We ran faster than our two legs would usually carry us.
There was no way we could stay and fight them. I had taken a peek at what was left of our ammunition and wanted to save up for future use.
Especially after recalling that I used energy beam once, which meant that I could only use it two more times.
Bolaji had around the same amount of ammunition left, but he could still use energy beam thrice.
An infected suddenly appeared on my right, and I proceeded to swing the battle QUAX arm at her face.
Bang!
A jaw-breaking sound rang out as the infected crashed to the ground from the blow.
I was well aware we could also use the battle QUAX arm in close-quarter combat because of how strong it was.
After what seemed like forever, I finally caught a glimpse of Bella's blue roof, which differentiated her house from the rest. It was her mum's favorite color and her father had painted the house that way to sate her.
Without wasting time, I yelled Bella's name and shot at another infected whose head opened like a tulip.
Bolaji also took out an infected that had drawn closer to us.
I turned around and jept shooting , I shot at the infected while screaming out Bella's name.
As soon as I greeted another infected's head with a punch from the battle QUAX arm, I heard a groaning sound behind me.
The gate was opened...
"Bolaji, let's go!" I called out but he was in a battle with an infected that was trying to embrace him.
He grabbed the infected head with his battle QUAX arm and slammed it into the ground.
Immediately afterwards, we quickly dragged ourselves in.
I caught a glimpse of Bella's relieved face as Bolaji and I fell to the ground, tired from our struggles while the gate was shut behind us.
Before I could get up, I was enveloped by a familiar scent, which was my mother's, and I peeked to the side to see Bolaji getting hugged by his parents too.
The skies were already completely dark at this point. We were fortunate to have survived such a hellish day.
We could hear the sounds of snarling outside, but we were safe inside, and together… for now.
...
...
...
Even after the news broke out about the outbreak of the toxic gas, the military didn't get deployed immediately.
No one thought it was going to spread to this quickly and unprecedentedly. The government thought they could control it.
However, it got worse, and the outbreak spread to other countries.
The other governments immediately deployed their military to help, but their efforts still proved futile.
Containing it seemed impossible.
As a result, they tried to set up barricades around in remote part of cities and patrolled the streets to look out for any infected activity.
The military were trying their best to clear out any infected-infested areas.
They armed their troops with the latest technological weapons to deal with the sudden plague.
Medical facilities were also being set up to treat any injured survivors. Despite all these, it was nothing compared to what the toxic gas did.
When anyone was bitten by an infected they turned. Half of the world's population was almost gone.
In NG city, the military was armed with fully armored battle QUAXs, and their sole mission was to clear the threats off the streets.
Using helicopters to patrol the skies and tanks to patrol the streets, they dealt with the infected as best as they could.
The creation of Battle QUAXs almost two hundred years ago hadn't been in vain. The robotic suits of armor allowed the soldiers to move quickly and battle efficiently.
Equipped with an array of weapons, the soldiers effectively eliminated every threat in their line of sight.
From long-range guns to close-quarter blades and even explosives, the soldiers handled their encounters with the infected.
With the help of the battle QUAX internal calculation and AI, they accurately aimed and fired destructive shots at the horde of infected in different parts of the world.
When the infected got too close, the soldiers were forced to switch to laser blades. Most of the battle QUAX were also equipped with sharp laser blades that allowed them to take well-aimed swings.
The QUAX's strength ensured that the soldiers could hack away at the infected and rip them into two halves easily.
They were also well protected since the infected couldn't bite into the armored metallic covering... yet.
In some cases, the soldiers made use of their fists and energy beams which blasted through the infected with ease.
Explosives were also placed near hordes of infected, which detonated, eliminating a bunch of them in one fell swoop.
Multiple streets were already littered with the remains of the infected.
However, this was only the beginning as the number of infected kept increasing.
Even after many were destroyed, a fresh horde always appeared. They were nearly endless.
...
...
...
Barricading the house against the infected was a lot of hard work and preparation.
Nevertheless, no one complained since it was for the sake of our protection.
We were thirteen; my family consisted of three while Bolaji's family was up to six in number since he had three other siblings. Bella's family included her parents and younger siblings.
There was strength in numbers, so we were able to get the work done pretty quickly.
Bella's father, Mr Kings, advised us to inspect the house and identify the weak points that could be exploited by the infected.
The house was large but it wasn't so enormous that it would make it difficult for everyone to inspect.
"We've blocked the doors and windows, but I believe the chimney can also be a problem," I said to Bella's father as we stood in the yard.
The surroundings was quite the invigorating sight. A garden filled with vibrant shrubs. It was perfect for outdoor gatherings, but with the present situation, if we weren't careful, it could turn into a site for bloodshed.
"Hmm, do we block it from above or within the house?" He questioned.
"I think we should block both," I wanted to make sure every possible entry point was sealed.
Fortunately, with our numbers and necessary tools, we were able to do the needful.
Bolaji climbed to the top of the roof with Samuel, who was his elder brother, and they blocked the chimney from above while I headed into the house to block it from within with Bella.
Next, we had to secure the fence. It was a high one, but if the infected stacked upon each other, there was a possibility of them getting over it.
We had the CCTV cameras and monitors that could give us a view of the environs but for real-time inspection, I went upstairs. I stood before one of the balconies and saw some infected shambling around.
Some loitered in front of the gates like they were aware of our existence within. I left before any of them noticed me.
The fence was secured, but Bella's dad made sure to set up trip wires around the perimeter, which could alert us if anyone was approaching.
At times one of the kids would unknowingly stepped on the alarm wires, causing us to rally up, but it was only a false alarm.
As a result, we made sure to properly inform everyone where the wires were positioned tavoid accidental triggers.
The previous day when Bolaji and I arrived, we had a lot of questions thrown at us relating to how we even managed to make our way across the city with the current predicament.
The instant I raised my right arm, everyone understood. They recognized the battle QUAX arm which a high grade military technology.
Since Bolaji and I worked in a battle QUAX branch, they believed we must have gotten it from there.
They were still a bit surprised.
My mother then explained how she encountered the infected for the first time.
"I forgot some of my stuff at home, and I had to return to get them," my mother narrated.
She was a yoga instructor and was still dressed in her pair of fitted yoga pants and a long-sleeve shirt.
"On the way, I met people biting and…" She closed her eyes as her facial expression changed from the recollection of the awful memories.
"I just knew I had to reach your sister in school, and I realized there was no way we could stay alone, so we came here."
Mrs Egby, Bolaji's mother, spoke next. "I was teaching the kids at school when Rupert called." She gestured at her husband beside her,
"He said he was watching the news when there a ruckus happened in the newsroom, and the reporters got ambushed by a couple of people with purple skin."
"The news was talking about a toxic gas that was turning humans into monsters when the reporters encountered the same monsters they were reporting about," Mr Rupert shook his head in pity.
At that moment, I was glad we were all together. That way, we could keep tabs and also protect one another.
The only issue at hand was not knowing when the situation would completely be dealt with.
"They should just round all of them up in one place and kill them," Collins, Bella's youngest brother, who was nine, voiced out loudly.
The older brother, Bright, who was standing right next to him, gave him a knock on the head.
"It's not that simple, Sherlock. They were once people too," Bright stated.