"Anyone Else But You."
Chapter 1: New Found Hope.
WARNINGS: Zombie AU! Meaning will contain Gore, deaths and mature scenes, including sex not meant for a young audience! Mutiple pairings!
These baby right here is dedicated to Leoslady4ever because she got me hooked on GALU/GAJUCY so this fic will be GALU AND NALU the story has just started and although i dont know who will end up with Lucy just know that it will be between Gajeel and Natsu!
Will also have Gruvia and other pairings as well.
hope everyone enjoys the first chapter!
ENJOY!
Humanity… humanity is so beautiful and the species prides itself with all the progress they have made during their time on earth. Prideful of the ways they are able to discover cures for everything, the way that they are able to make contraptions for a human's everyday life.
Cell phones, laptops and the works…
How they created cars and pathways for said cars.
The invention of the light bulb and the discovery of electricity itself…
Humans were an intelligent species but like every species that was once on the top of the food change there would be something along the way to knock them off their pedestal.
Just as much as they created and discovered they would kill and destroy as well.
Mother Nature is quite the bitch and delivers the biggest punch of all when messed with.
Though one can argue if humanity destroyed its own self or did nature meddle in as well?
Humans, always trying to be more superior, thinking they could escape anything and be gods themselves began messing with things they shouldn't have.
And they taught themselves their own lesson when they created a virus so deadly, a virus that would let those who were dead the ability to be able to come back to life once again.
And just like any type of infection, flu or common cold it spread at impossible speeds and at an unstoppable rate.
This was karma for those who deemed themselves gods.
Karma for those who thought they could kill and destroy everything in their path not having a single care in the world for their planet.
At least that's what Lucy Heartfilia thought as she ran through the middle of street her left hand grasping tightly onto her sister's Michelle Heartifilia's hand.
"I can't keep running at this speed anymore Lucy!"
"RUN! IF YOU HAVE ENERGY TO SPEAK THEN USE IT FOR RUNNING THEN!"
"But—"
"I SAID RUN!"
Lucy knew that if they didn't hurry those walkers would catch up to them and that that would be the end of her life and she for one, regardless of her situation or the way their world was changing wanted to live to see another day.
Death was for the weak.
For those who didn't have enough guts to pull through the night and make it to see the light of day the very next day.
Lucy was determined to live and determined to keep her only living family member alive along with her.
She glanced over her shoulder to see how far away they were from the hoard of walkers, which had been a group of about twenty walkers shuffling/jogging after her and her sister. Those walkers who once had been breathing, normal, loving human beings with a conscious mind…
Those things chasing after her and her sister were only but a shadow of the people who might have once occupied their bodies. Her breath hitched in her throat, her eyes tearing up at how fucked up everything around her currently was.
It's been six months since the virus was unexpectedly let loose.
Six months of running… of killing other humans… of praying up at the heavens to be able to live another day unscathed…
She could feel her stomach churning and revolting as she saw how some of the walkers had missing body parts, ripped out arms or legs, gashes on their bodies, some had dangling intestines. Their clothes were dirty and soaked with fresh and/or dried blood. Their faces were so unrecognizable from the missing pieces of skin and blood covering it, it made Lucy cringed as she ran. Though she should be accustomed to such a sight since it's the only thing she has seen these last six months (sometimes even worse.) it still remained as something hard for her brain to grasp and acknowledge.
She saw her sister turning her head to take a glance as well and she all but yelled at her.
"Don't! Don't look, I prohibit you to look!"
The girl who was five years younger than herself, stiffened as she stared at her older sister with fear filled eyes.
"Is it that bad Lucy?"
Lucy couldn't even continue to look at her and only squeezed her hand tighter in her own dirty, blood stained hand. The burning buildings around her and smoke filled air making it difficult to see clearly and not to mention the broken down cars, dead bodies on the ground and just objects scattered all around were making it hard run a straight path but that would at least slow the walkers after her.
"Just keep running Michelle… just keep running we're almost there." She said with a voice that was clearly out of breath and strained.
"Just a little more, a little bit more before we reach our car…"
The groaning, moaning and shouting coming from behind her was quickly becoming supply for the nightmare she was bound to have tonight.
How could scavenging for food turn so ugly?
