Jay leaned back in the wooden chair, causing it to creek against the hardwood flooring. He adjusted his black hoodie, dusting off the half sleeves that fell to his upper forearm, the rest of his arms exposed. He glanced around the cramped little bar, hazel eyes piercing through the thick smoke that distorted the already faint artificial lighting. He squinted down at the deck of cards lying in front of him on the round table.
"Hit me." He mumbled, his deep voice a bit raspy from the smoke.
"Seems soldier boy is pushing his luck." The man across from him hissed. He wore a black leather jacket, his brown eyes scanning the other patrons. He ran a hand across his shaven head, showing the excessive number of tattoos covering his arms.
"Quiet grease monkey." The other man ordered, his white and blue suit contrasting heavily with the rest of the bar patrons. The suit ran a hand through his dark hair, a perfect poker face lining his features. He flipped a card in front of Jay, eliciting a wince from the former.
"Shit…" Jay complained, sliding his chips over to the suit. The so-called grease monkey frowned, sliding his chips over to the suit as well.
"And that children, is how you play the game." The Suit said through a shit-eating grin. He pocketed the chips, turning to leave as a stray card fell from his sleeve, "Fucking…" The Suit broke into a brisk walk, making a beeline for the doorway. The grease monkey stood up quickly, pointing his index finger at the fleeing man, "Oh no you don't." He yelled, charging for the man.
"Nick!" The bartender yelled as the suit bolted out of the door, followed by the grease monkey.
Jay simply sat there, silent and fuming. "So much for the new gun." He complained, sliding out from the chair. He reached into his pocket, producing a black beanie. He slid it over the spiked up chestnut colored hair on his head, biting his lower lip as he made his way for the door, averting from the eyes of snickering patrons. He paused halfway to the door, chancing a look up at one of the televisions hanging from the ceiling.
"Recent reports show the number of fatalities are on the rise. CEDA has insured that a solution will be applied soon." The well endowed news woman reported. Jay shook his head, crossing toward the door. He reached for the handle, only to have the wooden door slam into his face, knocking him down onto his backside.
"The hell?!" He hissed, looking up to see the grease monkey staring down at him. "I'd say sorry, but I hate apologies." The grease monkey said with a shrug, walking past Jay to their former table. Jay frowned, pulling himself back onto his feet. The soldier chanced a look back at the man, before exiting the bar.
The first thing he noticed was the lack of people, the city now eerily empty looking. There couldn't have been more than four other people outside on this block. "Less traffic for me." He mumbled, slipping a band of keys from his pocket. He approached a small black mustang, clicking the lock button on his keys. The silver mustang chirped in response, prompting him to yank the driver's door open, sliding into the leather seat. He started the car, pulling out onto the almost empty highway, save for a single pickup truck far ahead of him. "Check messages." He ordered to the car's Bluetooth. The mustang picked up speed, flying down the empty highway as a young woman's voice emitted from the car's speakers.
"John, I know your celebrating your graduation from the flight academy, why don't you swing by, maybe take me for a ride in one of those choppers?" Jay smiled to himself, taking a sharp left that would lead toward the city's hospital, "I really can't wait to see you again. I'll be in mercy hospital, y'know, the cancer treatment. Call me!"
Jay's heart sped up as he neared the hospital, which was now surrounded by riot guards, a mob of people being contained by the wall of armored men. "The hell?" Jay whispered, slowing the mustang to a crawl, circling the guards. His ears perked up as a loud shriek emitted from the mob, and people began screaming. A group of guards toppled back as a sea of people trampled over them, and began beating them to death. The fallen guards' comrades began slamming their shields into the bodies of other rioters.
Blood began to leak down the pavement, guards being overrun left and right, the rioters going crazy. Jay reached into the center console between the seats, carefully pulling out a nine millimeter defense pistol. He quickly slid a clip in, clicking of the safety and chambering a round, just in case. He began turning away from the hospital, only to have a sea of bloody people slam into his vehicle, sending it on its side with a loud crash.
The rioters began screaming and yelping again, surging over the car and outward, away from the hospital. Jay shook his head, keeping his vision all together. He gripped the pistol white knuckled, watching as hundreds of people stormed over and around his overturned car. He waited for what seemed like hours until the car became unmolested, rocking in the wind.
"Shit…shit….shit." Jay groaned, kicking the door open and crawling out quietly. The smell of fire and the sound of screaming greeted him as he stood up, the sky now dark with smoke and flames. Thousands of people ran in every direction, many being chased by bloodied people. One was even missing an arm,
"What the hell?" Jay hissed, sighting the crippled man. The armless man turned toward him, letting an animalistic cry loose as it charged him, blood dribbling out of its open mouth. Jay backed up quickly, aiming the pistol at the sick man's forehead, "Last chance!" He called out desperately. The man continued despite his words, only a few feet away now. Jay winced, pulling the trigger.
