I am going to die today. In this crazy world, with a full-on zombie invasion going on, at least I know I will die today. “Join the army,” they said, “it’ll be honourable” they swore. Well, now a High-Level zombie is about to kill me.

“Sergeant!” That makes the….I can’t even bother to remember. I’ve tried calling on the walkie-talkie too much to count. I wanted to make a name for myself as a great man, but now I’m hiding in a bakery awaiting the sweet release of death.

I’ll make sure to slap God or the Devil when I die for this miserable life.

“Grgrhrhrhr,” the zombie said as it walked into the bakery. What did they track? Feelings? Breathing? Whatever. I’m just going to turn and see where the zombie is exactly…

Oh.

It’s staring straight at me. Oh, that’s right. They tracked movement. The zombie went straight for me and I fired my assault rifle. The zombie’s head blow off everywhere aaaand then it started to regenerate immediately. It was pointless in the end, High Level zombies can’t die to normal weapons. I braced for impact as the zombie swung his arm to remove my body from this world. I closed my eyes and raised my arms out gladly accepting my fate. Except, my body moved out of the way. That’s odd. I opened my eyes to see this dude standing in front of me. He had to be at least 6’5 but lean and super pale. He was sporting a white coat and a white hat which I found to be weird. Why didn’t he have on a soldier uniform? Whatever, I least I can live a few extra minutes.

Then incredibly this guy ran towards the zombie. Well, he’s probably crazy. Guess we can die together. 

Wait.

Did I just see the zombie’s head fly off and then not regenerate? All this guy has is a shotgun with a weird sign on it…

Oh my.

“Are you Undead Jack? Code Name: Zombieman?” He looked back with red eyes and focused on me. At least you could answer my question. He started to walk away and then the zombie got up and stabbed him through the heart.

Damn it! I forgot some zombies can attack one last time before dying. Now he’s sacrific-

Is his body regenerating?!

All this guy did is look back at the zombie by twisting his entire head to look at it.

Okay, that’s it. If I live this I’m retiring from the army. He brought out his shotgun and shot the zombie in the heart. It disintegrated into a pile of dust. Zombieman’s shotgun disappeared as he walked out.

“Wait!,” I called. He stopped but didn’t look back.

“How to know I was here?” No response. What a weird gu-

“I didn’t know you were here,” he said finally looking at me, “I can smell zombies, and that one’s scent was especially thick.” He walked out without explaining anything else.

Well, that was one hell of a day. I think I need therapy.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I don’t remember anything. I don’t know my name. My family. Where I was born. All I know is that I’m humanity’s only hope.

“Have you found anything Colonel Stevens?” I said as I walked into the base in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

“Nope,” Colonel said turning around. The colonel was 6’2, with a grey beard and slick-backed white hair. He looked like the generic “epic” general complete with an eye patch.

“Our researchers have been looking for years but nobody knows how this zombie invasion started. All we know is that the zombies appeared around eleven years ago, and you appeared out of nowhere around six years after that.” 

“Do you have any info on me?” He looked at me and shook his head. Great. 

“All we know is what you told us, that you awoke in Toronto.” All these years and nothing. We, ve lost too many lives, and the food supply is getting low.

“Jack, there has been a weird occurrence.” A glimmer of hope arose in me.

“What occurrence?” He looked at Jack as if the news he was about to tell him was groundbreaking.

“There’s this person at one of the places that aren’t zombie territory, who’s claiming he wants to see you, Jack.” Is that it? Waste of time.

“Ignore them,” I said walking away.

“Jack they claim to know your family.” My blood ran cold.

“You're saying this random person, came out of nowhere and is claiming to know info about me, that nobody knows?” The colonel swallowed.

“Jack, we’ve been looking for years, and it sounds crazy but it’s something.” As much as I hate to admit it, this guy is right.

“Where is this guy?” The colonel was looking through some papers.

“Well Jack, this guy said he’d come to you." I looked at the Colonel for a moment. Then I picked up my shotgun and started walking out.

"Good."

……………………………………………………

I walked out of the base to meet this mysterious person. Of course, I wore my classic clothing. Grey coat with grey hat, black shoes with shotgun tucked in the front pocket. The person walked out of a car with some guards on either side of him. He was a…measly man. Below average height and old. He seemed a bit sick too. I glared at Colonel Steven and he looked back at me. He quickly looked away at the person and was unusually focused. This better not be a waste of time. The measly man walked up with the two guards.

"I would like to speak to Jack alone," the measly man said. He coughed out the words.

"Fine with me," I responded. "Where though?"

"A big space," the measly man said. I swear I caught a grin….

"We'll lead to you the training room." The training room looked like a rectangular box on its head but with white walls on the inside. I and the measly man entered and I stopped shortly inside. The measly man kept walking. Odd.

"What inf-," 

"Young man, what do you know of the universe?"

I put my hand to my head. Please don't tell me this is just a crazy old man.

"Nothing I assume," he put his hands behind his back and turned around to see me

"He's found his champion and I've come to many worlds to build a team."

