The Two Survivors - Chpt 10 [English - US]
The Two Survivors [English - US]
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The Two Survivors is a fan comic and book series, created by Antony Bindilatti and in suggestion and in partnership with Priscilla2Warrior, also known as Priscilla McGee. The series brings together different stories from the characters from famous series such as Claymore (trademark of Norihiro Yagi and Madhouse Studio) and The Walking Dead (Robert Kirkman and Telltales Games by The Walking Dead: Michonne), all focusing on some journeys, some action. and some fun with your favorite characters (and some less).
The story focuses on two young girls: Priscilla and Paige. Priscilla is a newly formed Organization warrior after taking her place as Number 2, and Paige is one of the survivors after a zombie apocalypse devastated Georgia and turned victims into Walkers.
And when the two survivors meet, a long, tireless journey begins and they will have to fight to survive.
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Chapter 10
The survivors found themselves in a difficult situation. Rudolf, the leader of the Predators, accompanied by bikers and soldiers armed with various firearms, surrounded the girls and the prisoner, waiting for a moment of indiscretion on their part before opening fire.
It was at this moment that the leader of the raiders spoke out.
“Let's do this: Drop your weapons and I will let you live, in my custody,” Rudolf replied, shaking his head to pop some air bubbles in the muscles of his neck.
With that said, they did exactly as he ordered. Christine, Alice, and Paige dropped their weapons on the ground. Priscilla, keeping her sword in hand, drove the blade hard into the ground, detaching it from the hilt.
“That's much better,” Rudolf said with a cruel smile. “I know exactly why you came here.”
“If you know why we're here, then you know we're going to take them, whether you stop us or not,” said young Paige.
“Release my children, now!” Alice demanded.
Hearing that order from the boys' mother, Rudolf let out a light laugh, just to mock the group for their helpless situation.
“Ma'am, I think you don't understand your current situation.”
Alice's eyes widened momentarily. Hearing that didn't seem to bring any comfort.
“As you can see, you're in my custody. I'm the one who gives the orders around here. And you, like your friends, will have to obey me if you want to live and see your kids.”
Again, the feeling of having another cruel man giving questionable orders did not sit well with the adult woman's mind.
“First of all, there's one thing I want. Phillip, come to me,” Rudolf called to the man standing next to the group. With that, Phillip, the imprisoned biker, approached the man in charge. His hands were still bound with that zip tie, but that didn't stop him from walking.
Rudolf smiled as he saw one of his trusted men approaching without hesitation or questioning his order. With the man standing a little closer, the biker's happiness was suddenly sapped when he saw his boss pulling a pistol from its holster and pointing the barrel at his head. Without saying a word, the Predator leader pulled the trigger, blowing a hole in the man's head, killing him instantly.
The sound of the gunshot startled Christine and Alice, even more so seeing the man fall dead to the ground, his eyes wide with horror mixed with joy. With nothing else to do, Rudolf pulled his 9mm pistol from above, holstering it but keeping his gaze on Phillip's body.
“That's what happens to traitors. They collaborate with our enemies and they have to pay in blood.”
Two guards approached Phillip's body. They grabbed him by the legs and dragged him out of the courtyard. Watching them retreat, Christine imagined the bodies would be dumped in mass graves or tied to trees, like they did to Jackson.
“Let this be clear to the rest of you. I will not hesitate to open fire if any of you conspire against me or are held captive by the enemy,” Rudolf said with a serious look at his men.
Shifting his attention to the group, the leader addressed Alice. “But since you want to see your children so much, I'll grant your wish. And I want to see if they want to go home so badly.” As he said those words, Rudolf raised his right eyebrow with a false smile. With that, one of the guards armed with a Type 64 rifle went to retrieve them from the hut.
Alice and the others were surprised. Hearing from the bandit leader that he would let them see the boys again was unexpected. Mark and Andrew's mother felt a sudden surge of joy and relief at seeing them again. However, Priscilla sensed something strange about the man's eyebrow raise. Surrounded by several firearms, there was little they could do to keep their friends from the imminent risk of being killed by Rudolf's men.
After a minute, the man walked with his youngest son to the boss. Alice's heart pounded rapidly.
“Mark? Over here, Mark!” Called the adult woman.
Hearing her words, the boy raised his head to see who had called him, revealing angry eyes with dark circles and narrowed irises. He said nothing, not even a hint of a response, like being happy to see his mother again. Priscilla sensed something was wrong.
Rudolf turned to the boy, whispering in his ear. “Remember the plan.”
Paige and Christine also sensed something was off. Their eyes remained focused on the two persons, with the man moving away from the boy.
“Go ahead, Mark. Go to your mommy,” said the Predators leader.
The boy complied with the man's request to go to his mother. As Alice opened her arms for a hug, something sudden happened that turned the family reunion into a tragic disaster. Mark, under the influence of drugs, pulled a knife from his pocket. It was sharp enough to pierce the woman's stomach and rip her in half.
Fortunately, Priscilla reacted immediately, placing herself between the two. The warrior gripped the blade tightly, gripping it with the fingers of her left hand. Her mother's eyes widened in shock. Seeing Priscilla step in front of her to prevent their reunion could have caused a heartache. Rudolf's men were astonished by the Organization warrior's incredible speed.
“Dude, did you see that?!” The dark-haired man with the AK-47 in his hand started.
“I saw it. Suddenly it was there, but now it’s not anymore.” The other replied with a Type 56 rifle.
Rudolf narrowed his gaze slightly. He hadn't expected to see Priscilla's swift reaction to stop Mark from stabbing his own mother.
“Priscilla!” Paige called.
“Priscilla, wha… what are you doing?” asked Alice, frightened.
Her left hand was still poised on the blade. Blood could be seen spilling from between her fingers, dripping onto the dirt floor. The tip was near the girl's stomach. It nearly pierced her and caused a serious wound.
Then the warrior took the knife from the boy's hand and threw it hard on the ground, dragging it to Rudolf's feet.
