The four kids and one adult rushed down the road in their tiny car

“Can’t this thing go any faster?” Daphne demanded irritably; the back seat of the car was far too cramped for her liking.

“I don’t see you offering a ride” Chang shot back irritably from the driver’s, the kids would be the death of him.

“shouldn’t witches have brooms?” Luke, who was squished between the door and Phoebe, wondered aloud.

“That is such a Xenophobic thing to say” Phoebe shot back

“Really?” Obie, who was navigating shotgun side, wasn’t convinced

“Hush children” Chang intoned as he took a hard right in full speed

“410 Logan Drive, we’re here” Obie declared as the car screeched to a halt and everyone tumbled out.

“Alright, Daph and I’ll take the back whi-” Phoebe’s instructions dried up in her mouth when she noticed that Luke and Obie had already reached the front door.

“Ring the bell” Luke urged his friend in anticipation

Obie stared at the other boy in exasperation “I’m sorry, are we here to sell girl scout cookies? Break the fucking door!”

Luke rammed his shoulder into the door to no avail “We need to be subtle about this” Phoebe, along with Daphne and Change, appeared beside Obie.

“We ain’t got time for that” Obie retorted as Luke slammed into the door again.

BANG!!

The door got demolished as Luke flew into the house in a heap.

The others bent down to peer into the house, only to see Ryuu and the other Chimeras surrounding two bloodied women in the middle of the hall.

None of them noticing the weird expression on Chang’s face.

“You…” John stared at Luke in disbelief, he had seen Boss punch out a hole in his chest.

“Ryuu…” Obie stared at the golden eyes and scaled face of the guy he had been bonding with just the night before.

“oooh!” Tessa recognized the group from Gabi’s description and was excited for a fight.

“Biodh solas ann!” Phoebe immediately made a couple of handsigns and cast out a spell and created a flash of light that blinded anyone looking at it, which was all the chimeras and no one from their team.

Ryuu groaned as his eyes burned, and suddenly felt himself being pulled backwards, not realising that Daphne’s sword had missed his neck by the quarter of an inch.

“Careful!” Gabi snarled “those bitches are trying to get us with cheap shots”

“Big talk for people who keep popping out of shadows like rats” Luke called back as he rushed towards the two bloodied women, Obie right behind him.

Phoebe waved her hand and sent a fireball towards Gabi who dodged it, while Ryuu’s hands transformed into claws as he clashed head on with Daphne.

Tessa meanwhile transformed completely into a raven, the smaller size affording her more manoeuvrability in the confines of the house, and headed towards Obie and Luke, only for Chang to appear in front of them.

“Back off!” the tiny Asian man snapped open a baton in his hand and swung it with unnerving accuracy, forcing the raven back “get the two women out of here” Chang commanded without taking his eyes away from the raven.

“How are you still alive” John still hadn’t made a move as he stared at Luke “you should be dead”

Images of a bloodied claw appeared in Luke’s head as he froze “C’mon!” Obie urged his friend out of his reverie and the both of them dragged the two women out of the house.

Phoebe had raised a barrier and trapped Gabi by a wall, but couldn’t move herself either. Ryuu and Daphne were engaged in a violent clash of sword versus talon, neither gaining any edge; and Tessa had transformed back into a partial human form as she and Chang faced off.

“Seriously!” John ignored the fighting humans and chimeras as he made his way towards Luke and Obie “why aren’t you dead?”

Something inside Luke snapped at that very moment “I came back to life just to separate your head from the rest of your body” he left the unconscious woman and got right into Jack’s face “But first tell me, where’s that Hyena!”

Jack didn't like the way the 'food' spoke "watch your tongue; or I might just choke you on it for hours before I kill you."

"Tell me..." a black gas started to condense around Luke "where is..." the gas seemed to envelope his entire body "the HYENA!"

"Luke..." Obie had dragged away the women he was holding by now, but Luke was too angry to even hear his friend.

Luke shoved Jack and all of the black gas around him flew towards Jack and seemed to solidify as it slammed into his torso and sent him flying backwards.

Everybody paused and stared at Luke who himself just realized what had happened as the black gas had dispersed.

"Oh shit" Tessa had transformed back into a human "You're a zombie?"

Before anyone else could say anything, Jack reappeared and jumped onto Luke "I'M GONNA KILL YOU, ASSHOLE!"

Diana tried to go to Luke only to find Ryuu blocking her way, and Phoebe herself couldn't turn away from Gabi or she'd get shredded by the chimera, Tessa on the other hand managed to catch Chang off guard and knock him out, while Obie stared on as carnage descended all around him.

