Location: Sprawl - Civil Area
7:00 PM
The door slid upward with a hiss as Isaac Clark and half of Class 1A stepped into the dimly lit corridor. The group moved slowly, the engineer led the way with his plasma cutter aimed ahead of him, and at the same time stayed close to the kids in a circle while venturing forward. The sprawl had been deathly quiet, an eerie stillness that seemed to cling to the air. For a brief moment, they froze, hearts racing, convinced they had heard the low growl of a necromorph skittering through the vents. But the sound dissipated, leaving only silence in its wake. The once bustling life of the hotel had transformed into a ghost town, its vibrant energy replaced by an unsettling emptiness.
As they moved cautiously out of the bedroom, following the narrow path along the hallway, they passed a couple of closed hotel doors, each one a silent reminder of the chaos that had unfolded. The air felt thick and oppressive, filled with an unspoken tension that hung between them. Not a single word was exchanged as they walked, each footfall echoing in the stillness. The occasional breeze that swept through the hotel felt like a chilling caress, a reminder of the nightmarish world they were desperately trying to escape. They pressed on, each step drawing them closer to the unknown, the weight of their silence amplifying the sense of dread that enveloped them.
It was then that Isaac snapped to his right and saw a gunship hovering behind the leviathan-sized glass. The airship's lights beamed on Isaac and Class 1A, maneuvering through the air while keeping its sights on the group. Isaac quickly brought his hand up to his earpiece as the radio crackled to life. Connecting him to Daina on the line.
"Oh, man. Oh, man," Kaminari stammered, stepping back along with Mineta.
Isaac brought his hand up to his earpiece.
"Daina! Tiedemann's soldiers have found us! They're tracking us in some sort of gunship!" Isaac informed her, subconsciously sprinting.
"You're almost here! Hurry," Daina replied, ending the com as quickly as she responded.
Isaac brought his hand back to his side and looked at Class 1A over his shoulder.
"Come on," Isaac said, jerking his head toward the path ahead of them.
Isaac proceeded to lead the way while Class 1A followed him. The door before them slid upward for them to walk through, and the group entered a dark hall decorated with a large statue of the Marker. Danger Sense suddenly flared up in Izuku's head. Without thinking he activated One For All as emerald energy crackled around his figure, then rolled his body around to face the source of the danger.
A slasher burst through the door with a haunting growl. Pieces of wood flew into the air and clattered down onto the hallway floor. The slasher twitched its gaze towards the group and began to stalk towards them. Izuku was about to engage with the creature until Isaac stopped him by extending his arm in front of him. Izuku glanced at the space engineer with bewilderment.
"I got this one," said Isaac, shifting his gaze back at the creature.
Isaac aimed his plasma cutter at the slasher. He fired a shot at it, shooting off its limbs and severing its head from its shoulders. Blood spewed out from the wounds, coating the carpet below it. The creature went limp and the gunshots gave way to silence. The group turned away towards a nearby elevator. Once the car reached the lower floor, Isaac and Class 1A walked toward the Church of Unitology. Before the group could approach the door, they saw a creature crawling toward a corpse.
Said creature had wings formed from the human torso and legs. Its wings are formed by a flap of skin from the chest and then fused between the former host's bent and broken legs. The jaw collapses within the body and the rest of the head breaks and twists into its proboscis and feelers with the spine providing support and attachment points for articulation. The proboscis, which is made from mutated bone, muscle, and spinal tissue, is the delivery mechanism for the pure Necromorph tissue. Isaac recognizes this creature as an Infector, a necromorph that mutates the dead and reanimates them into more of the monsters swarming in the Sprawl.
Isaac darted his eyes at the door and saw another Infector crawling towards a corpse. The small necromorph picked the human corpse up in its grasp and struck its bone-like stinger into the human's forehead. The body shook violently as blood sprayed on the carpeted floor.
"Kill it!" Isaac shouted, pointing at the two Infectors. "Don't let them finish!"
Isaac aimed his plasma cutter at the first Infector nearby. Pelting enough rounds to force the creature off the corpse, then proceeding to shoot its limbs off and severing. Blood spewed out from the wounds, coating the carpet below its form.
