Chapter 1

Spike scratched his head, slowly running his massive club like hands in the short buzzed hair he had now gained since his change. Almost four weeks ago he was a scrawny, twenty-two year old mildly intelligent graduate of a top US University with a bright future ahead of him. Now he was a seven feet tall hulk of hard as steel muscles with slab like skin. He sighed as he felt a trickle of rain slide down his cheeks and bounce off his forehead. He was stood stock still as he took in the new dark and dreary world, on all fours like some kind of animal.

He made his way forward across the highway, which was a veritable graveyard of empty cars, carcasses of the dead infected and humans and many many signs of battle, loss and death. He took it all in solemnly as he looked up at the Grey sky and saw the dark clouds roll over slowly overhead a spark of lightning arcing and dancing across them as they gently drifted across the abyss that was the heavens that poured down on Spike.

He walked on slowly, taking in the road again, the memories of the cars and trucks filling his mind as the maniacal rages he went on occasionally when he saw survivors or some other infected made him sigh deeply, sorrow lining his furrowed, chiselled brow. He hacked gently, as another infected slammed on the ground next to him. He was classed as a "Smoker" by the humans that attacked his kin mercilessly. Spike had dubbed him "Sunny" as this Smoker was different like Spike, for he could communicate with the other more "Gifted" infected as Spike preferred to call them. "Special" seemed like too much of a racist term for him to stomach and after all, why be racist to your own kind?

"Which reminds me." He growled as he puffed, taking a drag on the thick brown cigar and letting out a plume of the silvery white smoke that usually accompanies Cubans, running a tumour spattered hand through his long greasy white hair "You found some food yet? I'm bloody starving sunshine." He cracked a smile and slapped Spike on the back.

Spike simply shook his head in response, sighing deeply as he eyed him from the corner of his vision let out an upset sigh himself and a look of sorrow at his basic animal like reaction. He could tell Sunny would want a conversation, as his uniform suggested he was some sort of College Professor, with a Large "U" on his blazer jacket pocket. "Well" he stated "When you feel like speaking son, do so OK?"

He had met Sunny near the start of the infection, when they were both still human. Spike had changed first then Sunny, back when he could remember his name was Stuart. They had decided to team up, hoping to adapt to their new abilities and drawbacks. He smiled at the first time he realized he could tear chunks out of the concrete, hearing Sunny's accent spouting "BLADDY HELL!"

Spike could make out that the Smoker was British by his accent. As he too like him could speak to others, and a lot of his original human intelligence remained and gave him an edge in combat against the humans, unlike the other "Tanks" that just charged forward and tried to throw as much large objects as they can, he used strategy and finesse where he could. Well as much finesse as a one and half tonne hulk could with fists the size of tires attached to his wrists.

"Well big fella? You feel like talking?" he grunted as he hung his head in response stepping forwards to keep up with Spike's long strides. He felt a hand rest on his massive gravelly shoulder as he glanced and saw a smile that covered the left side of his tumoured face. Spike moving left small craters in the asphalt and broke the suspension on a Sedan as he clambered over it, the glass shattering and setting off a shrill and high pitched alarm that Spike cursed under his breath when it reached his ears, quickly stepping back off it and crouching behind the car.

"Well nice going sunshine!" he spat as he stubbed out the cigar on his jeans, sliding it into his pocket and began to run for cover behind an overturned semi to their right. "You gotta lose some weight son!" He cracked as Spike felt a smile happen.

Spike grunted, crouched down next to the car and lifted it off the ground, balanced it on his head as the infected common horde thundered on his positions with the force of an angry stampede. He sighed and stood up straight and hefted the car back and then hurled it in the direction of the other side of the bridge, as the horde skidded and did a sharp 180 to chase after the crushed metal hulk of the car.

Gunfire echoed throughout the bridge as it came to life, screams, shouts and taunts flooded his ears from this far as he saw Sunny pop his head around the semi and let out a hacking cough. Someone was coming this way and Sunny was about to strike.

"Hehehe" he let out a deep, raspy laugh and got ready to strike as Spike saw a young man sprinting away from the large group of infected that were chasing him, firing his assault shotgun at the hip as he back-pedalled frantically trying to get away from the massacre of the others at the other side of the bridge. One infected knocked the weapon from his hands as he levelled it at another, causing him to grab the metal bat from his back and remove his skull contents from their resting place in his head, knocking it back in an impressive cartwheel.

