The Empty City

Ch. 1-First encounter

A/N: I'm in a zombie/survival fic mood. Enjoy?

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. The Last of Us and all associated characters and creations are owned by Naughty Dog.

xXx Beta'd by the illustrious Hananotsuki Hime xXx

His empty stomach let out a loud roar of hunger, almost deafening in the silence surrounding him. A cramp of pain ripped throughout his gut, reminding him of his objective. Grimacing, Iruka Umino placed a hand on his abdomen hoping to placate his stomach. He hadn't eaten well in days. Munching on old dried meat and expired peanuts pilfered from a gas station weren't entirely healthy or a good source of energy. His eyes roamed his environment, searching, wary.

The scenery that lay before him was one of despair and desolation. The skeletal remains of rusted, beaten cars littered the streets, remnants of traffic jams. Doors lay wide open, devoid of passengers. Windows were shattered, spider web like cracks decorating the glass that was still intact. Some vehicles were overturned, lying on their sides while others were crashed into each other, a swarm of corroded metal pieces surrounding the collision.

The tar of the streets was fractured and ruined, with green leaflets sprouting through, fighting to live on despite the despondency around them and offering a glimpse of something more beyond the destruction around them. Cement chunks from the surrounding buildings created large craters on ground, crushing nearby cars. Trees grew wild with no abandon; their roots taking back what man built over, ripping up the pavement in their wake. Vines latched onto the city buildings and crawled up towards the sun. Street lamps bent and twisted at abstract angles, road signs were tarnished beyond recognition. Stores had been raided and nearly destroyed.

Nothing was left untouched.

Iruka sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "This place is a mess." He spoke aloud to himself. "I might be lost…"

Falling down to one knee in the middle of the street, Iruka tugged his worn knapsack off. He opened it up and pulled a shabby folded up map from one of the inner pockets. He unfolded the old paper and set it on the floor, carefully smoothing out the creases. A quick glance towards the dented and barely discernible street sign told him where he was and he looked back down, a maze of grey blocks, red and blue lines, and small signs stared back at him from the map. Locating his current position on the paper, he delicately traced a path, running his finger down a red line and tapping the parchment once.

"It should be down several blocks and have a statue outside…."

Murmuring to himself, the psychology teacher quickly folded the map back into its original square shape and shoved it back into the pack. Checking his trusty watch, he calculated how much time left he had until the sun set. A few more hours before I'll need to find shelter. Let's hope I get lucky this time… Slipping his pack back on, he began to walk.

After a while of sneaking around, Iruka eventually made it to his destination. It was a low-rise public library. Tall Corinthian columns stood guard in three archways at the double glass door entrance. A stretch of stone stairs ascended to the doorway decorated with pedestals, fierce stone lions standing at the ends. The outer walls of the library spanned out extravagantly, with small alcoves dipping into the walls with angelic roman sculptures filling in the space. Marble figures adorned the balcony above the entryway, modeled after famous Greek philosophers. Tall oak trees around the building reached the sky, their strong and gnarled branches connecting up above.

A black iron-wrought rusted gate surrounded the entrance of the library, stretching to cover the lush plants and flowers growing wildly in the gardens. The name of the building was fashioned out of twisted metal, decorating the entrance of the gate. Below it, a busted padlock hung loosely from a chain.

Gazing in awe at the serene sight, Iruka was silent, taking in the beautiful structure. A light breeze coursed through the air, rustling the yellow-golden leaves in the trees. Beams of sunlight burst through in between the spaces of the branches and leaves, creating golden sun spots on the grass. Shivering, Iruka secured the light red scarf around his neck, tugging it up to cover his ears. Winter was coming. He lightly jogged up the steps, bypassing the broken gate and enjoying the muted tapping noise he created.

He reached the library's main entrance and frowned. A heavy silver padlock was chained around the gold handles of the doors. Rust had covered the keyhole and molded the padlock to the handle. Outstretching his hand, he grasped the lock firmly and tugged, testing its resistance.

"No good, it's on there permanently." He sighed dejectedly. Letting the lock go, it squeaked as it rocked back to its original position. He moved away, searching for another way in. The black gate only protected the front lawn of the library, leaving the rest of the building accessible. A small gated door next to a maintenance shed led towards the back of the library. Iruka followed the length of the structure until he came across the back entrance. The door was wide open, nearly falling off its hinges. Alarm bells ringing in Iruka's head and his sense of self-preservation rearing up, he entered the building cautiously. An open door was a never a good sign. Walking through a series of desolate hallways, he eventually arrived at the main room of the library.

