The End of The Waltz
Prologue
Who would have thought, after all that we have been through. We would have to witness this, whether from our televisions on Mars, or right outside our bedroom windows. Human kind on earth is dying and if only it was just that. The majority of colonies are empty of any living creature, save for maybe the few animals that had been brought up there as pets.
There is only one safe haven, and they aren't letting anyone in. All shuttles directed to code name: Heaven, the red planet, our neighbor: Mars. In order to protect themselves all shuttles are shot out of existence. Any and all survivors that may have been on the shuttle killed right along with it. We're carriers, they said. We could bring infection to everyone left. The exposure and chances we have taken have been the end of us. We have been here too long.
Some people where smart, Locking down the resource satellites holding themselves up there, following in the footsteps of red heaven keeping all other would be survivors out, ignoring pleas for help- and in some cases shooting the shuttles out of the sky. While others, where sympathetic, let others in, tried to help the survivors from the colonies- and paid dearly for it. If only they had to pay for it once, then I guess I wouldn't be wondering about my own existence- is it worth holding on, only to fail and then pay the price not only by death, but walking death as well? I don't know anymore.
Then I start to wonder why I survived the virus, Why was I immune? Maybe it's because of my parents, or Maybe because I wasn't in one of the Ground Zeros when they struck all six times on earth. Could it have been just enough to hit one city in every continent to bring the world to it's knees? Maybe just maybe it's because of my street living childhood that allows me a certain edge in avoiding the infected, and my adolescence as a soldier that allows me to kill them with out remorse. But still I ask Why.
Four years have passed since the outbreak began and I am tired- we all are tired. There are less then half of the group left now, and some of them are coming back to haunt us. I guess the only thing keeping me going is knowing that all my brothers are alive, Knowing that two of them are safe in red heaven. Also having the other two by my side through-out these four years have been a driving force to keeping me alive. Even still, how much longer will that be enough... A decade, A year... month? Will we live that long? Will the infected simply die out if they can't get food? Maybe it would be best to die by my own hand, then by the mouth of them.
Who knows, I only hope that fate has finally had enough fun with us... because I cannot take anymore... First the streets, then the war... a glimmer of peace, and then rebellion, Again with the peace, we had four years worth of peace, then this bullshit happened. Something straight out of a comic book or b-reel horror movie. The dead started walking, and people started running... the Zombie apocalypse that human kind has been fascinated and frightened of has finally arrived... and I am stuck in the middle of it. On the biggest oldest colony human kind knows... Earth.
Chapter One:The Broken Man
'This is how the world ends... not with a bang, but with a whimper.'
-Eloit
The silence surrounding them was rubbing on already frayed nerves. It was never a good thing when the animals went completely still, such was true before the terrorist strike, and it remained so now four years later. The grass was over grown, towering above their heads, the cover of the forest left some seven hundred meters behind them, a hard shot for their cover in the trees.
The group of five went completely still, ears perked to any sound other then the normally gentle breeze that moved the greenery in a hypnotic fashion, making it increasingly difficult to see and hear. "S-team 1 to nest, Do you have a visual?" A near silent whisper sounded from the man kneeling in the middle. He was pressing his ebony index finger in to his left ear. Affirmative, 200 meters to your three. Five passing west, keep a close eye there is most likely more in the cover of the grass.
"Roger, changing heading to alternate route alpha-02." He uttered, raising his right hand signaling to the rest of the group who stood watchful weapons at the ready. Roger, return safe Maxwell. The man said nothing more as he slowly rose from his position to move in the direction indicated, turning the group in a wide arch to their nine.
Their foot steps near feather light as they created a path way in the grass, one they would never use again. Slowly, almost painstakingly so they reached the first building on the outskirts of the country town that once housed one thousand people. Now it housed at least one thousand of the infected. Duo hated the odds that where apparent no matter where they turned, but survival of the group was more important then his discomfort. What as one thousand over twenty thousand in one of the cities?
