“Have you tried picking it up?” Joked Fist. At least I was hoping he was. The thing was way bigger than we thought it would be. It was about 3x3x3ft. And really heavy. The stuff inside was useful. Food, equipment of varying degrees, odd vials full of colored liquids, tools, and some other things. And more importantly. At least to Fist was apparel. I took out a headlamp wanting light that wouldn’t die on us. And Fist took boots. He said for now as he would let the supplies go to the others but I knew better. Who wouldn’t want footwear when every step hurts?

“How are we really getting it out?” I asked, annoyed.

“Like I said we pick it up.”

“And get it down?”

“Pick it up and drop it off the edge. This thing looks really strong. Probably could put it on some sled and pull it back. There is rope inside. Not much but it would work.”

He said it so casually. “Drop it? Seriously? What if it isn’t durable and breaks open? What then?”

He was already starting to push it. “Ok I lied about lifting, it’s way too heavy. We push.” Luckily the brute had destroyed a wall making a hole large enough to fit it through.

I didn’t know if I’d regret it or not but I helped, ”Fine let's do this.” We started pushing.

The wall hole wasn’t big enough apparently. Fist didn’t care though and started wailing on the wall like a madman. With his new gloves, he was miraculously punching chunks of cement away. I marveled at his strength. He leaned into the wall breathing heavily. “I do not recommend doing that.” He huffed pulling himself together. “My hands might be able to take the punishment but my arms can’t.”

We started pushing again and down it went. “Wait, we could have put the rope on it and slowly lowered the thing,” I said as it slammed into the ground the water splashed around. It also made a very loud racket, the building surrounded by the undead looking towards the box. Some even moving towards it. “That helps them but not us. They are swarming the entrance.”

“Before we go down I kinda want to look around.” I had taken one more thing out of the box. It was a telescope. Used it to look in the direction of the flag. I was in awe of what I saw. It was a large building. Perhaps a government building? There was a circular-shaped tower in the middle that spiraled even higher than the one we were currently. I could feel it more than ever. The pull towards the flag. I believed I could even see it violently waving in the wind at the peak. “I know where the flag is, let's go now.”

I took lead sprinting down. The stairs. I probably shouldn’t have since it was slick with water but wasn’t quite thinking. My staff helped me stabilize as I went all the way down in record time. The record being a single go of course.

I slowed as I got closer to the bottom floor, with Fist not far behind. Looking around I didn’t see any of the creeps lurking on the bottom floor but it was rather hard to tell with little light. My body screamed in pain again as I remembered the fact I was indeed still injured. Probably a broken rib with how much pain was coming from my chest. Even so I couldn’t just stop and heal. Angel would fix that. We just had to get to her.

I had immediately forgotten the light I procured as I extended the staff and kinda used it as a way to see if something was in the darkness by sweeping it back and forth. It didn’t take long for it to smack into something. Something that made a noise. A groan erupted and moved in my direction rapidly. It was one of the flesh ones and it bolted towards me with surprising speed. My rod was too far extended and out of position to do anything. Good thing I wasn’t alone as Fist’s fist caved in the head. Fist didn't forget the light on his head and looked at me as if I was a complete idiot. He wasn't wrong per se. I just got excited about the loot and news of the flag.

Luckily it was the only one inside and must have wandered in since nothing else took its attention. Outside surrounding the crate were a few more undead milling about or going back to the others trying to break into the house. That was incorrect as I got eyesight on it. They were already in. The door smashed through and the undead crawled inside. However, they did seem to be getting killed as they went in.

“Let's get these guys and grab the others. I want to be back before that event starts.” Fist stated as he rushed in.

I followed of course and we quickly dispatched the few remaining. And the same with the ones assaulting our teammates. “You all good in here?” I asked as I smashed the head of the last creep. The body falling onto the pile with the others.

Dirt was the first to respond. “Yeah but just give us a moment.”

“I’m ready to go. Pansy over here can take his moment as I see the loot.” Mud added as he tried to get up. And promptly fell over. I saw why as he was brought to a chair. He had a nasty slash to his leg. The problem with pain being muted a bit was that it was easy to ignore.

“No, we all are injured.” After looking at Angel he rephrased, “All but Angel is injured. Let's just wait a while and heal up.”

And so we did. We had taken a trip out to grab something to eat. We all found that a lot of healing, natural or otherwise, made us pretty hungry. Another thing was water. One might think that we could just drink the water raining from the sky. But by the grace of whatever put us here made the water undrinkable till boiled. Happily, there was some in the crate.

“Did you find anything up there? You look a bit worse than us and we were the ones with the hoard.” Asked Angel as her halo healed us.

“Yeah, the giant of an undead ambushed us as we went up the stairs.” Replied Fist. It might not have been the total truth but I wasn’t about to say we might have been a bit distracted with the loot.

“And did you already take supplies from the supply drop?” She asked looking at Fist.

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He only looked slightly taken aback. “No, I got these from the big creep.” She looked down at the shoes. “Fine, yes but I’m not walking all the way back with the thin cloth anymore.”

The others agreed with that sentiment and with the few other pairs of shoes they all got one. I still had my old ones that were working fine for now. Someone else could take new ones. I really wanted new ones though. They looked comfy.

We had agreed that they would be dulled out after getting back but thought they probably deserved them in the end. Angel was of course the one who made the guys promise to take them off. Though even she looked happier with something to wear.

We waited only 15 minutes before deciding to get going. We still had a trek back and needed to now drag a large crate with us. It was going to be difficult but we believed that we could manage. Ratchet changed his tool around and got a door off its hinges and we used that as a sled. It didn’t work out well. The old wood that most of these buildings were made of just shattered from the weight.

