Reality Hacker: Apocalypse Loop

The highway entrance stood shrouded in smoke.

Steel deathtrap ahead—that pole killed me last time.

"HARD LEFT NOW!" Ethan yelled while slamming Wang's shoulder with his fist. Pole falls in ten!

No second-guessing here. The armored beast swung to the left.

KRAKOOM!

Behind them, the pole was buried into the asphalt—where their hood would have been.

Wang was peeling his eyes away from the rearview mirror, his knuckles bone white.

If we were one second slower... that horde would have peeled us like grapes.

"Unreal, how'd you—"

Wang's compliment dissipated.

Ethan's eyes blazed with red light—they were as hollow as open graves.

> EYES OF DOOMED: ENGAGE!

Voices broke-through the fog permeating Wang's memories first:

"—absolute fortress. There is no way the freaks get through this."

That voice…

Sight began bleeding into focus:

Wan'er and Wang stood next to a man with one missing arm, in a ramshackle laboratory.

The lab was filled with chemical vials encrusted with grime.

Machines whining like cats being stepped on.

Ammonia and decay swirl through the air.

"They will not stop, John." Future-Ethan's voice cut through the fog.

Wang nodded soberly. "Damn right. I found my bunker. Without Ethan—" He pretended to chew flesh off a bone.

"Ugh, man!" John snorted again, the prosthetic arm glimmering in the light. "Don't insult my fortress by comparing it to your toy tin-can."

"That hurts." Wang clutched his chest.

>> SYSTEM OVERLAY: [JOHN CHEN - TIER 11]

 [STATUS: Serenity Squad Commander ] 

 [SKILL: ??? ] 

 [LOSS: Right arm (Plague-class 'Crimson Flu')] 

"And Tom?" John's voice had too much edge. "Blew our cover ten minutes into the revision. Wasted my revive coin."

He wasn't even looking at Wang now, eyes fixed on Future-Ethan instead. "Even if he is dead, this rookie is pretty good. Precog?"

So Tom was a premature exit… Present-Ethan cringed at the thought. Oh wait—isn't that me?

John slammed down a hologram. "Serenity Squad found their pattern."

Wan'er leaned in. "Pattern?"

"Someone is controlling them a la Kermit the Frog. Pulling strings like the puppeteers they have become."

Wang darted Future-Ethan another meaningful look. Just like he said.

"Who?" Wang demanded.

> IDENTIFIED: [PUPPET MASTERS]

▣ Mayor Lu Mingtian 

▣ Wife: Lin Yingge 

▣ Son: Lu Zitao (Status: DECEASED?) 

[PHOTO: Sharp-jawed youth, eyes glacier-cold]

"The mayor's family… had a tragedy?" Future-Ethan said softly.

John raised an eyebrow. "That's years ago. Surprised you know."

He hit commands on the screen. "Look. Greyskins near Richwood before they swarm you."

> SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE [PLAYBACK]

[ 00:07: All monsters FREEZE mid-motion]

[ 00:12: Heads tilt upward—LISTENING ]

[ 00:17: As one, they LURCH toward Villa #5! ]

"Do you see?" John stabbed the screen. "Direction given. Without your escape…" 

He nodded at Future-Ethan. "You would be scrap. So—precog grade? A? Or S?"

Silence throbbed thick as clotted blood.

"Grade doesn't matter." Wang stepped between them, collar soaked with sweat.

"He saved my revival coin. Predicted the predicted. Back. Off."