Gripping his Mp-5 closer to his shoulder he moved towards the house and peered inside the window on the main floor. "Empty, continue towards the towns center." He whispered marching them onward changing their direction to head left. As they did so the grass started to thin out some 50 meters further giving way to concrete and foundations of civilization. Duo forced an attempt at a soothing sigh. His attempt failed.
Signaling with his hand he motioned for his group to stop, clicking the safety on his mp-5 he pulled the hunting rifle off his shoulder and crouched on the ground. Looking down the sights he saw the small towns center, and the river beyond. On his first sweep he saw a group of twenty infected all groping for a cat stranded on the low roof of a house. At the end of his sweep he saw another fifteen just standing starring at nothing.
He signaled to his team, 20 at 11; 15 at 2, about 10 inbetween. Store windows broken, and signs of rioting. Chances not good. Looking around one of the young men signaled, brokenly, but understandably Do we sweep the houses for abandoned squatting? Duo looked down his scope again, and shook his head. Too risky, We should go with plan gamma, route via main road looks clear enough, find cover i'll attract those two major groups and those in the center path will be dead before you get to the buildings. Brad, chaz you two take left, James Rick take right. When I get an opening I'll come straight down the middle. We can loop back up river. The group nodded lifting their own assortments of what had once been Preventer weaponry.
Shit... Duo thought to himself, laying flat out waiting for the groups of two to break out of the grass and run the full 2oo meters to their first point of contact. He counted to ten and lined up his first shot. Taking in a slow breath of air, he waiting until the infected woman wobbled in to the prefect line up. Holding his breath he squeezed the trigger- the weapons fire echoing across the open grass land. Sure hope those bastards we passed don't come back again.
He didn't have time to think about the idea further as he let off three more shots to a small cluster, and looked up to check positions. He watched as the cluster chasing the cat started moving towards him. The other group starring in to space started looking about as if some forum of intelligence still filled their rotting brains.
Duo focused himself on clearing the infected out of the path of his men, before clicking the safety on his rifle, and flipping it over on to his back. He pushed himself up and broke out of the grass headed straight for the first building wall. Looking left then right he lifted his MP-5 and ran full sprint through the street hoping the infected where too interested in the loud sounds of weapons fire over the sounds of his feet meeting concrete.
Five buildings away from the small grocery store an infected child sauntered in to his path bringing him up short. He stopped dead, his free hand reaching for his combat knife. Slowly the dead white eyes looked at him, the half exposed jaw lowering as the child like being took in a deep breath of air preparing for their trade mark cry.
He lunged, his knife striking in the side of the child's neck as it entered he pulled it across listening for the crunch of the spinal column separating from the skull. The pop was loud, as was the sound of the body dropping to the ground, gasping and gurgling.
He didn't waist time by dwelling on the fact that the little boy with the shredded remains of a cartoon t-shirt was laying on the ground in suffering, because he had been doing salvage since the beginning of the outbreaks, and he was not so green to believe there was any intelligence left in that boy. He was not a human child, he was a walking corps which would kill him before any other thoughts entered what little mind it had.
He slid to a stop beside the door of the store, looking right then left and back down where he had just came, to see the infected converging on the sight he had been with the hunting rifle. "good thing they aren't very fast... and they didn't see me." he thought to himself as he slipped inside the store to see rick, a middle aged man with light brown hair and a fair build terminating an infected with his knife much in the same fashion as he did with the child. Fuck... he internally cursed, knowing that he would be haunted by the image of that child's rotting face for some time to come. God damn it.
"Grab the cans, leave everything else." He ordered pulling his rucksack off his back, heading straight for the pasta isle. "I thought you just said grab the cans..."
