I DON'T OWN LEFT 4 DEAD OR ANY OF THE SPECIAL INFECTED! THE CHARACTERS, HOWEVER, ARE MINE. PLEASE DON'T USE THEM WITHOUT PERMISSION. THEY REPORT TO ME AND ME ALONE!
Pack Matters
Landon bolted upright in his nest. Sweat was beading on his forehead as he remembered his nightmare. The survivors had come into their part of town and ended up killing him and his mate, Vance. Granted, Vance did quite a number on them before finally succumbing to a bullet at the end of the dream. It was horrific…
Landon was frantically trying to catch his breath when he heard footsteps approaching the door from down the hall. He, Vance, and the other members of the pack had been holed up in a downtown apartment building for the last few weeks due to a dispute with a rather territorial group of Tanks that had started harassing the infected in the area.
It was weird. Tanks were normally mindless, territory wanderers that usually paid no attention to other infected unless you got in the way of their kills. But recently, they had started becoming more and more violent toward those of their own kind. The pack had been advised to stay off the streets after the sun went down to avoid unnecessary casualties.
Landon was pulled out of his musings when the door was pushed open. Another hooded head pushed its way inside. This Hunter was considerably smaller than the average Hunter and was wearing an orange hoodie that looked like it could have easily been a size or two too big for him. He spotted Landon in the dark room and his eyes lit up behind his blonde hair.
"Are you still sleeping? Alpha called the meeting 15 minutes ago," the small hunter said in a happy voice.
"Yeah, sorry, Johnny. I had a rough night," Landon replied quietly. The orange hooded Hunter, now known as Johnny, pushed the door open further and let the outside light spill into the room. He approached the other Hunter still sitting in the tangle of blankets, pillows, and quilts that made up the nest that he slept in. Kneeling down, Johnny got a good look at Landon's face. He could see dark rings under the other Hunter's reddish eyes and the sickly pallor of his already grey skin. A frown creased Johnny's lips.
"You don't look so hot. Maybe we should have Pewter take a look at you."
"No I don't think I need it. It was just a nightmare. I'm fine. Besides, Pewter has other things that he needs to worry about. He shouldn't need to be thinking about me when his main concern is keeping our pack members alive should they run into any of those Tanks."
"You make a good point, but it's his job to make sure that all our men are in top condition. You obviously aren't in top condition if a little lack of sleep is making you look like this."
"Trust me, I'm fine. Let's just get to that meeting, we're already late," Landon sighed as he stood from his resting place and headed toward the door. Johnny said nothing, but followed behind the other Hunter as he straightened his aqua colored hoodie which had become ruffled in his sleep.
Johnny followed quietly behind Landon as they made their way down to the lobby. As they stepped out of the stairwell, they could see that the rest of the pack was already present.
Landon and Johnny belonged to the largest known pack of Hunters for miles. With eleven hoodie wearing members and three Smoker additions, their strength equaled that of a small army in terms of infected. Alpha believed in power in numbers, and heaven help the poor soul that he unleashed his "philosophy" on should they piss him off.
Alpha was a midsized Hunter who was characterized by his navy blue hoodie. The fact that his name and position in the pack are one and the same was a coincidence that everyone finds humor in, but that aside, he was never one to abuse his position of power and everyone respected him for it. He also had a record of trying to keep things lighthearted even in the darkest of situations.
"About time you got here, Landon. I was starting to think that the Tanks had gotten you in our sleep," he called.
"Sorry Alpha, but I don't really think that Tanks have the ability to pull off a sneak attack in a building full of Hunters. You would have heard the screaming," Landon retorted with a snort. Alpha grinned.
"Whose screaming?" Alpha asked good-naturedly.
"Mine of course. Imagine waking up to that ugly face in the middle of the night. The image alone makes me shudder."
