[I am an experiment. Experiment Number 7]

----

No words could express the horror which Marcus felt as he came to the grim realization.

This thing, this MONSTER...

Was man made.

The very creature which had destroyed society, slaughtered people endlessly, infected them with a virus that had literally destroyed everything- that creature was the creation of the very society which it had ruined.

However, as he thought about these things, the memories of the people around Marcus came to his mind.

The thug who would refuse his authority as a superior, resorting to threats to get out of his work.

The bitchy woman who would only focus on herself, completely absorbed in her own world.

The carefree playboy who would take every opportunity to flirt with every pretty little thing that came his way, never taking his own life seriously.

And finally, his boss - who laid these useless people on his team, slamming him with the expectations to produce results with such shoddy human resources.

It was an impossible task.

Something which would take a genius businessman - one who could literally hold an entire nation in the palm of his hands - to handle.

Marcus was no such genius.

He was HUMAN.

Yet as he recalled these things, he remembered one scene in particular.

The mocking expressions of those three as they had ratted him out to the boss without a moment's hesitation.

'Despite how much I did for them.... despite how many times I overlooked their behavior... despite how I tried to teach and mold them... despite how I gave them every opportunity to show me that they wanted to do more than shove all the work onto me... they betrayed me in an instant.'

It was not even a single moment after Marcus had made his display of anger that the three had left the room, as if they had been waiting and were prepared for the exact moment when he blew his top on them.

Or perhaps they were?

Marcus had no way to know.

But there was one thing he knew for sure.

'If humans like those people exist... then why wouldn't a human like this thing... no... perhaps even worse than this thing... why shouldn't one exist?'

[That's... an interesting line of thought. I never thought that you would make this much progress after only a couple of deaths. This is.... going better than planned.]

[Excellent.]

At the words of the creature, Marcus would have frowned, had he a body in this void of nothingness to do so.

"You talk as if you planned for me to die. Did you?"

Marcus still remembered the torment he had just gone through.

It was fresh.

Even without a body, the phantom pains ate away at his mind, filling him with hateful thoughts.

[Planned for you to die? Well, I'll be completely honest. You killing yourself was outside of my expectations. But if you went out, then you were already guaranteed death, no? Either way, what just happened was your fate... though I suppose the fact that those zombies were there in the first place was my doing.]

"So at the end of the day... it's your fault that I had to go through that..."

If Marcus had a fist to clench, he would.

"Even if there are some shitty humans in this world... what right does that give you to make everyone suffer like this?"

[Arrogance. Marcus, do you not remember what just happened to you? Or shall I remind you again?]

The voice spoke with a mocking tone as if it was playing with Marcus, however the tone of the creature then became like ice.

[You are in no place to speak to me like that]

It was then that Marcus could see once more.

He opened his eyes to look around, however Marcus immediately knew that something was off.

"Eh?"

He looked around, however as he did so, he could only move his eyes.

Turning his head was impossible.

"What.... is going on?"

He was surrounded by zombies, and they had invaded his home.

They were all over the place.

On his left, on his right, everywhere.

But most importantly, they towered above him.

"I...."

Blinking his eyes, Marcus came to realize yet another grim reality.

"Am I just a head?"

[Ah... looks like they ate everything. However, here's the thing. Your brain is the one exception. A zombie is normally supposed to go after the brains, right? However... inside your brain... there is a deadly poison. One which they will never even bother to try and consume because of the foul order it gives off.]

The zombies seemed to slouch around, lazily mumbling as they invaded the home, destroying everything that they touched without care.

They took no note of the head at their feet, and one of them even tripped over it, stumbling forward into a wall and splitting it's head open.

As he was once more overwhelmed by the situation, Marcus couldn't even slam his fist to the wall in frustration.

Biting his lip, he was left to do nothing but watch as his neck slowly regenerated.

[That poison is me.]

----

[Now then... I suppose it's time for me to spell it out. I can let you regenerate, and the zombies will attack you again. They will consume your flesh, and you will suffer the same torment, being reduced to everything except the part of your brain that is me. Then, through the regeneration that I hold, from the cells that are me, you will regrow. Following this, the zombies will once more attack you, and the cycle will repeat... endlessly.]

Marcus felt himself going insane as the monster explained a vicious cycle of hopelessness to him.

"If you are me... then it should hurt you too, right? If your cells have merged with my body, and if I regenerate from you... then you should feel the same things I do, right? Right?"

Tears once more coming to his eyes, which were now reddened with distress, he shouted out in agony.

[Ah. Yes, that is correct.]

"What... did you just say?"

Taking in a deep breath, Marcus stopped his tears for a moment as he stared off in disbelief.

"You're... lying about that... right?"

He felt his own breathing become heavier and heavier, yet the voice remained calm, responding.

[I said that's correct. I feel the exact same things that you do, for our cells have merged into one.]

"Then you do feel the same pain I do, right?"

Having been reduced to a babbling face, Marcus screamed in torment, causing some of the zombies to tilt their heads in confusion.

"Grr?"

"Mmm?"

However without the slightest bit of hesitation, the monster simply laughed once more.

[Hahaha.... of course I do. But there's one difference between me and you, Marcus.]

Taking a deep breath, the creature spoke to Markus in a manner which wrecked his perception of reality.

[Being eaten alive was one of the more humane experiments performed on me by that man.]

----

Just what kind of horrible things had this monster been through?

Marcus could only imagine.

His imagination wasn't enough to possibly comprehend what on earth could be horrible enough so as to make being eaten alive feel like nothing.

Even so, Marcus hated it.

Regardless of what this thing had gone through, Marcus couldn't find himself sympathizing for even a second.

"Do you think I'm going to feel sorry for you after you've made me suffer like this?"