Our second idea worked better. Something else that came with the supply drop was the parachute. We had originally just shoved it back inside but decided to try and use it. We layered it and got it on the fabric and pulled. At first, we didn't think the idea was going to work but in the end, it started moving. The slick ground for once working in our favor.

The ropes that came with the parachute were useful to hold onto and being able to wrap around us as we also needed to keep hold of the rain shield. The effects of the rain seemed to have diminished a bit but not enough to stay out for too long.

Unsurprisingly pulling the loot around was difficult and attracted more attention than our trip there. Me and Fist had to take out one after another as they went towards us. One fight didn’t go our way as easily.

We didn’t see it coming. Truly we should have. After finding a new variant as the hulk we should have realized there should be more of them. And no another hulk didn’t attack us. Instead, it was a fast and mobile one that looked eerily human before getting a few feet in front of us. At first, we thought it was another survivor as it ran towards us waving its arms. A yell coming from it. But when it came into the aura of Angel at 5 feet from her its true form was revealed. By that time it was too late. We all had been fooled.

The undead girl launched towards Ratchet with speeds none could match. He had his tool on his hip as he pulled with all his might on the makeshift sled. The rope around his waist and hands is probably what saved him from being snatched away. The disguiser as we later called it had tried to pick up and take Ratchet but both got caught in the rope and tumbled onto the wet sidewalk.

I reacted the fastest since Fist was currently barring most of the weight of the rain shield. My rod extended quickly connecting with the undead. I gawked as it didn’t simply die. Instead, its head just slammed to the side. The thing readjusted quickly and bit hard onto Ratchet’s side. We knew that bites from the flesh ones would fester if not treated. Unlike most injuries, it didn’t heal. Nothing else was found out to happen if not cured fast enough. Luckily the halo upon Angel’s head would fix that quickly enough.

Another blow killed it. The rod pierced the back of the head snapping the spin. Ratchet breathed heavily as the wound healed. We didn’t stay long and again started out. From now on we wouldn’t let anyone get close without first identifying themselves. The only good thing was the special undead seemed to have dropped an item. Instead of the normal coin, it was gold. We got the feeling it was just a higher currency and pocketed it.

The speed we were going at wasn’t just because we wanted to get back to safety. It was a newfound need to warn the others of this dangerous threat. An undead that could look alive.

We calculated that it took us at least another hour to get back than getting to the drop in the first place. Even though we forwent stealth for speed. I calculated, quite terribly I might add, that we had little under 2 hours left till this huge hoard would attack us at the 24-hour mark.

It was a good thing I was wrong since when we got back we found out we had a little under 3. Not much but all counted.

“Finally you all are back. And all of you if that.” Mason said clearly happy and much better seeming after the presumed rest. “Was it worth it?” She said all cheer leaving.

All Fist said was, “Yes.” A huge grin on his face.

The crate was now being dragged in by some others as we were spent. Once it was inside Fist and I popped it open and oohs and awws echoed around them. We might have been tired enough to drop dead but we couldn't have passed up the moment to open it. Mason the pragmatist just nodded and started ordering people to get things sorted as she looked inside. “We don’t have too much longer to get this place in good shape. Sort through this mess and hand out things where needed. I see you have taken some shoes. Keep them you earned it.” The squad smiled happily. I did see some longing faces but not any I could see would probably disagree.

She was about to look through it herself before pausing. “Probably should ask if there is anything else to report.” She stated looking back towards us.

“Yes,” I said but then looked around at all the now happier faces and decided the bad news should be in another location. “We have 3 other things. On happier news,” I said, implying that the others weren’t, “I know where the flag is.”

As thought this made more than a few heads spin. “I knew you were going to be useful when you got here,” Mason said, clapping her hands together. After not responding she spoke again, “Soo?”

“Ohh yes, it's in a large tower at the very top. I think it might be in the middle of the city from what I saw.” I lowered my voice a bit. “I think that the further in you go, the more dangerous it's going to get. So the middle has to be the worst right?”

Mason didn’t look so impressed now. “Fiddlesticks. I was hoping that wasn’t the case.” She looked at all the watchers who obviously should be working and yelled, “Get back to work the shows over.” And quieter said, “Fine, what else you got.” That sadness from before already showing again.

We spoke in her room which was also kinda turned into an office space. Papers with logistics spread around a table. It was just me and her as the others went to rest up for a bit. I wished I could but lost the nose goes. We didn’t actually play it but at one moment I had friends and the second I was alone.

“The other two things to report are two new undeads. One that is large and strong and rather difficult to kill-”

“We had a run-in with one of them,” Mason said, holding back a tear. “Lost 3 in that fight.” Mason was clearly a different person when not seen by all she had command over. She pulled herself together. “And the other? We hadn’t seen anything else.”

“Well, this one is the true threat. It looks completely human till it either gets close or is in range of Angel's aura. We couldn't really test that theory. It did seem smarter than the others.” I said the last part a bit sheepishly. I know it wasn’t my fault but I wish I had more concrete answers on the creep.

She didn’t say anything for a minute thinking it over as she looked at papers and wrote things down. “We’ll need to warn everyone but I can see why you didn’t bring it up earlier. Right now we don’t need people distrusting each other because they might think that the one fighting next to them is an undead.

“I doubt that they are smart enough to pretend more than to just get close enough to attack. The disguiser?" I tested the name. "Seemed just as feral as the others in our short fight with it.”

“Good name and that is slightly reassuring. We’ll spread the word but change a few facts. I hope this is a good idea.” She said the last part in a whisper. “Now get some rest. There isn’t much time before the big event."