Zack turned his attention to the mechanical spider and inserted another Hydrogen Fuel Cell. The spider hummed to life as its long limbs unfolded. Its four red eyes flickered on, each scanning in a different direction, surveying the surroundings. Zack issued a few commands: "Move forward. Stop. Return." The spider obeyed with precision, but, unlike the dog, it didn’t seem to have any personality behind its movements.

"Sir, please perform a full environmental test on the mechanical dog and spider," Ego prompted from the AI interface.

"No need," Zack replied, shaking his head. "The real test will be in the field."

He then looked at Ego, his expression serious. "Ego, where’s the nearest armory?"

Zack wasn’t looking for just any supply depot—he needed a heavily armed armory, one that could support upgrades to the MV-02 suit, and supply firepower for the dog and spider.

"The coordinates have been uploaded, sir," Ego responded promptly. "Before the grid went down, I had already backed up maps of military bases, armories, and key locations worldwide. The data is now displayed in front of you."

"Perfect," Zack said, a slight smirk forming. "Let’s modify the helicopter. This time, you’ll be the one to fly it."

He walked over to the transport helicopter parked outside, rolling a cart filled with tools. The modification was simple enough—adding an autopilot module that would allow Ego to control the aircraft. The helicopter already had basic driving functions, so a few quick adjustments would make it fully autonomous.

Zack finished the modifications in under thirty minutes. He stood back and nodded in approval before heading back into the Mansion. There, he found his younger sister, Annie, engrossed in a mechanics book.

"Big brother?" she looked up, surprised by his sudden return.

"I need your help," Zack said, handing her a Hydrogen Fuel Cell.

Annie tilted her head in curiosity, but Zack continued. "Take this to the steel mill and connect it to the power grid. I’ll give you full access to the MV-02 suit. You’ll be safe flying there."

Her face lit up with excitement, but some concern also crept into her voice. "But if I’m using MV-02, what are you going to use?"

"I’ll use MV-01," Zack reassured her calmly. "I need to test the dog and spider in the field, so I’ll stick with the first-gen suit. It’s not built for flying, but it's more than enough for close combat." MV-01 had a heavy, one-ton frame, designed for brute strength and endurance.

Annie hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright then."

She headed downstairs to the armor station, and Zack followed, watching as the mechanical arms began fitting the MV-02 suit around her.

"Brother! You didn’t tell me MV-02 could adjust to my size!" Annie’s voice rang out, filled with surprise and joy as the inner armor resized itself to fit her perfectly.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Zack chuckled. "That’s just the first surprise."

He grabbed a Hydrogen Fuel Cell and made his way to the MV-01 suit sitting in the corner. As he started working on the suit, Annie’s voice crackled over the comms.

"Look, Zack! I can fly!" Her voice was full of excitement.

Then, a loud crash echoed through the comms.

BAM!

Zack winced at the noise, his hand still on the MV-01’s control panel. "I’m fine! Really, I’m fine!" Annie’s voice followed, tinged with embarrassment.

Zack shook his head, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "Typical Annie."

After a brief pause, Annie activated the autopilot system. The MV-02 suit flew off automatically, gliding smoothly out of the neighborhood. Zack, finished with the MV-01, made his way to the modified transport helicopter and called out to his AI assistant.

"Let’s go, Ego."

"Understood, sir," Ego replied calmly.

Zack boarded the helicopter, the mechanical dog and spider following closely behind. The helicopter hummed to life and lifted steadily into the sky. As they flew, Ego’s voice came through Zack’s earpiece.

"Sir, Annie has arrived at the steel mill and encountered a small group of zombies. They posed no significant threat."

Ego was multitasking—piloting the helicopter and monitoring Annie’s status in the MV-02 suit. "How’s she holding up?" Zack asked.

"All systems are normal."

"Good," Zack murmured, closing his eyes to rest for a moment.

A short while later, he felt the helicopter’s speed decrease as it began its descent.

"Sir, we’ve arrived at the armory. However, it seems we weren’t the first ones here," Ego reported.

The satellite feed flickered to life in front of Zack, showing a convoy of armed men already outside the armory. Their vehicles, reinforced with steel plates, spikes, and modified front bumpers, resembled mobile fortresses. Zack watched as they shot down nearby zombies and loaded crates of weapons into their vehicles, firing into the air as they celebrated their success.

"When was this footage recorded?" Zack frowned, irritated.

"Thirty minutes ago, sir. We were still several kilometers away at the time."

Zack’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the footage. "Can you track them back to their base?"

"Certainly, sir," Ego responded.

The satellite view zoomed out, focusing on a heavily fortified location. "Sing Sing Prison," Zack muttered, recognizing the name from news broadcasts when he first escaped his apartment. "That place… wasn’t it controlled by a gang of convicts? Their leader was... Arthur, right?"

"Correct, sir," Ego confirmed.

Zack’s expression darkened, his resolve solidifying. "Let’s go. We’re heading to the prison. We’re taking back our supplies."

The helicopter adjusted course and sped towards Sing Sing Prison. When they neared the area, the helicopter slowed, finally touching down on an empty road about a kilometer away from the prison gates. The rear hatch opened, and Zack stepped out, his mechanical dog and spider at his side.

A few zombies wandered nearby, their guttural growls echoing through the air as they shambled toward him. Zack nodded to his mechanical companions. "Your turn."

The mechanical dog’s eyes shifted from blue to deep red as it sprang forward with the speed of a predator. With a metallic growl, it leaped onto the nearest zombie, sinking its alloy teeth into the creature’s head and tearing off a large chunk. It swung its tail, which was sharpened like a blade, decapitating two more zombies in a fluid motion.

The spider, its limbs folding and unfolding with remarkable agility, joined the fight. It darted forward, piercing two zombies with its razor-sharp legs, then continued its deadly dance, taking down more in its path. Within moments, the road was littered with fallen zombies, the mechanical creatures standing victorious.

Once the last zombie had fallen, the mechanical dog’s eyes returned to their calm blue hue. Wagging its tail, it trotted back to Zack, while the spider silently returned to his side.

"Mechanical dog and spider combat analysis complete: all systems performing at optimal efficiency. Identification components, transmission, and stability mechanisms are functioning as expected. Combat performance meets designated standards."

Zack chuckled. "Good work, Ego. But we’re not done yet."