Infections and Alchemy

Ch 1: four unfortunate souls.

Sixteen year old Seth Cooper wandered out the door of a London airport…he didn't know what it was called, he wasn't from England. His plain had landed two and a half weeks ago, and he'd been fighting for his life ever since. It was a shock to everyone that this strange virus had broken out and was turning people into savage bloodthirsty monsters. Whatever the hell was happening here was, apparently, happening everywhere. America and Canada, all throughout south America, all over Europe and Asia…everywhere…

This was, by far, the worst school Europe trip he'd ever been on. Seth cursed aloud as he bashed another infected zombie in the head with his new best friend…a blood-crusted crowbar. The day his plain landed, the Airport was placed under Quarantine. Apparently, the government had discovered the outbreak and tried to contain it within the airport…and failed miserably. After a while, they sent metropolitan police officers to try and wipe everyone else out. That lasted for…almost a day, as once the infection began spreading to the police and military, they began turning on each other. People who were immune were being gunned down uniformed personnel and civilians alike.

Seth had been wandering through the airport ever since he was convinced it was just him and the hordes. 'never amount to anything, huh?' he thought, remembering all the times his parents scolded him for always watching those old horror movies, and playing videogames… "…not bad for a high school loser with no future, huh?" he said with a lop-sided grin. His parents were always telling him that he was a dead end loser because he didn't have a high end scholarship or whatever…

It was his first time going to Europe, and he highly doubted he would ever willingly come back ever again. During the course of the last two weeks, however, he encountered three people that would save his life several times over in the trials to come. The four of them had crossed paths during the passed week, and Seth had no doubt that he was the only one without some kind of extreme military-like training.

The first, was a local police officer who survived the breakdown of the military effort. Evangeline Hawke, or "Eva" as they called her. Her weapon of choice was…what did they call it…? The…spas…? It was some kind of military grade autoshotgun. Seth didn't know a whole lot about guns. He learned Kendo and martial arts while other teenaged guys learned how to shoot a gun, or fix cars and trucks, so he was a bit of a loner.

The next was a relatively large man by the name of Alexander Kroshev. "Xander" as the group referred to him. to all their surprise, the man was a Russian mobster. You know in movies, when the crime boss would say something like… "send in…the Russian…"? well he was the one they would send. In each hand was a desert eagle magnum, and strapped across his back, was an AK-47. pretty distinctive, that gun. The man was full of surprises as the rest of the group was quite astonished to discover that Xander was fluent in Russian, English, German, Italian, and French. He'd often tell Seth of past assignments he'd had. despite being a Russian mafia hitman, Seth felt that the man was a good role model to have in a post apocalyptic world infested with feral, mindless, diseased and highly contagious cannibals.

The last was an enigmatic young woman who'd captured Seth's heart the moment they'd met. Armed with a katana, she could dispose of even those crying girls that other survivors leave warnings about. 'Witches' they were called apparently. She dressed in what looked like Kevlar armour over top of a black jumpsuit, with arm and leg guards that matched her body armour. Like a modernized ninja. Fighting in close quarters combat something she masterfully embarrassed the other members of the group at. She originally introduced herself as 'Kuro sora' which, in Japanese, means "Black Sky", but later revealed her real name to be Koriko Azashi. On several occasions, she took time to give Seth 'proper instruction' in the art. Seth was nowhere near her level, but they continued to train whenever they were not fighting for their lives.

Their plan was to find a plain that was still flyable, hence the group being back at the airport. This, however didn't exactly go as planned. They found one of those hulking behemoth guys in the terminal. Seth took a couple good punches, as did Xander and Koriko. Lesson 1… crowbars don't do fuck all against those big guys…what were they called…Tanks? Later, the adrenaline was wearing off and Seth was starting to feel a lot of pain.