"That I did, and that I am. James, give your ruck to Chaz, stand point." No one made to protest as Duo disappeared down the isle, he after all was the best at what he did. Duo after all had the experience for finding things that didn't belong to them. Pulling canned vegetables pre-cut off the shelf, checking their expire date, before dropping them in his bag He couldn't help but feel contempt filling him at being respected simply because he knew how to hold a weapon and steel food from no one.
He looked over his shoulder at what was left of the pasta, and sighed. Not many of the packages where intact, and he couldn't risk even a single whole in the packaging. "No good getting sauce with out the pasta." he grumbled. Walking around to the next isle looking at powdered health drinks. Dumping them in to his bag, and sighing. "Well beans and mud-drinks it is then."
"Oi! Maxwell, check it out!" Rick walked over to hims holding cans of fruit. "There is a whole shelf of them, they expire at the end of the week, dented but otherwise unharmed." Duo smirked, "looks like we get desert."
It didn't take long for Duo's bag to fill up and for him to heft it over his shoulder again. Nest to S-team1 we have visual of infected pack back tracking to town. Buzzed in Duo's ear. "Time to leave, we've got the rat pack coming in." Duo called, before heading to the back of the store, near the rotting and smelling once frozen food section."Roger Nest, We're leaving." Duo responded in to the small receiver attached to his ear.
"Duo, the groups are starting to make their way down the street." James called as he ran back to take his load. "Alright guys, lets try not to fire off our weapons if we don't have to. The river is less the a hundred meters out this back door, there should be a small area in the river about four feet deep that is safe to traverse. We are going to head up stream to 7 and make our way back to H.Q."
His group nodded, as they made their way out. Duo's gut sinking with every second, something told him that this was too easy, where were all the residents of the town? They slowly made their way towards the river, and down the slight decline.
The water was cold as it hit their legs, typical for late-spring. They walked against the current, all eyes watching the banks, until they came to the first bend. That's when they herd the load moan of the infected. Duo peaked around the corner to see fifty standing in the water looking around for the source of some noise.
They seemed transfixed in the direction above and ahead of them. Duo pulled back around the corner and listened to the area around them. Slowly he started to hear it as well, and getting closer. He didn't need to look to know that his group herd it as well. An engine... who the hell would be stupid enough to drive a vehicle this close to a town..."
'Maxwell you have a hum-vi headed in the direction of the river and moving fast down stream.' His tree top scout said with a hint of panic in his voice. I know, but I am too close to answer you Wufei... shit. Duo herd the screeching of tires as the thing above came to a halt. Maxwell! Maxwell do you copy? Max- Duo turned off his radio to save his battery
"Do you see them Aki!" A voice, a woman's voice echoed. "No just more meat heads climbing the ridge. And a couple dozen making their way through the town." Another woman's voice responded. "Shit. Okay pop one off towards the town, and drop a grenade in the cluster below."
"already a head of you!" Duo herd a canister of some kind hit concrete and a loud pop, A flash bang... what the- A shallow splash cut off his thought as he dove towards the ground, pulling Rick with him. "Get down!" He cried, as the grenade exploded sending bloody parts flying.
His ears rang as he lifted his head looking over to the sharp turn in the river, and the water. Blood and bits of body parts floated past them. Rick lay motionless. His face partially submerged in the water. James and Chaz looked about them as Brad started to climb the embankment to get a look at the vehicle taking off down the road. Lifting his Mp-5 Duo rounded the corner and looked at the few infected that where left standing. Most of them had survived the blast, and where trying unsuccessfully to get to their no longer existent legs.
He didn't wait, he just opened fire, "Lets move!" He called behind him, knowing that it wouldn't be wise to grab the ruck on Rick's back, despite the need for the supplies. "Brad Grab his weapon, and lets go!" Chaz called up to the man who was quickly making his way back down to meet up with them." Duo herd Brad's curse as he neared rick's lifeless body.
They moved and shot cutting a line through those infected who remained on their feet, and avoided the one's that fell.
