effortlessly. Richtofen quickly reloaded and glanced around.
"Samantha! You vill have to try harder than that! AHAHAHAHA!" Richtofen cackled.
"Doc! Stop taunting her and get back to killing!" Dempsey yelled as he pulled out a Python and started blowing the heads off of Zombies, particularly the ones that had him surrounded.
"Ja Dempsey" Richtofen replied with a smirk as he pulled out a Wunderwaffe DG-2 and aimed it at the growing horde. 35 waves of Zombies, and they were beginning to tire. Richtofen pulled the trigger and began to laugh manically as the lightning bolt flew out from the Wonder Weapon and vaporized the horde attacking Dempsey.
Samantha's presence faded as the last Zombie fell, and the group let out a collective sigh of relief. The girl had exhausted herself attacking them, and was now recuperating. She'd be at it again in the morning, but for now they could rest without fear for their lives, and could explore the facility with ease now.
Nikolai popped open a bottle of his precious and never-ending supply of vodka and chugged it down. Dempsey gave him a look and said "Hey, you wanna share that?"
"No" Nikolai replied, mid-swig.
Dempsey walked over to the Russian and kicked him in the nuts before snatching a new bottle from him and chugging it down thirstily. Nikolai snarled at Dempsey and said "No one touches my vodka!"
Nikolai lunged at Dempsey and two soldiers began to roll on the ground, screaming obscenities in Russian and in English at each other. Takeo chuckled and said "It seems as though some things, do not change"
"That is true" Richtofen said quietly as the two soldiers sat down, breathing sighs of relief that they could take small break from the fighting.
"You did this Edward…"
"All your fault…"
"Kill them all…"
Richtofen scowled and said "I'm going for a walk"
"Of course" Takeo murmured as the Doctor got to his feet and walked off. He passed the Speed Cola machine and muttered "If only the voices could stop! I cannot think straight anymore!"
He then heard a scream. It was faint, but he picked up on it right away.
"Zhat voice…is that Sophia?" Richtofen murmured.
Edward quickly jumped through a hole in a nearby barrier and made his way to a small passageway, where the scream had come from. It was a large stretch of plan wall, seemingly plain and concealing nothing.
"Of course…I nearly forgot…I told them to hide…good work Illuzio" Richtofen murmured as he walked over to the patch of wall and placed his palm on it. A small dial immerged through the wall, showing a series of numbers.
"Greetings. Please enter the security code" a voice asked him.
Richtofen tapped in the security code 1-1-5 and the wall shuddered and moved up, revealing a hidden passageway. Richtofen sealed the entranceway and made his way down to a small room with a locked and chained door.
Richtofen put his ear to the door and listened.
"Damn it…she's overrun the entire compound!" Richtofen heard Yena growl.
"She's killed everyone…except us. Good thing we found Sophia when we did. That was some good shooting there Sophia…how you managed to kill so many while hurt like that is insane…And Illuzio…good thing the Doctor trusts you so much. Who would've thought he had this bunker built underneath the facility?" Porter said with a sigh of relief.
"Yes, the Doctor was clever, making this bunker. I doubt the Zombies can find us here…we should be safe for a while" Illuzio said cheerfully.
"Aha! So you all did survive zhen!" Richtofen exclaimed from behind the door.
"Doctor Richtofen!"
The door quickly opened, revealing the relieved faces of Harvey Yena, Henry Porter, Illuzio, and Sophia. Yena ran up to Richtofen and said "Thank god you're alive! They've taken over the compound!"
"Really? I hadn't noticed" Richtofen said sarcastically.
"What's happened Edward?" Sophia asked softly.
Richtofen sighed and said "Henry and Harvey know, but we failed to take control of the M.P.D. Samantha unlocked its power and can control all of the Zombies…we threatened her with Maxis, but he ordered her to kill us…so we killed him and ran for it" Richtofen explained.
"So…Ludvig is gone then…" Sophia murmured.
"After he raped you and left you for dead, I'm surprised you care" Illuzio said in a curious tone.
"I'm not one for needless slaughter" was all Sophia said.
"It doesn't matter" Porter scowled.
"You all must leave. I will deal with Samantha myself. My super-solider subjects will protect me along the way" Richtofen said.
"So, you went along with the experiments?" Sophia asked in an odd tone.
"Yes. And they were a complete success" Richtofen said with a smile.
"incredible…Edward, you did it! With this, we could improve the human condition! We could do so much with this!" Sophia said happily, bouncing on her heels.
Richtofen frowned slightly and said "Well, we could do zhat eventually"
"What do you mean?" Sophia asked.
"I was planning on perfecting it first, Sophia. Element 115 is so unpredictable, as you all know. Once I gain control of the Zombies, and get Samantha and her meddling father out of the way…I will focus on perfecting the process. But we must focus on the matter at hand, my dear" Richtofen said as walked into the bunker, looking around.
"I do not know if Maxis is gone for good or not. His death was swift, but his soul could trouble us in the future" Richtofen said softly.
"You think he's in the M.P.D?" Yena asked.
"It is a theory. I will have to make my way back to the Griffin Station soon…Maxis will mostly likely try to get to Samantha, just to stop me. It will take time however, and he is weak…how to proceed?" Richtofen wondered aloud. The other members of Group 935 looked at their new leader with wonder, before Illuzio spoke up.
