Tom and the others rushed outside to see what was happening. Since the wall project had been an upgrade the guild was working on, a new gate had been put in place that completely enclosed their makeshift compound adding more security. Tom had to climb up a set of stairs that had been built with salvaged wood to get to the top of the wall. Chris as well as the security guard Brandon were there waiting for him staring out into the city.

When Tom got to the top of the wall his heart sank. A horde of zombies was standing outside staring up at them with blank, emotionless stares. The crowd began to part down the middle as The Master walked through the crowd toward them. Tom quickly pulled out a gun and fired a round at the man's head.

"What the hell?!" Chris cried as he recoiled from the gunshot next to him.

The bullet ricocheted harmlessly off of a blue glowing shield that appeared around The Master and into a zombie standing nearby.

"Damn. Of course, it couldn't be that easy." Tom swore to himself.

"I think he came to talk to us," Chris pointed out.

"In this new world, I'm trying not to miss an opportunity like that. Didn't think it would work, but I had to try." Tom said as he stored his gun back in his inventory.

"Now, now, Tom. Is that any way to greet a guest?" The Master said in a smooth, snide tone.

"I'm sorry, normally guests are invited. I only do that to intruders." Tom replied from atop the wall.

"Oh, my! Do you get many of those here? It must be a sign the neighborhood is going downhill." The Master smiled up at him as he came to a stop at the gate.

"That's okay. I intend to do some cleanup. Make our streets safe again. There's this real bastard out there running around and trying to force other people to do things for him. You should be careful, I hear he's a giant cockholster." Tom replied with his own snide tone while everything inside of him screamed to jump down and destroy the man. He knew he would get overrun if he did, though.

"He can't be all bad. It sounds like this person might be trying to give people a good home and purpose in life." The Master said up to Tom.

"More like taking away their free will and ability to choose for themselves," Tom replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "Did you come here just so we could dance around the fact that what you are doing is wrong?"

"No, of course not. I came here to extend you an offer. Help me defeat Shandra, and I'll leave the city." The Master offered as he sneered at Shandra's name.

"You leave alone?" Tom asked.

"Me and all my minions," The Master replied.

"Just the undead ones?" Tom asked again wanting to clarify the words so The Master didn't twist them.

"Anyone I control," The Master clarified.

"No deal," Tom said quickly.

"And if I give you the living humans?" The Master inquired, suspicious now.

"Still no deal. Sorry, but you aren't leaving except in a body bag." Tom said down to him, beginning to feel less in control of his emotions.

"Come now, you can't be so unreasonable. We have a common enemy and should be able to focus on the greater threat." The Master tried appealing to his logical side.

"There is another threat, but I wouldn't call them greater than someone who enslaves people," Tom shot back at him.

"I give them purpose! I give them a life with meaning when this world has treated them with nothing but disdain and apathy. I am the only one who is willing to do what needs to be done to rebuild this world into a form more fitting of its discarded refuse. I alone am the one who strives to see a world where the little man no longer gets stepped on and forgotten!" The Master had lost his sense of cool and was beginning to get upset.

"You alone have been the one I see making people do things they don't want. The ultimate form of bullying, the puppet master looking for validation in a world that probably shit on him from a great height. But that doesn't excuse your actions. You will pay for what you have done." Tom said pointing down at him now. "At least Shandra merely asked us to join her."

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"You dare compare me to that troglodyte who prances around as though her might makes her the one to rule this city? I am far above that barbaric whore and her constant need for violence!" The Master shouted up at Tom. "This is not over! I will free this city from its burdens and shape it into the glorious place it should have been from the beginning!"

"Such ironic talk of freeing a city you plan to enslave. If you want to settle this here and now, we will be happy to oblige." Tom spat down at the man. "Open the gates."

The gates slowly began to open inwards. What met The Master's sight was nearly a thousand people standing with weapons and armor glaring daggers at them. The number who showed up to stand with Tom when they heard who was at the gate dwarfed even The Master's horde and he stepped back turning slightly pale at the sight of so many people.

"I suggest you slink back to your hole and prepare. We're coming for you, you son of a bitch!" Tom almost grunted the last words in his attempt to control his anger.