Koriko looked at Seth. She knew he wasn't of her skill level or that of Xander-san and Eva-san in terms of firearms, but he could hold his own. Seth was only a brown belt in Hapkido and Kendo, so she sometimes helped him in his training. It was the way of the ronin, those who no longer had a clan, to try and integrate into another clan. Shinobi were outlawed in modern Japan. And so those who didn't relent in holding on to the old ways, formed secret training facilities, where only a select few were eligible to be trained, they began recruiting in other countries on other continents. In the years that fallowed, the training network became quite vast, A Japanese secret police, of sorts. Since shinobi were outlawed, they were called Shadow agents. When this virus started, units of five were dispatched in key cities all over the world, in order to try and track the source of this disaster, and it was doubtful that anyone had succeeded.

Koriko remembered when they first met. She was being swarmed by…whatever in God's name these forsaken creatures were. She was carving them down with her katana. When one of them got her from above, The one with the long tongue. She believed that the locals called that particular breed…strain…whatever, the 'Smoker'. The Smoker had lifted her off the ground and she was hanging by its disgusting, slimy, snake-like tongue, and the common infected were wailing at her like a piñata. Then Seth came around a corner and downed them a crowbar, and then severed the tongue that wrapped around her. She vowed that she would repay him, somehow. The rest of her unit had fallen one by one to these ungodly creatures.

Her vow was the reason that she insisted on his training…well, partial reason. She had developed a soft spot for the sixteen year old. Being eighteen herself, it wasn't too much of an age difference, was it? No, it was only two years. He even spoke some Japanese, which came as a big surprise to her. Her mother and father certainly wouldn't approve, she knew that for a fact. They would justify it by saying he was too weak, or that he wasn't Japanese, or what ever they could think of. Koriko wanted to taste something that Seth knew well, a normal life. Seth was her gateway into that, but she was getting ahead of herself.

"Shhh!" Seth stood stark still with his arm out, which seemed to have become the hand signal for 'Shut up and stand still!' they were still and silent for a moment, when the feint echo of a loud groan was heard. "…Fat bastard, close by, be ready." Seth was usually the one to take point, so he was usually the first to see the more clumsy ones, however, the Hunters and Smokers would usually get passed him. Next in formation, was Xander and herself. They would notice them, most of the time before anyone else. Taking the rear, was Eva, they traveled in a diamond formation.

…

It wasn't long before Xander spotted the Boomer and shot…her…blech…for almost an entire day, Seth wouldn't shut up about how disgusting it was the first time he'd seen a female boomer. When they first met, and escaped the airport the first time, Eva hotwired an abandoned minivan in the parking lot as their escape vehicle. It wasn't long before they were back in residential London. "Alright, listen up" Xander announced. "I've been listening to radio signals…" everyone was listening intently by this point. "…found signal that said there is evac station on top of 'Big Ben' clock tower. I would suggest, that we head there…assuming you three are still fond of breathing…"

"Well…that beats my idea…" Seth said, absently.

"…which was?" Eva asked sceptically.

"Jump into the Thames…stick our heads under…and inhale deeply." The teenager replied in a joking tone.

The Russian shook his head disapprovingly. "that is not plan, that is what you do when plan fails!"

Seth glared right back. "I think I'm entitled to a joke or two after your last plan turned into a suicide run!" He said with a sneer.

Koriko was the next to speak. "Seth-san, that tone is uncalled for…" she said sternly. then she turned to Xander. "Although, to be fair, your idea to find a plane that was still flyable didn't really pan out as we foresaw either."

Koriko turned to look at the buildings that towered over them. With the city filled with barbed wired roadblocks, and barricades, and rest periods in safe rooms…there were so many variables, It was impossible to truly predict how long it would take to get to Big Ben. "well, at least I've come up with plan every now and then…" Xander mumbled.

"Oh, that's enough!" Eva snapped. "we still need to work together in order to get out of this alive!" she pushed a stray lock of her raven hair before checking something on her shotgun.

Seth examined his crowbar. It was rather disgusting to look at. Chunks of who knows what were stuck to it, it reeked of rotted blood and other assorted zombie innards…blech…smoker fumes, boomer puke…it left a nasty smell. If only he had a katana like Koriko's; or a machete. Something that had a sharp edge… "I need a new weapon." He said with a bored tone.

