Revenge by Chris Wilson (nonfiction book recommendations .txt) 📖

make sure, he had fired randomly at any object that could provide cover, shredding anything taller than knee-high grass, which he shot a while to make sure the Zombie wasn't crouched in there. Now sure that the Zombie wasn't there currently, Joel settled back, comfortable but still wary of an ambush. He wasn't prepared to suddenly see and feel a Gore Blade coming out out his chest. The dagger had pierced through his heart, and was now a sickening sight, all covered with his own blood and pieces of his tissue. A filthy hand had covered his mouth and muffled his dying screams. His vision went red as he struggled to hit the Zombie behind him. Finally, he slouched forward, held up only by the blade that killed him.
Matthew withdrew the Gore Blade from the gunman, then licked the blood and meat off the blade. He always enjoyed the taste of flesh and blood, and human was his favorite. He normally wouldn't mind keeping the blade bloody. In fact, it usually reminded him of his recent slaughter. But he needed his stealth, and a trail of blood leading from the body would harm him more than help him. Plus, instead of quenching his thirst for human flesh and blood, it actually strengthened it. His bloodthirsty slaughter had only just begun.
Joel woke in a different mind. His mind's perception of reality and all of his memories were being warped rapidly. Wondering what an all-powerful being one would have to be to warp mind and flesh, he didn't stand up for fear of losing dimension and falling. Suddenly, the process began to fill in gaps and chunks of his memories and perspective. But rather than being angered at the Zombie for killing him, Joel only felt gratitude for losing the life that was his. When the gaps of family, friends, and the Resistance filled he would expect to feel pity at never seeing any of them again. But instead, he remembered them as only burdens and future targets.
Standing, he remembered he was in the middle of a battle. A gun was thrust into his hand, and he recognized the Zombie somehow. He realized that he knew the names and actions of the Zombies he had seen before, and weaknesses of the Resistance. When thinking of the fellow members and friends he knew in the Resistance, he was filled with an urgency to kill the whole Resistance. They must be taken down! Yet just as these thoughts of anger flowed through his mind, patience filled him. The Zombies had time, numbers, and the Overlords' mind on their side. Wait, Joel thought. How do I suddenly know of this Overlord? Before the question could be answered, his flood of thoughts turned to the Resistance. If they hit in the right spots and with the right amounts of force, surely the Resistance would crumble like a sand castle. Mentally refreshed, he remembered their was a war going on. And he was now on the other side...and liking it.
Joel almost shot when Matthew suddenly appeared before him, landing from above and performing a roll like an acrobat. Getting up out of the roll, he naturally pulled out his dagger and was prepared to wield the blade if someone unexpected was there to meet him. Realising Joel was alone and had finished going through the transformation, he grumbled, "Watch where you're pointing that gun. Remember it was I who gave it to you."
Joel lowered the gun and relaxed a little, and responded, "You just surprised me, that's all."
Matthew moaned, "We're in a war! You'd better be on your toes and watching your back, I could have easily been one of the Resistance!" Not waiting for Joel's response, Matthew ordered, "Go around that way and take out the three turret men in succession, use your unnatural speed and stealth to your advantage. Be quick, silent, and deadly. Meanwhile I'll go around this way and take out the other three. Got that?"
Not even waiting for Joel's unsteady nod, Matthew turned his back and creeped around the wall. He half-expected Joel to just stand there, but to his surprise he moved with military precision and followed his orders. How easy it was to recruit for the Zombies! Nearing the first turret, he broke into a silent run. Spotting him and turning the turret to point at him, the guard realised he wasn't there anymore. He almost looked up in time to see Matthew flying through the air with unnatural grace, the flow of the dagger as it went slicing down as Matt soared sung a deadly song for the guard. Killing the guard with deadly precision and landing nimbly, he then turned the turret all the way around to face the other two turrets. He set the controls to 'explosive' and fired at the second turret, destroying it in seconds. The third was almost pointed at him before it too was demolished.
Jumping out of the turret while still low to the ground, he landed on the rough and un-even makeshift pathway briefly constructed so the men could get to their turrets. Still crouching low, he put some distance between himself and the first turret, expecting it to blow up any second. It didn't, and he was surprised to realise Joel must have distracted and killed the guards on his side before they turned to blow up the rogue turret. Drinking the human blood from his blade once more, Matthew shuddered in craving. His eyes tinted red, and he knew he would not be able to withhold a bloodthirsty surge for long. Jumping boldly off the buildings' edge, he slid down the rooftop edge and landed in a neat roll.
