A couple of blocks down the road, atop a weather-beaten roof, two men sat huddled together, their hands clasped around a rusted can of beans. as they shared their meager meal, savoring each mouthful as if it were their last. They were brothers in arms, united by the bonds of a life lived on the fringes of society, where survival was a daily struggle and every small victory was cherished.

"Recently zombies numbers dropped significantly in this part of town, some other group is hunting in this area"

"Probably, but this guy is a freak? "

"Do you think he is an awakened"

"I don't think so, we have been watching him for days, and he didn't display any unusual abilities, except being efficient with the use of a hammer and smashing zombie skulls, nothing is out of the ordinary"

"Are you fucking serious, can you do that, I have never seen someone kill zombies with one swing, this guy is anything but ordinary"

"Ray you always worry too much, this is an easy score, this guy is sitting on a lot of zombie cores, just these few days, I lost count of how many zombies he killed, and he may have even more"

"I don't think we should do this David, it's too dangerous "

"You must've heard from jack about the army having a way to make wakened stronger, what if they have a way to help us awaken, I'm not gonna miss this opportunity"

"Those are only rumors, you don't know for sure"

"Fine if you wanna pussy out, I'll do it myself, but don't cry later when I get all the loot for myself"

***

Fletcher emerged from the steamy confines of the shower, feeling refreshed and invigorated. The adrenaline from his latest zombie hunt still coursed through his veins, and he eagerly reached for his loot.

" 13 strength 11 agility 2 vitality and 0 intelligence cores, I can't rely on luck to get the intelligence cores, it will take a long time to collect them, I need to find another way"

After he consumed the vitality cores, he went to sleep.

A few hours later

The silence of the night was shattered by a faint, but persistent clicking noise, like the muffled ticking of a distant clock. It echoed through the house, bouncing off the walls and into the ears of Fletcher.

Fletcher possessed advanced hearing capabilities, a result of his upgraded stats. His ears were finely attuned to the slightest of sounds, and he could distinguish between them with pinpoint accuracy. He could hear the rustling of leaves outside, the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen, and even the faintest whispers of a conversation next door.

As soon as he heard the clicking, Fletcher sprang into action. He slipped out of bed, his feet touching the floor soundlessly, and crept towards the door. He could hear the intruder outside, their breathing loud and labored as they tried to force their way in.

Despite the darkness, Fletcher navigated his way around the house with ease. He knew the place like the back of his hand.

David and Ray crept through the darkened corridor, their hearts pounding with a mix of fear and excitement. Every step they took felt like a risk, as they were completely unaware of the dangers that might be lurking in the shadows. The musty air was thick with tension, and their senses were on high alert.

With a silent nod, the two friends parted ways. David chose the right path, while Ray took the left. Each step took them further into the unknown, deeper into the belly of the unknown beast that lay ahead.

David cautiously turned the doorknob, the creaking sound it made caused him to wince in anticipation of what was ahead. Stepping inside the dimly lit room, he squinted to adjust his eyes to the darkness, scanning his surroundings with utmost care. Every muscle in his body tensed up as he noticed a backpack lying on the ground. Instinctively, he reached down to pick it up when a rough hand covered his mouth, muffling his scream.

In the blink of an eye, another hand wrapped around his neck, cutting off his air supply. Panic surged through him as he struggled to break free, but the strength of his attacker was unparalleled. He was like a trapped animal, helpless against the inescapable grasp of his captor.

David's mind raced as he tried to comprehend how anyone could possess such raw power. Fletcher, careful not to harm his captive, gently lowered him to the ground before securing his hands and legs with unforgiving zip ties.

David's breaths were shallow and strained as the duct tape was forcibly applied over his mouth, muffling any sounds he could have made. He was left there, bound and helpless, as Fletcher slipped away to pursue his next target.

Even though Ray knew his friend's plan was dangerous. But as much as he wanted to dissuade his friend, he couldn't bear the thought of abandoning him to face the danger alone.

Ray made his way to the kitchen and was looking through the cabins. Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine as he heard a low, ominous voice right behind him.

" I have been waiting for you guys "

Ray's world crumbled around him in an instant, his heart plummeting like a stone as his worst fear took shape before his eyes. He knew, with a sickening certainty, that he had made a grave mistake, and panic clawed at his chest. His fingers trembled as they sought the familiar weight of the knife at his waist.

" I wouldn't do that if I were you "

With a sharp, sudden movement, Ray withdrew the gleaming blade from his waistband, his muscles tensed with a sense of urgency. He whirled around, ready to face whatever foe was behind him, and his eyes locked onto a figure lunging towards him. But before he could strike, a crushing grip closed around his wrist like an iron vise, wrenching his arm back with stunning force.

