She leaps from her position. Knowing the Adapted is just beyond her reach for a rising strike, she swings wide, losing at least half of the force she’s capable of, but her wild attack connects, rocking the head of the Adapted to the side, taking it off balance and causing it to smack into the wall.
Karo can feel the presence of the wall behind him, two, maybe three more shallow steps left. The disgusting hands of the infected are gripped around his crowbar, its head periodically lunges forward biting at him. His arms are stretched out as far as they can be, holding the would be murderer just out of biting range. If the intelligence of this creature were just a smidge higher it would’ve bit his hands already, but luckily for Karo it’s not.
Daisy is on top of the Adapted before it can push itself away from the wall its slumped against. Her crowbar careens into the morbid head once more, ricocheting it off the wall, a hole being left in the wood in the wake of her onslaught. She rears back again, swinging just as the monster is turning to face her. The crowbar bounces off its forehead, sliding upward and unbalancing Daisy. Something loose and wet on the floor tears apart under her weight causing her foot to slip, she hunches over and loses her range. The Adapted slashes its hand forward, her jacket swings just close enough, the monster latches onto it and pulls her in.
Karo grunts as his back comes flush with the wall. The diseased rears back then forcefully throws its head forward. Karo narrowly tilts to the side, the decaying skull slams into the wall, breaking apart wood and plaster. It dislodges and repeats the attack, in one fluid motion leaning back then lunging forward.
Karo tilts again, but the strain of keeping the crowbar level, and out front, slows him. The bald, flaky cranium clips the side of his forehead, twisting his neck sharply, shooting pain through his brain and down into his spine. His knees buckle, his elbows loosen, he lurches, and his vision tunnels.
Daisy jolts forward, a hand pulling her jacket abruptly, less than a moment later another hand upon the back of her upper arm. The second hand pushes her arm up, moving her crowbar high and into a useless position. She's pulled forward again, twisting her uncomfortably. Humid, foul breath blasts against her nostrils.
She coughs, nearly vomits, leans her head back as far as possible, hunches down, then jumps forward. Her shoulder collides against the chest of the Adapted, knocking it into the wall once more. Its grip does not loosen. She charges again, but hold remains firm. Another bashing with her shoulder, but the previous results remain.
His eyes flicker, his ears ring, he can feel himself sliding down the wall, but everything seems foreign. “You’re about to die!” his mind screams to him. His cognizance rushes back, a mad dash of self preservation. He locks his elbows, extending them fully, but is unable to push himself back up. The weight of the hulking infected is too much for his still dazed state. He slides down the rest of the way, quickly landing on his bottom. Saliva oozes from above him, landing on his pants and forearms. With one leg he frantically kicks at the knee of the crazed death craving brute.
Daisy throws herself back with all her might, knowing that if this beast lands on top of her this could be her last effort. Her arm is dislodged from the hold on her, but her momentum is fierce, and she stumbles backwards landing hard on her rump. She scrambles to her knees, but the Adapted does not miss its opportunity and it pounces upon her. The monster leaves its feet and soars across the gap between them. She heaves the crowbar, thumping against the shoulder of the Adapted. Her force slides the weapon upward, cracking the steel instrument on the skull of the wretch.
Her attack was just enough to alter the course of the flying beast. It turns in the air, landing awkwardly, the creature collides with her, but it does not land on top of her. She’s knocked back, but had anticipated the contact and rolls through up to her knees again. The Adapted shakes its body, wildly pivoting around to bring her into its view.
Daisy is already one step away by the time it has aligned with her. She thrusts the crowbar forward like a spear. The curved chisel stabs into the rotting face, cracking its cheekbone. Daisy reels back, focuses on her aim, thrusts once more, and catches the scrambling monster in the eye socket. She digs in, pushing all of her weight into her attack, until she feels the resistance wane, then shoves forcefully once more. The scrambling halts, its appendages fall limp, and its struggle ends.
Karo kicks the diseased kneecap again, finally buckling it, bringing his attacker to one knee. He pulls his legs in close, then throws them forward, kicking the infected square in the chest and knocking it back. The brute flings back, but its hand catches the floor, and it does not fall prone. Thankfully the opening is enough to allow Karo to shoot up to a standing position.
As the hulking infected rises back to its feet, a vicious force bashes into the back of its head. It whips around to the see the short, angry woman already winding back for another swing. The infected raises its arms up, but is once again violently stuck from behind. Before it can react Daisy smashes the crowbar against its cranium again, another hit from Karo upends the monsters balance, and it falls to its hands and knees.
Karo and Daisy swing away, one after the other, zeroed in on the skull of their attacker. There's no way to know how many strikes were dished out, they certainly weren't counting,
