Zombies Apocalypse: Too Late To Run!

Chapter 10: Electromagnetic And Hydrodynamic Energy Transformation.

At this precise moment, the helicopter suddenly slowed down. Jacob turned to Hubert and spoke.

"Smoke is rising from the supermarket below. I believe there are people inside."

"Where?"

Hubert stood up at that, reaching the cockpit and peering out the window. Below was a supermarket, the smoke billowing from almost the topmost floor. Expanding his vision, he saw hordes of zombies encircling the building. He could not see any living souls, but he did notice the words "Help! There are survivors here!" plastered densely on each glass door of the supermarket. 

Hubert immediately instructed: "Descending onto the rooftop terrace."

"Understood."

Jacob nodded, pulling the lever and expertly maneuvering the helicopter. His skillful and professional operation further impressed Hubert. When the aircraft touched down, Hubert flung the door open and jumped out, turning to Lucia and Bella.

"You two should stay here. It's going to be dangerous down below."

"We'll be fine. I can help if we stick together."

Lucia appeared determined not to stay behind and jumped off the helicopter. Bella followed suit. However, she was always hiding behind Jacob, seemingly scared of Hubert.

Hubert furrowed his brows. What had he done to offend this little girl? She seemed to regard him as something scarier than a ghost!

This supermarket had seven floors, and the smoke was billowing from the fifth floor, plastered with distress messages. Jacob led the way, with Hubert trailing behind him, followed by Bella and Lucia. They descended two feet without encountering any zombies, it appeared the creatures hadn’t detected any human presence yet.

"This floor is a warehouse. It's perfect for hiding. We only need to sneak downstairs to get food when necessary."

Jacob's analysis was spot-on, but one of the rooms was on fire, and it would soon draw the zombies' attention. He walked down the hallway and stopped before a closed door from which smoke poured out.

"Here!"

Hubert, Lucia, and Bella rushed to the scene. The smoke was growing thicker and blacker. Hubert pounded on the door.

"Can anyone inside hear me? I'm a rescue worker. How many people are inside?"

No response came from within. Hubert pounded on the door again, but still no movement from inside. Finally, he lost patience.

"Jacob, break the door."

"Stand back."

Hubert moved back immediately, spreading his arms to shield Lucia and Bella. Jacob retracted his foot, then powerfully kicked the door, shattering it. A massive smoke erupted from the opening, revealing a raging fire inside.

Given the dire circumstances, Hubert deployed his water-based power, causing the fire to produce even denser smoke as it clashed with the water. The room was quickly enveloped in a cloud of smoke. The thick, black smoke prevented them from entering, but luckily Hubert's vision wasn't obstructed. He scanned the room, eventually locating two figures huddled in a corner. A grown man and a child, with the child still awake, but the man had long since passed out.

"Jacob, wait outside. I'll go in to bring them out." Hubert instructed.

"I can go in instead." Jacob offered.

"I have a penetrating gaze that's not affected by smoke. You'll only get injured if you go in." Hubert explained.

"Alright... Be careful." Jacob conceded.

Nodding, Hubert ventured inside. The fire was somewhat extinguished, but the intense heat persisted, reminiscent of stepping into a crematory. He approached the young boy inside.

"I'm a rescuer. I'll take you out." he announced.

However, the boy shook his head, indicating he did not want to leave with Hubert. Hubert despised cajoling children the most, but this was a life-and-death situation, so that he couldn't ignore it.

"What's wrong? Why don't you want to leave?" he asked.

"My father is dead! I killed my father!" the boy confessed.

Hubert's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the man holding the boy, presumably his father.

"Let's get out first, then talk." he suggested.

"I won't go anywhere. I killed my father. I can't leave him alone here." the boy resisted.

Once again, Hubert reached out to touch the boy. As his hand brushed against the man's skin, it was warm to the touch, a sign of life, not the result of being burned. The man was merely unconscious.

"Your father is just unconscious, not dead. I'll take both of you out." Hubert reassured.

"Are you telling the truth?" the boy asked hesitantly.

"Yes."

At this point, the boy finally relaxed slightly, a hint of a smile emerging. Knowing he'd successfully persuaded him, Hubert hoisted the boy under his arm and helped the unconscious man to his feet. Despite his size, carrying a child and assisting a grown man proved challenging. After a few steps, he finally called out:

"Jacob, help me!"

From the start, Jacob had been standing guard by the door. Hearing Hubert's call, he promptly ran in to take over, supporting the man. They then went outside, where Jacob laid the man down to administer first aid.

"We need to hurry. Our noise might've attracted the zombies' attention below." Hubert warned.

Jacob nodded, initiating artificial respiration for the unconscious man while Hubert put down the boy. The boy appeared to be about eight or nine years old, with an innocent face but a clear understanding of the severity of their situation. Hubert wiped the dirt off the boy's face, then began questioning him:

"How long have you and your father been here? How did this room catch fire like this?"