Yaoyorozu sprinted toward the other Infector with a pole in hand. She swung her pole with a yelp, striking the small necromorph square in the face, sending it flying until it landed on its back. Uraraka assumed a short sprint before standing beside Yaoyorozu, aimed her plasma cutter at the creature, and shot a couple of blade rounds at its chest - to its head. The Infector shrieked before going limp.
Somewhere on the other side of the room, they heard a vent explode. The group saw an exploder leaping out of the vent's doorway, quickly standing back up in a crooked stance. Before it could turn to face them, Isaac reloaded his plasma cutter before aiming at the exploder. He shot one blade round at the creature's pustule, and the necromorph exploded in a wet splat. Leaving behind a revolting stench that assaulted the group's nostrils.
A slasher jumps out of the same vent the exploder leaped out. Followed by a high-pitched growl. The creature quickly stood up, snapped its gaze toward the group, and instinctively began to sprint at them with terrifying speed. Shoto took a step forward, extended his arm with his left palm raised, and then shot a torrent of flames at the stunned monster. The slasher shrieked in pain as fire enveloped its figure, melting away its shredded clothes and skin. The necromorph kicked and thrashed wildly on the spot, trying to escape the intense heat.
Its limbs finally stop struggling and it stills completely.
"Is that all of them?" Uraraka asked, glancing at Isaac.
"Yeah, I think so," Isaac replied, nodding his head.
"Is that another monster we should know?" Jiro questioned, glancing at the space engineer.
"Yeah," Isaac replied. "They're called Infectors, whose sole purpose is to quickly convert corpses into Necromorphs, thus creating more forms to spread the infestation. Infectors are often the first Necromorphs created by the Marker signal and act as an accelerant for the infection."
Kaminari and Mineta slowly shifted their gaze toward the corpse on the floor.
"That explains why there are so many of them," Kaminari said, staring wide-eyed at the man's dead body.
"With the amount of dead bodies we've seen, yeah," Mineta added.
Yaoyorozu stared at the dead Infector's corpse.
"We should be on the lookout for them from now on," Yaoyorozu said, clenching her fist close to her heart.
Izuku glanced at Isaac.
"Let's keep moving," Izuku said.
Isaac nodded before aiming his plasma cutter once more and walking forward. Half of Class 1A followed behind, forming a protective circle again as they approached the door. Said door slid upward to reveal a long hall with decorative glass paintings of the Church of Unitology. The group entered the next room and ascended the stairs, leading them to a small area where they saw another door not too far from them. But before the group could approach it, Izuku's Danger Sense suddenly flared up in his head. Izuku looked up and saw the same gunship from earlier staring down at him and his friends.
"Get down!" Izuku shouted.
Kaminari and Mineta stared at the gunship in horror.
"Gaah!" Mineta screamed.
"Oh god," Kaminari added.
Isaac and half of Class 1A complied and leaped down on the floor. The gunship's turret roared to life as it rained down powerful rounds on the group, blitzing past their heads and shoulders. Shoto swung his right arm upward, producing a giant ice wall that rose from the floor - to the ceiling. Said wall proved to be efficient as the bullets couldn't penetrate through its surface to land on their targets.
It was then that Isaac's radio crackled to life.
"It's Tiedemann! He's found you! Into the Church, hurry!" Daina shouted through the com.
Isaac looked between Izuku and his friends.
"Go, go!" Isaac yelled, gesturing his hand for Class 1A to run.
Isaac quickly got up on his feet and ran alongside Class 1A. Adrenaline surged through the group as they dashed forward. Izuku and Isaac looked over their shoulders, as their hearts were racing. The gunship abruptly halted its assault, its engines sputtering as it pulled its nose back from the shattered glass strewn across the wall.
The ship ascended with a final ominous roar, disappearing into the vastness of space, leaving only silence in its wake. As the group entered the Church's lobby, the atmosphere shifted dramatically; the eerie blue hue faded, restoring the familiar colors of their surroundings. A wave of relief washed over them, and they collectively exhaled, releasing the tension that had built up during the harrowing encounter. Isaac began pacing around the room while half of Class 1A rested.