“This girl isn't like the others. For some reason, she must have overwhelmed Marlon and his men with her powers,” thought the Predator leader, not surprised by this. “Be that as it may, I need to be careful when facing her.”
“Priscilla, what happened? Why did you do that?!” Alice asked, startled by the girl's intervention.
“Alice, something's not right with Mark. He was going to stab you! That's why I had to intervene,” the warrior replied, turning to the boys' mother.
With that, Priscilla raised her injured hand. Her colleagues were horrified. Alice was in shock. Then Mark stood up to pick up the knife from the floor, near the man who had tortured and drugged him.
“Mark, why?! I'm your mother. You can't do that! Drop that knife now!” she ordered nervously and sadly.
It was no use. Mark was already on his feet, the cutting tool in hand. Amidst the conversation, the group heard Rudolf's cruel laugh.
“Do you think the boy will comply with your orders?” he said, laughing cruelly.
“You… you monster!” Alice exclaimed, standing up. Her eyes were red with rage and tears were streaming down her face. “What have you done to my Mark?! And where is Andrew?!”
“‘Your Mark’?” Rudolf said, letting out a small, mocking sigh. “I went to see if he wanted to talk to me. Since he was just crying, I had to take a different approach to calm him down.”
“By ‘calm him down,’ you meant ‘coerce him’!” Christine replied.
“He's just a kid. There are laws that protect children,” Paige added.
“Laws?! And what difference does it make?!” Rudolf replied with a fiery temper, kicking a piece of wood away in the process. This startled the boys' mother, who turned around to avoid being hit while Priscilla remained where she was. “There are no more laws, no more cities, no more countries! The cities disappeared the day the zombies spread across the country. So, the laws are gone! There is only the rule of the strongest. Those who survive the adversities of the world are the strongest. Those who cannot survive are weak! And the strongest devour the weakest! These are the rules of nature!”
The warrior stands in front of the boys' mother, facing Rudolf with Mark at his side.
“In case you haven't noticed, this rule of nature is often flawed and contradictory. There are also strong beings who do everything to protect the weaker ones. As long as I'm around them, no evil will be able to harm them,” Priscilla said with a serious look.
Hearing the warrior's response, Rudolf showed no sign of caring. “You really are ignorant, you know that?!”
Having said that, the warrior's eyebrows furrowed.
“It doesn't matter who it is. Whether a child, an adult, or an elderly person, you are all in my custody until I decide otherwise!”
The girls' gazes turned to each other in disbelief. With Alice horrified, Paige and Christine almost helpless before the sheer force of armed men, laughing mockingly, and Priscilla cold-faced, this was a clear sign that they faced more days of forced labor or a cruel end.
“What do you want?” asked the swordswoman, frowning.
“You were part of the workforce of Marlon ‘Samael’, the former leader of the Jungle Predators. And from what we know, you managed to escape his and Celine's captivity.”
Priscilla had brief memories of their time in the camp of those cruel beings who cared nothing for their well-being. Even more so when Paige fell ill. From the day they began their slave labor to the moment Priscilla violated the Organization's sacred rule of not killing humans, striking a sword blow that decapitated Marlon and his men in a state of pure frenzy.
Once again, she regained consciousness of the present. Staring at the man who confronted them, demanding to know the truth about the day they were Marlon's workers.
“If you were interrogating the boys to get some information about us, why do you need to ask us the same thing?” Paige asked from the back.
Rudolf placed his right hand on his face, rubbing his forehead disapprovingly. “You know how children often make things up, even when trying to make them truthful. As for the older boy? He wasn't exactly up for a friendly conversation. That's why I ask you the same question I asked those two brats. Which one of you was responsible for setting fire to the camp last night when we kidnapped the boys and set fire to your little house?”
Hearing that one of them had done it, setting fire to Marlon and the others' camp, Paige and the others sobered. None of them had left the cabin the night it all happened. And what's more, they were unaware of the presence of Tony Greenleaf, the American soldier who had been tracking the survivors and saved Christine from being raped a second time. Only Priscilla had a vague idea, but she wasn't sure it was actually him.
“Ah, cut the crap!” the young sniper exclaimed. Rudolf turned his attention to Paige. “You think we left that cabin to burn that place down?! You're crazy!”
“So, you're saying it wasn't you. Am I correct?”
Paige shook her head. In response, Rudolf smiled.
“Very well. Let's see if this is your final answer.” With that said, the Predator leader whistled loudly. From the same spot Mark had emerged, the older brother was dragged by two strong men by the arms. His face was covered in bruises, his mouth covered in blood and saliva, staining his clothes. Alice was devastated.
“Andrew!” she called, her eyes widening. The other girls were startled.
“Let Andrew go now!” Paige exclaimed.
“Of course I will,” Rudolf replied, approaching the boy. In the process, he removed a Czech CZ 75 9mm pistol from its holster. Standing next to the older boy, he pulled his head back by the hair, pointing the barrel of the gun at his chin. “As soon as he's no longer breathing!”
“No!” cried the girls and Alice in horror. In an instant, Rudolf heard something that caught his attention. It was Priscilla.
“Wait! I'll tell you who burned your camp!” she called. Rudolf pulled the barrel out of reach of the poor boy's head. Her words surprised Paige.
“Priscilla?”
“Very well,” said the cruel man, putting the CZ 75 back in place. “Tell us who did it, and maybe I'll let the boy go in peace.”
Tension grew around the camp and everyone around. The swordswoman looked around her, seeing the different faces of Rudolf's armed men. Then she saw the faces of her colleagues. They were startled by her sudden call. Then she turned to the man waiting for her answer. Andrew was still being held by the two men who had brought him to the courtyard.
“I was the one who burned your camp!” Priscilla replied decisively.
Having said that, the group was startled. Rudolf smiled.
“What do you mean it was you?!” asked Alice, confused by Priscilla's sudden response.
“Priscilla, what are you talking about?! You were with us all night!” Christine said, confused.
“Yes! There's no way you could have left the cabin and returned so quickly in the dark!” Paige replied, trying to deny the other woman’s comment. “That's impossible!”