“Get the other woman out!” Phoebe screamed at Obie to shake him out of his reverie as Gabi finally got the idea to punch through the drywall and break the wall to escape. “Shit!”

Meanwhile Luke and Jack had stopped rolling, with Luke ending up on top of the chimera and punching him in the face repeatedly.

“Where. is. the. Hyena?” the black gas condensed around Luke yet again; wrapping itself around Luke’s fist like a ball as he hit Jack

GROWL!

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Jack’s face changed into one of a Puma’s as he raked his claws across Luke’s chest, cutting the other boy deeply and sending him falling back, but Luke was seeing red at this point.

Ignoring his bleeding torso and the black gas forming around him, Luke rushed at Jack, engaging in an all out fist fight with him. The two exchanged punches with neither guy backing off,

On the other side Phoebe and Diana were fighting a handicapped battle against the three other chimeras.

Diana would use her sword and enhanced physicality to keep the Chimeras at bay while Phoebe sent out fireballs and wind blades to stop the chimeras from gaining any sort of traction or surrounding them.

Meanwhile Obie had finally dragged the two mothers of Ryuu and the downed Spanish professor out of the house and far enough from immediate danger.

“Well fuck!” the situation did not look good for their little team, seeing the two opposite side of the fight Obie made an instant decision; picking up a lamp on the side table Obie threw it at Jack.

The chimera instinctively sensed the flying object and ducked to let it fly harmlessly over his head, all while not losing an inch to Luke.

But the lamp had served it’s purpose; getting Luke’s attention “you need to regroup with the girls!” Obie shouted at his friend

“Fuck!” Luke could only swear and shove Jack as again the black gas slammed into said chimera and sent him stumbling back again.

Luke took this opening to turn back towards the bigger battle and saw Ryuu within arm’s reach. With a manic grin Luke grabbed Ryuu’s long lizard like tail and pulled it with all his might.

Ryuu flew into Luke who wasn’t expecting Ryuu to come so easily and both the boys went down like a sack of potatoes.

“Shit!” Obie swore to himself, the pressure was lifted off the girls but Luke was down just as Jack was getting up.

Suddenly the ears of all the chimeras perked up.

“what’s that?” Ryuu asked as he and Luke rolled away from one another

“Retreat!” Jack explained as he grabbed Ryuu and ran towards the back door, Tessa too transformed totally into a raven and flew out an open window

“Until next time” Gabi snarled at Daphne before turning around and falling to all fours as she turned into a leopard and sped away.

“Let them go!” Phoebe implored Daphne who was about to give chase. Chang was down, Obie was a regular human, they weren’t sure what Luke’s deal was, and both of them were completely spent.

“haa…” Luke fell on his butt as the adrenaline wore off

“You okay there champ?” Obie lightly tapped him by foot

“Yeah, just… bleeding to death here” Luke patted his bloodied chest, feeling was coming back to him, particularly pain and dread “I’m gonna die again”

“you’re fine” Phoebe and Daphne too came where he sat “your cuts are healing as we speak” Luke looked down and removed the tatters that were once a tee shirt, and indeed he wounds on his torso were closing up at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“I’ll be damned” Luke muttered

“You just might be” Daphne dope slapped him on the back of his head “your stupidity nearly got those two women and Chang killed”

“I’m…sorry!” Luke deflated “I just… the way he said I should be dead… I was just so filled with anger” the boy fell back as he slapped his hands onto his face, Obie too grimaced as Daphne’s expression softened

“You went through something traumatic” Phoebe knelt down beside Luke’s supine form “and it’s nothing to scoff at, but you’ve got a second chance at life, don’t squander it in revenge”

“Well, that’s all fine and dandy” Obie cut in before Luke could reply “but let’s wake up the adults and get out of here before cops arrive, we really did make a lot of noise”

“Done!’ the other three agreed, deciding that the time to talk would come later

XXXXXXX

“So… You’re a Zombie” it was late night and Obie had convinced Luke to crash over at his place; it was easier for the latter as his mother probably wouldn’t even notice that he wasn’t home.

“I guess” Luke fell back on the air mattress in exhaustion “I mean I haven’t been craving any brain… for now I guess…”

“Should I be worried?” Obie tried to relax the atmosphere

“You would’ve had to… if you had brains” Luke chuckled at the pillow that Obie threw from his bed

“How about your scars?” seeing Luke not too worried Obie decided to ask the questions worrying him. in response Luke simply lifted his shirt to show the thin while lines that were all left from his wounds.

“Even if I’m not a zombie, I definitely ain’t human anymore”

“Uh huh…” Obie wasn’t sure what to say so he just lied down on his own bed and stared at the ceiling.