"Daina? The Church of Unitology? Why here?" Isaac asked, looking around the new area.
"It's one of the few places on Titan Station that Tiedemann can't monitor. Separation of Church and State," Daina replied via radio.
Isaac halted his pace upon hearing her reply.
"No Daina, we shouldn't be in here. This is the last place we want to be right now," Isaac said, already not liking this new path.
"Isaac, my brother died trying to rescue you. This is important," Daina reminded him. "This will work. I'm in a safe room at the top of the Church. Meet me there, okay?"
The radio ended and Isaac brought his hand back down to his side.
"Damnit," Isaac muttered under his breath.
Isaac rolled his body around to face half of Class 1A.
"Alright guys, we're getting close now," Isaac announced. Half of Class 1A shifted their attention to Isaac. "Daina's safe room is just at the top of the Church that we're in, so all we gotta do now is climb up."
"Ugh, seriously," Mineta groaned.
"I'm so tired," said Kaminari.
"Quit your whining, you babies," Bakugo said, glancing at the pair.
Izuku's walkie-talkie suddenly crackled to life. Bits of syllables flew through the speaker but after a few seconds, the words became clear enough to understand.
"Midoriya-kun, are you there?"
Izuku immediately retrieved his walkie-talkie.
"Ida-kun, I'm here," Izuku returned, staring down at his walkie-talkie. Uraraka, her friends, and the others stood beside him. "Are you and the others okay? Did you guys get your suits?"
"Yes, we have," Ida replied via radio. "But that's not why I've contacted you. I'm afraid we have a problem."
Tsuyu looked down at Izuku's walkie-talkie with concern.
"What's wrong, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked, her tone laced with worry.
"The waypoint that leads us to you guys has been blocked off, we can't get through," Ida replied. "There's another way around but that path leads to a whole horde of those monstrous creatures. Unless you guys can come to us, I don't think reaching you is possible."
Mineta shook his head in disappointment.
"Seriously?" Mineta groaned.
Izuku closed his eyes while taking a deep breath. He reopened his eyes and looked back down at the device.
"Okay, my friends and I are close to our destination. Once Isaac gets the cure, we'll come straight to you," Izuku said. "So in the meantime, send us a waypoint to your position."
"Okay," Ida confirmed. "Stay safe."
"You too," Izuku replied.
Izuku slipped his walkie-talkie back to his side after ending the call. He looked at Isaac who stared back and nodded at him. Isaac nodded back before starting toward a door to their left, while Izuku and friends trailed after him.
The door closed behind the group with a soft hiss.
Location: Sprawl - The Church of Unitology
7:27 PM
The heart of the Church of Unitology was traditional and religious. With the Black Marker as the central object of worship, the Church's architecture bears the artifact's symbols and twisting motif, inspired by the pictures and drawings recovered from Altman's research. Everything about Unitology is modeled in the image of the Marker and the awe invoked by the alien artifact itself. Dark colors permeate the Church's buildings and clothing while intertwining shapes and circles in accord with the Marker and its promise of unity are used to create a rich environment in worship spaces. Something that Isaac Clark still despises to this day.
Isaac led half of Class 1A through the Church. An eerie stillness clung to the air, moving slowly together in a circle as they entered a room filled with corpses littering the carpeted floor on their backs and bellies. But before the group could approach the stairs, an interface screen suddenly appeared in front of Isaac. The video call opens, revealing Nolan Stross standing in what seems to be a hallway with symbols of the marker carved on the walls.
"Isaac? Isaac," Nolan started, looking straight at him. "I know you see the symbols too. They mean something!"
Isaac arched a brow at Stross under his helmet.
"Stross? Yes, I see the symbols," Isaac responded.
"We're a threat to them, I know it. We have to work together!" Stross hesitantly brought his hand up while closing his eyes and shaking his head. "…Oh, my nose is bleeding? When did that start? Uhhh."
Isaac stared bewilderingly at Stross.
"Work together?" Isaac was confused. "Who's them? You mean Tiedemann? Stross? Work with me, Stross!"
