Hey there! It's me again. While waiting for my Roller Coaster plot bunnies to recharge this popped out and I had to get it out of my system. Anyhow, due to my recent love for the Walking Dead and Black Op's zombie mode I've wanted to get a Zombie fic out. Dull, I know, but my brain wouldn't stop bothering me about it!
Disclaimer: Don't own the HiME's nor the Zombies…
[Cahp1]
"…Ki!"
Her vision was blurry, spinning wildly.
"…up- Ple…!"
She could feel her own groan. The voice encouraged louder after hearing noises of consciousness from the girl.
She felt pressure on her head and blindly reached for it. Something caught her hand gently, putting it is down. "Don't to …that… C'mon, Na…have to-!"
The blur started to slowly dissipate and with that, she started to hear things clearer. There was sobbing somewhere. She felt herself being lifted into a sitting position, "Put… on." Straps were being placed on her shoulders. Her head was pulsing, after a particularly painful one; she felt a burst of memories hit her.
She remembered their trip, vacationing in America for the week, sightseeing with everyone. She remembered being a coward again, 'I didn't tell her again…' Her brow furrowed. "Ughhhh…."
A calming hand patted her cheek, "Good… Nats… time… get up."
Her body was being lifted from the sitting position into a stand up one, her arm placed over a shoulder as she felt her head lolling at her side. Two hands steadied her. Another memory hit, everyone was getting ready for bed when a power outage hit the hotel. It was their last night.
There was a lazy knock on the door a few minutes after that; she answered it, thinking it was one of the hotel employees. She saw a figure standing still, swaying all over the place. Just as she was about to speak the lights started flickering on and off, showing a disfigured woman at their doorstep.
"Oh my god, what happened to her?!"
In the split second that she had to inspect the woman, she saw blood all over her body, one side of her face hanging off. She was slow to react when the woman threw herself in her direction. All that she could remember after that was being pushed down backwards and pain exploding on her head.
She opened her eyes and found herself being rushed down a hallway following Midori. She turned to look up in the direction of whoever was helping her, "Mai…"
Startled, Mai took a glance at her, "Oh, Natsuki you're up!" She tightened her grip on her friend, "Try to move your legs a little more, kay? How is your head?"
It was then that Natsuki noticed the piece of cloth wrapped around her head, she reached her spare hand to touch it, wincing at the action. "It's killing me…" As her hand retracted she noticed a blood stain through the cloth on her fingers. She really knocked herself out didn't she?
Natsuki followed the movement from the corner of her eyes, looking around the hallway. She saw people screaming, grappling with each other. The more her vision cleared the more details she was picking up. Countless of bloodied people were screaming and running at once, she saw a man getting over powered at his doorway by another, screaming as his aggressor fell on top of him.
A particularly loud scream caught her attention; she turned to it just in time to see a woman rip a piece of skin out of another woman's neck. Natsuki's grip on Mai tightened, her own legs working faster the more she saw her surroundings. "M-Mai, what- I-"
"I'll explain once we're out of here Nat-" Mai broke off to catch her breath, "Just… Run…" It was then that Natsuki saw the panic in Mai's face, her eyes were wide, teeth bearing, holding on to the injured girl like a life line.
Natsuki steeled herself feeling adrenaline kick in, the pain from her head taking back seat to the slow settling feeling of dread rising inside her chest. She looked behind them, seeing their companions with similar faces. They acknowledged her consciousness briefly, all concentrating on keeping up and staying together.
They passed a bloody elevator going for the stairs instead. She heard the conversation behind her, asking for the others, wondering where they would go. "What if the whole city is like this?"
"Look, we just have to get out of here," A pause, "We can figure everything out latter!"
"Mai, where are Shizuru and the others?" Natsuki looked up at her friend as they went down the stairs.
Mai took a second to answer, concentering on keeping up with each step and close to Midori. "We don't… know… their rooms weren't close."
"We have to- I can't-!" Natsuki felt her own panic set, she heard herself speaking without a single clue of what she wanted to say, her grip tightened, "The others."
She saw Mai's face twist in pain, "Maybe they ran too… we have to run now… and try to find… them latter." They passed through a door; Midori slowed down to inspect the new floor they were on, it only gave the rest of the girls' time to see the carnage before them.
There were people hunched over others, moaning and screaming floated around in the air, blood was everything they could smell. Natsuki saw their faces, some bloodied some intact, however, it was their eyes that made them all the same. Clouded spheres looking vacantly as they scratched and tore at the people too terrified to struggle beneath them.
So busy where the creatures with their prey, that they took no notice of the new comers watching them. Disgusted, Midori turned back to the girls, before she could speak another's voice interrupted her, "Midori!"
She turned to see Youko running towards her with the rest of the kids, "Thank god!"
"Midori what's your head count?" They ran to each other, questions firing off every second, brainstorming together.
Natsuki looked around at the group before quickly spotting her target, she urged Mai to help her move closer. They came up next to Midori and Youko, both of whom were discussing ways out.