"I don't see any sign of them Kekko, I think it might be better if we get back to Sonya, after all she has the kids with her. Ayame and Kat will be fine, it's not like they are new to the experience of traversing the wilderness." Akira slid in to the front passengers seat of the hum-vi they had acquired from an old Preventer's out post that had long ago been abandoned. She ran her black gloved hands through her shocking red hair to pull it out of her face.
"True, but they are not familiar with this region, and it's worse traveling at night- they are more active then." Akira turned to look at her friend and the driver of the military vehicle, her wavy frizz infested brown hair was pulled back in to a low pony tale. Her jacket sitting on the bench seat beside her along with their canteen of water. She wore a black muscle shirt that effectively showed off the upper arms of a woman meant for boxing. Her hands where gripping the steering column so tightly that her knuckles where bone white.
Kekko's jaw was a soft sort angular, if Akira was forced to describe her, with a nose almost like a button. Strong cheek bones and a slight widow's peak brought about a rough sort of elegance. However despite the fact that the woman was in a word pretty, it wasn't her individual features that made her so. Though what would have been the bow on the present, was the woman's eyes.
Hetrochromatic was what the science community of old had called them. Each eye a different colour entirely. Kekko's left eye was moss green while the right was a deep water blue. Currently the only emotion showing on the woman's face was worry. "Hey Kekko, do you remember when we wound up thinking we where stuck in that abandoned church last year?"
Kekko glanced at Akira and slowly nodded before returning her gaze to the open road. "Do you remember what you said?" Akira waited for all of two seconds before continuing, "I'll tell you. You said to me that if there was one person you had wished was with us at that point, it would have been Ayame. Kat is in good hands, and Ayame well I don't even need to tell you not to worry there do I?"
"Even the exceptional run out of steam eventually Akira. Ayame is still human, and humans will tire. No matter how many times someone tells me not to worry I cannot help but do so. It's when I stop worrying that I know we have a problem." Akira couldn't argue with the woman, not only because she was right, but because the woman had an uncanny ability to win every verbal fight there was- she held the gift of words.
"Alright, just let me know when we get there." Akira propped her feet on the dash board and leaned back in her seat closing her eyes. Leaving Kekko to her thoughts.
They had driven no more then a half a mile when Akira sighed, "Hey Kekko, did you hear anything when I tossed the grenade back in town?" Kekko blinked a couple of times. "You mean other then the explosion and the screeching of tires?"
"I thought I herd someone, and as we took off I tried to look and see, but I couldn't hear or see anything." Kekko Slammed on the breaks. "and you failed to mention this because?" Akira watched the woman's face go from white with fear to red with anger. "Wow now, It was a males voice, I think I herd Get down. But I could be wrong... after all it's not like we haven't herd things before that weren't there." Akira rose her hands in front of her in a don't do it gesture.
"If there where survivors down by the rive, I hope they survived the explosion long enough to get the hell out of there." Kekko finally sighed, as she started onward, turning on to a bridge to cross the river. "Either that or die in the explosion so they don't come back again." Akira agreed. "Wait a minute, If there where survivors, then could it be possible for Ayame and Kat to come across them tonight?"
"I don't want to thing about it Akira." Kekko muttered as she turned on to a dirt road and swung the hum-vi in to a small path before pulling the break. "Why not?" Akira asked as she opened her side door and waited until Kekko was outside and rounding the back end of the vehicle to continue. "I mean after all they could help them right?"
"Risking exposure? I doubt it, and if what you herd were survivors don't you think they will be mildly pissed if you injured or killed one of theirs with that grenade? What reason would they have to help Ayame and Kat then, especially if they ask over other survivors being spotted in the area." Kekko shook her head. "No, I hope that Ayame and Kat don't come across any survivors tonight. In fact I hope they have beat us back here." Kekko grabbed the branched of a shrub and started to pull it a cross the ground effectively blocking the path in from the road.
Akira started to unload their packs, and the munitions they had with them. "I guess that makes sense... though we should be past the point of greed and jealousy by now, and simply working for survival of all."