They had been so careful, wary of their surroundings and made sure to make no noise what-so-ever yet here they were running for their life…
Seems like running for your life was an occurrence that happened daily at about five to ten times a day…
'Just one day…' Lucy thought as she felt tears running down her dirty cheeks. 'For just once I want to have one day where I don't have to run… don't have to have a constant reminder of my situation.'
"Lucy I see it! Fuck, thank the heavens!"
Lucy in her momentary lapse wiped her eyes frantically trying to get rid of the tears and saw that her car, a 2010 navy Honda civic was parked by the side of the street right where she left it.
"Hurry up! We can lose them they are far behind us now and once we hop on the car we can escape!"
They stopped to a halt once they reached the car each going their respective ways. Lucy dipped her hand inside her jean pocket and fished out the keys. She frantically fumbled with them trying to find the car key while sneaking glances at the upcoming, fast pacing hoard of walkers.
"HURRY!" she heard Michelle yell out as the noises of shuffling feet and groaning became louder and more distinct.
She jumped up in the air once she found it and wasted no time in jamming the key in and turned it hearing the lock unclick. She opened the door immediately and slipped inside reaching over to open her sisters door who had looked like she was about to shit herself.
Any other time that look would have been one to cause giggles and laughter but not at this moment seeing the situation they were in and why that look was plastered there in the first place.
Lucy closed her door then locked it and proceeded to jam the key inside the ignition to turn the car on as her sister practically dove into her seat slamming her door shut not forgetting to lock it. The car started abruptly and Lucy used her right hand to move the stick into D- Driving settings before stepping on the gas. The tires screeched on the road beneath it as the car raced forwards just in time as the hoard of walkers reached their car.
Both Lucy and Michelle let out a breath of relief as they were now as safe as they could get. Michelle looked in the side mirror at the walkers still walking towards them and others giving up sensing they wouldn't be able to munch out on them today. Lucy looked at the spectacle as well but from the rear-view mirror. She glanced over at her sister quickly seeing her looking as well at the zombies before shifting her gaze back onto the road in front of her.
"I told you not to look."
"Yeah, well… I did."
"I can see that Mich…"
"Please, Lucy… Don't start okay?! I mean I kill people every day as well okay."
"Walkers… you kill walkers."
"Yeah, walkers… "
Lucy sighed as she heard the annoyed tone her sister spoke to her in. And in case anyone was wondering, yes, Lucy took the term walkers from a show she used to watch… ironic how they were in the same situation now as the people in the show… she wondered if those characters were actually alive and surviving well.
Who knew… who cared really?
"Do you think we will ever find other survivors?"
Lucy couldn't help but grimace at the question. Michelle always asked that question… every single day since the outbreak…
Lucy wanted to believe they would find other humans but really one couldn't be too hopeful in that area. She was sure there were others but that she, herself would find them? Yeah, not a high possibility but who knew?
"Someday… we might you know?"
That sentence came out more as a doubtful question than the reaffirming statement Lucy had wanted to say. She glanced at Michelle who just stared outside her window sill with a defeated look on her face.
Lucy cursed herself mentally, feeling like shit because she couldn't really speak to her sister and feed her lies. She couldn't do that because that was just cruel… cruel to deceive her into thinking that what was going around her was temporary because really what was happening around them was anything but temporary.
Would it last forever? No, it wouldn't but it would still be ongoing for the years to come that was a fact.
And Lucy would keep herself updated, well; she kept herself updated until the last radio communication went down four months ago.
Let's just say the rest of the world wasn't fairing that well either… they were just as bad as America or worse- Especially, Lucy's mother's home country, Japan. So crowded there really isn't much room to escape it all.
Though if she's being fair the place where she had been located at since the beginning of the outbreak wasn't much better either...which had been Miami.
Well, soon enough she wouldn't be in Florida at all because if she had calculated correctly, which she had. They were about an hour away from the border separating Florida and Georgia.
Lucy looked down at the gas meter and sighed in relief.
Good.
She had enough for the one hour drive and more to come.
"Hey Luce…"
"Yeah, Michelle…?"
"Ya' think I can drive the car for a bit once we cross the border?"
Her voice was laced with hope and enthusiasm that Lucy couldn't help but oblige her request.
Besides what harm would there be? Michelle had her license and was capable of driving.
