Emma searched through the buttons for the freshest mark that might have been left there. Finally, her eyes landed on a button with a dense mark, still showing fingerprints. It was in the Building Four button area, marked with an alarm symbol. She leaned in closer, examining the fingerprints and the wear around the button, confirming it had been used recently.

Walking out of the control room and motioning for Amy to follow her, Emma pointed toward where she thought Building Four was. “I think we need to go over there to figure out what happened,” she said.

Amy nodded in agreement. “Okay, let me just tell them first, and then we’ll go.” Emma waited as Amy spoke into the walkie-talkie, her fingers tapping impatiently on her thigh. As Amy reported the information, Emma added, “Tell them if they see control rooms in their buildings, to not touch anything. We can’t risk another explosion.”

After making sure everyone was informed, Emma led Amy in the direction she believed Building Four was located. As they approached the spot, Emma's mind raced with possibilities. Could the building have been destroyed, leaving no trace? Or was there something hidden, buried beneath the sand?

“Stay alert,” Emma said, her voice low. “There could be traps or pieces of whatever caused the explosion.”

They walked cautiously, eyes scanning the ground for any signs of what might have happened. The wind picked up, blowing sand around their feet and adding to the sense of unease. Finally, Emma spotted something interesting buried in the sand—a twisted piece of metal that looked like it could have been part of a building.

“Over here,” she called to Amy, bending down to examine the metal. “This looks like it could be part of Building Four.”

Amy joined her, eyes wide as she took in the scene. “Do you think it was an explosion?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Emma nodded slowly. “It’s possible. But we need more evidence. Let’s keep looking.”

They continued to search the area, finding more pieces of metal and signs of an explosion. The ground was scorched in places, and there were small craters scattered around, showing where the blast had impacted the ground.

Emma's thoughts were interrupted by the crackle of the walkie-talkie. “Emma, we found a research room here. There are a lot of zombies locked behind glass rooms,” Dean’s voice came through. “We’re backing out right now.”

Emma's eyes shone with a mix of curiosity and concern. A research room? Why is there a research room in an army base? It seems like the government has known about the zombies for a long time. “Don’t touch anything. We’ll be there right away,” Emma responded into the walkie-talkie, her voice steady but urgent.

She and Amy quickly ran toward the building on the left, which Emma knew as Building Two from the control room. Emma’s mind raced with questions. What kind of research has been conducted here? How long had the government been aware of the zombie threat? And what exactly had caused the explosion?

Reaching the entrance of Building Two, they found Dean and Xavier waiting inside with their group, before a metal door their faces tense. Dean pointed towards a reinforced door slightly opened. “The research room is down that hallway. The zombies are behind glass.”

Emma nodded, her expression serious. “Alright, everyone stay alert. Let’s see what we’re dealing with.” She motioned for Amy to stay close as they entered the hallway.

Inside, the air was stale and thick with the smell of decay. Flickering lights cast eerie shadows on the walls, highlighting the grime and neglect that had overtaken the facility. They moved cautiously down the hallway, their footsteps echoing eerily in the silence until they reached the research room. Through a large observation window, Emma could see rows of glass chambers, each containing a zombie in different states of decay, some almost skeletal while others looked relatively fresh.

As they opened the door, the previously calm and unmoving zombies immediately started banging their heads against the glass, their eyes filled with a pang of desperate hunger. Emma held out her hands, motioning for everyone to stay in position for a moment to make sure the zombies couldn’t break through the glass. The sound of their heads hitting the glass was rhythmic and unsettling.

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After confirming their safety, Emma lowered her hands and scanned the room. Each glass chamber had an observation station in front of it, some shelves held jars of unknown liquid that glowed faintly under the dim lights and buttons labeled with unusual symbols. The observation stations were cluttered with notes and equipment.

Walking over to one of the stations, Emma noticed scattered papers on the floor. Picking them up, she read the heading, "Human Evolution." Her eyes widened in shock, and she quickly slipped the papers into her inner storage before anyone else could notice.

