Prime Ascendant

Chapter 7

Marcus noticed that the XP he got from each zombie varied. Some lower that his initial kill while some were higher. Marcus was still lost on the system's criteria for Xp distribution but he was sure it was something he would figure out soon enough 

The group reached a small pharmacy and decided to stop for a quick supply run. The streets around them were eerily quiet, the kind of stillness that made Marcus’s skin crawl. Despite the apparent silence, there was an underlying tension in the air, as if danger lurked just out of sight, waiting to strike. The pharmacy itself looked looted, shelves partially emptied and debris scattered across the floor from previous scavengers. Briggs and Erika moved inside first to scout the area, their movements deliberate and cautious. Meanwhile, Marcus and Ian stood near the entrance, tasked with keeping watch.

The silence between Marcus and Ian was thick, almost suffocating. Every glance from Ian carried a palpable weight, as if his distrust was a physical presence hanging between them. Marcus could feel it in every tense second they spent standing together, the unspoken tension mounting as they both scanned the area for any threats.

Ian’s hostility had only grown more overt since their earlier encounter with the zombies, his cold stares now openly challenging Marcus's presence. Marcus, gripping his pistol, tried to stay focused on their surroundings, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that Ian was silently hoping for him to screw up. The minutes stretched on, each one dragging painfully, the only sound coming from the occasional clatter inside the pharmacy as Briggs and Erika rummaged through what remained.

Suddenly, Marcus caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. His head snapped to the side just in time to see a blur—faster than any infected he had ever encountered—sprinting straight toward Ian. The infected moved with terrifying speed, its eyes wild with hunger, its mouth open in a guttural snarl.

Ian froze, his rifle slack in his hands as panic overtook him. His face went pale, his body rigid in shock, completely unprepared for the speed of the attack. Marcus’s instincts took over before he even had time to think. His hand flew up, and his finger squeezed the trigger of the pistol. The shot rang out, echoing through the stillness as the bullet tore through the zombie's skull, dropping it to the ground mere inches away from Ian.

For a moment, everything went silent. Marcus, breathing heavily, locked eyes with Ian, his gaze steady as he gave him a small, almost imperceptible nod. He expected some acknowledgment, maybe even a word of thanks. But Ian’s cold stare remained unchanged, as if nothing had happened. No gratitude, no relief. Just the same silent hostility.

Before Marcus could fully process Ian’s indifference, a sudden, searing pain erupted in his shoulder. He gasped, whipping around to see another infected, its rotten claws buried deep into his flesh. The creature's gnarled fingers tightened their grip, ripping through his jacket as it snarled, its decayed teeth snapping at the air.

The pain was blinding, but Marcus acted on instinct. Gritting his teeth, he used his free arm to shove the creature back, its claws tearing away from his shoulder with a sickening rip. In one fluid motion, he reached behind him and pulled his axe from his back. With a roar of fury, Marcus swung the weapon, the blade cleaving through the infected’s head, sending a spray of blood and bone in all directions.

Breathing heavily, Marcus glanced down at his shoulder. Blood was pouring from the deep gashes left by the infected’s claws, staining his sleeve. But the fury boiling inside him was stronger than the pain. Without hesitation, he stormed toward Ian, his eyes blazing with rage.

"You saw it coming!" Marcus shouted, his voice filled with accusation. "You saw that thing, and you said nothing!" He was close now, inches away from Ian, who took a half-step back, his eyes wide with fear. 

Ian’s bravado seemed to vanish in the face of Marcus’s fury. His mouth opened as if to say something, but no words came out.

"You didn’t even try to warn me!" Marcus roared, advancing on him. His grip on the axe tightened, and for a moment, it looked like Marcus might take a swing.

"Back off!" Ian snapped, though there was fear in his voice. "You’re a liability, you hear me? We don't need a fucking extra!"

"Enough!" Briggs’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. He and Erika appeared from the pharmacy, carrying a few supplies. "What the hell’s going on?"

Before Marcus could respond, Erika pointed to his shoulder, her eyes wide with alarm. "You’re bleeding. Did that thing bite you?"

Marcus’s jaw clenched as he shook his head. "It was just a scratch. Claws, not teeth."

Ian, however, wasn’t convinced. "A scratch is all it takes! He could turn into one of those freaks, and then what? He’s a danger to all of us! We should leave him behind before he turns!"

"Shut your mouth, Ian," Briggs snapped. "We don’t even know if that’s how it works yet."

Ian’s voice rose, panic clear in his tone. "You want to risk it? You want to wait and see if he starts foaming at the mouth? I’m not dying because of him!"

Briggs stepped forward, his face hard. "We’re not leaving anyone behind unless we’re sure. Now, drop it." He pulled a small bottle of disinfectant and some bandages from his pack and handed them to Marcus. "Patch yourself up. We’ve still got to move."

Marcus accepted the supplies, his hand shaking slightly as the adrenaline from the fight began to wear off. Briggs’s eyes met his, and for the first time, there was something darker behind his usual calm demeanor. "Make no mistake," Briggs said quietly. "If you show any signs of turning, I’ll put a bullet in your head myself. It’ll be quick. An act of mercy."

Marcus nodded stiffly, knowing there wasn’t a hint of exaggeration in Briggs’s words. He quickly disinfected the wound, wrapping it tightly with the bandages. The pain throbbed, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. Survival demanded it.

"We’re wasting time," Briggs said, checking the area again. "Let’s go."

They moved out once more, but the tension between Marcus and Ian hadn’t disappeared. It simmered just beneath the surface, ready to explode at any moment.