[ Chapter 2 - The Undead ]

Security guards swarmed the doors to the main hallway where the undead had been banging for the last couple of minutes.

[ Head security guard ] Move, move, move!

The head security guard signaled to rush into the hallway and to take position while having his gun lowered at the ground as to not accidentally shoot any passing security guards on the way.

The head security guard waved his hands for the other security guards to rush in while waiting for all of them.

[ Undead ] *Groans* l-le-et *groaning* us *aggressive groan*... In!

The undead somehow spoke while the banging on the door got loader that small dents started to form on the steel double door.

[ Denma ] "What the hell, a speaking undead!"

Denma had started to relax until the undead formed its sentence, time seemed to slow down for Denma, the security guards complexions seemed to only worsen, but maybe it wasn't because of the voice they just heard?

[ Denma ] "How is this possible, don't the dead rot away, rot their voice cords?"

Denma wondered while sweating profusely not managing to come up with any explanations to this biologically impossible phenomenon.

[ Natasha ] W-w-what do we do, team head!

Natasha had tears in her eyes while clinging onto the team head while quivering.

Denma seemed to snap out of his wondering state and quickly rubbed his eyes, then pinched himself.

[ Denma ] Natasha, how did the undead form a sentence?

Natasha seemed to be frozen in place after hearing the team heads question directed towards her.

[ Natasha ] What sentence, are you perhaps stressed out?

Natasha seemed to be worried about the team heads stability in this stressful situation.

[ Denma ] Did you not hear I-

Denma's voice quickly got cut off at the sound of gunfire.

[ Security guard #145 ] They're coming through!

The security guard yelled when a small opening appeared through the steel door.

Denma quickly took notice of the hole and squinted his eyes, only left to be shocked at the sight he had seen.

A horde that ranges down the alley, an unknown number of undead, swarming into this place.

The eyes of each undead glowed with a dark purple hue, tinged with hints of red, as they forced themselves through the crack they had made.

Every security guard started shooting through the crack in the steel door.

No conversation could be had at the moment due to the noise of gunfire.

Denma felt a slight tug on his coat while covering his ears from the gunshot fire while cowering a little bit.

[ Female hunter ] C'mon, move it!

The female hunter shouted into the team heads ears.

At first Denma was confused, but then noticed the amazing undead lich right behind him.

Denma grabbed Natasha by the arm and got her attention and pointed towards the lich.

[ Natasha ] W-what?

Natasha was confused by the sudden grab by the team head, but then noticed the lich, she understood the team heads plan, she nodded.

Denma, nodded back with a serious look.

Natasha, Denma and the female hunter made a run for it, they grabbed the lich and ran towards their laboratory with the lich in tow.

When they took hold of the lich, the doors were broken down by the undead, the labs were being sealed by steel doors in a slow manner.

[ Security guard #127 ] Grenade!

[ Security guard #110 ] Take cover!

Explosion after explosion, flying flesh after metal fragments, command after gunshot, Denma did not dare to look back and only focused on the lich as he ran.

[ Security guard #151 ] Gaah!

[ Denma ] "The undead must've broken in already, I hope that at least one guard manages to live through this incident."

Denma became worried for the security guards well being, but he knew, he knew, that this was their purpose, to protect the researchers, it made Denma sad, because anyone could've become a researcher if they invested some of their time into books.

Denma bit his lower lip in frustration, not being able to do anything, but to just run, made Denma angry at himself.

[ Male hunter ] Are we close yet?

The male hunter got anxious, because of the undead horde that broke in.

[ Denma ] Turn left after that corner!

Denma the team head pointed at the split hallway ahead of them, there once were many doors, but all off them were sealed off with steel.

After the group turned the corner, the laboratory was not far off.

[ Undead ] F-found *gurgle* y-you, ma-ast-e-er!

The undead appeared from behind them, the undead grabbed the male hunter by the torso and quickly bit off a piece of his side.

[ Male hunter ] Gaaah!

The male hunter agonized over the bite that seemed to really hurt, he took hold off his side while throwing away his weapon and placing both hands on the wound.