Shizuru met them there as well. Natsuki felt two hands holding her face and allowed her eyes to close, "Natsuki!" She could hear the relief in Shizuru's voice. The taller girl's hands moved on to travel around the piece of cloth on her head, Natsuki opened her eyes, "What happened?"
"Let me see." Youko turned instinctively and took Natsuki's head into her own hands; she looked underneath the cloth urgently, accidentally making her patient wince. "She's going to need stitches but she'll be fine. Make sure she doesn't fall asleep."
The lights on the floor began flickering momentarily, Midori growled, "If this place loses power…"
"We picked up a few flashlights from some of the hotel staff." Youko said quickly, Reito, Haruka and herself showing off theirs.
Midori nodded, "Good, we might need those. Now if we go down those set of stairs-"
"We're three floors from the lobby, the elevators are down."
By now everyone was huddled into a tight circle pitching in, Natsuki couldn't see everyone, all that she knew was that she was in the middle with Mai and Shizuru at either side. They spoke about exits and plans, Natsuki didn't remember when she stopped paying attention. She didn't even feel herself leaning into Shizuru, "Natsuki, you have to stay awake."
Her eyes opened, when had they closed? "Yeah… sorry."
Shizuru was about to reach for her when a voice from the outer circle spoke, "Ummm, we should really get going."
They turned, seeing some of the 'people' around them picking themselves up onto their feet. "Alright, everybody down the stairs, together!" Midori yelled.
Mai started running, carrying Natsuki still with Shizuru not far behind. Midori took the front while Youko took the back. They ran down the stairs onto the second floor, straight into a hall way. They passed a connecting hall way and that is when Natsuki saw it.
There was a mob of those things only a few feet away, Natsuki tried to reach for Shizuru but found her limbs clumsy. Mai noticed the shift in weight and the mob coming for them and did the only thing she could think of, grab her friend tighter and run faster.
"Wait, Mai!" Natsuki however, was not being helpful. She tried to turn in Mai's grip.
"Natsuki stop!" Thankfully for Mai, Akane took hold of Natsuki's arm and proceeded to help drag her away.
Natsuki had never felt so weak in her life; the more she struggled to free herself the harder the thumping pain in her head returned. Shizuru!
The only consolation Natsuki had as she was dragged away was seeing Reito grabbing a hold of Shizuru's shoulders before the mob came in contact of her. She saw him dragging her back as the group got divided. Midori's half going for the lobby while Youko's half ran back the same way they had just ran from.
[Divided]
Shizuru struggled against her better judgment, the sight of an injured Natsuki only a few feet away from those things almost made her lose it, "Reito-"
"Shizuru please, we need to get out of here," He pleaded, struggling against her. Shizuru didn't take her eyes away from the direction Natsuki's group went. She looked over the creature mere inches from her face, by the time she registered how close it was, she closed her eyes, preparing herself.
"Get your act over here!" Haruka boomed, roughly yanking Reito and Shizuru away by their clothes, the two nearly fell in surprise. Shizuru was knocked out of her trance enough to realize that Haruka meant ass instead of act and started running with the group.
They caught up with everyone near the hallway's corner only to be cut off by another mob turning right in front of them. Youko stopped on her tracks, reaching an arm to her side, stopping Shiho from running directly into them. She turned around, immediately going for the first door she could spot. It was locked but it didn't matter, the door next to it was ajar, "In here, hurry!"
Everyone piled in, Youko made contact with one of those things, violently pushing him backwards onto two more right behind him. She slammed the door and went for the desk in the room, "Barricade the door!"
Loud thumping and pushing could be heard from the door as they all scrambled around the room for something to make it heavier.
Haruka was the first one to speak, "We lost the others!"
"We need to find them." Shizuru said, back against the barricade. She felt the door moving dangerously behind her and turned to look desperately at Reito who was holding the door with her. "Natsuki is injured."
"I know but Midori and the others are headed outside, we are trapped in here. Search the room for anything that could help!" Youko took a calming breath, a futile attempt in this situation. Youko herself had no clue what could 'help' them right now but it was the only thing she could think of to say. She found a phone and of course, "The line is dead."
Haruka was ripping through the drawers, tearing the room apart. She moved on from the drawers shortly after into the bathroom, then the closet. "What are we even looking for?!"
Shiho bounced around the room, the look of terror still on her face. She came closer to the window, wanting to pry it open for some fresh air.
Aoi and Yukino swept through the bags in the room, taking everything out.
"We need to find a way out of here quickly!" Reito winced, hearing the door crack. He could almost hear Shizuru's teeth grinding from the effort.
"There has to be something!" Haruka yelled, frustrated.
Youko was nearly tearing at her hair, she couldn't fail these kids. She couldn't let them all die like this!
"Over here!" Shiho yelled. "The window!"
Everyone except Shizuru and Reito rushed to her. "The glass is thick but if we break it we can use the fire escape!"
Youko could have cried, they picked a room with a fire escape that is brilliant!
"Sooner would be better than latter!" Shizuru yelled this time making everyone turn to look at them; the two were battling to stay in place as the push from the other side increased.