"Impossible, this is why Ayame refuses to accept anyone new in to our unit unless they are children, and even then she is skeptical." Kekko walked over to Akira and hefted a wooden crate off the ground. "Simply because munitions are hard to come by and just as hard to make, never mind food. It's getting harder and harder to come by every day, with stuff expiring and others being taken by survivors before us. A larger group is much harder to sustain then it is a small group. Even Two more mouths to feed is two more meals less for the group."
"One." Akira side with a sigh. "Pardon?" Kekko blinked at her before slowly nodding, "right, one. After All we both know Ayame wouldn't accept food from another group of survivors, especially if they are willing to spend Ammunition to help protect them. It's either one or the other, not both with that girl." Akira nodded as they pushed through a bush in to a small but tidy clearing.
When the group of four made it back to the forest line, three of them breathed a minor sigh of relief, while their leader glared at the area they called home. To their left a man stepped out of the brush, a 308 caliber sniper rifle strapped to his back. His long black hair pulled out of his way by a pony tale, and his black eyes searching Duo's stoic face.
Duo ignored the man, and marched onward towards the camp. The Chinese-ethnic sniper fell in to step beside him. "You okay?" He asked in a whisper so as the other men watching their back wouldn't hear. "Fine." Was Duo's clipped response as his violet eye's met the other mans. "We lost rick though, You might want to tell Jackie."
"It's already been done, she has also been informed it's of the permanent kind." Duo nodded sharply. "Good." They where silent all the way to the camp grounds where the new joiner started to walk off his own way. "Hey Wufei, Thanks for caring."
"Any time Maxwell." With a wave Duo headed with the rest of his team in to the camps center where most of the 10 residents had gathered, Duo pulled off his pack, and left it for the others to go through and organize. He needed to be left alone.
"Hey Duo! Great job you guys hit the mother load these beans have maple in them!" Someone laughed and Duo gripped his fist walking to an abandoned trailer they had dubbed the weapons storage. He walked inside and unloaded his rifle, picking up the unspent round from the chamber and replacing it in the cartridge. He took the scope, which was sighted to his eyes, and slid it in to a pocket. Pulling apart the rifle his mind drifted back to the image of the child infected.
"Aren't you done Fucking with us yet!" He screamed at the top of his lungs kicking a table leg snapping it effectively causing the table holding his partially dismantled rifle on the top to come crashing to the ground. "FUCK!" His scream petered out in to racking sobs as he put his back to the wall and slid to the floor. "What the hell did children ever do to deserve that..."
"You didn't find them I see." The woman didn't look up from her cooking as the children turned to look at Kekko and Akira. "No, and I would assume that they haven't beat us back her with that tone." Large brown eyes looked up at Akira and narrowed slightly. "You would assume right; now explain to me why you found it necessary to use to explosives if you didn't find them?"
"Sonya, not now." Kekko said as she put the wooden crate inside a small weather tarp. "Why not now? Seems like the best time to me." Kekko sighed. "Because I don't want the third degree from some one using the dry wood for a Dinner that could have been eaten cold."
Sonya blinked in shock as she looked from Kekko to Akira who half shrugged, "Hey you know how she gets when Ayame takes longer then she should... which is becoming more frequent these days." Akira rolled her shoulders, Besides I think a warm lunch would be a good idea for once... cold beans suck."
"Well then you just enjoy warm beans." Sonya hummed and Akira groaned. "I sure hope that Ayame catches something meaty! I am being driven crazy by these canned rations." The children nodded, "Yeah, Beans make jimmy have gas... and it stinks." A girl about eight years old said holding her nose, blond hair in need of a washing framing her face at the chin.
