Wrath Incarnate

Matt used his energy to run across the roof tops in the direction that the run away had gone. It didn't take long for him to find the settlement in question as it was surrounded by zombies. They seemed to gather near settlements more densely than in other places. He found a good vantage point to use his rifle to survey the place.

He watched the runner make it into the settlement thanks to bridge that had been built from one building to another since the front gates were completely blocked by the infected. This particular settlement had been made in a park that was surrounded by buildings. Walls had been built closing the gaps in the buildings so that the infected couldn't waltz through while the buildings were still functional. The park being at the center was the command post as well as a rally point and training ground.

He was scanning the situation when he noticed a wide, dugout pit. Chained to the edges of this pit were zombies and in the pit was a mostly naked woman fighting a large muscular man. Fighting wasn't really what you would call happening down there as the woman was just being beaten senseless. Around the pit were cages that were separated between men, women, and children. His vision froze on a child reaching through the bars while screaming and crying. Matt could read her lips as she was screaming for her mother.

At that moment, it felt like the world came to a stand still. Matt put is rifle away and drew his katana. His tattoos glowed as the energy in his body and blood boiled. He jumped with full strength in the direction of the pit. The moment his feet left the building ledge he was standing on, the eye on his forehead flashed as his surroundings zoomed in like a telescope. Everything seemed to stretch out behind him as he swung his blade in one fluid motion. When he came to a stop, he was standing behind the man.

If you had been watching this happen from a good vantage point, you would have seen a blue streak shoot right through the chest of the large man in the pit. Matt had swung his sword too early to cut the man down, but his body had become living energy in his rage. His whole being deconstructed into energy when his tattoos flashed. He became a circular beam about as round as a baseball and passed straight through the man, leaving a gaping hold in his chest that still burned with blue fire.

The whole thing happened in an instant, so the woman hadn't stopped shielding her face until she heard the large man fall back. She opened her eyes and saw Matt's bare back facing her. In fact, Matt was mostly naked now as his body had burned right through his clothes for the most part. He turned around and placed a hand on the man who was deconstructed in a flash of blue.

Matt, seeing that his clothes had burned, used the energy that he just gained to create clothes and armor that would be able to handle the ability that he had just discovered he had. He faced the woman and reach out a hand.

"You don't have to worry anymore. I will take care of everything now. Go back to your daughter, no one will be able to get close now that I'm here." Matt said.

Tears streamed down her face as she ran out of the entrance to the pit to stand by the cages. Matt built a barrier around the area to prevent anything happening to people there. By this point, people were coming from all over the settlement to surround him. The total number of people was around eighty by the time that he had finished what he was doing. In the lead was a rough looking man who was wearing leather biker gear with black tattoos all over his body.

"I will give any of you that wish to join me a chance. Step away from the rest and fall to the back. As for the rest, none of you will survive." Matt said glaring at them all.

"That is mighty presumptuous of you." The man in front laughed.

Matt didn't even bother to answer the man as he waited a moment to see if there were any that would step back and avoid the fight. There were only two that stepped away, one being a tall man with a scar across his face and the other being a cold looking woman with white hair.

Seeing as those were the only two, Matt simply nodded and waited for the rest of the group to make their moves. The leader pulled out a machete from what seemed to be thin air and rushed at Matt who was making him angry with his indifference.

The power that Matt had used before had vaporized his weapons leaving him empty handed, not that it mattered much. The man was just a few steps away when he vanished and appeared behind Matt. Seeing the ability, Matt was excited that he would be able to acquire it for future use. The machete made contact with his shoulder, but it didn't even make a cut on his skin as the end of it disintegrated the moment it touched him.

The leader was surprised and made to jump back using his ability, but it was too late to do so. He barely noticed as a hand reached out, passing through his chest and rib cage, grabbed his heart and ripped it out. The leader collapsed in a pool of blood as his heart continued to beat in Matt's hand. The surrounding group were frozen in fear as they watched their leaders heart beat a few more times and then stop.

Matt simply tossed the heart aside still glaring at the rest. They all scattered at the same time as if it was previously agreed upon. This did not matter to Matt at all since he was fast enough to catch all of them fairly easily.

"Jump in and help with the clean up to prove your loyalty. Otherwise, expect to face the same fate as the rest." Matt said to the two that had stepped away from the rest.

They both nodded and moved into action at the same time. Scarface made metal blades come out of his arms and the woman disappeared in a puff of smoke that would fly into the mouth and nose of those running away killing them on the spot as their lungs exploded.

Matt nodded and proceeded with his own killing spree that quickly depleted the numbers of those running away. When they were done, there were bodies strewn everywhere. The only ones that were intact were the ones killed by the woman. Matt went around collecting the abilities of all the dead before meeting up with the other two.

Both kneeled down on the ground as he approached as a sign that they were willing to obey him.

"We have seen your strength and are willing to follow you. No task you give is too large or outrageous as we give our lives to you." said the woman.

Hearing this, Matt pinched the bridge of his nose feeling a headache coming on. This woman was basically a carbon copy of James in the way she devoted her loyalty to him. He felt the two would make a great couple which gave him even more of a headache.

Now that the area had been cleared, Matt removed the barrier that he had created from rock from around the captives. He then removed the locks on the cages so that they could all escape. They all crowded around him, saying their thanks and praising him for his deed. He used his energy to repair their broken bodies and made it so that they would be able to travel.

It was only five miles to their destination so he gathered all of them around and explained where they were headed and the route they would take. By the time they made it to the edge of the settlement, there was already a convoy waiting on them. It seemed that the military had made use of the roads that the criminals had cleared to reach this place faster. As they were loading up, the woman that he had saved and her daughter approached him.

"Thank you for what you have done. You saved us both and for that you have my thanks. If you would have us, we would like to join the group that you lead." the woman said

"We will discuss this with the rest of my group when we reach the military settlement." Matt said while helping them load into the nearest vehicle.

With all of the captives that survived, they made their way to the settlement as the sun setting. Everyone was tired to include Matt, but he wouldn't sleep until they were inside a safe zone and with the rest of his group.