His assassin dagger in hand, he attacked the nearest ADR, or Automated Defence Robots. They were a newer advancement, it was unfortunate enough of the Resistance to discover it first. The Zombies were just now receiving shipments of these versatile and more-than-proficient in accuracy mechanics. They could react much faster than humans, had scanners so they were aware of their surroundings at all times, and would never grow slow from boredom or weariness. They were skilled at close combat, long-range combat, and even throwing shurikens, a Japanese blade, making them a deadly opponent to face in battle. The perfect security guard, they would never grow weary from lack of sleep or eating; they only needed to plug into an energy field every day for about five minutes to recharge their depleted battery life.
Approaching the first one, he was not surprised when it turned immediately and took out a silver-tipped expensive shuriken case. It was already open, and even Matthew was surprised at the speed and accuracy of the throw. It was slightly faster than he was expecting, putting him slightly off guard, but had moved long before it whizzed past its target. Already it had another one out, and was about to launch it. Preparing himself, he knew he could complete the near-superhuman task he was about to attempt. When the shuriken sliced through the air in a deadly arc, he was ready for it. Moving faster than the human eye could comprehend, he caught it on the blade of his dagger-sized Gore Blade without moving anything but his arms and hands.
When the robot prepared another, Matthew was slightly disappointed. He had hoped the droid would try another way to harm him when seeing his obvious skill. When he blocked two more shurikens on the lower blade side-by-side with the first one, he ran towards the robot with blinding speed, his blade vertically in front of him. Two more shurikens were thrown and blocked, side-by-side with the previous three, with amazing grace and inhuman skill as Matthew neared his victim. Closing the case and sticking it to itself using magnetization, the droid took out a long, curved blade generally preferred among the Japanese from a slot behind its' shoulder and swung it before him with blurred proficiency. Slowing down considerably, Matthew began to randomly twist and curve his blade to try and confuse the robot, Matthew knew its' sensors would attempt to observe what style he was using, predict, and dominate his skills. By starting with randomization, he hoped to confuse the sensors until his true opening move formed...
The metallic clash and cling of the two beings locked in mortal combat hurt Matthew's ears. He had opened with a magnificent backwards double swipe with enough power and smoothness to throw off a samurai, only to be blocked by the amazingly agile blade before him. It had been close, but apparently the ADR was able to change tactics within a matter of milliseconds. Changing his form to a more accurate style, his blade was met with a resounding Clang! as the robot had predicted his next move. Going from an accurate stance to an aggressive stance to a defencive stance and back to aggressive seemed to be natural for Matthew, and the droid quickly caught on to his style of attack. The ADR suddenly held the blade with only one hand, and took another blade out from behind his left shoulder. The new blade was extremely straight and very serrated, just clashing with this blade would dent any weapon. Surprised with this unanticipated tactic, Matthew barely backpedaled in time to avoid a new flurry of attacks, much swifter and more accurate than its' last movement, but this time with two blades.
Matthew guessed it had just been probing him for strategies and weaknesses, for now it fought with a strength making the other seem weak and clumsy in comparison. Constant backpedaling and a masterful defence was the only reason Matthew was still alive, and both the droid and Matthew realised it at the same moment. The robot changed tactics slightly, cornering Matthew so he could only head one direction. Mercilessly chipping away at Matthews' defence, the ADR seemed close to victory. No! Matthew thought desperately. My life cannot be ended by this mechanical being! He sensed he was nearing a wall, and no sooner had he realised this then he was pressed against the wall of the fortress behind him. A desperate gamble of extremely complicated moves that he had only begun to learn barely resisted the deadly left-right, swipe, stab method of the artificially strengthened droid.
Three shots rang out in the air, followed by a Ping! Ping! Ping! The ADR turned its' head to look behind its' right shoulder, and Matthew seized the chance. Repelling the blades before him, he stabbed at the robot with a desperate lunge. It was blocked and a counterattack was close behind it. Ducking, Matthew saw the droids' blades impale the wall behind him, penetrating the soft metals with his serrated blade. Surprised at how the robot did this without looking, Matthew realised the sensors must be more advanced then he had originally thought. Kicking out strongly, there was a deep Tong! noise and a strong pain in his foot. The ADR hadn't budged, but had turned around, though whether by his kick or something else that was distracting it Matthew couldn't tell.
The robot started to walk calmly with a Clank! Clank! away from Matthew. Glad that its' attention was off him, Matthew stood up and took in his surroundings. Suddenly, there was a deafening sound like a gong and a blinding flash of orange and white light. Blinking rapidly to see what had caused this and who it targeted, Matthew squinted through the blinding white and orange light and could only barely make out the outline of the ADR with its' right