You guys are amazing. I mean...just wow.

I don't even know where to start.

Just...don't get your hopes up too much.

Okay?

As time moves forward

Months after 'Salvation of Humanity': somewhere in France

Desolate

Dark

Cold

There were many words to describe the aftershocks of places that were hit by the undead. As major cities were slowly thriving once again; less known areas were starting to become cesspools of nothingness. But if it was just nothing then the people would overlook that and concentrate on just living.

However a problem arose.

In an alleyway, a light-furred cat was scurrying across the pavement; looking for some scraps to eat. It went into a soaked but open box that was labeled Piffle Company as it scratched the inner surface of the object. It let out a disappointed noise.

Then its ears perked up.

Poking out of the box, the cat saw that someone was walking into the alley. The clothes on the person was tattered, soiled and ripped though not to the point of exposed skin; not by much. The skin itself was very pale but covered in dirt, dry blood and grease. The person seemed to have limp in its step as it was starting to leaning on the wall; the breathing almost non-existent.

The cat slowly made its way over to the leaning figure; having its guard up as the paws tattered on the stone ground.

Bright colored blue eyes; almost white lingered down to the animal and stared. Like it was thinking about something though it was impossible.

Since zombies can't think for themselves.

The cat cautiously got closer to the figure before sitting calmly sitting on the cold pavement with its tail moving left and right in curiosity. The big dark eyes were looking up at the zombie; watching, waiting, ready.

The zombie leaned in forward at the cat; its expression blank and dull. Its hand slowly reaching out to the animal with nails chipped and garnished with caked flesh. For a moment…there was a spark in those dead eyes; like a memory swiped through before it vanished just as quickly.

A screeching yelp echoed in the forgotten city before all was quiet once again.

Elsewhere….

"Hey Kurogane!" A cheery voice echoed. "What are you doing here man? Don't you know what day it is?"

A huff was heard as the click of a belt followed. "I'm here because unlike you lazy shits, I'm going to kendo practice to continue working on my swordsmanship." A pair of red eyes glared at the other person with slight distaste. "Besides Fuuma, it doesn't matter to me what day it is. No one cared what day it was when the damn zombies roamed the earth and no one cares now, so why should I?"

Chuckling, Fuuma used his free hand to adjust his bright sunglasses before walking towards Kurogane; hiding something behind his back. "I'm just curious…" He then revealed a small but colorful cake with the number candles lighting up in front of the young man. "Since it's your birthday after all."

Blushing slightly at his own ignorance, Kurogane huffed before sharply blowing the candles out; not giving in to the joy that someone remembering.

"Happy 17th birthday, Kurogane." Fuuma softly smiled.

"Yeah, yeah." Kurogane waved it off. "You can go ahead and eat the cake. I hate sweets anyway." He put on a tank top and a pair of pants.

"You know…" Fuuma started thoughtfully. "Usually people would take it easy when it's their birthday." He already got out a fork that was conveniently in his back pocket. "You know the organization gives anyone a day off when it's their birthday." He started choking down on the cake.

"I know the protocol." Kurogane rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter to me either way, I got no one to spend time with on my birthday-"

Fuuma opened his mouth.

"-Who are not complete morons or dumbasses." Kurogane finished with a glare.

Smiling, Fuuma shrugged as he swallowed. "You're just the same, Suwa. Always work and no play. It's no wonder your legal guardians had a hard time with you when your father died." It may sound harsh to anyone else but he and Kurogane knew each other way back when they were kids; so the type of bluntness coming from Fuuma was far from harsh to Kurogane who prefer it over anyone else beating it around the bush.

"Pfft. Oh yeah, Souma and Amaterasu got their hands full with me." Kurogane sarcastically stated. "Like I wasn't the first guy to give them hell." Souma and Amaterasu were Kurogane's 'parents' when his father died. At first people weren't very keen on two women who were married too no less, taking care of a child. But Homophobia was the last problem in their minds when the world was eaten up by the undead.

Or so it was at the time.

"Still," Fuuma finished off the cake. "It's weird isn't it? How the zombies are actually dying by the huge numbers." He crossed his arms. "If it wasn't for your father, Ichihara and the rest of the group, we'd all be dead. I seriously didn't think we live to even be fifteen."

"And now you're sixteen; shut up." Kurogane retorted. "I can honestly care less on how old we are or would be. We're alive and that's all that matters." He then sighed. "I got enough of the age thing from that damn witch and the old geezer every year, I don't need it from you."

With an amusing demeanor, Fuuma leaned back a bit. "You know you should call them by their names eventually."

"Heh. The day I call those two properly is the day that I like sweets." Kurogane rudely grinned. "Besides you don't either."