Isaac proceeded to call Stross. Hoping to get some answers from the crazy patient. However, Stross just goes out of frame, and the call disconnects.
"There he goes again," Kaminari muttered under his breath.
"That guy gives me the creeps," Jiro remarked.
"I find it creepy when he asked if his nose was bleeding, except it wasn't," Hagakure said.
"All the more reason to avoid that crazy bastard," Bakugo grumbled, narrowing his eyes at the blank screen. "We don't have time for more of his nonsense."
Izuku cupped his chin in thought.
"He did mention those symbols," Izuku said, glancing at Isaac. "Do you think he might know where the Marker is?"
Isaac shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know," Isaac replied. "I'll have to ask Daina, maybe she knows where it is. And if she does, then the second I get my cure, I'm gonna go find it and destroy it."
Isaac faced forward and began ascending the stairs. Izuku and his friends followed him, climbing up the staircase until they rounded to their left and proceeded toward a door. Said door slid upward with a hiss, revealing another path that stretched out in a curve. The group cautiously entered the library, which is evident since they glanced to see bookshelves lined up against the wall as they passed.
Out of nowhere, they came across an Infector that had already had a dead priest in its grasp. However, Isaac and Uraraka raised their plasma cutters and fired synchronously at the creature. The small necromorph shrieks in pain before falling flat on the floor. The gunshots gave way to silence. The pair glanced at each other and nodded in acknowledgment before continuing forward. The group descends the spiral staircase to the lower floor of the library, which has an elevator in the center. Suddenly the air was broken by the growls and shrieks from all sides by necromorphs. Immediately prompting the group on high alert.
Two slashers leaped out of the vents and stalked toward the group. Two others were being mutated to life by a few Infectors, while other slashers rose from the ground with a haunting growl. Bakugo initiated the confrontation by shaping his hand into a precise circle, pressing his hand against his right palm, and channeling his energy to unleash a barrage of explosive bullets aimed directly at the nearest slasher. Each bullet found its target with deadly accuracy, causing the creature to stagger back as the impacts resonated with deafening booms. The slasher was riddled with gaping holes, its arms severed and rendered useless. With a final, agonizing gurgle, the monstrous figure succumbed to its injuries and collapsed to the ground in a lifeless heap.
A surge of energy courses through Izuku's body as he instinctively activates One for All. He sprinted forward with unmatched speed. In a powerful leap, he soared into the air, twisted his torso, and lashed his leg at the slasher's face. The kick sent the necromorph flying until it collided with the other slashers hard on impact. Mina Ashido quickly ran up and stood in front of the piled-up slashers, her arms extended forward with her hands pressed together while aiming at the female slasher approaching her.
"Acid Shot!" Mina shouted her ultimate move, firing a hail of acidic bullets over a widespread area at her target.
The acidic projectiles struck the piled-up necromorphs with a wet smack. The creatures shrieked in pain as their skins began melting away with each passing second, and soon went limp on the floor in a bloody puddle. She canceled her assault and pulled her arms back to her sides once the necromorphs were dead.
A pair of Infectors crawled toward Mina with scary speed. Mineta saw the creatures moving toward her, grabbed a handful of sticky purple balls from his head, and threw them at the approaching monsters. The Infectors shrieked in confusion when a sudden force halted them on the spot. Isaac and Uraraka reloaded their plasma cutters, aimed at the stunned creatures, and fired. The Infectors shrieked in pain as blade rounds pierced their skins, cutting off their limbs one after the other. The two creatures' screamed one final time before going limp.
The gunshots once again gave way to silence.
"Thanks for the save, Mineta-kun," Mina said, giving Mineta a thumbs up.
"No problem," Mineta replied, returning the gesture.
"Uh, guys?" Kaminari called. Everyone shifted their gaze toward him.
The group gathered around Kaminari. As they peered into the cramped elevator, a collective frown spread across their faces. The car was barely large enough to accommodate two people comfortably, let alone the entire group. They exchanged concerned glances, realizing the impracticality of their situation.
"There's not enough room for all of us to squeeze in, ribbit," Tsuyu said, placing one finger on her chin.
