"Yes sir."
As the soldiers left the room to prepare, the monitors continued showing the burning cities across Nigeria.
The world was changing faster than anyone expected.
You're trusting them with a mission already?"
"They've already proven capable in combat trials," the general replied.
"And frankly… we need every advantage we can get."
Another officer nodded slowly.
"And what if they make a mistake?" he continued "as I speak general it is known they just acquired this new power of theirs so am just saying"
The general's voice became firm.
"Then they die like everyone else."
Silence returned to the room.
Finally the general turned toward the
communications officer.
"Prepare the transport."
"Yes sir."
"Mission objective?"
"Secure the package and deliver it to home quaters." the general said.
"And evacuate any survivors if possible."
The officer nodded.
----------
------_--
The hallway outside the laboratory was quieter now.
Well maybe too quiet.
Aren stood near the classroom door, his breathing slowly settling after the earlier fight. The bodies of the infected students and cleaners still lay scattered along the corridor floor. The smell of blood hung heavily in the air.
Behind him, Alero held the younger siblings close while Celine kept watch near the window.
No one spoke for a few seconds.
Then Aren rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled slowly.
"Alright," he muttered. "We can't stay here forever let's move."
Celine nodded.
"okay"
Alero looked up at him.
"So what do we do?"
Aren glanced toward the staircase leading down to the lower floors of the school building. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"We leave."
Simple words.
But none of them were simple anymore at the least.
Alero hesitated.
"What about the infected downstairs?"
Aren shrugged lightly.
"I'll clear the way."
Celine immediately frowned.
"You mean you'll go alone?"
"Yeah."
"isn't that's reckless."
Aren gave a small half-smile.
"It's safer if only one person makes noise."
Celine studied him carefully.
This boy… no, this young man… didn't behave like someone his age should in a situation like this.
He was calm.
Too calm for his age, but am sure am not older than him much.
But after what she had already seen him do earlier, she couldn't exactly argue.
Still…
"Don't take unnecessary risks," she said quietly.
Aren nodded once.
"Lock the door behind me."
Then he grabbed the metal pipe he had been using earlier and stepped into the hallway.
The corridor lights flickered weakly above him as he moved toward the stairwell.
His footsteps were careful but steady.
Halfway down the corridor he heard it.
A faint dragging sound.
Aren stopped.
His enhanced hearing sharpened the noise immediately.
Two infected or maybe it was three.
Somewhere below.
He tightened his grip on the pipe.
"Well," he muttered under his breath. "Guess we're doing this again."
He moved down the staircase slowly.
The first infected appeared halfway down the stairs.
It was a former student.
Her uniform was torn, her face pale and twisted, her jaw hanging slightly open as she groaned.
The moment she noticed him, her head snapped upward.
Her body lunged forward.
Aren didn't hesitate.
The pipe swung.
CRACK!!!!
Her skull caved in as she collapsed down the steps.
The noise echoed through the stairwell.
"Sorry," Aren muttered.
Two more groans answered from the first floor.
"Of course."
He reached the bottom of the stairs.
Three infected were wandering through the hallway below.
One was a teacher, the other two were former students.
All three turned toward him immediately.
Aren rolled his shoulders.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Let's finish this."
The first one rushed forward.
Aren stepped aside and smashed the pipe into the side of its head.
The impact knocked the creature sideways into the wall.
Before it could recover he swung again.
CRACK!!!
The skull split, black blood ooze out staining the metal he was holding.
The second infected lunged at him.
Its fingers scraped across his sleeve as he ducked.
That was close.
Way too close.
Aren shoved the creature back and drove the pipe straight into its temple.
The third infected hesitated for a moment before charging.
Aren stepped forward instead.
The pipe rose and fell.
Once.
Twice.
The hallway fell silent again.
Aren exhaled slowly.
"Okay," he said. "That should do it."
And that was when the flicker appeared.
A faint blue glow flashed across his vision.
Aren blinked.
The system interface opened in front of him.
Hidden Mission Completed