[I never asked for your sympathy, fool. But you should at least understand your position now. If I want to, I can make you suffer like that for eternity. Therefore... you should listen to my other proposal. After all... if I were to simply leave you to suffer....]

'He would have to suffer through it too... of course he doesn't want that.'

Was what Marcus expected him to say.

[Then it would only be entertaining for a short while.]

However, the words which the creature spoke once again confirmed a single idea in Marcus's mind.

This creature was no human.

No matter how it talked of pain and suffering, it was a monster.

A sadistic monster, who took pleasure in seeing those around it suffer.

[Therefore... out of my graciousness as your parasite, I will offer you an opportunity, HOST.]

Not once had this creature ever ceased to speak to Marcus from a higher position.

Even at the moment where Marcus had resolved to kill himself, that creature was merely surprised.

Yet it was not.. concerned.

[If you go to sleep... then I will take control. And I will at least get you out of this cycle. After all... it would be much more interesting to watch you struggle in this world.]

This was the proposal which the creature offered to Marcus.

Either die over and over, or allow that creature free rein over his body.

[However, even if you were to refuse... you would eventually fall asleep. And at that moment... I would take control either way. So you can make a decision, but if you choose no... then I'll just watch you suffer until I get bored of it.]

Left with a choice between hopelessness and basically hopeless, Marcus grit his teeth.

There was no point in choosing to sit here and die over and over.

[So? Which will it be?]

"Alright.... you... can do as you please."

[Hahaha.... you act as if you are giving me permission. However, remember this, human.]

[Even if you didn't say anything, I would do what I please]

At that moment, Marcus felt himself become tired.

[Another one of my... modifications. A sleep inducing chemical can be propagated throughout the body. Well then... Goodnight, Marcus.]

As he closed his eyes, Marcus felt something horrible.

'Did I make the wrong decision?'

'What is that thing going to do while it's in control?'

'Should I have decided otherwise?'

A feeling of dread overwhelmed him, and he immediately wanted to take back his statement.

Yet even if he did, it would be of no use.

As the creature had said, it would get it's way.

Anything Marcus could do against it was useless.

[I do hope you have a nice dream. After all... that is the only world where life will be so easy.]

----

'Let's see... if I overuse the sleeping chemical, he will gain a resistance to it... therefore I should avoid using it aside from emergencies... however, by using it now, I've deceived him into believing that I can take control at any moment. Meaning he won't catch on.'

Marcus's body was fully restored, and Number 7 began to stretch as he accustomed himself to said body.

[Ahh.... it really is nice to have a body that's only died a couple times, isn't it?]

As he stretched, the zombies around seemed to take notice of the sudden existence in their midst, approaching Number 7 without hesitation.

The body appeared to be the exact same as when Marcus was in control, except for one single change.

The whites of Marcus' eyes were now blackened.

The confused zombies seemed to rush at the man, attacking and swinging their claws at him.

"Rawr!!"

However, the man seemed to dodge every last strike, not taking a single scrape.

[Do you think you can hit me with slow motions like that? If you want to kill me....]

It was then that a spike of flesh protruded from the stomach of Number 7, completely penetrating three zombies in a line.

[Then you're going to need to do something unexpected.]

It was then that the spike of flesh began to pump liquid through it, and the zombies became strangely discolored.

The zombies seemed to look around, almost as if they had concern on their expressions.

And then, their heads exploded in a rain of blood.

The crimson fluids rained on Number 7, who held out his clawed hands as he basked in the shower, smiling with a horrid grin.

[Hah....hahaha....HAHAHA!!! It's good to be in a moving body again!!! AHH!! I CAN GO OUTSIDE!!! I CAN SEE THE WORLD!!! Wait for me, 1 through 6!! I'll come for you all soon enough. But for now....]

Holding up his hand, a number of spikes shot out from it, penetrating all the zombies within the house who were now approaching Number 7.

In similar manner they were pumped with fluid, and they exploded into rains of flesh and guts after being overloaded with the substance.

"I suppose I have some other things to take care of. Therefore...."

Holding his hand to his heart, the creature smiled deviously.

"Wait for me."

----

"Raar...."

"Grr...."

"Ugh...."

Wrecked cars lined the roadways, with the undead creatures aimlessly wandering through the gaps.

Many of the vehicles had seemingly smashed into whatever obstacle came into their path. Some were driven off the roadways, smashing into buildings or other structures, while others crashed into the vehicles in front of them.

Regardless, it was a mess.

"Ah... I guess this is what happens when everyone falls asleep at once."

Jumping from car to car in a carefree manner, a black haired man with pale blue skin wearing a worn business suit gracefully made his way through the ruined landscape.

A number of zombies inside their cars had been trapped on the impact, and their legs had been crushed. These zombies, who were now nothing more than captured torsos, wriggled about in anger as the man hopped from one car to the next.

"It looks like even after that time... you were still working hard as always. Isn't that right, Number 5?"

Many of the zombies at this point had taken notice of the man, and were making their way through the vehicle crowded roadways in order to consume him.

However, the man didn't seem to be concerned in the least.

"Hmm.... even if I were to head back to that place, I don't think I would find them. Unless they decided to gather there? But either way, what if they aren't even awake yet? And that place is quite far, therefore without Number 4... it would be difficult."

Putting his hand to his chin in thought, the creature stopped his hopping for a moment, at which many of the zombies began to surround the vehicle which he was currently standing on, reaching for his legs.

Splat!

The moment that a zombie touched the leg of the man, an immense number of spiky tentacles shot out from the leg, piercing the brains of all the zombies around the vehicle.

"I'll go there someday. But not right now. After all, I'm sure that it would take us all a while before we made it there. Therefore... for now..."

Looking around him with a grin, a horrible smile drew itself across the face of the monster in the form of a man.

"I suppose I'll see if I can find any humans to... torment."

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