The pack laughed and Landon felt a pair of arms loop around his waist. Turning his head, his vision was met with a single milky yellow eye accented by a head of ebony hair. Smiling, Landon turned his body in the arms of his Smoker lover, Vance, and returned the embrace. Vance lowered his head so whisper in Landon's ear.
"Are you feeling okay? You look tired," the Smoker whispered.
"I'll be fine. I'll go to bed early tonight if that makes you feel better," Landon whispered back.
"Okay, but you have to promise to tell me what that nightmare you keep having is about. It's really starting to worry me."
Landon looked up in shock. Vance just smiled back down at him.
"Don't give me that look. Of course I noticed. It's my job to notice when something is wrong with my partner, but sleeping in the same room with you does help," Vance explained with a smirk.
"Hey if your little lovers quarrel is over, we'd like to get started here," another voice called. Vance narrowed his eye and looked across the room to the corner where the pack powerhouse, Magnum sat with his younger twin brother, Pewter. Magnum wore a black hoodie with a distinct red "Z" like design on the chest. Pewter wore a grey hoodie, and while he had become the designated medic for the pack, he still clung to the intimidating force that was his brother.
"Oh, forgive me Magnum. I'm sorry for taking a few precious moments out of the day to have a small conversation with my mate," the Smoker spat icily. Magnum growled deep in his throat, sliding down into a combat position.
"Oh, will you two please stop it! We don't have time for petty rivalries!" Alpha interjected. Magnum growled again but slipped out of his combat position and leaned back against the wall. Sighing in relief, Alpha stood up and addressed the pack as Landon and Vance took their seats.
"Last night we had a Spade and Wyatt go out and stake out the part of town that the Tanks have taken over. And well…" he paused, "I'll just let them explain."
Alpha took a seat and two more Hunters stood up. One was a tall, yet thin, Hunter in a red hoodie and the other was a rather short Hunter with a horizontally black and white striped hoodie. They stood in front of the pack and started their report. Spade, the Hunter in red, spoke first.
"Our goal was to stake out the warehouse that the Tanks have started using as a sort of base. We approached on rooftop to avoid being seen and when we reached the warehouse, we were shocked to find that the number of infected milling about the warehouse has nearly tripled," Spade began. The pack gasped and Wyatt picked up there.
"We didn't really know what to make of so many Tanks gathering in one place so we decided to find a way to get a little bit closer. We managed to make our way onto the roof and into the ventilation system. As far as we can tell, there is a leader of this militia of misfits. An enormous Tank by the name of Borris," some of the pack members chuckled, and Wyatt turned on them, "Laugh all you want, but the fact is that this Borris is planning on declaring a territory war on the whole city!"
"But why?" called a smaller purple hoodie wearing Hunter named Tison. "Tanks are the least territorial of all infected. Why would this one suddenly care about a little bit of territory?"
"I wish we could answer that," Spade said gloomily. "We had to get out of there before we could hear any more. Apparently, a watchman had seen us climb into the vents and alerted the whole warehouse."
"Maybe we should have sent Landon on that mission," Magnum muttered. Landon rolled his eyes.
"I may be the infiltration specialist, but I'm no miracle worker. I think these two did just fine," Landon defended. Wyatt and Spade sent Landon a grateful look.
"Thank you, you two. You can sit back down now," Alpha instructed. After the two scouts were seated, he began again. "Well, I think that it is quite obvious now that this is a threat much greater than any of us expected. I want you all alert whenever you go out for any reason. Who knows when these Tanks are going to go on the offensive."
"What do you suggest?" Tison asked.
"We all understand the use of scouting pairs already. I want that at least doubled, at least for the time being. I want more than enough man power per squad to at least fend off a Tank. So no more pairs, and ABSOLUTLY no more solo missions for a while. At least until this dilemma is dealt with. Understood?"
There was a collective nod from the pack.
