Back in the communication room the group was gathered to discuss the task for tomorrow.

Gabriel: Ok people let's plan how to deal with an unique infected.

Oscar: The last time we faced one, you didn't even need preparation.

Gabriel: Yes, but that was taking a risk and being honest I don't like taking risks. The first thing we should do is gather information, second prepare to specifically to kill the objective and third is the execution.

Michi: Sounds like a solid plan, what do we know about this infected ?.

Lucia: According to what I could see, it has a humanoid shape, two arms, two legs and a head. It measures 5 meters high and its body is all curled up, it doesn't seem to have any type of armor or protection. The most important thing I could notice is that everything that touches seems to be automatically twisted, so most of the trees in that park were in that strange shape. One very important thing is that there are several Redheads in the area so in theory that creature can't distinguish between ally or enemy.

Gabriel: Great with that information we can deduce that his weak point is the head, and he has some form of passive physical attack linked to his skin. We must focus on doing as much damage as quickly as possible, not giving it time to make a transformation or use a secret ability. Those infected have an infinite stamina and as you can see they can regenerate from any wound if you don't remove the Hell Crystal, therefore attrition warfare isn't viable.

Yeni: So the plan is to give it fast and hard to finish in the shortest possible time, typical of you.

Gabriel: That is why do a lot of foreplay is fundamental.

Oscar: Can we tone down with the innuendos?

Gabriel: Ok fine, we need those acid arrows and Lucia for this expedition.

Lucia: Hey quick question! Why don't we steal a drone, charge it with explosives and send it as a kamikaze attack?

Gabriel: That is a good question, you see the type of explosives we can do here aren't strong enough to guarantee the kill. Most homemade bombs are harmful because of the huge amount of crap you put in it , nails, pieces of glass, etc. These cause internal damage to the victim who bleeds out or suffer severe injuries from the impact. Those infected cannot die of bleeding and the noise could attract a horde. It isn't a bad idea but for our current situation it generates more problems than solutions.

Michi: Maybe in the future we can use a similar strategy.

Gabriel: The other advantage we have is its height, normally that would be a problem but we are in an urban area, so I have an idea. If we attract the creature from the park to some of the nearby buildings we can fight from it and reduce the enemy's mobility. After all, he doesn't seem to have enough body mass to destroy structures easily.

Michi: I'm going to have to act like bait again?

Gabriel: Unfortunately, yes, I'm also going to need Lucia who, thanks to her build, can break walls to create an emergency exit if necessary. Oscar will obviously go so Yeni will stay here.

Lucia: Speaking of which, are we going to make my armor? I have a lot of ideas!.

Gabriel: Well in your case I must tell you something important. There are two ways in which one could use your special mutation, the idiot form and the intelligent form. The idiotic form would be to use almost no armor and let the enemy be the source of damage that activates your mutation bonus. That is a bad idea because you cannot regulate how much or what kind of damage you receive. Poison, acid, fire, electricity or even a good blow could kill you or cause a wound that leaves you incapacitated.

Lucia: But. . .but . .my bikini armor. I even made a drawing look! has this cool claws grabbing my tits and a crotch skull.

Lucia took out a sketchbook where she had made the design of her armor, despite being quite well drawn it wasn't practical at all.

Gabriel: You get a full armor, sorry. The intelligent way is to use the damage from your explosive mutations, not only can you calculate more or less how much harm you must get to activate each stage of your ability but you can also stack that with those mutations.

Lucia: Ok fine. . .let's do it.

Gabriel: Great Lucia and I will get to work on her weapon and armor in the meantime Oscar and Michi start making acid arrows. Yeni you take care of watching the unique infected.

Yeni: So is my turn to sit on the bench? That sucks but I guess we have no alternative.

The group began working on their respective tasks for the rest of the day, Yeni went to the communications room while the rest went to the workshop. First they get some levels ups, mainly focused on Lucia since she was one of the fundamental parts of the plan. They choice more explosive mutations, increasing her stamina and vitality was essential to be able to withstand the use of these skills. Unlike Gabriel, her build was totally focused on damage so maximizing her ability to one shot enemies was a priority. His body was slightly altered due to these new mutations, like Gabriel her muscle mass increased considerably, Lucia physique was worthy of an Olympic athlete.

