MARVEL : Zombie universe

Episode 6: Jack of Hearts

After turning the corner and walking a few

hundred meters, Adrian saw what the crowd

had been fleeing from.

The head of the Statue of Liberty was

wedged into a Starbucks café. Its

cross-section faced Adrian and Quicksilver,revealing scattered wires and tangled metal components, broken and incomplete.

The statue's once-bright eyes had lost their

shine; one was even torn apart, as if

expressing silent pain. The mouth was

damaged and distorted into a twisted smile,

hinting at the devastation it had endured.

Signs of heavy friction and impact were

evident, with burn marks on the bronze

surface giving it a dull, damaged appearance

compared to its usual gleam.

The building's second floor had crumbled

under the weight, and the large glass

window shattered into countless sharp fragments, which glittered in the cold sunlight like diamonds.Inside the café, chaos reigned. Tables and chairs were overturned, pieces of porcelain were scattered around, and the coffee

machine continued to hiss. Still, the rich

scent of coffee mingled with dust and

debris, creating an odd, chaotic odor.

"What happened here?"

Adrian looked around, kicking half of a

broken sign to the ground. The mermaid logo was missing, with only part of the crown left.

"It must have been Jack of Hearts. Fury told me he died fighting whatever creature fell here."

Quicksilver, slung over Adrian's shoulder,wore a heavy expression. He didn't know Jack of Hearts well, but seeing this

aftermath left him with a deep sadness.

"Well, I suppose he made a sacrifice. But not

entirely."

Adrian's gaze settled on a familiar figure

amidst the debris.It was Jack of Hearts-a once-indispensable

Avenger. Now, he lay half-buried in the

rubble, his body blown apart by an explosion, with only his upper half remaining.

As Adrian approached, he sensed a chilling

aura in the air. Jack of Hearts had been

infected, his eyes now devoid of intelligence

and filled with madness.

"Hun...gry... Must... eat...."

Adrian took a step back, increasing the

distance between himself and the undead

Jack of Hearts.

According to Quicksilver, Jack had likely

been infected during the fight and tried to self-destruct. But he'd somehow survived,albeit with only half his body intact.

"I'm so hungry! You... let me... eat!"Jack's upper body struggled to break free

from the debris, his broken mechanical parts

screeching as he moved. With a low, feral

growl, he bared his sharp teeth and lurched

toward Adrian.

But with only his upper half, Jack's

movements were clumsy and erratic. He suddenly lost balance and crashed to the ground.

Undeterred, he crawled forward, dragging himself with one arm while the mechanical parts in his body rattled. His broken arm

reached out for Adrian, desperate.

Adrian calmly raised his weapon, aimed at the infected Jack of Hearts, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The sharp crack of the gunshot shattered

the silence. The bullet pierced the air, hitting

Jack of Hearts' head with pinpoint accuracy.Time seemed to freeze, and then, with an explosion of force, Jack's head burst apart.Flesh, blood, and bone fragments flew

everywhere, filling the air with a rancid

stench. His shattered skull exposed what

little remained of his brain.

Jack of Hearts' body couldn't contain his

power without the equipment to suppress it.The bullet had acted as a catalyst, triggering his energy to release uncontrollably.

In his last moments, his eyes were filled with

agony and despair before his body finally

collapsed, motionless.

Fragments of brain matter and blood spread across the ground, painting a ghastly scene.Jack's twisted, broken corpse lay as a

grotesque nightmare made real.

His body continued to convulse, small

explosions igniting between his head and

torso. Although these blasts weren't

powerful, they scattered bits of the corpse

furtherSuddenly, faint popping sounds came from

Jack's chest, where broken ribs and

decaying tissue glowed like sparks in the

darkness.

Adrian took a few steps back. These small

explosions were likely caused by the energy

still within Jack's body-a remnant of the

powers he wielded as a hero, now lingering

in his remains.

Each explosion sent weak energy rippling outward, making his corpse convulse even more violently.

Jack's limbs twisted and jerked under the

impact, as if he were still fighting for

survival even in death.

"Is this what happens after infection turns

someone into a zombie?"

Perched on Adrian's shoulder, Pietro

watched in horror as Jack's body twitched

and exploded in small bursts. Shock and fear

filled his eyes as he took in the surreal

scene.He could feel the faint energy radiating from Jack's remains, a sensation that sent a chill through his entire body.

What disturbed him most were those small,deadly explosions-the superhero's powers still active even in death.

Fear crossed Quicksilver's face, and he shuddered. His eyes widened, staring at Jack's twitching limbs in disbelief.

In that moment, he realized that he himself was at risk of becoming a monster like this.The world was plunging into chaos, and not even heroes were immune.

This world was on a path to destruction, just

as Adrian had warned.

"I remember you saying earlier you'd rather

take me out than let me turn into a zombie."

"Yes," Adrian replied.

Quicksilver nodded grimly. "I believe you

now.'

🛡️Ronin 🛡️

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