I've never written a zombie apocalypse AU so this one took quite some time... Anyway, sorry I've been so sketchy with frequent updates. It's hard, to be honest. So I'm going to update this one as much as I can. I won't let this one die out, I promise, guys.

So please read and review!

I used to laugh at zombie shows and movies. I loved The Walking Dead, Shaun of the Dead, hell I've probably seen most – if not all – zombie movies and shows out there. I've played – and beaten – Evil Dead, The Last Of Us, you get the point: I love zombies. Well, I loved zombies. Now that I'm actually living in this hell... well, let's just say I'm not really a big fan of zombies anymore.

It wasn't some sort of fungus that took over the human body or a contaminated burger or whatever. No, it started out with a drug. Yes, a drug. No, not the kind they wanted to cure cancer or anything like that. This drug was unique. It numbed you – literally.

They called it the "Z-Drug" because it made you so numb that you felt like you were asleep – or dead. Once the Z-Drug got around the nation – then, later on, the world – dealers everywhere were rolling in cash and the stoners were in bliss. Celebrities used it, congressmen and women used it, hell even the president used it (allegedly). Z-Drug became so popular that it was sold everywhere. Every street corner, every alleyway, everywhere.

I honestly can't tell you what was in that drug because I had no part in it. Some say it was ecstasy mixed with LSD and Oxycontin. But I don't know the truth. Either way, Z-Drug became highly addictive. The thing about this kind of drug is... well, it's 'adaptable'. It adjusts itself to give you the "ultimate high" that can last for hours on end.

Well, in the end, something contaminated Z-Drug. A virus much like the flu and pneumonia's love child. People would get high, last a few hours, then suddenly they'd be deader than dust. Yeah, talk about a buzzkill.

As you can imagine people got pretty talkative about the deaths. But, foolishly, they still took the drug (like I said, it's highly addictive). Soon enough, the FBI got involved. The contamination was spreading fast, adapting.

Turns out the virus adapted so much, that it actually fed off of its host. The more Z-Drug you took, the bigger the virus got. It soon began to spread into people's brains, feeding off of them like leeches.

Now, the virus that took hold became similar to rabies. It made you foam at the mouth and just go mad. People were literally going crazy for this drug. And you know what happened? Once Z-Drug became 'extinct' the virus took hold of the drug's effects and it could transmit itself through saliva and blood – in other words, a bite.

So, people who took the drug now developed a heavy case of the munchies for human flesh and bam zombie apocalypse.

Pretty freaking stupid, right?

Well, it's been about four years since everyone turned to zombies, and six years since Z-Drug took off in popularity. The government crippled not even a week after the world turned to shit.

There are some safe zones, too, but they're hellish. Well, the one I've been to was. The women and men were separated like animals. Men would go off to war and only a select few would remain in the zone. The women were either kept as slaves or soldiers.

Honestly, safe zones are just concentration camps. They separate the genders and they strip you down and look at your body like you're some sort of prized pig.

If you're a man and you're fit and muscular, you become a soldier. If you're too scrawny, you're shot. If you're too young, you're sent with the women. If you're too old, you're shot.

If you're a woman and you're fit and strong, you either become a soldier or they keep you for 'other' uses. If you're too scrawny, you're kept as a toy for the men. If you're too old, you're shot.

Yeah, pretty fucked up, huh?

Well, when everything broke out, I was only 16. I was kept in the zone with my mother and little brother until I turned 18, which, to our 'leader', meant I was of age. I'll admit, I worked out a lot and did my best to make myself strong. However, they took me away from my family and told me I'd be a slave.

I kinda had friends who were sort of considered "rebels" to the old safe zone. They took me in and trained me like a warrior. Then, an outbreak of the virus inside the zone fucked everything up.

I lost my mom and brother. Let's just say I had to do something that still haunts me in my sleep.

There weren't many survivors besides myself, but those who did live either separated or died off soon after.

I've been walking this hellhole with a small group from my zone for about two years, now. There's Finn, a 15 year old who's literally been 'fanboying' over this whole thing the entire time; his older brother, Jake, who's 23; Jake's girlfriend, Lady, who speaks fluent Korean and is actually really cool to chill with – if you can get past her occasional misunderstanding of the English language.