Elijah stood above the mass of people with a look of amusement on his face. He bit into his lip, sliding his tongue over the piercing in his lower lip like he often did. He ran a light brown hand over the small Mohawk on his head, the black with red tips giving him a distinct look. He readjusted his leather jacket with one hand, gripping his microphone confused, the red artificial contacts in his eyes scanning the crowd below his stage.
He cracked a grin, the people were in some kind of moshpit, he guessed. The blood that was flying didn't faze him much, that was normal with a moshpit. He opened his mouth to scream into the microphone as one of the fans climbed onto the stage, tackling his guitarist to the ground.
"Bad fan, bad!" Elijah called out, shaking his head at the surely drunken woman that was now tearing into his guitarist. The man began screaming as she ripped out his throat, staring over at Elijah with a bloodthirsty gaze. "What the fuck!?" Elijah screamed, backing up as the woman charged him. He turned around, breaking into a sprint through the main park, glancing at the now enflamed skyscrapers that overlooked the chaos.
The rocker made a beeline for his tour bus, knocking over an old man on the way, "Sorry, you're old, you go first!" He called out, the woman pouncing on the fallen man. Elijah made his way to the bus, struggling with the door as people swarmed in different directions around him. "Shit, fuck, stupid fucking door…" He complained, kicking it violently, drawing the attention of the woman from before, now covered head to toe in blood.
"Not you again….anyone ever told you that you are HORRIBLY disgusting?!" He called out, finally managing to slide the door open. He bounded up the short flight of stairs, turning on his heel to see the woman right behind him.
He drove a combat booted foot into the woman's face. "Sorry, only pretty ones on the bus." She was sent flying back with a sickening crack, her nose caved in. She lay on the grass below, slowly standing back up.
Elijah reached into his pocket, producing a small pocketknife, "This was for opening cans, I can open your face though, too." He hissed, driving the tiny blade into the woman's forehead as she closed the distance, kicking her back down the stairs once more. She didn't get back up this time.
"Wonderful, the women just love me." He mumbled to himself, slamming the door shut. He strolled up to the drivers seat, "Keys under the cupboard." He reached down, feeling the silvery metal that he was seeking. Eli plopped down in the driver's seat, keying the ignition, only to find hundreds of people blocking his path.
"Well shit." He cursed, looking up at the large figure of Mercy Hospital, "This is your fault."
Simone weaved her vehicle between the masses. The short woman cursed under her breath, flooring it through a small opening in the mass of bodies. She made it around the block, only to slam into some huge hulking best of muscle and flesh. The beast fell back, the sound of bones breaking reverberating over the screams of people being eaten alive. Her jeep jerked to a stop, a huge indent of the beast's body in its engine, rendering the thing useless.
Still, she pressed against the ignition, finding no luck, and a handful of the sick people had taken interest in her. Sims looked up at the looming Mercy Hospital, her emerald green eyes studying it. "Well, at least it's still pretty." She mumbled, gripping the baseball bat at her side, sliding out of the now open drivers' door. She smoothed out her white and orange V-neck, adjusting the necklace that hung low, a small flower charm hanging off of its end. She stood to her full 5' foot height, her blond hair falling down to her shoulders.
She edged around the jeep, wincing at the sight of a little child with his ribcage ripped open, his mouth agape in a silent scream. Two of the sick people snapped their vision toward her, and charged. She leveled her bat, jumping to the side, evading one of their claws, simultaneously slamming the bat into its head. The woman fell to the ground with a loud crack, blood leaking from her mouth. The second slammed into Simone, lifting her off her feet. The small woman yelped, cracking the bat against the infected's head, effectively shattering it.
She fell to the ground a bit less than gracefully, looking down at the fallen bodies, "It's just like the comics, that's kind of cool." She murmured, looking toward the hospital. Seeing nothing but bodies, she looked over to the parking lot. She spotted a lone figure in black firing a gun at one of the sick people that happened to be missing an arm. The thing fell, and the figure strolled over to an overturned sportscar, seemingly searching it.
"Well maybe he could help." She exclaimed with a cheery smile, looking around, finding nothing but bodies. The screaming had already started to die down, replaced by gunfire. "Must be the sickness thing..." She mumbled, kicking one of the fallen bodies.
She shrugged to herself, breaking in a jog toward the black figure, "Better zombies than aliens."
Tonya raced down the stairs of mercy hospital, trailed by two other nurses. The tall woman woman's ocean blue eyes registered the blood lining the walls. Her jet black hair flailed behind her as she descended to the ground floor, the smell of dead bodies greeting her. Her black short shorts, boots that matched going up to her knees, and a red tank top which showed just how endowed she was seemed out of place in a hospital like this. Of course, she'd just changed out of her work clothes twenty minutes ago.