Immediately he was impressed by the design and palatial feel of the area. Row after row of long rectangular tables stretched out to the other side of the room. Small silver lamps decorated each table, winking at him as they were hit by sunlight.

Up above, magnificent crystalline chandeliers drooped down at regular intervals. The crystals glittered brightly in the sunlight peeking through the recessed arched window arches placed high on the wall. A soft ruby carpet covered the floor, fading slightly to a burnt orange where the sun hit it, bleaching the color. Wall-to-wall, the room was surrounded by an eclectic of books. The different colored spines contrasted nicely with their dark cherry wood book shelves, adding a homey touch to the spacious room.

Rubbing his nose, the brunet shivered again. The copious grandeur of the room unsettled him. The open door meant something was inside, meaning he was more than likely not alone. He needed to be silent. Spying some marble stairs leading to the second floor, Iruka ascended, instantly beginning his search from a reference guide attached to wall on his left. Finding the division he wanted on the faded paper, he checked his watch. 4:30. It would get dark in about 2 hours.

Iruka quickly ran to the section, squinting now and then as sunbeams landed on his face. Reaching his goal, he found a small metal cart in the way, placed between several reading couches. Shoving the cart to the side, he crouched down and began to pull out numerous books from the bookcases lining the walls, flipping through some and simply discarding others. He got down on his knees, pulled his pack off, opened it, and placed in the books he hadn't cast-off. Deeming his work done, the brunet got to his feet and whirled around, anxious to get out of the foreign building.

Forgetting about the cart in his eagerness to get out of the building, Iruka ran into it with enough force to flip the cart over the railing. Horrified, Iruka froze, his face draining of blood and going white.

"Oh shit."

Seemingly in slow motion, the silver cart spun gently before crashing deafeningly to the floor. A screech of twisting metal rang out, along with the resounding impact that echoed before fading away. The silence following the unexpected noise was palpable. Iruka could hear the thunder of his heartbeat drumming heavily in his ears as he waited. Holding his breath, he backed up from the railing, his back hitting a book case. His stomach dropped as he heard a familiar groaning sound fill the air.

"Haa….ha…huuu….gruhhh…"

Sweat dripped down his forehead as he listened. Fear coursed through his body as he edged off of the wall and inched closer to the railing. He peered over through the bars carefully. Stumbling around the tables was a Runner. It was slightly hunched over, with its beady eyes roaming the room. The bloodied figure moved around sluggishly, searching for the source of the noise. Its torn clothes hung in tatters, trailing behind him as he neared the cart. On the second floor, Iruka glanced around, eyeing the room for anymore unwanted creatures. Seeing no more, he calculated that the single Runner was all that stood between him and the door. If it was just one, he could handle it.

Anymore and he was in trouble.

He kneeled and pulled his backpack back on, securing the straps tightly to avoid making any unnecessary noises. He silently unlatched an well-used ice axe he had taken from a sporting goods store a while back. It had a long blue handle and a sharp black head that was stained with mysterious substances. He fit his gloved fingers into the familiar grooves and crouched behind a set of couches. Keeping his body low to the ground, the brunet neared the stairs, making sure that the Runner didn't notice him. He slyly descended, being extra careful to control his breathing and his footsteps. Thankfully the Runner took no notice of him, still staring at the cart curiously. It seems to have some sort of intelligence. It can tell the cart was the cause of the noise. Iruka neared the figure, feeling his heart rate spike as he came up behind it. Reaching back with the ice axe in hand, Iruka whipped his hand forward and rammed the weapon into the Runner's head with a meaty thud. It sunk in deeply, cleaving through bone and brain easily.

The creature screeched and his arms began to flail aggressively, trying desperately to get to the brunet. The force of the blow managed to knock the Runner to the side, causing it to stumble and give the teacher the upper hand. Iruka violently slammed his boot on the Infected man's back, shoving him to the floor. With both hands, he clenched the axe handle tightly and yanked it out, trying to do as much damage as possible. Skull fragments and brain matter came away as he freed the weapon. Gurgling, the Runner stilled and his arms dropped limply to the floor. Blood and infected tissue flowed freely from the wound, painting the ground below. Iruka simply tied the ice axe back to his pack. Years of surviving like this had toughened him up. He no longer felt any sympathy or regret murdering them when his life was on the line. Human or Infected, he would fight.