I guess that just leaves me. I'm Marceline Abadeer. I'm 20 years old, I've watched my mom and little brother die in front of me, and I've watched my dad become a drug lord since I was 8. My uncle Simon went insane and has disappeared. Other than that, there's nothing really important to say about me.

Yeah, it's just us four. We're not exactly the most 'exciting' group, but we do what we can to get by. Actually, the small number is pretty sweet because we can divide food rations easier and shifts are much easier to plan.

Anyway, we've been cruising in a huge pickup truck for miles, now. I think we're in Colorado, but I'm not sure. We left California and have been driving for a couple of days. We're running low on food and fresh water, and I think Lady's gonna lose it any day now. She seems... tense.

"Marceline, you need a break?" Finn whispers from the passenger side.

I glance at him out of the corner of my eyes. "Not a chance, squirt. You don't know how to drive."

"I could learn," he shrugs, adjusting his white bear hat so that it hides his blonde bangs.

I snort and roll my eyes. "I'm fine. 'Sides, we're coming up on a town, and we need supplies. I'll take a break later."

He sighs and leans back into his leather seat. "You never let me drive," he pouts.

"Because you're too puny to!" I counter. "Plus, you don't know how. And you sure as hell aren't going to learn at three in the morning."

"Well when can I learn?"

"Not now."

"Fine," he mutters, looking out of his window.

About half an hour later, we reach a hotel. I stop the truck and wake Jake and Lady up.

"Why're we at a hotel?" Jake grumbles.

"Because we need food and supplies and if this place doesn't have any, we're going to starve. Plus, I'm exhausted." I explain, grabbing my shotgun and ax. Yeah. I have an ax. And yes, it's as awesome as you think.

Jake yawns and stretches before grabbing his baseball bat. He hands Finn his sword and his pistol. Lady picks up her katana and grins. She and Jake never carry guns. I think it's because they had to shoot their families, and picking up a gun is too painful.

I take a deep breath and pull my long, ebony black hair into a ponytail. My gray tank top is old and splattered with dried blood, and my jeans are torn and faded. My combat boots are steel-tipped and tied extra tight – can have a shoe falling off while I'm running for my life, now can I?

"Alright, Finn, you come with me around the front. We're gonna make our way up to the top rooms and Jake and Lady are gonna check the first two floors. Got that?" I murmur.

They all nod and I lead Finn to the front of the large hotel. The glass doors are busted, and I step carefully around the glass. It's so quiet, I can hear Finn breathing behind me.

As we make our way to the third floor, a distant rustling catches my attention. I turn to Finn and tap my nose twice. He nods and pulls out his sword.

I slowly creep towards the sound, my hand tightening on my shotgun. I feel every muscle in my body tense, my instincts taking over.

Suddenly the noise turns into yelling.

"-can't just eat half the food supply, Leah!" A voice scolds. "We have no car, no resources, we're going to die if we don't get out of here!"

"Like that's my lumping fault, Ruby!" Another voice replies. "I was lumping hungry and you were too busy bossing Bonnie around, I thought-"

"Guys! Shut up!" A third voice hisses.

I look at Finn with a quirked eyebrow. What the hell? Survivors? Out here?

I knock on the room door.

"Who's there?" A voice hushes.

"Orange," I chuckle.

"Orange? Orange who?" Another voice sounds confused.

"Orange you gonna open the door?" I snicker.

Someone sighs, irritated, as the door swings open. I point my gun at their chest immediately and Finn holds his sword up.

"Who are you and what the hell are you doing out here?" I ask with a growl.

The kid who I'm pointing my gun at is about Finn's age. She's got fiery red hair and her green eyes are wide with fear as she looks down at my gun.

"Leah! Bonnie!" The girl calls behind her.

A girl with long pink hair appears behind the girl. She's pale and her bright blue eyes move between the gun, me, Finn, then me again before she picks up her own pistol and aims it at me.

"Let her go," she hisses.

I smirk. "Or what, princess, you'll shoot me? You got the safety on, genius."

She blushes and flicks the safety off.

