Apocalypse: Roach to Supreme Being

When Marcus had placed the 8-year-old boy in the car's trunk, he'd looked into his eyes—full of innocence, not a hint of malice.

The boy hadn't resisted; he'd quietly climbed in, believing Marcus's half-hearted promise that he'd wait for his father. But the reality now was brutal.

The virus had turned that innocent-looking kid into a monster. His eyes glowed red, and a guttural growl, like a starving predator, came from his mouth.

"Grrraa…"

"Mr. Marcus, get back—now!"

Carter barked, his voice thick with urgency and dread, shocked by the sight.

Marcus stood frozen, stunned, staring at the boy. Words failed him. What could he possibly say to the kid's dead father?

"Grrraa!" The boy lunged at Marcus.

"CAPTAIN!" Kimot shouted, grabbing Marcus's arm and yanking him back.

"Grraaa!"

The 8-year-old missed Marcus, tumbling to the ground. He rose with eerie, jerky movements, glaring at them.

"Urrraaaa!"

" Mr. Marcus, pull yourself together. You didn't do anything wrong. I told you before—this spreads by bite,"

Carter said, trying to reason with him. He could see Marcus was blaming himself for not saving the boy, but it wasn't his fault.

"Yeah… Captain, Mr. Carter's right. This isn't on you,"

Kimot added, worry for Marcus creeping in. He felt awful too, but he knew no one could've stopped the boy from turning.

"Grrraaaa…" The boy lurched toward them.

Seeing the boy charge, Carter yanked the gun from Marcus's waist and aimed, but Marcus grabbed the barrel.

"Y… you can't shoot him! We'll take him to City Hospital. They'll find a cure, make him like he was before," Marcus said, clinging to hope that doctors would find a cure for the virus.

"Mr. Marcus, there's no cure yet, and no one knows how long it'll take to find one. If we let him go like this, he'll infect others, and their numbers will just keep growing,"

Carter said, laying out the harsh reality. It wasn't as simple as Marcus wanted to believe.

"But… President Jameson will figure something out. Until then, we can keep him locked up,"

Marcus insisted, still holding onto hope. He believed President would order the world's top doctors and scientists to find a cure. But Carter's next words shattered that last flicker of optimism.

"President Jameson… he's already one of them," Carter revealed.

"What…!" Marcus and Kimot gasped in unison, their mouths agape with shock.

"Urrraa!" The infected boy lurched closer, his red eyes glaring.

"No time to explain!" Carter snapped, shoving Marcus's hand off the gun as the boy closed in.

"But… can't we let him go without killing him?"

Marcus said, grasping the situation but hating it. The thought of a child dying in front of him tore at his gut.

"Mr. Marcus, do you want to see this kid wandering as a mindless monster?" Carter asked, his voice heavy. He felt sick about killing the boy too, but there was no other way—he couldn't let him roam as a soulless creature.

"…"

Marcus stayed silent, unable to answer Carter's question.

"Sorry, boy. This wasn't your fault…" Carter muttered, his voice low. Then he pulled the trigger.

BANG!

THUD!

The 8-year-old boy collapsed motionless to the ground. Marcus, Kimot, and Carter stared at him, their eyes heavy with guilt. It was the first time any of them had seen a child killed, and their hearts sank under the weight of it.

"Grrraaaaaa…"

The gunshot's echo drew infected from behind—the ones Marcus and Kimot had spotted in the alley earlier.

"Graaaa…" And More were closing in from the front.

"Shit!" Carter glanced back and forth, panic rising.

"We're trapped,"

Marcus said, tearing his gaze from the boy. Reality was brutal now, and he knew it would only get harsher. A weak heart wouldn't survive. He had to toughen up—he understood that now.

"There's a sewer tunnel in that alley. We can use it to get out of the city,"

Kimot said quickly, his voice urgent. A year of chasing petty cases had made him know every alley in SKEDAN like the back of his hand.

Hearing Kimot's plan, the trio didn't waste a second. They bolted toward the alley, survival the only thing that mattered—whether through a sewer tunnel or a damn toilet.

"Grraaa… Rraaaaaaa…"

"Faster! We gotta reach that alley before they surround us!"

Kimot shouted, leading the charge, eyes locked on the growing horde of infected ahead.

Minutes later, they reached the alley. Kimot yanked open the sewer tunnel's cover.

"Hissss…"

The stench hit them hard, and all three clamped their noses shut. Without a second thought, they jumped into the tunnel.

..........

City hospital....

" Grrrrrrrraaaaa…"

"Aarrrrraaaa…"

"Kyaaaaaaaa!"

