Second Coming Of A Villain

Chapter 11: Tom's Death

Roarrrrrr!

The guttural scream echoed through the confined space as the mutated zombie, Tom, slammed his grotesque frame into the reinforced walls. Maverick braced himself, his body taut as steel as he absorbed the shockwave of the creature's raw power. The impact hurled him backward, crashing him into the remaining glass wall of the lounge. Shards splintered around him, the jagged edges scraping his skin as he slid to the floor.

Without hesitation, Maverick kicked off against the glass, using the momentum to propel himself laterally. He rolled across the ground just as a razor-sharp tongue speared through the air, impaling the spot he'd vacated mere seconds earlier.

Maverick did not pause. His body moved with mechanical precision, every motion a calculated response to impending death. He surged toward Tom's room, slipping inside and slamming the door shut behind him.

Bang!

The door shuddered violently under a massive impact. Maverick barely managed to stagger back as the zombie forced it open, its deformed body bulging with unnatural muscle. He vaulted over the sofa, landing in a crouch behind it, his breathing steady despite the adrenaline surging through his veins.

His thoughts were cold and detached as he analyzed the situation. Strength: 22 points, augmented by years of genetic modification and rigorous training. Yet this... abomination overpowers me effortlessly. His eyes flicked toward the monster as it sniffed the air, emitting low, guttural screeches from a throat slit open by its mutation. The roll of jagged teeth that now framed the gaping wound served as a grim reminder of the thing's grotesque evolution.

The zombie tore through the room in its search, its claws shredding furniture and smashing through glass. A combat knife jutted from its skull, but the creature remained unfazed. Its resilience was uncanny, almost as though its brain—or whatever remained of it—had relocated or ceased to exist.

Maverick's body tensed as the creature drew closer to his position. He remained motionless, a coiled spring waiting for the perfect moment. The zombie sniffed again, its monstrous face turning toward him.

He struck.

Planting his hands firmly on the ground, Maverick pushed off with explosive force, sliding forward beneath the zombie's reach. As he moved, his hand darted to his belt, drawing a knife in one fluid motion. The blade sliced through the back of the creature's knee, severing the tendons with surgical precision.

Tom roared, collapsing to one knee in a grotesque display of fury. Its clawed hand lashed out, but Maverick anticipated the strike. He rolled to the side, narrowly evading the deadly swipe.

With a reverse grip, Maverick drove his blade into the creature's outstretched arm, the knife sinking deep between its arm bones. Using the embedded blade as leverage, he vaulted himself behind the zombie.

In a single, brutal motion, he yanked the knife free and grabbed a fistful of the creature's hair. With unrelenting force, he drove the blade into the slit in its neck, pushing until the tip pierced through to its skull.

"Roa-aaaaarrr!"

The zombie spasmed violently, its flailing arm catching Maverick squarely in the chest. The blow sent him flying across the room, slamming into the mini bar with bone-rattling force. His body crumpled to the floor, pain radiating from his ribs. His mask had been torn off in the impact, exposing him to the radioactive air.

Despite the agony, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of Maverick's lips. He watched as the zombie's guttural screams grew weaker and weaker. Finally, the grotesque figure collapsed, its movements ceasing entirely.

Maverick remained still, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the corpse. Experience had taught him that even death could be deceptive. He waited, every muscle in his body primed for another attack.

Only when the Biolens interface in his vision flashed a notification did he relax.

---

[Notification: Partial Mutated Zombie Eliminated.]

Energy Extracted: 0.10 Points. Allocated to Host.

---

Maverick exhaled, his gaze fixed on the lifeless creature. Its grotesque form was a testament to the horrors of this world. He approached cautiously, wiping his bloodied blade clean on Tom's bathrobe.

Standing shirtless and barefoot, Maverick surveyed the room. Due to the battle ahead, Maverick has been decisive and immediately took off his clothes since they will limit his movements and so he left them with his bag inside the elevator, sadly they were all shredded together with his bag beyond recognition. With a grimace, he rummaged through the remains of Tom's closet. He settled on a black, long-sleeved shirt and matching trousers—light and flexible, perfect for unrestricted movement.

As he dressed, the Biolens flashed another warning.

---

[Warning: Host has sustained injuries.]

Fractured Ribs: 2

Skin Abrasions: Multiple

Radiation Exposure: 500 rads detected.

Inhalation Rate: 0.5 rads/second. Immediate medical attention required or else host will slowly mutate into something not human.

---

Name: Maverick Slade

Nickname: The Stormbringer

Class: Special Operations Agent (Counter-Terrorism Expert)

Energy: 0.10%

Attributes:

Strength: 22

Agility: 22

Endurance: 19

Intelligence: 13

Perception: 16

Charisma: 10

Vitality: 11

Skills:

Marksmanship: +5

Tactical Combat: +4

Surveillance: +3

Hand-to-Hand Combat: +10 (Krav Maga)

SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape): +8

CQB (Close Quarters Battle): +5

Abilities:

"Tactical Training" (Passive): +10% damage in CQB situations

"Operational Focus" (Active): +20% accuracy for 5 seconds (Cooldown: 30 seconds)

"Counter-Terrorism Expert" (Passive): +10% resistance to explosive damage

Special Operations Skills:

"Sniper's Eye" (Active): Delivers 200 damage to a single target from up to 500 meters (Cooldown: 60 seconds)

"Flash Bang" (Active): Disorients enemies within a 10-meter radius, reducing accuracy by 50% for 10 seconds (Cooldown: 90 seconds)

—

---

Maverick's smirk faded as he reviewed the data. He clenched his fists, his mind already formulating a plan. For now, survival was the priority. He had no time for weakness, no room for hesitation.

The world was unforgiving, and so was he.

Looking at the energy points he has amassed from all the battles, Maverick didn't immediately start distributing them but instead left them aside for emergency use. After the battle with Tom, he felt like the possibility of another one or even one worse than him to exist will definitely spell doom for him if he doesn't have a hidden card in store.

Done with everything, he looked around for any bag in order to pack some water bottles again, after all he doesn't know if there will be water in his next stop.