Later that night, at 10:30, the group met again, each one carrying the weight of what they'd seen on the news. They gathered everything they needed: weapons, supplies, and the last shreds of hope they had.
Jessica stood at the center, looking over the small arsenal they'd collected. "Alright, we have everything we need. Markus—did you get any information about the area?"
Markus nodded grimly. "Yeah. The place is crawling with demons and some kind of new ground monsters. They're everywhere in the north. We're already in the north, so expect to see some of them—maybe even those flying creatures, too. People are fleeing California in a panic, heading to the nearest states. There aren't many left around here… but some are hiding in shelters or their homes, too afraid to move. The military's sealed off California and sent in the national guard—everywhere but the north. So… it's just us now." He set down his bag. "I grabbed what I could—water, energy drinks, and a few weapons. I brought two katanas and a pistol for myself. For the demons, we've got the laser gun and the paralyzing."
Jessica gave him a small, grateful smile. "That's actually pretty useful—thanks, Markus. Here's the plan: we're going to look for Simon first. If we see anyone who needs help, we bring them to a safe place. After that, we'll sweep the north, help who we can… and if we can't do much, at least we'll know we tried." She paused, handing out the weapons. "I'll take this katana. Isabel, you take the other one. Lesley, you get the paralyzing gun—use this trigger right here to fire it. Alright… it's 10:50. Let's move."
They mounted their bicycles and set off into the darkness, pedaling towards the school where Jessica had last seen Simon. The streets were deserted, an eerie silence hanging over the broken city.
Jessica led them down back roads and alleys. "We have to head to the backyard of the school. We jumped out of a window there and ran… maybe 500 meters away. I went right, then south. I'm pretty sure Simon went the opposite way—left."
Alucard scanned the dark horizon. "Why don't we take a shortcut? Through the woods?"
Jessica shot him a hard look. "The woods? Near the school—the place demons crawled out of? Monsters that hide and wait to ambush?"
Alucard shrugged. "You'd rather we ride in the open, where we'll be easy targets?"
Jessica scowled. "You think the woods are safe?"
Alucard hesitated. "…No."
Markus clapped him on the shoulder. "Sorry, man, but she's right. And don't worry—we've got guns."
Alucard sighed. "Fine…"
They stuck to Jessica's plan, moving cautiously through the darkened streets. The only sounds were the whir of their bicycle wheels and the distant howls of monsters.
At last, they reached the place where Jessica had last seen Simon. But before they could even catch their breath, they heard screaming coming from the west—where Simon had headed. Without thinking, they ditched their bikes and ran toward the noise.
A horrifying scene met them: a family of four, cornered by four towering demons. The father was on his knees, sobbing, begging for mercy. One of the demons drew a blade from his arm and, with a single swing, decapitated the man's ten-year-old son.
The father's scream echoed in the night. "NOOOOO!"
He lunged at the demons with a rusty crowbar, but another demon's blade flashed, and the father's head fell too. The mother and little sister didn't even have time to scream before the demons cut them down.
Alucard's face twisted in rage. Without a word, he raised the laser gun, gripped it with both hands, and pulled the trigger. A long red energy beam erupted from the barrel, vaporizing the demons in a single, blinding flash.
Jessica stared in shock. "How… how did you do that?"
Alucard lowered the gun, breathing hard. "When we escaped the school, I took the gun home and studied it. It's heavy—needs two hands to control it. Whoever made this… they built it to be devastating."
Jessica blinked, a faint smile of relief on her face. "That's… incredible. We've got someone who knows how to use it."
They stood in the stillness after the battle, the smell of burnt flesh and ozone heavy in the air. For a moment, none of them spoke—no one knew what to say after watching a family be butchered in front of them.
Jessica dropped her gaze to the blood-slicked pavement. Her voice was barely a whisper. "We were too late… we couldn't save them."
Isabel swallowed hard, her face pale. "It's not your fault, Jessica… there was nothing we could do."
Alucard stared down at the laser gun in his hands, his knuckles white. "They didn't even stand a chance," he said quietly. "Those monsters… it's like they're toying with us."
Markus shook his head, his jaw set. "We can't think about it. If we do… we'll never keep going."
Lesley wiped tears from her cheeks. "I don't want to die out here," she said in a small voice. "But… I don't want to hide, either."