"Good, now there is one other thing that I want to discuss. I have reason to believe that there is a rogue Hunter in our territory. I don't know much about him as I haven't had the chance to look into it at all and he seems to be on the move constantly, but for now, I want you all to be alert. We have no clue whether this new Hunter is friend or foe. If you see him, make a point to avoid him. Am I clear?"
Another nod.
"Good. You are all dismissed. Tison and Wyatt are scheduled for hunting duty, so pick another pair to go with you and head out when you're ready."
The pack dispersed, with the exception of Tison and Wyatt. The two of them had been hunting partners for several months now and they had a system down. In all honesty, the prospect of including another pair of Hunters in their routine unnerved Tison a little bit. He had no idea whether or not any of the other pairs would be able to incorporate into their way of doing things. Taking a deep breath, Tison turned to his partner.
"Any idea who we should take?" the violet-clad Hunter asked.
"How about Zade and Spade? They work well together, maybe they can work well with us too," Wyatt suggested.
"I don't know. Spade depends on speed while Zade relies on out-witting his opponents. I'm not saying that those aren't valuable traits to use on the hunt, but I've watched them work and they don't work together very much, they go off in different directions and meet back after going a certain distance from the original checkpoint."
"Is it necessary for them to depend on one another in order for them to come with us?" Wyatt asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, but it would intertwine better with the way we do things. I lean on you and you lean on me. That is what we've found to work best for our team."
"Ok, how about Magnum and Pewter? Their tactics depend more heavily on each other than we do. They would understand the need for team cooperation."
Tison thought for a moment. He supposed that Wyatt's argument was valid and it would be better than taking some of the other pairs.
"Alright, makes sense. I'll go gather a few things. You go ask if they would be willing to come along. Try to get Pewter on board with it before trying to convince Magnum. Pewter has his brother wrapped around his little finger and it will make our jobs a lot easier if Pewter was eager to go."
Wyatt mock saluted his partner and walked off to find the monochromatic clad twins. Tison walked to the back of the apartment complex where they kept the backpacks. The pack kept several on hand in case they came across anything of value, such as blankets, new hoodies, or sources of running water. That way, they would have ways to carry the spoils back to the base without sacrificing the functionality of their hands.
Grabbing a few packs, Tison went back out to the main meeting area where he spotted Wyatt speaking with the twins. Pewter looked happy and enthusiastic as always, which was a good sign. It meant that Wyatt was selling his sales pitch to Pewter well and would likely ensure two new additions to their team. Magnum on the other hand, looked like he was plotting murder. His eyes were dark and he was glaring daggers at his partner.
Now Tison could admit that Wyatt could be a little annoying from time to time, but he was a good kid and very good at what he did. And Tison was sure that whatever Wyatt was saying did not deserve the hateful look that the larger Hunter sitting on the floor was giving him.
Tison watched from a distance as Pewter turned around to look at Magnum and was talking animatedly to him. Magnum was listening intently, and his face had minutely smoothed out now that it was his brother talking. Finally, Pewter put on what the pack had dubbed his "Evil Face".
Now Pewter was capable of very few emotions that could be described as "evil". No, the "Evil Face" was when Pewter made his absolutely CUTEST face and put it to use on one of the pack members, usually his brother. Tison shivered in sympathy as he watched Pewter's lip jut out in an adorable pout. His eyes got huge under the shadow of his hood and his hands came up and clasped together in a pleading position. He didn't even need to say anything; he just held that position for a few seconds as he watched Magnum's resolve wither.
Magnum's face contorted into something that resembled intense pain. After a few minutes of just staring at his younger brother, the large Hunter sighed, pulled his hood further over his eyes and cried out.
"Fine, fine, we'll go! Just stop looking at me like that!"
Pewter cried out happily and hugged his brother, before bouncing up and dragging Wyatt to help him get a few supplies in order. Tison just shook his head and approached the large black clad Hunter who hadn't so much as moved from his "hiding" position.
