Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm



"What is going on?" asked Wang Chao as soon as he walked into the RV. I looked at him up and down as I continued to pace back and forth inside the small confines. 

"Has he told you any more details?" I demanded. I would fully admit that I was letting my stress take over, but I was going to blame it on lack of sleep and lack of sugar. 

'Force him to submit,' growled the new voice inside of my head. As if I didn't have enough to deal with, I now somehow managed to unlock a new personality that seemed to demand submission and obedience from everyone around me. 

And while the Alphahole personality did have its uses; this was not one of them. I didn't want any of my men to submit to me. Even the very idea made me upset. The commander, on the other hand…

"Not really," replied Wang Chao confused. He went to sit down at the island where there was currently a chicken pot pie covered with hot sauce on a plate just waiting for him. As soon as he sat down, Chen Zi Han quickly swooped in to take the plate away.

Wang Chao looked at the other man confused. Chen Zi Han simply raised an eyebrow. "You can eat once we figure out what situation we have just landed in the middle of. You know, Syndicates aren't this much work. Even if one needed help, they would have taken care of it themselves without dragging anyone else into the mess."

"He hasn't told you where his six men died?" I continued to press. I mean, how did no one else seem to know where all this stress was coming from? Were they really that slow?!?

"No. Just that he lost them somewhere between City N and here."

"Is the East Sea somewhere between City N and here?" I asked with a tight smile on my face.

"It is," said Wang Chao slowly.

"And the object that they need is somewhere in the East Sea?"

"They do have the exact location, but yes, it is in the East Sea."

"And is there exact location a landmark in the middle of the ocean or coordinates… you know…something that needs electricity and a GPS to be able to find. Or… are they true sailors and can use the position of the stars to find the exact location?"

Now all four men were looking at me like they were more than a little concerned. Chen Zi Han walked over to my fridge and pulled out some ice cream from the freezer. Grabbing a fork (because yes, I ate my ice cream with a fork) he came over to me and led me to the couch. 

Sitting me down, he grabbed a pillow and my blanket and tucked me in. When he was satisfied that I was nice and comfy, he then handed me my mint chocolate chip ice cream.

"What is going on?" he asked softly as he crouched down to be able to look me in the eyes. "Is there really something on this planet that we cannot kill? Or dominate? Or otherwise set on fire?"I think you should take a look at

"You really don't understand, do you?" I asked looking him in the eyes and trying to see if he was being serious or just trying to calm me down.

"Then tell us," demanded Wang Chao. "Tell us what we are walking into."

"But that was the thing. I have told you. You just don't seem to put them together."

"Then spell it out."

"The retrovirus, the whole reason why the military even attempted it was because they wanted a better navy force. That is why the species that they chose for desirable characteristics were aquatic creatures. Like starfish, like hydras…"

"Like sharks," interjected Liu Yu Zeng as he caught on to what I was trying to explain. "They wanted to build a better force underwater, and instead created a creature that was impossible to kill, let alone remain dead."

"Yes, but what makes you think that the military didn't get what they wanted at the end of the day?" I asked with a tired sigh, digging into my ice cream and taking another bite of the minty goodness. I could take or leave the chocolate, but that mint was everything right now.

"Trouble, just tell me," said Wang Chao as he came to crouch down beside Chen Zi Han.

"I'm not trouble, you're trouble," I pouted, not looking at either man. I didn't know why I was putting off telling the guys about what we were getting into. Maybe it is because I never really experienced it firsthand, I have only heard second-hand stories from the survivors. But I was not one of the dumb ones that needed to stick my hand into a fire to know that it was going to hurt if I did it.

"The zombies," said Liu Yu Zeng from where he was leaning against the kitchen island. "Country M military succeeded in creating an invincible aquatic fighting force, and Country K followed. The zombies that we have been encountering on land are also in the water."

"And the water is their natural environment," I confirmed taking another bite of ice cream before it got too melted for me to eat. "I have heard that they are at least 10 times faster in the water than on land, they hunt in packs and their diet consists of sharks, whales, dolphins, and large fish. Humans are an easy target because water is not our natural environment. We are slow, clumsy, and our powers are useless underwater."

There was a brittle smile on my face as I looked at the four men in front of me. 

"I don't suppose that we can do guard duty on land and leave them to their own devices when it comes to water?" I asked with a grimace. I was not a fan of open bodies of water… and when I say not a fan, I mean I would rather be in the middle of a sea of clowns than in an actual sea with things swimming under me.

In fact, for three lifetimes, that was still the worst way to die as far as I am concerned… and I have been ripped apart.

That should tell you something.