"We could extract his soul from the M.P.D. with a soul steal spell" Illuzio said softly.
"You can do that?" Yena asked.
"Magic my friend. It is indeed capable of doing the impossible" Illuzio said cheerfully as the others turned to him.
"Yes…that could work…OK, here is the plan" Richtofen said, facing the loyal ones who followed him.
"Illuzio, follow my movements carefully, even if I go through time itself, keep tabs on me. Your help will be essential if we are to stop Samantha. Help me and my experiments stay alive however you can. Do you understand?" Richtofen said seriously, and Illuzio nodded. Richtofen pointed to the remaining 935 members.
"Take them to the future, to a point where the undead are much fewer, and this has all ended. Leave the others in that time, and return to me. You will help me fix this mess" Richtofen said to the jester, who grinned happily and bowed to the Doctor.
"Of course. I will do whatever I must to aid in your quest, my friend" Illuzio murmured. Richtofen grasped Illuzio shoulders, and glint of admiration and respect in his eyes hidden under the madness. Richtofen cared for the jester and considered him to be an invaluable ally and friend.
"First Samantha, then Maxis…" Richtofen whispered with a wide grin.
"Then the world" Illuzio finished, and the two laughed as the others watched on. Clearly the two knew each other very well.
"Ah, mine friend. It saddens me that such misfortune had to befell you. You are a God among men you are" Richtofen said with a sigh, and Illuzio's merry face darkened considerably.
"Yes…fate seems to be cruel. I am the last of those blessed with the magical gift, I have lost everything that made my life worth living…I only feel happiness from helping you, my friend, complete your ambitions" Illuzio whispered.
Sophia felt a pang of sympathy for Illuzio, who seemed to have a very terrible past, and felt her respect for Richtofen rise. Apparently he was a caring person underneath the growing madness that had enveloped him. Maybe it was just the M.P.D.'s influence that had corrupted him…maybe, just maybe…
Who knows what sort of person he'd be if he hadn't gone mad when he touched the device…
"Yena, Porter, Sofia. You three are among the last surviving members of Group 935. Porter, Yena…I trust that you both stand by me?" Richtofen said looking back at them.
"Of course" Porter said with a nod.
Yena thought about it for moment and said "I'll stand by you until the end, Edward"
Richtofen turned to Sofia, who starred the doctor in the eyes. His electric blue gaze was piercing, and he sighed deeply before speaking.
"Sofia…will you stand by me?" Richtofen asked slowly.
Sofia considered the proposal. She had been Maxis's secretary, his assistant. When Maxis lashed out at her, and committed the unthinkable, she had lost all loyalty him in that moment. Sophia remembered that it was Richtofen who had saved her and seen to it she was healed.
"Yes, Edward. I will stand by you" Sophia said softly. Richtofen grinned at that and said "Ah! It is done! Group 935 will rise once again, even stronger than before!"
"But first, Samantha…" Porter reminded Richtofen.
"But first…Samantha…" Richtofen agreed.
"AHAHAHAHAHA!"
The scientists flinched at the sound of the evil voice. It wasn't Samantha…it was something else. Something darker…
Something stronger.
"What was that!?" Richtofen said, drawing his Wunderwaffe DG-2.
"I'll take a look" Yena said as he pulled out a Ray Gun, walking out of the room. The others looked at each other before Richtofen began to confide in him the rest of the plan.
Yena scowled and sealed the pathway, slowly making his way outside. He ducked out of sight as Tank came by, scowling and aiming through the barrier that led to the secret passageway.
"That laugh…this place gives me the creeps" Dempsey muttered as he walked back to the Mainframe.
"That was close…that laugh came from over here" Yena murmured.
"BAH! I'm back at Der Reise!" a familiar voice growled in annoyance.
"Richtofen!?" Yena said curiously as he rounded a corner.
Yena turned the corner and his jaw dropped.
Before him was a Zombie, rotted and dead, with bright blue glowing eyes and wearing a cowboy getup. It held a hard orb of green light that gave off a powerful aura. The Zombie's face contorted into a terrifying grin and said "Harvey Yena…it has been too long mine friend!"
"Edward!? Is…is that you…?" Yena whispered.
"Ah…it seems in this dimension, you are alive…strange. I killed you in the other one! Ahahahaha!" Richtofen said in Yena's mind with an odd laugh.
"What's going on!?" Yena growled as he leveled the Ray Gun at Richtofen's head.
The Zombie raised its hand and said "Harvey, I can explain. Come this way and we can discuss this like men"
"Why should I listen to you?" Yena asked cautiously, Ray Gun still raised.
"Because you would be dead before you got the chance to pull the trigger"
"…Fine. But this better be good" Yena growled as the Zombie with a man's soul grinned widely, showing a row of rotted teeth. Yena lowered the Wonder Weapon, and Richtofen began his tale.
Meanwhile:
New York City:
Survivors Camp:
Sieger sighed as he watched the remaining survivors scour the city, burning the dead and mourning the lost. Fluffy patrolled the street, taking out any undead that wandered towards the injured and tired survivors.
Sieger got to his feet, wincing as his wounds sent a spike of pain in his chest, and slowly walked down the pile of debris. It had only been a few hours since Samantha had killed Yena, and he was exhuated from the two fights he had been in.
He walked through the camp, walking past survivors who glanced at him, but other than that they left him be. He slowly made his way to the edge of the camp and glanced down at the young woman siting down on the rock.
