Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 145: No Women At All?

Chapter 145: No Women At All?

Scarlett turned to face them fully, her gaze unwavering.

"They know my face," she stated firmly. "Which means if I walk in as myself, I’ll be recognized immediately. So instead, I’ll be going there as someone else."

Kato’s lips twitched into a small smirk.

"Oh oh, true," Ethan said, his eyes lighting up with realization. "Since you can take on someone else’s appearance, it’ll be easy for you to infiltrate that organization."

"That’s true. Why didn’t I think of that?" Ryder mused, raising an eyebrow. "But whose face are you going to take?"

Scarlett didn’t hesitate.

"Maya’s face."

Her response cut Kato short, his mouth opening slightly before snapping shut. Her face was etched with seriousness.

"She’s dead," Scarlett continued. "If I want to make everything perfect, then it’s best to take the face of someone who is confirmed dead."

Ryder grinned, clearly approving of her choice.

"Great choice," he chimed in. "But, honestly, I thought you’d choose a male disguise, you know? That way, you’d look more muscular and imposing. If you go in as a woman, they might underestimate you, just see you as another survivor. Do you think that’s okay?"

"That’s not an option."

Kato’s voice was firm as he folded his arms over his chest. His expression left no room for argument.

"Her going in as a woman actually works in our favor," he explained. "I can just say she’s my sister, someone I finally found after all this time. That alone gives me an excuse to return to the organization. If they ask why I left without a word, I’ll tell them I was searching for my lost sister. And now that I’ve found her, we’ve come back, both fully dedicated to eradicating all monsters... as well as any humans who stand in our way."

A round of applause suddenly broke the air. Ethan clapped his hands together, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.

"True!" he exclaimed. "Going in as a woman means no one will see you as a threat. They’ll assume you need protection rather than viewing you as a potential soldier. That works in our favor."

Then, his expression turned serious.

"Are you guys leaving now, though? Like... right now?"

Scarlett nodded without hesitation.

"Yes, Ethan. If we want to save Garvin and that Jaden, we need to act fast. Time is not on our side."

She paused, then turned her gaze toward him and Ryder.

"You two will stay here and continue slaying both monsters and the guards. I know it’ll be harder now that my invisibility spell won’t be shielding you, meaning you’ll be exposed to the enemy... but we trust you."

Kato stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Ethan’s shoulder, but the latter immediately shrugged it off.

"Trust?" Ethan repeated with a smirk, shaking his head. "You might not want to use that word around me. I don’t even believe in it anymore."

His voice dropped slightly, an edge of something bitter laced within it.

"Hell, I don’t even trust myself. So there’s no point in anyone else trusting me either."

He leaned back against the bed, exhaling slowly before his lips curled into a small, almost unreadable smile.

"Anyway, the four of us are about to embark on a very dangerous journey. A journey where we don’t even know the outcome. So all I can do is wish us all the best of luck."

His voice was calm, but there was weight behind his words.

Kato said nothing, only grabbing Scarlett’s arm as he led her toward the exit.

Ryder and Ethan remained behind, left alone in the room with nothing but their thoughts and emotions to process.

_________

Outside, the cool morning air greeted Scarlett and Kato as they settled onto a rock chair, facing each other. The distant growls and cries of people in agony echoed in the background, clear to their enhanced senses.

For a while, neither of them spoke. Silence stretched between them like an invisible barrier.

Then, finally, Kato broke it. "Are you ready for this?"

His voice was quiet but steady, piercing through the stillness like a blade.

"Is that even a question?" Scarlett scoffed, raising her gaze to meet Kato’s. Her expression was unwavering, sharp with determination. "Since you’re familiar with the organization, that means you know every in and out of it. Tell me everything, every little detail about that place, as well as that motherfucker who calls himself the boss."

Kato let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders rising and falling as a somber expression overtook his face. His eyes darkened, clouding over with memories, as if he were reliving something he would rather forget.

"Oh yeah, you should know," he muttered. His voice was low, measured, yet tinged with something cold.

He took a moment before continuing.

"The organization is called ’Eclipse.’ It’s a secret society that’s been around since the start of this apocalyptic world, hiding in plain sight while pulling strings from the shadows. Their obsession? Ultimate power. They want absolute control over whatever’s left of this world, and they’re ruthless about it."

Scarlett leaned in slightly, absorbing his every word.

"The building itself is four stories high, a fortress disguised as ruins. There are over a hundred rooms, each serving a different purpose, training halls, armories, laboratories, holding cells... But Garvin? He’ll be in one of those rooms for sure. The punishment room."

Kato’s voice turned grim, a flicker of something unreadable flashing through his eyes.

"Just like Austin’s organization that we took down, Eclipse follows the same twisted ideology. They recruit people, give them tasks, and train them into killers. But unlike Austin’s group, there isn’t a single woman in their ranks. Any woman you see there is a transgender and infact is a woman. Every single member is male, either chosen ones or just desperate survivors they turned into obedient soldiers."

Scarlett’s expression darkened at his words, her gaze hardening.

"No women at all, for real?" she asked, her tone laced with curiosity and a hint of disgust. "And the boss?"