A/N: Another product of me opening up requests on my LiveJournal. Raphien on LJ, Asherien on requested "Canas and Lucius, AU, scholar and priest, banding together to fend off some hideous supernatural evil." And so, here you have... zombies. Because zombies, that's why. This will have multiple chapters! o/

The heavy oak doors of the church boomed open as the dusty man dashed down the center of the aisle, pursued by the shambling remnants of what had once been humans. He hadn't disturbed any service; there hadn't been a service within those walls for months, hadn't been a body in the seats in almost as long. Humanity, it seemed, had given up on religion, like it had given up on so much in the past months.

The report of the sawed-off shotgun in the man's hand echoed through the high ceilings and two of his pursuers fell, skulls shattered beyond recognition.

Two left, the violet-haired man mouthed silently as he pumped the shotgun once more and took aim.

The third fell to the man's shot, but the fourth was too fast. He turned tail and ran towards the alter, praying to a God that no longer listened.

The call of an unfamiliar gun startled the man and he whirled to see his final pursuer fall, head a bloodied mess of flesh and brain matter. He stopped, panting, and looked around as he caught his breath.

A woman held a smoking gun, lips drawn into a thin line. She was a blue-eyed blonde, and would have once been beautiful, if months of a haggard lifestyle and little food hadn't turned her gaunt and tough. She seemed to have scavenged a priest's habit from the archives of the church.

"Thank you," the violet-haired man spoke. He could see the woman sizing him up. He didn't look like much; he was dusty and blood-spattered, hair uncombed and cracked glasses askew. His battered jacket had seen better days and the duffel bag across his back seemed almost too heavy for his wiry frame.

He'd been weak once, slow and easy bait. The grace of humanity's forgotten God had kept him alive, let him grow lean and tough.

Nonetheless, he wouldn't fight a woman for her territory. He'd already exposed her to enough danger for one day.

"I'll be leaving," he said with a small nod. "'twasn't my intention to encroach on your territory. I was just heading west, you see, my wife took my son to the compound in the desert when the virus-"

"You're Canas, aren't you? Canas Pendragon, the cause of all this."

Well, that wasn't a woman's voice. It wasn't an unfriendly voice, just- wary.

"I... well, I suppose it would be silly of me to lie. Yes."

"I would have thought you'd be dead by now."

Canas gave a nod to the dusty altar.

"Your God smiled on me."

"...I lost everything to the virus. Raymond, Priscilla, the children-"

"It was onley ever supposed to be used as an anasthetic!" Canas jumped in, his face showing, for the first time, the weight that he'd been carrying. "Patient Zero... we didn't think... it had worked perfectly well with the animals. When the virus mutated..."

No matter how many times he tried to explain, he could never find the words. I unleashed death on humanity and I'm sorry wasn't enough. Wasn't nearly enough.

"I'm sorry," was all he could say. The gun lowered and the blonde's expression softened slightly.

"This house of God has never turned away a needy soul. You're welcome to stay the night."

Canas looked shocked.

"I've never... you aren't going to force me out?"

The blonde shook his head.

"Of course not. I'm a man of God. Bearing grudges isn't something my faith condones."

"...thank you," Canas said softly. The other man - for it seemed he was indeed a man - just nodded.

"I've lost many things, but my faith isn't one of them. I will not turn a blind eye to need." He held out his hand. "Father Lucius. Or really, Lucius, now that these pews are empty."

Canas took his hand and shook it, surprised at the firm grip. It seemed this man was only feminine in looks.

"Canas Pendragon, though you know that alrea-"

He fell silent at a shh from the priest; crystal eyes flashed and the man let out a hissing hellfire after a moment.

"There are more coming. Help me bar the doors, then we need to get to the belltower."

"I- yes, Father!" Canas said absently as the man rushed past him to the doors at the back of the sanctuary.