The headquarters stood like a modern fortress at the edge of a ruined city. Steel walls, defense drones, and a thick air of purpose. It was built not just to withstand an invasion-but to lead the resistance.
Inside, the atrium buzzed with tension as six strangers gathered, drawn by a man named Fakhrul, and united by something none of them could yet see.
He stood on the upper level, watching them arrive one by one, joined by Nafisa, his quiet and watchful assistant.
Rasel arrived first. Ex-military. Stone-faced. Eyes sharp. He scanned the area like it was enemy territory, then leaned against a wall, silent and unreadable.
Next came Hridoy, calm and precise. He moved like a shadow, his rifle slung across his back. He paused at the entrance, eyeing Rasel, then nodding once, but saying nothing.
Zara stepped in, her stride calculated and her expression unreadable. She stood near the wall, arms crossed. Observing. Analyzing.
Tayeb followed. Towering. Cloaked. A heavy silence followed him into the room. He didn't greet anyone. His eyes briefly locked with Siddik's. Siddik comes to him,"Aw, I missed you, Tin man." "Don't call me that," Tayeb said quietly. "Why not?" Siddik smirked. "It's better than 'failed experiment.' Or do you prefer 'Rage Machine #001'?"
Nafisa moved between them instantly, hand to her weapon, "Enough!"
Zara didn't flinch. "This again…"
Fakhrul sighed, stepping in. "They've never gotten along. Ever since Siddik tried to hack Tayeb's neural limiter during an operation."
"I wasn't trying to hack it," Siddik said mockingly. "I was testing boundaries."
"You nearly fried my brain," Tayeb barked.
Siddik flashed a grin. "And yet here you-still brooding. You're welcome."
In this moment the last man of the team come:Kawser. His entrance was loud, uninvited, and intentionally flashy. He kicked the door open, music blaring from a speaker slung to his belt, tossing a pack of chips in the air.
"Yo! This the anti-zombie club?"
No one laughed.
Fakhrul let the silence stretch before stepping down.
"Welcome," he said. "You don't know each other. That's fine. What matters is what we're about to do together."
He gestured to Siddik, standing beside Tayeb.
"This man built the place you're standing in. He's the reason any of this is possible."
Siddik stepped forward. His usual grin was more reserved.
"I'm Siddik . Engineer, innovator… and possibly the last person crazy enough to fight back with science and style. I designed this headquarters after seeing too many the infected. But I can't use it alone.
He looked toward the gear rack.
"You're here because you're the best at what you do. And because this world doesn't give second chance. It takes them,"
He clapped twice. The panel slid open-revealing six custom suits, hanging like armor for the future.
Siddik began the handover:
To Rasel: A matte-black tactical suit with reactive armor and stealth padding. Siddik handed him a wrist-mounted command module.
"Command-type interface. Built to move in silence, lead in chaos." To Hridoy: A slim, heat-resistant suit with signal dampeners, designed for sniping under pressure. Siddik handed him custom smart-scopes and a tech drone named 'Falcon'.
"Precise and signal-jamming built in. You'll see them before they breathe." To Zara: A modular armor-jacket loaded with injectors, scanners, and advanced chemical dispensers.
"Your brain is a weapon. I just made sure it's portable." To Tayeb: A reinforced exo-suit embedded with kinetic buffers and bio-rage limiters-an experiment, slightly unfinished.
"This one's… complicated. Let's just say it keeps you dangerous without turning you into the enemy." To Kawser: A multipurpose combat rig designed for chaos. Modular explosives, signal smoke, flash cells, and shock pads.
"For the chaos you crave. Just try not to blow up the base." To Fakhrul: A leadership-grade suit with AI guidance, hidden blades, and situational surveillance built in.
"You're still our leader, Brother. Lead us well."
Everyone stared at their gear. No one spoke first.
Fakhrul broke the silence.
"You were brought here not because you're similar. But because together, you can cover every front. I know trust is earned. So, start there." He turned, "Introduce yourselves."
Rasel kept it short.
"Rasel Rahat. Former captain. 47 missions. Only survivor of my last squad. I don't play games.
Zara tilted her head.
"Zara Arman. Medical researcher. I dissect things-viruses, minds, people. Depends who need healing."
Tayeb simply said,
"Tayeb Hossen. I'm… what's left of a mistake.
Kawser raised both hands.
"Kawser. No tragic story. Just here to kill zombies and annoy you all."
The tension broke slightly, but eyes turned to Hridoy, who hadn't said a word yet. He finally spoke, turning to Siddik.
"You haven't changed," he said, voice cool but with weight. "Still chasing ghosts with wires and codes. But I didn't come back for you. I came for him." He nodded at Fakhrul.
Then he looked at the others.
"I'm Enamul Haque Hridoy. Former task force. Hacker, sharpshooter, and survivor. I've seen too many people die to pretend this is easy. But if there's a fight worth having-this is it."