A cry of pain escaped Ray's lips as he felt the momentum of his own attack reversed, leaving him momentarily defenseless. In a split second, he saw a fist coming toward him, but it was too late. The impact was like a bolt of lightning, a white-hot flash erupted across his vision, and he felt his body go limp.

As he crumpled to the ground, his senses reeling, Ray knew he was in trouble. The world around him was a blur of colors and shapes, and he struggled to focus on anything. The taste of blood filled his mouth, and he felt a sharp pain in his jaw. With a last gasp of consciousness, he tried to push himself up, but his limbs refused to obey him. And then, everything went black.

Later on.

***

Fletcher stood towering over Ray, who was bound to a sturdy chair with unforgiving zip ties. The room was cloaked in an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of Ray's labored breathing. Fletcher's eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity as he delivered a swift, stinging slap to Ray's face, The force of the blow reverberated through the room, Ray's head snapped back, and a cry of pain escaped his lips. The metallic sound of the zip ties straining against Ray's struggles filled the air, as he desperately tried to break free from his restraints. Ray was left trembling and battered, at the mercy of his tormentor.

" hey rise and shine buddy "

Ray appeared fresh-faced and youthful, his slender frame suggesting he couldn't be much older than sixteen or seventeen. His complexion was fair, and his countenance held an unblemished innocence. There was a certain fragility about him as if the world had yet to fully shape and mold him into the person he would one day become. His unassuming presence was almost disarming, but there was something in his eyes that hinted at a depth beyond his years.

Fletcher leaned in close and spoke in a low, menacing tone.

"Listen carefully, kid. I have a few questions for you, and it's in your best interest to answer them truthfully. If you do, I'll let you and your friend go unharmed. But if I catch you lying to me, or if your friend gives me a different answer, there will be serious consequences. Do you understand?"

Ray nodded his head, and Fletcher removed the tape off his mouth.

"Now, first, your name and age ?"

" My name is Ray, short for Raymond I'm 17 years old, listen we were just..."

Ray opened his mouth to speak, a sudden force struck him across the face, cutting him off mid-sentence. The impact reverberated through his skull, leaving his senses reeling. He could feel the sharp sting of pain spreading across his face, as though a thousand needles were pricking at his skin. The sound of the slap echoed in his ears, drowning out all other noise and leaving him temporarily deafened.

"Answer only the questions I ask you, nothing more, next time it won't be just a slap on the face "

"What's your friend's name and age "

Ray spat some blood from his mouth, "his name is David and I think his 19 or 20 years old"

"Are there any people with you "

Ray hesitated for a while before he simply said "yes but not here back at the camp"

"How many ?"

"Twenty-one people total, including me and David"

" is that all! remember if I hear differently from your friend, I'll bash your face in"

" I swear I'm telling the truth we belong to a scavenger group from the 12 base our group consists of five lookout groups, each lookout group consists of two people, one main hunting group that consists of 6 people and the remaining 5 people take care of menial work like cleaning, cooking or medical help"

"Hmm, interesting, seems very organized for a scavenger group"

" It's quite common, there are many scavenger teams, it is the only way to make a living nowadays"

"A living? What are you looking for out here?"

" Well anything useful really, but our main goal is zombie cores, the military is giving all kinds of rewards for them back at the base, there are also other people trading them too"

" So you and your friend are a lookout team? What do you do exactly ?"

"We spread around the city, and collect information discreetly, like how many zombies are there in the area? And where are they heading? also, we check for places where there are supplies of food, fuel, and medicine, and then we report back to the main group, we were supposed to report back tomorrow morning"

"If you are just a lookout team, then why did you monitor me for two days, and then broke into my house in the middle of the night?"

" I'm so sorry, sir it was David's idea, we saw how many zombies you killed, and we wanted to steal your cores"

"Where are the rest of your group located?"

Ray went silent for a while, clearly conflicted

"North of here we are staying in the harmony golf club, it's isolated from the city, so we don't have to worry about zombies attacking us in the middle of the night".

"Do you have any awakened in your group? If so, describe their powers?"

“Our leader is the only awakened we have, he has electric powers and he is part of the hunting team"

"Interesting "

Fletcher finished things with Ray, and moved to interrogate David next, the questions were similar but David unlike Ray he demanded more encouragement to spill the beans, Fletcher had to break a few fingers to get the truth out of him.

As the first rays of dawn began to illuminate the sky, Fletcher heaved a sigh of relief. It had been a long and arduous night of interrogation, but he had finally extracted the information he needed from the two thieves.