Jessica raised her head, her eyes clear and fierce. "We're not going to hide. And we're not going to run. We're going to keep moving—because we're all that's left."
She turned to the others, her voice steady. "We'll find Simon. We'll find whoever is still alive. And we'll fight for them."
A heavy silence settled over the group. Then, slowly, Alucard nodded. "Alright. Let's keep moving."
Markus smirked. "So you didn't let any of those children in your basement play with it, did you?"
Alucard glared. "Say that again, Markus—I dare you."
Markus grinned. "You ain't got the nerve."
Alucard's jaw tightened. "Want to find out?"
Markus's eyes glinted with challenge. "I'd love to put a bullet in your head."
Isabel stepped between them, rolling her eyes. "Stop it. Both of you."
Alucard huffed. "I'm not a kid—he's the one being childish!"
Before Markus could reply, a nearby explosion rocked the ground, shaking the street for two long seconds. They exchanged a look and took off in the direction of the blast.
In a narrow alley, they found the wreckage of a helicopter, smoke and flames still curling into the sky. Three demons with laser cannons for arms stalked around it, their eyes glowing.
Jessica turned to Alucard. "Come on—shoot them!"
Alucard's face paled. "I can't. Don't you remember what happened on the news? They're too fast—they'll kill us before I can even aim."
Jessica peeked around the corner… and gasped. All three demons lay on the ground, sliced clean in two. She felt her heart leap. "Simon. Simon is here."
Alucard frowned. "How can you be sure?"
"Look at them," Jessica said, her voice low and certain. "Only he can do that. He must have gone right—there's blood on the ground leading that way. Let's move."
Isabel glanced at Lesley, whispering, "I've never seen her like this… she's so excited to see him again."
Lesley nodded slowly. "Yeah… she didn't even take her bike. She must have dropped it…"
They set off at a run, following the trail of blood and broken bodies. Jessica's heart pounded as she searched every shadow, every corner. Then, out of nowhere, a beam of red energy tore through a building beside her, shattering brick and glass. She flinched back, peeking around the edge of the rubble.
There he was. Simon stood atop the corpse of a demon, blood dripping from his sword. He was breathing hard, his one good eye scanning the horizon.
Alucard caught up to her. "What happened? Why are you staring like that?"
Jessica didn't answer. She just pointed.
Markus's eyes widened. "That's him. We found him. Let's talk to him."
Alucard shook his head. "She's completely lost her mind—she's excited, even though the world is ending around us."
Markus gave a weary smile. "That's Jessica for you… she's fine. Relax."
They approached slowly, stepping over blood and ash. Simon turned to face them, his expression unreadable. His face and clothes were stained red.
Alucard cleared his throat. "Hey… what happened to you?"
Simon's voice was low, wary. "Who are you?"
"We're looking for survivors," Alucard said carefully. "I'm Alucard—this is Markus, Isabel, and Lesley."
Simon's one good eye flicked over them. "What do you want from me?"
Alucard lifted his chin. "We're asking you to join us. We're trying to save whoever we can… while we still have time. Join us."
Simon's brow furrowed. "Why should I trust any of you?"
Alucard let out an exasperated sigh. "What—because Jessica isn't here? Jessica! Get over here!"
She stepped out from behind the wall. "You didn't have to yell…"
Simon's face softened just a little. "Oh… it's you again."
Jessica gave him a small wave. "Hi."
Simon looked at them all, then back at Jessica. "So let me get this straight. You're crazy enough to leave the safe zone and come here… to help others? Wow."
Jessica's eyes didn't waver. "So… do you want to join us?"
Alucard stepped in. "Look, man—this is your best shot. You're strong, but you're not invincible. You're exhausted—you can't kill them all alone."
Simon let out a breath, shoulders slumping. "Ah… fuck it. I'm in."
Jessica's face lit up. "Yes!"
Alucard clapped him on the shoulder. "Thank God—I thought you'd say no. Welcome to the team."
Simon gave them a tired, half-amused smile. "Thanks… clowns."
Jessica laughed. "First thing's first—we need to get you cleaned up."
Simon shook his head. "Pointless. We're just going to kill more of them anyway."
Jessica's smile widened, eyes shining with a wild light. "Then let's get started."