"Sieger" Samantha said softly.
"You OK?" Sieger asked.
Samantha sighed and said "I don't know"
Sieger sighed as well and said "So, how're you coping with Harvey's powers?"
Samantha wordlessly lifted her hand into the air, and a long shadowy tendril appeared from out of the ground. It reached towards Sieger and tried to take off his glasses, to which Sieger dispersed the shadow tendril with a burst of fire. Samantha shot Sieger a look and said "How do you know so much?"
Sieger offered her a wan smile and said "I grew up with Group 935, and I know quite a bit. I'll explain later…in the meantime, we need you to be at your best, because Harvey was right"
Samantha gave him a confused look and said "You knew Richtofen, before any of us did. If anyone of us has the right to kill him, and right his wrongs, it's you Samantha"
Samantha got to her feet and said "And how am I supposed to do that!?"
Sieger blinked in surprise at the girl's anger and said "Was it something I said?"
"No…in fact I want to thank you for helping us…you saved the others…you saved us from the Blizzard Zombie…from Yena…thank you" Samantha said quietly. Sieger nodded, and Samantha continued.
"But…what if I can't stop Richtofen? I couldn't stop him the first time, or the second time. I only managed to kill Porter and Yena because I had help"
"We all need a little help sometimes" Sieger said with a grin.
Samantha smiled to herself and said "Maybe…"
"See? Smile" Sieger said with a grin.
"So…who are you?" Samantha asked.
"Who am I?" Sieger repeated, and Samantha nodded.
"I'd tell you, but it's really not that important. Just know that I'm someone who can be trusted. Truthfully, I know how this all happened and why it's happening…it's not a pretty story" Sieger said as he adjusted his sunglasses. Samantha once again wondered why he wore those glasses, considering it was still night outside.
Sieger looked up at the moon and sighed again. He starred upward at the moon for a few moments before saying "Sometimes…I wonder what life would be like…if Element 115 never existed…"
"Maybe I would have never existed…maybe I would have grown up a normal guy. Gone to school, get a job. Get a girlfriend. You know, normal stuff?"
Samantha scoffed and said "Element 115 IS my life. There's no delusions from this girl…it took everything away from me…hell, I'm just using someone else's body now…"
"Are you?" Sieger said, sounding surprised.
Samantha explained background story the comatose girl who's body she now possessed, and her brother. Sieger nodded as Samantha finished her tale and said "I bet the transition was very difficult"
"It was at first…but I'm getting used to it" Samantha said.
"What's the hardest part of having a body again?" Sieger asked curiously.
"The idea that no matter what, I'm using someone else's body" Samantha growled softly. Sieger could sense the anger in her voice and looked at her in concern.
"Something wrong?" Sieger asked as Samantha got to her feet and stormed away. Sieger ran after her and grabbed her by the arm. Samantha whirled around and smacked the young man in the face, sending him sprawling onto the ground. Sieger hissed in pain and sat up wearing a scowl.
"I was only trying to help!" Sieger barked at the girl, who looked ashamed.
"I know…it's just…" Samantha sighed and said "You wouldn't understand…"
Sieger got to his feet and said in a tired tone "Try me. There's very little I don't understand Samantha"
"Even if we manage to kill Richtofen…even of things return to normal…I'll never have a normal life. I'll never have anyone else who I can talk to about my…abilities. No one to relate to…I'm alone. My father…his mind is almost gone, and I can't risk talking to him because it'll weaken him further…"
Samantha looked away, and realized something else.
"I'll never find anyone else who understands…who…who'll love me…for who and what I am…" Samantha confessed in a whisper.
It had been something she could never stop dwelling on, ever since she got a body. Hell, she'd been thinking about it long before that.
The idea that she was using someone else's physical body was certainly better than being a ghost, but it still meant that she was not in her own body…if she were to ever pursue any romantic interests, which were thoughts she had entertained over the past few days, then they would only see her for the borrowed body she had, and not for the person that lay within the body.
"What do you mean?" Sieger asked in a soft voice.
"If I were to get together with someone…they would be loving the person inside of another's body. It…it's weird. It's wrong…it's…" Samantha struggled for words and managed to say "They would be attracted to the body of someone else, and not me…it's too weird…"
Samantha sighed, wearing a miserable look on her face and said "I'm such a freak…"
"No you're not"
Samantha slowly looked over at Sieger, who was smiling at her. Samantha felt something in her when he did that. Something stirring in her…it felt…odd…
"Being special…does not make you a freak. If all of mankind were freaks, then this world would be a better place, I think" Sieger said in a soothing manner.
"I'm still just using someone else's body. I could never find someone who loves me for who I am" Samantha said bitterly.
"I wouldn't say that…have you looked in a mirror lately?" Sieger asked.
Samantha shook her head and said "No, I haven't. With everything that's been going on, I don't really have time to make sure my borrowed hair is straight"
"Maybe you should. You might be surprised by what you find" Sieger said as he got to his feet and walked away.
Samantha huffed angrily and got to her feet, stomping off into the No Man's Land. She stormed past Judith, who was playing around with Yena's Scavenger. The Devastator had been destroyed during the fight with Yena, and she had taken to using the sniper rifle Wonder Weapon now.
Samantha noticed some of the survivors following her, worried no doubt about her attitude, so she ducked into an alleyway and into a nearby clothing store to lose them.