"Better then yours Mary." Jimmy countered with a huff his pointed nose stuck up in the air. Short brown hair flat against his head. "Would both of you stop acting like little kids." the third and final child sighed, He was the eldest Martin once a martial arts student under Ayame. The only one of her students to survive when the infected swarmed the region he lived. Mostly thanks to his mother who lead him most of the way, but the kid was smart and resourceful. Decent shot to... Akira thought to her self, before leaning back on her hands. "Hey martin how old are you now?"
Martin looked at her is dark brown eyes holding suspicion in their depths as the wind caught is black hair. "I am twelve... almost thirteen I think." Kekko walked over, "Is your birthday in 190?" she asked and Martin shook his head "189." Akira smiled, "Then your in about fourteen years old now." Martin shrugged, "I guess. Why do you ask?"
Sonya remained silent but sent Akira a knowing look. "Well considering your getting so old, your not really a kid anymore. I think it would be a good idea if you where allowed to carry a weapon, to help Sonya protect our camp and such while we are gone."
"Akira! No! He is a boy, a child!" Sonya gasped as she glared at Akira, then turned said glare on Kekko for not agreeing with her. "He is not going to carry a weapon. I won't let it happen!" Behind the three children a dead baby dear was dropped on the ground with a thump. Mary screamed jumping in to Jimmy's lap, Martin turned ready to strike looking up at a woman with long black hair tied out of her face by a piece of green cloth.
Bright crystalline blue eyes looked down at him approvingly, before looking to Sonya. "Martin is no longer a child, and Akira is right. We are not living in the world we all once knew, everything is a danger, and everyone must learn to protect them selves with more then simple self defensive arts. Martial arts won't work on an infected, only other survivors." She turned her attention on Mary, "I am sorry child, I did not intend to frighten you." She placed a hand on her head waiting until the girl looked at her and nodded. "It's alright, just don't do it again!" She scolded bringing a laugh to burst from Akira.
"Well you sure as hell took your sweet time hime-sama." Akira greeted not bothering to look up at the woman. "We would have returned much sooner if someone didn't drive through town and set off two charges needlessly." A second woman stumbled out of the brush snapping a branch as she dislodged her back pack from a stubborn bush.
"Pardon me? If the two of you would ever just try to get back in the time you say you will then maybe we wouldn't go looking for you every time we turn around." Akira stood up off the ground. "Unless you would rather us just sit here like dumb shits to wait for you to never come back."
"That's exactly what you should do." Ayame cut off the explosion she knew would have been eminent from the woman behind her, and it would do no one any good if both red's decided to get in to a fist fight again. "You can't be serious Ayame."
"Completely Akira, You know better then anyone does why exactly that is." Ayame held out her hand towards Kat who handed her the back pack. "This is the reason we where late." She added tossing it to land between Akira and Kekko with a heavy thunk. "What the-" Akira grabbed the bag and unzipped it. "Holy shit!" she gasped backing away from the pack like it had just bitten her. "Where... how... when... who?"
Kekko intrigued by Akira's display tugged the open bag towards herself and peered inside. She blinked looking at what appeared to be enough C4 to take out a mobile production facility. She then opened it further to let Sonya peer inside before looking up at Ayame with a look of bottled fury. "You went in to the city didn't you?"
"No we did not." Ayame responded flatly, before hefting up the dear and half dragging it to the far side of the fire. "We went in to the old Military base armories." Sonya jumped to her feet. "Do you have a death wish?" she squeaked. "Don't be stupid." Kat scoffed pulling her rifle off her shoulder which Akira noted that it was not the one she had left with.
"Kat, don't." Ayame warned as she looked at each of the women surrounding the fire. "The numbers we saw a week ago aren't what they where. Only about a quarter where left." Kekko arched a brow in silent question and Ayame shook her head, "Later." she pulled a long k-bar from a leg strap and proceeded to gut the animal.
"At least you had the decency to do that with it's back turned." Sonya sighed, "You know we where worried about you." she added looking from Kat to Ayame's hunched forum. "Of course you where, but that doesn't mean you had to organize a search. Especially leaving you alone with the children, it is highly unadvised, and using the hum-vi was stupid at best." Ayame stated flatly as she proceeded with her work not looking up.
