Story 591: The Brood

Smoke and fire raged behind them, but the Devourer was still alive. The ZETU team had no choice but to retreat, their weapons barely making a dent in the creature’s evolving form.

“Captain, we’ve got movement ahead,” Lila "Huntress" Navarro reported, her voice tense.

Marcus "Iron Will" Kane wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Tell me it’s not more of them.”

“It’s worse,” Riley "Quick Shot" Bennett muttered, peering through her sniper scope.

A new type of undead stood before them—dozens of them. Unlike the mindless, staggering zombies they were used to, these creatures were organized, watchful, waiting. Their hollow eyes flickered with a twisted intelligence, their rotting lips curled into something resembling a smirk. They weren’t attacking yet.

“They’re observing us,” Ethan "Brain" O’Connor whispered, his hands shaking as he monitored his drone feed. “This…this isn’t normal.”