Hello and welcome to my first fanfic! I've been writing for a while but have never published my work. Please let me know what you think by writing a review!

Disclaimer:

Left4dead is Valve's property.


Chapter 2- Boom

"Cut that out, will ya?!" Nick shouted. Melia cringed and lowered her weapon, smiling her apology to the man. This was the second time she'd almost hit him, her shots less than a foot away. She pocketed her gun and took out a crowbar she'd found lying on the ground outside a store.

"Sorry. I think I'll use this now," she replied. The conman rolled his eyes but appeared relieved.

Rochelle snuck up next to the girl, leaning in to whisper, "Don't worry. No one would've minded if you'd actually hit him."

"I can HEAR YOU!" Nick shouted back, but all Rochelle did was chuckle and continue on her merry way. Ever since the woman had learned that they were nearly to the evac station, her spirit had lifted considerably.. The candy and guns they'd found in the saferoom also helped improve the entire group's mood.

"I'll get it eventually," the teen assured. "It's just...it was a lot different in videogames."

"Yeah, no kidding," Nick retorted.

Melia turned her face away so they wouldn't see her pout. The girl didn't like to admit it, but she was rather sensitive, and not used to people not liking her. The conman's harsh and snappy attitude frightened her.

A gunshot cut off further conversation. Ellis cocked his shotgun again and stood at the ready, observing his surroundings.

"Hey, ya know what we shud dew?" he asked. Without waiting for answer, he shouted. "Play I spy!"

Nick rolled his eyes. "I think that's a very bad idea," he said. Rochelle scoffed.

"Screw it. I think it could be fun!" she retorted. Nick rolled his eyes again.

"Whatever."

"Alright, boy. It was your idea, you go first," Coach said.

Ellis tapped his chin and looked around. "Hmm, I spy...something...pink!"

The entire group tightened their grips on their guns to keep from facepalming.

"Rochelle's shirt," Nick deadpanned.

Ellis pouted. "Awww, Nick! How'd yew get that so quickly?"

The conman didn't answer. Coach chuckled. "Alright Nick. You won, now it's your turn."

Nick whirled around to give Coach a dirty look before sighing and turning back to the road. "Fine." He couldn't believe he was playing a game that he grew out of when he was 12 years old. He lazily scanned his surroundings. "I spy..."


About an hour later, the group found themselves at the bottom of 30 flights of concrete stairs.

"If I'd have known the evac station was at the top of a hotel, I don't think I would've been as excited to get here," Rochelle said. The rest of the group didn't reply, only stared up at the daunting flights, wondering how long it would take to climb them. To their surprise, Melia was the first to start up.

"The sooner we start, the sooner we're done," she said. Something about her voice hinted that there was something she wasn't saying, but Nick didn't bother asking what it was. Asking women what they were thinking turned out badly for him nine times out of ten.

Nick boredly observed the small girl as climbed. She seemed trustworthy enough, and she obviously wasn't a threat to them. She was even tinier than Rochelle, but still developed, like someone had taken a grown young woman and squashed her until she was the size of a lanky 13 year old. Nick doubted she could hurt them, even armed.

Despite the girl's nonthreatening aura, Nick still almost objected to her addition to the group. They didn't need a tiny girl who couldn't shoot. In the end, it was her eyes that kept him from saying anything. She just looked so damn innocent. How the hell had she survived on her own?

Nick was pulled out of his thoughts when Coach groaned. When the man slowed, Nick only made his way around him, looking back to check on the older man.

"Who the hell...puts on evac station...up thirty flights...of goddamm stairs?" he asked.

Nick chuckled. "Who knows, Coach? Maybe the helicopter...maybe it's made of chocolate." He winked and chuckled as the older man scowled at him. Oh well. The man needed some motivation.


Melia had known something was off as soon as they got to the evac center.

The empty lobby, abandoned health packs, zombie infested stairs- those had all been signs. But they had been signs that left a little room for hope.

What really worried her was the lack of radios.

Surely they would have left some means of communication. How else would they know anyone was here? She'd hoped they'd find one on the roof of the building, but so far her search had left her empty handed. There was no sound of any helicopters nearby.

Ellis cupped his hands around his mouth. "HELLOOOOOOOOO?!" he hollered. There was no answer.

"Maybe we should wait a while. See if they come back." Rochelle suggested. Melia knew that it wasn't likely, but she decided not to say anything. If they wanted to stay, she had no right to tell them they couldn't.

Nick saw the girl unconsciously biting her lip, a thinking look in her eyes. "Hey," he said. "If you've got something to say, you should say it."

The teen looked up at the man uncomfortably. "It's just-" She stopped suddenly, her eyes widening.

"What-" Nick began

"SHHH!" Melia held a hand to her lips and tilted her head, focusing intensely. "Do you hear that?" she asked.

The rest of the group leaned towards her, straining their ears. It was almost inaudible, but there was indeed a sound- a hurried and quiet ticking noise.

"We need to get out of here...They aren't coming back," Melia said. She hurried towards the stairs and the others began to follow, with the exception of Rochelle.

"Ro!" Coach barked. The woman's attention was fixated on something else. She pointed a painted fingernail to the distance.

"Look."

There were helicopters shaded against the red horizon, hovering back and forth over buildings. Below them, pieces of the city exploded into rubble.

"Holy shit," Ellis drawled. Melia shook her head. They must've planted remotely detonated charges earlier...

Which made things all the more concerning when a helicopter flew towards them. But Rochelle and Ellis still seemed hopeful.

"Do you think that maybe they-" Ellis began.

"Hick. We need to get out of here. Now," the conman urged. Ellis stared at the ground dejectedly for a moment before continuing down the stairs. Melia hopped onto the railing and slid down the flights, followed by Rochelle. Nick pattered down just beside them, with Ellis and Coach lagging behind.

The deep hum of the helicopter drew closer...and closer...and closer still...

BOOM!

The explosion shook the entire building, causing Rochelle and Melia to stumble off of the railings and into the wall. Soon after another explosion went off, this one closer. The door into the hallway flew off of its hinges, followed by a plume of fire. The flight of stairs above the faster three creaked ominously.

"Get away from those stairs!" Rochelle hollered. She, Melia, and Nick hurried down another flight, away from the shaking railings, while Coach and Ellis backpedaled to a sturdier flight.

BOOM!

With the third explosion, the fourth flight down collapsed into a fiery heap. Below them, more flights gave out, blocking the exit.

Rochelle leaned her head over the railings, peering up. "Everyone okay?!" she hollered.

Coach's voice boomed back at her. "We're fine! Ya'll stay on that floor now- we'll find a way down to ya," he said.

"Alright!" Rochelle yelled. She entered the main hallway and raised her gun, ready. Melia popped a pill in her mouth and tried to ignore the aching pain in her brain.


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