"Sure thing! just no speeding down the road though."
"Kay-Kay." She said in a sing-song voice causing Lucy to giggle a bit.
It was around three now and probably thirty minutes into the drive; Lucy looked over at her sister to find the young one knocked out in her seat. Her wavy, silky long dark blonde hair covering half of her face- her head laid against the window sill.
Lucy smiled at the endearing sight; you could really tell how young her sister was whenever she was fast asleep. The worry creases on her face would disappear leaving behind a peaceful expression when she was away in her dream world.
Looks like someone wouldn't be driving any time soon.
Lucy shifted her gaze back onto the road looking at her surroundings. She could see from her left peripheral vision two walkers feasting themselves on a young boy who was unrecognizable with his face covered in blood and half of his dirty blonde hair ripped out of his scalp, flesh and everything leaving the bone visible. One of the walkers had her face inside his ripped open stomach devouring was looked like to be intestines while the other walker was ripping pieces of flesh out of the thin muscled arm.
Lucy took a deep breath as she stepped on the pedal a bit more wanting to get out of this place already.
She only hoped that the poor boy -who didn't look to be over the age of ten- wouldn't come back to life and would remain dead.
She felt tears prickling behind her eyes.
She knows she shouldn't cry and should become accustomed to the world as it was now but still…
It's horrible to see such a young, innocent child being devoured that way… His death must have been so painful…
See, what Lucy noticed was that people forgot how painful a playful bite could be. You know… when your boyfriend or friend rough houses you and they deliver a bite somewhere and sometimes it can go a bit overboard.
Bites hurt without the intent of ripping the skin and flesh now imagine how painful it must be when a person bites you so hard with the intention of ripping out a piece of flesh?
Exactly…
That is a horrible way to die.
It's horrible to remain conscious through it all and to know that a poor kid went through such a thing… it's sickening, revolting and depressing.
Lucy tried to ignore the walkers stumbling about in the streets, the empty, lifeless buildings surrounding her- some burning up, others with cars crashed into their walls, some with blood and guts as decoration. She tried to ignore it all and just keep her line of vision in front of her, her gaze on the asphalt concrete road.
She tried to until something jumped into the road causing her to step on the breaks harshly and abruptly, the car halting with the sounds of screeching tires that probably burned the road underneath. Her eyes only caught a flash a pink before the car stopped. Her body and Michelle's body pivoting forwards fast, Lucy hit her wheel roughly while Michelle's body hit the glove compartment with a scream. They both registered the car hitting something and Lucy immediately sprung up her seat leaning forward to look at the road.
There laid a man who was groaning in pain, both arms clutching his stomach. His face looked pained and his eyes were shut tightly, his mouth opened in a silent scream.
That's when it hit Lucy.
This was a survivor.
A fucking survivor!
And she just hit him with her car! Holy shit!
She turned to her sister who was also leaned forward to look at the man who looked to be around the same age as herself.
"Stay here!" Lucy yelled out as she pivoted her body to the right, her right arm extending out backwards grasping the rifle she had on the seat before she pulled it towards her. She checked how many bullets she had.
Three… she had three bullets but she wasn't worried she had more in her backpack as well as other weaponry.
Feeling satisfied she went and unlocked the safety on the rifle then got out of her car. As soon as she stepped out into the road she looked all around her and saw no walkers close by and those that were a distance away noticed their presence and would soon make their way towards the three of them but she had enough time. She narrowed her eyes and she pointed the rifle at the man on the ground who was now panting, his dirty pink hair covering his eyes.
"You there- Are you infected?" she said in a stern cold voice.
A minute passed by with just his harsh panting and groans before he lifted his head a bit to look at her, one of his eyes half opened while the other remained shut.
"Do I… look like a… fucking… walker to ya', Blondie?!"
"Don't get smart with me! I can end you right here… right now!" she yelled out while still maintaining a look-out – Watching the walkers who were now shuffling and stumbling towards them.
"Alright already… don't get ya' panties in a bunch!" He bit out. He rolled onto his back spreading his arms and legs before looking up at Lucy.
"Well…"
"Well what?"
"Aren't ya gonna check me to see if I am infected?"
