The road to the bank was relatively calm, aside from groups of zombies occasionally jumping into the path like participants in so destructive flash mob. Each ti, they threw themselves under the wheels as if their sole purpose was to destroy the van's front bumper. After yet another encounter with these "kamikazes," the bumper looked significantly dented.
Alex considered that it might be ti to start collecting spare parts to upgrade the vehicle. If they were lucky, maybe on one of their next runs, they could find a couple of military Humvees. However, his thoughts about vehicles were quickly replaced by mories of the hospital. The strange symbols he had seen on the walls resembled the markings on the Markers from the ga Dead Space.
"I wonder if there's an entire Markers here or just fragnts of it?" Alex pondered, gripping the steering wheel tightly. It was possible that so villainous corporation had sohow found these fragnts. Or maybe it was the work of Nyarlathotep's avatar, who had decided to set off this zombie apocalypse.
His thoughts wandered further: "What if the zombies turn into Necromorphs... or so zombie-Necromorph hybrid?"
"Ridiculous," he muttered, smirking. "That doesn't even sound plausible. Necromorphs are already dead."
But the re possibility made him uneasy. Necromorphs were far more dangerous than any zombie. They were faster, smarter, and far more lethal. Alex realized that sooner or later, he would need to arm people with weapons capable of taking down such monsters.
"And why do problems appear faster than you can solve them?" he grumbled with a weary sigh.
The cigarette clamped between his teeth smoldered as he thought. He also needed to talk to Takashi, who might be the reincarnation of David. If that were the case, Alex would have to call ho to explain everything to Gloria.
However, what worried him more was the looming threat of a massive zombie horde heading toward the city. He needed to prepare Saya to persuade her parents to return ho before it was too late.
"But that stubborn old man, Soichiro, will probably refuse..." Alex thought, imagining how the conversation would go.
He knew Soichiro was a stubborn man who wouldn't want to leave his ho or force the survivors he had sheltered to do anything. If Soichiro had started fortifying his mansion from the very first day of the apocalypse, they might have been able to withstand the horde's onslaught. But in its current state, those walls were no more than cardboard against a tide of undead.
Adding to the problem, panic among the survivors would only create more chaos, hindering any attempts to take action. Even if Soichiro refused to leave, Alex planned to explain everything to Saya and suggest kidnapping Yuriko if she decided to stay with her husband and ignore her daughter's pleas.
"You look tired. Sothing on your mind?" Saeko broke his train of thought, noticing his pensive expression.
"Just don't feel like working," Alex replied lazily, keeping his eyes on the road.
Rebecca chuckled.
"Sorry, sweetheart, but you took this job upon yourself. Like your father always said, 'Finish what you start.'"
"Don't remind of that," he sighed heavily.
Rebecca only laughed, her cheerful giggle lightening the mood a bit. Saeko looked at Alex curiously.
"Is he always like this?"
"When he doesn't want to do sothing—yes," Rebecca replied, waving her hand dismissively.
"He'll grumble for a bit, but he'll get it done. So don't worry."
"I'm right here, you know. Literally right here, driving, and I can hear you," Alex muttered, his eye twitching slightly.
Rebecca burst out laughing even louder, and Saeko smiled, starting to feel more comfortable with this strange but endearing group.
Seeing Alex's expression, the girls couldn't hold back their laughter, which only made his eye twitch even more. But oddly enough, their laughter helped him shake off the extra thoughts.
Deciding to take a thodical approach, he recalled an old strategy of his: "Do everything step by step and plan ahead."
Planning had always helped him avoid unexpected events and unnecessary losses caused by carelessness or a lack of information. Alex realized it was ti to pull out his blueprint board and notebook again to start planning his actions in greater detail.
Upon reaching the bank, Alex drove through the massive iron gates and carefully parked the van inside the premises. Stepping out, he noticed Kota standing with a group of officers, animatedly discussing weapons. Alex shook his head, ntally noting that Kota seed to have forgotten an important rule—don't attract unnecessary attention unless you want your girlfriend to get jealous.
"Sooner or later, karma will catch up with him if he doesn't rethink his behavior," Alex thought with a smirk, pushing the irrelevant thoughts aside.
Calling over a few people standing nearby, he assigned them the task of unloading the dical supplies. Grabbing a couple of bags himself, Alex headed toward Shizuka to hand over the supplies and check if anything else was needed.
"Looks like we have everything we need for now. I think you've earned a little break," Shizuka said, winking at him.
"In that case, I'll be in the observation room," Alex replied, playfully poking her nose.