"What did he mean…?" Samantha murmured as she walked into the main part of the store. It was fairly empty, with everything being used by the survivors for one reason or another. Samantha searched the store until she found a large full-length mirror. There were some cracks and bloodstains on it, for whatever reason, but it would do for what Samantha wanted.
She walked up to it and looked at her reflection for a few moments. She then took a step backwards and gasped in surprise, because what she saw looking back at her was not the face of the girl who's body she was now using.
It seemed as though over the course of the past few days, her appearance had been slowly changing. It seemed as though her body had changed to fit Samantha in more ways than she had expected. Her nose was slightly larger, and she had dark shimmering eyes instead of bright green ones. Other, more subtle changes had taken place as well, such as her hair becoming somewhat shorter and more smooth and silky, and a small scar appeared on her neck that wasn't there a few days ago, but was faded like it had been received years ago.
"I look like…myself. Like if I had my old body, and…grew into an adult" Samantha said in wonder.
Samantha continued to inspect her appearance, grinning widely. Once she was content with how her appearance looked, Samantha starred at herself in the mirror for a few moments in wonder.
"I look…pretty" Samantha realized with surprise. She had never dreamed she'd have a body again fifty years ago, let alone one that had become a semblance of her old body...no…this was her body. This body represented who she was, and what she had become. Samantha let out a small sigh of relief as a sense of closure washed over her.
Samantha smiled to herself as she walked back onto the street, only to yelp in surprise at Sieger, who was leaning against a nearby wall, looking at her.
"Were you following me!?" Samantha demanded from Sieger, who shrugged.
"Merely curious as to what your reaction would be. I take it your happy with your body?" Sieger asked.
"Y-yes" Samantha admitted.
"It's adapted to your soul…or at least that's what my theory is. Element 115 is a very interesting thing, isn't it?" Sieger said softly, snapping his fingers and creating a black flame before snuffing it out with a wave of his hand.
"Yeah…so, what now?" Samantha asked as she began to walk back to the Camp. Sieger fell in step next to her, and the two walked together. Sieger shrugged and said "Destroy the node. I know where it is, and it's not all that far. After that, we need to find a way to get to California, and stop Richtofen"
"And find a way to kill him while we're at it" Samantha added.
"Yep. We don't have much time left, so let's get to it" Sieger said to Samantha, who nodded in agreement, and with that the duo made their way back to the survivor's camp.
Meanwhile:
"And that's why I'm never, ever allowed back into SeaWorld" Nick finished.
"Why did you jump in again?" Alex asked curiously.
"…to this day, I still don't have an answer" Nick admitted.
"HEY!"
The group turned to see Sieger and Samantha walking through the rubble. Samantha was looking distinctly cheerful, while Sieger seemed satisfied about something.
"We're going to take down the last node. Who wants to come with?" Sieger asked.
Nick, Kara, Jess, Iva, Joe, Nicholas, and Juliet. The others elected to stay behind and keep watch with the remaining survivors, who were currently being treated for injuries sustained during the massive fight. While Nick, Iva, and Juliet weren't a hundred percent, they were determined to help out. Sieger led the group through the No Man's Land and down several streets, walking down the abandoned streets with a frown on his face.
"To think…one man did all of this…" Sieger said softly as he pulled out both of his pistols.
"Hey, what's the deal with those pistols?" Juliet asked Sieger.
Sieger grinned and said "They're enchanted pistols, imbued with some of the strongest destruction and light spells imaginable. They're enchanted to slay evil and destroy darkness, or at least that's what Illuzio told me..."
"Illuzio made those?" Samantha asked curiously.
"Yeah. I call them Fatum and Lux. Lux has a more gold-like look to it, while Fatum has more silver in its design rather than gold" Sieger said as he showed the others his two pistols.
"What about the sword?" Nicholas asked.
"The sword was something Illuzio brought with him from his own time period. It was made by some legendary smith in his time…he called it Glorious" Sieger said as he summoned the sword with a flash of fire. It had the look of one of the Dwarven Swords from Skyrim, except that black flames raced down it, along with white runes ran down it.
"Cool" Iva said with a grin.
"We're here" Sieger said suddenly, dispelling the sword and redrawing his pistols.
The group had arrived at an abandoned two story building, that looked rather un-unique or sinister. The other's looked at it in confusion, while Samantha shivered.
"So much power…" Samantha murmured.
"There's a rather large amount of Element 115 in there. The node here is the one that has the widest range of the nodes. It's why the city got decimated in the manner it did" Sieger said.
"Hey Sam, you need a weapon?" Joe asked the woman, who shrugged. Joe pulled out an Ultra, which she took with a nod.
"I should go in first" Sieger said to the others, who shrugged and allowed him to go ahead. Sieger walked up to the glass doors, smiling slightly.
"Illuzio's illusion spells are incredible…you'd think it was just some abandoned building…" Sieger ran his finger down the slit between the two doors. The slit glowed bright white before the doors opened. Sieger took one step into the building before two figures jumped down from above.
"REAAAAH!" the two Screecher Zombies screamed as they lunged at Sieger. Sieger ducked under a slash and kicked the Zombie in the neck, blasting it away with a burst of hellfire. Samantha ran up to the other Zombie quick as a slash and punched it in the face, sending it flying across the room, dead with a broken neck.
