After working all morning, A-Xuan went to get changed and joined all the scavenges at the entry excitedly. He walked to Maddox with a smile.

"Hey."

Maddox smiled.

"Hi, I saw your name on the list. Why did you decide to go?"

"I want to kill zombies."

When he said that everyone around him laughed, but Khal’s laugh was the loudest. Emerys had a mocking smile on his face. Obviously, none of them believe in him. A-Xuan narrowed his eyes at them.

Maddox put a hand on his shoulder and when A-Xuan met his eyes, he comforted:

"I know you can, and I have your back."

A-Xuan smiled, his cheeks slightly flushed. Maddox looked at him and felt the need to make him his right now. How can he be so cute?

Emerys didn’t miss a bit of it, he’ll see how A-Xuan deals there. He instructed:

"I want four people per car. When we arrive, we’ll split up into three teams of four to go faster. The mall is big and crawling with zombies, meaning we need to be in and out."

Maddox, Khal, Emerys, and another user decided to drive. A-Xuan sat next to Maddox. Maddox turned on the car and drove.

The mall they are going to has been untouched because it’s crawling with zombies, so A-Xuan can’t wait to get there. It’s pretty far though, but everything they’ll gain will make it worth it.

Emerys only take those kinds of scavenging missions to be sure to get a lot at once. That’s one of the reasons his uni base is the best.

2 hours in, the two users in the back fell asleep. Maddox looked at A-Xuan and could tell he was eager to get there. He smiled.

"Why do you suddenly want to kill zombies?"

A-Xuan smiled.

"I’ve always wanted to, but it’s not like I could."

"Why?"

A-Xuan said:

"The medical department was a joke, even though I toned Naethan down. So can you imagine how bad it would have been if I wasn’t there constantly?"

Maddox looked at A-Xuan, surprised. Never in his life has he said anything bad about Naethan, but he is right now.

Maybe he has feelings for him and can see Naethan as he truly is. He knew since day one that Naethan didn’t love him because he does.

"Then how come you were able to leave?"

"I talked to Emerys, and I’m the new head."

Maddox has known A-Xuan for more than 15 years, but he’s still full of surprises. He always thought he should oversee it, instead of someone who failed medical school twice.

But just because Naethan is a healer, he thinks that he’s somehow better than A-Xuan or anyone else for that matter.

"I always thought you should’ve been in charge."

A-Xuan met his eyes.

"Really?"

Maddox nodded and felt his heartbeat quicken when he saw A-Xuan’s lovely smile.

He looked ahead, calming himself, and asked nonchalantly:

"Did he break up with you?"

He kept looking ahead, he didn’t want A-Xuan to see his disappointment once he says no.

"No."

Maddox swallowed with difficulty. I’m such an idiot. That’ll teach him for having hope.

"He wanted us to stay together, but I didn’t."

Maddox looked at him, shocked and happy at the same time. He didn’t show it because he doesn’t know how he feels. A-Xuan met his eyes and said like it was only meant for him:

"I don’t love him anymore."

Maddox looked at him for a few seconds, then looked at the road again. He felt happier than he had in a long time.

At least now they are done, Maddox will get closer to him and see if he truly has feelings for him.

A-Xuan looked at Maddox’s side profile. He looked handsome, with his golden hair and blue eyes.

He is taller than him and fit, he and the original would always go to the gym together. He also has a beautiful smile.

A-Xuan looked ahead, smiling. When they arrived, they only had a few hours left before sunset. They got out of the car and Emerys instructed:

"Khal, Maddox, and I will be responsible for a team. Do not take unnecessary risks, your life is more important. Use the walkie-talkie if there are too many to deal with."

A-Xuan joined Maddox’s team, and they left with two other users. Khal watched his retreating back with a smile. He doesn’t even have to do anything, he certainly will die.

A-Xuan walked to the second floor of the mall at the front with Maddox.

They supervise getting kids’ clothing. Maddox looked at him surprised when he held his hand, but A-Xuan was looking around like he did it instinctively. He smiled and didn’t say anything.

They entered a store and split up to fill their bags. A-Xuan was using CF to check for zombies. Unfortunately, the store was free and after taking everything they needed, they went back to the car to put the bags in the trunk.

A-Xuan frowned and ran back inside. Maddox dropped the bag and ran after him. Emerys and Khal’s team were fighting next to each other.

They don’t understand why all the zombies are focused in this area. Emerys was tossing fireballs when he heard someone running.

He glanced and saw A-Xuan. His he fucking stupid? The base requires him as a doctor. He yelled while fighting:

"Leave!"

Maddox stopped next to A-Xuan, looking at the scene. They were at least fifteen zombies and three hurt users on the floor.

A-Xuan walked toward them. Maddox pulled his hand, but he managed to get free and walk toward a zombie. Both Maddox and Emerys stepped forward, but they stopped stunned.

