Zero Logic: The Hunter Gambits

Chapter 08. Zero Percent

CRASH!

It wasn't the sound of an ordinary collision. It was the sound of total annihilation. Half a million dollars' worth of high-end machinery was crushed into a sardine can in a fraction of a second.

Oliver’s prized Rolls Royce Phantom crumpled at the roof. The windshield disintegrated into thousands of lethal shards. The suspension shrieked as it snapped, and the tires blew out in unison, forcing the chassis to kiss the asphalt with a bone-jarring thud.

Amidst the swirling dust and the steam escaping the shattered radiator, a figure stood atop the wreckage.

The vampire was nearly eight feet tall. He bore no resemblance to the chiseled, brooding vampires of teen cinema. His skin was the ashen gray of a headstone, and his muscles coiled around his frame like tensed steel cables. His face was a bat-like nightmare, featuring an upturned, flat snout and a maw filled with fangs that dripped thick, viscous saliva.

His membranous wings folded against his back, letting out a sickening leathery rustle as he shook off the debris.

"Frank!" Oliver screamed, his eyes wide with horror.

There was no sound from inside the flattened car. The roof had caved in directly over the driver’s seat. The odds of Frank’s survival were infinitesimal. Oliver felt his chest tighten. Frank wasn't just a driver. He was the only person who never asked why Oliver came home with blood on his clothes.

The vampire looked down, peering into the car through the shattered front glass. He sniffed.

"The smell of oil and cheap fat," the vampire growled. His voice was heavy, vibrating in Oliver’s chest. "Not my target."

The creature turned slowly toward Oliver. His movements were jerky and unnatural, reminiscent of a gruesome stop-motion animation. His red eyes locked onto Oliver.

"You." The vampire smirked. "The Time Thief. You smell... delicious."

The System in Oliver’s left eye blinked a frantic crimson, flooding his vision with data that made his head feel as if it were about to split.

[ENEMY ANALYSIS: FERAL VAMPIRE (TYPE: STRIKER)]

[SPEED: 53 MPH]

[PHYSICAL STRENGTH: CAPABLE OF LIFTING 2 TONS]

[WEAKNESSES: SILVER, UV LIGHT, DECAPITATION]

[SUGGESTION: DON'T DIE (SYSTEM SARCASM)]

"Stupid System," Oliver cursed. "Your suggestions aren't helping!"

The vampire leaped from the roof. He didn't land with a heavy thud, but with a light tap. He was far too light for a creature of that mass.

"Who sent you?" Oliver asked, trying to buy time. His hands fumbled in his jacket pockets, searching for anything. A coin? Keys? A pen? "The Vampire Council? Or are you just a stray monster looking for a snack?"

The vampire didn't answer. He simply stepped forward. Each stride radiated a predatory aura that made Oliver’s knees shake. This wasn't a street thug. This wasn't a lowly Ghoul. This was a perfected killing machine.

"Run, little rat," the vampire whispered. "I prefer it when my food fights back."

Oliver scanned his surroundings. An open parking lot. There was nowhere to hide. If he ran in the open, he would be dead in three seconds. He needed a corridor or a confined space where the creature’s wide wingspan would become a liability.

His eyes caught a gap between two red brick buildings at the end of the street. A dark, trash-filled alleyway.

"Fine. You want to play tag?" Oliver threw his cane at the vampire’s face with all his might.

It was useless. The vampire caught the ebony stick mid-air and snapped it in two with one hand as if it were a dry twig. But it was enough.

Oliver turned and ran.

Or rather, he dragged himself as fast as he could. His limping leg was forced to work beyond its limits. His damaged lungs burned with every ragged breath.

"Argh... Dammit! Why didn't I take up jogging!"

Oliver snatched the cheap revolver from the unconscious thug as he scrambled past. Five bullets. .38 caliber. It was unlikely to pierce the vampire’s hide, but it was better than empty hands.

SWOOSH!

A cold wind brushed the back of his neck. The System provided a visual warning, a large red arrow pointing at his spine.

[ATTACK FROM BEHIND! EVADE LEFT!]

Oliver didn't think. He threw himself to the left, crashing into a pile of wet trash bags.

