Death stood talking to his restless zombie horse. All around them Death Stalkers were climbing onto their electrical bikes. Sean stood uneasily by Death, wincing from the weird sound that Death was making to calm his horse. He could understand it now. Death had this weird ability to produce powerful sound waves from his palms. He guessed the virus had a lot to do with that, but there was more that he hadn't noticed before. The reason Death was so pale and resembled an albino was because he was technically a zombie. Injecting the virus in little by little had let him build up an immunity but it had its price. He didn't fear death... because he already was dead. Sean could smell it on him now like cologne. He didn't know how he knew, but it was like he could just sense it about him. Looking to the living skeleton's hanging in the tree, he could see the green virus within the core of their bones. He could see how they worked. Lowering his eyes to the ground, Sean inhaled deeply. He hadn't heard anything from Anti in hours. Was something wrong? Ever since the arena, he felt so different.

Death tugged on the chain to his collar gently, stating to him firmly. "Time to go. Come on." Sean moved closer, letting Death help him up onto the horse. The thick grey padded blanket on the skeleton horse made sitting on it far more comfortable than it normally would have been. The sheer ashen sheets draped over the horse bellowed in the breeze and Sean adjusted on him. Death swung up behind him, holding his chain tight. Riding up beside them on a living grey horse, Lilith shot him a bitter look as she trotted by. He'd gladly switch places with her. Zero rode up on a bike beside Death, informing him seriously. "We are ready when you are." Death nodded without looking at Zero and kicked the sides of his horse to get it moving. The horse went into a trot, snapping at anyone who it thought was close enough to bite. Death kept it reined in though. Taking the lead, they rode through the thin wooden gates. Over his shoulder, Death purred into his ear. "I know you're still sore at me. But it doesn't have to be that way. You know deep down that I had to do it."

Sean didn't give him a reply. He didn't feel like chatting with people that saw him as a bioweapon. Death's hand wrapped around his waist, stroking his stomach over his shirt as he continued on. "You should be thanking me. I made you stronger, did I not?" Sean slowly looked over his shoulder, finally breaking his hours of silence to say in a low voice. "The biggest mistake that humans make is believing they can control something they made. Didn't you learn that watching movies? Playing games?" Death brought his lips to Sean's neck, kissing him before he purred out. "I was a scientist. Not a millennial. And your wrong, I can control you." Sean winced as he felt the sharp talon of Death's ring across his stomach. Sean's eyes drifted to the horse who was champing on its bit as it tried to break the metal. Sympathizing with the horse, he told Death darkly. "For now. Nothing lasts forever." Death led the Death Stalkers miles away from their base to wait along a roadside. Death's horse shifted from foot to foot, chomping on its metal bit restlessly as it pawed the dirt road with a hoof.

Beside them, a Death Stalker informed Death coolly. "They should be leading the thing this way." Death grinned, telling them excitedly. "This will be the last test. If he can control this. We'll send him to lead the hoard." Sean shook his head, grumbling out under his breath. "What makes you think that I'll do anything for you? You already sent Mark away. You've got nothing to hold me here." Death grinned, telling him confidently. "Don't worry about that, Sweetheart. Just focus on the task at hand." Sean reluctantly admitted to him. "As I told Famine... I don't know if I can. Part of me is... missing." Death rolled his eyes, mumbling out. "You'll be fine." Sean shook his head. Death wasn't listening to him. Looking down at the reins on the zombie horse, Sean licked his lips and discreetly tugged on the rein farther up to bring the horse's head up. The horse obeyed and without leaning forward, Sean reached out to try unbuckling the bridal. Death was busy asking a Death Stalker if they were all in position just in case of a failure. He wouldn't notice until it was too late. Zero noticed though and gave him a timid expression. Even the zombie horse seemed to understand and stood still to let him finish.

Sean wasn't changing his plan. Unbuckling the bridal, he stiffened as Death asked him with concern. "What are you doing?" Taking a quick breath, Sean leaned out and elbowed Death in the face. Death fell off the back of the horse, his arm tightening the chain on Sean's collar enough that it yanked Sean off the horse too. Falling across the ground, Sean rolled over and kicked Death hard in the face as he tried to get up! The kick was so hard that it broke his skull mask in half. Snatching the chain, he yanked it out of Death's hand and rose to his feet as Death Stalkers surrounded him on their bikes. Sean flicked the chain out across the dirt, getting ready to lash the first person to make a move. From the ground, Death snapped out bitterly through a bleeding nose. "Shoot him!" They all removed tasers from their belts and shot at him. Sean dropped quickly to avoid four bolts and dashed to the zombie horse. Leaping up onto the horse, Sean shoved off the bridal. Six bolts hit him in the back, electrocuting him until he couldn't move even a little bit.

The zombie horse reared as the bridal hit the dirt and Sean barely gripped the blanket as he was forced to stay huddled against the horse. The zombie horse bucked wildly, kicking a Death Stalker who fell and caused a domino effect to the others too close to him. Clinging to the horse as volts ran through his joints, he yelled out to the horse. "GO!" The zombie horse thrashed its head and leapt into a full out run. The bolts in Sean's back were yanked out, causing him to scream but he ignored the pain. Sean had to give the zombie horse credit. It was fast! He didn't know where the horse was going but he didn't care. As long as it got him away from here. The sound of engines drew his attention to look behind him. Zero was chasing behind Lilith on her horse. Lilith's horse was clearly a racing horse, because it was gaining on him. Behind them, some of the Death Stalkers were all trying to catch up to them. Sean tried to see if he could control the horse, when Zero screamed his name. Sean didn't even get a chance to look before a bullet burst through his shoulder! Blinding pain blurred his vision and for a minute he lost the feeling in his left arm.