He scrambled onwards, skidding into a stop as he slammed into Spike as he stepped in front of him, the young man froze and before he could raise his bat to strike and yell that customary "TANK!" emote he simply grabbed the young mans arm and lifted him off the ground. He felt a snap and was sure it was the bat, but he couldn't be sure as the kids expression was that of pain and horror at the same time, tears welling up at the corners of his eyes.

"Nice son" Sunny coughed as he come across from behind the semi "Nice catch there. He looks like he could keep me going for a while." Spike glanced at Sunny lick his lips with his long tongue like appendage and then rub his hands together after lighting his cigar again. A sick grin spread across his lips as he clapped his hands together again and put his hand on the youths jaw, taking in his young handsome features. Breathing a plume of smoke across his face.

"What you gonna do to me..?" the youth was terrified as Spike held him five feet off the ground, he could smell fear sweat and piss, and he was pretty sure he had shit himself. "Please..don't kill me..."

"Kill you?" Sunny laughed as he hacked another deep long cough. "Sunshine I'm going to eat you. I'm bloody starving and haven't had a good meal in days..." he saw the kids eyes widen, and steam filled the air at his crotch as he whimpered and began crying. He then began to shake uncontrollably. Spike would have smiled if he had a lower jaw still, instead he simply raised his eyebrows. He always liked how Sunny would tease the survivors before giving them a quick painless death, as other things that some "Infected" got up to made even his massive frame shudder.

Spike shook his head, and eyed up the fire fight that was raging on the other side of the bridge, and he could hear the rather distinctive cries of a "Hunter" "Charger" and the grotesque gurgling of a "Boomer". Spike sighed and put the youth down, he slipped and fell back to his knees, almost begging Spike not to kill him, whimpering rather pathetically as he pushed past him and made his way forwards.

"Wait...you can speak..." the youth whispered as he looked at Sunny, his eyes widened and then he began to crawl backwards on his hands, dragging his feet as he left a trail moving away from Sunny. Still sobbing, Spike looked at him, he was pathetic and wasn't worth their time. He wanted a bigger challenge and started for the other side of the bridge where gunfire still punctuated the eerie rain filled night.

"Your not gonna kill me?" He asked again, clearing his throat as he slammed up against a Sedan "Why wont you kill me? I thought that's what you freaks did?"

"Fuck you kid" Sunny walked over, knelt down, shot out his tongue around the youths neck and in a mighty show of strength lifted him off the ground, another showing of one of his unique talents. His tongue could not be broken, and had the strength to lift most humans like a prehensile tail.

"Sweet dreams"

Spike grunted as the youths neck snapping hit ears just as an explosion broke the silence and shattered the almost tense moment. He stepped forwards, seeing the form of a Charger get cut down by a large hail of gunfire as the boomer exploded showering the survivors with the sweet smelling bile but also meant he lost a comrade.

He saw a young female hunter, one of the few that weren't other Mutated bitches get decapitated by a muscular man with tattoos and a shaved head as he lit a cigarette, nonchalantly killing more infected with his machete. His muscular bare arms lined with tattoos. Running down them from the top of his shoulders were dragons and hellish looking tribal marks that ended in dust at his elbows. Said Japanese dragons bore swords and spears fighting the tribal darkness that enveloped them. He smiled and turned to face his small group of five. Spike could tell he would be no easy kill, as he seemed to give off assertiveness, cockiness and a heavy sense of respect emanated from the others towards him.

"Shits getting hot sunshine." Sunny coughed as he walked up next to Spike and patted him on the back, then moved off into a staggered run and headed onwards to the support struts of the large highway. "We got assholes to kill boy!" He deftly climbed them and sprinted along the support struts towards a good hiding spot.

Spike felt an adrenaline rush wash through him, his muscles tightened as he cracked his knuckles and if he had lower jaw he knew he'd be smiling right now. Resting his huge fists back on the concrete he made his way along the side Sunny had, hoping to stay out of sight for as long as he could.

Tonight he'd have that guys head on a stick.