Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The zombie in front of them looked exactly like the one Buddy Crow had described.

"That's him!"

Shrimpy caught on instantly. He snatched up a chunk of broken rock from the ground and hurled it straight at Big Chompers.

But the so-called Zombie King was surprisingly nimble. He ducked just in time, and the rock whizzed right over his head.

"Damn, he's fast!" Shrimpy muttered, realizing this guy might actually be a challenge—dodging his signature brick-to-the-face move wasn't something just anyone could do.

Big Chompers was just as stunned. He'd been happily digging away, minding his own business, when suddenly four zombies showed up and tried to bash his skull in.

He could tell these zombies weren't your average shamblers—they looked tough. Real tough. Without a second thought, he spun around and bolted.

"Don't even think about running!" Big Ears shouted, diving headfirst into the tunnel after him.

Shrimpy and the other three zombies followed close behind.

And just like that, five zombies were tearing through the winding underground tunnels in a full-blown chase.

Big Chompers had the home-field advantage. He was short, stocky, and built for burrowing—this maze of tunnels was his turf. He zipped through the narrow passages with ease, way faster than the others could keep up.

Even though Big Ears and his crew were seasoned escape artists themselves, they were struggling to close the gap.

"Get back here, you little freak!"

"Why are you chasing me?! What the hell do you want?!" Big Chompers shrieked in a high-pitched voice, still sprinting like his life depended on it.

Big Ears growled, "I'm gonna knock your damn teeth out!"

"Holy crap!" Big Chompers yelped, terrified. He kicked it into overdrive, running even faster.

The tunnels were a twisted labyrinth, dug out by Big Chompers himself. There were countless forks and dead ends, like a giant underground maze.

He darted left and right, trying to lose them in the maze.

But Big Ears wasn't just any zombie—his [Hyper Hearing] ability was no joke. No matter how many times Big Chompers tried to shake them, Big Ears always managed to track him down.

Big Chompers had no choice but to keep running. "This isn't working! We can't catch him like this!"

Big Ears was already panting hard. He skidded to a stop at a familiar-looking fork in the tunnel. "Damn it, we've been here before. He's just running us in circles."

"He's using the terrain to his advantage," Mist said, frowning. "Looks like he's studied my 'Ultimate Survival Tactics.' Don't tell me someone leaked my playbook?"

Shrimpy scratched his head. "So what now?"

"We call in backup, duh!" Locomotive said. "No way he's getting out if we flood the tunnels with our guys."

The others immediately agreed. It was a solid plan—overwhelm him with numbers and block every possible exit.

They sent out the signal: the zombie their boss was looking for had been found.

The response came almost instantly.

"Raaaargh—!"

The tunnels echoed with a chorus of guttural roars. The elite zombie squad, fresh off a brutal slaughter, were still crouched over corpses, gnawing on skulls and devouring Neurocores.

But the moment they heard the call, they all looked up in unison, blood dripping from their faces, eyes gleaming with hunger.

They moved like spiders, crawling along the tunnel walls with terrifying speed.

Big Chompers sensed something was off. His nose twitched, and the long whiskers sticking out from his mud-caked face quivered slightly. With his squat body, stubby claws, and dirt-streaked fur, it was obvious—this guy had fused with a mole-type zombie.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Big Chompers could feel the swarm closing in. He kept running, heart pounding.

But the elite zombies had already flanked him, cutting off his escape routes.

He tried to squeeze through one of the exits, only to find several lean, blood-smeared figures blocking the way, their faces twisted into vicious snarls.

"Yikes!"

Panic surged through him. He veered off into a side tunnel, trying to find another way out.

The chase kicked into high gear again. The once-silent tunnels were now alive with snarls, footsteps, and the sound of claws scraping against stone.

But with so many elite zombies closing in, Big Chompers was running out of room to maneuver. It was like a giant net tightening around him, inch by inch.

He sprinted through the darkness, the howls of his pursuers echoing all around. Every side tunnel he passed was already crawling with bloodthirsty zombies.

He had no choice but to keep pushing forward.

But it wasn't long before he saw them—four silhouettes standing dead ahead in the darkness, like they'd been waiting for him all along.

"Uh…"

Big Chompers' beady little eyes went wide with fear.

"Well, well… where you gonna run now?" Big Ears stepped out of the shadows, a sly, almost amused grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Behind him, Shrimpy was still gripping a chunk of rock, his face full of menace.

Mist stood wreathed in swirling black smoke, like a demon risen straight out of hell. He looked downright evil. "Told you," he said, voice low and smug, "no zombie knows more about running than I do. Figured you'd end up right here."

The Overlord Squad closed in slowly, every one of them radiating pure menace—like a pack of apex predators closing in on their prey.

Big Chompers glanced back. The elite zombies had already swarmed in from the side tunnels, crawling toward him like a wave of death.

He was completely boxed in—wolves in front, tigers behind.

The elite zombies and the Overlord Squad lunged at him together, a full-on pincer attack.

But just as they were about to strike—

Big Chompers leapt straight up, springing into the air like a jack-in-the-box.

Big Ears and the elite zombies all missed, crashing into each other in a chaotic pile-up.

They looked up, stunned, and saw nothing but darkness above—until they realized the ceiling had been hollowed out too.

"What the hell?! There's a tunnel up there?!"

Say what you will, but Big Chompers had some serious escape chops. With the underground now crawling with enemies, he had no choice but to go vertical.

He scrambled upward, clawing through the dirt until he hit the snow-packed surface. With a final push, his head burst through the snow.

Sunlight poured down, bright and blinding, reflecting off the endless white. The contrast with the pitch-black tunnels below was almost surreal.

Big Chompers scanned the area. No zombies in sight. He let out a shaky breath.

"Finally… I'm outta there."

He knew he couldn't stick around. Time to get the hell out before someone else showed up.

But just as he started to climb out of the snow—

A massive shadow fell over him.

"Uh…"

Big Chompers froze. The silhouette was unmistakably humanoid—broad shoulders, hulking muscles, and a presence that screamed danger.

Like a puppet on strings, he slowly turned his head.

Towering over him was Bulldozer, his massive frame looming like a mountain. He was staring down with those small, vicious eyes, his expression unreadable but clearly not friendly.

Big Chompers looked even smaller next to him—like a toddler facing off against a tank.

"So you made it all the way up here, huh?" Bulldozer growled.

He raised a massive fist and brought it down like a wrecking ball.

BOOM!

The ground shook with the impact, snow flying everywhere. A huge crater formed where his fist landed.

But Big Chompers had already ducked back into the snow just in time.

"Huh? Missed?" Bulldozer lifted his fist, frowning. "Where'd he go?"

Big Chompers wasn't dumb enough to go back underground. Instead, he tunneled through the snow, popping up a few feet away.

Bulldozer spotted him instantly and charged, swinging another punch.

But Big Chompers was quick—he ducked back under the snow again, vanishing like a mole.

A moment later, he popped up somewhere else, peeking out cautiously.

Bulldozer rushed over, fist raised.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The two zombies went at it in the snow-covered field—one smashing, the other dodging, over and over again.

It was like a deadly game of whack-a-mole, with Big Chompers as the mole and Bulldozer as the world's angriest hammer.

...