With those words, Tom raised his hand and lowered it, pointing a knife hand at the zombies. The crowd inside the compound let out bellows of rage and cries for blood as they began to rush out of the compound, weapons raised and ready.

The Master's eyes went truly wide at this and he scrambled to get behind his horde as he rushed to return to his base. Tom's army crashed into the front line of zombies, each one intent on killing anything that got in their path. Tom leaped into the crowd, landing next to The Master as he drew his greatsword and began carving his way through the zombies around him.

Tom reached the man as he was trying to shove his way past a zombie that had clearly been ordered to attack Tom's guild. Tom slashed the zombie down and then swung a wide horizontal strike aimed at cutting The Master in two. Eyes wide with fear, The Master threw up a shield and deflected the attack. Tom followed the attack around with its momentum into a vertical strike. Blow after blow against the retreating form of the man rained down on his shield.

Tom's anger was unleashed as he swung the sword again and again and again against the barrier. A crack began to form in the shield as Tom continued to unleash his fury. The Master dodged back as his shield shattered and Tom rushed forward. Two glowing shields appeared on each of The Master's hands and he used them to deflect the blows from the swords away as he continued to try to retreat. Tom didn't give him any chances and slashed over and over at him.

After a vertical strike, Tom released one hand from the sword activating his Tattoo of Strength to wield the greatsword with one hand and cast an Eldritch Blast at almost point-blank range toward The Master's head. Twisting his body to avoid the sudden blast, The Master couldn't move completely out of the way and the green fire caught him across the side of the face, throwing the man's glasses to the ground where they were crushed by a zombie.

He fell to the ground and held his shields up to block the strikes Tom continued to unleash, the power now even greater because of his increased Strength attribute. Desperation filling his eyes, he mentally ordered zombies to attack Tom.

The first one jumped onto Tom's back, and Tom grabbed it, throwing it to the side in his rage-filled state. Then a second and third grabbed Tom. Soon, ten zombies were fighting to latch onto him. He began to furiously toss and slash at the zombies to get at The Master, his face a visage of utter loathing for the man trying to slink away.

As more and more zombies began to focus on him, Tom resorted to using his second Tattoo to leech life from them. The bites and scratches they were inflicting were beginning to add up and his health hit fifty percent before he activated it. A rush of power filled him and The Master felt the life being drawn to him. He stared in horror for a moment at Tom.

"What kind of monster are you?" The Master asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Tom was unable to hear him and equipped a second greatsword as he began to twirl the blades in an intricate dance of strength and grace that began to mow down the zombies around him like a scythe through wheat.

The Master ran, fear gripping his heart in a way he had never felt before. Tom shouted out a roar of frustration at having been so close and having the opportunity slip through his fingers as he was forced to fight more and more zombies around him. Hearing this cry of rage and frustration after seeing Tom unleash his abilities, The Master tripped, picked himself up, and turned down an alley to slink away.

Tom's forces had also been battling with fury burning in their hearts at what The Master had done and fought to unite with Tom. Soon they were able to join him as well as move around to surround the zombie horde. Every last one was slaughtered with a brutality Tom hadn't expected to see from his people. Everyone had come to join his fight. Warriors, janitors, tailors, security guards, and even the cooks were out with cast iron pans bashing zombies in the head while others cut them down.

His heart swelled with pride while battling the anger and sadness at not having been able to destroy the man they hated so much. Tom mentally kicked himself for having failed. Derek ran over to him as he stood there staring after The Master.

"Tom!" Derek called to him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I can't believe he got away." Tom said angrily.

"It's okay. We played everything perfectly. Everyone was on standby and came to help. He is slippery. We couldn't have expected that to have worked fully." Derek tried to console Tom.

"I know, I know. But I was so close." Tom lamented.

"You almost had him. And that means you'll be ready for the fight when we take it to him." Derek said, putting a hand on Tom's shoulder.

"You're right. We have things to do. We strike in a week. As soon as the grenades are ready." Tom said turning to look at Derek, a resolve in his eyes that burned so brightly it left no room for questions.

Derek just nodded his head resolutely and Tom walked back toward the guild building.