Yup, he's crazy. I'm just going to leav-

"Jackson Lichtenstein 30 years as of now. Has a son and daughter and was married to Sera Lichenstein." I slowly turned around.

"So you do know something I said walking up to the man until I was looking down at him.

"Tell me." The measly man studied my eyes.

"I've got to test something first." Ok now, this old man is getting me mad.

"And what might that be?" The measly man brought out this hand slowly towards me.

"What are you doin-" I suddenly flew and smacked into the wall with a crash. I got up from the ground with my wounds healing up pretty easily but weirdly enough, I didn't break through the wall. In fact, the wall wasn't even broken. 

"How you do that?" I said, staring at my shotgun on the floor beside him.

"You should focus on my next attack." He conjured up a ball of light and then fired it toward me. I summoned my shotgun and took the damage of the ball of light. Now all I have to do is hea-

Wait.

Why aren't I healing?

I fell to the floor immediately at the pain and I saw the blood from my chest on the floor. DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN. He was conjuring up another ball of light but this time I charged him with my shotgun and a dagger that I had made my symbol on. I fired my shotgun but he dodged all the bullets. I then threw my dagger and he dodged that too. By now though, I was up close to him and summoned my dagger back.

"Ohh so anything you put that symbol on you can summon back to yo-" I stabbed him through in his stomach.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

He just stood there. Then he punched me.

Hard. I didn't fly back though. I just fell to my knees. I can't let this guy leave this room. I fought threw the pain and stood up to him with my shotgun to his face. He studied me.

"Test complete. You've passed." 

"...huh?" I immediately started to heal again.

"Old man…what are you?" He started to walk around me.

"I go by many names but you can call me Panther. I'm here to find someone who can help beat Him." 

"And who's him?" The measly man looked at me with eyes that seemed to be glowing blue.

"All you need to know is that we need to build a team and I want you to be part of it. Do you accept?"

What is this guy talking about? It sounds crazy but I believe it. This guy is proof of the possibility of his words.

"First, give me more info on my past."

“Your name is Jackson Lichenstein as I said before. You have a wife and a son that is eight and a daughter that is seven." Wife? Children? 

Calm down.

"Do you how I became like this? And how this zombie invasion started." A moment passed by as he was thinking.

"You died in battle. My superiors revived you because they deemed you a good vessel to hold the power you now own. The zombie invasion? A human came to Him for scientific discovery. The human wanted to make the greatest army. The human's greed and negligence for human life are what caused the invasion as He used that to create the first zombie which was the scientist. That human in zombie form now commands them."

I can't breathe.

My legs feel like lead. Who are his superiors? And who is he?

"Where is this commander zombie?" 

"New Zealand. In its capital Wellington." 

"And if I kill this zombie, all zombies die?"

"Exactly." I put my shotgun in my front pocket

"Last question, where is my family." He turned to me and smiled.

"Search your memory, you should be able to find them now."

I started to walk out of the training room.

"Thanks, old man, I'll give you my answer to your offer after this."

……………………………………………………

Home.

It was a simple house, two stories with some nice decorations. I knocked on the door and she came out.

My wife.

Or she was. The memories keep flooding in. That Panther must have done something. She was around 5'5 and she was beautiful. Red hair and speckles covered her face.

"What do you need?" She asked.

"I'm here to do an investigation for the zombie army," I said raising my badge, "I'm only here to ask a few questions."

"Okay, come in." I stepped in and then sat down on one of the couches. Then my so-

Her son.

Her son ran up to her as she gave him some juice boxes.

What was his name again?

Toney? Charles?

Char-

"Charlie, call your sister I have a juice box for her." Sh-

Sera.

Sera looked at me.

"Sorry for the wait," she said as she sat on a couch opposite me. I cleared my throat.

"I'm here to learn about your….deceased husband."

She didn't flinch. She only smiled.

"How was he?" 

"He was….naive and frankly didn't understand reality. He kept talking about ending the invasion, and kept putting himself at unnecessary risk."

I guess I wasn't go-

"But I love these about him. His optimism. His hard work and bravery. His kindness. His hope. It's what made me fall in love with him." A grin spread across my face.

"Honey," a voice called from another room. This man walked out of the room and looked at me then at Sera.

"Who's this honey?"

"It's just an officer, he's come to ask a question about Jackson." He turned solemn.

"I'll let you handle this." Sera turned her head back to me.

"Have any more questions?" I stared at her for a moment.

"No." I put my hat over my eyes and I started to walk out.

"Mommy!" I heard a girl's voice call. I stiffened

Our daugh-

Their daughter.

I continued to walk out.

……………………………………………………

"He built a base," I said as I looked at it from a copter hovering over. Colonel Steven's looked at me.

"Did you see them?" he asked. I got myself ready.

"Yeah." I looked at the army of zombies protecting the base. I looked at the Colonel and he seemed worried. I let out a small sigh.

"It's okay Colonel. I'm a different man now."

"And who's that?" I looked at him and gave him a big grin.

"Humanity's greatest weapon. Undead Jack." 