Izuku nodded in agreement.
"Well, I guess we're going to have to take the other way," Izuku said.
Tendrils of BlackWhip emerged from his hips. Isaac perked up, a bit surprised as he watched each tendril wrapping all around Midoriya's friends one by one. The last tendril reached towards Uraraka and Isaac and slowly coiled around their waist.
Man, this is gonna take getting used to, Isaac thought.
"Okay, hang on everyone," Izuku told his friends.
Izuku activated his Float quirk and leaped into the air. He hovered close to the bridge, then carefully set his friends on the narrow carpeted platform one by one. He finally placed Uraraka and Isaac down before descending between the pair. The group started forward and exited the library, and soon entered the indoctrination room. On the left and right are chairs with brainwashing monitors. An obtrusive commercial for the church plays on TV.
"Have you ever felt like you were meant to be part of something bigger? Then maybe Unitology is for you," the woman on screen started. "Founded two hundred years ago by our Savior, Michael Altman, Unitologists believe that one day all mankind will be united through the power of a sacred artifact known as the Marker. We call this process Convergence. Imagine it. All mankind brought together with one purpose. With one mind. With one soul. No war. No fear. No hate. If that sounds like an ideal world to you, then look no further. Convergence is coming. And Unitology… Is helping it happen."
Izuku and friends stared at the screen in puzzlement. It's not that they didn't understand the woman's speech, they just found it to be very weird. Isaac shook his head, unamused by the message. Isaac and half of Class 1A shifted their gaze toward the door across the room. Isaac sighed when he saw that the door was locked.
"Another locked door?" Kaminari was disappointed. "I swear, it feels like we're in a video game. Every time we enter another room, we find a door that's locked; and we gotta go around someplace to either find a switch or key to unlock it."
"But what if we are..?" Mineta wondered aloud.
Kaminari and Mineta cupped their chins. Looking up in space while humming deep in thought. Isaac observed the pair when they spoke, however, he decided not to comment on their game theory. He turned away from the kids, entered the right room, and started taking panels to reroute power to the door. But when the engineer inserted the fuse in place, nothing happened.
"Please replace the fuse for the Observation Center door in the junction panel. Vandalism in the Church is not permitted," the a.i said.
Isaac hummed. He turned halfway around, about to get another fuse. But blinked surprisingly when he saw Izuku already holding one in BlackWhip's grasp.
"Will this help?" Izuku asked, smiling at the engineer.
Isaac smiled back under his helmet and nodded.
"Yeah, that'll do," Isaac replied, taking the fuse from Izuku.
Isaac inserted the second fuse in place. The tool rang to life as the door outside the room finally functioned. However, when the pair exited the room, a trio of slashers burst out from the ceiling. Landing on the floor across the room and immediately sprinted toward them with a growl. Isaac extended his left arm, shooting a blue beam of Stasis at the trio, and slowed down their movements on impact. Isaac and Uraraka raised their plasma cutters, firing synchronously at the three creatures.
The three necromorphs shrieked in agony as the gunslingers unleashed a barrage of bullets, expertly severing their limbs with precision. Each shot echoed through the dimly lit room, a stark contrast to the grotesque forms of the creatures. As the last of their limbs fell away, the necromorphs writhed in a desperate attempt to escape, but it was futile. One by one, they collapsed onto the cold, hard floor, their bodies growing limp. In their final moments, a chilling cry escaped their twisted mouths, a haunting sound that slowly faded into an eerie silence, leaving only the distant echoes of Isaac and Urarakas' victory.
"Wow Uraraka, you're getting the hang of that gun," Mina praised, smiling at her friend.
Hagakure nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, you're like a gunslinger," Hagakure added.
Uraraka turned to face the girls while smiling back at them with her eyes closed.
"Heh, heh, I've just been watching how Isaac used his," Uraraka said, rubbing the back of her head. "I had to learn from the master in some way, after all."
Isaac glanced at Uraraka.
"And you're doing a good job at learning 'em, that deserves a five star on my book," Isaac complimented.