Siddik didn't respond immediately. But there was something behind his eyes-regret, maybe. Or history.
The suits had been handed out, the gear distributed, and a strange, uneasy quiet had settled over the headquarters. Everyone stood in small clusters, still trying to get used to their new roles, new teammates, and the terrifying mission ahead.
But as the tension thickened, Zara couldn't ignore the question burning at the back of her mind.
She turned to Siddik, her arms crossed. "What about her?" She nodded toward Nafisa, who stood off to the side, silently organizing reports.
Fakhrul, overhearing, stepped forward with a small but knowing smile. He glanced at Siddik, then back at Zara.
"She's going to be the one to keep us alive," he said simply. "Her job's to manage intel, operations, and communications."
Zara raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't look like someone who belongs in a control room."
Nafisa didn't flinch at the comment. She had grown used to the skepticism. But Fakhrul was quick to defend her.
"Her father was a field medic and a strategist-he trained her, and I've kept her sharp. She's been gathering intel, analyzing patterns, and running simulations for years."
Siddik added, "Plus, I built the damn system for her. She knows it better than anyone."
A pause filled the room, and everyone turned to Nafisa as she quietly walked toward the main control center, her eyes focused and determined. The control room was small but complex, with multiple screens tracking the movement of the virus, live footage of outbreaks, and more detailed data streams feeding in from regions across the globe.
Fakhrul continued, "She'll be in charge of data gathering, relaying information, and making sure we're always one step ahead."
Zara's gaze softened, and she nodded. "Alright. I see it now. It's just…" She hesitated for a second, "She's not a fighter. She's not built for this war."
Fakhrul locked eyes with her. "None of us are. But she's the reason we'll survive."
The decision was made. Nafisa wasn't a soldier, but she was critical. They needed her just as much as they needed any fighter in the field.
Fakhrul stepped toward Siddik, glancing at the slick black armor folded across a side table.
"You didn't mention your own suit," he said quietly, but loud enough for the others to hear.
Siddik smirked, running a hand through his hair.
"Was hoping someone would ask."
He grabbed the suit and held it up—a mix of sleek obsidian and glowing red lines, thinner than the others, yet clearly more complex.
"This one… isn't built for brute strength or heavy assault. It's for speed, stealth, and sabotage. A neural-linked system lets it respond to my thoughts. Integrated AI, active camo, silent-blade deployment, and a dark energy pulse core."
He winked. "Also has a built-in espresso dispenser. Because priorities."
Some laughed—Kawser loudest.
Zara raised a brow. "How did you fund all this?"
"Let's just say," Siddik said, slipping the armor back down, "the stock market bounces differently when you've hacked it twice."
Private Conversations After the Announcement:
[Nafisa & Fakhrul]
Later, as the team dispersed to their stations, Fakhrul walked up to Nafisa, who was already absorbed in the data stream.
"You alright with this?" he asked, his voice quieter now that no one else was listening.
She looked up, her expression hard to read. "It's not the first time I've had to prove myself." A brief pause. "I'll handle it."
Fakhrul smiled, though it was tinged with worry. "I trust you, Nafisa. Don't let the others' doubts get to you."
Nafisa gave him a small nod. "I won't."
[Nafisa & Zara]
Later, Zara approached Nafisa at the control desk.
"Hey," she started, testing the waters. "I know what you're capable of. But don't let them think you'll have it easy. Not here."
Nafisa looked up, meeting her gaze. "You think I haven't heard that my whole life?" she said flatly. "Let them doubt me. The second we're in the field, I'll make sure they see what I can do."
Zara paused, surprised by the fire in Nafisa's eyes. She hadn't expected that level of determination.
"Alright," Zara replied, finally offering a hint of a smile. "Let's see what you can do."
[Fakhrul & Zara]
"What made you think that she should stay out of the world?" Zara asked.
"Siddik. He called me alone after I recruited him. He said, "Stay her out of this, Sir. I can't let her fight this along us. Maybe she and I have a tough relation. But I still cares for her." Then I asked, "What do you want now? What should we do with her?" "Let's create a control room and make her the in-charge." Siddik made the plan."
"No one can understand him." Zara smiled.
[Hridoy & Siddik]
Later, Hridoy cornered Siddik near the upper deck, away from the others.
"You're not telling them everything," he said.
Siddik didn't deny it. "Neither are you."
"That thing in Tayeb," Hridoy said quietly, "It's unstable. One day, we'll have to choose—him, or the mission."
Siddik clenched his jaw. "When that day comes… I'll choose both."
[Fakhrul & Siddik again]
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Fakhrul stood at the observation deck. Siddik walked up beside him.
"You think this team will work?" Fakhrul asked.
"No," Siddik said casually. "Not yet. But that's what makes it interesting."
The HQ dimmed into night mode. In the silence, each member retreated to their quarters with questions, shadows, and memories. But in that silence—a spark had begun.
Tomorrow, they'd no longer be strangers.