“Paige, everyone, listen to me! I know what I'm saying! Trust me!” the young warrior said to her teammates. The young sharpshooter and the others began to understand what Number 2 was trying to do, even in the face of the sudden response.
Again, Priscilla turned to Rudolf. “I was the one responsible for setting fire to the cabins and killing Marlon and the other Predators.”
The answer seemed to have satisfied the new criminal's curiosity and demands. “That's exactly what I expected from you.”
The Predator leader approached the Organization warrior. Her gaze remained serious in the face of the man's bitter expression.
“You're not like any other person I've ever met in my life. Your clothes, your sword, and your silver eyes, you're definitely an outsider,” Rudolf said with a cold, bitter expression.
Paige looked at the scene with discontent. Christine and Alice remained silent in their places.
“Tell me something. How did you manage to kill Marlon, the man who took my rightful place as leader of the Jungle Predators? Alone, it seems, you wouldn't have stood a chance.”
Priscilla remembered her frenzy in murdering that man before he could kill Paige in cold blood. And after that came the screams of Marlon's guards and bikers being slaughtered by her sword.
“I can't tell you that,” Priscilla replied with a serious look.
Hearing this, Rudolf's guards were astonished. Rudolf, in turn, did not like the answer.
“Can't? Or you don't want to tell!”
“Because if I tell you how this all happened, you'll wish you hadn't asked that question.”
“Really?” Rudolf said with a mocking expression. Then he walked away laughing, drawing his henchmen into his euphoria. “She said, ‘I'm going to wish I hadn't asked that question.’”
The situation became uncomfortable for the group of women. The men laughed at this. Alice's eyes were wide with horror, while Christine and Paige tried to summon the courage to resist. Andrew remained detained by the two guards, watching helplessly. Priscilla remained silent, staring at the man with her brows furrowed in a serious frown. Her hands were clenched tightly, squeezing her fingertips against her palm. Once again, Rudolf turned to face her.
“You just know how to amuse me with this,” he said with a laugh, slowly composing himself. Then his expression changed from amusement to cruelty. “But I want this to be very clear, you little bitch! No matter what you do, your empty threats mean nothing! Here, in this camp, you are weak and insignificant! I am the one who gives you the orders to obey! If any of you don't comply, you will suffer the same fate as Marlon, Celine, and the others who passed through their path. You will all die!”
Those words struck a chord in young Priscilla. She knew she couldn't leave her friends to their fate. However, without her sword, there was little she could do. As a final response, she resorted to her last resort.
“From where I came, I had a rule that I couldn't kill humans. I stuck to it the whole time,” said the Number 2 young warrior.
Rudolf kept his gaze on the strange girl. He didn't say a word that would interrupt what she was saying.
“However, after the experience I had here in this world, I realized that I am in a different world from the one I was born into. I am in a world where humans kill humans for anything. And I will not allow my friends to be killed by these people with sick thoughts!”
Paige and the others were surprised by the guardian's statement. Seeing her determination to fight, even without her sword, they strongly supported her decision. Rudolf, however, had just one more reason why they weren't worth having as his workforce.
“You really have a hard time accepting this, don't you?! All of you! It seems you're not worth it!” the Predator leader replied with a bitter expression. “Very well. You've made your choice.”
Rudolf turned away from Priscilla, heading toward Alice's youngest son. He positioned himself next to Mark, keeping his eyes on the group. “Mark, kill them!”
Those words sank deep into the little boy's mind. Knife in hand, Mark ran furiously toward the group. Seeing her youngest son in that state, Alice was horrified.
“Mark, please stop!” Alice screamed, telling him not to do it. But it was useless. He didn't listen to his mother.
Instead, he swung a blow toward his mother. Again, Priscilla intervened, pulling Alice out of reach of the knife. The boy struck several blows at the warrior. All of them were dodged. Priscilla kept her Yoki steady, not using it to the point of maximizing her speed. Andrew, Paige, Christine, and Alice watched young Priscilla dodge Mark's blows. As painful as it was to see her youngest son being influenced by Rudolf to the point of becoming a killing machine, his mother tried to call him out. However, to no avail.
Rudolf watched as the situation remained in a stalemate. As Mark tried to stab Priscilla or Alice, every blow was deflected or dodged. Surely the man commanding the remaining Predators didn't realize that Priscilla had potential beyond his or his men's capabilities.
“I've faced cops, zombies, and other gangs. But never in my life would I face someone like her,” thought the Predator leader. He looked away momentarily, glancing at the Czech pistol in his holster. “Either way, I need to act if Mark fails me.”
Priscilla continued to dodge Mark's attacks. When he tried to go after Alice or the others, the warrior stepped in front of him. With the final blow, the warrior grabbed Mark by the arm, suspending him in place and squeezing his wrist, forcing him to drop the knife from the pain of the grip. Then she pushed him hard, sending Mark rolling to the ground toward Andrew. The blow startled Alice, who called out to her colleague.
“Priscilla, please don't hurt Mark!” the boys' mother pleaded.
“Don't worry, Alice. I know you don't want to see him hurt. I only did it to disarm him,” Priscilla replied, showing the knife in her hand.
Priscilla threw the knife to the ground, the blade burying itself deep in the earth. She kept her gaze on young Mark, watching him crawl away. For a moment, she sensed Mark was frightened into wanting to confront her.
“Mark, you don't have to do this! Resist this poison they gave you. You're stronger than that!” Priscilla said, followed by the others.
Rudolf turned red with anger at the situation escalating against him. Seeing that the boy wasn't making any progress with his plan, he decided to act.
“This is getting out of hand. I'm going to take a more aggressive stance! Men, open fire at them!” the leader of the remaining Predators shouted.
His response sent Paige, Christine, and Alice into a state of terror. His henchmen pulled out their holsters and bolts to cock their weapons and pointed them at them. They knew there was no escape. There were too many armed men. Not even Priscilla, using her Yoki to the fullest, could deflect multiple bullets from different directions.