The group approached the door. They blinked in surprise when they saw said door rising and falling at an unnaturally fast pace. Isaac extended his left arm, shooting a beam of Stasis at the door, and slowed down its movement on impact. He jerked his head toward the doorway, allowing Izuku and his friends to walk through one by one. When Isaac stepped in last, his world suddenly flashed in static, Izuku and his friends nowhere in sight. Only he stood alone in the darkroom as he saw Nicole's eye on the monitors staring deep into his soul.
"I'm so cold, Isaac. It hurts," Nicole said, glitching out on screen. "Where are you going? You can't run from the pain forever. Soon you'll beg for a way to end it all."
Isaac's world flashes in splitting static. He blinked, finding the ghost of Nicole no longer inhabiting the monitors. He turned to his left in time to see Izuku and his friends already crawling inside the tech tunnel. He let out a collective sigh, a bit glad that none of them had noticed his brief episode. He crawled last into the tunnel, trailing behind Shoto and Bakugo. Isaac pulled himself out of the tunnel with a grunt and stood there for a moment to catch his breath.
Isaac turned around and shouted in shock when he suddenly saw the ghost of Nicole in front of him. She leaped at him with a syringe in hand, causing the engineer to haunt her assault by grabbing both of her arms in a vice grip. His helmet automatically unfolded itself, revealing the man's face gritting his teeth in desperation for survival. She channeled more force in her arms as she pushed the syringe closer to Isaac's eye. All the while emanating a creepy high-pitched.
"MAKE US WHOLE!" The ghost of Nicole shouted, her tone laced with venom and static.
Isaac grunted as he channeled more strength into his arms, his muscles straining against the relentless pressure. He focused intently, every fiber of his being dedicated to preventing the needle from piercing his eye. The world around him faded, his heart pounding like a drum, each beat echoing in his ears. A fresh surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins, heightening his senses and sharpening his focus. Sweat trickled down his brow, but he refused to waver, determined to conquer this moment of peril. With each passing second, the stakes felt higher, and he could almost taste the fear that lingered in the air, urging him to fight harder.
"ISAAC!"
Isaac's world flashed statically. He blinked in shock, finding the syringe firmly grasped in both of his hands while aiming the needle dangerously close to his eye. He also saw both of Uraraka's hands clasped over his knuckles. He looked over his knuckles and saw Uraraka staring worryingly at him. Her expression extended to Izuku, the other girls of Class 1A, along with Bakugo, Shoto, Kaminari, and Mineta.
Isaac stared at the syringe in his hands. He had another seizure again; he was fighting no one but himself this whole time. Instead of reassuring the children that he was alright and nothing was wrong, Isaac tried to gain a better sense of his surroundings. He closed his eyes with a deep breath, focusing on calming his racing heart, willing his body to slow down, and to ease back into a state of tranquility. The shadows of his last memory began to fade, replaced by a burgeoning awareness that he was safe.
Isaac felt the tension in his muscles gradually dissipate as he concentrated on the steady rhythm of his breath. The sharpness of his senses began to soften, the world around him, once filled with the echoes of danger, transformed into a space of quietude. Allowing Shirou to gather his thoughts and regain control over his racing mind. Slowly, he embraced the stillness, letting the remnants of adrenaline fade into the background. He reopened his eyes in time for his helmet to mechanically fold back over his face and locked in place with a clanked hiss.
Isaac walked past Izuku and Uraraka toward the door without a word. Izuku and his friends exchanged worried glances, their concern for the engineer extending from one friend to another.
They trailed after their space companion through the doorway.
Location: Sprawl - The Church of Unitology - Basilica Basement
7:35 PM
Isaac and Class 1A entered the Basilica Basement. Light beamed through the glass ceiling, basking down on a couple of statues situated together in a circle at the center. Four were glancing up while lifting a giant ball, while the others clasped their hands together with their heads bowed. The group approached the elevator and took turns descending to the second floor of the basement. When they arrived at the door out of the Church, it broke unexpectedly when the metal layer protruded, revealing wires underneath. It was as if someone or something hit it from the other side.
"Daina we're locked out," Isaac informed her. "There's something in the church; It broke the door!"