Twenty minutes ago she'd been okay, and her patients were alright. She ducked down, the two nurses behind her mimicking her movements, "Tonya I don't think we're going to get out. I'm- I dunno-…" The smallest nurse sobbed, prompting Tonya to place a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, listen, we'll be fine okay. Just stay behind me. This place is a safe zone after all, why I came back."
The nurse nodded, her counterpart staying silent. They stalked through the lobby, Tonya unconsciously playing with the hair ties wrapped around her wrists. These nurses were twice her age, and she was keeping them together. She figured she should get a medal.
They passed a row of beds filled with rotting corpses, the white walls now marred with blood stains and bits of flesh here and there. One infected man strolled past, seemingly unaware of their presence. Tonya reached behind her back, slipping a hunting bow into her hands, stringing one of the arrows from her quiver and training it on the man. She held her breath, letting the arrow fly. It hit its mark, burying itself in the back of his head, causing him to fall with a thump.
"See, we're fine. Lets get my parents, and get out, okay?" Tonya lectured with a comforting voice, leading them into what looked to be a garage. A number of empty cars sat idle, their doors open for drivers who would never come. "They should be here…they were right behind me." Tonya murmured worriedly, leading the other two into the garage.
The tall woman looked around the room, stringing another arrow, "See anyone?" She asked a bit loudly, her parents nowhere to be seen. "No but I-" The scared woman was cut off by a low growling coming from above them. Tanya trained her bow on the upper rafter, "Come on out fucker…" She growled, looking to her two friends, "Don't worry, I've keep you both safe."
Suddenly, a blur of blue fell from the ceiling, landing on one of the nurses with a high pitches scream. The woman let out a cry, the sound of flesh ripping and tearing following it, before she went silent. Tonya turned to see an average sized man in a blue hoodine straddling her friend, who's chest cavity now lay open, her eyes staring up lifelessly at the ceiling.
"No!" Tonya yelled, ready to shoot her arrow, only to be stopped as the creature leaped over her, pouncing the other nurse, slicing a clawed hand across her throat before she could even scream. The monster looked up at her, covered in the blood of the two nurses, before flying at her. Tonya let a bolt loose striking it in the neck.
The hoodie wearing infected went off course, slamming into the ground, before dying moments later. Tonya looked at the bodies of her friends, hey eyes a bit watery, "Damnit…" She whispered, heading toward the garage door. She sprinted for the door, kicking it open, only to see a man in a black hoodie and beanie discharging a round into one of the infected.
"Hey, over here!"
Jace slid down the railing off the stairs, cackling maniacally as he went. The teenager's purple hoodie was covered with blood, his purple converse, grey pants, and black bandana giving him a menacing look. He fell down to the second floor, flourishing a very large knife. "Excuse me, the mental patient would like some chocolate!" The juvenile screamed, his English accent shining through.
A group of infected charged through the door in response. Jace pounced on the first, his brown eyes bloodthirsty. The boy slit the infected's neck, driving it into the next's forehead in one quick movement, cackling giddily as he went. The third was met with a number of jabs to the stomach, and the fifth and final tackled him to the floor.
"Fuck you!" Jace yelled at the beast's gnashing teeth, driving the knife into its mouth, silencing the monster forever. "Give me your life juice!" He yelled in excitement, sprinting down the main hall, only to be met with a large one armed monster in the doorway. It yelled at him, before charging the mental patient. The boy easily sidestepped the behemoth, shanking it in the back.
One arm yelped in pain, turning around and knocking Jace into the air, forcing him to slam into the wall. The beast charged him as he stood up, Jace rolling out of the way, "Come on, come on, come on!" Jace screamed, hurling the knife at the creature. It embedded itself in the beast's skull, sending it toppling to the ground.
Jace strolled up triumphantly, yanking the knife out, using the blood on its tip to write his initials into the wall. "JVC"
He grinned at his handiwork, hearing the sound of footfalls. The soldiers had arrived, it was time to go. "Fuck you army!" He yelled, sliding down to the bottom floor from the stairwell, slamming through the front doors of the hospital. He stopped in his tracks at the view, buildings on fire, people fighting for their lives, blood everywhere.
"This…is…amazing!" He screamed, spying an infected that seemed to be smoking hiding behind a dumpster. The creature had its sights on a man in a black hoodie, extending a long sticky tongue. "No, fight me!" Jace yelled, charging the infected. The monster did not budge until Jace drove the knife into its skull, causing it to topple over.
Jace watched the man curiously, "He'll probably get a car. I want a fucking car!" Jace yelled, mentally deciding to follow the man, "I'll get a car.