Waking the Dead
By Shade
A/N: Before I begin let me just say that I hope you'll give this fic a chance. I know the summery didn't mention it (no one would have read this if I had included it) but this work is based on one of my favorite B horror films "Return of the Living Dead". I've seen this movie more than my fair share of times. It isn't best known of the series and for some reason I don't really connect it with the rest of them, still don't as the zombie's weren't necessarily the main threat...anyway...The love story in it always got me in a an 'aww' sort of mood and since the last time I saw the movie I've been dying to make it into a fanfiction. If you have seen the movie I switched the roles a bit which is probably apparent...but I digress...again. I truly want reviews for this, I don't post things unless I want reviews but flames I don't need. Constructive criticism is fine but I'm ashamed enough writing this as it is. I certainly don't need flames to top it off.
On a side note: Laguna is referred to as Mr. Leonhart...because it just makes sense...
This fluorescent lighting was murder on the eyes. They were dull and flickering. The lights in the lab areas were brighter but only eerily so. The hallways were all long and loud, footsteps reverberating off much too sterile surfaces at deafening volumes in such dead silence. Perhaps it was all in his mind. The conditions of his current job might have him just a little on edge.
"Mr. Leonhart."
Laguna held a clipboard to his chest and looked back at the sound of his name. He seemed tired, his eyes outlined in a sleepy red and black beneath his glasses. Wisps of black hair were falling from what he had pulled back and partially covering his face. He
stifled a yawn as he went to meet the man following him. He had been hoping to get home, finally shed this damn lab coat and badge. He truly despised his job lately.
"Our men in the lab have mixed up a little something we think you'll like see. They pulled a new one out of the freezer. It's too late to put him back in," The man grinned, a giddy expression crossing his weasel like face, the flash of yellowed teeth causing Laguna to let his eyes wander away "They're about to start and Quistis thinks you should be there."
Laguna looked at his watch. He had wanted to catch Squall at home. They needed to talk...but Quistis was above him if not by much..."How long will this take?"
The weasel man nodded in triumph "No more than ten minutes. If things go as planned from the start you can go on home and leave us to clean up the mess."
As his colleague headed back down the hallway Laguna stifled a yawn and managed a friendly smile to a nurse passing by. He would be here for at least another hour. Squall would be long gone by then.
"The wood shed."
Squall Leonhart smiled faintly at the dub playing over Bruce Campbell. He had been sprawled across the couch, watching horror movies for the last three hours. This wasn't how he had planned to spend his Saturday night but Laguna had asked him to be home.
They hardly ever saw each other and seeing that it was nine Squall doubted he would get home at all. His father's shift ended at eight. If he was still at work now he had taken another. Squall was getting sick of this but he knew no other life. He had been very young when his mother had died and consequently didn't remember her. They had soon moved from his childhood home to another on a military base then a third and a fourth. This was Squall's eleventh home at only seventeen.. His father was important to research. So what. Couldn't he get a job that would let Squall settle down? He could live on a smaller budget as long as he could live a normal life that actually involved exchanging more a few rushed words with Laguna in the small hours of the morning.
A knock on the door made Squall jump slightly. He sat up lazily and muted the television to ask who it was. A second, impatient knock provoked a smile and he rushed to the door, knowing all to well who was there. He opened the door, pretending not to be eager "What do you want this time?" Squall stood in the small opening, not allowing the man outside to enter.
Seifer Almasy smirked "Why do you think I'm here?" He leaned forward, kissing his boyfriend in greeting before stepping back "Come on, let's go some where."
Squall could guess that he was only horny, as it was clearly difficult for the other to hide his impatience. Not that the idea didn't appeal to him. He had been with Seifer for a year now and they'd been fucking for more than half of that. Seifer was far from the romantic sort so foreplay usually consisted of a visit like this.
Squall watched his lover with indifferent eyes, standing still in the doorframe "I shouldn't go anywhere," He began slowly, as if considering this for himself "Laguna wanted to talk. And besides I'm not dressed."