"Oh, just go already," Shizuka said, blushing as she waved him off.
Laughing, Alex made his way toward the rest area. On the way, he encountered Brunhilde, who had temporarily taken charge of the group of survivors, coordinating their efforts. When Alex inquired about their progress, she gave him a concise update, ntioning the ongoing training and reminding him about the need to procure lee weapons for the survivors' defense. Alex nodded, ntally adding it to his to-do list, and continued on.
Inside, he found Saya seated at a desk, her eyes fixed on the surveillance monitors, occasionally jotting notes in a notebook. In the corner, Alice was happily entertaining a group of troublemakers, while GIR, fresh from another mission, was already imrsed in video gas with Mimi and Stitch. Not spotting Rei or Kiriko, Alex assud they were busy with their own tasks.
Grabbing a chair, Alex dragged it over and sat beside Saya. Absorbed in her work, she didn't notice his presence until he spoke.
"Notice anything interesting?" Alex asked, breaking her concentration.
"Nothing too unusual, except for so odd behavior from certain groups of zombies. They've been drawn toward Rei's house since the explosion there yesterday," Saya replied, rubbing the bridge of her nose, clearly fatigued.
"How odd?" Alex leaned closer to the desk, intrigued.
Saya shot him a brief glance before responding. She stopped massaging her nose and adjusted her glasses, shifting her focus to her notes. Alex, leaning closer, noticed her detailed docuntation of the zombies' behavior. Her precise notes and analytical approach earned his approval, and a small smile tugged at his lips. Flipping to one of the pages, she pointed out an area that she found particularly strange.
"Look here," Saya said, turning the monitor toward Alex. "If you pay attention, you'll see the zombies aren't mindlessly bumping into each other like before. Now they seem to avoid one another. What's more, they've started forming groups not just because of noise but as if by their own initiative. They're moving in sync, like a pack."
Saya adjusted her glasses again, awaiting his reaction.
Alex leaned in to examine the monitor and her notes. Sure enough, the zombies were no longer wandering aimlessly or colliding haphazardly. Instead, they were grouping up and moving with an unsettling coordination.
"This is sothing new," he thought.
Though he couldn't pinpoint the reason for the changes yet, he knew it was vital to keep monitoring for further signs—large hordes forming or deliberate movent patterns. What worried him most was the possibility of an alpha zombie erging, capable of leading the horde.
"Great work, excellent observation," Alex said, ruffling Saya's hair lightly.
"Hmph! Of course, I'm a genius," she replied, flashing a proud smile. "Noticing little things like this is no big deal for ."
Alex laughed, recalling how last ti she had been upset when he patted her head, insisting that she wasn't a child. Now, she accepted it with a light smile. She didn't know why, but she felt more joy from Alex's praise than she usually did when others complinted her. For so reason, she felt prouder of her skills now than ever before.
"So, what about you? Did you find anything unusual?" Saya asked, looking up at Alex.
"Yeah, you could say that," he replied with a crooked smile.
Saya imdiately sensed his mood.
"Judging by your face, the news isn't good. What kind of new monster is it, and why does your face look like you just ate a lemon?"
"We call it the Screar," Alex began, rubbing the back of his neck. "We ran into it at the hospital. When it scread, windows on the entire floor shattered. The scream nearly deafened the girls; lucky I reacted in ti. If you run into it in a confined space, consider yourself unlucky. And worst of all, its scream attracts zombies. We were lucky there weren't many around, thanks to yesterday's explosion."
He took a candy out of his pocket and handed it to Saya. She absentmindedly took it and popped it into her mouth while pondering what she'd just heard.
"Is the scream of this zombie really that powerful?" she asked, eyeing Alex with interest.
"Powerful enough that your brain might literally leak out if you're too close," Alex said darkly, joking.
Saya flinched at his words but quickly regained her composure.
"So we need to figure out how to deal with it. Good thing you ca back in one piece," she said quietly, shifting her gaze back to the monitors.
Alex nodded. He liked her ability to stay calm even in stressful situations.
Saya tried to imagine the potential consequences of such a sonic strike, and her face paled slightly. Being the smart and curious person she was, she understood that such a powerful sound impulse could lead to destructive effects, like turning a brain to mush.
However, she was equally intrigued by another question: how did the zombies acquire such an ability? Moreover, she wanted to know if they could use this "Screar" against regular zombies.
Alex noticed Saya was lost in thought and decided not to disturb her. He ruffled her hair lightly and headed off to rest a bit before diving back into work. The day was still in full swing, and Alex decided to do sothing simple—like heading up to the roof of the bank and soaking up so sunlight.