Denma turned around and put his hand into his coat and pulled out a small chamber gun.

Denma pointed the gun at the skull of the undead who had pieces of his flesh dropping on the ground as he aimed.

[ Denma ] Y-you guys go ahead, I'll join you soon!

Denma stuttered as he spoke, wanting to test something out while aiming his gun at the undead, who seemed to not move while having the gun aimed at it.

[ Natasha ] T-team head, don't be crazy and come with us!

Natasha exclaimed at the stupid remark the team head made and looked worried while not moving with the lich in tow.

Denma quickly took a glance back towards Natasha, but then noticed the lich staring deep, deep into Denma's soul, as if, it was examining him.

Denma looked back at the undead and shouted.

[ Denma ] Go!

The undead pounced onto Denma.

Denma shot its shoulders and then its thighs.

The undead barely took any damage, but did not proceed any further, but kept stalking while trying to go around Denma, towards the lich.

Natasha let out a tear and ran with the lich and the two hunters to the laboratory.

Denma looked at the undead, and wondered.

[ Denma ] Can you speak?

Denma thought he will embarrass himself if he was being recorded, but Denma knew, that there were no cameras in the split off in between the hallways.

[ Undead ] ...

The undead did not speak.

Denma shot the undead into the thigh of the same spot 5 times.

The leg of the undead fell apart and broke off.

The undead fell.

[ Undead ] ...

Silence filled the hallway, even with the gunshots it seemed as Denma is the only one on the face of earth.

The undead finally moved, it looked Denma straight into the eyes.

Denma stared back, full of anxiousness of what the undead may do.

But Denma then noticed, the eyes of the undead, they were beautiful, they showed such rich signs of life, it made Denma remember the days of his teen years, when he studied to enter a prestigious university, whenever he woke up in the mornings, his eyes looked terrible, void of life, but looking at the eyes of the undead, it engrossed Denma.

But while admiring the eyes of the undead, something, unusual happened.

[ Undead ] *Groan*, m-m-maste-er?

The undead became confused, the undead, it stood up, but, but it dare not to attack?

The undead just grabbed it's head and held it like it's in agony, after, finally, it ripped it off.

The smell of rotten corpses only intensified as it's blood gushed through the floor, soaking Denma's feet.

Denma stood there, in silence.

Denma put's away his gun and stares at the empty eyes of the undead.

[ Denma ] I used nine shots out of twelve, I hope I won't need to use the last one on myself.

Denma's complexion seemed to be shaken up, but Denma did not stay for long, he ran to the laboratory as fast as he could.

While running, Denma remembered the lich looking at him.

[ Denma ] "Why was he staring at me, did I look delicious to him?"

Denma wondered while running to the laboratory, but not soon after, the alarms were turned off, but the red lights remained.

As silence slowly crept through the hallways, the screams started filling it soon after.

A distant scream could be heard.

[ Researcher #?? ] No, no, no, no, let go off me you damn bastar- *screams*

Denma neared the laboratory.

[ Denma ] "I need to hurry, I may die today, but my history won't, death won't be a problem, haha."

Denma tried to trick himself into thinking that death won't be the last of him while nearing the door to the laboratory.

Denma scans his ID card on the scanner mounted near the door, the door opens.

Natasha is seen to be restraining the lich with metal lockets that are made for humanoid monsters, Natasha notices Denma.

[ Natasha ] Denma, thank god you're safe!

Natasha was too emotionful that she forgot to mention Denma as the team head, but Denma did not mind, as it may be the last time they interact with each other.

Natasha shed the tear and hugged Denma, and did not let go for a strong couple of seconds.

[ Denma ] It's alright you crybaby, I'm alive and well.

Denma was glad that at least someone would remember him even after his death, he patted Natasha's head.

Denma took quick notice of someone grunting in the corner of the room.

[ Male hunter ] Soft- *grunts*, I said softly god damn it!

The female hunter seemed to be bandaging the male hunter around his torso, where the bit had ocured.

[ Female hunter ] Shush, take it like a man.

The female hunter showed no remorse while applying the alcohol to the wound of the male hunter.