Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition

The air was thick with decay as the sun dipped below the jagged skyline, bathing the city in an eerie crimson glow. Smoke and ash drifted from the distant remains of the Hive device, but there was no time for celebration. On the horizon, a new nightmare loomed.

Ethan's panicked voice crackled over the comms. "Captain, I've just intercepted new drone footage. It's... worse than we thought."

"How much worse?" Marcus Kane demanded, reloading his shotgun as the team regrouped at the charred ruins of a barricade.

The drone feed flashed on Ethan's handheld tablet, revealing a grim scene: dozens of glowing-eyed Titans leading an endless sea of zombies toward ZETU's position. Unlike the previous disorganized hordes, this new wave moved with precision, their eyes burning brighter under the blood-red sky.

"These aren't stragglers," Ethan continued. "The Hive didn't just connect them. It's spawning a network. Each Titan is acting as a signal booster for the swarm."

Marcus swore under his breath. "How long do we have?"

"Minutes," Ethan replied grimly.

"Then we hold the line," Marcus said, turning to his team. "This city isn't falling tonight."

Jenna Hart hefted her flamethrower, a determined grin cutting across her soot-streaked face. "I was hoping for an encore."

"Careful what you wish for," Derek Coleman grunted, planting his riot shield in the dirt. "Blaze, you and I are taking the east flank. Riley, find a perch and thin their numbers before they hit us."

"Got it," Riley responded, already climbing the skeleton of a collapsed billboard. She adjusted her scope, her sniper rifle gleaming in the dying light.

"Lila, you're with me," Marcus said, locking eyes with her. "We're taking out those Titans before they reach the barricade. Ethan, guide us."

The team scattered, each member moving with practiced precision as the first wave descended.

Riley's rifle cracked in rapid succession, each shot a headshot that sent zombies crumpling to the ground. "Targets down. More coming."

On the eastern flank, Jenna unleashed a wall of fire, driving back the undead. "Derek, keep them off me!"

Derek raised his shield, shoving a screeching zombie back into the inferno. "You focus on cooking them. I'll do the heavy lifting."

Meanwhile, Marcus and Lila sprinted through the wreckage, heading toward the nearest Titan. The ground shook with each of the massive creature's steps, its glowing eyes fixed on the barricade.

"Ethan, status?" Marcus barked.

"You're closing in," Ethan replied, his fingers flying across his tablet. "But you've got incoming—fast movers, six o'clock!"

Lila spun, pistols blazing as a pack of mutated sprinters charged from the shadows. Their emaciated forms moved unnaturally, their glowing eyes wild with hunger.

"I'll hold them!" Lila shouted.

"No time!" Marcus replied, tossing her a grenade. "Make it count!"

Lila nodded, pulling the pin and hurling it into the pack. The explosion lit up the dark street, sending limbs and black ichor flying.

Marcus reached the Titan, his shotgun roaring as he aimed for its legs. The creature staggered but didn't fall. Its glowing eyes locked onto him, and it let out a deafening roar.

"Captain, it's charging!" Ethan yelled.

Marcus dove to the side as the Titan's massive arm smashed into the ground, sending debris flying. From her perch, Riley lined up a shot.

"Hold still, you ugly bastard," she muttered, squeezing the trigger.

The bullet pierced the Titan's skull, and it collapsed with an earth-shaking thud.

"Titan down!" Riley called.

But there was no time to celebrate. Ethan's voice came through, strained. "Captain, I'm picking up more movement. The swarm isn't stopping."

Marcus looked to the horizon, where the faint glow of additional Titans illuminated the growing darkness.

"Then neither are we," he said grimly, reloading his shotgun.