Now we’re all preparing to hit upload.
I feel a bit of a hypocrite, because we don’t want people to actually know who we are, but we’re still doing this. Pin says if we didn’t, there’d be a shit load of imitators making money off us, so it’s better we get it. He also pointed out that technically, I’m already known.
Which is true, but I think that might work out to our advantage.
Pin looks up from his Mac. “Ready for round two?”
We all nod. It’s just after five now and it will be starting to get light soon, so we need to do this now.
He looks at the kids. “Go for it.” The kids all tap their phones and Pin uploads our video. “We’re live.”
I can feel all our excitement escalate again, but it’s not long before we slump down on the couches to take a minute. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this much excitement in my life.
“Thanks,” Thorn mutters, and I roll my eyes.
I find his darkened eyes across the room. ‘This is a different type of excitement.’
He smirks as he closes his eyes. “Uh-huh.”
“Views are coming in already,” Pin says.
“Turn on the news while we sleep,” Dagger says, returning with an armful of blankets for everyone. “I wanna see when this shit breaks.”
Axe puts on SKY News while we all start to doze, and I get lost to my own private thoughts. Two years went by so fast but so slowly at the same time. To be here now, and to experience what I did tonight, is something I never could’ve imagined.
So long I've been worried about the kids, worried about them not being ready, but if anything, they were more ready than I was. I’ve always known they would be special, even before they were conceived, I just hope that soon, I can give them everything they’ve ever wanted.
“Angel, you're gonna wanna see this.”
I open my eyes and immediately see the familiar banner on the TV screen, announcing BREAKING NEWS, so I wake everyone else on the other couches.
Masses of zombies found dead across UK and bordering countries…
I almost break into a fit of laughter with the kids, because the news woman is seriously losing her shit, live on air.
“…Around the building. Everywhere! Millions of them have been reported…” She holds her ear. “We have live footage.”
She cuts off screen, and then we see daylight aerial footage of the zombies lying dead in the streets and fields, all over not only this country, but all the ones closest to us, too.
“These are the shocking images from the UK this morning, as it appears as if the entire country’s zombie population has been wiped out overnight. Reports started surfacing just after six-am as the first of many made their journeys to work. The Prime Minister has yet to react to the news, but world leaders have already expressed their shock on Twitter…”
“It appears as if the event started in Wales, where it has long been known the zombie population has been gravitating towards, with surveillance footage in Swansea capturing the first of the deaths.”
The screen cuts back to the woman, who appears to have gotten herself together and brushed her hair. There’s a new breaking news banner now, though.
Zombie Hunter O-One, newly renamed, Zombie Royalty, claim responsibility for mass zombie deaths.
“Just in. Footage of last night’s astonishing event was posted to Zombie Hunter O-One’s infamous YouTube Channel, SKY News has found, which appears to have captured the entire act on camera…”
Our video begins to play on screen.
“The footage shows twenty-one individuals standing in Swansea’s Peartree Park, seemingly controlling the zombies before they begin to fall around them. The group, wearing masks, are unidentifiable, but some are already speculating who one of them may be, and that is Mikka Rishan…”
“Rishan was allegedly involved in an altercation in Cambridge’s city centre two years ago, where she and five men, believed to be the first ‘Super Zombies’, resisted attempts of arrest…”
“The six were never captured, and it has long been believed that the six were behind the horrific Glastonbury attack on humans that occurred shortly after, although it was never proven. And now, the newly renamed ‘Zombie Royalty’ have rebuked these claims with the release of this latest video, with hashtags such as #wedontkillhumans, #itwasntus, and #thebadguysinplainsight being used. The hashtags, coupled with the video posted on the same account the previous night, raises questions over whether what we've been led to believe over the original zombie hybrids is at all true.…”
“Additionally, in a bizarre twist, the channel has also linked fifteen TikTok accounts; the users calling themselves, Zombie Princes and Princesses, in which fifteen of the masked individuals are seen to be dancing to Vybz Kartel’s, Gaza run the world…”
The kids cheer as their videos play side by side. They almost deafen me with their excitement.
“Hush a minute,” Thorn says, silencing them.
“…Hashtags used on the individuals’ videos, such as #kidsoftheoriginals, #zombieroyalty, and #thenextgeneration, seem to suggest that they may be the children of the original six. Which raises more questions that scientists will more than likely be desperate to answer, while the rest of us try to figure out what exactly has happened, and if ‘Zombie Royalty’ are the saviours the world has needed since the dead first rose.”
The kids congratulate each other when the woman leaves the screen to show the Swansea footage again, and then another change in banner announces the Prime Minister’s speech being imminent.
“Looks like I’m famous again…”
“For the right reasons now, though, Mum,” Amber says.
I chuckle. “Maybe.”
“This is good,” Pin says. “They’re finally casting doubt on the shit they’ve been blaming us for.” He suddenly smirks. “Funny how there’s been no statement from the world’s ‘Zombie Leader’, though. Isn’t it?”
“I noticed that, too.”
“Myers must be shitting himself, and his whore,” Axe says.
