Summary: The world has changed. A virus that broke out in the U.S. quickly spread to the other countries, consuming mankind in only a matter of months. The earth was left barren and wasted, the last of the humans on the sad planet scattered about to fight for their survival. Though now, three years after the Infected began to roam, hope is kindled in the hearts of the lingering humans. Though most of them don't know it, a cure is discovered. Now, a small group of friends must travel across the world to save not one life, but save the lives for the future of the world as well.

A/N: Why hello there wonderful readers~! I have decided to go back and revise this story, as I wasn't very happy with the first draft. I want to thank the few people who took the time to read this, leaving me helpful reviews ^^

I'm also terribly sorry for not responding back, but I do hope this newly updated chapter is better than the last ;w;

I'm changing this up a bit, edited my plot plans, and whatnot. (That's why I've taken so long on updating this story ;A;)

Well, enjoy this new chapter that I have, and if ya like, drop me a little review da?

Enjoy~!

Warnings: Blood, Gore, Zombies, Death, OOCness, Possibly Yaoi –in later chapters- , and language.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or it's characters. Sadly.

Awake and Alive

xxXX Chapter 1: Welcome to Hell XXxx

The crunching of boots against the asphalt in the road could be heard throughout the otherwise quiet street. Deep cyan eyes were narrowed as they watched the buildings, the dark allies, and the cars parked hazardly along the edges of the pavement. They looked as though people just upped and abandoned their cars, in a hurry to flee from what was inescapable.

Though, I suppose that was true.

There was a scrunching of paper that sounded from the ally to the man's right, grasping at his attention. Eyes that glittered with mild exhilaration turned to find the source, heartbeat hastening as thoughts of combat simmered to the surface of the man's awareness. A hand reached behind his shoulder for the weapon he knew was there, fingers enclosing around the cold metallic handle. Eyes never left the shadows of the ally, continually searching for the basis of the rustling clatter. Taking one step forward, the man wasn't ready for what happened next. A tiny streak of black tore out of the shadows, causing old newspapers to fly onto the street. The tiny feline attacked the man's legs, small claws only grazing his already torn pants. The little black creature hissed and spat, it's fur standing on end. The man, name yet to be revealed, gave a hearty chuckle.

"What are you doing here fur-ball?" He asked the tiny cat, knowing it wouldn't answer his question. All he got in response was another hiss, black tail lashing about. A smirk on his face the man reached down and picked the tiny fluff ball up by the scruff of its neck, much to the little cat's dismay. "The name's Grimmjow, pipsqueak." He said, deep baritone rumbling from the man's chest. Again, in response the black pelted feline hissed and swiped at the other's nose. Grimmjow just cackled, reaching forward to stroke the kitten behind the ears. For a moment, the felidae closed its eyes, a purr emitting from its chest. That was for the briefest of seconds before wide blue eyes snapped open, head shaking and teeth bared. Grimmjow gave another chuckle "Feisty aren't you?" he said to the kitten. Trying a different approach, Grimmjow reached into his pocket to retrieve a small bag of beef jerky. He set the kitten back down onto the ground, tossing it a piece of the jerky as he did so. The little cat immediately snatched up the meat, gobbling it down without a second thought. "Hungry, huh?" Grimmjow smiled. It was understandable, considering there wasn't really anything the small kitten could find on it's own.

"Well then, good luck little guy." Grimmjow exhaled as he began to walk away, intent on continuing with his original task. Taking only a few steps, a tiny mewl stopped him in his tracks. Looking over his shoulder, Grimmjow glanced back at the tiny fur-ball. Deep azure eyes stared right back at him, seemingly pleading for him not to leave. Standing where he was, the kitten padded over to him, rubbing its head against his pant's leg whilst purring. Grimmjow couldn't bring himself to leave the poor cat alone, always having a softer side for felines. "Ah, finally warming up to me huh?" He laughed, the little kitten now trying to climb up his pant's leg. The petite felidae wasn't having much luck, giving off mews of defeat as he clung to the man's knee. "Want to come with me eh?" Grimmjow decided to help the meager creature, lifting him up to eye level with him. "Hmm. I should give you a name, what do you think of that?" A mew of delight caused Grimmjow to laugh once again, "Alright, what if I called you…. Mittens?" He smirked.

Another hiss, followed by a swipe of tiny ebony claws.

"Okay, okay! Only joking! How about…Pantera?" The felidae in his grasp seemed to enjoy the name said, purring as those wide blue eyes stared into Grimmjow's cyan ones. "Pantera it is." Grimmjow placed the newly dubbed 'Pantera' onto his shoulder, where the kitten latched its claws onto his navy blue shirt as to not fall off. When his new partner was secured on his shoulder, Grimmjow began to walk briskly towards his first destination. He made it to the end of the block in no time; careful not to make too big a racket as he did so. Pressing himself up against the wall of the closest building, Grimmjow peered around the corner of the street. Pantera did the same, her tiny head brushing up against his chin as she did so. He stifled a laugh, eyes then drifting to the shadows that crawled up and down the road before him.

This was a dangerous street.

