A bloodcurdling shriek tore through the ruined church, piercing the ears of every ZETU operative. It wasn't just a sound—it was a physical force, vibrating in their skulls, rattling their bones.
Captain Marcus "Iron Will" Kane stumbled back, clutching his head. The world tilted. His vision blurred. He had been in countless firefights, faced horrors beyond comprehension—but this sound was different. It carried a hunger, a malignant presence that crawled inside his mind.
Through his fogged vision, he saw her.
The Queen had transformed.
Her face was a nightmare carved from darkness—skin stretched taut over bone, hollow white eyes brimming with endless hunger. Her mouth gaped impossibly wide, blackened tongue slithering, saliva dripping in thick, putrid strands.
Ethan "Brain" O'Connor's tech equipment fried instantly. His tablet sparked, screens shattered. "EMP-level interference!" he gasped. "She's knocking out everything electronic!"
Jenna "Blaze" Hart gritted her teeth, gripping her flamethrower. "Let's see if she's immune to direct fire!"
She squeezed the trigger.
The flames roared, engulfing the Queen in a searing inferno. The heat should have turned her to ash—but she didn't burn.
Instead, she laughed.
A sudden blur of movement—and she was on Jenna in an instant, her rotting fingers sinking into her throat. Jenna gasped, struggling as an unnatural coldness seeped into her skin. Her veins darkened, spreading out like spiderwebs.
"Get off her!" Riley "Quick Shot" Bennett fired, her sniper round tearing through the Queen's shoulder.
Lila "Huntress" Navarro sprinted forward, her twin pistols blazing. Each shot landed, but the Queen didn't even flinch.
Derek "Shield" Coleman charged, raising his riot shield. He slammed into the Queen with full force—knocking her back, freeing Jenna from her grasp.
Jenna collapsed, coughing violently. "Cold… so cold…"
Marcus shook off the lingering effects of the scream, gripping his shotgun. "Regroup! We need a new strategy—NOW!"
But the Queen wasn't alone anymore.
From the church's shattered windows, they emerged.
Hollow-eyed creatures, their mouths gaping open, their bodies twisted with unnatural hunger. They crawled from the shadows, their skeletal hands reaching, their jaws unhinging wider than humanly possible.
Ethan's voice trembled. "We need to get out of here."
Marcus reloaded his shotgun. "Not yet."
The Queen's laughter echoed, filling the ruins with a sound that made the blood curdle. She lifted a single clawed finger, pointing at them.
And her Screamers charged.