With the Fallen Star Squad joining the fray, the horde of over a thousand zombies didnât last longâthey were wiped out in no time.
The squad, it seemed, had inherited Ethanâs bandit-like philosophy to the letter. Just six of them managed to snatch up the majority of the Tier 4 crystal cores from a crowd of over two hundred survivors. Vivianâs team was left fuming, especially Vivian herself, who looked like she was about to explode.
Soon enough, everyone regrouped around Ethan.
Henry snuck a glance at Vivian.
Some things donât mean much at firstâuntil people wonât shut up about them. Then suddenly, they start to mean everything.
Thatâs exactly what happened to Henry. Heâd only ever had a mild crush on Vivian, nothing serious. But after Ethan and the others kept teasing him, calling her his secret love, something shifted. Now, seeing her again, he actually felt... something.
Ethan clapped a hand on Henryâs shoulder. "Henry, good newsâVivian said you can go ahead and chase her. Said if you donât, youâre not a real man."
"..."
Vivianâs eyes went wide. She stared at Ethan like heâd grown a second head. Was that what sheâd said?
Henry blinked, then caught the look on Vivianâs face. Yeah, Ethan was full of it.
He took a breath, then turned to face her properly for the first time. "Donât mind him. Ethanâs always like that. Honestly, I donât have any... intentions toward you."
He paused, then added, voice steady, "Itâs the apocalypse. No oneâs got time for romance. But if one day we survive this hell and find a way to stand tall in itâif we meet again after thatâIâll chase you then. Just to prove Iâm a man."
Vivian looked at him, really looked, then gave a small nod.
"Alright."
"Thatâs more like it," Ethan said with a grin.
"Alright, time to move. This is where we part ways," he added, already turning to lead his group away.
"WaitâMr. Cole, hold on!" a voice called out behind them. Thomas came jogging up, clearly in a hurry.
Heâd already heard the name Ethan Cole from the others. And now that he was face-to-face with the man, he looked like he was trying to choose his words carefully.
Ethan turned, a cold smirk tugging at his lips. "Mr. Jennings. Something you need?"
"Yes, actually. Mayor Marks would like to meet you. The Safe Zone Authorityâs vehicle will be here shortly. Iâd like you to come back with me to the Safe Zone."
"Not interested."
"..."
"Thatâs Mayor Jonathan Marks of Starlight City," Thomas said, stressing each word like it was supposed to mean something.
Ethanâs smile vanished. "And? He wants to see me, so Iâm supposed to jump? Who the hell does he think he is?"
Thomasâs polite mask cracked. His smile faltered. "Watch your tone. Some things are better left unsaid."
Ethanâs eyes narrowed. "And some things are better left undoneâunless youâre looking to get yourself killed."
"Was that a threat?" Thomas asked, voice dropping to a chill.
"No," Ethan said, stepping forward. "I donât make threats."
He swung the barbell bar in his hand in one smooth motion. Before Thomas could even flinch, the steel crashed into his skull with a sickening crunch, caving it in like a melon. Blood sprayed. Thomas dropped like a sack of meat, eyes wide in frozen terror.
The scene stunned everyone into silence.
Except for Vivianâsheâd known this was coming. But the rest stood frozen, staring at Ethan like heâd just torn a hole in the sky.
Heâd just killed a government official. A Safe Zone Authority envoy. In broad daylight. With a barbell.
How the hell did he dare?
Especially the defectors from Vivianâs teamâthe ones Thomas had quietly turned. Their faces went slack with disbelief, like the ground had just dropped out from under them.
Ethan, meanwhile, looked like heâd just swatted a fly. He gave a casual wave to Vivian and the others, then turned and walked off with the Fallen Star Squad, not even glancing back.
Vivian watched them go, exhaling slowly. She hadnât expected him to be that decisive. No hesitation, no second thoughtsâjust kill and move on.
"Vivian! What do we do now?" Nateâs voice cracked with panic. "Thomas is dead. Mayor Marks is gonna lose his mind!"
"Which is why we need to leave. Now," Vivian said, already turning.
"But if we run, wonât that make us look guilty? Like weâre the ones who killed him?"
"And if we stay, whatâwait around to be arrested? He died with us. Doesnât matter who swung the weapon, weâll all be held responsible."
"..."
"I told you we shouldâve kept our distance from them," Nate muttered. "Nothing good ever happens when theyâre around."
"Vivian, maybe we should just stay," someone else piped up. "We tell them who did it, give them Ethanâs name, agree to join the Safe Zone Authorityâtheyâll let us off."
He didnât get to finish.
Vivianâs tactical machete flashed through the air, and his head flew clean off his shoulders, arcing high before thudding to the ground.
"!!"
The entire group went dead quiet. Eyes wide. No one moved.
Vivianâs voice was ice. "Anyone else want to suggest joining the Safe Zone Authority?"
No one answered.
In that moment, she showed her handâsteel and thunder. She knew this was a turning point. If she didnât lock down her team now, sheâd lose control completely.
"I know some of you are still thinking about it," she said, scanning their faces. "So hereâs your chance. If you want to join the Safe Zone Authority, step forward. I wonât stop you. When their people arrive, you can go with them."
She paused, letting the silence stretch.
"But if you donât step forward now, and I find out later you were still thinking about itâI wonât be so forgiving."
Eyes flicked around. Some filled with doubt. Others with fear. A few with resolve.
Then, finally, someone stepped out.
"Sorry, Vivian."
Thomas had told him the Safe Zone Authority was safe. Food, shelter, crystal coresâhell, even promotions if you had the skills. He figured heâd be better off with them than running through ruins with Vivian, always one step from death.
And once the first moved, the rest followed.
One by one, the ones Thomas had swayed stepped forward. In the end, sixty-three people stood apart from the group.
Vivian waited a beat longer.
"Anyone else? This is your last chance. There wonât be another."
No one moved.
The ones who remained met her gaze, eyes steady. Loyal.
"Good," she said, nodding. Then she turned to the sixty-three. "Take care of yourselves. Next time we meet, weâre enemies."
"Move out!" she barked, and led the rest of her team away without another word.
The ones left behind watched them go, expressions mixedâsome relieved, some uneasy.
"Are we doing the right thing?" someone asked quietly.
"Whatâs wrong with it? Joining the Safe Zone Authority is the smart move. I donât get why sheâs so against it. Probably just wants to be queen of her own little kingdom."
"Exactly. People like her never last. The Authority will crush them eventually. Better we got out when we did."
"Yeah. No regrets."
Not long after, a military FMTV truck roared up and skidded to a stop nearby.
A squad of soldiers jumped down, M4 carbines at the ready, followed by two middle-aged men in suits.
The men approached the group, frowning.
"This is it? Whereâs Vivian?"
The survivors rushed to explain, voices tumbling over each other. When they got to the part about Thomas getting his skull caved in, the two menâs faces darkened with fury.
"They killed a government envoy?" one spat. "Unbelievable."
"Completely lawless. That kind of scum needs to be dealt with."
"And Vivianâsheâs siding with them? Thinks the governmentâs powerless just because the worldâs gone to hell?"
"Put both groups on the wanted list. If theyâre spotted, bring them in. Fast."
"Understood."
...