Sorry for a very late update. Literally 1 day after the last update, I was assigned 2 projects that I've spent what was to be writing time working on them, so I am aware that this update is late and I am sorry.

Also. . .

We hit 13,000 views? HOLY SHIT! I never expected to get near this popular! Thank you everyone for giving me a chance here. Updates are still sketchy, but I do know how I want to end this story, and it won't take much longer.

Chapter 33: Powering the Generators

Austin's POV

The giant marched relentlessly to our location, our only source of protection being a small wooden bridge. All Arlington and I could do was hope we weren't in his pathway. Otherwise, we'd be flattened like roadkill. I knew that we had no chance of survival now if anyone died, because everyone needed a staff to stop Sam. Ull now inhabited my own mind, and I could hear him whisper in my mind. I didn't hear a word he said, though, because I thought the robot was going to step on us.

Ull communicated with me telepathically, just as Richtofen had done long ago. At least it seems like long ago. Truthfully, all these events have only been in the span of days, though time travel has an effect on your sense of time.

A loud stomp cut me off from my thoughts. Arlington nudged me and pointed at a gargantuan foot only feet away and above. We sighed in relief, realizing we were not in his path. Rising up, we saw that the giant was literally towering above us. His mere presence was inhuman and metallic. The main thing that freaked me out about him was the fact that it was just programmed to walk an endless cycle, not caring for who it crushed under its mighty feet. When you really come down to it, it was just another hunk of metal that could operate on its own.

Arlington and I stayed in the general vincinity of Generator 3 until the arrival of round six. We each held an AK74u, and we did well watching each other's back. With no contact from Misty or Marlton, we began to fear that they had died. The thought chilled me; death for any of the four of us was game over.

Arlington and I finally opened up the way to the trench quarters that also had a doorway back to Generator 2, which had already been opened by the time we got here. We heard their gunshots from above, matching MP40s. We quickly traveled upstairs and very nearly got shot by Marlton, who just happened to think the footstep noises downstairs were coming from running zombies.

Misty soon appeared around the corner. "What took you two so long? We've been camping here since round 4!" She seemed slightly relieved to see we hadn't gotten ourselves overwhelmed, for reasons only she and I had yet discovered, but the other two would soon find out.

"We've been stockpiling on points. We probably got enough to open the next few doors. Was the mystery box at Generator 2?" We were walking to the next door while Arlington explained and asked.

"Yeah, but we haven't hit it yet, we just took what we knew for a price we knew," Marlton gestured at the matching German weaponry."

I opened up the next door as he said that, and the four of us silently walked up the slanted wooden path until the massive center of this whole nightmare came into view.

"That must be the dig site," Misty whispered.

She is correct, Austin. This is where it truly began. Ull's voice echoed in my mind. He sounded calm as if he was just saying any normal thing. I guess being a godlike entity eliminated your sense of fear.

Arlington got a nice headshot on the last zombie, and intermission came like it always had. The giant robots loomed in the distance. We headed west towards the next generator. We arrived, and I noticed Misty was paying close attention to an approaching foot. She mouthed 'left' and immediately raced to the left footprint from where we were facing, which was actually the rob it's right foot.

What Misty didn't know was that I had followed her. Marlton and Arlington were too busy dealing with the nasty electro zombies to even notice our departure. Misty shot the foot as it was just about to step on us, sending us to the head.

The inside of the head smelt of rotting corpses, as there were a few dead Germans in the room. However, I'd smelt my fair share of death as had Misty, who walked up to the front of the room to claim her second staff part.

"Two down," She started.

"And one to go," I finished, startling her as I expected. She quickly turned around to face me, a cocky smile was now plastered on my face.

"Why are you such a douchebag all of a sudden?" She said in slight anger. My smile dropped.

I sighed, she did have a point. I was getting too excited that we might have a ticket out of the zombie apocalypse. "You're right, I'm sorry," I genuinely ment it, too.

"Wow, didn't expect the 180 there," she awkwardly replied.

"I'm a mystery, Misty. Hey, that was a catchy rhyme!" I replied.

"So, you left Marlton and Arlington to come with me? Kinda unnecessary."

"I came to talk this out with you, one-on-one. I know you don't trust me anymore. What gives?" I had kept this to myself for too long, and I wanted answers.

She thought about it for a second. "It all started when you left us on the moon suddenly and without explaining why. We found out that you had your reasons and that Richtofen wanted to silence you so we couldn't know how dangerous you were. When you came back from the prison with that hardened criminal, we felt growing suspicion that your time in prison changed you. You became more cynical than normal, driven to keep living only on revenge. When Samantha showed her true motives, Marlton lost all trust in you, but I held out. But, you just seem so different lately. . ."

"I regret killing that man, but maybe it was supposed to happen all along, because Al is a chosen one as well. We're two of a kind, cynical, but hardened and still driven to live by revenge. But I think I make Arlington happier, he wasn't a man of many friends after all. I'm all he's got."

"You're right Austin, he was so proud when he brought up how you betrayed the other mobsters to save him. He said you were the only one who actually cared.

"Those sons of bitches had it coming, except Finn, I would have let him live if he hadn't also pulled a gun on Al. He gave me no choice, none of them did. I'm not a monster for what I did Misty, remember that." Parting on those words, I jumped out through a hole. Misty followed suit. We were free falling, just as we had in Shanghai. But this time, we survived.

In fact, we picked ourselves up just fine. It made no sense, but we didn't complain. We had fallen right next to Generator 4, where Marlton and Al waited.

"How did-" Marlton was extremely confused on how we survived that fall with no injuries.

"Divine intervention, I'm 99% sure of it," Misty cut him off.

"Before the apocalypse, I would have doubted. But now, anything seems scientifically possible, so I'll go with it."

Misty smiled at me, "This fucker followed me into the robot's foot." There was obvious joking in her voice now, for she was not angry at me anymore. Round 7 had apparently ended, as all was quiet on the battlefield

Our talk was cut short when round 8 arrived, and a loud alarm sounded. We soon saw a tank of a zombie, as he wore a suit of armor. He charged right for Arlington, who was unprepared. The robot fired it's flamethrower at him, and he fell down unconscious. I felt myself foolishly rush around the horde and the armored zombie, which wasn't really a good idea, but I didn't have time to care

"AL! FUCK!" I screamed, quickly racing to his downed body. I began to drag him to a safer place, but I soon felt a metal claw grab onto me and pull me. I soon was inches away from the zombie's face. It had a smile on it's face, nothing I had ever seen before. All I could think to do was scream "He's got me, run!" Then, I lost my own consciousness.