"There's a mall where we can get supplies on the way to Big Ben." Eva suggested. "We'll need to cut through anyway." She informed.

"If memory serves, we'll also need to cross the Thames as well." Koriko piped in. Eva nodded.

"okayokayokay…walk me through this. what are we doing?" Seth interjected. "You guys are starting to confuse me."

Eva stopped at a streetlight and faced everyone. "We're on the edge of a big touristy district. All we need to do to get there is cross the river." She said. "once on the other side, it's a fifteen minute walk to the mall, but the virus might add an hour or two…perhaps a day with all the roadblocks…" she seemed to trail off at that point.

"Better safe then sorry, I guess…" Koriko muttered, trying to be optimistic.

"Well, we'd best get going." Eva said hurriedly. "It's at least fifteen twenty minutes to the bridge." And with that, the group began their trek across London. The hauntingly familiar call of the impending horde echoed through the deathly silent streets. "Oh Christ!" The British woman cursed.

"Ha! Time to let led fly!" Xander boasted, drawing both pistols. "Who dies first?"

Koriko drew her katana. "Jigoku, kitanai akuma ni modorimasu!" she declared coldly. (translation: return to hell, foul demons!) With one precise strike, she dispatched three infected. The three crumpled lifelessly to the ground. Seth swung wildly, gripping at the crook of the crowbar. Slashing and lunging as if it were a rapier, and blast after blast came from Eva's shotgun. It wasn't long before the horde lay dead at their feet.

The four of them stood for a moment, catching their breath. Koriko and Xander were the first to recover. "The horde has fallen…we should move on before more arrive." Koriko stated, sheathing her katana across her back. They continued walking warily down the seemingly deserted street. All of them couldn't help but feel unnerved.

"there's no infected…" Eva said nervously. "it is so…quiet, and yet…" she continued looking at the surrounding buildings as if something could jump out at any moment.

Xander glared ahead. "When you jump in sea and there are no fish in water…only blood…usually means there is shark near by." He looked at Eva. "That is why you feel such dread."

it was true. Seth knew this as well as anyone after taking the worst of their last Tank encounter. "Guys…I need to rest…" Seth was down on one knee. "I'll need a minute…before we go any further." It was only then that they realized just how bad of condition Seth was really in. his shirt was splattered with blood, slime, and who knew what else. His arms were marred with claw and bite marks. Bruises and cuts were on his face. blood stains and cuts marred his faded grey jeans.

Xander removed his med-kit and proceed to patch up Seth's wounds. "why didn't you say anything?" he asked. as he wrapped bandages around the teen's arm.

"…we were on the move…I'm trying to tough things out…" he said weakly.

"admirable though it may be, That stubbornness may well be the death of you" Koriko mused as she got to work on his right leg. "We'll see if we can find a safe place in any of these houses." She offered.

Xander and Eva nodded. "Yes, if he's injured and continues to go in this condition, we won't be able to guarantee his survival." The Russian concluded. With that, they all wandered into a house that seemed like it might be workable. The door was left open. Infected had certainly been here; but were they still? There was only one way to find out.

They continued walking to what looked like a living room. Seemingly out of nowhere, infected jumped out from hiding. In the midst of the chaos, a particularly loud wheezing yell was heard before a long slimy tentacle snaked wrapped around Seth's torso and left arm like a boa constrictor and jerked him violently towards the front door.

Koriko struck down a hunter when a startled yelp from Seth drew her attention his way. Her heart stopped when she saw him being dragged away towards the door. In seconds, she was at his side. He had been using his crowbar to clip the doorway, but that wasn't working due to his weapon still dripping with blood. His hands were slipping as the Smoker tongue pulled him further and further. She took his hand in one and her free hand lodged her katana into the doorway.

"Smoker's got Seth!" Koriko called. Xander and Eva had gunned down the other zombies and were rushing to the two teens' aid. it was Xander that saw where the fume spitting mutant was hiding and fired a few well placed shots, killing it. The smoker's tongue went limp and Seth lurched forward right into Koriko's arms. His momentum brought his face right into hers. His lips right into hers.