With the grace of a dancer and the precision of a surgeon, Alex moved among the zombies. His hands, now Captain America's, wielded Dante's pistols with an unnatural ease, firing off shots that found their marks without fail. The undead creatures fell like ragdolls, their rotted flesh disintegrating under the onslaught of bullets and his newfound superhuman strength. The gunfire echoed through the graveyard, a cacophony of death that seemed to fuel the zombies' advance rather than deter them.
Tank, Edward, Takeo, and Nikolai fought alongside him, their weapons blazing in the night. The four original heroes had seen much over the years, but Alex's power was something they had never encountered. They moved as a well-oiled machine, each man covering the others' flanks as they pushed through the horde towards the first door. The zombies grew more numerous with every step, their groans a symphony of hunger and rage. Yet Alex felt an odd sense of calm, as if he had been born for this moment.
He could feel the power of the Mystery Box behind that door, its pulsing energy resonating through the very air. It was a beacon of chaos in an already chaotic world, and he knew that controlling it could be the key to victory—or the catalyst for their downfall. As they approached, the door loomed before them, a silent sentinel guarding the secrets within. The wood was scarred with bullet holes and claw marks, a testament to the countless battles that had been waged here.
Richtofen, his voice tinged with excitement, broke the silence. "Gentlemen, and... newcomer," he said, gesturing to Alex, "Do we have enough points to unlock this gateway to our salvation?" His eyes flicked to the small LED display on the side of the box, counting down the points they had earned from their kills.
Nikolai, ever the pragmatist, checked his score and grunted. "Da, we have enough. But," he added, his hand hovering over the button, "I think we should wait."
Tank eyed the Russian warily. "What's the hold-up, Nik?" he asked, the barrel of his Thompson smoking slightly from the recent onslaught. The burly American's suspicion grew with every passing second.
Nikolai took a swig from his flask, the liquid within sloshing around with a comforting rhythm. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and said bluntly, "We don't have enough points to spin the box, not after we've used them to open this door." His voice was gruff, the honesty in his words as unyielding as the steel in his gaze.
Tank blinked, his surprise etched on his grizzled features. He turned to Takeo, his expression a silent question. The Japanese warrior's eyes narrowed behind his mask, and with a quick nod, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a fistful of points. "I have been saving," he said, his voice quiet but firm.
Richtofen's curiosity had reached a fever pitch. "What is this?" he demanded, his eyes flicking from the points to Takeo's stoic face and back again. "Why hide them?"
Takeo's grip on his sword tightened, but he held out the points without a word. Edward stepped forward, his own score glowing on his wrist. "I, too, have points," he said, a hint of smugness in his tone. "But I shall not be so hasty to spend them on mere survival."
Tank, ever the pragmatist, clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said. "We got a job to do, and we can't do it without some firepower." He glanced around the group, his eyes landing on Alex. "How about we settle this like men? Rock, paper, scissors for who gets to open the box?"
Alex chuckled nervously, feeling the weight of their expectations. He had never played rock, paper, scissors for something so... consequential before. But he had played his fair share of games in his time, and he knew that sometimes, luck was all that separated victory from defeat. He nodded, raising his hand in a fist. "On three?"
"Da," said Nikolai, a hint of amusement in his gruff voice.
"One, two, three!" exclaimed Tank.
The four of them threw their hands out simultaneously. Alex's hand paused in the air, his heart racing as he watched the others' choices unfold. Tank's hand was a rock, solid and unyielding. Takeo's was a swift scissor, slicing through the air with a grace that seemed almost supernatural. Richtofen had chosen paper, his hand fluttering like a leaf in a storm. And Alex? He had gone with a gun—his imagination had conjured the sleek form of a Colt M1911 from the pages of a history book.
But it was Nikolai's turn that had everyone's eyes widening. Instead of a hand gesture, he simply held up his flask, the metal gleaming in the moonlight. The others stared at him, confusion and surprise melding into their expressions. "What the...?" Tank began, his voice trailing off.
Nikolai took another swig, the liquid sloshing in the flask, and then tossed it to the ground. It shattered with a clang that seemed to echo through the graveyard, and pulled Hammer . "Hammer," he announced with a grin, his teeth flashing white in the dim light.
The group stared at him, dumbfounded. The rules had just been rewritten, and they weren't quite sure how to react. Richtofen, ever the mad scientist, couldn't help but chuckle maniacally. "Vell, vell, vell," he cackled, rubbing his hands together. "This is most... unorthodox."
Tank's hand hovered over his own score, his expression a mix of confusion and annoyance. "What the hell is a hammer doing in rock, paper, scissors?" he grumbled, his grip on his Thompson tightening. Takeo's scissor hand dropped to his side, his eyes narrowing as he studied the new weapon before them.
"I don't remember that rule," Edward chimed in, his voice tinged with amusement as he regarded the towering hammer with a raised eyebrow. "But if it's what you've got, then by all means, let us proceed."
Alex looked at the door in front of them, the Mystery Box's power humming just beyond it. He knew that opening it would be a gamble, but they were running out of options. He took a deep breath and focused his mind once more, envisioning the strength of the Incredible Hulk. His muscles bulged , he felt the power of the Hulk surge within his veins.
Before any of the others could react, Alex took a step back and, with a roar that seemed to shake the very earth, slammed his fists into the wooden barricade. The door exploded into a shower of splinters, revealing the Mystery Box within. The zombies, momentarily stunned by the display, paused in their advance, giving the group a precious few seconds to regroup.
The air was thick with the scent of ozone as Alex approached the glowing box, his heart racing with excitement. The power of the Hulk surged within him, making him feel like he could rip the world apart with his bare hands. But it was the power of imagination that truly ruled here, and with a focused thought, he returned to his human form. The box beckoned to him, its energy pulsing in time with his own racing heartbeat.