Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

Our grenades easily picked up some air as we threw them and they bumped each other mid-air, landing some feet away from each other. Nevertheless, they exploded at the same time, maiming more than half of the ferals feasting on their own. With that said, it caused the irate of the ones that survived and they instantly tried to breach the distance.

They approached with speed as they easily vaulted over the barriers, stone or deadheads, but the old man wasn't done. Some of them were still in the middle of the bodies of the regular joes when Oscar lobbed another grenade instead of throwing it overhead. They weren't able to roll to the side when it just rolled down after landing.

"THAT'S ANOTHER ONE FOR YA, FUCKERS!"

All the ferals caught in the blast were like fucked-up confetti but the problem was still the handful of ferals that survived. However, almost five dozen barrels were pointed right at them. They could only screech as they cried for help when several dozen holes bored through their bodies.

They fell one after the other but it seemed that they really did light the beacons like when Gondor called for aid.

"THERE'S MORE! THERE'S MORE!"

Humanoid-shaped figures walking on all fours came into view and aside from seeing their almost humpbacked or crooked posture, the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet were in varying states of damage and distortion. Some of them had claw-like hands due to their bones jutting out while some had extra 'padding' due to calluses forming over them. It could be said that they were also changing or evolving like the others but how it would happen had a lot of variations.

Bringing it back, them seeing us standing above their fallen brethren prompted different reactions.

Almost all of them just instantly took to their running position before zigzagging towards us while a select few just ran back into cover. With that said, we never did stop firing our guns either to thin down the regular ones or the ferals from a distance.

However, everything went into shit the moment one of the soldiers standing by a drainage gutter was pulled down from below, mangling its body in the process and only having its upper torso stuck inside it. He only had to scream for a few seconds before he was pulled for a second time, forcefully making him go through the drainage gutter and only leaving a few pieces of himself behind.

"MARLO!!!"

"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"

"FOCUS, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!"

"HE'S DEAD! HE'S DEAD!"

"FUCK ALL OF YOU!!!"

That small distraction was enough for the ferals to bridge the distance and almost half of us were instantly stuck in close quarters with them. However, everyone just 'received' them by taking a few steps back and fanning out to give each other space. It was almost miraculous to see everyone move without anyone telling them anything and it was maybe just the normal procedure to do once they were all up close and personal.

With that said, we have a few of our own watching behind as they took shots from above our vehicles. Some of the soldiers with us were doing the same thing and we moved like a unit.

Two fucking ferals with bloodshot eyes instantly came for me but I gunned them down by unloading two slugs each into their cranial skull. Bits of their blood sprayed all around us but I stood my ground, much like everyone. I instantly checked on the old man but he was already a few steps behind, running back shortly for a quick reload. However, three huge projectiles from his gun flew one after the other maiming two slim ferals about to lunge on one of our soldiers.

The soldier looked like he already resigned to his death but a fucking grenade with the pin still on struck his head.

Oscar bellowed, "MAN UP OR DROP DEAD, YOU LITTLE SHIT! THIS IS THE SHIT THAT YOU SIGNED UP FOR! THROW THAT TO THOSE FUCKERS OR JUST PULL THE PIN AND SIT ON IT! YOUR FUCKING CHOICE!"

"Y-YES, SIR!"

It seemed that the old man's little pep talk worked as the soldier was brought back instantly. He immediately threw the grenade from where the ferals were still coming before raising his rifle and dumping every single of his bullets towards them. He definitely took down a couple but most of them just slowed them down. Nevertheless, I'd take that any day compared to someone frozen shitless.

With that said, we still lost our distance with them and my team who were right to me had their hands full.

Mikhail was using his PKM at first but once the ferals got too close, he just dropped it on the ground before picking up his king's weapon and swinging it in wide or compact arcs. We could hear how their skulls got crushed with each swing but there was also some satisfaction with sharpened blades passing through flesh like butter.

Like our big friend, Tatiana took to using her sword and pistol since reloading her M4 would prove difficult in the situation. Ibarra would've joined her as well but he was at the back with Kaley and Jared, watching out for the two. Nevertheless, he never stopped firing his rifle, aiming at the ones still coming for us and watching out for the gutter for more surprises.

I still had six more shells in my magazine tube and I made sure to make them fucking count.

Another feral came into my direction but it was keeping down for as low as it could. It was almost walking like a crocodile but once it had me at the right distance, it almost leaped into the air while extending both of its arms. Its bloody claws were aiming for my torso but all I had to do was sidestep, sending a one oz. slug at the back of its head. Part of its scalp came off with bits of its skull and dull grey matter but I instantly aimed for the small pack approaching us.

I felt the recoil in my shoulder as I unloaded five slugs one after the other but I only managed to take down for and injure one feral. With that said, I let go of my M2 before pulling out my Maxim 9 and katana since bringing out another weapon or two was faster than reloading.

I first aimed for the one whom I blasted part of its kneecap off and it was easy picking because it was just clawing its way up to me. A small 9mm projectile ended its life before I took the time to shoot down the regular ones still coming for us. It was a lot harder to shoot accurately with one hand but I managed to take down five before holstering my pistol. It was because a much larger feral was coming for me and I needed both my hands to take it down.

It instantly tried to claw my shoulder off but I met it with my blade, lopping a few inches off of its forearm along with what was left of its hand. It took a step back before jumping at me once more but its head got blown off before I managed to lop it off.

"RELOAD, YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

I just shook my head before Oscar tried to steal kills from everyone but it only happened between five-to-six shots at most. Nevertheless, no one complained about him doing that because he even lobbed the rest of his grenades to the opening of the drainage gutters. It caused dull explosions but it definitely stopped the motherfucker who pulled and took down one of ours.

As the dead still kept coming, I took a few seconds to drop back a few steps and pull out four shells from my shell carriers. After that, I just twisted my M2 to reveal the flared loading port, loading four shells two at a time, repeating the process until my extended magazine tube was full once more. Furthermore, I dumped what was left of my Maxim 9 to the ones further back so I could come back with a fully loaded pistol as well.

"TATIANA! TAKE TURNS RELOADING!"

"SURE! RIGHT AFTER THIS-"

Oscar bellowed after taking down Tatiana's kill with his S&W Model 500, "I GOT IT! DO I NEED TO BABYSIT EVERYONE?! IS THIS HOW IT- MOTHERFUCKER! JARED! YOU LITTLE PIECE OF- STOP KILLING MY- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Jared didn't say anything as he continued to break the old man's kill stealing streak. He brought down deadheads faster than the rest of the ferals could try to bridge the gap they were slowly losing. We had the upper hand once more and guns were always the greatest equalizer. However, once we took down the last of the ferals we had, we just moved a few paces back to receive the rest of the undead we were facing.

It was because fighting them while simultaneously avoiding the ones by our feet was stupid if we could just make things easier by taking a few steps back. It would be harder without our funneling barriers but their permanently dead comrades could work as a barrier as well.

It took us a few more minutes to clear up every single one of them but we still kept watch on the ones that escaped. The soldiers with us started to pile the bodies in the back of the garbage truck while I started to pick up the spent casings I could see on the floor.

'Relaxing day, huh?'