Upon seeing Rudolf removing his CZ 75 pistol from its holster, the warrior reacted extremely quickly as her gaze caught his hand removing the weapon from its rest and cocking it. As everything slowed around her, Priscilla extended her right hand toward the knife he'd given Mark to attack her mother. With her fingers intertwined around it, she pulled it tightly and, in a second, threw the bladed weapon with force in a straight line. Priscilla could see the knife spinning violently toward Rudolf. And to the horror of everyone around her and the others, they could hear the screams of pain from the man who confronted them.
Their horror came when his right hand, which held the CZ 75, fell to the ground, severed from his arm. Blood gushed onto the ground from both sides. Rudolf fell with his left hand, trying to contain the bleeding. His eyes were wide with pain.
“My hand! My… hand!” Rudolf screamed and howled incessantly in pain.
His bikers and gunmen were shocked. Many didn't have time to absorb the suddenness of Number 2's actions. And as if things weren't going to get any worse for them, her ignored warning turned into another massacre. Priscilla withdrew her sword with astonishing speed. Then she vanished from the scene, taking the armed men and her friends by surprise.
“Where… where did she go?!” asked a man armed with an AK-47.
In an instant, Priscilla reemerged, sword in hand, and struck down the line of their heads and bodies. The others were horrified. Heads rolled to the ground, blood spurted from the butchered and mutilated bodies. And when she reappeared in another corner, three or five more soldiers were slaughtered. Alice, Christine, Paige, and the boys watched the macabre and bloody episode unfold. The woman's eyes glowed golden, a sign that she was using her Yoki to maximize her speed.
With another soldier killed by the sword, Priscilla took the weapons belonging to her comrades and threw them to them. Back on the offensive, Paige, Christine, and Alice opened fire on Rudolf's remaining men. To avoid exposure, they ran to one of the cabins, taking cover behind an open window. With Priscilla repelling the bullets and attacking large formations of soldiers, the girls fought with fire and fury to help their guardian defeat the Jungle Predators.
////
While the warrior faced Rudolf's soldiers, a humanoid figure crept toward the camp entrance, slipping past the defenses and guards. Those remaining in the towers were unaware of what was happening to their companions or their leader. The entrance guards were still being dispatched stealthily. One had his skull pierced by a bayonet blade. Another had his back lacerated, and a final one had his eyes gouged out.
It was Tony Greenleaf, the figure who attacked the guards on the ground with an M1905 bayonet. His blade and hand were bloody, drops running down the metal surface, dripping onto the floor. His eyes were fixed on the bodies. However, knowing there were guards in the towers, he turned to the left tower, heading toward the stairs.
In the tower, a soldier stood staring at the horizon, oblivious to anything. The dark-skinned man, carrying a Dragunov sniper rifle, turned to the right to change position. To his unpleasant surprise, a red hand covered his mouth and Tony's bayonet ripped his throat open. With no sign of life, the American soldier let his body fall forward, creating a pool of blood on the wooden planks. The guard's eyes were wide, expressing surprise and terror.
Tony climbed the tower with his M1 Garand rifle slung over his back and a bayonet in his right hand. The moment he entered, his boots were stained with blood after murdering the guard in cold blood. However, he didn't care. Spotting the other unsuspecting guard in the other tower, he immediately grabbed his semi-automatic rifle and opened fire, hitting him square in the head. Since he wasn't spotted, he took advantage of this moment to install a telescopic sight on the rifle and set up a firing position to pick off targets of opportunity.
////
Back in the courtyard, Priscilla appears in the middle of a group of soldiers, unleashing a circular attack, hitting several of them in the waist. The speed and the blows undermined their morale, with some afraid to confront her. Others didn't even have a chance to open fire on her, as she was picking off his comrades in the confusion.
The dark-skinned biker and another of Rudolf's henchmen pulled their boss out of the danger zone. Rudolf was still trying to control the bleeding from his lacerated hand.
“That girl. She… she ripped my hand off! She's going to pay dearly for this!” shouted Rudolf to his trusted servant.
“Sir, it's not safe here anymore! We have to get you out of here!” he replied.
“The van! Get my… van ready to get me out of here!”
“Don’t worry, sir. I'll stay to buy you time.”
Rudolf rested his hand on the biker's shoulder. “Make her pay for what she did! Kill her! Kill the others!”
Rudolf and two other armed men ran into the woods. The dark-skinned biker proceeds with a double-barreled shotgun to confront the Organization warrior.
Paige, Alice, and Christine took turns, one of them loading their own weapons. And when they spotted Rudolf fleeing with two guards, they called Priscilla, even in the midst of the gunfight.
“Priscilla, Rudolf is escaping!” Christine pointed out.
Seeing this, the warrior nodded. "I know, Christine! I'll go after him!" Then she ran toward him.
Priscilla ran to reach the leader of the remaining Predators. However, the dark-skinned biker appeared, shotgun in hand, still mounted on his vehicle. The shot missed the warrior, as she had dodged the bullets. Recovering from her shock, Priscilla turned to face the new attacker.
“You should have stopped right there!” he said, twisting his right hand on the motorcycle’s throttle.
“And you should have let me go after your master!” said the warrior, advancing with her sword.
The two raced on a collision course. The man's gun opened fire again, the metal balls whizzing through the air at a frantic speed. However, Priscilla repelled them. And with a leap forward, she leaped over the two-wheeled vehicle, keeping her legs tucked in toward his chest.
The blow struck the dark-skinned man squarely. As her two feet landed, the warrior leaped, directing the force in her legs to catapult her backward. The impact created shockwaves that struck her head, creating a sort of shockwave, shattering bones and splitting part of her torso into pieces, sending her head flying upward. Priscilla threw herself backward, landing on the ground, her sword helping her recover. The headless biker crashed with his vehicle after hitting the other cabin.
The remaining guards and soldiers returned fire toward the survivors. With the numerical advantage, Paige and the others tried to stay hidden in the cabin, without exposing themselves at the window to be shot.