"I'm so sorry, man. No one survives that look," Tison pseudo- consoled. Magnum lifted up the rim of his hood to get a look at who was addressing him. He sighed and stood up, taking one of the backpacks that Tison has handed to him.
"I know, but I sometimes feel that it's worse for me. I can't deny him anything when it gets right down to it… And the little nuisance knows it." Tison laughed and gave Magnum a good-natured pat on the shoulder.
"He may be a bit manipulative, but he's a good kid-,"
Magnum cut him off. "I know that! But," Magnum's voice softened, "Being a good kid doesn't exactly protect him from a tank while out in the field." The black clad Hunter sighed again, "He's small. He can't resort to brute force should he get into trouble. Manipulation is his only way of doing things and the fact that I've let him get this much control over me just shows how much I have enforced that mindset. In a way, I feel that his physical weakness is my fault…"
Tison was stunned by this revelation. He placed his hand back on Magnum's shoulder and made the larger Hunter look at him.
"It's not your fault. So, your brother is a manipulative little pri-," Tison cut himself off at the scathing look that Magnum was sending him. "Trouble-maker," he quickly corrected, "But that doesn't mean that it is intentional. Pewter is very much a child at heart and he's just doing this to get things he wants or would make him happy. Every child does it.
"Also so taking into account that he isn't the strongest Hunter around, his ability to get others to do what he wants can be lethal. He doesn't need to be a Tank himself in order to be dangerous. But he does look to you as a sort of father figure. He would gladly use that lethal manipulation to hurt someone should they mean you harm. He holds you in the highest regard. I mean that. I'm a pretty good judge of character and your brother is by no means cruelly manipulative. Just annoyingly manipulative."
Magnum laughed low in his chest and nodded just as Pewter bounded up with Wyatt a few steps behind him. Pewter ran right up to Magnum and wrapped his arms around him in a brotherly, openly giddy gesture. Magnum returned it and glanced over at Tison with a small grin on his face. He then pulled away and led a very bouncy Pewter toward the door.
"What was that about? I don't think I've ever seen Magnum smile like that," Wyatt commented as he stepped up next to Tison.
"I just told him that Pewter was one of the strongest members of our pack. I think he now understands just how vital his brother is to the group and takes a little bit of paternal pride in it."
"Oh, no. You've given Magnum even more of a reason to be an egotistical asshole," Wyatt said flatly.
Tison laughed whole-heartedly and then moved to follow the twins out the door and out into the mayhem of the post-apocalyptic world they had made their home in.
:~*~:
This is the first chapter of a L4D story that I spun off from the one shot I did a while ago. This is dedicated to Inki Veins and -chan for their amazing reviews and support. They were the ones that really got my ass in gear when it came to writing this, regardless of the fact that it still took over a month to write the first damn chapter!
**Keep posted for updates and if any readers like this, leave a review. And if you have a hunter of your own, Leave his/her name in the comment as well and he/she may just make an appearance! **
For ease of remembrance, here are the characters that have introduced or will be introduced, and what they do:
Alpha: Leader of the Pack, Xero's mate
Zade: 2nd in command, strategist
Xero: One of the pack bludgeoners, Alpha's mate
Spade: Scouter, Zade's younger brother
Landon: Infiltration specialist, Vance's mate
Vance: Smoker member, Landon's mate
Tison: Pack bludgeoner/ Scout
Wyatt: Infiltration apprentice, Arson's mate
Arson: Smoker, Wyatt's mate
Magnum: Lead pack bludgeoner, Pewter's older twin brother
Pewter: Pack medic, Magnum's younger twin brother
Dallas: Scout, Ryan's mate
Ryan: Smoker, Dallas' mate
Johnny: Secondary medic
?: Rogue hunter, abilities and mate to be announced
Whew, there are a lot of characters in this story, to say the least. There will be more later. I may or may not list the names of the Tanks and other enemies, but since they are just there to provide conflict, they will likely be no more than mindless problem causers. 'Nuf said.