"Noooooo…h .helpp.... arhhhaa!"

"Holy fuck!"

Dylon gasped, his skin crawling as he watched the horde of infected swarming below. In just two hours, 80 percent of the hospital had turned—patients, staff, even some doctors—now spilling out onto the streets.

Only Dylon, Rosze, and the few others with them understood the chaos unfolding. But the rest of the survivors had no clue what was happening or why. To them, it was a nightmare they desperately wanted to wake from.

"Why the hell is the city police taking so long to get here?"

Felix muttered, peering down from their perch. For the past two hours, he'd been waiting, trembling at the thought of turning into one of them if no one came to save him.

"Maybe it's just as bad out there on the streets," Eithen said grimly.

" Y…you mean no one's coming to save us?"

Derek stammered, his voice trembling as panic gripped his mind.His words hit the others, and they began to share the same grim suspicion.

"Shit… the line's still busy!"

Dylon growled, grinding his teeth in frustration. He'd been trying to call for help for hours, but the network remained stubbornly busy.

"Who the hell did this?"

Derek roared, his tone heavy with seriousness, glancing at Rosze hoping for answers about the virus. But she was still in shock from losing Dr. Bigbelly, silent since it happened, staring blankly into the ward where Bigbelly now roamed, growling.

Sigh…

"Dr. Rosze, what happened wasn't in our control. Don't blame yourself,"

Dylon said, pushing aside his usual jealousy and resentment for a moment. He felt pity for Rosze's state. He wasn't so cold-hearted as to pin the blame on her in this chaos, and he too grieved for Bigbelly, though he'd pulled himself together. Rosze hadn't.

"He was always there for me, always smiling,"

Rosze finally broke her silence, her gaze fixed on the ward.

"I never saw him sad. He always made me laugh with his jokes… but n-now… that carefree, laughing friend is gone. I'll never hear his jokes again, never see his smiling face," she said, her eyes welling up as memories flooded back.

"…"

The others stayed silent, Rosze's words cutting deep. They too remembered Bigbelly's cheerful grin, a sight they'd never see again.

"I know, Dr. Rosze. We feel it too. But we're not the only ones who've lost someone close. Look down there—someone's brother, someone's friend, someone's son, someone's lover," Dylon said, trying to pull Rosze out of her grief.

Rosze didn't respond. She knew there was nothing she could've done in that situation, but losing her dear friend right before her eyes had shaken her.

"Sorry, my friend, I couldn't save you "

She whispered in her heart, asking for forgiveness, then turned away, tearing her gaze from the ward.

" Um… Dr. Rosze, are you okay?"

Felix asked hesitantly, his voice soft. He had a crush on her but lacked the courage to confess, and Rosze had never shown much interest in him.

"Hmm," Rosze responded, but said nothing more, her eyes distant.

"Dr. Rosze, who do you think spread this Z-Virus?" Eithen asked, finally voicing the question he'd been holding back. Like Derek, he wondered if the Z-Virus was manmade, designed to plunge the world into chaos.

"Sorry, Dr. Eithen, I don't know "

Rosze replied. She'd only assisted Dr. Evelon Shelby, knowing maybe 10 percent of what was going on with the virus. She had no clue who created it or why.

"Maybe Dr. Evelon knows…"

Eithen started, but a sudden notification sound interrupted him.

TING!

The sound made them think the busy network issue was resolved, but it wasn't. A link had appeared on all their phones. They exchanged confused glances.

Dylon read the link, his eyes catching one phrase: "RED ALERT." It felt critical, tied to their dire situation, so he clicked it. And suddenly A live video began playing.

[ People of Tarcia, this is Samuel Holt, Head of Defense. I am declaring an INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY. Hours ago, a virus began spreading among us, turning ordinary people into ferocious, monstrous creatures—mindless dead beings we're calling ZOMBIES, as foretold in the holy books.

These cruel predators threaten all of humanity. This isn't just in our country—it's spread across every nation in Neon World, and their numbers are growing fast. The virus spreads through bites and is spreading rapidly. If someone is bitten, stay away from them and keep yourself safe. Anyone close to you could be a threat to your life. Until rescue arrives, stay quarantined in your homes. Lock your windows and doors, keep outsiders out, and ration your food and water.

Remember these three life-saving points:

" First :avoid their bites. "

" Second :stay somewhere they can't reach you.

And most importantly,

" third: the zombie's weak point is their head."

Keep this in mind and stay safe in this apocalypse. Stay safe, everyone. Thank you.]

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And that's the end of Volume 1! I hope you enjoyed it.