However, something completely broke the Predators' morale. Several rifle shots rang out. These came from the tower, but to the survivors, they were unfamiliar. It was Tony, who was silently helping them. Paige and the others were left in the dark.
“Did you do this, Paige?” Alice asked.
“Of course not, Alice.”
“But then?”
“Those shots didn't come from here,” Christine said.
“Whatever it may be, it's helping us take down these guys.”
Reinvigorated, the girls opened fire on the remaining Predators. As Andrew remained trapped by the two guards, Paige and Christine aimed their guns at the guards, striking them to free Alice's eldest son. His mother rushed to rescue him.
Priscilla, in turn, rushed to break the handcuffs on his wrists.
“Thanks, Priscilla,” the older boy thanked.
“Don't thank me yet. Go with your mother, rescue your brother.”
“But what about you?” he asked, rubbing his left wrist.
“I'm going after Rudolf. I'll make him regret what he did to you both.”
Andrew nodded. “Okay. Be careful.”
“Leave it to me,” said the young warrior.
Andrew saw the girl run, sword in hand, toward the forest. Around him, several of Rudolf's henchmen fell to the ground, lifeless. Bullets from various directions sought their targets, hitting one after another. To avoid being hit, Andrew ran as fast as he could. However, something caught his attention. It was his younger brother, trying to escape the scene.
////
Meanwhile, Mark tried to run away. The effects of the drug were still coursing through his bloodstream and brain, leaving him agitated and confused. In his vision, the men transformed into monsters. The background took on a terrifying form. And as this began to plague his mind, Mark tried to crawl back. To his surprise, he was surprised by his brother when he ran toward his younger brother.
“Mark! Mark!” called the older brother.
Hearing Andrew's call, Mark was startled. The boy's eyes widened in fear, his brother's image becoming distorted. Mark tried to run for his life, but in the process, he tripped, falling so hard that he injured his knee and face. Andrew reached his brother, but instead of being greeted with a hug, Mark reacted hysterically, struggling against him, trying to get him off.
“Mark! Mark, it's me! Andrew!” his older brother called amidst the punches and shaking.
“Let me go! Let me go!” shouted Mark, still under the influence of drugs.
Seeing her two sons in that terrifying scene, Alice knew she couldn't leave them. As a mother, she would do anything to protect them.
“Mark! Andrew!” she screamed.
With the danger contained and Rudolf's guards demoralized, some fleeing in fear and others being killed by sniper fire from the mysterious shooter, Alice rushed to her children's aid. Paige and Christine tried to call out to her, warning her that it was risky to go out to help them, but it was futile. Instead, they went out to protect her from anyone who still had the willpower to confront them.
Several of Rudolf's soldiers lay dead on the ground. Indeed, the scene around Paige was a carnage. Chunks of flesh, shattered limbs, fingers twitching in pain while still holding a sliver of life, and open eyes expressing terror. It was the same as that time when she and Priscilla faced Marlon, Celine and their men. The stench of blood could be uncomfortable for her.
Alice caught up with them, breaking up the fight between them. Mark tried to run away, but his mother stopped him when she grabbed him.
“Mark! It's me! Your mother!”
“No! No! No! No! No! No!” screamed the frightened young boy.
“There's no point running away from me! I'm here to help you!”
“No! No! No! Let me go! Let me go!” Mark screamed, trying to pull Alice off him.
“Not a chance that I'm letting you go! If you think you're going to run away like this, you're wrong!”
Mark tried to free himself from his mother's grasp by shaking his legs, feet, arms, and body. He then broke free, landing a punch on Alice's face. The blow shocked her, and she returned the blow with a slap to her younger son's face.
“Mark, why did you do this to your mother?!” she screamed, furious and horrified by the blow she'd received. Seeing her son trying to do it again, Alice held him tightly. “There's no point in doing this to me! I'll do everything to protect you from the dangers of the world! And there's no point in you trying to run away from me!”
Alice's eyes were wet with tears. Some of them fell onto his face. It was at that moment that he was regaining consciousness, his blurred and distorted images being dispelled by her voice and her crying.
“Mom…” he called softly.
Alice heard that little voice echoing from Mark's mouth. Then she heard the same word, a little louder.
“Mom…”
This was a relief to Alice. She saw that her youngest son had stopped struggling or becoming overly agitated. She hugged him, shedding tears of relief at being reunited with Mark.
Paige and Christine helped Andrew to his feet. Their gazes fixed on Mark and Alice, the two girls expressed some concern for their youngest travel companion.
“Andrew, tell me. How bad did they do to your brother?” asked the young sniper.
“A lot. From what I know, they injected him with drugs to make him talk. They were going to do the same to me, but Rudolf thought of something else for me instead.”
Paige turned her gaze forward, thinking furiously about Rudolf's inhumane treatment of Mark and Andrew. “That son of a bitch! People who have no heart for children certainly deserve to die!”
“Do they have any doctors or supplies with them?” Christine asked.
“He's still in Rudolf's cabin.” Andrew pointed to the main cabin. Paige and Christine looked at the wooden structure with a thatched roof and tree leaves.
“Let's go, Christine. Let's hope if he's willing to help us.”
The blonde nurse nodded, agreeing with her colleague to go to that building. Alice allowed them to seek medical help there.
////
Tony kept his M1 rifle in his hand after firing several rounds to take out the attackers in that group. The floor was littered with spent cartridges and En Bloc clips. Everything was covered in blood from the large pool that had formed from the dead guard. And since there was nothing more to do for those girls, the soldier opted to climb down from the tower and flee back into the local vegetation. His job was done.
////
Deep in the forest, Priscilla ran after Rudolf and his companions. She carried her sword in her right hand as she ran. Her horizon was filled with trees and a few tall plants. Stopping running, she looked around. There were no signs of her opponents to be hunted.
However, she caught a faint, strange scent wafting through the air. It smelled of aged meat that had spent several days in the open air, with a hint of rotting blood. It wasn't a pleasant smell, but she ran after it to see.