"Nice job" Sieger said as Samantha turned to look at him. Samantha turned away, and Nicholas could have sworn he saw her blushing.
Nicholas glanced over at Juliet, who winked at him in response. Nicholas turned away, thinking privately that Samantha may be suffering from a certain human emotion that he was familiar with, specifically when he looked at Juliet.
Sieger looked around the room carefully, as if searching for something. After a moment he said "The Doctor doesn't like to have Zombies guard his stuff. He considers everyone else complete idiots that have no chance of finding his labs. So-"
"It'll be easy as pie to get in there and smash up the node!" Jess said cheerfully.
"In a nutshell, yeah. Pretty much" Sieger admitted as he walked over to a stretch of wall. He pulled back his fist and punched the wall. A small hallway appeared in a flash of light behind the wall that he punched.
"This way" Sieger said as he took a few steps down the hallway.
The hallway was pure white, and seemed to go on for ages. Sieger scowled and said "Damn it…its booby trapped"
"Hehe. You said booby" Nick said snickered, earning a kick from Jess in the shin.
"Shut it numbnuts" Nicholas muttered under his breath.
"Hehe...numbnuts" Jess giggled.
As if on cue, eight automated turrets immerged form the wall and opened fire on the group. Samantha jumped in front of Sieger and thre her hands out, a ball of blue lightning energy flowing in front of her and blocking the gunfire.
"Thanks" Sieger said gratefully. Samantha nodded in response while Sieger aimed his pistls at the turrets.
"Drop the barrier enough for me to jump over and shoot out the turrets" Sieger instructed.
"OK"
Sieger jumped over the top of the barrier and blasted apart the turrets with very little effort. As the bits of metal fell onto the ground, Sieger landed in a crouch.
"Come on, this-" Sieger began to say before more turrets came out of the wall and opened fire. Sieger swore and shot out two more of them.
"Just move!" Sieger said in an annoyed tone, and the others followed him, amused at him getting annoyed.
Sieger continued to blast his way through the armed turrets, shooting through them with a careful yet speedy aim. The others watched on in awe as he walked down the hallway, shooting like crazy. He released the two empty clips from Lux and Fatum, reloaded, and continued to shoot out the turrets.
"He's awesome!" Jess said cheerfully as she led the way, skipping ahead past the destroyed parts.
Jess skipped into the next room, let out a yelp and sprinted back towards the others.
"ERMAHGAWD! ZOMBIE!" Jess yelled.
"What the hell did she say?" Nick asked.
A figure dropped in from the ceiling again. This time it was a Blade Zombie, dressed in a tattered suit and a steel helmet. It snarled at the group, who raised their weapons as one.
As the Zombie took a step forward, Jess, Iva, and Lara opened fire with their guns, blasting the Zombie repeatedly until it fell to one knee.
"Did we get it?" Jess asked.
"Nope. It's faking. See?" Sieger said as he took a few steps towards the Zombie, which lunged at him and slashed at him. Sieger exploded in a burst of fire and reappeared above the Zombie shooting it twice with Fatum in the neck. Samantha opened fire with Ultra as Nicholas took aim with the Vitriolic Withering and shot at the Blade Zombie, which snarled as the pods latched onto its swords. The pods exploded, showering it with acid, but somehow the Zombie remained standing. It continued to stalk Sieger, slashed and stabbing at him as he swiftly dodged its attacks.
Sieger ducked as the Blade Zombie stabbed at him and punched it in the skull, sending it stumbling backwards as flames trailed from his fist. Juliet sprinted by him and jumped into the air, chainsaw raised high. She brought it down and began to tear through the powerful Zombie with a wide smile. She ended the maneuver with a wink as she posed in front of her chainsaw as the Blade Zombie's corpse crashed onto the ground.
"Well, I'm aroused" Nicholas said as Juliet sauntered over to him.
"I didn't know girls killing stuff got you hot and bothered Nicholas" Joe snickered.
"I like it when Juliet kills stuff" Nicholas said as Juliet laughed and gave him a kiss on the cheek, causing him to flush pink.
"Come on. It should be through here" Sieger said as he walked into the next room, one of his pistols gripped firmly in hand. Jess followed him into the next room, along with Nick.
Samantha smiled at Sieger's retreating figure and said "He's quite capable, isn't he?"
"You have no idea" Kara said with a grin as she walked into the next room, where the node was.
It was a large chamber with a large chunk of the 115 meteorite, only this time there were strange blue chunks of glowing rock in it, along with intricate symbols. Samantha gasped in surprise and Nicholas caught her say to herself "It's just the one…all those years ago…"
"What did you say?" Sieger asked Sam, who shook her head.
"How do we destroy it?" Nicholas asked, shouldering his Vitriolic Withering.
"Simple. Samantha, grab that metal tube over there" Sieger said, pointing to a red glowing tube that was locked in place onto the wall.
Samantha pulled it free from the wall, and held it out to Sieger, who shook his head. Sieger walked over to another nearby metal tube and pulled it free from the wall. He attached the tube to his chest, and nodded at Samantha to do the same.
Sieger walked over to a nearby terminal, the tube still locked in place, and said "I can shift the power of the meteorite to instead go into you and me, rather than into the northeastern U.S. This will amplify our abilities, as well as destroy the node itself"
"Guys, you may want to step back" Sieger warned the others, who obeyed.
"You ready?" Sieger asked Samantha, who nodded.