“This place is huge,” Amy whispered, her eyes wide with both fear and fascination, taking in the rows of chambers and the complex equipment.

Emma nodded, her mind racing. “It looks like they were studying the zombies, maybe even experimenting on them.” She stepped closer to the window, examining the buttons and noticing that one had the alarm symbol above it. “Don’t press the buttons, but see if you can find any manuals or anything that might explain what's going on here.”

The group spread out cautiously, rifling through drawers and cabinets. Papers and charts were scattered everywhere, many of them containing complex diagrams and scientific language. Emma picked up a dusty, leather-bound journal and began to skim through it. It was filled with notes on experiments, observations of the zombies’ behavior, and references to something called “Project Zero.”

Amy, still searching through a stack of papers, found a folder labeled “Emergency Protocols” and handed it to Emma. Flipping through it, Emma found detailed instructions for various scenarios, including information for the unknown liquids and evacuation procedures. One page caught her eye: it detailed the directions for the alarm button she had seen earlier.

Emma’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash. She spun around to see a small figure in the dimly lit hallway. The glass chamber that held it was now shattered into pieces. Emma squinted at it, immediately recognizing it—a child zombie. Child zombies were more flexible than adult zombies, with their young limbs and still-bouncy skin. Emma’s eyes widened. “Go! Get out now!” she shouted, her voice echoing through the eerily silent corridor.

As the child zombie sprinted towards them with daunting speed, Emma pointed towards the door for the rest of the group to escape. Amy looked back frequently to check on Emma, her eyes wide with concern. Emma pulled out her sword and sprinted towards the child, her heart pounding.

The child zombie leaped into the air, aiming for Emma’s throat, but Emma lifted her sword just in time, and the child zombie’s teeth clamped onto the blade. The force of the bite sent a shiver through her arms. She tried to slash through its mouth, but the skin was too hard. Emma quickly threw her sword to the floor with the child zombie still on it and directed her wood power towards the zombie. The wood twisted and grew, becoming vines that trapped the child, pinning it to the ground.

Emma walked closer, controlling more vines to strengthen the hold on the child. The zombie thrashed violently, its small body trash with unnatural strength. Emma could see the desperation and violence in its eyes. It has thoughts. With her water powers, she created a water sword that shimmered in the room. She hesitated for a moment, looking at the child’s face, then brought the sword down, slicing through the zombie’s head and ending its life.

Emma stared at the lifeless body in silence as the vines retracted and disappeared. She noticed no cuts or bites on the child, showing it had turned naturally. Her face darkened with a mix of sadness and anger.

She moved methodically, gathering all the jars, papers, and any other evidence she could find, and placing them into her inner storage. Her mind raced with questions. Who was behind these experiments? What were they trying to achieve?

As she finished her careful inspection, Emma cast a final, lingering glance around the room. The zombies, their eyes vacant and lifeless, continued their relentless assault against the glass doors. The eerie thud of their decaying fists echoed in the silence, but none managed to break free. With a shudder, Emma turned her back around and stepped out of the room.

She walked straight into Amy's conversation. Amy was in the middle of a passionate speech, her voice filled with admiration. “Emma is the strongest person I've ever met and the most powerful, okay? Like when she saved me, I…” Her words trailed off as she noticed Emma's approach.

Seeing Emma emerge from the room, Amy let out an awkward little laugh. “Lock this room up. Stay away from it.” Emma said, pulling out her walkie-talkie. She pressed the button and spoke into it, her voice commanding, “Everyone, if you find another research room, don’t go in. Search for the supplies we need, then meet up at Xyla’s building.”

As the rest of the day unfolded, they were thankfully spared from any other discovery of any more research rooms. The team worked tirelessly, and their efforts were rewarded as the last bit of supplies was piled into the three vehicles' storage room and the members of the group had inner storage as their supernatural power. As the sun began to set, casting long shadows over the barren desert, everyone met at Building One. The golden hues of the sunset painted a contrast to the grim reality they faced, a moment of quietness.