Trying to see what was going on, Priscilla came across a sort of open grave. There were several dead bodies. All of them were naked: men, women, children, the elderly. All of them had been captured by Rudolf and his bandits, and all had a bullet hole lodged in their heads, regardless of their position. There was also the body of Phillip, the man who had been with her and the others after showing them the way to his chief's camp. He, too, had been stripped of his clothes and looked happy, mingled with surprise and terror, after being killed by Rudolf.
Priscilla's eyes were filled with sadness and horror at the sight of those bodies. Even more so at seeing the defenseless meet a cruel end at the hands of that unfortunate person.
The mission wasn't over for the Organization warrior. Priscilla, hearing the sound of footsteps echoing through the trees, turned her attention to chasing her prey. Sword in hand and her eyes returning to their silvery hue, Priscilla cut through bushes, leaves, and trees to clear a path or reveal who might be hiding in the undergrowth. The blows split the trunks in half, causing them to fall in different directions, knocking whatever was at the top of the trees to the ground.
The results were not as expected, but the warrior resolutely continued her pursuit of Rudolf and his men.
////
The guards ran with their leader being carried by the shoulders. His severed right arm was covered with a T-shirt he had received from one of them to stop the bleeding.
“Come on, boss! We're almost there!” said one of the guards carrying Rudolf. He had a Skorpion submachine gun slung from his left shoulder to his right waist by the sling.
Rudolf knew the van was hidden deep in the forest, in a field far from their position. He chose that spot to avoid attracting too much attention from the other members in case he needed to escape and leave most of the group, opting to take only trusted members and some supplies.
However, the aforementioned situation was met, after Priscilla had eliminated the remaining men, the camp had been devastated, and Rudolf was seriously injured. It was time to resort to the last resort. And that was to flee for survival.
The three continued their escape to the van. However, something stopped them. The birds took flight when they heard the sound of a tree being cut down in one fell swoop. Rudolf and the guards turned to see. And what they saw was a large tree crashing down toward them. Rudolf and the man on the left escaped that object, but the man on the right was not so lucky. His entire body was crushed by that tree, with Priscilla behind the remaining piece of trunk, with the roots keeping him fixed to the ground.
“Run, boss! RUN!” shouted the man with the AK-47 in his hand, opening fire on the Organization warrior, giving Rudolf some chance to escape.
Rudolf ran off, stumbling a few times on the uneven and slightly rugged terrain, but recovered with the help of his still-uninjured left arm. The guard who remained opened fire on Priscilla countless times, pulling out a clip to reload his weapon.
However, Priscilla deflected several projectiles that were heading her way with her sword. After deflecting the last one, she disappeared, appearing in front of the man. He was so startled that he was pierced in the chest by the thick, heavy blade, thrusting violently upward. The blow split the man in half, leaving him intact from the waist down. The warrior looked at her body without showing any remorse for the acts committed against the bandits, even with the Organization's sacred rule of not killing humans. Knowing she was in a world that was no longer hers, the rule lost its value, and there were no other warriors who could pursue her for this violation. With her vigor still undefeated, she resumed the hunt.
////
Back at camp, Paige and Christine entered the main cabin armed. The young Marlin rifleman kicked the door open. Fortunately for them, no one was armed to open fire and bring them to a cruel end. The only person they could find was Stanley, the doctor who had been there with Rudolf to administer the drugs to Mark to get answers about the destruction of Marlon's camp. And he was exactly the person they needed to help Mark recover from the effects of the drug.
“Don't shoot! I surrender!” Stanley said, throwing his hands up in response to the gun barrels being pointed at him.
“We have a child who needs medical attention. You were with Rudolf to interrogate him, and you injected him with drugs!” Paige said, her Marlin rifle in hand, pointing at the doctor.
“You know you can answer for this if the apocalypse hadn't happened!” Christine added, pointing the AK-47 at the doctor.
“And you're going to help us treat her for those narcotics. Otherwise, we won't hesitate to shoot you!”
Stanley knew what the two girls had brought up during their approach. He agreed to help them treat Mark, taking the bag containing the medication needed to block the chemicals circulating in the boy's bloodstream and brain. He also grabbed supplies, including syringes, vials, and needles, to carry in his bag.
Once the items were gathered, Paige and Christine led the doctor to Alice and the boys.
////
In the middle of the forest, Priscilla ran toward a clearing. She held her sword in her hand in case she was ambushed or encountered Rudolf to deliver the final blow. She sensed the Predator leader was there, but upon arriving, she found his primary means of escape: a 2010 Ford Transit. It was a van with enough space to accommodate several people and transport them anywhere. It was this vehicle that he allegedly used to raid camps and homes of those survivors for forced labor, accompanied by a motorcycle escort.
However, there was no sign of Rudolf. For a moment, he might have been hiding in the vehicle. Priscilla decided to check there. Opening the door, she saw only the passenger seats. The space between the seat and the floor was too narrow for a grown man to hide, and there were no bloodstains on the carpets, nor in the cabin or underneath the vehicle.
Priscilla closed the Ford Transit door, walking away from the vehicle without a hint of frustration or anger. She looked around; nothing was different except for the trees and surrounding vegetation. Then she called Rudolf's name loudly.
“Rudolf! I know you're here! Show yourself! Accept your defeat and surrender without resistance!” the Organization warrior called, keeping her sword in hand.
Priscilla called out for the Predator leader several times. It was no use. She walked around the van to make sure she had a chance of finding him. She kept her eyes on the wooded landscape, waiting for any sign of something unusual. Then she searched the trees, heading for one that was aligned with the van's cab.
But what the young warrior didn't expect was that Rudolf was hiding in a bush. It was aligned with the vehicle's left rear wheel. Rudolf was keeping an eye on Priscilla, waiting for her to pass by so he could ambush her. His right wrist stopped bleeding with that shirt, but the risk of death from infection was still high if he didn't seek medical attention.
As Priscilla walked around the forest, through those trees, the man noticed her passing near his position, entering the desired ambush zone. With that, Rudolf stood up, startling Priscilla with the sound of footsteps and rustling leaves.