As he passed by other survivors, he spotted Rebecca, who was cleaning and checking the weapons with the officers. Not wanting to disturb anyone, Alex made his way to the roof and settled into a chair he had brought up earlier.
"I'll need to gather information on the Markers," he thought, lighting a cigarette. "The easiest way is to start investigating the cults that might be connected to it. The main thing is, these fanatics shouldn't start building more Markers. That'll only make things worse."
Thoughts about the causes and motives behind the zombie apocalypse kept bothering Alex. He understood that there was an organization behind it, possibly sothing similar to the "Umbrella" from movies and gas, but with a different, more mysterious and sinister plan. Electricity was still working, which was probably part of the strategy—to give people a false sense of security, only to strike when they were most relaxed. Alex was certain that sooner or later, the instigators would reveal themselves, and by then, he would be ready to face them.
"When they show up, we can invite them for tea," he smirked. "Even if they're just cannon fodder, there's always a way to get the answers we need."
He thought about the laboratories that might still be left in the world after the apocalypse began. Perhaps many of them were already abandoned, and the staff not part of the main branch had simply been eliminated. But Alex knew that sowhere there had to be keys to unraveling what was going on.
Lost in thought, he didn't notice how several hours passed by. Checking his phone, Alex realized it was already nearing evening, and he hadn't yet dealt with Takashi's situation. But first, he needed to get in touch with Rika to make sure she received his ssage. Dialing her number, he waited for her to answer.
"Has my secret admirer decided to call again? I'm flattered!" ca her sarcastic voice through the receiver.
"Heh, you noticed. Well, what else is there to do in tis like these?" Alex smirked.
"Not only did I notice, but so did everyone around . Now there are rumors among my subordinates that I have a secret boyfriend," Rika continued, a playful tone in her voice.
"Hmm, I know how to make up for my mistake," he replied with a smile.
"And what might that be? Will you arrange a supply delivery or reinforcent?" Rika teased.
"Unfortunately, that's above my abilities. But I've got sothing better: new information. Interested?" Alex leaned back in his chair, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"Surprise ," she replied.
"We've found several new types of zombies and noticed so oddities in their behavior. I've sent you all the details by email. Take a look when you have ti."
"Thanks, my dear secret admirer. What would I do without you? Mwah." Rika laughed, then blew him a kiss through the phone.
Alex chuckled and ended the call, passing all the necessary information to Rika. Now, it was ti to deal with Takashi's situation. Rubbing his chin, Alex considered the best approach. The simplest solution was to ask his robo-dogs, G.I.R. and MIMI, to bring Takashi to the roof. At that mont, almost as if by coincidence, Rebecca climbed onto the roof accompanied by a trio of noisy companions.
"How long have you been sitting here? What've you been up to?" Rebecca asked, approaching.
"Just the usual: thinking, planning… didn't even notice how ti flew. By the way, you're right on ti," Alex stretched, loosening up his stiff muscles.
"Why's that?" Rebecca asked, tilting her head slightly as if trying to read his thoughts.
"You'll find out soon," he said. "G.I.R., MIMI, find Takashi and bring him here. But be careful, no extra 'positivity.' Just bring him." Alex turned to his loyal robo-dogs.
G.I.R. and MIMI nodded in unison and rushed to carry out the command. Rebecca sat next to Alex, stroking Stitch's head. Alex couldn't help but notice the parallels between the fates of Takashi and David. Both had lost their parents due to the cruelty of the world, both were left alone, and both beca part of groups trying to survive. These thoughts made Alex shake his head. If Takashi was truly following David's path, then fate was clearly continuing to test him.
A few minutes later, angry shouts ca from the direction of the stairs. It was unmistakably Takashi, being led like a prisoner by the two robo-dogs.
"What the hell?! Let go!" Takashi yelled, unsuccessfully trying to break free from their "grips."
Alex and Rebecca exchanged glances and imdiately burst into laughter. It reminded them of the old days in Night City when Alex would send G.I.R. and MIMI to "fetch" soone. They always carried out the task with such diligence that the abducted person looked like a victim of so savage tribe.
When G.I.R. and MIMI brought Takashi in, he was tied up and attached to a stick as though he were being prepared for a sacrifice. Alex, seeing this scene, couldn't hold back and laughed out loud.
"What's so funny?! Why did they kidnap ?!" Takashi complained, glaring at everyone with irritation, intensified by his helpless appearance.