"Never mind those explosions we herd. Did you know there where survivors in the river bed." Kat added, as Akira flicked a look to Kekko. "We do now." Kekko pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I would not be worried about the survivors, more over the infected following the sound of that engine, after all it's not exactly quiet." Ayame muttered to no one in particular.
Akira looked at Ayame as she pulled out what looked to be an intestine. "Ugh- I think they where more preoccupied with the explosives to worry about following something they couldn't keep up with." She turned her head away but turned back when she felt Ayame's eyes on her. "Why do you assume they hold any sense of logic? They are not human anymore. They are an animated virus that uses the host body even after death to survive. Nothing more then instincts, they follow the sounds of what is closest, not the loudest."
"Even if the food is another infected." Kat added simply enough as she walked around the fire pit and lifted up the back pack from the ground and took it to the small storage they erected with a piece of tarp string across a bush and down the back.
"Ayame, We are not new at this. Do not presume that we are stupid. We have taken every precaution that we can to ensure that the infected don't find this place." Kekko spoke up, watching Ayame until she looked at her again. "Perhaps, and with any luck those survivors would have dealt with the one's you missed- or enough of them to keep the infected away from here for a while yet."
Sonya flopped down on the dirt and ignored the warming beans. "Oh for heaven sake, can we please just drop the conversation it's bad enough that we have to talk about the infected at all, never mind hope that another group of survivors are being targeted by the remaining infected in town. We are human beings, not heathens."
"We are in a battle for survival Sonya, it's kill or be killed by Human and infected alike. Earth is closed off, no one is going to be coming to rescue us, all the shuttles are gone to Mars or been have blown out of space in their attempt. We are trapped in our own personal hell, and honestly I would rather live for a while longer. So I say it's better someone else then us or would you rather be-" At Mary's slight squeak Ayame's head snapped up. "Kat you have made your point."
"I am just saying." The red-headed Irish woman shrugged as she sat on the ground flopping backwards in the dirt. "Hell there hasn't been any kind of air transportation between continents for at least a year. We are on our own." Sonya slammed her fist in to her palm, "All the more reason to keep our humanity intact. We cannot go around wishing for the death of others just to increase our own lives. It's not right, and it's not healthy. It makes us no better then the infected, in fact it makes us worse because at least they don't have a choice."
"Believe what you want, you didn't see the kind of equipment they where carrying." Akira and Kekko blinked. "Just what kind of equipment did they have?" the latter of the two questioned as Sonya resumed her stirring of the beans.
"It looked like a steady supply of Preventer armaments, simply standard recon gear really." Ayame sounded blasé about it, but Kat snorted, "listen to you, standard... Do you remember what I was carrying around before we went to that base Ayame? A simple nine millimeter glock. One that I found still holstered to the side of an infected police officer that I beat down with a nine iron. That isn't standard for anybody but Preventer personal."
"Or someone who got to the base before we did." Ayame countered as she pulled the rest of the innards out of the dear. "So you keep saying, but yet we still found the C-4 explain that away."
"We've had this conversation already Kat. Someone had been in to the base long before we did. If you bothered to look, you could tell by the layering of dust and blood spatters." Ayame stated simply as she stuck her K-bar in the dirt. "Don't forget, the C-4 Ayame-ne." Akira hummed for once in agreement with Kat. A rarity to say the least.
Ayame looked at each red headed woman in turn. "Perhaps I need to spell it out then. No one wants to waist time trying to carry something they are not going to be able to use. Only the essentials will do. C4 is a plastic explosive that takes time and energy to set up. Why would anyone waist that time and energy if they weren't going to settle down in one place." Ayame wiped her hands on the side of the dear before folding up a piece of cloth.
