Chapter 4: Climax (Boss Battle)
The night had grown darker, the air thick with the stench of decay and burning flesh. The relentless moans of the undead echoed through the streets as Zeke and Julie led the remaining survivors to the center of the basketball court, surrounded by the makeshift barricade. The survivors huddled together, weapons in hand, ready for the next wave.
Suddenly, a deep, thunderous roar echoed through the block, cutting through the noise. Everyone froze, eyes wide with fear, as the ground shook beneath their feet. Zeke turned to Julie, gripping his squirt gun tightly. "What the hell was that?"
Before anyone could respond, the gate to the court exploded inward, sending metal and debris flying in every direction. A massive figure loomed in the smoke, stepping through the wreckage with slow, deliberate movements. The air seemed to crackle with tension as the survivors backed away, fear gripping them.
Big Tony.
The local kingpin, who once ran the streets, now stood before them—transformed into a grotesque, monstrous version of himself. His body was swollen with unnatural muscle, his skin pale and rotting. A sledgehammer, far too large for a normal man to wield, was clutched in his enormous hand, dragging along the ground as he moved.
Zeke's heart raced as he stared up at the towering figure. "Oh, shit…"
Big Tony let out another roar, swinging the sledgehammer with terrifying force, smashing through the remnants of the barricade. The impact sent several survivors flying, their screams lost in the chaos.
Julie gritted her teeth, stepping up beside Zeke. "We have to stop him. Now."
Zeke nodded, eyes scanning the area for any sort of plan. They couldn't fight Big Tony head-on—he was too strong, too massive. But there had to be a way. There had to be something.
Big Tony swung his hammer again, this time aiming at the survivors clustered near the court. A few of them tried to dodge, but the hammer caught two unlucky souls, their bodies crumpling under the impact.
"NOOO!" Big Smoke shouted, swinging his bat at the zombie kingpin, but it was like hitting a brick wall. Big Tony barely flinched as he swatted Big Smoke aside like a ragdoll, sending him crashing into the fence.
Zeke's mind raced. He had to think fast. The fireworks—those leftover fireworks they had stashed in the storage shed next to the court. They could use them to create a makeshift bomb, but they'd need to lure Big Tony into position.
"Julie!" Zeke yelled over the chaos. "The fireworks! We gotta use them!"
Julie's eyes widened as she realized what he meant. "You're crazy. But it might work."
Zeke glanced around, noticing a few remaining survivors who were still able to fight. "Big Smoke, Carlos, James! We need a distraction! We have to lure him toward the shed."
Big Smoke groaned as he pulled himself off the ground, his face twisted in pain but determination in his eyes. "I'm down, let's do this."
Carlos and James, both bruised but alive, nodded, grabbing whatever weapons they had left.
"Alright," Zeke said, taking a deep breath. "We distract him, lead him to the shed, and then we blow that son of a bitch sky-high."
The group split up, with Zeke, Julie, and Big Smoke circling around Big Tony. Carlos and James threw rocks and bottles at the giant zombie, shouting insults and taunts.
"Hey, Big Tony!" Zeke shouted, waving his arms. "You ain't so tough! Come and get us!"
Big Tony snarled, his glowing eyes locking onto Zeke. With another deafening roar, he raised the sledgehammer and charged toward them, his massive feet shaking the ground with each step.
"Now! Move!" Zeke yelled, running toward the shed with Julie close behind. Big Smoke, Carlos, and James followed, leading Big Tony right where they wanted him.
As they neared the shed, Zeke dove inside, grabbing the box of fireworks and frantically ripping them open. "Julie, get the lighter!"
Julie fumbled through her pockets, pulling out a small lighter and tossing it to Zeke. "Hurry!"
Big Tony was closing in fast, his hammer crashing down just inches from the survivors as they ducked and dodged.
Zeke lit the fireworks, his hands shaking as the fuse began to spark. "Alright, this is it! Everybody, get clear!"
The group scattered, diving behind what little cover they could find as Big Tony reached the shed. Zeke stayed just long enough to throw the lit fireworks into the shed, the sparks flying as the fuses burned down.
"Come on, come on…" Zeke muttered under his breath, backing away as Big Tony swung his hammer again, smashing into the side of the shed.
And then, with a deafening boom, the fireworks exploded in a blinding flash of light and sound. The explosion rocked the entire block, sending shockwaves through the air and engulfing Big Tony in a fiery blaze.
Zeke and the others shielded their eyes, the force of the blast knocking them off their feet. For a moment, everything was silent. The smoke hung in the air, and the only sound was the crackling of fire.
Zeke coughed, pulling himself to his feet. "Did… did it work?"
Julie staggered over to him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I… I think so…"
The smoke began to clear, revealing the wreckage of the shed—and in the center of it all, Big Tony's massive, charred body lay still, finally defeated.
Zeke let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "We did it."
Big Smoke limped over, his face smeared with dirt and blood, but a grin spread across his face. "Hell yeah, we did it. That's how we do it in the hood."
The remaining survivors gathered around, exhausted but relieved. They had fought back. They had survived.