Lucia mutated

Explosive Strength 2: For 6 second you can have extra strength, you could lift 400 kilos with ease. This mutation has 1 minute cooldown.

Explosive Strength 3: For 6 second you can have extra strength, you could lift 1600 kg kilos with ease. This mutation has 1 minute cooldown.

Explosive Agility 1: For 6 second you can have extra agility, your body become agile as a cat. This mutation has 1 minute cooldown.

Explosive Reflexes 1: For 6 second you can have amazing reflexes, your reflexes are like those of a cat.This mutation has 1 minute cooldown.

Vitality 1: Your body is in the best possible state of health of a human being.

Vitality 2: You have two times the vitality of a regular person.

Enchant Stamina 2: You have great Stamina! You can run easily run two marathons.

Enchant Stamina 3:You have great Stamina! You can run easily run four marathons.

Because of the plan they had in mind, it was a good idea to give Michi explosive speed, this small sprint is extremely important to ensure that he doesn't suffer any damage. His small body couldn't deal with much physical stress but a single mutation of this type wasn't so dangerous either.

Michi mutated

Explosive Speed 1: For 6 second you can have extra speed, you can run at 100 km / h. This mutation has 1 minute cooldown.

The armor they created for Lucia was similar to Gabriel's but the protection is more distributed instead of focusing on certain vital points. What was complicated to do was the design, both survivors had a similar taste for the extravagant, so they went all out with it. The helmet was shaped like a skull and decorated with a fake crown, the gems it had been made of plastic but at least gave the illusion of being authentic from the distance. The chest was shaped like a rib cage, two huge skulls of wolves were placed like shoulder pads and the stomach had a bright red geometric pattern like the gems. The bottom part had a skirt with a vertical cut to not hinder and also had the same reddish pattern as the rest of its armor.

Queen of the dark horizon armor

A light set of kevlar armor heavily decorated.

The weapon they chose was a meter long steel axe, an extremely simple but effective weapon. While it was quite difficult to defend with this, that wasn't a priority. They added a steel spike to the other side of the blade to have some penetration if necessary and to help with the balance of the weapon. Finally they painted the blade with the same crimson pattern as their armor, after all it had to combine.

Akron axe

A 1 meter long steel axe. Ideal to make a lot of damage but has a poor defense.

Lucia: Being honest I didn't have much hope for the design but after putting it on I look super cool.

Gabriel: That 3d printer is a lifesaver, did you see how easy it was to make all those skulls?

Lucia: Yea, those 3d modeling lessons came by hand

Gabriel: Hey guy, how are you doing?

Michi: We could only make 2 arrows.

The arrows they had made seem to be quite common, the only difference is that instead of having a normal head they had a gray plastic cone. Beside this they had what appeared to be covers made of a rather spongy material.

Acid Arrow

A special arrow that contain magic acid, it can easily melt bone and flesh.

Gabriel: Only 2 ?.

Michi: Yes, the process and the design of these took longer than I thought. I could have done more but I prioritize user security. The most complex component is the plastic that covers the head of the arrow, making it resistant to acid and impacts but also that can break on impact was a challenge. As an extra security measure I added a cotton cover to prevent breaks in case of accidents.

Oscar: As an user, I wholeheartedly support that idea.

Gabriel: Ok that is fair, it will have to be enough.

Having everything ready they went to rest to go early tomorrow to deal with the unique infected. During dinner they began to talk about different topics and about the work they had to do, among that came an extremely important issue, they had to choose a name for this enemy.

Yeni: Listen up bitches as I spent all day watching that I came up with a name.

Lucia: Come on not again, your names sucks.

Yeni: I call it The Crooked Man !.

Oscar: That is surprisingly good, where did you get it?