“Now you're not getting away with this, you bitch!” Rudolf yelled, knocking Priscilla down in the process.
Priscilla fell to the ground, dropping her heavy sword. As the leader climbed on top of her, cradling his legs around her chest, he placed his left hand on her neck, squeezing it with his right arm. The girl tried to shake him off, shaking her legs and body, but it was useless.
“Now that I've got you, I'll make you regret ever getting in my way and ripping my hand off!” the man shouted angrily. In an instant, he had her pinned with his right forearm, squeezing her neck at the throat. With his free left hand, he formed a fist with his closed fingers, landing several punches to her face.
Priscilla tried to move her right hand to grab the hilt of her sword and retrieve it for a killing blow. Unfortunately for her, she was too far away to catch it. And with the punches he was throwing, she could barely see what was happening. Rudolf was punching hard, cutting her cheek and lips, as well as bruising around her right eye, her injured nose, and the side of her face.
“After I'm done with you, I'm going to go after your friends and those boys' mothers and make them pay back in kind!” the man yelled, still hurt and furious.
Rudolf continued to choke and punch Priscilla until she couldn't take it anymore and died of asphyxiation. She tried to resist the scene before her vision went black. Around her left hand, she felt some twigs on the ground. Most of them were dry and firm. With one between her fingers, she picked up one with a point sharp enough to pierce the soft skin of his leg and swung it hard, striking her attacker's right thigh.
Rudolf screamed in pain, feeling the branch pierce his right thigh through his pants. Priscilla struck, tearing a chunk of flesh as she pulled the sharp object downward. The pain was so intense that the attacker fell to the ground, releasing the young swordswoman from suffocation. Priscilla coughed for air and breath. She crawled out of Rudolf's reach as she regained consciousness. Turning her face back, she saw the man rolling, his left hand reaching for the branch on his leg, and the sword on the other side.
Out of options, she ran to retrieve her sword, even though she had her arms and legs to help her propel herself forward. Her right eye was slightly swollen from the punches, making her vision halfway obscured.
Her attacker, however, pulled the branch out of his leg, causing him so much pain that he screamed. Priscilla turned to see. Her eyes widened in surprise. With her strength partially restored, she got up and ran to her signature weapon.
“I'll KILL you!” Rudolf screamed, trying to get up.
Priscilla summoned some strength to run. Even staggering and losing her balance, she reached for the hilt of her sword to retrieve it. However, Rudolf leaped toward the warrior, grabbing her left leg. Priscilla screamed in fright at the grip on her leg. In response, she kicked him in the face. Rudolf staggered back. Priscilla ran toward him as the attacker recovered from the blow and was back on his feet. She landed several punches to his face, cheeks, and stomach, causing him to vomit blood. And with the final blow, she kicked him hard, throwing him against a tree. In the process, he suffered several broken ribs from the impact on his back.
The Organization warrior sighed in exhaustion after striking her opponent with a flurry of punches and kicks. She was nearly falling to the ground, her body swaying forward and her legs weakening. Turning to retrieve her sword, she approached Rudolf.
Priscilla placed the tip of her sword on the ground to steady herself, preventing herself from falling from exhaustion. As she approached Rudolf, she saw the man breathing raggedly and weakly. He was sitting among the tree roots, his shirt stained with blood. She could see the drool mixed with blood dripping from his mouth. When he heard the footsteps of metal boots approaching, his face lifted.
“You… managed to destroy me and the… Predators.” Rudolf said, trying to breathe and stay awake.
Priscilla showed him nothing. Her eyebrows furrowed as she glared at him. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her weapon, preparing to strike.
“But listen to this! No matter what you do! There will be no… place in this world… safe for you to live. Whether it's from humans or… zombies!”
Again, the warrior remained silent.
“Now, you got me… I have nothing left… to show… resistance! End this… now!”
In response, Priscilla raised her sword, delivering a slashing blow from the top of the man's left ear to his right shoulder. His head split in half, falling to the ground next to his brain. Blood dripped from the wound, marking the tree trunk and surrounding body, as well as Priscilla's blade.
With the sword in hand, she shook it, splashing the drops on his body to clean it. Then she stored it in its carrier before collapsing from exhaustion. The rank Number 2 warrior gazed up at the sky, gradually closing her eyes to rest.
“I hope Paige and the others are okay,” said the young girl, tired and injured.
////
At the remaining Predator camp, Paige and Christine arrived with Rudolf's doctor to attend to Mark. Alice and Andrew still kept the boy restrained to prevent him from running away or going mad and attacking his relatives. Stanley administered the proper medication to block the effects of the drug he and Rudolf had administered. Mark moaned as the needle entered his skin, screaming in pain and shaking his legs. After a few minutes, he calmed down.
Alice thanked the doctor for his assistance. In response, the man responded willingly. He turned to Paige and Christine, continuing on to the nurse and the sharpshooter.
“The boy is stable. At least the danger is over,” the doctor said to Paige and Christine.
“Yes. We appreciate your help,” Paige replied. “If you're interested in joining us, it would be a great help to have a doctor.”
“Now, if you want to return to your old life before joining Rudolf's group, we will not stop you or deprive you of that choice,” Christine added.
“Well, I don't have it around anymore. Besides, I did whatever he ordered. From questionable experiments to treating his men.”
“I know how you feel. I went through some tough times when I worked for Marlon and Celine too,” Christine said, sharing about her time with the Predators before meeting Paige, Priscilla, and Alice's family.
“I'm sorry about what happened to you,” Stanley said to the blonde nurse. Returning to their question, he came to a decision. “Even if I did wrong, I can put it in the past and move on. I'm going with you.”
Alice and her children, Paige and Christine, agreed to enlist the help of the doctor who worked for Rudolf. Even though Raj was irreplaceable as a person, the group could fill the void of a qualified medical professional.
The group was partially reunited, but Priscilla had not yet returned from her hunt. Just as they were about to look for her, Paige heard someone calling from behind.