Thorn scoffs. “Won’t save them, though. They’ll be resting with Myers’ brother soon enough.”
“Right,” Blade agrees with force, remembering the incident at the lab. “They thought they could fuck us over, but we run this shit!”
We all feel those words.
We all return our attention to the TV when the Prime Minister walks out of Ten Downing Street to address the nation. The street is covered in sand, more than likely to cover the blood left from the zombies that fell there.
He looks a mess, too. I don’t think he’s even ironed his shirt.
“Like all of you, I have seen the unbelievable footage shown on our TV screens this morning of our streets, and I can tell you, I am equally as shocked. As you can understand, I do not have many details on what has actually occurred, but I can promise you that our team is looking into all the evidence to find out as much as possible about last night’s events...”
“However, I must also address the additional footage released by Zombie Hunte—sorry, Zombie Royalty. If these individuals are responsible for what has happened, and are, indeed, innocent of the crimes alleged against them, then on behalf of the entire nation, I would like to thank them for ridding our country of the horrific virus that has plagued us for the past three years…”
“If you are watching, I can guarantee you personally, that I will have my team of experts take another look at all allegations against you, and if they are found to be false, you will have your reputations cleared immediately…”
“Some of you have expressed your concerns about re-opening our borders now that the zombies appear to be gone. Of course, only the next few nights will confirm that there are no longer any zombies in the country, but even if so, our borders will remain closed, with no one permitted to leave or enter the UK…”
“We must remain cautious. There are still zombies known in other countries to have the ability to day-walk, and th
ese individuals must not be allowed to re-enter the country. As always, myself and Miss Hughes will keep you informed of any changes. Thank you.”
Thorn smirks. “Hybrids are individuals now.”
“I clocked that, too,” Axe says. “Idiot.”
I turn my nose up. “Funny how people’s tunes change when you do them a favour.”
“A pretty fucking big favour,” Dagger adds.
“Screw them,” Blade says. “They owe us more than a fucking apology, and if any other country wants help, they better beg.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Pin says, looking up from his MacBook. “I think I have every world leader in my inbox now.”
“Yeah, I bet they are.” I turn to the kids. “How are the views going?”
“A few million and rising,” Emerson says. “Comments are good so far, too.”
“We’re like, celebrities,” Treasure gushes. “We have fans, Mum.”
I chuckle. “Well, there’s nothing stopping you from interacting with them, just make sure you don’t show your faces.”
“We won’t.”
Fourteen
Gia
I suddenly feel sick.
“They really made them die. It wasn’t a hoax…”
I stare at the news, my hands shaking. This cannot be happening.
“Vanze!” I scream. “Vanze, get in here now!”
“What, Gia?” he asks, coming into the front room in sweatpants and rubbing his eyes. I've woken him, but fuck sleeping right now. “Why are you screaming the house down?”
“Look at this.”
He sits down beside me with an attitude, but then I see his eyes bulge. “What the hell?”
“They dropped dead, Vanze. They fucking dropped dead!”
He leans forward as CNN plays aerial footage of millions of dead zombies lining the streets of the UK. Bodies after bodies, lying in the street in broad daylight. Then it shows the video of the twenty-one people in the park, controlling them.
I pause it. “See the shortest one? Sixth person in? That’s Mikka.”
He scoffs and gives me a look. “How do you know? You can’t even see her face.”
“Trust me. I would know her no matter what she was wearing. I promise you. That’s her.”
He turns back to the TV as I press play. “But…”
“See. Look at the new picture on the YouTube channel. Those are Mikka’s eyes, and those are the men she was with. I wouldn’t forget those eyes anywhere.” I remember bleeding out on the floor in CuppaT and seeing her walking over to them. “They’re saying the fifteen TikTok accounts belong to their kids. Do you really think that’s true? I mean, it's not possible, is it? I thought you said it wasn’t possible?”
He shakes his head. “It’s not. You know that.” His jaw clenches as he watches the footage from the streets in Paris. “Look how far they've reached. Even Germany...”
“I know.” I hold his arm, feeling his scars beneath my palms. “I'm scared. What if other countries ask them to help? What if they come here? You know what it felt like when we started feeling like we had to travel west. At least here, it's not so bad, but if they come here, we won't be able to stop the urge to go.”
He turns to face me, and I see the fear in his eyes. “We might have to—”
“But it's not ready yet.”
“I'll put everyone on it first thing. I'll make it ready. We don't have any other choice now.”
I look down. “But what about—”
He rests a hand on my stomach. “We'll find a way this time, okay? Whatever it takes.”
I start to cry, hopelessness consuming me. “We shouldn't've crossed them that second time, Vanze. Mikka was talking to me. She might’ve forgiven me. We shouldn't have made them hate us. I told you not to try anything!”
He holds my arms. “We had to. Even a small chance of finding them was worth the risk.”
“But now look? They've become even more powerful...” I remember how angry Mikka was in her last message to me. She was furious, and I couldn't even tell her it wasn't my idea. She blocked me and I haven’t heard from her since.
