章 99: Three New Maid
Both men had already donned oxygen masks. Beneath them, their faces were pale with terror. They clung to their controls, trying desperately to maintain balance despite the shattered windshield and Zack's intimidating presence. "Relax. I'm not going to kill you," Zack said, giving one of them a light pat on the shoulder. The pilot flinched so hard the plane shook, causing screams to erupt from the cargo hold below.
In the back, over 400 young pepole were crammed together, their screams echoing as the turbulence threw them off balance. Many huddled in fear, sobbing uncontrollably. "Shut up!" one of the two soldiers guarding the cargo hold yelled. Both men, armed with rifles, glared at the women with greedy eyes. "It's just a little turbulence! Quit crying, or I'll give you something to cry about!"
"Haha, look at them cry! These people really are something else," one of the soldiers said, laughing cruelly.
"I love it when they're scared. Makes it more fun later," the other added with a smirk. His lips curled into perverted smile, as his gaze locked into some of the woman in the crowd.
Their laughter echoed through the cabin, adding another layer of dread to the already harrowing situation. Meanwhile, Zack stood calmly in the cockpit, watching the scene unfold with cold eyes. Little did they know, while they were joking and having fun, a battle had already ended in the cockpit, and the boss they believed was dead was very much alive.
Meanwhile, the transport plane turned and adjusted its course, heading towards a new destination. "Contact the other plane. Tell them that if they don't want to be shot down, they better turn around and land in NYC," Zack ordered the two terrified pilots in the cockpit.
The second transport aircraft, realizing the situation had gone sideways, had already fled the scene. With a speed of less than Mach 1, Zack couldn't be bothered to give chase. Instead, he instructed the pilots of his plane to use the comms to call the other transport back, saving himself the trouble.
The two pilots, their faces pale with fear, immediately activated the radio and began calling. After a tense few moments, one of them stammered, "Th-they responded! They said... they'll follow us and land!"
The cold wind, biting at over ten degrees below zero, poured in through the shattered windshield, frosting the pilots' faces and leaving them trembling as they spoke. "Good. Now take us down—it's not far from here," Zack said coolly.
Following his orders, the two transport planes descended from the skies, dropping from tens of thousands of meters to just above ground level. They made emergency landings on a clearing outside a steel plant, an area cleared by Zack's Ant and Spiders. "Not bad flying. Come on, follow me," Zack said, giving the pilots a pat on the shoulder before heading off the plane.
Truthfully, Zack should have carried them off himself. Both men were bruised and half-frozen, struggling to even stand. Still, they managed to stumble after him. The second transport plane soon followed suit, making its own rough landing. From its cargo hold and cockpit emerged five men—panicked and unarmed—who quickly threw up their hands in surrender. With a nervous salute, they stood in a line, their fear written all over their faces.
"Are there more on this plane?" Zack asked the two frozen pilots he'd helped out earlier.
"Y-yes, two more," one stammered, teeth chattering.
Before they could finish their explanation, Zack tossed the pilots onto the grass and strode toward the second plane's cargo hold. But just as he reached the tail, the hatch suddenly creaked open from inside. "Finally landed, huh?" a voice grumbled. "We agreed—I get to pick at least three of these women!"
Two men, rifles in hand, stepped out. Their smug expressions froze the moment they saw the scene outside. A mechanical Ant and Spider stood in front of them, flanked by four other ferocious-looking mechanical dog, all aiming heavy machine guns directly at them. The men's rifles clattered to the ground, one even hitting his own foot in his shock. "Get down here," Zack ordered icily.
Without hesitation, the two men leapt off the plane, quickly joining the others in a huddled group, hands on their heads. "Come out," Zack said as he stepped into the cargo hold, addressing the terrified women crammed together inside. His tone was calm, but his words carried weight.
Man and woman, huddled in fear, their eyes wide. Months of chaos in the post-apocalyptic world had stripped away the last remnants of civilization's order. The strong preyed on the weak, and they had become commodities to be traded or stolen.
If Zack hadn't intercepted the planes, these men would've taken over these people, turning their lives into unspeakable nightmares. "Where are we?" one of them finally asked, her voice trembling as she found the courage to speak.
"NYC," Zack replied simply. "Your new home."
His words hung in the air, followed by a few moments of silence. Then, soft sobs broke out, quickly growing into a wave of relieved, cathartic cries. For the first time in months, they felt something other than fear.
"Don't worry, Sir! I will take care all of them," Charles promised. Despite being nearly seventy, his voice was firm. He raised his left arm—now a custom-built robotic hand Zack had crafted for him. Its nerve conduction technology made it even more flexible than his original limb.
"There's no need for special treatment," Zack said with a faint smile. "Just let everyone know they're free to love who they want."
Charles chuckled. "Don't you worry about that! With the Ant and Spiders around, there's no need to worry about anyone causing trouble."
Satisfied, Zack gave a nod. "Alright. I'll leave the rest to you."
Before departing, Zack had Ego scan the people, selecting three woman who stood out for their skills in cooking and house keeping: Mia, Lily, and Grace. All three were young—between 17 and 22—and had survived the horrors of this new world with their spirits intact.
"Mia Carter, Lily Brooks, Grace Porter," Zack called their names.
The women hesitated before quietly responding, "Yes."
"Relax. Follow me," Zack said, leading the way to the Avalon that had landed nearby.
As the women trailed nervously behind him, Zack turned to the nine prisoner from the transport planes. "You lot, get over here!" Zack barked.
"Yes, sir!" The men scrambled to obey, their heads bobbing in submission as they followed Zack into the Avalon.
Inside, the three women were ushered into the cockpit, while the nine prisoners were shoved into the cargo hold. In less than a few minutes, the Avalon took off, leaving behind the steel plant and carrying its new passengers towards a better—or at least different—future.
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