The m, sunlight streamed through the third-floor windows, nudging Zack from his deep sleep. He sat up, stretched, and got dressed, casting a brief gnce back with a small shake of his head. There was too much to do today; he couldn’t afford to waste time on idle thoughts.

  As he desded the stairs, he called out, "Ego, any news from st night?"

  "Nothing of hin the Mansion, Sir," Ego replied. "However, there were sounds of zombies in the nearby Mansions. Likely former residents who turned after being trapped inside."

  "Uood. I’ll hahem ter," Zack replied, then added, "Any major events outside?"

  "Last night at 11:24 p.m., a nuclear explosion occurred in Nevada State, likely triggered by remnants of the military. Additionally, unusual zombies surfaced in India, and a local survivor base was destroyed."

  "Skip those reports," Zaterrupted. "Anything relevant nearby?"

  "An anization is gathering survivors he capital, likely aiming to establish a rge base with military personnel. Also, reports of a mutated zombie type, the ‘Night Stalker,’ suggest they’re pack creatures with intelligence, swift movements, and climbing abilities. Fires have broken out across the try due to unmanned power pnts, and we expect a full power awork outage in three days."

  Zack’s brow furrowed. Losing power and i access would severely cripple his pns. Without power, the battery-operated Power armor he pnned would be useless. And without the i, Ego’s capabilities would be heavily limited, no longer able to provide stant surveilnd updates.

  "Ego, you tap into a military satellite for intel?" Zack asked.

  "Easily, Sir. Most satellites are now unmonitored." After a brief pause, Ego announced, "I’ve ected to the Liberty Star intelligeellite from the Goverment. The live feed is clear."

  Zack grinned as a real-time image appeared on his s, showing the area with astounding crity. "Good. This solves one issue, at least for now."

  "Regarding power," Ego tinued, "I reroute electricity from surrounding power pnts, ensuring local power for the fifteen days by cutting off supply to ions."

  "Perfect. Do it." Fifteen days wasn’t a long time, but it bought him enough to proceed with his pns.

  After washing up, Zack grabbed a ed meal and headed back to the basement. The previous evening, he’d gathered the necessary materials for building the grapheteries, arranging them on a makeshift workbench—a repurposed pool table with the sides removed.

  “Let’s get started, Ego,” Zack muttered, and Ego dispyed a step-by-step holographic guide on graphetery produ.

  The process wasn’t overly plex, but it required meticulous precision. Durira, Zaoted the honeyb-like structure f on the graphite, uanding now why this method was called the "honeyb extra."

  First, Zack pced the graphite in a liquid solution that helps break down its yers, allowing him to separate the graphite into this. Then, he applied a small amount of electric current through the solution, which caused the graphite to loosen and split into fihin pieces.

  As the current tio flow, Zack carefully monitored the solution to ehe pieces didn’t clump or dissolve too much. Slowly, the yers started peeling off in a delicate honeyb structure, and, over time, the graphite sheets broke down into even smaller particles.

  After several hours, the powder finally dried. Zaow had over ten grams of fine, bck graphene powder resting in his hand. This smooth, lightweight powder was the final product, and its unique honeyb structure gave it a lot of potential uses, especially ironid energy ste.

  “Finally done,” he sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead and carefully sealing the powder away. Gng at the time, he realized it was already noon.

  “Guess it’s lunch time,” he murmured, heading back upstairs.

  On the first floor, Sophia was already seated at the dining table, her eyes skimming over a poetry book as she waited. “Finished?” she asked, setting her book down. “The food’s a bit cold—I heat it in the microwave.”

  “No need,” Zack waved her off, taking a seat. “I’ll be back downstairs after eating anyway.”

  “Alright.” Sophia nodded, n further. She knew better than to ask what Zack was doing. They ate in quiet fort, Sophia clearing the table and washing up afterward as Zack returo the basement.

  It didn’t take him long to gather the remaining materials, and he soon began assembling the battery. Following Ego’s holographic steps, he donned a pair of homemade magnifying gsses and focused ily on the work. The produ process demanded extreme precision; one shaky move and the battery would be rendered useless—or worse, unsafe.

  Zack took a deep breath, steadying his hands, and got to work.

  Meanwhile, an off-road vehicle with a battered front grille rumbled down the road toward Tribeca. Inside were three brothers, each bearing a rough resembo the others.

  "Check it out, Tony," Marco, sitting in the passenger seat, pointed eagerly. "This area’s gotta have fewer zombie roaming around. Rich folks live in those mansions, and they’re usually spread out. Plus, this neighborhood’s practically new!"

  “Yeah, fewer people means fewer zombies,” he tinued, excitement rising. “And we’ve got a gun. We just o clear out a few of them, and we’ll have a whole Mansion to ourselves!”

  In the back, the you brother, Joey, chimed in with a mischievous grin. "Hey, Tony, I heard some of these rich families had some fine pany. Maybe I’ll find a dy to keep me busy."

  Their oldest brother, Tony Russo, ughed. "Well, if you do, make sure she gives us seven ht kids. Gotta keep the Russo family line going!" Their ughter filled the car as they sped toward Tribeca, unaware what is waiting for them.

  After more than an hour of intense tration, Zack finally held a high-energy-ste graphetery, roughly the size of a brick, in his hands. It was entirely bck with four metal tacts on ead, and signifitly heavier than a lithium battery of the same size. He hefted it, feeling the solid weight.

  “Ego, are you sure one of these is enough?”

  “The capacity of this graphetery is over 2,000 times that of a lithium battery, with a charging efficy 3,500 times higher,” Ego replied smoothly. “It will power the armor for at least three hours.”

  "Good enough," Zaodded, though he knew he only had materials for a sitery. He pced it carefully ba the workbench when Ego’s alert came through.

  "Sir, a vehicle is approag the estate.”

  The satellite feed from LSI (Liberty Star intelligence) appeared in front of him, zooming in on an off-road vehicle with a damaged front grille. Ihree men sat, and one of them clutched a shotgun.

  “Zoom in,” Zack ordered, studying the figures. Ego identified them.

  "Tony, Marco, and Joey. The brothers served time for poag, and the eldest, Tony, is a fugitive for murder.”

  Zack’s eyes narrowed. These were not harmless survivors but a criminals. He had pns to turn this pto a fortress, a sanctuary in this post-apocalyptic world. Letting men like these as a neghbour wasn’t an option.

  Only otery had been pleted, and the armor was still in its early stages. Zack sidered his options. “Ego, is there enough material here to make the pump-a nail gun you suggested?”

  After leaving his apartment, Zack had taken an i in silent, deadly ons, especially air guns. Ego had mentioned an improved nail gun, one powered by an air pump with both automatid manual pressurization. It was lethal but quiet—ideal for this situation.

  “There is enough material avaible,” Ego firmed, dispying the parts needed and their locations.

  “Perfect.” Zack immediately set to work on assembling the nail gun.