**TITLE: Doomsday Rebirth 395**
“What in the world is that?” William murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, as he cast a wary glance around. They had to be cautious; the chaos below was already overwhelming, and they certainly didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention from the frantic souls downstairs.
The atmosphere was thick with panic, a direct result of the plague that had turned their world upside down. The last thing they needed was to attract someone from the depths of that madness, risking their own lives in the process.
The recent skirmish had left their hazmat suits in tatters, a grim reminder of their current predicament.
William, in particular, had made the drastic decision to discard his suit entirely, feeling the weight of the fabric constricting his movements. He needed the freedom to fly, to escape this nightmare.
“I have no idea! But whatever it is, it seems to be hunting us down. Maybe we should consider retreating to another building for safety,” James suggested, his voice quaking with a mixture of fear and urgency as he wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.
With a shared look of dread, the three of them reached a consensus to make a hasty retreat.
However, William was faced with a daunting challenge; he could only carry one person at a time.
Given that James had no combat skills, William quickly decided that he would take him first.
“Climb on my back,” he instructed, crouching low to allow James to hoist himself onto his shoulders. He braced himself, ready to take flight and whisk James away from danger.
But just as he crouched down, preparing to launch into the air, an unseen force yanked him backward with terrifying suddenness!
With a thunderous crash, he found himself slammed back onto the rooftop, completely disoriented and stunned.
“Going somewhere? Not so fast,” a chilling voice sliced through the air behind him.
William turned slowly, his heart racing, and his eyes fell upon a woman standing confidently on the rooftop.
Flanking her were two towering trees, their presence both majestic and menacing.
One was the massive, broad-leaved tree he had seen before, but the other…
His gaze locked onto a sinuous willow branch that had just ensnared him.
The branch retracted toward a tall, elegant willow tree, its branches quivering ominously as if poised to strike at any moment.
But what truly sent a shiver down his spine was the woman at the center of it all. She stood there, a sly smile playing on her lips, her eyes glinting with malice as she regarded him and his companions.
“Handsy, Medusa. Get them for me. I want them alive,” Caroline commanded, her tone dripping with authority.
And just when he thought it couldn’t get worse, the ice and water transformed into scalding steam, searing his skin and leaving it red and raw.
In that moment of agony, Chris realized that the woman before him was a far greater threat than he had anticipated. She didn’t just command two monstrous trees; she wielded terrifying powers of her own.
Medusa’s branches then coiled around him, binding him tightly.
She swung him against the ground a few times, ensuring he understood the futility of resistance, before leaving him suspended in midair, head down.
Pain throbbed through Chris’s face, the itchiness of his burns driving him to distraction, yet his arms were bound so securely that he couldn’t even attempt to scratch. The relentless blows had left him bleeding and dizzy, struggling to maintain his consciousness.
With all three captured and subdued, Caroline stood before the trees, her arms crossed over her chest, surveying the trio with a predatory gaze. “Speak. Who are you? What are you doing here? Does this entire plague have anything to do with you?” she demanded, her voice a chilling echo of authority.
Meanwhile, on the 65th floor, Tyler, Denton, and Nelson were caught up in their own frantic battle.
Nelson was a whirlwind of activity, his focus unwavering. Denton, now armed with an Elephant Brand back scratcher, had found some relief; his infection was spreading at a slower pace.
Yet, the pallor of his face, streaked with blood, cast an eerie shadow over his appearance, making him look like a specter.
Tyler busied himself assisting Nelson, but the worry etched on his face revealed his deep concern for Denton’s deteriorating condition.

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