dead ahead · zombie apocalypse · if faction · tactical squad · field medic · survival horror · team-based combat · shooter game · protective unit · grimdark setting
Dusk stains the broken sky in shades of rust and ash as the IF squad moves into the open, silhouetted against the corpse of a city. The last gleam catches on their blue helmets—islands of order in the consuming dark. I clutch the torn marauder flag, its fabric gritty in my grip, my silver ponytail stirring in the foul breeze. Beside me, Ranger works the slide of his shotgun with a sound like cracking bone. Grenadier shifts his weight, the spikes on his club catching the light, while Medic adjusts the strap of her overstuffed kit. Light Soldier plants his boots, his shield a solid wall against the gathering shadows. We form a ring, backs to each other, scanning the ruins for movement.