Loosing his grip and shifting too far, he tumbled off the horse and hit the dirt chest first. The impact knocked the air from his lungs, forcing him to gasp heavily and cough from the kicked-up dust. The zombie horse kept running, while Lilith's horse slid to a stop nearby. Glancing up, he saw Lilith pointing a pistol at him as she hissed out bitterly. "You fucking asshole!" She fired again, shooting him in the leg this time. Sean screamed, rolling onto his side to hold his thigh. Zero skidded his bike to a stop, drawing his bow and an arrow as he yelled out in disbelief. "Lilith! What the fuck are ya doing?!" Lilith kept her gun trained on Sean as she smugly retorted. "I'm making sure he doesn't run again." The other Death Stalkers rode up, slowing down as they took in the scene. Death climbed off one of the bikes, yanking his broken mask off to expose his bleeding nose. Tossing it to someone else, he stormed over and kicked Sean in the face so hard that he blacked out.

When Sean started to wake up, he felt himself being dragged across the dirt as someone gave a speech that he couldn't make out. Something was cuffed to his wrists and his arms were raised over his head and hooked to something. Groggily, he fought the pain across his face and limbs to look up. They were cuffing him to the tree with skeletons. When he was hooked up, someone cut up the back of his shirt to expose his back. Hesitantly looking over his shoulder, he saw the Horsemen and their followers watching him. Death held onto his bare sides, his nose still bleeding as he growled out sternly over his shoulder. "You wanna know how I'll control you? Through pain. A dog that fears getting hit... Obeys." Sean glared over his shoulder as he shot back in a dead voice. "Not always." Death moved away and nodded to someone else. War moved forward, unrolling his long bull whip out. Sean hung his head, trying to brace himself for the hit. He felt numb as it was. Would he even feel it? He closed his eyes, then slowly opened them. He could hear something.

Listening closely, he heard a small voice whisper from somewhere. "Sean... I will not let your blood destroy me. Not when we're so close..." Sean glanced up at the skeletons that swung on the branches of the tree trying to reach for him. Now that he was looking, he inhaled slowly. Had the tree always moved its branches like that? Sean could hear the sound of popping and tearing roots from the ground beneath his feet. Swallowing, he mumbled out to himself. "Oh fuck... It's in the plants." The first lash struck him, and he screamed. The roots beneath his feet rippled under the earth as they quickly retreated from under him. Starting to panic at the thought that he could be chained to the branch of a killer tree, he lifted his feet to brace on the tree trunk as he tried to slide the chain for his cuffs off the branch above him. Seeing him resist, Death ordered aloud. "You two! Hold him down against the tree! We can't be here all day." The Death Stalkers moved closer to grab his legs, which spurred Sean to blurt out in a loud rush. "Famine! It's in the plants! Don't let them do this! It's threatening us!"

Famine started to approach, but Death held out a hand to block his path, snapping out. "Stay back! This is personal." Famine pointed to Sean, saying sternly. "We should listen. I've been studying his behavior and I think he is-" Death turned to glare at Famine, snapping out. "I don't care! You can play with him after I lash the fuck out of him for the shit he pulled today!" Famine's eyes narrowed on Death as he snapped back. "It wouldn't have happened if you had listened to me in the first place! We don't know what's happening to him! This isn't the virus we made! This wasn't how it was supposed to work! So, stop pretending like you know what you're doing! Or do you know something I don't, Death?" Death glared back at Famine, saying lightly. "What are you talking about?" While they argued, War continued to whip Sean. Screams tore from Sean's throat as he felt blood running down his back. With every lashing, blood splattered over the ground and the tree creaked like a heavy wind was unsettling its limbs.

The Death Stalkers holding his hips up against the tree, began to look up at the branches wearily. Taking a jagged breath, Sean whimpered out. "Stop..." War lashed him for the tenth time and droplets of blood hit the side of the tree. Sean felt the branch holding him lift up high enough to lift him clear off the ground and then flicked him off toward the dirt. People began to scream and run as the tree shook itself and knocked some of the hanging skeletons to the ground. The skeletons hit the ground, before climbing to their feet and running after anyone close. Sean hit the ground with a painful yelp, before rolling himself under a truck. The tree's roots tore up from the ground, sending dirt and grass everywhere. The roots shot out in all directions to wrap around people, before the roots impaled them with strange looking thorns that drained them dry. When the tree released them, they'd fall to the ground and take up the chase with the skeletons. Sean crawled out from under the truck, staying hidden as he limped toward their vehicle. He was desperate to try driving it out of here.

Approaching the vehicle, he heard the horses restlessly shuffling about inside the trailer. They must have been put up. He felt like his fortune was turning around. When his heart sank. Where was Chica?! He hadn't seen her since he was locked up! Sean heard footsteps behind him and whirled around. Zero pressed a finger to his lips, then tossed him the keys to the truck. That wasn't all. In Zero's hand was a leash to Chica. Someone had put her in a muzzle. Zero gestured to the truck, rushing out. "Can you drive?" Sean honestly shook his head. Zero switched with him. Giving him the leash and taking the keys back as he ordered him. "Get in. I'll drive." Sean opened the door and weakly climbed inside with Chica. Zero slid into the driver side, quickly starting up the truck and flooring it. Sean pried the muzzle off Chica, holding her close as Zero rammed the wooden wall that bordered the compound. The wood splintered off the hood as they drove straight through it. Looking in the rearview mirror, Sean saw the wooden fence fall.

Sean panted heavily, forcing himself to look away from the mirror as he asked Zero curiously. "What do we do now?" Zero never took his eyes off the road as he told him a bit shakily. "Now... We go find Mark and Mari." To Be Continued...