The Evolving Threat
Wasting no ti, the large group of survivors huddled tightly together as they finally stepped out of the subway and onto the ruined streets. Despite their significant numbers, the wide, multi-lane avenues of Centerfield provided plenty of space for them to move as a cohesive unit.
At the vanguard, Luzen led the way alongside Gary. The Werewolf was utilizing his enhanced senses to carve out the safest possible path, intentionally steering them away from roaming Glutton packs as they headed toward the central train station, a location rumored to house a heavily fortified shelter, far superior to the underground tunnels.
Positioned strategically in the center of the civilian formation were Marie and Kai. If the beasts managed to flank or jump from the rooftops, they could imdiately intercept and protect the vulnerable middle. Bringing up the rear, acting as the final line of defense, were Austin and Innu.
“So... what type of Altered are you?” a young boy, who looked to be around eleven years old, asked nervously as he glanced up at Innu's weapons.
“Oh, ?” Innu replied with a casual shrug. “Well, the truth is, I’m not actually an Altered.”
“What?!” the kid almost yelled in panic. His father quickly clamped a hand over the boy's mouth, shushing him frantically as several terrified eyes darted their way. Everyone knew the creatures hunting them were incredibly sensitive to sound.
“But I thought they said you were all a group of strong Altereds,” the kid whispered, his voice trembling. “If those monsters attack us from the back, we're completely screwed if we don't even have one protecting us!”
“Hey, don't you see the heavy hardware I'm carrying on my back? If those ugly creatures co sniffing around, I’ll just chop them into pieces,” Innu claid confidently, adjusting his grip. “Seriously, what is with everyone constantly underestimating these days?”
The kid still looked genuinely frightened, though. Hearing that his rearguard wasn't superhuman left a pale, terrified look on his face, and his small hands wouldn't stop shaking.
“Look, don't worry,” Innu sighed, pointing a thumb over at Austin. “If push cos to shove, my friend right here is one of the strongest Altereds out there, so you really don't have to stress. And I’m sure so of your parents might have noticed already, but the green-haired guy leading us at the front... if you used to watch the AFC tournants, I’m sure you’ve heard of him, right?”
“Wait, that’s really him? I thought he looked familiar, but I just assud...” another man whispered, his eyes widening in sudden realization. “He’s really Gary Dem! The kid who took down the undefeated AFC champion, Harvor... Well, if we have him on our side, I’m actually confident we can make it through this alive.”
Suddenly, Luzen halted and fluidly pulled his bow from his shoulder. Gary instantly recognized the silent signal. He imdiately raised his fist in the air, silently commanding the entire civilian column to stop moving.
“I did my absolute best to steer us clear of the roaming packs, but avoiding them entirely seems impossible now,” Luzen whispered, his eyes scanning the rooftops. “I think they have this specific periter surrounded because they know there is a guarded shelter up ahead. They are cutting off the refugees. The only way through this checkpoint is to fight.”
“Everyone!” Gary ordered, keeping his voice low but urgent. “Just as we planned to the sides. Break formation and move inside the storefronts. Fast!”
Before they had left the subway, Gary had strategically explained the drill. Rather than the Howlers trying to directly shield a dense, slow-moving crowd in the open street, it was vastly safer if the civilians instantly scattered and hid inside the abandoned buildings at the first sign of trouble.
Luzen would have already slled if any enemies were lurking inside those specific shops. So while the humans barricaded themselves indoors, the fighters would have the open street space they needed to unleash their full power without worrying about collateral damage.
The crowd scrambled, rushing toward the shattered glass doors of the nearby apartnts. But the hunters were terrifyingly fast, and they were already descending.
Luzen spotted two beasts sprinting horizontally across the brick side of an apartnt building. He drew his bowstring back and fired several arrows in rapid succession, a blur of deadly precision.
The leading monster was struck mid-stride, deep puncture wounds erupting across its chest and shoulder before it tumbled limply to the concrete below. They were incredibly forceful strikes, and Luzen had calculated the trajectory perfectly despite the target moving at superhuman speeds.
‘I’m definitely happy you're on our side,’ Gary thought, watching the ex Iron Fang's lethal archery. He called out to his Pack. “Let’s try our absolute best not to fully transform! Otherwise, we'll just terrify the civilians we're trying to protect!”
More Gluttons began pouring into the street from various directions, cutting off the rear. Spotting a beast charging the stragglers, Innu hurled his heavy axe through the air. The spinning blade buried itself deeply into the monster's torso, the sheer montum forcing the creature backward until it crashed heavily against a brick wall, pinning it in place.
“See? I told you I was pretty handy with this stuff,” Innu winked at the trembling kid, who imdiately scrambled to safety inside a nearby doorway.
However, the pinned monster didn't die. Growling, it forcefully pulled itself forward, carelessly allowing the embedded axe blade to tear through its own mutated flesh and muscle just to free itself. Blood pouring down its chest, it continued its relentless charge toward Innu.
“Right, okay. These guys are getting really, really annoying!” Innu grunted, abandoning the pinned weapon. He vaulted nimbly onto the dented roof of an abandoned sedan, drawing his second axe and preparing to fight the approaching beast head-on.
But before he could swing, a thick, rubbery arm stretched out from the shadows, attempting to swat him from his blind side.
Innu reacted purely on instinct, bringing his remaining axe up to block the incoming strike and counter. But just as the weapon t flesh, the creature's elongated arm bizarrely split apart into several shifting segnts.
It almost looked as if the monster's limb was constructed of thick, intertwined branches. Innu swung his axe down, slicing through a section of the grotesque flesh, but it only severed a small piece. The remaining tendrils extended rapidly, wrapping like iron snakes around Innu’s ankles and wrists, forcefully stretching his limbs apart.
“What the hell is that?” Austin shouted, rushing over. “That's the first ti we've seen a Glutton do sothing like that! That doesn't look like an ordinary mutation... it’s almost like the beast still possesses so Altered powers!”
The monstrous, stretching arm that had completely entangled Innu suddenly hoisted him high into the air. He struggled helplessly against the grip. Just as the beast opened its jaws to bite, Innu caught a flash of green hair in the corner of his eye.
Gary leaped into the fray, wielding a heavy, customized hamr. He swung the weapon down with bone-shattering force, crashing it into the concrete floor directly over the monster's elongated arm, completely crushing the mutated limb.
Instantly, the constricting strength of the branch-like appendages weakened, dropping Innu safely onto the roof of the car.
“I've gotten a bit better at swinging this thing,” Gary said casually, hoisting the heavy hamr over his shoulder as the crushed beast whimpered.
Innu looked past the Alpha, realizing with awe that the rest of the attacking pack had already been completely dealt with while he was tangled up.
Seeing the carnage Gary had left in his wake, Innu just rubbed his bruised wrists and smiled.
“Just how much stronger did you actually get, man?”
**
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