Sieger pulled down on a lever at the terminal and the entire node flashed blue, then red, before finally settling on green. Samantha and Sieger screamed in agony as energy poured into them. The others nervously watched as the raw power of the meteorite was transferred into the two 115 Conduits. Eventually the meteorite stopped glowing as frequently, only managed a dim glow every minute or so.
Sieger and Samantha both collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. Sieger stumbled to his feet, still panting, and began to type on a nearby keyboard. After he finished he fell to his knees and crashed onto the ground.
"Sam, you OK?" Nicholas asked, helping her up.
"I'm OK…I'm OK" Sam murmured.
John and Kara helped Sieger up, and he leaned heavily against them. After a moment he managed to stand on his own, still breathing heavily.
"That was…intense" Sieger muttered as he steadied himself.
"Not really…it was just a lot of energy" Samantha said as she flexed her hands.
"You're more suited for absorbing the energies of Element 115 than I am Samantha" Sieger replied as he slowly walked over to the others.
"Now that that's done with, we need to find a way to California. We've got only a few days left" Joe said.
"We can't fit everyone in the RV. We need something a bit bigger" Iva replied.
"I've got an idea…I think. I'll get back to you on that" Joe said with a devious smile. Iva grinned in response, knowing that he was going to get all high-tech.
"Next order of business is to rally the remainder of the United States to join us in California to fight Richtofen. Richtofen gains millions of new minions every day. We'll need all the help we can get" Sieger said to the others.
"Any ideas?" Nicholas asked the others, who shrugged. Nick grinned however and said "I do"
"Does it involve Chuck Norris?" Joe asked.
"No. Why would you ask that?" Nick asked, sounding confused.
"…Sometimes, I understand why Liam wanted to strangle you" Nicholas asked. Iva and Kara were both currently keeping Joe from strangling Nick with the Fists of Thor. Iva managed to placate Joe by whispering something into is ear, and he managed to restrain himself form harming Nick.
"Listen. Richtofen did that speech in front of the entire world. Everyone knows who he is, and what his message is. What if we did the same thing, except with Sam instead, with our own message?" Nick suggested.
"That's…" Sieger trailed off, grinning faintly.
"That's a great idea!" Juliet said cheerfully, high-fiving Nick.
"Yeah. Any help we can get would be awesome. How would we do it though?" Nicholas asked Nick.
"Are you kidding? Let's go to the ABC News Headquarters. There's more than enough there to get our message out" Nick said with a grin as he walked out of the room.
Sieger chuckled under his breath and said "Isn't he the comic relief guy?"
"Yeah, but it doesn't mean he can't come up with some damn good ideas" Nicholas said following Nick out.
"Did Sieger just break the fourth wall?" Jess asked Joe, who nodded.
"Come on guys, we've got some airtime to take advantage off" Joe said with a grin.
ABC News HQ:
One Hour Later:
"Wow…cool…" Joe said as they walked into the studio. The place was relatively easy to get inside off, since everyone had left the building in a panic. All of the equipment was still running perfectly.
"I took a tour of the place last year. My dad knows some of the big wigs here, so we got to come into the studio. It was pretty cool" Nick admitted.
Nick, Nicholas, Juliet, Jess, Sieger, Samantha, Vice, Starch, and Serenity made their way through the studio. Some of the other survivors were making sure all of the generators were going strong. Joe and Iva were down with some of the other survivors, using the Wunderwaffe to overcharge the generators.
"Yeah. Come here, I'll get it set up" Vice said as he walked over to a nearby camera.
"Think we can boost the signal?" Starch asked Serenity. The English girl nodded and dashed over to a nearby panel and began to mess with it. Starch shook his head, but didn't bother to say anything.
"So, who's taking center stage?" Nicholas asked the group.
"I will. This began with me…I guess it's only fitting that I do this" Samantha offered.
Sieger nodded and said "Come on guys…let's give the world a show"
Meanwhile:
Red made his way through the rubble, aiming through his Shadowy Veil Utilizer with a soft growl. The Zombies had torn this city to pieces. He made his way to the top of a pile of rubble and sat down, sighing deeply.
The city was completely destroyed at this point. According to the radio broadcasts that he had been listening to, a good third of the population of the entire United States had been decimated. The Zombie population was growing by the millions, despite any and all efforts to contain them. The Armed forces could hold them off at best, but the Reclaimers were giving the National Guard problems.
Red adjusted his mask, closing his red eyes for a moment, before opening them at the sound of a familiar voice.
"Attention, people of the world!"
Red's head snapped up and his eyes darted to the nearby screen in Times Square. He starred at the black eyed girl on the screen in surprise, and was even more surprised when he saw she was smiling.
"My name…is Samantha. Samantha Maxis…some of you may know me, from a video game…some of you may know what I've been through…but all of you…"
"Know of Edward Richtofen" Samantha said, her smile fading away.
"Some of you probably didn't believe it when he spoke to you all, just a few days ago. But look at what he's done to the United States…in just a little over a week, he has destroyed an entire country, and he will not stop there" Samantha said in a soft voice.
Red watched on, seeing the pain in her eyes. What the girl must have been through…
Samantha sighed and said "He will continue his rampage, until the end of the week. When the clock strikes midnight on the seventh day, he will carry out his plan. He will kill everyone who does not pledge themselves to him..."