She stared at him for a moment, analyzing him before looking at her sister and nodding her head once. Michelle immediately rolled the window down and fished her gun out of her pocket. She pulled her upper body out of the window to point the gun at the man.
"You try anything funny and my sister will end you. You hear me?"
"Loud and clear, Blondie…. Loud and clear."
Lucy let the rifle hang on her left shoulder by the strap before walking towards the man. she crouched by him as she began to pat him down and open his shirt and rolled his jeans up as much as she could to check for any signs of a bite mark.
"Never had someone grope me so thoroughly before…"
"Shut it."
"Feisty… I like that."
Lucy looked at the man who was now sporting the biggest smirk on his face as he stared at her with both eyes opened now.
Her breath stilled for a moment as she stared into his onyx orbs. They held mirth and amusement as they looked into her brown ones. This man felt no fear, showed no fear whatsoever.
Deeming him clean she stood back up and extended her right arm outwards to him. she smiled warmly at him causing the face of the man to shift into one of surprise.
"Lucy, I'm Lucy Heartfilia and that over there is my sister Michelle."
"Uh… yeah." The man took Lucy's helping hand and stood up once again but not without grimacing, his left hand going to his stomach. "You did a number on me there, Miss Lucy."
"Sorry about that- for hitting you. It wasn't intentional."
"No, it's my fault really… I wasn't looking."
Lucy looked around them noticing the walkers were getting a little too close for comfort and safety.
"Listen, if you want you can hitch a ride with us. The walkers are closing in and I doubt you can really walk right now."
"Sure…"
"Michelle take the wheel, you're driving!"
"Yes!" Michelle squealed as she pushed herself the rest of the way out of the window before practically skipping to the driver's seat. Lucy helped the man walk towards the door of the backseats. Once they reached it she opened the door and the man plopped down into the car quite ungracefully and Lucy immediately closed the door and rushed to the other side to get in. Once everyone was seated inside Michelle having the car already turned on stepped on the gas and drove away just as the walkers had been approaching them a few feet away.
"So…" Lucy said as she checked her rifle while glancing at the panting man next to her. "Ya' wanna tell me a name?"
"Natsu."
"Excuse me?"
"My names Natsu, Natsu Dragneel…"
Michelle drove a bit fast over a speed bump causing everyone to jump and move in the car rather roughly. Natsu grimaced and hissed as the movement caused him pain.
He thinks he might have broken a rib… which was really fucking great given his current dilemma.
He turned to look at the blonde as she shouted angrily at her sister her face a bit flushed that made a big contrast against her loose, straight, silky golden blonde hair.
"Michelle! Drive slower! We have an injured passenger and we can't afford our car breaking down!"
"Sorry about that- won't happen again I swear!" the other girl said.
Natsu felt rather dizzy at the moment but not to the point where he wanted to faint. He looked at both females his eyes shifting from Lucy to Michelle wondering if they had a group of survivors just like him or if they were alone.
He wondered if they would like to actually accompany him to his group that way they could gain more humans and helpers. Surely, it never hurts to lend a helping hand and by the way the blonde one was smiling at him he knew she wasn't a bad person.
His gut told him that these girls weren't out to do bad or hurt those around them and he believed it.
"You girls got any place to stay at?"
As soon as those words left his lips silence filled the car.
Guess he had his answer then.
He looked at Lucy who had a faraway look on her face that was filled with melancholy.
"No… we don't." she whispered out.
"I have a group of survivors… you're both welcomed to join us."
Silence once again filled the car. Both of the Heartfilia sisters had a look of shock and hope on their faces. Lucy turned to look at Natsu, her eyes wide like dinner plates, her mouth parted a bit.
"Are you serious? There are more people?"
"Yeah… it's a group of about fifteen people…we're almost like family by now…"
"We can really come?" said the other sister who stared at Natsu from the rear-view mirror with eyes that were filled with hope. "You really mean it?"
"Yes, the more the merrier right?" Natsu said as he grinned at them both. Michelle let out a happy shout while Lucy just stayed frozen in her spot. Tears threatening to spill out of her eyes a she looked at Natsu.
Natsu was a bit shocked as he felt the blonde's hand grasp onto his own hand that was resting on his stomach. Her warmth was inviting and felt weird against his but wasn't unwelcomed.
She smiled at him as a tear fell down her dirty cheek.
