Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 47: Does The Axe Squad Release Monsters?

Chapter 47: Does The Axe Squad Release Monsters?

"NO!" Scarlett screamed, her voice raw with anguish as she leapt from the boat, fire erupting from her hands. The blaze cast her in an otherworldly glow as she hurled herself toward the creature. Around her, the cries of her companions mingled with the guttural growls of the monstrous abomination.

Scarlett’s flames struck the creature in a torrent of heat and light, but it didn’t falter. Its massive jaws remained clamped on Rose, feeding hungrily, ignoring the fire that scorched its leathery hide.

"Die you motherfucker!" Louise bellowed, his voice cracking with desperation as he unloaded his gun into the creature. The bullets tore into its flesh, black ichor oozing from the wounds, yet the beast didn’t stop until Rose’s body was no more than a skeletal husk.

With a sickening crunch, it dropped her remains to the ground and turned toward the others, roaring as it charged.

Scarlett’s heart shattered as she stared at what was left of Rose. Anger surged through her, mixing with grief. She hurled another blast of fire at the creature, her hands trembling.

Larry and Ethan joined the fray, their attacks relentless. Ethan’s fire blazed alongside Scarlett’s, while Larry used his water element to form deadly torrents that slashed at the monster. Gunfire erupted from the others, bullets riddling the creature’s hide, its deafening growls echoing through the air.

But no matter how much damage they dealt, the monster pressed forward, its unnatural strength unwavering.

Suddenly, an eerie chorus of growls rose in the distance. Scarlett froze for a split second, her blood running cold. She turned her head just as a horde of monsters burst from the tree line, their unsettling forms illuminated by the moonlight.

"We’re fucking dead!" Maya shouted, panic thick in her voice as she emptied her clip into an approaching creature. "How many are we supposed to kill?"

"All of possible!" Larry yelled still fighting the monsters with his water element.

The shore became a battlefield as monsters of varying shapes and sizes charged. Scarlett’s flames flared brighter, fueled by raw desperation. She focused on holding her ground, but for every monster they felled, more seemed to take its place.

In the chaos, Matthew now fully turned into a monster fixed his bizarre gaze on Scarlett. His limbs had mutated, long appendages writhing like grotesque tentacles. With terrifying speed, he lunged at her, his twisted features barely resembling the man he once was.

Scarlett dodged, the air around her sizzling as she retaliated with a fiery strike. "Matthew... no!" Her voice cracked with anguish, but her hands showed no mercy, sending a searing blade of fire toward him.

"We need to fall back to the boats!" Larry shouted over the cacophony, blood streaming from a gash on his forehead. "We can’t fight them all!"

Ethan nodded grimly. "He’s right! If the others without powers get bitten, they’ll turn. We have to go now!"

Louise and Maya were already retreating, fighting their way back toward the boats. Scarlett caught sight of Rose’s skeletal body twitching violently on the ground. Her breath hitched as she realized what was happening.

"Rose..." she whispered, tears streaming down her face as her lifeless form began to transform, bones snapping and shifting abnormally. Within moments, Rose stood as one of them, her hollow eyes now glowing with monstrous hunger.

The newly turned creature lunged at the nearest survivor. Scarlett choked back a sob, hurling a fireball toward her former friend. "I’m sorry, Rose," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the chaos.

Garvin’s voice broke through her despair. "Scarlett! Watch out!"

Scarlett turned just as Matthew’s elongated tongue shot toward her like a spear. Before she could react, Garvin shoved her aside, taking the hit in her place. The tongue sliced through his arm, leaving a gory wound that sprayed blood across the sand.

"Garvin!" Scarlett screamed, rushing to his side. Her hands trembled as she unleashed a fiery blade, slicing through Matthew with a cry of rage. The creature writhed and shrieked before collapsing in a heap.

Scarlett gaze went over to Matthew’s remains, her body shaking with fury and sorrow. "I didn’t want to do this..." she whispered, staring at what used to be her friend.

Larry’s urgent voice snapped her out of her daze. "Scarlett, we have to go! The monsters are endless!"

Ethan quickly carried the injured Garvin over his shoulder, his expression grim. "We’ll all die if we stay here!"

Scarlett nodded, her resolve hardening. With one final burst of fire, she cleared a path for them to escape. Together, they ran, slashing and blasting their way through the horde until they reached the boats.

Larry and Ethan provided cover fire, their hands shaking as they fended off approaching monsters.

"Hurry!" Maya yelled, her voice strained with fear.

The group piled into a single boat leaning the other one alone, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. Ethan took the helm of one vessel, Larry the other, using his water element to propel them away from the shore. The monsters roared in frustration, some even wading into the water after them, but the boats quickly sped out of reach.

As silence fell over the group, Scarlett knelt by Garvin’s side. His face was pale, his body trembling uncontrollably as blood continued to pour from his wound.

"Stay with me, Garvin," Scarlett whispered, her voice breaking. Tears blurred her vision as she channeled her fire and earth elements, working frantically to extract the poison.

Garvin coughed, blood spilling from his lips. His eyes fluttered closed.

"Please," Scarlett pleaded, her hands shaking as she worked. "You can’t die here. I won’t let you."

The silence on the boat was heavy, broken only by Garvin’s ragged breathing and Scarlett’s whispered prayers.

Louise stared at the horizon, his face pale. "I can’t believe this is happening," he muttered. "We thought we escaped the monsters... but Matthew was waiting for us. And he was supposed to be taken by the Axe Squad."

"Does the Axe Squad release monsters?" Maya asked, her voice low but edged with anger.

Larry shook his head grimly. "No. They never release monsters unless there’s a reason. That thing wasn’t just attacking randomly, it was after Scarlett."

"After her?" Louise frowned. "Do monsters even recognize people or know who to be after?"

"Victor sent it," Ethan said firmly. "That thing wasn’t acting on instinct. It was a weapon, sent to kill her, or worse, to abduct her."

Larry’s expression darkened. "Victor wants control over all monsters. If he’s experimenting on them, he’s finding ways to command them. Matthew must’ve still had Scarlett scent on him which Victor recognized.

Ethan nodded. "And he’s targeting those with powers. He knows about me and now Scarlett. Both of us are now on his list."