"You're also out-gunned." Finn adds as Jake and Lady appear on either side of us.

"Crap," both girls mutter as a third girl – one with short curly purple hair – approaches the door.

We all end up inside the room.

"Marce," Jake murmurs, motioning for me to talk to him, Finn, and Lady. We huddle close together in the farthest corner of the room. "What do we do about them?"

"They won't last long," Finn notes.

"I'm surprised they've lasted this long," I chuckle.

"Well, we do need more people," Lady suggests.

"We can barely feed the four of us. How the hell do you plan on feeding seven people?" I snap.

"We can't just take their food and leave, Marceline!" Finn gasps.

"I didn't say we would!" I shrug. "I just think we should ditch 'em. Let them get themselves killed."

Finn glances at the group. "But... I don't wanna leave them. We need as many survivors as we can get if we're gonna make it to D.C."

I bite my lip. He's right. We gotta go to D.C. and try to get some of the information on the virus. If we're going to go there, we need a freaking army.

"Fine," I mutter before pulling away to face the other group. "Alright, you clowns are coming with us."

"Says who?" The pinkette snaps. "You pointed a gun at my sister, threatened to shoot us, and now you're saying you want us to come with you?!"

"Calm your tits, it was just a natural reaction. Strangers means danger, didn't you ever learn that?" I shrug. "Anyway, we're on our way to D.C. to get the formula of the Z-Drug and the virus and we need people to come with us since the place is crawling with zombies."

"And you want us to come with you?" The girl snorts. "I don't-"

"Bonnie, we need to talk," the purple-haired girl whispers.

'Bonnie' sends me a hateful look before she follows purple and red into the other corner. I hear whispering and the occasional, 'but Bonnie'. I lean against the wall and yawn.

"I don't got all night, ladies, I'm freaking tired," I groan.

'Bonnie' glares at me again and the three separate.

"Alright, but we have a few conditions." The pinkette begins and I fight an eye roll. "One, you can't point guns at us anymore. Two, you don't get to boss us around. And three, you start treating us like humans, not animals."

Finn opens his mouth, but I cut off whatever he was about to say with a laugh. "Alright, princess, I'll accept those conditions, but you gotta hear my conditions. You don't act like scared little children – this is an apocalypse, mommy and daddy aren't gonna save you. I call the shots – I have more experience than any of you chumps do. And if someone gets bitten, they gotta be shot immediately. No exceptions."

The girl narrows her eyes and bites her lip. "Fine. I'm Bonnibel, this is my little sister Ruby and our friend Leah. You can call me Bonnie or Bubblegum, and you can call Leah LSP."

"Alright, Bonnibel," I drawl her name out, tasting it on my tongue. "I'm Marceline, this is Finn, his brother Jake, and Jake's girlfriend, Lady."

"What kind of a name is 'Lady'?" The purple-haired girl, Leah, snorts.

"Nobody could pronounce it in Korean, so I just let them call me that in English," Lady shrugs.

"Why do you two have weird hair?" I ask as I settle down on one of the two beds.

"LSP dyes hers and I was born with mine," Bonnibel sits down across from me.

"'Born with it'?" I echo.

"My parents were scientists. My mom was trying to experiment with some sort of eternally flavorful gum, but she swallowed a piece and, voila, pink hair." She explains.

I let my eyes flicker over her now that she's close and not behind a gun.

She's thin, obviously not built to be a soldier. She has at least a c-cup chest, and her hips are pretty small. Her jean-clad legs are long, and her pale cheeks and dainty nose are littered with freckles. She has light green eyes.

Honestly, if the world hadn't gone to shit, I'd say she was actually pretty cute. Hell, who am I kidding? If things were different, I'd probably be fucking her senseless if not for the fact that the human race was doomed. Besides, she's pretty bitchy.

"So," Finn rubbed the back of his neck nervously as everyone settled down in various parts of the room. "What's your guys' story?"

A flash of sadness flickered over Bonnibel's face.

"Well," she began...

I hope their meeting didn't seemed rushed!

Anyway, should I continue? Also, it'd be great to have a better cover...?

Please review!

xoxo~