Clutch Odd, Jared, Jordan and Emmanuel joined Red, watching the screen. Little did the group know that this message was being broadcasted to not just the entire United States…but the world.
"Whenever someone, anyone, raises their hands into the air and pledges themselves to Richtofen's cause, they only make him stronger. You're giving up your soul to a madman!" Samantha said fiercely.
"Some of you have given up hope…some of you have given up, and have pledged your loyalty to Richtofen…to his Kingdom…this Kingdom comes at the cost of millions upon millions of the innocent. Do they deserve to suffer, just because the world is the way it is…?"
"This world has its share of good and evil. The good seem to suffer, while the evil get their way. The evil get away with terrible, awful things…while the good die young…it's a sad fact of life. But there's always hope for change…"
"Richtofen…Uncle Edward…I'm coming for you. Very…very, soon" Samantha said softly as a powerful black and green aura flickered into life behind her.
"When I find you, I will end this madness…" Samantha said softly.
Samantha then raised her voice and said "People of the United States. I am not an American, I was born and raised in Nazi Germany many, many years ago…I have no true loyalty to this country, and have stayed here because the people I have met here are honest and true…your people have been good to the sad, tortured little girl I was just a few days ago. I've seen the good and bad of this country, and it's not too late to save it!"
Samantha gesture for the camera to turn, and Vice panned the camera so that the others could be seen too.
"We are fighting Richtofen and his forces, and are on our way to California, where we plan on ending this madness once and for all" Samantha said as the camera zoomed back in on her.
"This is a call to arms. We can't do this alone…those of your who still have hope…who still believe in the good of mankind…join us. Come to California and join in the fight for humanity" Samantha said as she closed her fist in front of the camera.
"The goal of Group 935, back when it was a force of good…was to improve the human condition…to help humanity become something better…I believe in this goal, but there's got to be a better way than this…Edward, I don't know why you're doing this. It…it can't be just because you're evil. There's more to it than that…"
Samantha closed her eyes and said "Your proclamation a few days ago was heard by every person in the world. So many have pledged their souls to you, just for the sake of survival. Not because of their belief in your so-called Utopia…"
"People of the world! Don't believe his lies! Don't give in to his words! As long as humanity keeps fighting, the forces of evil won't be able to win! There's still good left in this world…" Samantha said passionately as she looked out at her friends.
She had known them for just a short time, but she trusted them beyond a shadow of a doubt. She was doing this for not just the world, but to protect her friends…the ones that showed her that there really was some good left in this world after all.
"Good that's worth fighting for. We'll begin the attack at the end of the week. Please…don't give up hope. Don't give in…don't let Richtofen win…"
"Richtofen…you're words…they fall on deaf ears…not all of us are so quick to give in…not all of us are going to go down without a fight…we're coming for you Edward…and we will bring an army with us to match yours…people of the United States. You have a history of fighting for what is right! Fighting against tyrants who wish to harm the innocent!"
"Strike back against Richtofen! Begin your march towards California, where Richtofen hides and waits! Join us! And together, we will crush him…we can't do this alone…help us…help us save what's left of humanity" Samantha said softly.
Samantha brushed her hair out of her face and said "Uncle Edward…I'll see you in a few days…"
"And I hope you're ready to end this…once and for all" Samantha ended with a whisper.
Vice cut the feed and said "And we're clear!"
"Very nicely done" Sieger said approvingly. Samantha looked away, ignoring the heat rushing to her face at the compliment.
"It wasn't much. Richtofen was much more eloquent" Samantha admitted as she walked over to the others.
"No! That was awesome!" Jess said cheerfully.
"It was" Serenity admitted cheerfully.
"Fairly badass, I have to say" Starch confessed.
"Now that that's over with. We have some other business to attend to before we rest for the night" Sieger said as he walked out of the room.
Samantha watched the young man walk out of the room and said "He seems to be hiding something…I don't know what though"
"Looks like you're hiding something to Sam" Starch said with a wide grin.
"Huh? I…I don't know what you're talking about" Samantha said, looking away with her arms crossed.
"Samanthasgotacrush!" Nick coughed.
Samantha spun around and decked Nick in the head, sending him crashing into a monitor with a scream. Samantha's face was a bright pink color, and she looked flustered. Juliet pried Nick from the monitor, but instead of dazed, he looked triumphant.
"Haha! Told you so" Nick said with a grin to Starch, who grumbled and paid him five dollars.
"I do NOT have a crush. I just met the guy for crying out loud" Samantha scowled as she watched the exchange of money.
"So? I met Juliet a few days ago, and look at us!" Nicholas said cheerfully.
Samantha shook her head and saved herself from further embarrassment by walking out of the room. Serenity and Jess squealed at the same time and said "AWWWW!"
"So…Samantha and the new guy?" Starch said to Vice.
"About time. The fans have been asking for it for 20 damn chapters. About time that lazy excuse for an author got around to it" Vice said.
Nicholas pulled out a golden spoon and advanced towards the two survivors, holding it like a knife, before Juliet put him in a full nelson and threw him to the ground.
"In just got my ass kicked by a Zombie-slaying cheerleader…I'm not sure whether to feel humiliated, or turned on" Nicholas remarked.
"Both. Now get up" Juliet said with a grin, offering Nicholas a hand up, which he took with a wide smile.
"Come on guys. We should get some sleep. It's been a long day…" Nicholas said as he walked out of the studio. The others followed him out, with Nick hitting the lights on the way out.