“Whatever…” Luke shook his head in frustration of his own thoughts “we’ll only know more when we speak to Chang tomorrow”

“Yeah…” Obie agreed. Sleep came easy for them due to the excitement of the day and in just the blink of an eye for them, it was morning.

“Are you alright?” Manuel ‘Manny’ Reyes asked Luke the next morning

“Just… tired” Luke gave the man a tired smile but it was just too hot, and too bright, and too early “school just shouldn’t start before noon”

“Okay!” Obie’s dad shrugged in acceptance, he knew Luke didn’t have the best home life and was okay with him sporadically sleeping over, he just hoped Luke knew that he could come to them for anything.

“Here!” Obie popped into the dining room and handed Luke two toasts “let’s go!”

“What are you rushing for? It’s only seven?” Gloria Reyes asked her son as she too walked into the dining room.

“Gotta meet some people about starting a club” Obie smoothly replied and turned back to Luke “c’mon let’s go!”

“See ya” Luke begrudgingly bade his farewell to the Reyes’

“Did something seem odd with Luke?” Manny asked his wife as she handed him his cup of coffee

“he’s a teenager!” Gloria shrugged “they’re all odd, I mean look at Obie, for some reason he’s suddenly bought all these mythology books from his school library, I think he might be converting into paganism”

All Manny could do was shrug in acceptance

XXXXXXX

“Wow… you look like shit” were Daphne’s first words when she saw Luke.

“Gee really? I didn’t notice” Luke gave her the stink eye, still looking flush from the sun and the heat, as Phoebe and Obie greeted each other like normal people.

“why’re we meeting in the mornings?” Obie questioned the blonde girl

“this is our usual meet time” Phoebe just shrugged, after the previous night of battling the chimeras together, she felt that Luke and Obie had garnered complete transparency from them.

“Settle down children” Chang walked into the empty classroom without even looking up from the book “after waking up this morning I did some research about Luke condition…”

“what’s the verdict doc?’ Luke’s smile didn’t reach his eyes “will I be able to ever have kids?”

Chang only raised an eyebrow at Luke before letting it slide due to the boy’s obvious nervousness “the chimera was only half right, you only partially a zombie”

“Were-zombies are real?” Obie’s eyes widened “seriously?!”

“No, were-zombies aren’t real” Phoebe refuted him

“So, I’d only want half a brain?” Luke was confused “or like a full brain but only half the time”

“I will explain everything if you four stop. interrupting. me.” Chang’s words came out of clenched teeth, making everyone do as told.

“I have a theory; we have no way of verifying it but I’d say it’s pretty spot on” Chang took a pause and was glad to be met with silence. “Now Luke, please give me your arm”

The redhead did as told without batting an eyelid and Chang grabbed his wrist, immediately checking him for a pulse.

“A very low pulse…” Chang muttered out loud, but more to himself.

“What’s the theory?” Obie couldn’t help but prompt the man, he knew Chang didn’t appreciate being interrupted but the suspense was killing him.

“I think an ancestor of Luke’s was a necromancer” Chang decided to be forthright “and some remnants of the power seeped through his bloodline” he was greeted with pin drop silence “when Luke died the power activated and turned him into a revenant”

“So, he’s a revenant, not a zombie?” It was Phoebe who asked now

“a revenant is a zombie”

“Then why the distinction?” It was Daphne who asked this time.

“I shall continue explaining if you all continue being silent” Chang shut them up once again.

“There are three types of Zombies, Cursed, enthralled and revenant. Cursed Zombies are corpses infected by a curse that makes them zombies and can infect others, these are the one’s noted in folklore, the one’s you are run by their baser instincts and can’t think

Enthralled are zombies raised my necromancers under their control as servants, Simple minded and good for basic tasks, pretty harmless on their own, it’s just the necromancers who raise them that are evil” Luke audibly gulped at that, getting a pat from Phoebe

“And revenants” Chang continued “are zombies raised by independent mystical circumstances; they retain their faculties and independence, but unfortunately that’s all we know”

Chang looked directly at Luke, waiting for him to absorb all the information, as did everyone else now.

“Just answer me one thing” Luke finally asked, “am I dangerous?” Everyone now turned to Chang with Rapt attention

“No, you’ll pose no threat to the people around you that I know of” Chang acquiesced

“Alright!” the boy jumped to his feet “everything else, I can deal with”

“Hear hear!” Obie cheered as everyone else relaxed too, “the chimera hunter group is now stronger than ever”

“ooh” Phoebe backtracked “let’s talk about that”

“About us working together?”

“About that name” Phoebe gave him an awkward smile “it sucks”

Seeing the four kids devolve into arguments about their group’s name; only one thought passed through Chang’s head “I don’t know about this town, but I’m certainly doomed”