The many shadows that covered area would provide ideal hiding places for his enemies, giving them the upper hand should he be forced into a fight.

Needless to say, it wasn't a place he wanted to be. However it was necessary, for his goal lay directly across from his current position. He could see the slightly faded sign of the CVS, its windows only cracked and not completely broken. Grimmjow sighed deeply, supposedly there were supplies that his so called 'friend' needed.

Sazyel.

He had this atrocious aura that just screeched I-wish-to-dissect-you and a disturbing as fuck smile that sent quivers down your spine.

Also the reason as to why Grimmjow was here savaging for supplies.

Grimmjow huffed out a breath, running a hand through tousled blue locks to rid himself of those few bangs that fell forward in his face. It didn't help, they fell back against his forehead not three seconds later.

Irritable, he took a tentative step onto the eerie street. Pantera hissed silently, causing Grimmjow to pause midstep. Judgments contracted out onto the unnamed avenue, a chill edging up the fellow's spine. "Eh Pantera? Do you see something?" Grimmjow spoke quietly, his voice just barely audible.

Something in the shadows moved, triggering Pantera to arc her spine while her fur began to bristle. Deciding not to take any chances, Grimmjow told Pantera to hold on tight. Rolling his shoulders, he prepared to break into an all out sprint.

Dashing out into the shadows caused by the towering buildings, Grimmjow pumped his legs and urged himself to go faster. He heard the moans and grunts from his sworn enemies before he saw them. There was scuffling of feet, as these creatures couldn't run very fast, behind the tall man. Looking over his shoulder, Pantera was hissing and spitting at the group of Infected that pursued him. Glancing back to his main target, Grimmjow let out a curse at the sight of two gruesome looking infected people standing in his way. His steps faltered, though he quickly recovered.

"I don't have time for this!" He snarled. Grimmjow jumped, kicking one of the brain dead 'zombies', as they call it, in the face. It collapsed to the ground, Grimmjow's foot still pressing the measly creature's face into the ground. After a sickening crunch, Grimmjow took off again, the rest of the herd hot on his heels.

When he finally made it to the doors of the CVS, Grimmjow nearly whooped in joy. His body slammed into the hard glass doors, hands fumbling for the handle. Fingers clasped onto the bar tugging hard.

In that short moment, Grimmjow's heart filled with dread.

He tugged and pushed on the door, but it refused to open.

"Damn it!" He shouted, no longer caring about keeping quiet. There was enough of the Infected following him to attract others. Grimmjow growled, and Pantera hissed in return. He spared another glimpse over his shoulder, and again cursed at what he saw. There had to be at least twenty of the Infected following him, with more on the way. Slamming the doors again, Grimmjow tried thinking of a possible escape. There was no way he could fight off all these fuckers himself, as much as his blood boiled at the thought of bloodshed, he couldn't risk it.

Damn, why had he been so stupid?

Grimmjow grunted with effort, using all his strength to force the doors to open. The groaning Infected after him were only a brief distance away, he had about thirty-seconds before they were on him like a pack of wild dogs that hadn't eaten in days.

With a final heave, the door gave way, resulting in a loud clattering noise. "Ahaha!" Grimmjow beamed, quickly entering the building whilst slamming the doors closed behind him. There was another slam, many of the Infected ramming into the glass doors as they tried to follow in after the man. Grimmjow wouldn't have it though, pushing himself up against the door to keep the unwanted enemy out. Try as he might, he wouldn't last long. More of those ghastly creatures would soon be here.

Slightly panicking, Grimmjow's mind raced as he thought of way to prevent these bastards from getting in.

Blood smeared across the glass as the Infected lazily pounded away at the door. The man with blue eyes cursed himself and his luck, finally deciding on using his trusty baseball bat. He pulled the sleek metal bat out of his pack, hastily sliding it between the two handles to prevent the horrid monsters from entering the building. Pantera leaped from her perch atop his shoulder, landing lightly onto the rough surface of the store's floor. Her slim frame stiffened, another hiss escaping through ebony lips.

"Ahaha! Take that mother-fuckers!" Grimmjow hollered, spinning on his heel to further enter the long-standing shop. Pantera gave the Infected one last mini-snarl before padding off after the man. The door rocked back and forth, hands, some of which were missing fingers, clawed at the small crack the glass provided for them. Mixed with the moaning and groaning, it added an eerie melody that rang through room. Grimmjow paid it no mind, it was late in the day and he had to hurry back to the "base", which was simply an old apartment building he and his few friends camped out in. Thing about the Infected, they were stupid, and couldn't climb things.

Not even stairs.

Which worked at the little group's advantage.

Grimmjow sighed again, eyes traveling over to the door for a brief second before he returned his attention to the slightly darkened shelves of the CVS. Considering the doors were locked, and the windows were intact, Grimmjow was feeling hopeful about what he would find. After all, not many people stayed in the city after the Infection broke out. Grabbing a spare yellow plastic bat from the, currently knocked over, container the set came in, just in case, the bluenette advanced towards the shelves at a wary pace. Coming to the first shelf, eyes roamed over the items presented. Bags of Doritos and Lay's chips littered the area around the shelf, as well as a few other different items that wouldn't provide useful. Stores stopped providing fresher foods only a few months after the entire planet had been infected with the virus that started it all.