"You're dressed enough," Seifer teased, climbing the stairs once more and tugging one side of Squall's boxers off a hip bone. His other hand settled upon Squall's waist, between the fabric of his shirt and pale, soft skin "But if your dad's not here we could always just...stay home..."
He was certainly persistent. Squall hid another smile, moving against Seifer and brushing his fingertips along the leather of his jacket until his palm rested upon his shoulder "Fine. Come inside," He sighed at last, pulling away and going straight to his bedroom.
His room was on the first floor and relatively large. There were band posters along the walls, a chest of drawers, and a queen size bed that was no stranger to Seifer's presence. Taking a pair of tight fitting black pants from his drawer and slipping them on Squall looked to the clock. This wasn't the first time he had simply left without consulting his father. He reasoned it was only fair. If Laguna didn't care enough to keep an eye on him he would do what he could get away with. Dating Seifer certainly hadn't pleased him.
"Hey Squall! Look what I found!"
Squall looked to the door, sure Seifer was going through his things again. Quickly he snatched a shirt from the drawer, a equally tight black number with mesh sleeves and hem. He pulled this over his head as he went back into the living room.
Sure enough the end table drawer was open, a few papers scattered about. Seifer was spinning a fresh cigarette in one hand and some sort of card in the other.
"What are you doing?" Squall groaned and went to put these papers back in the drawer "You have no respect for privacy do you?"
"I was looking for a lighter," Seifer said almost defensively, putting his cigarette down on the cool glass of the end table and getting another groan from Squall who was still trying to put things back in order "But come on, look at this," He waved the card under Squall's nose.
The brunette snatched at Seifer's wrist, his long, graceful fingers closing around their target. He was about to shove him away when the words printed across one end of the card registered. Laguna Leonhart Seifer handed the card over. "He lost this last week," Squall crossed the room and sat the card down on the bar before heading back to his room to put on shoes "He should be able to find it there."
"Oh come on," Seifer was at the bar in moments, putting the card in his pocket "I don't know about you but I wanna see what's takin' your dad so damn long."
"No you don't," Squall's deadpan voice came from the bedroom.
"It'll only take a few minutes," Seifer whined, flopping back down on the sofa and taking the television off mute.
"Where exactly do you want to go?" Squall knew the card could access almost any building but he imagined that none of them were very exciting "The security guards near the labs are a lot harder to get past then the ones at the community entrance."
"Just tell them you're there to see you're dad. You know it would work. They're just guarding the lab, not working in it, probably not sharp enough to suspect otherwise."
He was right "Whatever," Squall came from his room wearing boots now and little makeup around his eyes and on his face.
"I'll just take that as a yes then?" The blonde switched the television off then the vcr when Squall came to do this himself. Instead he intercepted his significant other at the waist "Cheer up babe."
Squall rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile "Let's just go," Taking Seifer's arm he led the way outside. A black motorcycle was parked on the curb just outside. It was October and when Squall shivered Seifer draped his jacket over his shoulders "Looks better on you anyway," He commented slyly, climbing onto the motorcycle and waiting for Squall to do the same.
Without so much as a glance back to the house Squall slid his arms into the sleeves of the jacket and slid on behind Seifer. "If they won't let us in we come right back," He wrapped his arms around Seifer's waist and pressed his forehead against to his back as the engine revved and the two sped through the night, down the empty streets, and towards the weapons development facility.
Laguna took a seat in the observation area, staring out reinforced glass as men in white radiation suits wheeled out a large barrel. A hazard symbol was printed on the side of the steel container. Laguna felt himself shudder. He was perfectly aware of his contents.
Quistis saw the movement and couldn't quell a smile. "Loosing your edge?" She moved beside Laguna, taking a seat just to his right "I thought you wanted a promotion. With that attitude you won't go very far."
"No," Laguna agreed, putting his hand to his forehead "But I just got off this project, remember? I can be promoted in other areas."
