The escalator ride felt like an eternity as Taylor and Amy scanned the floor below, watching the horde of zombie cosplayers shuffle aimlessly, some still groaning as they searched for the living. A few zombies stared blankly up at them, their lifeless eyes unsettling even from a distance. When they finally stepped off the escalator, they were greeted by a group of survivors—three people, each looking just as rattled as the twins felt.

One of the survivors, a tall guy in his mid-20s dressed as Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist, gave a shaky nod. “You two made it,” he said, relief evident in his voice. “We saw you fighting down there. You’re…pretty good.”

Amy managed a weak smile. “Not by choice. But yeah, I guess we’re decent at improvising.” She tightened her grip on the baseball bat, which already showed signs of wear from the last fight.

The second survivor, a girl dressed as a schoolgirl with a pair of makeshift nunchucks, glanced around nervously. “Did you see…what’s causing all this?”

Taylor shook his head. “No clue. It’s like they’re all connected, moving in sync. Like a hive mind.” He looked at his battered prop sword, feeling its limitations more keenly than ever. “We’re going to need better weapons if we want to get out of here.”

The third survivor, a man dressed as a generic knight, pointed toward a nearby cosplay booth. “I saw a bunch of metal props in that vendor’s stall. Maybe we can use some of them to make real weapons.”

Gathering Gear and Improvising Weapons

Taylor and Amy shared a glance, nodding in silent agreement. They followed the survivors to the booth, which had a mix of realistic-looking props, metal staffs, shields, and even a few foam weapons with heavy cores.

Taylor picked up a metal staff, testing its weight. “This might work better than my flimsy sword,” he muttered. He swung it a few times, satisfied with its solid feel.

Amy spotted a pair of metal kunai and strapped them to her side, then picked up a short iron rod wrapped in leather, which looked like it could do some serious damage. She glanced at the others, noting how they each equipped themselves: Edward had found a hammer, and the schoolgirl was reinforcing her nunchucks with chains from a nearby stall.

They each took turns testing their weapons, swinging and striking nearby walls to get a feel for their new arsenal. Taylor grinned, feeling a renewed sense of confidence. “Alright, everyone,” he said, his voice steady. “We have to stick together, but if anything goes wrong, remember: aim for the head and don’t let them get too close.”

Amy nodded, eyeing her iron rod. “And keep moving. We can’t let ourselves get surrounded again.”

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Ambush in the Hallway

As they ventured down the hallway, the eerie silence made every footstep sound louder than it should have been. The group moved in tense formation, with Taylor and Amy leading the way. Each step felt like a countdown to another encounter, and soon enough, they found themselves face-to-face with more zombies blocking their path.

A zombified Levi Ackerman from Attack on Titan, eyes blank and vacant, shuffled forward with a clumsy yet unnerving speed. Taylor raised his staff, bracing himself for the attack.

“Get ready!” he shouted, lunging forward as the Levi zombie got close. He swung the staff in a wide arc, landing a powerful blow that sent the zombie staggering to the side.

Coordinated Attacks

The rest of the zombies began closing in, a mix of familiar characters in various states of decay. A zombie dressed as Inosuke from Demon Slayer lunged toward Amy, who blocked it with her iron rod before delivering a swift strike to its head.

The survivors worked in sync, each taking on a zombie with focused intensity. The Edward cosplayer used his hammer to knock back a zombie wearing a bloody school uniform, while the schoolgirl swung her reinforced nunchucks with surprising skill, keeping a pair of zombies at bay.

Taylor and Amy had fallen into a natural rhythm, watching each other’s backs as they fought. Whenever one of them was in trouble, the other would step in to provide cover. Taylor dispatched a zombie with a precise blow to the head, then turned to see Amy struggling against a particularly aggressive zombie in a Pikachu outfit.

“Amy, duck!” he shouted.

She dropped low just as Taylor swung his staff, connecting with the zombie’s head and sending it crashing to the floor.

“Nice one,” Amy panted, giving him a quick nod of thanks.

The Brute Returns

The hallway was almost clear when they heard another guttural roar echoing from behind them. Turning, they saw another brute—a towering zombie wearing what used to be a samurai cosplay, complete with tattered armor that made it look even more menacing.

“Oh no, not again,” Amy muttered, bracing herself as the brute stomped forward, its heavy footsteps making the ground tremble.

Taylor took a deep breath. “We have to work together. This thing’s too strong to take down alone.”

The survivors fell into formation, with Edward and Taylor on the front lines while Amy and the schoolgirl provided support from the sides. The brute swung its massive arms, narrowly missing Taylor as he ducked and retaliated with a quick strike to its leg.

“Go for the knees!” Taylor shouted, realizing the brute’s weak point.

Edward swung his hammer at the brute’s other leg, and together, they managed to destabilize it. Amy saw her chance, lunging forward with her iron rod and driving it into the brute’s knee. The massive zombie stumbled, struggling to stay upright.

With one final coordinated effort, Taylor and Amy delivered a powerful blow to the brute’s head, sending it crashing to the floor.

Aftermath and Regrouping

Panting and bruised, the group took a moment to catch their breath. The hallway was littered with fallen zombies, but they had made it through.

“That…was intense,” Edward said, wiping sweat from his brow.

Amy nodded, her eyes scanning the room. “We can’t keep doing this without a plan. There has to be a better way to get through these things.”

Taylor agreed. “Agreed. But for now, let’s stick together and keep moving. If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll find an exit.”

The group continued down the hallway, their spirits a bit higher with their new weapons and reinforced by their successful teamwork. Each member was still shaken, but they felt stronger, more prepared for whatever horrors lay ahead.

Little did they know, the worst was yet to come.