City A's Shadow

The trio's moved in tense silence, the forest giving way to abandoned roads as they approached the outskirts of City A. Crumbling buildings loomed in the distance, their shattered windows glinting faintly in the late afternoon sun.

City A looked worse than City B.

"This is as close as we'll get without running into trouble," Quinn muttered, scanning the road ahead, tendrils of shadows slipping out his fingers. "The infected will be crawling all over the place."

Damien's jaw clenched, his hand hovering near the pistol holstered at his side. "We go in quietly. No unnecessary risks."

Alexia glanced at the tracking feature in her system. The glowing marker hovered in the center of city A. "He's in the downtown area. It's going to be messy, but we don't have a choice."

"We've handled messy before," Quinn said, his tone laced with confidence.

Alexia unsheathed the shadowfang Katana, the blade gleaming ominously in the fading light. "Let's hope this thing lives up to its name."

As they entered the city, the eerie quietness was replaced by growls and the shuffle of infected feet. The scent of decay hung heavy in the air, and every shadow felt like a potential ambush.

"Stay close," Damien ordered, his voice low. "We don't know what's lurking."

They moved through the streets, ducking into alleys and weaving around broken vehicles. The infected were everywhere--- some wandering aimlessly, others feasting on the remains of unlucky survivors.

Alexia's system chimed softly in her mind: [Warning: High concentration of infected detected nearby.]

"System says there's a swarm up ahead," she whispered. 

Quinn let his shadows run free as he peaked around the corner and cursed under his breath. "She's not wrong. There's at least two dozen of them blocking the main street."

Damien frowned, his mind working quickly. "We need a distraction. Something to draw them away."

Alexia accessed her dimensional space, going through each boxes and piles until she found what she was looking for. Her eyes landed on a pile of small incendiary devices. "This could work," she said, materializing it into her hand.

She handed the device to Quinn ignoring the looks on both their faces. "Throw it far enough to lead them away, but don't draw too much attention."

Quinn nodded, knowing it had to with her system, a sly grin on his lips. "Leave it to me."

He crept to the edge of the alley, his movements precise and silent. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the device into an abandoned bus further down the street. A moment later, a loud boom echoed through the city, followed by the crackle of flames.

The infected turned as one, their guttural snarls growing louder as they swarmed towards the source of the noise.

"Move!" Damien hissed, leading the way as they slipped past the distracted horde.

They navigated the city's maze-like streets, the coordinates guiding them closer to their target. But as they approached the downtown area, the streets became narrower, and the infected more numerous.

"Damien," Alexia said softly, "he's in the building up ahead, can you see if you can tune into any emotions or if you can pick up any thoughts?" 

The structure was a towering office building, its glass façade cracked and streaked with blood. The front doors hung open, swinging gently in the breeze.

"Great," Quinn muttered. "It had to be a high-rise."

"No, it's all radio silent, no emotions too." Damien said responded to Alexia, "we don't have time to complain," he snapped at Quinn.

"Let's go." Damien finished while he led them into the building sneakily.

Inside, the air was heavy and stale, the only light coming from the weak flashlight, Damien held. The sound of shuffling feet echoed from above, a chilling reminder of the dangers lurking within.

"System," Alexia whispered, "can you give me a layout of this building?"

[Limited data available. Target located on the 15th floor.]

"Fifteenth floor," she relayed to others.

Damien exhaled sharply. "Of course."

They moved cautiously, the silence amplifying every crack of the floorboards beneath their feet. The first few floors were eerily empty, but as they climbed higher, the presence of the infected became more apparent.

Quinn held up a hand, signaling for them to stop. "Hear that?"

Alexia strained her ears, catching the faint sound of something large moving above them.

"Could be a variant," she said grimly.

"Wonderful," Quinn muttered.

They continued upward, the tension growing with each step. By the time they reached the 14th floor, the air was thick with the scent of rot.

Damien glanced at Alexia. "Your system still tracking him?"

She nodded. "He's close. Just one more floor."

As they climbed the final set of stairs, a blood-curdling roar echoed through the building. The sound was followed by the heavy thud of something slamming against metal.

Quinn's grip on his weapon tightened. "That didn't sound friendly."

"It's not," Alexia said, her system confirming her worst fears.

[Warning: Class 2 Variant detected.]

"Class 2?" Damien asked, his voice low.

"A stronger, faster version of the infected," Alexia explained. "We'll need to be smart about this."

The doors to the 15th floor were warped, as if something had tried to force its way through. Alexia pushed them open cautiously, her katana ready to strike.

The room beyond was a chaotic mess of overturned furniture and shattered glass. In the center of it all stood Damien's brother, his back against a wall as he faced off against a hulking creature, his figure all bloodied with one hand against his shoulder, the other arm trying to lift up his weapon.

The Variant was monstrous, its elongated limbs and razor-sharp claws making it a terrifying sight.

"Damien!" his brother called out, relief and fear mixing in his voice.

"Stay back!" Damien shouted, drawing his weapon.

The variant turned its attention to the newcomers, its glowing red eyes locked onto Alexia.

"Great," she muttered. "It noticed us."

"Quinn, take the right. Damien, cover me," Alexia ordered, her voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through her veins.

The battle was brutal and fast-paced, the Variant's speed and strength forcing them to work together seamlessly. Alexia's Katana struck true, its blade slicing through the creature's tough hide, while Quinn's precise shots kept it off balance.

In the end, it was Damien who delivered the killing blow, his pistol finding its mark on the creature's skull.

As the variant collapsed, Alexia turned to Damien's brother who had been watching them. "Are you okay?"

He nodded shakily.

Damien gripped his brother's shoulder tightly. "We're getting you out of here."

But as they prepared to leave two things happened.

Damien's brother collapsed.

The system's voice came through: [Warning: Horde activity increasing. Evacuation recommended immediately.]