Yeni: I used to read stories to orphans in my spare time. I had a crappy childhood so I don't like the idea that other children have to go through the same shit.

Gabriel: I could never have imagined that.

Yeni: Where the fuck do you think I got my second voice? It took years of practice but it was worth it, it is a bit shocking to hear a princess speaking in the tone of a drunken sailor.

The next day everyone was ready to begin the task, they left early in the morning as always on their bicycles to the park. They stopped at a hardware store, it was the closest open building to the park and therefore the best to carry out their plan.

Michi: There are 2 Vomitors and 5 regular infected in the store so be careful.

They quickly cleaned the place without suffering any setback, for now everything was going pretty well. After inspecting they found a thin wall that gave a good chance to escape if necessary. Oscar took his position above a nearby lamppost while Gabriel and Lucia waited inside the building. The plan was simple, the veteran will attack from the distance while both warriors took advantage of the poor mobility that their enemy would have to deal a lethal blow.

As everything was planned Michi began to enter the park, thanks to his natural speed, radar and his explosive mutation he didn't have much to worry about. A minute passed before they began to feel that something giant was approaching and when they saw Michi running out of the trees they knew that their enemy was here.

The veteran made the first attack cautiously firing the acid arrow that hit the target. However, something strange happened when it hit the target, the projectile was shattered and spread the acid throughout the body of the infected instead of melting its head. All the dense layer of skin and twisted fat that covered his head and torso melts showing the muscles of that abomination.

That thing was even more unpleasant in person, a huge humanoid figure twisted in an unnatural way. Even his skull was curled to the point that no facial features could be distinguished. The gray skin of this being was stained with blood making it clear that he was the source of all those Redheads that followed him. To get his attention Gabriel quickly threw a rock with his sling, it disintegrated when he came into contact with his skin demonstrating that normal ranged attacks were ineffective. However, the plan worked and this abomination stopped paying attention to his target and charged directly to where Gabriel was.

This Crooked Man crashed straight against the front of the store but the creature began to destroy the concrete and the glass of the building just by touching them. Trying to overcome the surprise the survivors had to dodge the pieces of rubble that were shot in all directions. Using his agility and explosive reflexes Gabriel was able to avoid those projectiles without problem and Lucia received a couple blows but due to her armor she only received a some bruises. Michi and Oscar were at a safe distance so the few pieces that came up were easily dodged.

Seeing this Gabriel understood what was happening, everything this creature will touch was exposed to a huge amount of kinetic energy, this thing was a living meat crusher. The power their ability to "twist" things exceeded the expectations of the group and therefore now had to execute a necessary counter measure. The redhead had an idea, maybe now that the building is serving as resistance the torque power of the being is not so great and if so, this is the perfect opportunity to go all in.

Gabriel: Lucia attack the head!

Gabriel activated his explosive velocity and strength while Lucia just use all her arsenal of mutations and charged at the same time against the abomination that is still breaking through the bowels of that store. The impact of the axe and the sword against the skull of that being would have been enough to damage an armored vehicle but this case was different. The duo could feel as if they had hit a kind of stone wheel that was moving at full speed, the blow was dissipated and they both flew through the air to fall in the middle of the street. They had managed to damage the head a little but the cuts were minimal, this living tornado was stupidly strong.

The blow had damaged Gabriel a little but nothing from another world, he worries more now that he had to wait for his skills to recover or use his master technique. Lucia was a different case, having fallen flat on a car hurting her back. This added to the damage that his body received from using his explosive mutations activated her unique ability but there was something wrong.

All the frustration, sadness and suffering she had tried to contain broke loose at that moment. Invaded by a blind rage, she shouted so hard that almost burst her vocal cords and charge against the infected. She charged again and again against this being trying to cut it with her axe, every time that she did it, her body flew through the air but always stood back and thanks Glorious Suffering the brutality of her attacks only increased.

Gabriel: Lucia stop!

Yeni: You fucking autistic bitch, what are you doing ?!

Oscar: Stop it, now!

Michi: Please calm down !.