The boy seemed to avoid the question, clearly scared about the incident. Hubert suppressed his impatience, wiping the boy's face again.

"Tell me, it's important for your dad's recovery." he coaxed.

"Are you telling the truth?" the boy asked.

"Yes."

Seeing Jacob had been performing artificial respiration for a while and sensing the man's breathing had stabilized, Hubert confidently made the promise. Hearing Hubert's assurance, the boy dropped his gaze and, after a long pause, mumbled a confession.

"I... I set the room... on fire! My dad... he got like this because of... me!"

"Explain everything clearly. Only when I know the whole story can I find a way to save your dad." Hubert urged him gently.

"It's... it's because I couldn't control my powers, so I accidentally burned our hideout in a moment of loss of control. And... I used my powers against my father, injuring him. My dad is just a regular person so he couldn't withstand the energy from my abilities. He stopped breathing at that point, but then you came. Please save my father! Sob! Sob!"

The child's voice became increasingly erratic, and his tears overflowed uncontrollably. Hubert could sense the overwhelming energy inside the kid's body. He was at a loss for words to calm the kid down when suddenly a cough echoed in the room.

Cough... Cough!

After being artificially resuscitated by Jacob, the man finally regained consciousness. He coughed vigorously and started looking around.

"Rowan, Rowan, where are you?"

As soon as the man finished speaking, the boy rushed over and jumped into his arms. The man hugged the boy tightly, patting his back gently.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"Rowan is fine, I'm fine, seeing you like that... Sob! I was so scared!"

"Rowan... okay, as long as you're fine, that's what matters."

Then, the man called Zorion gently removed the boy's arms from around him and sat up straight. He looked first at Jacob, then at Hubert.

"Did you two save us? Thank you so much. I owe you a life debt, and I will never forget your kindness."

"It's a small matter, don't worry about it. Did this kid injure you?"

"It wasn't exactly Rowan that hurt me, and I was just too close when his power erupted."

Hubert was still puzzled. Just how powerful does the energy of these powers have to be to cause harm by proximity? Seeing Hubert's confusion, Zorion continued to explain:

"Rowan has an elemental power that combines electricity and water. When his power explodes, a surge of water surrounds him, and the electricity on his body lashes out at anyone who gets too close. I was injured because I was too near him, and the smoke from the fire made me lose consciousness."

Hubert nodded in understanding and replied to Zorion, his gaze shifting toward Jacob.

"Electricity and water, huh? These two types of energy can both support and counteract each other. If he learns to control them, his power could be significantly more destructive than Enda's."

"Exactly, but right now, Rowan can't control his power. It's hazardous."

Zorion was right. If the child suddenly loses control of his power, everyone in the vicinity could be in danger. Just as Hubert was about to add something, Bella interrupted them.

"Everyone, we need to stop talking for a moment. I can feel movement on the ground. A large number of zombies are heading this way."

"That fast? Hubert, let's quickly return to the helicopter."

"Right."

Hubert lifted the boy named Rowan into his arms while Jacob supported Zorion. Lucia and Bella quickly moved to the top floor, with Hubert following soon after. Just then, there was a sudden loud explosion from the back. Jacob and Zorion hadn't made it outside yet!

"Jacob! What's happening?"

Hubert handed the young lad, Rowan, to Lucia, then swiftly descended the emergency staircase to scout the area - a supermarket corner now unrecognizable, strewn with debris. He swept across the scene one last time with thermal vision, spotting Jacob lying prone beneath a large section of a fallen wall. Zorion, on the other hand, had been flung farther away. 

Jacob had detected the imminent ambush and had purposefully propelled Zorion to a safer distance while he ended up trapped. Zorion managed to stand, visibly in pain. His eyes fell upon Jacob, whose selfless act had resulted in severe injuries. Zorion, too, was already critically wounded and could only stare helplessly. Hubert called out urgently.

"Lucia, hand Rowan to Bella. Get him to the helicopter first. Then come back and help Zorion!"

With that said Hubert hurried to Jacob. He formed a drill-like instrument using his abilities and bored a large hole into the collapsed wall. As he was about to thread a rope through, zombies from the other side began their onslaught. Hubert conjured an ice wall to stall them, then pulled out a long, thick rope from thin air and threaded it through the hole, beginning to heave upwards. Initially, he intended to use a hammer to break the wall, but the thought of accidentally causing further harm to Jacob beneath halted him.

The sheer size and weight of the wall didn't affect Hubert's resolve. He tightened his grip, summoning all his strength to pull harder.

Crack!

During his focused rescue, an energy blast came flying in. Hubert had to dodge, causing the protective wall above him to collapse. The relentless sunshine bore down like a steady burn, and at that moment, he spotted two two-meter-tall zombies advancing fiercely from the other side. All Hubert could do was evade, as he had yet to discern the zombies' abilities so that he couldn't act recklessly. Besides, with Jacob still trapped, any risks could only further threaten their lives.