"Haruka, help me with the television stand!" Youko said, Haruka moved quickly, once the stand was in their grasp the duo moved for the window. "On my mark… go!"
They swung the stand, attempting to smash the glass. There was a loud cracking noise as the recoil nearly threw them off their feet. They prepared themselves again, throwing more force behind their swing the second time. The crack got larger.
"How thick is this glass?!"
"Don't get distracted, give it everything you got!" The teacher and student looked at each other before nodding in silent agreement. They raised the stand next to their faces in a throwing position. After taking a few steps back, they threw the stand at the weak point, causing the crack to shatter.
"Yes!" Haruka celebrated, Youko went straight to clearing the bottom of the window for any glass pieces sticking out, until she heard the sound of wood breaking.
"Ah!" Reito's yell made them all turn again, from one of the gaps on their barricade a hand smashed through the door, it was trying to claw at his chest from an awkward angle.
"Out, hurry." She instructed, Shiho and Aoi went first, followed by Yukino and Haruka. Youko went back toward the door, "You two go!"
"But-"
"I'll be right behind you!" She braced herself against the door, the two teens unwilling to leave without their nurse. Youko snapped. "What did I just say?!"
They nodded and ran for the window. Once they were out Youko made a run for it herself, as soon as her weight was gone, the barricade collapsed. A wave of nightmares pooled in the room. Moans and stench filled her senses. She ran for the escape reaching the window sill.
She nearly threw herself over it. Her momentum was disturbed when a clammy hand closed around her ankle. She realized in horror that she was being pulled back. Youko felt the scream stop in her throat as two pairs of hands pulled her out by the arms.
The grip around her ankle slipped and she stared at her saviors. Shizuru and Reito on the other hand, pulled her forward and started running down the escape. They went down until they hit the last latter, Haruka was climbing down.
As the all reached the ground Shiho and Aoi were at the head of the group. They found themselves in a back alley behind the hotel. As they reached the end Youko instructed, "Go to the right, we parked-"
She was cut off when she saw what was after the alley. The things they had all seen at the hotel paled in comparison with what they found outside. Packs moving, closing in on terrified people; screams exploding amongst the chaos.
There were groups of those monsters hunched over bodies, some still moving. Shiho was trembling as she looked around at the mess before her. Crashed cars and death. She saw a torn body, alone on the ground, already feasted upon as it lay unrecognizable and bloodied. She whimpered.
Haruka stepped in front of Yukino taking in everything around her. How where they going to get out of this? She could feel Yukino's hands shaking.
Aoi was nearly in tears. Everyone was dying and Chie… Oh god, she was never going to see her again.
Reito was frozen next to Shizuru whom shared his reaction. They both reacted in the same manner for different reason, Reito out of shock while Shizuru was horrified for the fate of another. Natsuki's group was nowhere to be found and from the looks of it they couldn't stick around to wait for them either.
What was worse, Natsuki was hurt, Natsuki could barely stand! She felt herself begin to hyperventilate. She needed to stay, she needed to find-
"Shiho!" The scream broke her train of thought; Aoi was running off after Shiho. The latter screamed, darting off in the opposite direction Youko had instructed. "Shiho, stop!"
Youko cursed, they started running after her, avoiding those who would reach for them from the crowds. The small girl was fast! They were attracting a crowd of their own as Shiho ran around screaming in her panic.
"Someone shut her up!" Haruka yelled angrily from her place.
Youko ran faster, making her way to the front. Aoi reached Shiho, immediately placing a silencing hand on her mouth. They stopped in front of a subway entrance. "Aoi, run!"
Confused, Aoi turned around; she nearly jumped when she saw the size of the crow they accumulated. She made for the subway dragging Shiho with her, Youko already next to her. The subway was dark, with only a few lights flickering for brief light.
Shizuru found herself at the rear of the group again, with Reito. They blindly followed as best as they could within the darkness. She ignored the lifeless bodies scattered all around, concentrating on surviving. She followed everyone as they turned inside the first room they could find.
Reito slammed the heavy metal door behind her and securing it with a lock. Panting was heard all around the room before Haruka exploded, "What were you thinking you idiot!"
The only response Haruka received was sobbing and crying, she winced, scratching her neck awkwardly.
On the other side of the room as the lights flickered on and off, Shizuru slid down to the floor slowly, placing a hand over her eyes. They were lost for good. Natsuki was lost and she would never find her in this mess.
She should have held her instead of Mai; she shouldn't have hesitated, thinking that Natsuki would have felt awkward about it. Why did she always hesitate at all the wrong times?
Reito sat down next to her, placing a hand over her shoulder. "We'll find them, Shizuru, Natsuki has good people by her side; all we can do is survive."
Shizuru embraced those words, knowing it would be the only the only thing keeping her sane.
[Chap1]
There we go, the thing I'm going to do in this fic is concentrate on both groups as they survive and travel the land most can't even understand. Next well see what happened to Natsuki's group. Also, there are like three or two members in Natsuki's crew that were not mentioned, I'm still trying to figure out who will fill the roles. Oh and there will be character death too. Quite a few of them… Thanks for making it this far and as always, drop me a line.