Marvel: Umbrella Corporation

Inside the helicopter, Daisy, Logan, Victor, and Sam watched the distant battle with grave expressions.

"The mission is simple: capture or, if necessary, kill the mutant zombie," came Nick's voice over the communicator.

Hearing this, Daisy, who was participating in a major operation for the first time, took a deep breath, but her nerves remained frayed.

"Relax. It's just a few hundred thousand infected down there. Honestly, there are so many of them, I doubt there's even enough of us to go around," Sam quipped, noticing Daisy's tension.

"Wait, so what do we do?" Daisy asked, startled, her face turning pale.

"Simple," Sam replied, grinning as he turned to Logan. "Logan, care to tell her?"

Logan opened his eyes, fixing his gaze on the younger Daisy. "Kill them all, and whatever's left won't matter."

Over the past year, Sam had spent a lot of time talking to Logan, and their relationship had improved. Victor, however, remained distant, his aloof demeanor unchanged.

Daisy shivered slightly at Logan's blunt response. "So, this mission…" She trailed off, second-guessing herself.

Sam noticed her hesitation and said firmly, "We have to see it through."

"Exactly," Logan added. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is the cornerstone of global peace. If we falter, who will stop the spread of the zombie virus? If left unchecked, it could infect the entire planet in no time."

Daisy looked at their determined faces, and a surge of courage flooded her heart. Her eyes gleamed with renewed resolve.

A short while later, the helicopter approached Natasha's location. To shield themselves from the mutant zombie's laser attacks, they took cover behind Lorna's metal platform.

"We're here to help!" Sam called out.

Natasha and Barton's faces lit up. "Perfect timing!" Barton exclaimed.

Once the helicopter dropped them off, it immediately retreated. With S.H.I.E.L.D. having lost a third of its aircraft fleet in previous battles, every operational vehicle was now a precious resource.

After regrouping, the team adjusted their strategy. Lorna sent a metal platform hurtling toward the ground. When it hovered about ten meters above the surface, Daisy leaped off.

"Haah!" Daisy let out a fierce yell as she struck the ground with her fist, sending a powerful shockwave rippling outward like a tidal wave. The infected zombies within a fifty-meter radius were thrown off their feet.

Though the move was visually stunning, it dealt no significant damage. These infected zombies possessed extraordinary resilience, and ordinary blows couldn't kill them.

Logan, Victor, Natasha, Barton, and three other mutants, along with S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives, followed suit, descending onto the battlefield. Meanwhile, Sam soared above, providing aerial support with his twin rifles.

Soon, the horde of infected surged toward them.

Surprisingly, Logan and Victor, both typically hand-to-hand combat specialists, refrained from charging into the fray. Instead, they joined the others in firing rifles at the advancing horde.

Even they were wary of the zombie virus. Neither could be certain if their regenerative abilities would protect them from infection. If not, rushing in would be suicide.

The battle erupted anew, gunfire and explosions echoing under the faint moonlight. Yet the infected seemed unfazed, advancing relentlessly.

Steel panels descended from above, forming a barrier around the group and holding back the infected. Lorna was assisting from the sky, buying the team time to move closer to the mutant zombie.

As they closed the distance, Lorna worked tirelessly to shield them from the mutant zombie's laser attacks. Steel plates rose and fell as the group finally closed in to within a hundred meters.

For the first time, Barton got a clear look at the mutant zombie. Unlike its initial appearance in surveillance footage, it now stood an imposing 2.8 meters tall. Its muscular body was covered in sharp bone spikes, and its grotesquely long tongue writhed menacingly.

Barton couldn't help but think Natasha might find humor in the grotesque sight. Shaking off the stray thought, he nocked an arrow and loosed it.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow shot through the air but was caught mid-flight by the zombie's massive hand. It turned toward them, its twisted mouth curling into what almost looked like a mocking smile.

"Roar!"

With a deafening roar, the surrounding infected abruptly pulled back, as if obeying a command.

"It wants to fight us one-on-one?" Natasha said in disbelief.

This could only mean the mutant zombie possessed intelligence—a trait that had long been humanity's primary advantage over zombies.

"Whether it's intelligent or not doesn't matter. We need to capture it and figure it out back at the lab," said a mutant who could control plants.

Thick vines erupted from the ground, coiling around the mutant zombie's body. But with a contemptuous glance, it flexed its muscles, snapping the vines effortlessly.

Then, a laser beam shot out.

"Splurt!"

The plant-controlling mutant didn't even have time to react before their head was melted away.

Chaos ensued as more lasers followed.

"Ahhh!" "Help!"

"No!"

In mere moments, countless S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives and two additional mutants were killed. Natasha and Barton only survived because Logan and Victor shielded them.

"This isn't right!" Natasha exclaimed, her voice trembling. "It's firing multiple lasers simultaneously!"

The realization struck everyone hard—their plan was doomed. The mission was a failure, and survival seemed increasingly unlikely.

Steel panels descended again, temporarily blocking the zombie's relentless assault. But the mutant zombie leapt atop the barricade.

"Roar!"

Its roar sent chills down their spines. Lorna attempted to lift the steel panels to trap it, but the zombie jumped into the crowd, tearing through their ranks.

Logan clenched his fists, his Adamantium claws extending.

"Arrgh!"

He charged forward but was almost immediately sent flying back, his chest slashed with deep wounds.

Victor, ignoring the risk of infection, followed suit but met the same fate.

Despite their combined firepower, their bullets merely bounced off the zombie's tough hide.

At the height of despair, a voice rang out, commanding the zombie to stop.

"Enough, Jack! No more killing!"

___________________

Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-

patreon.com/ShadySmuggler