The injured officer’s breathing was shallow, uneven, each inhale sounding like it scraped through his chest.

Still—

His hand lifted.

Trembling.

"Hand it to me... K-4."

K-4 stepped forward.

Tall.

Broad.

White hair matted with blood and grime, beard streaked the same. His face looked older than it had any right to in that moment, lined deeper by what stood in front of them.

He didn’t speak.

Just reached down and placed the device into the man’s hand.

Olynk opened his mouth—

Stopped.

Because he knew.

They all did.

It was faster.

No debate followed.

No hesitation.

Each of them moved past the injured man, one by one, giving brief nods, a hand on his shoulder, a glance that said enough.

No words.

The firing resumed as the others began moving.

They fell back toward the stairs, boots hitting broken flooring in quick succession.

The injured officer watched them go.

Managed a small smile.

Barely there.

His head shifted just enough to acknowledge them.

—

K-4 took over the forward position, firing controlled bursts as he stepped back.

Once the others cleared the stairwell—

Olynk tapped his shoulder.

"Go."

K-4 didn’t hesitate.

He stepped back, gave the man one final, firm nod—

Then turned and ascended.

Olynk lingered. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Just a second longer.

The infected drew closer.

Its steps heavier now—

Another burst of orange gas vented from its legs—

FSSSHH—~

The heat intensified, pushing outward in a wave that made the air ripple.

Olynk moved to the injured man, crouching beside him despite everything.

His jaw tightened.

"Your family will be taken care of."

The man’s lips parted.

A weak breath escaped.

"I know..."

A faint nod followed.

"...thank you... sir."

Olynk gave a single nod in return.

No smile.

Just acknowledgment.

Then—

He reached down.

Pulled the pin.

The metallic ring slipped free with a small—

CHK—~

The officer’s grip tightened around the device, pulling it close against his chest.

Holding it there.

Like something to anchor himself.

Olynk stood.

Turned.

Moved.

He climbed the stairs quickly, boots striking hard against each step, one glance thrown back over his shoulder before he disappeared upward.

—

Below—

The man waited.

The sound came first.

Steps.

Closer.

Heavier.

Each one shaking the floor beneath him.

His breathing grew rougher, chest rising unevenly as the heat built around him.

Sweat mixed with blood across his face, stinging his eyes as they began to water.

The air burned going in.

Harder to draw.

Harder to hold.

The infected turned the corner.

And there it was.

Closer.

Too close.

Its ruined face tilted slightly, the remaining eye fixed on him without thought.

Its legs vented again—

FSSSHH—~

The heat hit him directly this time.

His skin reacted instantly, burning sensation spreading across exposed areas. He flinched—but didn’t move away.

Couldn’t.

His hands trembled harder now, tightening around the charge pressed to his chest.

His lips parted.

Tried to say something—

Nothing came out.

Too dry.

Too tight.

He swallowed.

Forced one last breath in.

Then—

Let go.

—

A moment passed.

A fraction.

Then—

BOOOOOOOM—!!!

An explosion tore through the floor in a violent burst, the compression charge detonating at point-blank range.

The shockwave expanded outward instantly, shredding everything in its radius—walls collapsing inward, vehicles thrown apart like scrap, pillars snapping under the force—

The gas—

Ignited.

All at once.

A chain reaction.

Secondary blasts erupted from the infected’s own leaking legs—

BOOM—! BOOM—!!

Fire surged outward, engulfing the entire level in a storm of heat and force.

From the exterior—

Two full floors of the tower erupted.

Glass shattered outward in a violent spray—

KRRRSH—!

Flames burst through the openings, licking outward into open air as debris followed—chunks of concrete, twisted metal, shattered remains of everything inside.

Below—

The horde caught part of it.

Several infected were thrown outward from the blast zone, bodies torn apart mid-motion, flung across the street below.

The tower itself—

Shook.

Deep.

Violent.

But it held.

Cracks spread.

Smoke poured out.

Fire burned through multiple openings.

But it did not fall.

—

Back on the roof—

The explosion from below had thrown everything off balance—timing, formation, focus.

Officers adjusted on instinct, boots scraping across the surface as they reoriented, rifles lifting again toward the mass at the edge.

But it had changed.

The female infected had drifted closer.

Not much, but enough.

Her body hovered higher now, nearer to the roofline, and the mass of hair had tightened—drawn inward, compressing into something denser.

What had once spread wide now coiled into itself, strands folding over one another, layering until it formed a heavy, shifting sphere of black.

Some officers kept firing.

CRACK—! CRACK—!

Rounds tore into it, barely shredding outer strands—

But Don’s eyes caught it.

Some movement.

Small.

Subtle.

And worrying.

The way the strands pulled inward—

Not recoiling.

Preparing.

His jaw tightened.

"Get down!!"

The shout tore out of him, loud, immediate.

Some of the officers hesitated—confusion flickering across their faces for a fraction of a second because the words hadn’t come from Charles.

Others didn’t question it.

They reacted fast.

Dropped.

Even Charles didn’t wait.

He grabbed the woman beside him and drove them both down hard against the rooftop, wings snapping forward in a tight arc to shield them, feathers bracing as they angled over his body.

Don moved at the same time.

He dove—

Rolled—

Shoulder hitting first before he twisted, body compressing low against the surface. His hand planted briefly to steady himself as he turned, head still lifted, eyes locked forward.

Ready.

Then—

It struck.

The sphere of hair detonated outward.

Hair burst from it in every direction, thick strands launching like driven spears, splitting apart mid-flight into smaller, sharper lengths that tore through the air—

SHRRRKK—!!

The largest mass shot toward the helicopter.

It hit hard.

Metal shrieked as multiple strands punched into its side, piercing through reinforced plating as if it were thin sheet—

KRRRCH—!

The impact rocked the aircraft violently, its frame jerking as the strands drove deeper, anchoring into its body.

The rest scattered.

Across the roof.

Toward the officers.

Toward Don.

Toward everything.

Don’s focus snapped tight.

The space around him twisted—

Invisible force locking into place just as several strands descended toward him and Charles.

They were about to hit—

But stopped mid-air.

The tips hovered inches from impact, trembling against the resistance of his telekinesis, pressure building as more strands followed, falling into the same invisible barrier—

THNK—THNK—THNK—!

His teeth clenched.

But he held it.