"Where was the exit..." He murmured, glancing around the room. Both ends of the spacious room were identical. Backtracking, he walked towards the stairs he had come from, hoping to remember.

"Huaaarrrrgggg!"

"Haaauuuugggghhhaaa!"

Shocked, the young psychology teacher halted. Two Runners had appeared, leaping out from the corridor behind the stairs. The Infected turned to him, breaking into a rocky run.

"Oh fuck!"

Iruka cried out, instantly whirling around and sprinting away. He nearly stumbled and fell with the speed of his turn. The Runners screamed and followed, swinging radically as they reached for him. Dread exploded in his chest as they gave chase, running blindly into the labyrinthine hallways behind the opposite set of stairs. He bypassed room after room of furnished reading spaces, decorated with comfy couches and delicate tables. Spying the old broken red "Exit" sign hanging loosely above a metal door, Iruka put on an extra burst of speed as he slammed into it and bolted outside into the sunshine. The door thumped against the outside wall with the force, only to be shoved open again. The Infected Runners followed him stubbornly.

Iruka nearly ripped the holding mechanism of the pack as he ripped off the ice axe and twirled it expertly in his hand, ready to fight now that he was in an open environment and had space to flee if necessary. He spun around and ran at the shorter Runner, quickly jamming the axe head into the creature's chest cavity. He shoved upward, stabbing the ice axe deeper. The Runner froze and twitched as Iruka twisted the handle. His small smile of victory was quickly wiped away as the other Runner smashed into him, knocking him onto the ground.

Grunting and winded, Iruka rolled with the hit, swiftly getting to his feet. Clouds of dust rose in the air. His fingers tingled as blood ran down them from the fall. Looking for his trusty melee weapon, he was surprised to see it still embedded deeply in the Runner he had stuck it in. The creature was now up and coming at him again.

"Oh Jesus fuck, I'm in trouble." Iruka groaned out, scanning the area as he took off running again. His legs began to cramp up painfully as the Runners chased, following him tirelessly. He needed to corner the one with his axe and get it back, but the Infected weren't giving him the opportunity, staying mere steps behind him.

Suddenly, a sharp howling noise ripped through the air. At once, both Infected and the brunet stilled, startled by the abrupt sound. The single howl was joined by many others, gaining in strength and volume. The hairs on Iruka's neck stood out.

Wolves? There are wolves in the city?! He panicked, knowing that if he couldn't survive two Runners, there was no damn way he could take on a pack of ravenous canines. He was a dead man.

The Infected came at him again, no longer interested in the howling noise. Iruka jumped out the way but paused when he spied the pack of animals barreling right to him and the Runners. Astonished, he watched as the wolves sped past him and ripped into the Infected.

Sharp teeth tore into rotted flesh, rapidly eviscerating the creatures. Limbs were ripped off and strewn around in a wet, bloody mess. The Runners were no match for the ferocity of the wolves. Muzzles streaked with red peeled back to reveal wicked white fangs as Iruka tried to step away. Quickly disposing of the rest of the Infected, the wolves growled and circled the brunet threateningly. Terrified, Iruka swallowed heavily as they watched him with red intelligent eyes. He spun around, finding himself completely surrounded.

"Who are fuck you and what are you doing here?"

A deadly, deep voice called out. Human. Iruka slowly turned to the voice, surprised at seeing another actual person. It had been so long… His brown eyes fell on a man striding confidently into the wide ring of wolves. The animals barely acknowledged the newcomer, still fully focused on Iruka.

Speechless, Iruka took in the imposing stranger as he took a step back warily. The man was taller than him by a good half a foot. He had silver hair that stood up and defied gravity; it tilted to the left as it trailed off. A poorly placed bandage was covering his left eye, cutting across his face. A black bandanna covered the lower portion of his visage, hiding most of his face. A single grey eye stared at him, pinning him with a glare. He had on a black cotton skin T-shirt stretched tightly over a muscular torso and camouflaged printed cargo pants. Dog tags hung loosely on a small chain around his neck. Black army style boots similar to Iruka's covered his feet, with the laces tied all the way up the shoe flap. What really stood out was the heavy pistol aimed directly at Iruka.

