Plans Against An Immortal

Morning arrived quietly.

Too quietly.

Rain stopped.

Clouds remained.

The temporary base looked different now.

Boxes.

Supplies.

Vehicles being repaired.

People carrying equipment.

Children helping move water containers.

Nobody stayed still.

Because staying still meant dying.

Xin woke up near the outer wall.

He had fallen asleep sitting.

His body still hurt.

His mind hurt more.

Orion sat nearby.

Already awake.

Already watching.

“You sleep like you expect attacks,” Orion said.

Xin stretched slowly.

“I do.”

Orion nodded.

“Good.”

Everyone gathered near the central warehouse.

Tara spread maps across a metal table.

Rion leaned against a wall quietly.

Several new resistance members stood nearby.

People Xin had seen before but never properly met.

Tara pointed.

“We move tonight.”

Nobody argued.

“Current base is compromised.”

She pointed toward maps.

“Black Bloom activity increased.”

“Dive movement increased.”

“Creature outbreaks increased.”

She looked toward Xin.

“And Andy knows where we are.”

Silence.

Everyone understood.

The resistance members introduced themselves properly.

Mason.

Former military engineer.

Large build.

Heavy weapons specialist.

Nora.

Fast scout.

Excellent tracking.

Survived three Dive capture attempts.

Dren.

Explosives.

Too much explosives.

Probably unstable.

Sia.

Medic.

Former hospital worker.

Very young.

Still looked terrified constantly.

They all looked toward Xin.

Then toward Orion.

Nobody looked comfortable.

Finally.

Tara got to the real problem.

Andy.

She placed old maps down.

Black markings covered entire regions.

“This is spreading every week.”

Black Bloom.

Everyone stared quietly.

Mason spoke first.

“So.”

He pointed.

“We jump him.”

Silence.

Dren nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Explosives.”

“Everything.”

“Big explosion.”

Tara looked tired already.

“No.”

Mason frowned.

“Why.”

Xin answered.

“Because we already tried.”

Everyone looked toward him.

“Nukes.”

“Anti Spinat traps.”

“Cities collapsing.”

“He regenerated.”

Nobody spoke again.

Nora slowly raised hand.

“Poison?”

Tara immediately shook her head.

“Waste.”

“He isn’t functioning normally anymore.”

“Breathing.”

“Organs.”

“Blood.”

“We don’t even know if any of that works.”

Dren sighed.

“So what the hell kills this thing.”

Silence.

Everyone looked toward Orion.

Orion finally spoke.

“Same thing that weakened Zane.”

Everyone stayed quiet.

Orion pointed at the map.

“Anti Spinat.”

Rion looked toward him.

“You think it works.”

Orion nodded.

“It should.”

Xin crossed arms.

“We already used Anti Spinat before.”

“Yes.”

Orion replied calmly.

“But not enough.”

Tara slowly understood.

“You mean longer exposure.”

Orion nodded.

“And stronger dosage.”

He looked around the room.

“Andy regenerates because his body constantly reconnects.”

“Break the connection.”

“Regeneration stops.”

Silence.

Then Sia asked quietly.

“So.”

“We inject him.”

Orion nodded.

“Yes.”

Xin immediately answered.

“Good luck injecting that bastard.”

Orion looked directly at him.

“That is why all of us do it together.”

Tara leaned forward.

“So tell us.”

“How do we actually kill him.”

Orion stayed quiet for several seconds.

Then answered.

“We don’t.”

Everyone stared.

Orion continued.

“We weaken him.”

“We break regeneration.”

“We isolate him.”

Hours later.

Everyone started packing.

Vehicles loaded.

Weapons prepared.

Maps updated.

Rion approached Xin quietly.

“You okay.”

Xin stared at distant mountains.

“No.”

Rion nodded.

“Same.”

They stayed quiet.

Finally Xin spoke.

“You think we can actually kill him.”

Rion looked toward growing Black Bloom visible far away.

“I think.”

He paused.

“We have to.”

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