"Oh they'll keep you on the same project. You're too valuable here," A smiling face leaned closer to Laguna.
He knew she was right. The assignment would be the same. Perhaps not directly at first but things would soon shift that way. He hadn't the nerve to simply quit. Deep down he loved his job. Something deep down kept nagging, telling him things would get better. He had clung to that thin thread of hope desperately.
A man was wheeled in now. Or the shell of a man. The body was pale, almost blue. The lips and sexual organs were slack, almost shriveled but his facial features rigid. Laguna could guess he had been frozen for at least a week and had only been recently 'defrosted'. As a few lab technicians laughed over a quiet, albeit vulgar joke Laguna inadvertadly winced. No, this didn't feel right. Everything was unraveling.
"Going in to see my dad," Squall flashed his key card to the officer at the next gate. He knew this officer. He'd been past this point several times so the excuse wasn't far fetched but now Squall had darker motives and couldn't stop the adrenaline pumping through his veins.
"Go on through," The officer nodded, eyeing Seifer as the two walked through the gate. He'd left the bike near the trees. It was much too noisy if they were going to sneak into a building. Every eye would be on them by the time they snuck off.
Squall walked onward with Seifer just a few steps behind. Once they were out of sight, Squall veered in the wrong direction, away from the main office building and into the shadows. He went along at a jog and Seifer had to double his pace to catch up.
There was something intoxicating about danger. Squall imagined the adrenaline reach his heart, then his lungs, and then tried his best to stop everything from bubbling up his vocal chords and becoming an almost feminine giggle. He covered his mouth and caught Seifer's surprised grin from the corner of his eye.
"Why don't I get that noise out of you in bed?" Squall noted the look on Seifer's face and hoped he could wait until they got back home to hear him laugh again. It certainly never came on cue.
"You're only focused on yourself in bed, that's why," He snapped back ruefully, keeping a straight, deadpan face now. This was one of his specialties.
"Hey, it's only a kid."
Squall looked up, slightly disappointed. Not listening again "What are you talking about?" His tone wasn't particularly kind but it didn't seem to phase Seifer.
"The guard. He's not much older than us," Seifer was peering by several trees and even in the darkness Squall could see ideas flickering through those jade green eyes. He had led them around to a back entrance. This way they would be just above his father, in a weapons storage facility. They also had to face minimum security this way. The weapons in there were old and outdated. No one knew about them much less wanted them. If someone wanted to steal material or information they would take an entrance on the West side of the grounds. This led to elevators that would take you downstairs to labs, research facilities, and the weapon storehouses for the newer government technological developments.
Squall said nothing. Seifer seemed to have something in mind. He waited patiently, looking in the other's direction from time to time as Seifer deliberated. The wind was picking up and Squall hugged the jacket closer. Much to his surprise Seifer stripped it hastily away from his body. He was only wearing a loose fitting, short sleeved t-shirt, Seifer must be freezing as well. Still the audacity of it angered Squall "Seifer...I'm cold..."
"I know, hand me the card," Seifer held out his hand in an impatient manor.
Squall stepped back, annoyed as he palmed the card himself, reluctant to hand it over in his current mood "Why?"
"I'm gonna get us in. Just keep pressed up against me, don't face that kid up there straight on," Seifer pulled Squall over by the waist and Squall handed the card over though not terribly reassured by a plan he certainly didn't understand.
Seifer led the way to the door. He began to laugh once they were within earshot of the guard and Squall jumped by the suddenness of it all. The kid at the door perked up some. He had been leaning against the wall lazily. Now he stood erect, military issue weapon swinging into proper position. Seifer flashed the key card once he had climbed the few stairs to the top platform.
"Do you two even work here?" The young man looked unsure of what to say, sleepy and nervous. Clearly no one generally came this way. He was used to a relaxed, easy shift.
