Apocalypse: King of Zombies

When General Cross and the others stormed into the Enhanced Enforcement Division, they froze at the sight in front of them.

The place was a warzone.

Bodies were sprawled across the floor—dozens of them. And not just anyone. These were the Division’s elite enforcers.

The Enhanced Enforcement Division was built to punish rogue Enhanced, so its combat strength was no joke. It had eight Tier 7 Enhanced on staff, and dozens more at Tier 6.

But now? Every single one of them was down.

Only a handful of Tier 5s were still standing—and they looked like they’d aged ten years in the last hour. When they saw General Cross and Director Vaughn enter, their eyes lit up with relief. A few even looked like they were about to cry.

”General Cross! Director Vaughn! Thank god you’re here!” one of them rushed over, practically tripping over himself. ”They—they’re monsters! Captain Reynolds and the others are seriously injured! You have to do something!”

General Cross’s mouth twitched.

Do something? Like what, exactly?

He glanced at the pile of unconscious Military Police. Brutal, yeah—but none of them looked dead. That was something.

They’d held back.

That alone told him these people weren’t looking to pick a fight with the compound. The knot in his chest loosened slightly.

Then he turned his full attention to the group responsible.

They were young. Shockingly young. Early twenties, maybe. If the apocalypse hadn’t hit, they’d probably still be in college.

Ethan and his team were also eyeing the newcomers with interest. Judging by their presence and the way the others reacted to them, these had to be the top brass.

The two sides studied each other for a long moment.

Then General Cross stepped forward and addressed Ethan directly. ”You must be Ethan.”

”Yeah, that’s me. And you are…?”

”Ah, right. Sorry. I’m Adrian Cross. I’m the joint base commander here—basically the one in charge of this compound,” he said politely.

Ethan’s eyes lit up. ”You’re the one running this place?”

”That’s right,” Cross nodded.

”So you’ve got the final say on what happens here?”

”For the most part, yes.”

”Perfect. I’ve got a deal I’d like to discuss with you. Interested?”

”Absolutely,” Cross said, his tone shifting slightly. ”I’ve got a few questions for you myself. But this isn’t the place for that. How about we talk in my office?”

”Sure,” Ethan agreed without hesitation.

Cross gave him another long look.

That kind of calm—either the guy was completely clueless, or he was so confident he didn’t see any of this as a threat.

And someone who’d survived this long in the apocalypse with a team like that? Clueless wasn’t likely.

No, this was someone who knew exactly what he was doing—and didn’t think the compound could touch him.

”Alright then,” Cross said, gesturing toward the exit. ”Let’s go.”

He turned and started walking, Ethan and his team falling in behind him.

But just as they reached the door, a voice cut through the air.

”General Cross! You can’t just let them walk out! They killed people in broad daylight, and even here in the Enforcement Division they acted like they owned the place! They put our people in the hospital! If you let them go, how are we supposed to keep the other Enhanced in line?!”

Cross stopped.

His expression darkened as he turned to glare at the speaker.

”Since when do I need your permission to do my job?” he said coldly. ”If any other Enhanced think they can act out, let them try. We’ll show them what that costs.”

With that, he turned away without another word and led Ethan’s group out of the Enhanced Enforcement Division.

Director Vaughn placed a hand on the man’s shoulder and spoke with quiet weight. ”Captain Reynolds, this isn’t something you should get involved in. Just stay silent.”

”Why?” Reynolds asked, clearly frustrated. ”If we let this slide, how are we supposed to maintain order?”

Vaughn sighed. ”You still haven’t fully adjusted, have you? This world isn’t the same anymore. The old rules don’t apply. Now, strength is everything. When someone’s power reaches a certain level, they don’t answer to the rules—they stand above them.”

”You’re saying they’re stronger than the military?” Reynolds asked, stunned.

”Maybe,” Vaughn said seriously. ”And if they didn’t kill you today, you should count yourself lucky.”

With that, Director Vaughn turned and walked off, leaving Captain Reynolds standing there, stunned and speechless.

...

Outside, the crowd watched in disbelief as Ethan and his team walked out of the Enhanced Enforcement Division completely unharmed.

”They killed people right in front of the Military Police… how the hell are they just walking out like nothing happened?!”

”Who knows? But if even General Cross showed up in person, these guys must be something else.”

”Getting personally escorted by General Cross? Even if they’re executed later, that’s still a hell of a send-off.”

”Don’t be so sure they’ll be executed. Maybe General Cross sees potential in them—might even be trying to recruit them.”

”Yeah, if that’s the case, then damn… talk about hitting the jackpot. Kill a bunch of people and not only avoid punishment, but get scouted by the military? That’s insane.”

”Well, what can you do? They’re strong. I saw it with my own eyes—Ethan, the guy in front, crushed Tyler from Ironfang Squad like it was nothing. That kind of power? He might be Tier 7.”

”No way… that strong?”

In the crowd, Rourke Vance—captain of Ironfang Squad—watched Ethan and his team walk away, his face darkening by the second.

Inside the compound’s Joint Operations Conference Room...

Ethan and his team took their seats across from General Cross and the other senior officers.

Despite sitting face-to-face with the former Joint Base Commander—the man now in charge of a compound housing over 300,000 survivors—none of them looked the slightest bit nervous.

General Cross carried the weight of authority like a second skin. Years of military command had given him a natural air of dominance, the kind that made most people sit straighter and speak softer without even realizing it.

But across the table, Ethan’s group didn’t flinch. Calm, composed, completely at ease.

That kind of presence didn’t come from arrogance. It came from power.

Cross studied the eight of them, a flicker of admiration in his eyes.

It had been a long time—years, maybe—since he’d seen young people who could sit in front of him like this, unshaken by rank or reputation.

He’d had his doubts before. But now?

Now he was almost certain.

No one could sit through his pressure like that without serious strength to back it up.