Grimmjow grounded his teeth together, resting his newly acquired 'weapon' atop his shoulder. Pantera pounced onto a bag of chips, startling the man for a moment before he chuckled at the petite tabby. He stroked the felines head once, and then continued down the aisle towards the back. Sazyel told him to check for canned goods and medicine, and anything else that would deem beneficial. Eyes squinted to adjust to the darkness as the man edged closer to the back of the dimly lit store. Banging continued towards the front, though Grimmjow once again ignored the clatter.

Those bastards can't get in.

Grimmjow made his way to the pharmacy section of the store, where all the drugs and medications were held. He wasn't sure if there would be anything that he could take back with him, but it was worth checking. Slinging his pack around his shoulder, Grimmjow knelt on the ground and dug a hand through the bag. Hand clasping around what he was looking for, the blue-eyed man took out the old used flashlight he had found a while back in the apartment building. Flipping the switch, the faint glow allowed Grimmjow enough light to see where he was going. Jumping over the counter of the pharmacy section, he began to scan the shelves. Sazyel had told him to look for aspirin or ibuprofen, basically the only medications in the world today that could help with anything.

He hummed in approval when he found what he was looking for. A hand covered in tiny scars reached out to grasp one of the white bottles, flashlight rays scanning over the labels as he did so. Another hum, followed by the man grabbing a few more of the containers before leaping back over the counter. He stuffed the freshly acquired items into his pack, draping the carrier back onto his shoulder. He began to roam the aisles, the dead still pounding away at the door. Not only were they stupid, but weak as well.

Grimmjow found himself by the arts and crafts section, eyes gazing at the sketchbook in front of him. Before the world was turned into chaos, Grimmjow remembered how much he loved to draw. The old skill was slightly forgotten, his mind now turned to other tasks, such as killing the Infected. He huffed out a breath, grabbing the book and a set of pencils to then place into his bag. He turned on heel, eyes trailing over to the front of the store before he disappeared down another aisle.

Grimmjow wondered around the store for a bit, finding some canned foods and more medical supplies, all of which were now set safely in his pack. Pantera had trotted over to him when he made his way to the pet section, her deep blue eyes staring at him from the shadows.

"Guess I should grab you something huh, girl?" He chuckled lightly. Pantera simply blinked at the man, so he took that as a yes. He grabbed two of the bags they once sold here, shoving them into the pack as he did so. Deciding it was time to head back to the base, Grimmjow made his way to the front of the store.

Only to be met with a dead silence.

What the hell? Why hadn't he noticed?

Grimmjow crept towards the double doors, cautious in case any Infected were still lurking about. Pantera walked softly beside him, her shadowy tail swishing back and forth. The man stood before the glass, his precious bat dripping dark crimson blood. The once clear doors were now smeared with the Infected's blood as he attempted to peer out the glass. From what he could tell, there weren't any of the horrid monsters around anymore.

Well, this was strange.

Infected never truly gave up on a hunt, their numbers only increasing as the time goes by. Unless something else, an easier target perhaps, caught their attention, they would lurk about the same area looking for their prey.

Something else caught their attention.

It couldn't be his friends, they weren't idiots as to come looking for him. Grimmjow yanked his bat out of the handles, slamming the door open and rushing outside. He felt his heartbeat quicken yet again, his eyes scanning the surrounding area for any signs of a herd. The sun shone hard on his back, a tall silhouette stretching out before him to remind him of how late it had gotten. But Grimmjow couldn't think about getting back to the base, all he though about was the fact that somewhere close by, there were people fighting for their lives. Grimmjow hadn't seen actual, living people for at least a year, besides his friends of course.

Glancing behind him, Grimmjow saw the sun as it's gleaming rays lit up the street. Sunset would be near soon, and Grimmjow couldn't decide wither or not to find these other humans. The man sighed heavily, a hand running through azure tresses. He would be to late, the Infected would already have surrounded the person or group, and they would be consumed or turned before he could lift a finger. Grimmjow was just about to head on 'home', when a loud, mournful cry echoed through the streets. It froze Grimmjow in his tracks, turning his blood to ice.

No, he couldn't forgive himself if he left these humans to die.

Dropping his pack, Grimmjow took off into a sprint towards the direction in which the voice came.

Damn it. He thought. Don't let me be to late.

Before he rounded the corner, bat glistening crimson in the sun, the blue-eyed male heard Pantera yowl after him.

A/N: Sorry for the lack of battle, there shall be plenty of that next time~!

Look! Grimmy has a kitty! I wanted to add Pantera some how XD And as for the next chapter, it will be more in Ichi's 'POV'. Though, more so like this chapter, just with Ichi. I feel more explaining needs to be done, as this story will revolve mostly around our favorite fiery-headed uke.

Well, R&R please! I love the feedback, motivates me to get the next chapter out quicker!

Till next time! -PanteraFang