Alex laughed even harder, wiping away tears from his eyes. Rebecca also laughed, holding her stomach. Stitch, who had co up to Takashi, began poking him lightly with his claw, as if checking the quality of the "product." At that mont, cold sweat appeared on Takashi's forehead, and he began to seriously wonder if they were planning to feed him to this strange blue dog.
"Alright, you two, let him go," Alex said, trying to suppress another fit of laughter. "Otherwise, he'll think we're about to feed him to Stitch for lunch."
G.I.R. and MIMI unceremoniously dropped Takashi onto the floor, making him land awkwardly on his backside. He muttered a quiet curse as he rubbed the sore spot. Stitch, not wasting any ti, approached and poked him a few more tis with his claw, as if checking if he was still alive. Satisfied with his check, he returned to Rebecca and settled on her lap. anwhile, MIMI untied Takashi's hands and, along with G.I.R., hurried back to Alex, pleased with the completed mission.
"Ugh," Takashi muttered, continuing to massage the sore spot.
His irritation grew with every passing second: not only had he been kidnapped, but no one had explained why it had happened.
"So, why did you drag here?" he asked, standing up and glaring angrily at Alex.
"Maybe you'll say it yourself? Don't you understand why I had them bring you here, away from everyone?" Alex replied with a playful smirk.
Alex already knew the answer to this question. Looking into Takashi's soul, he was finally convinced that his suspicions were correct: this guy was David. But what puzzled him was that Takashi's mories from his past life were coming back slowly, in fragnts. Normally, this process would happen instantly, but with Takashi, it was different.
"How should I know why you decided to put on this show?" Takashi shot back, not taking his intense gaze off Alex.
"Then why did you say I saved your mother 'again' if this is the first ti we've t? I only saved her once. Strange, don't you think?" Alex lit a cigarette and squinted at Takashi.
Takashi froze, as if suddenly doused with ice-cold water. He tensed up, noticing how intently both Alex and Rebecca were watching him. Alex didn't rush to speak, waiting for the guy to gather his thoughts.
"So, it wasn't a dream? You... you're the one I think you are?" Takashi asked cautiously, trying to steady his nerves.
"What dream? Tell more. What exactly did you dream about? Haven't they told you to be specific?" Alex raised an eyebrow, showing interest.
"I... I don't know how to explain it. Since we t, I've been having strange dreams: a city of the future, our conversation in so strange place... It all feels too real to just be fantasies," Takashi replied, gazing down at the floor thoughtfully.
Alex rubbed his brow, contemplating what he had just heard. Now he understood that Takashi's mories were coming back through dreams—fragnt by fragnt. Alex considered whether he should speed up the process, but decided to put that idea aside. It was important to hear Takashi's perspective first.
"And why didn't you tell this earlier? You've been walking around looking like you've got constipation this whole ti," Alex said with a hint of amusent in his voice.
Takashi imdiately scowled, his face darkening with indignation. The situation was made worse by Rebecca, who couldn't hold back her laughter. She was joined by the trio of troublemakers, who began poking Takashi and repeating the word "constipation."
"I don't have constipation!" Takashi snapped angrily, glaring at all of them. "And how did you expect to bring it up? Should I have walked up to you and said, 'Hey, I had a dream where we talked in so strange place, and I also dreamt of a city of the future'? Is that it?"
"Why not? Instead of staying silent and thinking you're going crazy, you could've just shared," Alex replied calmly, taking another drag from his cigarette.
"You think I'm crazy?" Takashi shot back, crossing his arms.
"As long as you're acting like this, I'm not ruling that out," Alex said with a smirk, which completely pushed Takashi over the edge.
Alex simply shook his head. At that mont, Takashi fully realized that his dreams were not just dreams, but actual mories. The person sitting before him was the one he had seen in that strange place. But this was not a person—it was a Demon.
Takashi's head began to hurt more as he understood that the dreams were fragnts of his past life. The pain gradually intensified, but with it ca increasingly clear images: the face of his mother Gloria, vivid episodes from the past, everything he once thought he had lost.
"If my dreams are my mories..." Takashi muttered, closing his eyes and waiting for the pain to subside a little. "Then... if you're so powerful, why don't you just end this apocalypse?"
"Because if he does," Rebecca interrupted, her voice sounding irritated, "the main culprit behind all of this will just escape. Finding him later will be nearly impossible. And that bastard could very well destroy the planet to hell. None of us will survive. Use your brain, you little shit."
Takashi scowled at Rebecca's sharp tone but couldn't argue. Her words, though absurd, were terrifyingly logical. He had just realized that he had reincarnated—like in those books he once read.
