Weapon System in Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 52: Countdown’s Over
The countdown ticked down, the bright red numbers on the holographic display casting an eerie glow across the MOA Command Center.
00:02:15
Thomas stood still, his arms crossed, eyes locked onto the real-time battlefield feed. The Titan-class mutant was dead, its massive, grotesque corpse laying in a crater of blackened ichor and shattered chitin. The soldiers on the front lines watched in relief—but Thomas knew the real battle was just beginning.
The Titan had been a test, a prelude to the true wave.
And now, the main event was about to begin.
"Status on all defensive units?" Thomas asked, his voice firm.
"All units in position," Marcus reported. "First line of defense is fully manned—tanks, infantry, IFVs. Artillery has reloaded and HIMARS launchers are standing by for fire missions."
"Apache squadrons are holding pattern, awaiting orders," Adrian added. "They're armed with Hellfires, Hydra rockets, and chain guns. We also have MQ-9 Reaper drones providing overwatch."
"Anti-air systems are active," another officer confirmed. "Patriot missile batteries and Avenger SAMs are online in case of aerial threats."
"Good." Thomas exhaled sharply, glancing at the timer.
00:01:05
The distant tremors of countless footsteps rumbled through the city ruins.
The zombies were coming.
On the thermal drone feeds, the streets leading to the MOA defensive perimeter glowed bright white—millions of heat signatures, densely packed together, marching forward in unrelenting waves.
00:00:30
"We're seeing movement!" one of the drone operators called out. "Estimated horde size—millions. Confirmed multiple enhanced variants mixed in with the regular undead."
The first wave of the apocalypse was here.
Thomas clenched his jaw.
"All units—hold your fire until I give the order."
The soldiers at the frontline braced themselves. Tank crews tightened their grips on their controls, infantry adjusted their sights, and artillery crews held steady, waiting for the command to unleash hell.
00:00:05
00:00:04
00:00:03
00:00:02
00:00:01
00:00:00
A loud chime echoed through the command center.
SYSTEM DEACTIVATED.
The red glow of the timer vanished.
A deep silence followed.
Then—
The zombies surged forward.
"OPEN FIRE!" Thomas ordered.
The battlefield erupted.
The first line of defense, consisting of M1A2 Abrams tanks, M2A4 Bradley IFVs, and Stryker APCs, unleashed a devastating volley of firepower.
BOOOOOOM!
The 120mm cannons of the Abrams tanks fired in perfect sync, their armor-piercing high-explosive shells ripping massive holes into the incoming horde. Dozens, if not hundreds of zombies, were instantly obliterated, their rotting bodies torn apart by sheer kinetic force.
Behind them, the M2A4 Bradleys and Stryker Dragoon IFVs let loose their autocannons.
BRRRRRRRRTTTTT!
The 30mm cannons shredded the front ranks, sending limbs and decayed flesh flying in all directions. The concussive force of the impacts shattered bones and pulped organs, cutting through multiple undead with each burst.
The infantry, positioned behind armored barriers and sandbag emplacements, opened up with their M240B machine guns and M4A1 carbines.
Pop-pop-pop-pop!
Long bursts of gunfire cut down the frontlines, targeting heads with surgical precision. The first few ranks of undead fell instantly, but the horde didn't stop.
They climbed over the bodies, uncaring, relentless.
"KEEP FIRING!" a squad leader yelled. "DON'T LET THEM CLOSE THE GAP!"
"Artillery—fire for effect!" Marcus commanded.
The M109A7 Paladins roared.
BOOOOOOOM!
The 155mm high-explosive shells detonated deep within the horde, sending shockwaves of fire and debris into the air. Entire sections of the zombie mass were vaporized, their rotting bodies turned to burning remnants.
The M270 MLRS launchers fired next.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
A barrage of rockets streaked through the sky before slamming into the densest portions of the horde.
BOOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOM!
The explosions tore through thousands at a time, but still—they kept coming.
"Jesus," Adrian muttered, watching the drone feed. "There's too many of them."
"Keep up the fire," Thomas ordered. "This is a test of endurance. We break their numbers by sustained fire, not a single decisive blow."
The regular zombies weren't the only threat.
Beneath the relentless tide of the undead, movement stirred in the darkened ruins of the city. Faster, stronger, and infinitely more dangerous predators emerged from the depths of the horde.
[Mawbeasts Incoming]
A deep, guttural howl reverberated across the battlefield.
From the shadows of collapsed buildings and sewer tunnels, Mawbeasts poured into the streets. Dozens. No—hundreds. Their elongated, muscular limbs propelled them forward with terrifying speed, their spiked claws glinting under the fires of the ongoing battle.
"Mawbeasts sighted!" one of the forward observers yelled. "They're moving at sixty miles per hour and closing fast!"
"Anti-personnel teams! Target those bastards before they hit our lines!" Marcus barked.
