The air inside the abandoned church was thick with decay. The ZETU team stood frozen, their weapons trained on the gaunt man before them. His sunken eyes darted between them, flickering with both fear and madness.
"You don't understand," he rasped. "She's waking up. And when she does… there will be no stopping them."
Marcus "Iron Will" Kane tightened his grip on his shotgun. "Who the hell are you talking about?"
Outside, the undead brood had stopped their relentless scratching at the walls. A deep, unnatural silence settled over the ruined city. Then, in the distance, a low hum began to rise—a sound like hundreds of voices whispering in unison.
Lila "Huntress" Navarro's stomach twisted. "That doesn't sound like normal undead."
"It's not," Ethan "Brain" O'Connor confirmed, scanning his drone feed. The screen flickered with static. "Something's jamming the signal."
Riley "Quick Shot" Bennett took a deep breath. "So, we're trapped in a church with an insane guy, while an army of thinking zombies waits outside for their queen?" She scoffed. "Great. Just great."
The man suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Marcus by the vest. His nails dug into the fabric. "You have to burn it," he hissed. "Burn her before it's too late."
Jenna "Blaze" Hart narrowed her eyes. "Who is 'her'?"
The man's lips trembled. "The first infected. The one who started it all. She's not like the rest."
Derek "Shield" Coleman let out a slow exhale. "I don't like where this is going."
Before the man could say another word, the church shook. A violent tremor rattled the pews, and the stained-glass windows burst, sending shards flying.
Then… the whispers turned into screams.
From the shattered doorway, she emerged.
Her rotting form was eerily graceful, as though she still retained echoes of her former humanity. Her hollow eyes glowed with a golden, unnatural light. Her limbs were elongated, fingers clawed and twitching. Unlike the others, she wasn't mindless.
The moment her gaze met Marcus's, an invisible force slammed into him. He staggered backward, gasping as a cold voice whispered in his mind.
His vision blurred. His body felt heavy, as if unseen hands were wrapping around him.
Lila and Riley grabbed him, pulling him back. "Captain, snap out of it!"
Jenna didn't hesitate. She raised her flamethrower and unleashed hell.
The Queen didn't move. The flames curved around her like water repelled by oil.
Then, with a single, eerie breath, she exhaled—and the fire died.
Ethan's voice was barely a whisper. "She's controlling them. The flames, the undead… everything."
The Queen stepped forward, her expression dark with amusement.
"You cannot stop me."
And outside, the brood howled in unison.