The woman couldn't hear them, her mind was possessed by inexhaustible thirst for revenge, she had been holding her true feelings until they exploded. The volatile combination of anger and sadness had exploded and now the flames threatened to consume her. The group could do nothing but try to keep the other infected at bay while watching helplessly as their partner was killing herself. After a minute Lucia lay on the floor motionless.

Oscar fired his last acid arrow against the infected. Like the previous one, it hit the target and dissolved part of the creature's torso even though it was shattered on impact. The crooked bones of this one were exposed to the air, it seems that something remotely human was under all that mutated meat. Now that he had run out of acidic arrows, he had to keep the Red Heads at bay, everything was in the hands of the reincarnated.

Gabriel run to the store and grabbed one of the Vomitors that were lying on the ground and threw it against the special infected. The creature's body was shattered upon impact covering the target in blood and, more importantly, the corrosive acid from its bowels. Unfortunately, he couldn't use his trump card since it was ineffective against that enemy and the thermite grenades were more likely to cause a fire than to harm the infected. The only thing he could think of was to slowly melt it in this way but at they should withdraw . After investing 2 acidic arrows in this hunt plus the wounds that they had, to flee would be to throw all that effort into the trash and take a serious blow to the morale of the group.

Oscar was frantically firing his bow trying to kill all the infected who were approaching Lucia's unconscious body while Gabriel continued to distract the unique infected. Michi quickly approached her partner to try to wake her up.

Michi: Come on girl! this is no time to take a nap.

Lucia was in a rather deplorable state, after her tantrum she had used up all her stamina. Her pale skin and muscles were severely damaged to the point where her armor was turning red because of all the blood but luckily her bones were not broken yet. Something curious happened when she regained consciousness after a few seconds, she felt good.

Having exhausted all her stamina she had reached the state of autophagy, her body had begun to eat itself to generate extra energy. Lucia nullification of pain plus adrenaline completely eliminated the agony she felt but more importantly her mind was totally clear. After the catharsis her spirit had been purified and now that she had no fear, anger and sadness clouding her vision, she could use now her most lethal weapon, her intellect.

She remembered an incident when she was a child, once she forgot her jump rope in the yard of her house. As the grass of this was quite long so Lucia father didn't see the toy when he began to cut, the ropes of this stuck in the machine spoiling the engine. This nostalgic memory gave her an idea, she quickly got up and activated all his explosive mutations at the same time putting herself in a critical state.

With her axe she cut one of the light poles with a single blow and then quickly grab it and throw it against the Crooked Man. The wooden pole despite having a considerable size was still ineffective but all the high voltage cables it had was another subject. As expected, the metal wires quickly became entangled in the body of this creature that couldn't turn off its ability. His body weakened by all the acid he had received couldn't stand the pressure and it dismembered himself.

The body of the infected exploded creating a rain of entrails, flesh and blood. Gabriel stared at Lucia, stunned by the idea she had, the woman then made a shout of victory.

Lucia: I feel so good, I feel so numb, yeah!

Then Lucia collapsed on the floor totally unconscious. Gabriel quickly headed for Lucia ignoring the unique Hell Crystal for now. Taking out his first aid kit, he began to quickly treat his partner's wounds, trusting that his colleagues could keep the rest of the infected at bay.

Oscar: No pressure Gabriel but I'm running out of ammunition.

Gabriel: Then take this! Michi grabs the unique Hell Crystal, when I am done with the first aid we are leave.

Supai Crystal

Gives a special mutation, useful only in the first stage of evolution.

Then Gabriel took his falchion Rakshasa and threw it at Oscar. He quickly grabbed him, put away his bow and prepared to enter melee. Although he wasn't a melee specialist, he had martial knowledge and his armor, despite being light, gave him some protection.

Oscar: Ok but don't expect miracles from me, never use one of these!

Michi: Are you sure you want to leave the rest of the Hell Crystals?

Gabriel: Yes, the most important thing now is to ensure that Lucia doesn't die. We have 24 hours before they revive, so we can do it return tomorrow.