Chapter 8: Never doing that again.
"huff...huff...huff."
Henrick’s ragged breathing softly echoes down the toilet hall while the entrance is clogged by dozens of mutated bodies. He relishes the feeling as dark purple mist enters and strengthens every cell. "Is that all of them?" he says as he shakes his muscles to loosen the tension from the earlier fight.
The soldier listens carefully for any movement outside. Satisfied that there is none, Henrick carefully removes the mutated corpses, keeping his ears sharp throughout. His muscles protest the exertion as he works to free himself from his impromptu battle site.
Once free, he stealthily makes his way to the mall proper and eases up, pleased that the horde seems to have disappeared. Henrick tightens his bag straps as he looks around for any sign of his companions. He makes his way to the fifth floor, and notes that the dead body of the tendril creature seems to be melting back into the hole it made.
He suddenly whirls around as he catches a rod of metal aimed at his head. He stares at his attacker and sees a woman holding a baby. Fear flashes through her eyes as she lets go. "Please...please, I just want some food. Please don’t hurt me." she pleads, clutching her baby tighter to her body. The infant miraculously staying asleep throughout the whole ordeal.
Henrick’s face remains impassive as he clenches his fist. "Why did you attack me?" he asks, his voice carrying a subtle edge of steel. The woman shrinks back and closes her eyes as she whimpers. "I’m terrified! I don’t know what to do, help me please!!" she whispers harshly, falling to her knees.
Henrick sighs and walks away, and the woman takes it as a sign that he agreed. "Thank you so much! I’m Helen." she says as her mood seems to shift almost instantly. The soldier frowns, suspicion evident in his gaze. He releases an imperceptible electric field that covers himself and Helen, doing so instinctively. He observes that his body glows with electric currents, as does hers. The child, however, is a lifeless and dull black
The soldier looks at the child and seethes, anger simmering from the depths of his being. "So you drag around a deceased infant? I’m gonna kill you!!" he growls as electricity pulses in his eyes, ready to be unleashed. Helen’s face suddenly freezes, her body stilling as she remains kneeling. "How did you know?" she says, her voice soft as can be and barely audible.
Helen stands and grins maniacally as she tosses the infant behind her, laughing as it hits the ground with a meaty thump. "Hihi, I always wanted to be a mother. Not as fun as everyone made it out to be." her face becomes even more manic, her skin cracking with flames spewing out. "You know how tiring it is to hold a child for the whole - urkk!!" her words are interrupted as Henrick shoots a bolt of electricity at her chest that sends her over the railing. He immediately gives chase and leaps down, catching up to Helen and grabbing her neck. They plummet and smash through an escalator, sending sparks and debris flying.
Henrick unleashes blow after blow that only seems to make Helen smile even wider, culminating into a fiery blast from her mouth that pushes Henrick away. "AHH, fuck!!" he screams as he gets pushed onto the 1st floor of the mall.