I jumped at the helicopter and landed on the floor. It's great that zombies have increased physical abilities or I would be a splatter. The rest of the army dropped down with parachutes. The commander of the zombies walked out of the army and I walked up to him. We were face to face.

"Why you walk out?" I said with a grin, "wouldn’t it be better to hide in that base of yours?" The commander of the zombies had green armour but it was like skin. He was slightly shorter than me but more imposing because of that messed-up face. No hair, green, red eyes, purple teeth and lips, weird face shape.

"I want to finish this right now and I've come to do just that." I let out a big laugh.

"Oh?" Then I let out a punch that made his head rip off his neck. At that moment the armies clashed and the zombie took me to a different place in Wellington. It was an open place. We were a few meters away from each other and I made the first move by taking out an assault rifle with my sign on it and firing at him. He simply ran through the bullets and tried to punch my head, but I predicted it and dodged. I tried to take out his head with my pistol that I put my symbol on, but he dodged.

He knows that if one of those hits him, he can’t heal.

He immediately tried to grab my head but I moved back to make space.

If he gets my brain it’s all over. To kill any zombie but High-Level zombies, you gotta have to either smash their heads or more specifically their brains. No brain, no zombie. He rushed forward again aiming for my head but before he could grab it I fired my shotgun which he didn’t dodge completely.

Good.

He backed up and seem to think for a second then he started to run toward civilization

Damn, hostages!

I tried to run after him but the commander zombie was faster and stronger. He got a human man. 

“Come here,” the commander zombie said. I moved forward towards to right in front of him. He made a move for my head.

“Fire.” All around him bullets flew at him, injuring him. Some of them healed but some of them didn’t. He staggered back which gave me some time to put a bullet in him but just as it was about to hit his heart he moved his entire heart away out of the way letting the bullet pass him.

Have to say, that was clever

He rushed me and I immediately started to back up and fire my assault rifle.

“How?” the zombie commander asked.

 “You think we’re dumb? Of course, we set out snipers in case you tried to take a hostage. Especially since you rule over these humans in zombie territory.”

That seemed to make him mad so he increased his speed.

He could still go faster?

He moved through the bullets so I tried a punch which he evaded too.

Shi-

He almost got my head but he missed and hit my chest which made me fly into some buildings.

That was close! But those injuries must be getting to him.

He took some time to rest before moving into this area surrounded by buildings.

Perfect.

I set up my sniper gun and shot one of his legs. He staggered and I shot the other one. Before I could shoot his head he used his hands to boost himself to the building I was in. I backed up and tried to shoot him but he dodged and punched my head off. I fell immediately and stopped moving.  He went down to his knees to take a breather, and then he got up and tried to walk away but he couldn’t. He looked down and then back.

“How aren’t you dead!?” I was regenerating my head back onto my neck, and I had used my blood vessels to restrain him.

“You don’t know? Your brain has a moment of awareness before you die and I used it to trap you.” He tried to run away but fell.

“Oh that’s cute. You ever wonder why I aimed for your legs? Those injuries are now starting to pile up huh?” I got up, cocked my shotgun and pointed it at him.

“Bye, bye!”

“NOOO-”

I fired my shotgun and it blew his head to pieces. I waited about a minute and I saw no movement.

Mission comple-

I promptly fell into unconsciousness.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I woke up in a sick bed with Colonel Stevens on a chair beside me.

“Unusual seeing you here, Jack,” the Colonel said with a grin. I grinned back at him.

“You can say that again,” I said as I looked around the room. “What happened to the army?”

“It was looking grim,” said Colonel Stevens, “but after you killed the commander zombie they all died too. Thanks to you, we suffered no casualties.” He put his hand on my shoulder, “You’ve saved all of humanity Jack. I’ll speak on the behalf of humanity: Thank You.” I gave him my best smile.

“Anytime Colonel.” He nodded his head. He got up to go.

“I almost forgot to tell you,” the colonel said adjusting his hat, “the “measly man” as you called him is back to see you. 

Just the person I was looking for.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

“Do you accept the offer, Undead Jack?” the measly man asked me.

“First,” I said holding up one finger, “I got some questions. Why was I chosen and why didn’t I have any memories of who I was when I came back?”

“My superiors thought it would be a better idea for you to come back with no memories. They believed it would make you a better soldier. They picked you because they believed you to not only be the most skilled soldier but also the most righteous one.” I put my hand on my chin.

“Alright makes sense. Final question. Why are you only helping me out now? Why not later?.” Panther turned more serious.

“Because he might attack. I went under my superiors to come here to aid you a bit with information.”

“And this threat, is big enough to endanger the entire universe?”

“It might get there yes. I’ve already scouted some other fighters like Erzeban.”

“Who?” Never heard of that name before.

“Doesn't concern you as of now.” The measly man turned around.

“Do you accept my offer?” he said as he reached his hand out. I thought for a moment.

“Will there be murders?”

“Yes.”

“Last grasp victories?”

“Possibly.”

“New companions made?”

“Yes.” I tucked my shotgun properly into my front pocket.

“Yeah, I accept your offer,” I said reaching my hand out and clasping his.

This is the new me.

Undead Jack.

The End