But as they looked around at the destruction, the bodies, the burned-out cars, and ruined homes, the weight of the situation sank in. The battle wasn't over yet. The zombies were still out there, and the fight for the hood had only just begun.
The smoke had barely cleared when more roars echoed from the distance—this time louder, fiercer. The hood wasn't safe yet. Zombies were still pouring in from all directions, bringing more chaos to the streets. Zeke and Julie could see new figures emerging through the haze, twisted shadows lumbering toward them.
"Yo, what now?!" Zeke muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead. He barely had time to catch his breath before a fresh wave of terror approached.
From the corner of the block, a new horror appeared—Chainsaw Maniacs. Two towering maniacs with blood-soaked aprons revved their chainsaws, their red eyes gleaming with a thirst for destruction. They tore through fences, cutting a swath toward the survivors.
"Oh, hell no," Julie whispered, clutching her makeshift flamethrower tighter. "Zeke, we need to bounce."
But before they could retreat, more zombies surged out from between the buildings, crashing through windows and clawing their way over cars. They were everywhere—staggering, moaning, hungry for flesh. Among them, giant mutant plants wrapped themselves around the telephone poles, sending vine-like tentacles down to snatch unsuspecting survivors.
Big Smoke was the first to react. "Stay sharp, y'all!" he shouted, firing his shotgun into the approaching horde. The shells blasted through zombie skulls, but the creatures kept coming. Carlos swung a lead pipe with all his strength, crushing zombie after zombie, but they only seemed to multiply.
Out of nowhere, one of the Chainsaw Maniacs lunged forward, slicing clean through James with a sickening, wet crack. James screamed, his body falling to pieces in the street.
"ZOMBIES ATE MY NIGGAZ!" Carlos screamed, tears streaming down his face as he witnessed the brutal scene. Grief was overtaken by rage as he charged toward the chainsaw-wielding maniac with no fear, ready to avenge his friend. But the maniac was too fast—Carlos barely got a swing in before the chainsaw ripped through him as well, cutting him down in a spray of blood and screams.
"NOOOO!" Julie cried out, backing up as the chaos unfolded. The remaining survivors scattered, retreating in every direction as the zombies and maniacs overran the streets.
One by one, more fell. As Zeke ran through the hood, he saw people fighting for their lives—some surviving, others falling prey to the relentless attacks. Mr. Tyrell from down the street swung a baseball bat, knocking back several zombies before one managed to bite into his arm, dragging him down.
"ZOMBIES ATE MY NIGGAZ!" he screamed as his voice was swallowed by the growing zombie mob.
A group of younger kids tried to escape by climbing onto a garage roof, but a massive zombie with a bloated belly burst through the walls, reaching up and yanking them down. Their screams echoed through the block as the creature devoured them.
"ZOMBIES ATE MY NIGGAZ!" another man shouted as he tried to rally people around him, only to be torn apart by mutant plants that shot from the ground, wrapping around his legs and pulling him into the earth.
Zeke sprinted through the carnage, dodging zombies and monsters left and right. He needed to get to Julie—she was the only one who could help rally whoever was left. And they needed a plan, fast.
In the middle of the street, Julie was lighting a zombie on fire with her flamethrower, fighting off a group of undead. She looked over her shoulder, spotting Zeke running toward her.
"We gotta regroup!" she shouted, torching another zombie that lunged at her. "There's too many of them! We need a new strategy."
"Right!" Zeke nodded, panting as he joined her. "We lost a lot of people, but there's still some left. We gotta get everyone together, get the survivors in one place. Barricade the school or something."
Julie looked around, her eyes hard. "Yeah, but it's bad out here. These zombies aren't stopping, and those Chainsaw Maniacs are worse. If we don't move quick, we're done."
Zeke spotted more survivors emerging from the wreckage of homes and cars—bloodied, but alive. Big Smoke stumbled over, covered in grime, clutching his shotgun. "Zeke, we ain't got long before they wipe out the whole damn block. We need more than squirt guns and bats."
"I know," Zeke said, his mind racing. He glanced toward the old school down the block. It had brick walls and thick, locked doors. If they could make it there, they'd have a chance to defend themselves.
"Get everyone there," Zeke commanded, pointing toward the school. "We'll make a stand there. Get as many people as you can, grab all the weapons you got."
Big Smoke nodded, turning to rally the survivors. "You heard the man! Get to the school! We gonna survive this—these zombies ain't takin' us down tonight!"
People started moving, regrouping as best they could. The survivors grabbed anything they could find—old firecrackers, bats, even bricks. They were battered, bruised, and running low on resources, but they weren't going down without a fight.
But as they made their way toward the school, another wave of zombies broke through the barricades—a mix of undead, mutant plants, and Chainsaw Maniacs. The horde was closing in fast.
Julie grabbed Zeke's arm. "We're not gonna make it if they catch us out here."
Zeke looked back at the approaching monsters, his heart pounding. "Then we better run faster."
As the remaining survivors sprinted toward the school, the night erupted in chaos once more. But one thing was clear—they weren't giving up. Not yet.
And no matter what happened, Zeke and Julie weren't going to let the hood fall without a fight.