"Grrraaahhhhggg!"

Iruka turned in the nick of time to see a third Runner come running into the group, only to be shot down by the stranger. Calmly, the barrel came to rest on the brunet again. Iruka's senses demanded he take off running and avoid the armed man, but after analyzing his situation he knew it would possibly be tteh stupidest move he could make. Sure he could try to outrun the man, but he couldn't outrun a bullet, or the man's pet wolves for that matter.

Impatient at the quiet brunet, the man shoved his gun away and closed in on the shorter man. Said man backed up again carefully watched him, judging him.

"I asked you a fucking question." He growled out. Upon hearing no answer, the man lunged forward quickly, grabbing the brunet and knocking him down.

Iruka let out a small yelp as the man suddenly grabbed him. He's fast! Struggling, he felt his scarf get ripped off. A thick calloused hand gripped his chin and shoved his face up. Iruka panicked as his neck was exposed.

"What, did they bite you? Are you infected?" The man asked, continuing his brusque examinations. The writhing man beneath him eyed him evilly.

Iruka used his position to drive a knee up into the taller man's stomach. The man grunted in surprise and loosened his grip. Pushing off the ground and rolling out from underneath him, Iruka pulled out a switch blade from his pants pocket and quickly apprehended the man. He fluidly knocked the stranger to his knees and placed the serrated edge of the blade right next to the man's exposed jugular. Strangely, the man didn't struggle. He simply stared at Iruka, watching him intently. His arms hung down by his side, clearly vulnerable.

"No, I'm not infected." Iruka snarled, pissed at having been assaulted and frightened of the man. "And who the fuck are you?" He bit out, remembering that the dogs were still around him.

"I believe I asked you first." The man answered in a bored tone. A grey stormy eye met chocolate brown ones. A single silver eyebrow arched up, waiting.

Iruka didn't move. Keeping the blade snug against the man's throat, he eyed the wolves around him, trying to count them. The silver-haired man watched him, his gaze piercing.

"Attack me and they attack you." He answered the unspoken question.

"Iruka." The brunet replied gruffly, pulling the knife away against his better judgment. He closed the blade and slid it back into its pocket. Stepping away, he walked over to the shredded torso of the Runner that had his axe and grabbed the blue handle. Planting a foot on the exposed ribs, he jerked the axe out, taking with it several ribs. He gave the blue weapon a few shakes to get rid of the Infected goop clinging to it and reattached it to his pack.

"Okay, Iruka. What are you doing here."

Iruka jutted his thumb at the library. "Checking out some books. Isn't it obvious?" He quipped. His shoulders were still tense, watching the man and the wolves. How was this going to end?

"…"

"Look, I'll be out of your hair soon enough. I'm just passing through." Iruka replied feeling suddenly fatigued. A quick peek at his watch revealed that he had only half an hour to find shelter. He adjusted his scarf, wrapping it protectively around his neck. By the looks of it, the silver-haired man ran things around here, with his wolves as security. It would be wise to acknowledge it and leave the man be, lest he get angry and sic his hounds.

"You'd better be." The man threatened, getting to his feet easily. "This is your only warning." With a sharp high pitched whistle using his thumb and index finger, he called back the canines. The wolves immediately relaxed and circled him happily. Taking off jogging, he and the animals disappeared into the inner city, quickly becoming hidden by the debris in the streets.

Sighing heavily, Iruka marched back towards the library. It was the easiest place to settle into, what with all the little rooms it had and actually decent furniture that looked better than anything he had seen in a while. That little incident would have drawn out any remaining Infected, so it was safe to assume he had it to himself. Entering through the door he had previously exited, he made his way back up the marble stairs and into to one of the larger rooms to his right.

It was an exact copy of the small rooms on the bottom floor. Luckily, he chose one that was cozy and relatively in good shape. It was sparsely furnished, with only a few armchairs, a glass rectangular table, and a lone Victorian chaise lounge. The chaise lounge was made of Italian leather, with a mahogany finish. The accompanying armchairs were made of the same material, adding an elegant touch to the dusty, abandoned room.