Not that I blame her, but…
I've made so many bad choices in my life, but the biggest one, by far, was betraying her. I wish I never did it. I wish I could turn back the clock, but I can’t. She was right, I betrayed her, and I live with regret every day.
My own mother isn’t even talking to me. Mikka’s mum cut her off and mum blamed me. Asked me how I could do what I did to my best friend. I tried to make her understand, tried to explain, but she was so angry…
“Gia, calm down.” Vanze says, wiping away my tears. “I'll find a way, all right? We still have time.”
I nod, but his words don't reassure me. I have the worst feeling that our days are numbered. “Maybe I should try to reach out to her again.”
“No. I told you I'll fix this, and I will.” He stands and helps me up. “Come to bed. We'll talk about this again in the morning. You need to rest.”
“But I can—”
He takes the remote from my hand to switch off the TV. “You can, and you are. Now come.”
Fifteen
Mikka
“World leaders around the globe have been posting comments on Zombie Royalty’s YouTube video, seemingly begging the group to visit their countries, since it was confirmed two days ago that the group was, not only not connected to previous attacks on humans, but that the UK is indeed, zombie free…”
“However, although the Zombie Princes and Princesses have continued to post content for their growing number of followers, the previous ‘Zombie Hunter’, has remained silent. There was no new video posted this Wednesday, and no replies to any comments. Now, only time will tell if these unlikely heroes will come forward to help the rest of the world…”
I switch off the news and cuddle up to Dagger on the couch. I’m so bored of them repeating the same shit, over and over. I only keep watching to see if Myers has made a statement, but it’s as if he’s dropped off the face of the planet.
Funny, that.
“If they think they’re begging in the comments,” Pin says, coming to sit down beside me, “then these DMs must be what desperation looks like.”
He hands me his phone to look through the messages, but then I quickly look up. “Mason Veils is on here?”
He nods. “Messaged me last night.”
“I’ll give you ANYTHING you want if you come here and do the same thing,” I read out to the others. “Even dropped his personal number.”
“The USA’s Secretary of Defence? Are you serious?” Axe asks from the couch opposite. He’s lying down but has one eye open at me.
Thorn and Blade are lying on the other couches, but they look over at me, too.
Pin nods. “Yep. People are desperate as fuck.”
“Anything we want?” Thorn asks, dragging us all back to the most interesting part of that message.
I look back down at the phone before handing it back to Pin. “Yeah. ‘Anything’ is in caps, too, and it’s a Verified account.
“Damn,” Dagger and Blade breathe.
“What do we want, though?”
“Money,” Axe spits out. “So we ain't gotta worry about shit after all of this is over.”
Pin narrows his eyes at him. “What the fuck you saying? We ain't gotta worry about money now.”
Axe sits up. “Yeah, but we’ve got fifteen kids to set up, too. Forever. They ain’t gonna stay in those houses across the field all their lives. What if they wanna travel? What if they wanna buy a damn Ranch over the pond? Yeah, I want them to go to school and get jobs and shit, but no kid of mine is gonna struggle. Especially after saving the damn world.”
“Fucking right,” Thorn mutters, agreeing with his brother. “They can all fucking pay. This shit is their fault. Playing with DNA was always gonna backfire. Maybe once someone important is less wealthy, they’ll have enough sense not to make the same mistake again.”
“
It was England that fucked up, though, wasn’t it, Princess?”
“Yeah.”
“But if it wasn’t them, it would’ve been someone else,” Thorn continues. “They’re all to blame. Look how they’ve clung to that motherfucker, Myers. His ‘cure’ could make God-knows-what for all they know.”
We’re all quiet while we digest what Thorn’s said, but we quickly agree with him.
“Money would be good,” I say, ending the silence. “I’m not sure how much, though...”
“I want protection,” Dagger says. “If we're gonna save the damn world, I want it known that no one can touch us after.”
I definitely agree with that. “It would mean they’d have to know who we are after, though, and that would bring attention.”
“Then we add that shit to the terms. That Veils brother said he’d give us anything, and that falls under anything. We get laws put in place to say we'll be left alone after all this shit is put to rest. No more tests, no trying to capture us, and sure as hell no tracking us down.”
“Right,” Axe agrees with the rest of his brothers. “That ‘no tests’ should be a dealbreaker. Can you imagine what the fuck kinda shit they’d end up creating next time?”
“Exactly.”
“We’re good to negotiate this with other countries,” Blade says, “but what about the UK? We did this place for free.”
“We threaten to bring them back if they don’t agree,” Axe suggests.
‘You need to make all the leaders work together and agree to your terms, then whatever laws are put into place in one country, will also be made in the others,’ Raeni says.
“How long have you been listening?” Thorn asks her.
‘A while. I also agree with dad about the threat of bringing them back. No one needs to know that we can't make the bad zombies. I think it's good if they fear their return. It will make people think twice about trying anything, too, which is what we all want.’
She means her siblings, too, who are also listening.
“We’ll make a list,” Dagger decides. “The kids can help. That way, we won’t miss anything out.”
The World For My Zombie Kings: A Reverse Harem Romance (Zombies Rule The World Book 3) Page 9
