Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Jacob furrowed his brow, deep in thought. After a moment, his eyes lit up with an idea. "My suggestion is… beat them to the punch."

"What? Beat who to the punch? What does that even mean?" Nathan looked completely lost, his face scrunched in confusion.

Jacob explained calmly, "It means we run—before the fight even starts."

"???"

Nathan stared at him, dumbfounded, a string of question marks practically floating above his head.

Even the secretary beside him blinked in surprise, her jaw slightly slack.

Damn.

Classic Jacob. Leave it to him to come up with something so bold—and weirdly effective. It was a strategy no one had even considered.

"When the Los Angeles Zombie King attacked San Bernardino, this is exactly how we got out alive," Jacob said, recalling the past. "If we hadn't bailed early, Sophia would've died right then and there. None of this would've happened."

That plan had saved Sophia's life once. Maybe, just maybe, it could save Nathan now too.

But Nathan's expression darkened, torn between pride and fear. Abandoning the company? That was a hard pill to swallow.

He was the regional director for all of North America. If he ran now, he'd be no different from any other survivor out there. The fall from power would be massive.

"Jacob… is there really no other way? Maybe we can hold out a little longer?"

Jacob shook his head. "Not unless you've got a miracle up your sleeve. We sent out recon teams, and none of them came back. We're flying blind here. No intel, no plan. Right now, running is the only move that makes sense."

Nathan sighed. He hated to admit it, but Jacob had a point. Even the smartest guy couldn't pull off a miracle without the tools. And right now, they had nothing.

"Have I really fallen this far?" Nathan thought bitterly. "Is this what Sophia felt back then?"

The irony wasn't lost on him. The situation was eerily similar to what Sophia had faced—and now, the same man was offering him the same escape route.

Just as he was wrestling with the decision, the secretary's eyes lit up. She glanced at her laptop and gasped.

"Mr. Nathan! One of our recon teams made it back! They say they've got urgent intel to report!"

"Oh? Get them in here—now!" Nathan's eyes widened with hope. It felt like a lifeline had just been thrown his way. They were desperate for information, and now, finally, someone had returned.

He didn't even stop to think—he just wanted answers.

But Jacob's brow furrowed slightly. Something about this didn't sit right with him.

Moments later, under the secretary's direction, a middle-aged man in a Genesis Biotech tactical uniform stepped into the office. He looked worn out, covered in dust and grime—it was the recon team's captain.

"Mr. Nathan," the man said, his voice rough, "I'm back."

"Tell me—what's going on out there?"

The man gave a tired shrug. "Not much, really. Just a bunch of Black Hand Legion street punks stirring up trouble. They're making a lot of noise, but it's all smoke and mirrors. Nothing serious."

"Oh?" Nathan's eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping in.

Just Black Hand Legion thugs?

Something about that didn't sit right. It felt… off. Too convenient.

But if the intel was legit, and he bailed on the company over a bunch of street rats? That would be humiliating beyond belief.

Just as Nathan was still processing the recon captain's report, the man's lips curled ever so slightly—an almost imperceptible smirk, cold and sinister.

"Mr. Nathan," the captain said, voice low and deliberate, "I have a piece of highly classified intel. I'd prefer to speak with you alone. Could you ask the others to step out for a moment?"

"Classified intel…?" Nathan blinked, caught off guard. Aside from himself, only Jacob and his secretary were in the room.

Something about this didn't sit right. A strange tension crept into the air.

Jacob's eyes sharpened instantly, his instincts flaring. Whatever this was—it wasn't good.

"Mr. Nathan," Jacob said, voice firm, "you need to leave. Now."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Nathan was completely thrown.

But Jacob didn't wait. His mind surged with power, unleashing his S-rank psychic ability. Like a tidal wave, his mental force crashed into the recon captain's mind.

"GRAAAHH—!"

The man let out a guttural scream, dropping to his knees, clutching his head in agony.

"What the hell—" Nathan's eyes went wide, stunned by the sudden turn.

Then, the horror began.

The captain's eyes turned blood-red, veins bulging grotesquely across his face. His mouth split open, fangs sprouting as his features twisted into something monstrous.

He wasn't human anymore.

He'd been infected—already turned into a mutant.

"Holy shit!" Nathan shot up from his chair, heart pounding. If Jacob hadn't acted when he did, he'd be dead meat.

"So it's true… the monsters are already inside," Nathan muttered, voice shaking.

"No," Jacob said grimly, "they're not just inside. They've already started spreading."

The captain's return had been a Trojan horse. The infection was here—and it was moving fast.

"RRRAAAHHH—!"

As if on cue, a chorus of zombie howls echoed through the building. Screams followed—human screams—piercing, panicked, and full of pain.

The Genesis Biotech base in Los Angeles was under attack. And it had started from within.

Employees who had recently returned from outside were mutating, turning into bloodthirsty monsters. They lunged at nearby Awakeners and office staff, tearing into flesh, spreading the virus like wildfire.

The chaos was instant.

Red emergency lights began flashing in the hallways. A shrill alarm blared overhead as the facility's AI detected the breach and began sealing off core areas.

The entire base descended into madness.

Back in the office, Nathan's face was pale with panic.

Company execs and elite Awakeners burst in, breathless and frantic.

"Mr. Nathan! It's bad—Mutant Vampire Zombies have infiltrated the building! People are turning!"

"And—our drones just picked up a massive horde outside the city. They've already broken into downtown L.A. and they're heading straight for us!"

"Mr. Nathan, what do we do?!"

The room erupted in panicked voices, everyone talking over each other.

Nathan stood frozen for a moment, then slowly exhaled. Jacob had been right all along.

It was time to go.

"We're abandoning the base. Evacuate—now!"

"What?! We're just leaving?!" Several execs looked stunned, like they couldn't believe what they were hearing. The decision felt too sudden, too final.

But Nathan didn't hesitate. He shoved his chair aside and strode to the bookshelf behind his desk. He pressed his hand against a specific wooden panel.

A soft green light flickered.

[Fingerprint recognized. Emergency escape route unlocked.]

With a mechanical click, the bookshelf split open, revealing a hidden passage cloaked in darkness. No one could've guessed it was there.

Nathan had planned for this. Deep down, he'd always known this day might come. So he'd built his escape route right into his office—just in case.

"Move!" he barked, and without another word, he plunged into the tunnel.

The others didn't need to be told twice. One by one, the company's top brass and remaining Awakeners followed him in.

As the last person entered, the bookshelf slid shut behind them with a soft thunk, sealing the entrance seamlessly. No trace remained.

Inside the tunnel, it was pitch black and eerily silent, save for the echo of hurried footsteps and ragged breathing.

Nathan's eyes scanned the darkness ahead. This escape route would lead them deep underground, all the way to the dense Angeles National Forest.

He stared into the void ahead, and it felt like he was staring into his own uncertain future.

The days of cushy offices and corporate power plays were over.

Now, it was survival.

The days of slacking off are officially over…

...