CRACK!

The vampire’s claws struck the asphalt where Oliver had stood a second ago, leaving three deep gouges that threw off sparks.

"Close..." Oliver panted. He rolled, scrambled to his feet, and bolted into the narrow alley.

The alley reeked of rot, filled with puddles of sewage and rats scurrying in fear. High brick walls loomed on either side, leaving only a sliver of the sky visible above.

"A dead end?" Oliver cried out in panic as he saw the end of the alley blocked by a tall chain-link fence topped with barbed wire.

He turned. The vampire stood at the mouth of the alley, blocking the only exit. His silhouette blotted out the streetlights, creating a long shadow that swallowed Oliver whole.

"A dead end," the vampire chuckled. He spread his arms. The tips of his wings scraped the brick walls on both sides, creating a shrill, grinding sound. "A fitting place to die, isn't it?"

Oliver backed up until his spine hit the wire fence. He aimed the revolver with both trembling hands.

"One more step and I’ll put a hole in your head!" Oliver threatened, though he knew it was empty.

"Lead bullets?" The vampire laughed mockingly. "You insult me, human."

He began to walk forward slowly, savoring the terror on Oliver’s face. Oliver activated his Probability Sight to its full extent. His left eye glowed a brilliant gold, scanning the situation. He looked for an escape. He looked for a miracle.

What he saw left him in despair.

[OPTION 1: HEADSHOT]

[PROBABILITY OF SKULL PENETRATION: 0%]

[OPTION 2: CLIMB FENCE]

[TIME REQUIRED: 5 SECONDS]

[ENEMY ATTACK TIME: 0.5 SECONDS]

[PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS: 0%]

[OPTION 3: NEGOTIATE]

[PROBABILITY OF ACCEPTANCE: 0%]

Zero. Zero. Zero.

Every surface around him, the asphalt beneath him, the sky above him—everything was tinted red in his vision. The color of absolute death.

"Zero percent?" Oliver laughed hysterically, tears of frustration tracking down his cheeks. "You're joking, right, System? I sold my tongue. I sold my life. And you tell me my odds are zero? What kind of math is this?!"

The vampire was now only five meters away.

"Stop babbling," the vampire growled. "Offer up your throat."

But Oliver Warner was a gambler. And a true gambler never believes in zero. If the odds are zero, it simply means he hasn't factored every variable into the equation yet. He scanned the environment once more. He wasn't looking for an exit. He was looking for a weapon.

His golden eye swept the filthy walls. A leaking water pipe. Useless. A severed power line. No current. A pile of wet cardboard. Trash.

Then, his eyes stopped on an object on the right wall, covered in moss and rust. A faded yellow iron pipe. A residential natural gas line. There was an old, rusted meter valve.

The System provided a new analysis.

[OBJECT: MEDIUM-PRESSURE GAS PIPE]

[CONDITION: 40% CORROSION]

[CONTENT: FLAMMABLE METHANE GAS]

[PROBABILITY OF EXPLOSION IF IGNITED: 95%]

But there was a problem. Oliver was well within the blast radius.

[PROBABILITY OF OLIVER SURVIVING THE EXPLOSION: 5%]

"Five percent," Oliver whispered. "Five is better than zero."

The vampire had already raised his hand. His claws lengthened, ready to strike.

"Hey, you bastard!" Oliver shouted. "You ever hear the term 'All-In'?"

"What?" The vampire paused, momentarily confused.

Oliver didn't fire at the vampire. He pivoted and shot the rusted gas pipe beside him.

BANG!

The bullet slammed into the pipe.

PSSSHHHH!

A loud hissing erupted as high-pressure gas sprayed out, filling the narrow alley with the pungent scent of rotten eggs in seconds. The vampire stopped. His sensitive nose was overwhelmed by the concentrated fumes.

"Gas? You mean to poison me with a foul smell?"

"No." Oliver smiled manically. He still held the gun. Four bullets remained. But he didn't need a bullet to kill. He needed a spark. "I’m inviting you to a barbecue."

Oliver fired again. This time, he didn't aim for the pipe. He aimed for the iron fence near the gas leak. He was looking for metal-on-metal friction.