Seifer pulled Squall closer, spinning him around so that he was pressed up to him. Squall's head had been bowed. The guard hadn't the time to really study either of him before Squall felt Seifer's hands traveling over his back and ass. He blushed furiously. This was a plan?
"My dad does," Seifer answered expertly "The girl wanted to see some of the big guns," A smirk crossed his face as usual and he indicated the young man pressed against him.
Squall wasn't sure he had heard correctly and when he heard a hearty laugh from the guard he looked up to Seifer, troubled. 'The girl'?! There was no way he passed as a female! He felt insulted as well as nervous now. This was ridiculous.
To the guard of course Squall's figure in his tight black pants and partially mesh shirt was completely convincing as a teenage girl. An attractive one at that "I'll get in trouble if I let you two in," He sounded apologetic and was still smiling.
Seifer seized his chance "Who would know?"
Squall seized his chance as well. If he was to be this uncomfortable, cold and embarrassed, then by God so was Seifer. He moaned lightly, androgynously, bringing a knee up gently between Seifer's legs. The blonde took in a quick breath and felt a certain firmness forming against his thigh.
"Impatient," The guard continued to laugh softly and shook his head as he remembered his own girlfriend in a similar, albeit slight elaborated, situation "Fine, go on it."
Seifer nodded his thanks and slid in the key card. The door slid open and he slipped in, Squall still close. When the door closed he was shoved back "What the hell was that?" Squall hissed, keeping his voice down to avoid any soldiers he assumed would be posted periodically within.
"I should ask the same thing," Seifer shed his coat and handed this back to Squall before going on "We shouldn't waste time, come on."
Squall sighed but dismissed things. His adrenaline rush was coming back and the natural high sent him hurrying ahead "Here," He motioned to Seifer to join him. The door he was at was one of many. If he was going in the direction he thought he was the labs were below whatever was beyond this door. He faintly remembered a short tour of his father's new office and recalled noticing a grilled ceiling, probably for ventilation purposes.
Following this assumption Squall took Seifer's keycard and opened the next door. He heard footsteps in the distance. Of course this area would be subject to tighter security. This seemed to be a warehouse of sorts. Industrial sized freezers lined the walls and matinence ladders were on the side of the structures that filled the room. These convenient cube shapes were in rows or four with no telling exactly how far they went back.
Squall climbed the first ladder, putting a finger to his lips when Seifer began to question him. Sure enough one could peer through the grating but the room below this cube was empty. But the effort wasn't fruitless. From here Squall could hear the faint sounds of talking from nearby. He nodded in that direction and taking the hint Seifer climbed up.
"Hey," Seifer forced a whisper, pulling Squall down beside him once he was close enough "Isn't that your dad?"
"Subject secured Sir," One of the two lab teqnitions looked to Leguna then Quistis for the okay to continue.
"Proceed," Quistis gave them a stern nod before Laguna could give anyone a proper answer.
The taller of the two men went to the steel barrel and pried it open. A foggy, smoky substance filled the air, clouding the room slightly after a few moments.
"We've narrowed the time of reanimation down to between thirty seconds and a minute," Quistis was speaking privately with Laguna now. He nodded politely. This was no news to him though he was honestly engrossed in this experiment at the moment. He didn't want to provoke any unwanted conversation. He didn't wish to be distracted. Inside the glass room the corpse strapped to the table groaned and lurched.
"Ah!" Squall jumped back, a metallic clang echoing through the room, reverberating off the walls. Seifer quickly clamped a hand over Squall's mouth and moved him off the grating. Footsteps were coming closer and he could just make out a flashlight beam darting over their heads, back, then panning over once more slowly. Seifer's breath was hot and quick against the him palm. As soon as footsteps faded away Seifer was climbing down, rushed but silent. He almost left Squall behind in his hurry. The frantic brunette darted after him, taking hold of his arm in desperation.
Seifer shook his arm, tearing it from Squall's grasp and rushing for the next door. He was through the next, outside, past the now slumbering guard, and back into the darkness before he slowed down.
