The next day, early morning.
Warm sunlight filtered through the curtains, golden threads landing on Samuel. He opened his eyes, glanced at the empty bed beside him, stretched, and got up. After dressing and washing, he stepped out of the Sanctum Sanctorum, greeting the Survivors outside.
The sunlight couldn't lift the gloom in their hearts.
Sharon Carter handed Samuel coffee. "Plan for the operation?"
Samuel nodded, sipping. "I'll open a portal in a low-zombie area. Bucky, Hope, you, clear zombies. I'll keep the portal open. If it's bad, retreat. Peter, Happy, cover them."
"Everyone has a task but me! Discriminating because I'm a head? I can keep watch!" Head Lang protested.
Samuel smiled. "Where's the Cloak of Levitation? Let it carry him. No cheering, but watching works."
"Whoosh—"
The Cloak of Levitation appeared, lifting Head Lang. A fitting pair, though the cloak had stayed hidden since fighting zombie Doctor Strange.
"One problem," Bucky said, pointing left. "Captain and Hawkeye are here. Falcon's likely too. Leaving them risks trouble."
Air rushed above. Mechanical wings sliced through, diving down.
"Falcon!"
Bucky fired wildly. Others took cover or attacked. Zombie Falcon, missing an arm, dodged agilely, blocking bullets with his wings, then kicked Bucky away.
Bucky rolled, stabilized, and aimed again, but froze. Falcon was suspended mid-air, held by an invisible force.
Samuel, sipping coffee, waved casually. "Bang!" Falcon crashed down. A scorching ray pierced his head.
"Coffee's cold," Samuel muttered, heating it with the ray until steam rose.
Everyone stared, unsure how to react. Samuel was having fun.
"Rewards delivered at dawn. Today's a harvest," Samuel said, checking the system. Bucky, Sharon, Hope, Spider-Man, and Happy attacked Falcon, yielding two Redwing suits and 20 points. The suit had retractable wings, a Redwing drone with AI, micro-drones, and a 360-degree camera with pulse lasers—great for scouting. Individual drops: Vibranium arm (Bucky), Pym Particles (Hope), Spider-Sense (Peter), palm repulsor (Happy), 3 points.
Samuel upgraded the combat detection range to 600 meters, then sent a palm repulsor to Sharon's left hand. It deformed and attached.
"You have one too?" Happy asked, comparing theirs.
Samuel teased, "Perform well, and I'll lend you an Iron Man Suit to feel Tony's happiness."
"You have a suit?" Happy's eyes widened.
"Whatever I want, I have," Samuel shrugged.
"I want the suit, not… other stuff," Happy clarified.
"Nobody said otherwise."
"Oh."
Happy's awkwardness lightened the mood.
"Swish!"
Samuel opened a portal outside Bleecker Street. Zombies rushed the living targets. Bucky and the others fired from within.
Samuel sat on the steps, sipping coffee, relishing the reward drops. Each fallen zombie and ally attack yielded rewards: Vibranium arms, Super Soldier Serum, Pym Particles, palm repulsors.
"Happy," Samuel called.
Happy turned, catching two new palm repulsors. "Awesome!" he said, swapping them on, mimicking "Bang bang bang" while firing.
This wasn't a zombie apocalypse—it was a reward-farming paradise. In ten minutes, Samuel amassed a pile of gear.
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