The beautifully sculpted fireplace displayed on the far right wall was a temptation to the brunet, but he knew better. Chances were smoke could attract Infected. He didn't know how much thinking capacity they retained after changing, but it was best not to push it.

Iruka then turned to see what else he could adjust. Thankfully, the only window in the boxy room had heavy scarlet drapes that blocked out any light, making it an ideal hideaway. Setting his backpack down in a corner of the small room, he then shoved several armchairs up against the door, blockading himself in. He pushed the longer couch opposite the door and underneath the window. Plunking down on the thick cushions, he brought his boot up. Tiredly, he pulled the laces loose and slipped it off, placing it neatly near the couch's leg. Repeating this with his other shoe, he got up and trudged to the corner, grabbing his pack. He dragged it over and settled into the couch, tugging the red scarf around his neck closer. He rummaged through the worn pack and pulled out a wool blanket. Wrapping it around himself, he burrowed into its warmth, seeking refuge from the room's lowering temperature.

As he waited for sleep to claim him, his thought strayed to the stranger. Who was he? Obviously the man had some serious territorial issues. Most of the survivors he came across tended to choose a safe place and guard it from looters and Infected, but Iruka preferred to travel. He never found anywhere to call home and just kept wandering. Maybe he would find a place here, just to annoy the man. Common sense told him not to play with fire, but his snarky side wanted retribution. Once it was light out, he'd search for a safer place, preferably man-and-wolf-proof. Iruka curled into himself, closing his eyes. In a matter of minutes, he was sleeping peacefully.

xXx

Coming back to the real world slowly, Iruka blinked rapidly, yawned and stretched. His neck was sore from his awkward sleeping position, but it was more or less mobile. Sniffing and rubbing his nose, he sat up, shoving the blanket off. He checked his watch and saw that it was still pretty early in the morning. He had plenty of time to get settled and figure out what to do.

As he could see it, he had two options. One was to pack up and go, search for a new place and repeat. Choice two was to stay here and get accustomed to Josie and his Pussycats. Debating the pros and cons of each option, he winced as his stomach let out a huge growl of hunger and proceeded to revolt. Then again, his food reserves were worryingly low and he doubted he could go much longer running on air. Looks like his choice was made for him.

"Looks like you have a new roommate," He spoke aloud, directing his words to the silver-haired man he knew couldn't possibly hear him. "I'm staying." Grinning wryly as he knew he was playing with fire, the brunet slipped into his boots and tightened the laces up snugly.

"Step one done. Step two, acquire proper tools and plan out strategies." He murmured to himself. Getting to his feet, he walked over to the glass table, latched onto the side of it and hauled it over to his couch-bed. Once it was there, he dumped the contents of his backpack on it and set to sort them out. Medical supplies were set off to one corner of the table. He had a small kit pilfered from an overturned ambulance he found way back, and filled it to the brim with any medicinal items and medical paraphernalia he thought he might someday need. Any water and food items that he still had went to another. This included 5 water bottles, 2 Gatorade bottles of the blue colored variety, 1 bottle of Patron 1500 tequila, 2 small bags of Doritos, 2 slightly softening red delicious apples, a package of mini donuts, a Twinkie, several pieces of dried meat, and a small sandwich bag filled with seeds. Equipment of any sort went into another corner and finally, maps and paper items went to the remaining corner.

"If I'm going to be staying here, I might as well get comfortable. I should find some storage bins or cabinets to bring in here and fix…" Iruka mused. "I should begin searching for more supplies while I'm at it. But first things first."

He picked up one of books he had swiped the other day. It was a yellowing textbook about gardening tip and maintenance. Briefly flipping through the pages, Iruka spotted techniques on how to grow certain types of fruit and vegetables, along with methods to ameliorate any already growing plants. Iruka began to make a mental list of what kinds of items he would need to create a small garden. Reaching into the food corner of the table, he plucked up a small baggie filled with seeds from all sorts of fruits. The brunet knew growing food would take many months and possibly years to get right, but it was better late than never. If he was truly planning on staying here, it was best to get started as soon as possible. He didn't have the necessary skills to hunt and kill animals, nor did he have the heart for it. Throughout the years following the initial outbreak he'd stuck mainly to food that could be cultivated and he wasn't really planning on changing. Standing back up, he slid the book into his pack, strapped it on and tied his ice axe back on.

Time to hunt.