"No one wants to settle in one place because it attracts the infected." Kekko interjected in to the conversation looking at Ayame expectantly. "Exactly, at least that was true two years ago." At Ayame's admission Sonya looked up from the beans and chimed. "Dinner is ready." Ayame took the Que to lift the folded cloth and walk away.
"How long has he Been in there?" Heero Yuy questioned as he walked over to Wufei holding out a tin cup of what appeared to be a health drink. "Since he returned." Wufei turned his gaze from the trailer to Heero. The fire light sent shadow's across the man's face. "Yuy, leave him be. Rick was killed by other survivors who didn't know they where even there. He has to get over the fact that it could happen at any time to any of us."
"Almost did him." Heero said flatly bringing Wufei to blink at his at one time rival. "How?" He asked and Heero held up what Wufei had assumed was his own drink. It was a small can of cut mushrooms in the side was a piece of singed metal sticking through it. "That looks like grenade shrapnel..."
"Hn" Heero uttered as he started walking away, "I see..." Wufei sighed as he ran a hand through his
loosed hair. "Hey Wufei, have you seen Sharon?" An elder woman asked as she passed by him. "No, Check with Jackie." He suggested, "I was just with her, it would seem that Sharon has just disappeared." Wufei downed his small cup of bad tasting sustenance before standing from his rock turning to assist in the search.
"Duo." Heero greeted as he walked in to the trailer, seeing the man sitting simply looking at the broken table. "I broke it..." He muttered before taking a deep shuddering breath. "I see that, why did you break it?" He asked as he sat down beside his best friend. "Because it was better then going looking for those other survivors."
"Indeed, so why are you still in here?" Duo looked at his friend then and blinked, "Because I can't figure out how to fix it." Heero watched him for a long moment, "Fix what?" He finally asked and Duo looked to the floor. "Everything."
Heero sighed, "I don't get it 'Ro, Why does fate torment us, it seems we are never catching a break in life..." Heero silently agreed, but said. "Fate has no control over terrorists Duo, You and I both know that. The only consolation that we can have is the knowledge that those terrorists where caught in their own trap and are paying the price for it. All we can do now is survive and try to make the best with what we have."
"To what end? Wake up, Eat a small breakfast or drink water, find wood, clean weapons, patrol the camp, go on salvage and or supply runs, fend of infected and/or other survivors. Re-stalk munitions, hunt, eat hopefully a dinner then sleep to do it all again the next day. What kind of life is this 'Ro? Are we to try and bring a new generation in to this world with the infected running ramped? Are we going to be able to get them all before we're too old to bring a new generation? Will we live to see tomorrow? I am tired... So sick and tired of fighting." Duo slumped further forward and Heero could only put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"What would you do if you where me 'Ro?" Duo looked up at him from under his bangs. "I can't answer that Duo, because I am not you. What I can tell you though is I am going to fight, So that one day we can see this place infected free; and maybe build a proper life again. I am going to Fight because it isn't in me to give up. I can also tell you that Wufei and everyone else in this camp even Jackie are going to be doing the same thing. Your at a point now Duo where you have to really reflect on what is important to you. Forget the last four years, go back to peace time and tell yourself what you have to live for. Who knows, maybe just maybe one day we will see our other loved ones again, and maybe make some new one's along the way. The future is ever changing, and nothing is certain- especially fate."
"maybe... we'll see." Duo lowered his head again. Heero simply sat there with the man in silence as the sun set and the sounds of the night began echoing from the town. The nightly cries of the infected fighting one another in search of food. Beside him Heero herd a single whimper but spoke nothing of it, and never would.
Author's notes: Hello everyone, Welp it would seem I had a muse again... and this one is a bit different the my last few (unfinished) ones. This time I have been inspired by a photo I found online; The military fighting off a hoard of infected. It was so amazingly done that I had to try my hand at a Zombie-fic. Let me know what you all think.
Also you can all Thank Sakura2010-shs for the multipul upload. Much love!