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Dead Inside the Mall
Chapter 43: Hunter’s Nightmare

Chapter 43: Hunter’s Nightmare

Lex pressed herself against the counter, her breathing shallow, heart pounding. The Slasher—charred and battered but still alive—stalked through the food court, its bladed arms scraping over tile and metal. It moved with a calculating intent that sent chills down her spine, its movements slower but somehow more focused, as if the Hive Mind had shifted to a different strategy.

She glanced at her friends. They were huddled around her, each bearing the exhaustion of battle, their makeshift weapons gripped tightly, faces set with grim determination.

"We’ll have to chip away at it," she whispered, steadying herself. "But this thing’s different from the other Psychos. We’ll need to get close, and hit it where it’s weakest.”

Sophie’s eyes lit up with a flash of memory. She swallowed, her gaze distant, as she recalled what she’d seen back in the control room files.

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[Flashback]

The control room had been dim and cold, the screens casting eerie shadows over Sophie’s face as she worked. In a hidden file directory, she’d found a list marked [HIVE BOSS ZOMBIE VARIANTS], detailing the deadly creations the Hive Mind had designed for the mall. Her fingers had trembled as she clicked through each profile, her stomach twisting with horror as she realized they were facing creatures engineered specifically to hunt them. Her eyes had fixed on one profile in particular: “SLASHER VARIANT.” The file had detailed its purpose and characteristics with a detached, clinical precision, but one line stood out.

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[HIVE BOSS: SLASHER VARIANT]

Designation: Z-BV-13-SLAS

Purpose: High-intensity close-range assault, psychological intimidation, advanced resilience to physical damage

Weakness: Control node at the nape of the neck. Control node must be exposed to neutralize threat.

> Additional Notes: Subject responds to group-target clustering; extreme caution advised. Hive Mind may recalibrate commands based on tactical data received from subject’s environment.

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Sophie’s pulse had raced as she logged the information in her mind, realizing that the mall’s nightmare didn’t end with the Slasher. There were more, each with unique weaknesses hidden beneath their monstrous exteriors, waiting for their chance to strike.

[End Flashback]

Sophie looked up at Lex, her voice low and urgent. “I saw it in the files. The Slasher’s weak spot—it’s the back of the neck. That’s where the Hive Mind’s control node is.”

Lex nodded, her eyes narrowing as a plan took shape. “Good. We’ll have to make it expose that spot. Everyone, spread out. We need to keep it off-balance, distract it from every side. We’ll lure it to the fountain and try to hit the node.”

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The group exchanged quick nods, positioning themselves around the Slasher in a loose, unpredictable formation. They moved quietly, clutching their makeshift weapons and waiting for Lex’s signal.

The Slasher advanced, its bladed arms slicing through the air with terrifying precision. Maya and Brandon hurled metal trays from opposite sides, clanging against the floor to distract it. The Slasher turned toward Maya, its blade slicing through tables and chairs as it closed in on her. She sidestepped, throwing another tray to buy herself a few precious seconds.

“Brandon, go!” Lex shouted.

Brandon shoved a broken metal cart toward the Slasher’s side, sending it crashing into its legs with a deafening clang. The creature staggered, its bladed arms scraping against the floor as it regained its balance. In the confusion, Damien darted forward, aiming for the back of its neck. He lunged with his double-edged knife, but the Slasher twisted at the last second, its reflexes sharpened by the Hive Mind’s guidance.

“Keep hitting it from different sides!” Lex called, urgency in her voice. “We need it disoriented.”

Maya and Sophie dashed forward, spilling fryer oil across the tile to create a slick path. Brandon ignited a Molotov and hurled it at the creature’s legs, flames erupting and licking up its limbs. The Slasher snarled, slipping on the oil-slicked floor as it struggled to stay upright.

“Now, Damien!” Lex shouted, her heart pounding as she saw their chance.

Damien sprinted forward, aiming for the control node, his blade glinting in the dim light. But as he raised his weapon, the Slasher twisted again, flinging a bladed arm toward him. Damien ducked, rolling out of the way, his face pale as he narrowly avoided the attack.

Lex clenched her fists, her frustration mounting. The Hive Mind was reading them, adapting to every attempt. They needed to make the Slasher falter, even if only for a second.

Her gaze landed on a pile of heavy metal racks near the edge of the food court, beside an old, toppled popcorn machine. A final, desperate plan began to take shape.

“Everyone, fall back to the fountain,” she ordered. “We’re going to try one last push.”

They moved quickly, taking up positions around the fountain, each of them gripping their weapons, ready for the final strike. The Slasher advanced, its bladed arms raised as it stalked forward. The Hive Mind’s control pulsed in its gaze, an unsettling, predatory awareness that watched their every move.

The Slasher lunged, and they scattered, each taking turns throwing debris, splashes of oil, and anything they could grab to disorient it. Brandon hurled another Molotov, flames erupting around its legs as it stumbled forward, right toward the metal racks.

“Now!” Lex shouted, and they pushed the racks forward, knocking the Slasher into a heavy column, momentarily pinning it in place.

Lex seized the opportunity. She grabbed Damien’s double-edged blade, rushing forward and plunging it into the back of the Slasher’s neck, aiming for the exposed control node.

The creature let out an unearthly shriek, convulsing as the Hive Mind’s connection wavered. It dropped to its knees, its body twitching and jerking as its movements slowed, its strength fading.

For a heartbeat, Lex thought it was over. She stepped back, breathing heavily, looking to her friends with a flicker of relief.

But then, with a sickening snap, the Slasher’s head jerked up, its eyes blazing as the Hive Mind reestablished its control. The creature rose, slower but still deadly, its bladed arms raised as it advanced once more. Their attack had only slowed it; it was still very much alive.

Lex’s stomach dropped. They were almost out of options, and the Slasher was more enraged than ever, its every movement radiating the Hive Mind’s dark, calculating will.

“Fall back again,” she whispered, barely holding her voice steady. “We’re not done yet. We need one last push.”

They staggered back, retreating into the far reaches of the food court, each of them bruised, battered, and nearly spent. But Lex knew this wasn’t over. They had to lead the Slasher deeper, to the structural supports near the back—where they’d make their final stand.

“Get ready,” Lex said, her voice steely as she glanced at each of her friends. “We’ll finish this… one way or another.”

They turned to face the Slasher as it dragged itself forward, wounded but still intent on destruction, its cold gaze a promise of the Hive Mind’s relentless vengeance.

And as the Slasher’s blade arms scraped against the tile, Lex steeled herself, preparing for the final, desperate confrontation that awaited them in the shadows.

END