“Paige! Guys!”
It was her guardian. Priscilla returned with part of her uniform stained with blood and her face bruised. Paige was startled.
“Priscilla! Are you okay?!” the young sniper asked, running over to Priscilla.
“I'm fine, Paige.”
Christine, Stanley, Alice, and the boys reunited with the Organization's swordswoman. The original members were relieved to see her return.
“It's done. The Predators are no more. Rudolf is dead.”
Paige and the others were relieved now that the danger had passed with the death of the current leader of the Predators and the group of bandits disbanded.
“There's a vehicle I found in a clearing during Rudolf's pursuit.”
“It must be the van Rudolf used to bring his supplies and prisoners here.”
“More prisoners?” Christine asked.
“And where are they?” Paige asked, curious to know if there were more people who could help the group.
“There's a ditch I found on the way, littered with bodies,” Priscilla replied.
“Unfortunately, there's no one left. Those who were forced to work for him were all killed,” Stanley replied regretfully.
Paige lowered her head in frustration.
“Anyway, we can take the van to get out of here,” Alice said. “We hope it's stocked.”
“Yes. We can leave here and continue our journey to find shelter,” Paige said.
“You're right,” Stanley agreed. “I'll take what's left of the supplies so we can hit the road.”
With the conversation over, the group continued toward the cabins for ammunition, food, water, fuel, and other essentials to take in the van. With no one left alive from the bandits, the group was free to leave the forest behind.
////
Two and a half hours had passed since leaving what remained of the camp. Paige, Priscilla, and the others were outside the vehicle, filling the gas tank with one of the jerrycans. They were near a sign indicating that the Mexican border was a few miles away. Alice was excited to continue their journey to a shelter in the south.
“Well, from here on out, it's Mexico. We don't know if the apocalypse has spread all the way south, but hopefully we can find someone willing to help us,” Paige said, unaware of the extent of the zombie apocalypse beyond Georgia.
“At least we'll be safe there in Mexico,” Alice said, confident in finding some shelter.
Paige smiled. However, she knew this would be the place to say goodbye. “Yeah. About that, I'm afraid this is our cue.”
Hearing this, Alice was surprised and a little frustrated. Mark and Andrew were saddened to hear it.
“Aren't you coming with us?” asked the eldest son.
“I'm afraid not, Andrew,” Priscilla replied.
“There are some things left behind from my time in that hospital.”
“Anyone left behind?” Stanley asked.
“Maybe it's Paige's family who possibly survived the apocalypse. Is that so, Paige?” Alice added.
“Maybe. Or maybe even someone who escaped the onset of the apocalypse. Someone I haven't seen in a while.”
“Or even the reason I came,” Priscilla said.
Alice ficou sentida pela decisão das duas sobreviventes em seguirem caminhos separados. Mas respeitou a decisão delas. Mark chorou pela partida.
“Please stay with us. We feel good with your protection,” the boy cried. Paige and Priscilla hugged him.
“Sorry, Mark. But if everything goes well and we find what we're looking for there, maybe we can meet again,” Paige said, stroking Alice's youngest son's scalp.
“We'll always remember you,” Priscilla added.
Then Andrew and Alice approached the two girls for a hug. The goodbye was a big one for the group.
“Thank you, Paige. Thank you, Priscilla. You helped us overcome everything we went through,” Alice said, thanking the two survivors for accompanying her and her children throughout the journey.
“You're welcome, Alice. At least we've been through a lot of danger together,” replied the Organization swordswoman.
“Not to mention the close calls we had back at Marlon's camp.”
“Don't even get me started on that. I'd rather have zombies than those Predator scum,” Alice replied with a less than pleasant expression, remembering the bullet she'd taken from Celine. Then the others laughed at that.
“Yeah. We almost had a rough time at his hands,” Paige said.
“Yes,” Alice said. Then her gaze shifted to Christine and Stanley. “Stanley, Christine, if you share the same desire to search for something that was left behind, perhaps now is a good time to speak up. If not, I would be happy to have your help.”
“Well, I don't have anything left that survived in Georgia. My family is probably gone, and Jackson is dead. I'm going with you, Alice,” the blonde nurse replied.
“I'm going with you too. I don't mind leaving what I had behind,” Stanley replied.
“Thank you so much. Having you around makes me feel safe,” Alice said, smiling at the two survivors with medical degrees.
“Good luck, friends. We're rooting for you to find shelter and settle down with people you can trust,” Priscilla said.
“Thank you, Priscilla. We're also rooting for you to find what you're looking for.”
“Including the much-talked-about ‘Terminus’,” Mark said. Paige and Priscilla smiled in response.
“Haven't you guys heard of this place?” Paige asked Stanley and Christine.
“No. Never that I've heard of,” the doctor replied.
“No, Paige,” Christine replied. “Maybe you'll have better luck looking for shelter or a campsite further north.”
“Well, looks like we have to search for it ourselves,” the young sniper replied.
Before saying goodbye, Andrew took out of his pants pocket the picture of Denise from the moment the group had with Sullivan before sacrificing himself to blow up the truckers' restaurant. He handed it to the girls.
“Denise's portrait. That was back when Sullivan was there before he died to the zombies.” Paige said.
“Yes. Perhaps you will have more luck in finding her than we did.” replied Alice's eldest son.
“You're right. We'll hand her over if we find her.” Priscilla said.
Paige and Priscilla say goodbye to the group. Tears streamed from their eyes in the midst of that warm but sad embrace about their departure.
And with Alice in the driver's seat and the boys, Christine and Stanley in the passenger seats, the van heads towards the horizon of the setting sun. The group waves to the two survivors, and they are answered in return. With nothing else to do for them, Paige and Priscilla continue on foot towards a place in the middle of the unknown. Maybe back to the city where it all began, the two meeting at the hospital or meeting the mother and two children. Or maybe another inn for truckers.
But that's a story for another chapter in the lives of Paige and Priscilla, the two survivors in a post-zombie apocalypse world.
-x-
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