"Seifer," Squall was shaking but Seifer paid little mind, walking on at a steady pace "H-he wasn't d-dead right...Seifer?...Seifer? Right?"
There was a deafening silence between the two then. Seifer barely waited until Squall was on the back of the motorcycle before taking off and speeding back toward the house he was beginning to wish they had never left.
The second technician had been opening a slim briefcase placed on a steel rolling cart. The contents were sleek, fat cylinders filled with a bright blue substance. The short man opened a second case just below it, screwing the principle parts of a rather large gun together.
"Aghhhh," The corpse lurched again, violent now. The taller of the two men approached, checking the creature's brain activity on the monitor.
"Careful," Laguna leaned forward in his chair.
Quistis only smiled faintly and shook her head "He's well restrained. Don't worry," Her words were demeaning. It was as if she found his concern as charming as a young child's naivety. When the leather strap across the corpse's chest burst her smile faded and the creature's arms settled around the tall man's neck "Hurry up and load that thing!" She snapped, standing now and rushing closer to the microphone.
The short man tried to slip the cylinder into the gun, beginning to loose his cool. The cylinder slipped from his hand and clanged to the floor. As he dropped down to snatch it up rotting teeth were tearing through the tall man's radiation suit and deep into his skin. Flesh was torn away in the maw of the monster they had created, sinew snapping from between the neck and shoulder.
The man screamed and those behind the glass drew in terrified breaths. As the tall man crumpled to the floor the creature was ripping free of the rest of its bonds. It moved one leg then the other, stepping down from the surface it had been leaned against. Arms extended towards the short man it stumbled on.
The short man had shoved the cyndrilical object into the gun and a hum sounded. The thing was less than a step away when a light on the guns side flashed and the short man pulled the trigger. A tranquilizer of sorts sank deep into the thing's skin and the dropped to it's knees then straight to the floor.
Quistis breathed a sigh of relief "At least we know the tranquilizers work."
How could she see something positive in this? Laguna motioned to one of his men to head for the door "Find someone on the med staff. Get them down here! Now!" He motioned another on to the phone.
On the other side of the glass the short man was leaning back against the wall. Trying to catch his breath. He didn't stay in one spot long. The doors had yet to open up again but he wasn't willing to stand so close to the creature that had nearly killed him even if it was lifeless once again.
He went back to the table, prepared to motion that he wanted out immediately but before he could so much as make the smallest of gestures something sharp sank into his heel. A scream flooded through the speakers on the other side of the room. Laguna rushed for the switch that released the doors but Quistis snatched his wrist "It's too late."
Laguna jerked his wrist free and reached out again, this time shutting the speakers off. The tall man dug his fingers deep into his colleague's chest. Blood blossoming from the victims nose and mouth went unseen as the fluorescent lighting switched off with a mechanical groan.
Seifer had pulled into Squall's driveway this time, close to the door but Squall hadn't gotten off the bike. Instead he clung to Seifer's back, head bowed in panicked thought and his breath still coming a bit to quickly "Seifer," He ventured at last "Did you see that? He wasn't dead, right?" Seifer remained silent "Seifer," Still no answer "Damnit! Say something!"
Seifer swung an arm back roughly, knocking Squall from the motorcycle to hit the ground hard "Will you shut up! I'm trying to think all right?" Squall couldn't help but let out a slight sob. He climbed to his knees and nursed the elbow he'd hit falling. Seifer groaned and stood, putting the kickstand down "Get up, come on," He grumbled, heading towards the door. When Squall only remained kneeling there Seifer doubled back. He sighed apologetically offering him a hand up "Come on, I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean to."
"Mm," Squall stood on his own and went inside. He didn't bother to wait for Seifer before going straight to his bedroom and lying down.