A-Xuan opened his hand and an ice sword materialized. Once he was close to the zombie, he cut both his hand and then his head.

He walked to the next one, doing the same thing. For the third, he had an ice machete. He cut the zombie’s head in two, and after that, he gave a kick and its body fell backward.

A-Xuan looked up, meeting Khal’s stupefied eyes. Khal’s eyes open wide when the ice spear A-Xuan had materialized was aimed at him. Does he know?

If he knows, then he surely will want him dead. Khal ducked and heard a sound behind him. He looked at the zombie who received the spear in his head. He looked at A-Xuan, feeling complicated.

A-Xuan materialized a sword and fought every zombie with the rest. The problem is that more kept coming.

A-Xuan went back to the entry of the shop and Maddox and Emerys who were fighting felt relief. They all frowned when they felt something pulling them backward.

They tried to fight it, but they found themselves at the entry. Even the wounded on the floor were pulled by that wind.

They were now around thirty zombies, and they knew they couldn’t fight them all with just 5 five of them. A-Xuan looked ahead and raised his hand.

A wall of ice cut the enormous store in two, trapping the zombies behind it. The wall of ice was thin, and you could still see the zombies behind it.

But no matter how thin it was, the zombies couldn’t get through it. They kept banging on it, but not even the smallest crack appeared.

They were so stunned by what was happening that they never looked behind them.

They looked up, stupefied when thirty triangle-shaped glaciers rose from underneath the ground.

The glaciers pierced through every zombie, lifting them in the air and reaching the ceiling of the store. Everyone was beyond shocked, those glaciers were more than 50 feet.

A-Xuan passed through them and walked to the ability users who were laying on the ground hurt. He made sure to get everyone out before erecting the wall.

He walked to the closest and knelt. He looked at his injury, he had a massive, deep wound on his chest. A-Xuan lifted his hand above his wound and a white light started to emanate from it.

After a few seconds, he lifted his hand and the wound was no more. The man sat up and looked at his chest shocked.

With the gravity of the wound, it would usually take a healer at least three times after recuperating energy to fully heal him.

He looked at A-Xuan with shiny eyes.

"Thank you."

A-Xuan smiled and stood up, looking around. He wanted to deal with those who only had a few minutes left first.

He walked to a girl who was lying on the floor, her hands on her neck. She was desperately trying to stop the blood from gushing out with tears in her eyes.

A-Xuan knelt, he put a hand on hers and smiled reassuringly. When she felt the effect, her body relaxed a little, and she kept looking at A-Xuan’s smile.

It took A-Xuan a little longer because he wanted to calm her first. He knew that she was close to a mental breakdown.

With his other hand, he caressed her head and she relaxed completely. A-Xuan lifted his hand and helped her sit up when he was done.

He smiled at her.

"You’re okay."

The girl swallowed with difficulty and started to cry. A-Xuan caressed her head reassuringly.

She reminds him of Leia when she was younger, with her long straight hair and round eyes, and seeing her like that made him a little sad.

"I’ll be back."

She nodded and A-Xuan walked to another wounded. After healing everyone, he went back to see the girl.

A-Xuan asked:

"What’s your name?"

"Luna."

A-Xuan smiled. He helped her up and said:

"I’m A-Xuan."

She smiled shyly and said emotionally:

"Thank you for saving me, A-Xuan."

"Anytime."

Everyone who was shocked since they flew to the entry finally woke up. They couldn’t believe that first, A-Xuan had an ability and such a strong one at that, and second, he had two of those.

The most shocking was that he healed the six wounded without needing to recuperate. Khal’s look became even more complicated.

Maddox walked to him worried:

"Are you okay?"

A-Xuan smiled.

"I’m okay."

Emerys checked everyone and when he saw that they were perfectly healed he ordered:

"Everyone grab your bags and let’s go back to the parking lot, it’ll be safer."

Everyone grabbed the bags they dropped and joined the two other users who were waiting out. They looked at them wide-eyed.

Most were full of blood, before they start talking, Emerys ordered:

"Put everything in the trunk and let’s go now. We’ll stop at the lake house we saw on the way for the night."

They had checked somewhere to spend the night because they knew that it would be too dangerous to drive at night.

A-Xuan got in the car with Maddox, and he ordered:

"Sleep, I’ll wake you when we’re there."

"I’m not tired."

"You used a lot of energy."

A-Xuan was about to say something, but he could see that Maddox wasn’t willing to budge.

"Fine."

When they arrived, Maddox woke him. They got down from the car and entered the house with the supplies.

A few of them got up to clear everything but when A-Xuan got up to help them both Maddox and Emerys yelled:

"Stay here."

He looked at them with a pout. I came here to kill zombies, not sit around in a house. If it was just Maddox, he would go any way but Emerys leads the base, and he has to show that he "respects" him.

Emerys looked at his pouty face with a mocking smile, which only made A-Xuan angry. When Emerys was satisfied with his level of anger, he left.