Chapter V

Witch and Zombie: Witches have different powers, and some can even bring the dead back to life. However, they become nothing but a husk of who the person used to be. A familiar, who only listens to the witch’s instructions, accompanies them.

This wasn’t usually how Axl and Soren spent their mornings. It was usually spent groggily waking up and crawling their way either for a hot shower or the coffee machine. This morning, however, was different. Gael, a work associate of theirs. Who dragged them out to a site that needed tending to, and he would not be able to complete it alone. “So what are we looking for exactly?” mumbled Soren with a yawn, rubbing at his eyes.

“We’re looking for clues that our body recovery team may have missed,” Gael replied.

Axl nodded and let his eyes scan the ground, spotting abnormal footprints and drag marks. If they had been briefed on what the results were on the cadaver, it would make things a lot easier. Such as what type of injuries it had endured and what had made them. Looking again, he squinted his eyes, seeing some type of…dust? “This is the second attack this month,” said Gael.

Axl pulled on a pair of gloves and gathered some of the dust, placing it into a biohazard bag. Soren made a face and crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you think you know what did this?” he questioned. “Looks like it might be someone who has attempted their first time with reanimation?” Axl replied. Gael nodded, agreeing with Axl. “Yeah, that’s most definitely what it is we’re dealing with.” he sighed, rubbing his arms. Soren arched an eyebrow, clearly confused as to what exactly that meant and how they were going to deal with this.

Axl locked eyes with his partner “We’re dealing with a witch and a zombie.”

Soren nodded and took a minute to absorb what he had been told. His father had never told him how to deal with a witch. Zombies, yeah, but there were different types to deal with and certain ways to dispatch them. How were they supposed to deal with a witch? They would need more than his and Axl’s cabinet of tricks.

Going back to their base, Axl and Soren combed through what they had on hand. As it stood, both of them wouldn’t have what it took to go against the witch and the zombie. Axl took out his phone and called up a supplier that their parents knew. A man named Emerson who usually did the autopsy’s on the dead bodies. A knock soon arrived on their door, and Soren let the man inside, who carried a couple of boxes.

“I never thought that I would see the day when I would be coming to bring you two supplies.” said Emerson, placing the boxes down. He looked around the place and let out a sigh, a look on his face as if he was reminiscing about the past. Axl opened one of the boxes and scratched his head. “We have a witch and zombie to deal with and didn’t have all that we needed.” he muttered. Emerson made an “ah” expression and nodded his head, shoving his hands into his pockets. Before he left, Emerson did tell them about a journal being in one of the boxes.

Maybe it would have information in it that they needed.

Soren found the journal and thumbed through it. In order to defeat the witch, they would need iron, as the zombie would be the easier of the two. Gathering up all that they needed, they loaded up the boot of the car and headed out to the last known location. To where a team of hunters had seen the witch and zombie roaming around an abandoned apartment complex. Creek Village used to house a lot of residents until a mass fire caused the place to be shut down for good.

Both Axl and Soren began gearing up, making sure that both of them had iron and a gun handy. This would be just in case if they were to be separated. Slowly, they ascended the first set of stairs, pushing open a door at a time and looking inside. Soren felt uneasy, as if they were being watched, which caused him to constantly look over his shoulder. “Everything okay?” Axl asked, noticing his partner’s unease and constant look over his shoulder.

“I just…feel like we’re the ones being hunted.” Soren replied in a whisper.

The hunters have now become the hunted, huh? Axl thought to himself and crossed his arms, looking towards the location Soren kept looking towards. It honestly wouldn’t be the first time that it has happened; the smarter monsters that hunters have come across usually do fight back. “We should go in the direction that you’re getting that feeling from,” said Axl, touching Soren’s forearm. Soren nodded and began to lead the way as they did; the first floor platform collapsed. Both of them barely had any time to scream as it gave way.

Axl had grabbed onto the ledge, catching Soren’s hand, and let out a sigh of relief. Looking down at his partner, “Are you okay?” he asked, and Soren nodded even with a scratch across his cheek. With a bit of teamwork, both of them made it back up. Axl surveyed the area where the platform had collapsed; it definitely was tampered with. “Looks like they were expecting us.” Soren scratched his cheek, looking over at Axl, and winced, it having been the cheek that was injured.

“Yeah…we should get that cheek patched up before we continue,” said Axl, taking out a medkit.

Soren tried to protest, but Axl wasn’t having it, making his partner sit down so he could patch the wound. With the scratch cleaned and a patch over it, they could continue in the direction they were headed before. As they got closer, the air around them seemed to be almost stifling, and the smell of decay lingered in the air. Ahead of them was what appeared to be two normal-looking individuals. Both sets of eyes were on Axl and Soren; the taller of the two stepped in front of the shorter, a sneer on their face.

Soren wielded the gun on his hip as Axl took up the iron from the holster on his back. The ground under Soren’s feet began to melt like quicksand, causing him to take a few steps back. “Why don’t you leave us alone!” the smaller individual yelled as the ground continued to ripple. “Because people are dead!” Axl shot back, pointing the iron at the two in front of him. Soren took aim at the taller figure standing in front of the others, finger about to pull the trigger, but he lowered his gun.

Axl gave his partner a confused look. “Why didn’t you take the shot?!” he snapped in frustration. “Let’s just let them go, Axl,” said Soren, lowering his weapon. What did he mean by let them go? After people were killed, there was no way that Axl was going to let them go. The taller figure grabbed onto the smaller one behind him, looking as if they were getting ready to run. Once they did, Axl took the opportunity to use the iron with a sigil engraved on the tip, pushing it against the witch’s forehead, who screeched as she was absorbed into it.

The zombie’s eyes widened, and he let out an unnatural hiss before collapsing to the ground. His eyes, that once showed signs of life, were now vacant. Soren’s heart about leaped out of his chest, glancing over at Axl, who now held a glowing rod in his hand. “We should call the Huntsman Recovery Unit to come gather the body and this…” Axl raised his hand with the rod in it, that still faintly glowed. “I thought for sure that you were really going to let them go.” said Soren, putting his weapon away. Axl sighed, rubbing his arm. To be honest, he thought about it, but it went against the Huntsman code.

Soren frowned, looking down at the zombie who was possibly once special to the witch trapped in iron.