"Thank you Natsu… I really, really mean that… thank you." Lucy whispered as she leaned over and hugged Natsu without trying to hurt the man before pulling away and wiping her eye leaving the man to stare at her in awe.
Natsu had been thanked before but no one ever had thanked him with such honesty lacing every word that spilled from their mouths… which such gratitude.
"So, you mind telling us the way big guy?"
"Huh…?" His thoughts were startled as the other sister spoke again. He tore his gaze away from a smiling Lucy to look at the younger sister in the rear-view mirror.
"I said if you mind telling us the way to go big guy."
"Oh." He smiled sheepishly while scratching the back of neck with his right hand. "Keep going straight, passed the state line. Our group is in a warehouse located in Valdosta, Georgia."
"Okay, Valdosta, here we go."
An hour later, after Michelle took quite a few wrong turns and what not they finally arrived to a field with a warehouse. They were actually about ten minutes away from the city Valdosta. The warehouse was big and there were about six cars parked outside.
Lucy looked at the place and all around her noticing no walkers in sight. She looked down at her watch noticing that it was five pm. She looked back up staring at the warehouse.
She would admit she sort of felt skeptical because really this man could be lying for all she cared and she could be putting herself and her sister in serious danger but for some reason, some unknown reason as she stared at the man- who was bickering with her sister, who had pulled him out of the car rather roughly- he seemed genuine with his offer. She hadn't detected any malice or hidden intent behind it.
Lucy just hoped that her gut feeling was correct and that Natsu was in fact telling the truth and there were more survivors.
She was honestly hoping to see more people- breathing, talking people besides herself and her sister.
She let out a sigh as she put her hand on the door handle opening the door to get out. She closed the door and glanced at her sister putting the man's left arm around her shoulders so he could lean against her and so that she could offer him support. Natsu didn't like the idea very much, his cheeks had pink dust on them as he shouted…
"I'm fine I don't need help walking into my own place!" causing her sister to retort back at the blushing pink-haired man.
"Shut it! And when people offer help you say thank you!"
"I didn't ask for it!"
"You're welcome you jerk!"
Lucy couldn't help but giggle at the spectacle causing two confused heads to turn her way and look at her like she was crazy.
"Sorry…" Lucy said as she put her hand over her mouth to stop the giggles. "But it's just that you guys bickering that way is funny."
"Tch…"
"Pfft…"
Were the answers that she received from her sister and Natsu. Lucy having settled down from her outburst of giggles turned to her sister. "Mich, I need the keys so that I may get our things from the trunk!"
"Kay!" She said as she reached into her pocket fishing out the keys before throwing them in the air to her sister. Lucy caught them effortlessly and voiced her thank you with a smile.
Michelle turned to look at Natsu while pointing at Lucy who was opening the trunk at the moment."See, she said thank you."
"Whatever you little brat." was Natsu's response.
"I have a feeling that I'm not gonna like you very much pink-head."
"S'that so?"
"Ready!" interrupted Lucy as she walked towards them with two book bags on each hand.
Natsu smiled at Lucy. "Let's go! I can't wait till you guys meet my comrades. They're gonna be so happy to see more survivors!"
"If they are anything like you please save me the headache…" muttered Michelle earning a kick from Lucy.
"Hey! what was that for?!"
"SHUSH!"
"But I didn't –"
"SHUSH!"
"UGH!"
they made it to the doors and Natsu extended his right arm and knocked, twice really hard then three time softly then he knocked five times really fast before putting two fingers in his mouth and letting a whistle.
The doors after that immediately opened.
Natsu grinned at the person standing behind the door before speaking. "I'm home! Oh, and I brought friends!"
A/N: Okay, i bet everyone will be like what? GALU? yes, the pairing intrigued me ever since I read Leoslady4ever story 'Dirty Little Secret.' although i'm a hardcore NALU shipper and they're my OTP I wanted to try my hand at some GALU and what not so yes and also I was dying to write a zombie fic. So, here came out this which to be honest the idea popped in my mind while hearing the song 'Battle Cry.' from Imagine Dragons. I hope everyone enjoys this first chapter. Gajeel and the rest of the group will be introduced next chapter!
Let me know how i did!
ENJOY!
Next Chapter: Those Red Eye's...