"If I ended up in this so-called 'isekai,' then where are my powers and other perks?" he asked, sowhat embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"You're asking for a lot, kid," Alex smirked. "At least be grateful that you managed to rember sothing. And that's only because I really love Gloria and decided to visit you in that place. In other circumstances, you wouldn't have rembered anything at all. But since there's a fragnt of the power I used in the past within you, the mories have slowly co back."
Alex poked Takashi with his cigarette, almost as if emphasizing his words.
"Why this world?" Takashi sighed, looking around the room. "You said there are countless worlds. I could've ended up anywhere, but instead, I went from one hole to another."
"Listen, David," Alex said, slightly tilting his head and exhaling smoke. "I don't control this. It's not my job. It's just luck of the draw."
The na "David" sounded like thunder on a clear day. Takashi froze, then noticed the genuine regret flash across Alex's face. Alex truly couldn't choose where souls went.
"I've just got terrible luck," Takashi muttered, lowering his head.
Images of Night City started to surface in his mory—the city where cyberpsychosis and murder were commonplace. And now, he found himself in a world filled with zombies.
"If I could file a complaint, I would," he thought, but quickly realized he had no idea where to file it. The only option left was to accept it.
"By the way, how's mom?" Takashi asked after a pause, feeling a bit awkward. "Is she okay? You said you'd take care of her... Is she happy?"
"She's perfectly fine," Alex replied with a slight smile. "She lives with the goddesses under one roof, hanging out with them. You could say she's having the best ti of her life right now."
"I'm glad to hear that," Takashi smiled, though his face showed a mix of relief and regret. "If you'd brought her into this world, I'd have beaten you up."
"Go ahead, kid," Alex snorted, taking another drag from his cigarette.
Alex and Rebecca exchanged glances and burst into loud laughter at Takashi's threat. The guy realized that his words sounded more like a joke than a real threat. He just smiled and shook his head. Now that it was clear his dreams were actually mories, Takashi started accepting his past life with less resistance.
Approaching Alex, Takashi asked a question that had been on his mind for a while. It was important to him to know how his mother, Gloria, was doing in the other world. Alex calmly explained that she was doing well, making friends with the goddesses, and enjoying her ti.
Takashi listened attentively, nodding occasionally, trying to picture how his mother, a simple woman from Night City, could have made such unusual friends. He also struggled to wrap his head around the fact that, in so way, Alex was now like a stepfather to him.
After the conversation, Takashi felt lighter, as if a burden of doubt had been lifted. Many things beca clearer to him.
"But Kota ntioned that he knew you," Takashi remarked, recalling their earlier conversations. "I saw pictures where you were depicted as fictional characters: you, her, and the girl with the spear."
"It's simple," Alex replied, trying to explain clearly. "Any possible world, whether fictional or not, can exist. For example, the story of your past world in this world is represented as a video ga or ani. I think that might help you understand it better."
Takashi nodded thoughtfully. Alex's explanation seed simple, but it all still felt too complicated for him. Deciding not to overthink it for now, he said his goodbyes and headed for the exit to process the information he'd just received.
"Hey, kid, catch!" Alex called out and threw sothing.
Takashi turned around, and suddenly the object hit him right in the face. Catching it, he saw that it was a yellow jacket. His heart skipped a beat—it was his mother's jacket, the sa one she wore at the Night City hospital. Her old last na, Martinez, was still embroidered on it. Takashi gripped the jacket tighter in his hands and then looked at Alex with a questioning gaze.
"Why?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"Gloria would have wanted it to stay with you," Alex replied with a light smile. "She still wears your ashes in a pendant, to rember you. Let this jacket remind you of her. She misses you, and she'll be happy to know I found you. When I call ho, I'll make sure to invite you so you can talk to her."
"Thank you," Takashi whispered softly, struggling to hold back tears.
"And don't forget about Namiyo. She's your mother too. You're lucky, you've got two moms now. That's still better than having two dads," Alex added with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
The joke caught Takashi off guard, but after a mont, he smiled and shook his head. Putting on Gloria's jacket, he felt warmth, as though he had regained a piece of what he had lost. Alex noticed this and smiled too. Now, he needed to contact Gloria and explain everything. But the most important thing was that he had to take care of Takashi, so this guy wouldn't die again.
Seeing Alex's warm smile, Rebecca was happy that his worries had been in vain. She sat on his lap, nestled against his chest, and together they admired the sunset as the sun dipped below the horizon.
To be continued...
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