Meanwhile:
Der Reise:
"So…" Yena murmured as Richtofen finished his tale.
"So?" Richtofen said.
"I'll help you" Yena said softly.
"Perfect. Maxis cannot regain power once more, so we must cut him off beforehand"
"Illuzio can stop him" Yena said with a grin.
"Illuzio? Who is that?" Richtofen asked.
"You mentioned it was a green ball of magic that sent you here?" Yena said to the Zombified man, who nodded.
"This is it" Richtofen said, holding out a palm.
Yena grinned widely as a shimmering green orb appeared in Richtofen's dead hand. Yena let out a contained breath and said "Yes…this…is Illuzio…this is his signature"
"Signature?" Richtofen asked.
"I know quite a bit about magic and its properties, as well as inter-dimensional travel, which is why I'm not more surprised at your story. Basically, every person who can use magic has a special kind of force in their magic. Their code, or their signature. This can manifest in many forms in their magic, but for Illuzio, it's the green color in his spells"
"Do you know what spell this is?" Richtofen asked Yena, who shook his head.
"No…It could be anything. It was probably not meant for you, but hey, if you're going to change the future from that, then I say their loss is your gain" Yena laughed.
Richtofen grinned evilly and said "So, this Illuzio is the source of this blessing! I must meet him! His powers could be very, very useful"
"The other Richtofen explained to me how he found Illuzio in the first place…THAT'S IT!" Yena said with a mad laugh.
"What? What is it?" Richtofen asked softly.
"You…you come from an alternate universe. This has all played out in some degree, so you know how this arc will end…but what if things got switched up a bit in this one?" Yena said with a grin.
"Explain"
"There are several things that don't match up with this timeline compared to yours. The central theme to this is Illuzio. He's not there at all in your timeline, yet you find his magic?" Yena said softly, his mind racing. Like Richtofen, Porter, and Dr. Maxis, Yena had a mind ahead of his time.
"Illuzio must have come to your timeline himself, and then returned here…Sometime much further down the road…he must have sent that ball of magic to help those survivors, but it came to you. You then came to this timeline, and then you met me. It's so simple" Yena said with a laugh.
"What!? Tell me!" Richtofen barked.
"You are the force that sets the present and future of this timeline in motion. You're the changing force that alters this timeline, and sets it apart from yours. You create this future, because of Illuzio. Illuzio is the trigger, and you are the bullet" Yena whispered with an excited gleam in his eyes.
"So, to create this new future, I must rewrite the past of the very present I am in now? I have to create this present by altering the past?" Richtofen said softly.
"That's my theory… Illuzio says all magic was wiped out in a Great Disaster of some sort that killed his wife and all magic users except himself" Yena said.
"I see…"
"Do you?" Yena replied, and Richtofen nodded.
"Before I go…I have a gift for you" Richtofen said, tapping the ball of green light with his hand. Yena starred in surprise as a small black rod-like device suddenly materialized in front of him, floating in the air.
"Is that…the Vril Generator?" Yena asked, sounding surprised.
"Yes and no. It is designed to switch back souls to their original bodies, but leave one with all of the powers while the other is left weakened. I want you to give this to…Illuzio, and tell him to hide this on the Moon, at the Griffin Station. The Vril Generator, the Golden Rod, is what will cause us to swap souls, so, we must use magic to alter the story" Richtofen said with a dark smile.
"So, you want them to use this rod after using the Golden Rod. How are we going to get them to do that?" Yena asked the Zombified Richtofen, who chuckled.
"This Illuzio, he has magic, yes? With magic, you can do anything! Have him plant a memory of this device as an failsafe, to be used in case I succeed…in both Maxis's mind, and Samantha's!" Richtofen said softly, an evil smile playing at his lips.
"A false failsafe…I see…but, are you sure you want to do that?" Yena asked.
"What do you mean?" Richtofen asked.
"Such a switch…such a change between souls, going back and forth…who knows what it would do to you? This magic in the Anti-Vril Generator, you said it'll give you your body back, plus any powers you have afterward…but what if it changes more than that?" Yena asked the Zombified man, who looked away.
"I am prepared to do what I must, to stop Maxis and his schemes. This magic is strong, but it will not last forever. I will return to my own dimension soon, and I must change what I can so this will not end with the world's ruin" Richtofen murmured, the sting of losing his power to the damned man flashing in his mind. The people he thought he could trust, could rely on, betraying him and damning the world to disaster.
"I'll do what I can as well. I'll work with the others, without telling them anything of course, and have them help as well" Yena said.
"Harvey…why are you helping me?" Richtofen asked Yena, who smiled.
"Let's just say I remember the man who you were before the M.P.D., and I'll help you because in the end, this will change this rotten world for the better. I'm an evil person, but that doesn't mean that this world would be better off with Maxis is charge, now would it?" Yena said with a laugh.
"I see…I must be off. You know what you must do…this will be the last I see of you, my friend" Richtofen said softly as he turned away, holding out the ball of magic in front of him.
"Goodbye Edward…and good luck" Yena said to the man, who nodded and vanished in a flash of green light.
Yena turned around, grinning widely.
"This…is going to be very…very interesting" Yena purred as his eyes flickered red for a moment as he walked back to the others, his mind racing with the information he had learned.
End of Chapter:
HAHA!
It all comes together.
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