"Hang on. I'll try to override all the gates in the area," Daina replied via radio.
Somewhere in the basement, there was a high-pitched screech that echoed throughout the walls.
Isaac and half of Class 1A snapped their gaze toward the direction of the screech. The screech was followed by a similar call, then trailed by a bark. Uraraka instinctively reloaded another blade round in her plasma cutter, and emerald energy crackled around Izuku's body as he subconsciously activated One for All. Bakugo, Shoto, Kaminari, and Mineta assumed a battle stance. Yaoyorozu and the girls emulated their friends, each of them activating their quirks while assuming their prepared stance.
"Hurry. There's something out here, too…" Isaac said, slowly bringing his other hand back at the plasma cutter's grip handle.
"Isaac, what is that?" Izuku whispered, glancing at the engineer.
"I don't know," Isaac replied.
As minutes passed by the air proceeded to be filled with more barks and sounds of movement. Danger Sense thundered across Izuku's head, causing him to turn to his left. The very second Izuku shifted his gaze, he saw the silhouette of a head, peeking from the corner. Izuku's eyes widened and his muscles tensed.
Something was staring at him.
Izuku saw a new necromorph leap out from the corner and started a sprint towards him with terrifying speed. The creature had long arms that were equipped with long talons ending in sharpened tips. The ribcage is displayed wide open, though as with most Necromorphs, there is a lack of any digestive organs and only vestigial remains of previously vital organs. Well-formed musculature in the back led to a reinforced spinal column and neck capped by the creature's most distinguishing feature: a massive, eyeless, three-pronged head with only traces of its host's bone structure.
The skull is largely exposed, sporting a thick cap covered in bony protrusions to aid in crushing and bashing. The upper jaw and nasal cavities are left largely intact, while the cranial dome is squashed down to provide a more even, durable striking surface, which is further supported by the cheekbones. Unlike many Necromorphs, this highly mutated skull is the hardest point on the creature and is immune to dismemberment. The legs have been heavily morphed, taking on a digitigrade structure and ending in two slender digits.
Izuku stood frozen as he grappled with the horror unfolding before his eyes. The Stalker, a terrifying new breed of necromorphs, moved with a predatory grace that sent chills down his spine. Unlike the mindless hordes he had encountered before, these creatures exhibited a chilling intelligence, coordinating their attacks with ruthless precision. They struck in packs, but only one would engage at a time, drawing in their prey with a deceptive dance of feigned weakness.
A gunshot pulled Izuku out of his trance. He saw a blade round pierce the speeding Stalker on the shoulder, knocking the creature to the floor. He glanced to his right and saw Uraraka standing beside him with her plasma cutter raised. Steam billowed from the gun's barrel as she narrowed her eyes at the downed Stalker. The creature quickly got back up and ran away into the shadows of the room.
The group snapped their gaze back at the room's center. More Stalkers began to run around the room. Some were jumping over pillars, while others ran to hide from one corner to another.
"Everyone, get ready," Izuku said, raising his fists. Everyone narrowed their eyes forward.
One Stalker leaped out from a corner and ran toward the group.
Followed by a high-pitched screech.
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this sixth chapter, young readers. I meant to come back to this story for a while, but such is life. Right now I'm recovering from the flu like everyone else, so I'm eighty percent better as we speak. I'm just dealing with a dry cough. If you guys are also dealing with the flu, then I only hope you all get better wherever you are. I have been reading some of your comments, wondering what could be next once we reach the end of this arc. I don't know if I've already established this but if I haven't I'll just say it here. I already have a list of other universes for Class 1A to travel to; some are anime shows that you guys might be familiar with, others are cinematic movies, and the rest are video games from one's childhood.
I won't say too much but I'll tell you guys this. If y'all are familiar with a movie called The Quiet Place, then we'll definitely see Class 1A dealing with the death angels in the near future. Next chapter will feature Isaac, Izuku, and his friends being betrayed by Daina. Class 1A finally reuniting as a whole team again, the group meeting Ellie and Stross, and so much more. But that's all I'll say for now, folks. As always, I'll see you young readers in the next chapter. Have a nice day!