BANG!

The bullet hit the iron. A small spark flared. In the air saturated with methane, that tiny spark was the apocalypse.

The vampire’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "DON'T—"

BOOOOMMM!!!

The world turned white and orange. The gas explosion wasn't as large as a military bomb, but in the confined alley, the effect was amplified tenfold. A shockwave slammed in every direction. Fire ignited instantly, devouring the oxygen.

Oliver was thrown backward, crashing through the wire fence. He flew through the air, scorched, and tumbled onto the asphalt of the street behind the fence.

The vampire wasn't as lucky. He was at the epicenter. The fire consumed his thin wings in an instant. His sensitive skin blistered.

"ARGHHHH!!!"

The monster’s scream sounded less like a man and more like a wild animal being flayed alive.

Oliver lay on the asphalt, struggling for breath. His expensive suit was partially scorched. His eyebrows were gone. The skin on his face stung with incredible intensity. A long, high-pitched ringing echoed in his ears.

"I... I’m alive?" Oliver felt his chest. His heart was still beating. It was painful, but it was beating.

The system provided a damage report.

[HP: 15% (CRITICAL)]

[BURNS: 2ND DEGREE]

[ENEMY STATUS: ...]

Oliver looked up. He stared into the burning alleyway. From within the flames, a silhouette emerged. Its steps were heavy.

His wings were gone, leaving only charred skeletal remains on his back. His skin was pitch black, like coal. Half of his face had melted away, exposing the white skull beneath. But he was still standing. He was still walking.

The vampire emerged from the fire like a demon from the pit. His one remaining red eye stared at Oliver with unimaginable hatred. His regeneration was working. The charred skin began to slough off, replaced by rapidly growing pink flesh.

"HUMAN!!!" the vampire roared, his voice hoarse. "YOU THINK FIRE CAN KILL ME?! I WILL EAT YOUR ENTRAILS WHILE YOU WATCH!"

Oliver tried to crawl backward, but his legs refused to move. His pistol was lost. The numbers appeared above the vampire’s head again.

[PROBABILITY OF WINNING: 0%]

[PROBABILITY OF ESCAPING: 0%]

[REMAINING TIME: 0 SECONDS UNTIL DEATH]

"Well..." Oliver laughed weakly, coughing up blood. He looked at the dawning sky. "I tried. Good game, you devil."

The vampire raised his regrowing claws. He prepared for the final strike that would decapitate Oliver. Oliver closed his eyes. He waited for the darkness.

Swoosh.

THWACK!

A sharp whistle of wind was followed by the sound of flesh being pierced by something solid. There was no pain in Oliver’s neck. He opened his eyes.

The vampire still stood before him. But his raised hand was frozen in the air. A silver arrow was buried exactly in the center of the monster’s forehead. It had pierced through the front of the skull and exited out the back.

Black blood splattered. The vampire’s red eye blinked once in confusion, then went dark. The massive body buckled and collapsed forward, hitting the ground just inches from Oliver’s feet. It dissolved into a pile of gray ash that scattered in the wind.

Oliver gaped. He looked up toward the roof of the building beside the alley. There stood a silhouette against the fading moonlight. A woman in a long, flowing cloak. She held a modern, silver-glinting crossbow. Her long hair caught the breeze.

She leaped down from the third floor, landing in a perfect superhero stance in front of Oliver. She stood up, looking at him with a cold, calculating gaze. She was beautiful but fierce. A thin scar traced across her left cheek. She leveled her crossbow at Oliver’s scorched face.

"Who are you?" she asked flatly. "You're human, but you smell like Purgatory."

Oliver tried to smile, though his lips were cracked and raw. "Me? I’m just a tourist who took a wrong turn at the attraction."

The System in Oliver’s eye provided a new notification.

[TARGET ELIMINATED BY THIRD PARTY]

[NO TIME REWARD GIVEN]

[NEW CHARACTER DETECTED: CLAIRE (A-RANK HUNTER)]

[STATUS: DANGEROUS / POTENTIAL ALLY]

"Her name is Claire," Oliver thought before consciousness slipped away from the pain. "A pretty name for a grim reaper."