"Don't do this," Seifer closed the door behind him as he entered. He went to Squall's bedroom and leaned against the doorframe. Squall was lying on his stomach. Seifer could guess he was terribly close to tears. He was always ashamed to cry or at least let others see him do so. But Seifer had been around him for long enough. He knew Squall's body outside and in or at least liked to think he did "The lab was nothing, at least not a dead guy. Come on, it's nothing to get worked up about."
That seemed to be the right thing to say. Squall stirred slightly, wiping his eyes and looking up "You mean that?"
"Of course," Seifer crossed the room and climbed onto the bed. He leaned over Squall, leaning in and kissing him. No he didn't believe it. Not really. Something about what they had seen unnerved him, shook him to his very core.
Squall smiled, appreciating any affection he could get from Seifer. He wrapped his arms around the other's neck "I love you Seifer."
"Mm," Was Seifer's only response, busy kissing Squall's neck as he began to remove the other's pants.
Laguna slammed his hand against the wheel as his headlights bounced off a motorcycle parked near his garage. As if the night couldn't get any worse. Laguna shut the care off and rushed inside. He didn't bother to close the door and rushed straight to Squall's room, swinging the door open so that it hit the wall with a crash.
As he had guessed Seifer's pants were down, Squall lying nude and facedown beneath him. At the sound Seifer stopped his rough, rocking motion, and pulled back "Squall! Out here, now!" The door closed again and Squall was scurrying for his clothes.
"Dad!" Squall pulled his shirt on as he hurried out of the bedroom, down the hallway, and into his father's study "Dad, I can explain."
"Save it," Laguna was pacing before his desk, shaking his head. After a moments hesitation he reached for the bottle on his desk. He didn't drink often but right now he needed some sort of relief "We're moving in two weeks. That boyfriend of yours won't be any of my concern soon," He poured the liquor, straight, into the scotch glass. He could sense the argument soon to arise.
"What!" Squall stepped closer, appalled "No! I want to stay here!"
"The moving men will be here in two weeks. Go ahead and pack up your room," Laguna brought the glass to his lips as Squall began to back away.
"Fine, you can go but I'm staying here," He growled resentfully heading towards the door before his father grabbed his shoulder.
"That's out of the question. You're too young," Laguna watched Squall twist from his grip and grab at the doorframe.
"I'm seventeen!" Squall insisted.
"That's hardly old enough to make proper decisions."
"Then how's this one?" Squall stormed from the room and towards the front door. Seifer was just pulling his motorcycle out onto the street when Squall ran to stall him "Seifer! Hang on!"
Seifer blinked as the brunette climbed onto the back "Where are we going."
"Anywhere. I'm just not coming back here," Squall's arms looped around his lover's waist and as Laguna ran out the front door after him Squall pulled them tight "Hurry!"
Laguna watched the two go and cursed under his breath. He couldn't take much more of this. In the best interest of his sanity Laguna went back inside calmly. It was his intention to call the police.
"So you're really running away huh?!" Seifer shouted over the roar of the engine. This was the best news he'd had all week.
"Yeah!" The adrenaline was coming back. Squall slipped his hands down Seifer's stomach resting them purposely in his lap "Will you come too!"
"Of course!" Seifer moaned slightly in between breaths, the touch of Squall's hands making it hard to concentrate on the road "My folks probably won't even notice that I'm gone! We can go wherever you want! How does California sound!?" Squall laughed, pressing his hands closer and working his fingers to massage him in thanks. When he pulled his hand back Seifer protested "Come on, no one's on the road at the time 'a night, at least not all the way out here! At least keep going until we hit a city!"
With a reluctant sigh Squall began again. He body was pressed to Seifer's back now, the wind was blocked from him though he could still feel it rippling through his hair. The motorcycle swerved once or twice but Seifer kept things steady. Squall was perfectly calm until a large pair of headlights caught his eye and the road was pulled out from under him.
A/N: Wow this was fun to write. I'm writing the next chapter regardless but reviews depend on whether I post it or not. Heh, and yes, I know some of the lines were slightly corny but I assure you those several lines came from the 80'fied movie and I found them too classic to leave out.