The Apache gunships immediately adjusted their sights, swiveling their M230 chain guns downward.
BRRRRRRRRRRTTTT!
A storm of 30mm rounds rained down, ripping through the charging Mawbeasts. Their thickened muscle fibers could withstand regular rifle rounds, but they were torn apart by the sheer force of the gunship's cannons.
Some collapsed mid-sprint, their spines snapped, bodies mangled, yet more surged forward.
"Fire the Hydras!" Adrian ordered.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
A volley of Hydra 70 rockets streaked downward, impacting the leading Mawbeasts and sending fireballs of flesh and debris into the air.
BOOOOM!
The explosions tore through their ranks, vaporizing some of the creatures outright. But they were smart—they adapted. Some of the Mawbeasts leapt onto the ruins, using the wreckage of the battlefield as cover, darting between rubble and debris to avoid direct fire.
A squad leader's voice crackled through the radio: "INFANTRY! Switch to AP rounds! Aim for the head or the legs! DO NOT LET THEM CLOSE!"
POP-POP-POP-POP!
The infantry redirected their fire, unleashing armor-piercing rounds into the feral, leaping beasts. Some were downed mid-air, their heads exploding into bloody mist, but others were too fast.
They reached the first defensive trenches.
The battlefield turned brutal.
Mawbeasts pounced on soldiers, ripping through armor with their claws, tearing men limb from limb. Blood sprayed across sandbags and armored emplacements as the monstrous creatures shredded through forward units.
"TRENCHES ARE BEING OVERRUN!" a panicked radio call came through.
"Strykers! FLAMETHROWERS!"
A row of M1126 Stryker APCs activated their mounted flamethrowers, unleashing torrents of fire into the enemy.
FWOOSH!
The flames engulfed the Mawbeasts, their inhuman shrieks echoing as they burned alive.
But even as they fell, something even worse arrived.
A deep, thundering quake shook the battlefield.
Massive behemoths, nearly as large as the Titan-class mutant they had just killed, emerged from the horde. These weren't ordinary Mawbeasts.
Their entire forearms were encased in thick, rock-like chitin, forming massive battering rams of pure destructive force. Their heads were heavily plated, and unlike the regular Mawbeasts, they did not move erratically.
They marched forward like living tanks, their earth-shaking steps smashing debris underfoot.
One Juggernaut charged a wrecked bus, plowing straight through it, sending the twisted metal hurling through the air. Another smashed through an overturned Stryker APC, sending it tumbling like a toy.
"What the heck is that?"
Thomas's system notification alerted and informed him that it was a Mawbeast Juggernaut Variant. He wondered why it chimed when it was deactivated, he tried opening the system but well it was indeed deactivated.
"They're breaking through our defenses!"
"Tanks! Fire AP rounds!"
BOOOOOM!
BOOOOOM!
BOOOOOM!
The Abrams tanks fired directly at the Juggernauts, their 120mm depleted uranium rounds slamming into the creatures' plated chests.
One Juggernaut staggered, a massive hole blown through its torso, but it kept moving. Another took a round to the knee, its entire limb exploding, forcing it to collapse.
But they were still advancing.
"HIT THEM AGAIN!"
The MLRS fired another salvo, sending rockets streaking down.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
BOOOOOOM!
A massive detonation ripped through the Juggernaut ranks, obliterating several in the blast radius.
But even as they fought, something even worse appeared.
A piercing shriek cut through the chaos.
Then—movement.
From the rooftops of collapsed buildings, slithering creatures with elongated tongues and exposed muscle tissue began crawling on all fours.
They moved like insects, their clawed hands and feet digging into walls, crawling at inhuman angles.
Their heads were smooth, with exposed brain matter, and their tongues lashed out like whips, grabbing soldiers and yanking them into the air.
"NEW VARIANT SPOTTED!" a drone operator shouted.
[You have encountered Stranglers] the system notified again.
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The Stranglers dropped from buildings, latching onto infantry, ripping into them with razor-sharp claws.
One landed on top of an IFV, tearing into the gunner, its tongue wrapped around the soldier's neck, snapping it instantly.
"Get those things OFF US!"
The Apaches turned their guns, aiming directly at the Stranglers.
BRRRRRRRRTTTTT!
The 30mm cannons tore through them, shredding their soft, exposed muscle tissue. Their elongated tongues snapped mid-air, their bodies riddled with bullets.
"They're attacking from above!" Adrian warned.
Snipers redirected their fire, aiming at the crawling horrors on the buildings.
BOOM!
A Strangler's skull exploded, its body dropping like a ragdoll.
BOOM! BOOM!
More fell, but not fast enough.
The Juggernauts were pushing through, the Mawbeasts were still attacking, and the Stranglers were taking soldiers from the rooftops.
Thomas exhaled.
"I'm going in," Thomas said as he stood up on his feet.