"What can I say, you're a terrible influence." Fuuma chuckled. "Children copy what they see in older people."

"Yeah, and that's why you're just as creepy as your creep of an older brother." Kurogane seethed.

"Oh come on, Seishiro isn't that bad." Fuuma laughed as a shirt was thrown in his direction.

"Tell that to my years of checkup with that guy!" Kurogane shouted. He leaped forward and was about to start chasing the younger teen when a single loud cough was heard. He and Fuuma turned to see someone leaning on the doorway with a laughing smile.

"My, my. And here I thought Kurogane was going to be a sour puss on his birthday."

Clearing his throat, Kurogane dusted his clothes and nodded. "Tomoyo. Hey." The girl in question was another of Kurogane's friend and adviser. She was only three years younger than him and already an assistant to the leader of the organization. However it wouldn't change the hard fact that she was just a young girl and she will let Kurogane know time and time again.

"Hey Tomoyo-chan." Fuuma casually greeted the girl. "You here to celebrate Kurogane's birthday too?"

"Well I was." Tomoyo smiled. "But got me working on some formalities for the past week. We're bringing in newcomers to the lab."

"Oh great, more idiots to deal with." Kurogane scoffed.

Tomoyo giggled; covering her mouth with her hand. Same old friend; stubborn and true. "Oh don't worry Kurogane. I'm sure you would whip them into shape once you get back."

"You're damn right I'll whip th—" Kurogane stopped as he stared at the young girl with wide eyes. "What do you mean 'once I get back'?"

"Let me guess." Fuuma grinned. "We have another mission; don't we?"

Nodding, Tomoyo had two folders in her arm and handed them to the males. "Yes, it's another 'finder' assignment. Clow's still searching for more 'materials' for the 'experiments'. He's not satisfied with the last batch which was few and far."

The air in the room got thick with nervousness along with tension.

Fuuma dramatically sighed; breaking the silence. "Well then, guess we have to go and get some more." He stood up. "How soon do we have to leave?"

"In three hours." Tomoyo answered. "The plane is already boarding and the rest of the team is on their way." She smiled. "I already contacted Ichihara so she'll know that the newcomers will be a bit short-handed for a while."

"Che. We won't be gone for long." Kurogane was already dressing up and ready to go. "Isn't it obvious that the reason that we had so few 'materials' was because the toxin's working? There can't be that many left out there."

"We hope."

Kurogane whipped his head to Fuuma who had a slightly dark expression. "What?"

"I'm not dissing what you said. You're right about that." Fuuma elaborated. "But just because the toxin is working doesn't mean that it will work in the future. It may be a few of them in the world but that alone might mean something else…."

"Like what?" Kurogane asked. "You mean…immunity?" He had an extended knowledge of science since his dad and his guardians and he had seen medicine and biology at work. So it didn't take a much of a genius to know where Fuuma was going at. "But….they're just…they're not human anymore."

"Kurogane, they may not be human anymore but they have human bodies." Tomoyo frowned. "And I have seen reports from the batch we receive and what I'm overhearing from Ms. Ichihara, there may something in them that could change that. It may be just rumors but we can't be sure."

"….." Kurogane and Fuuma looked at each other.

"In any case," Tomoyo continued. "We just have to find and capture more of them first before we can go any further." She then gave the boys a reassuring smile. "But I'm positive that we can overcome it just like before."

"Yeah!" Fuuma exclaimed with a smile. "As long as the organization's still running, those things are as good as dead."

Chuckling lowly, Kurogane couldn't help but smirk a bit. "Damn straight."

Finders:

People who are sent to various parts of the earth to find any remaining zombies who have survived after the 'Salvation of Humanity'. The purpose of the recently made group was to find and kill the remaining zombies; preventing another wave of an apocalypse.

However, that was the official part.

The true purpose was to find and capture the remaining zombies and haul them back to the Ichihara Laboratory for experimentation. It was decided by the members of the pervious group that they would find a serum that will turn a zombie back into a human.

Previous experiments have been proved unfruitful; resulting in deaths of both zombies and humans.

The finders have no knowledge of the real side of the experimentation.

As soon as the zombies were given to the scientists; it was no longer their jurisdiction.

Three hours later

Kurogane yawned as he leaned back on the seat; looking out of the window as the clouds was moving so slowly in the sky. After their conversation, he, Fuuma, and the rest of the finders boarded on the organization's jet plane and were on route to their destination.

France.

Opening his folder, Kurogane started reading the documents inside. "Huh. So there have been some sightings in an abandoned town just a few miles away from Paris. Since Paris is on the verge of reconstruction, they're worried that the zombies might become smart and limp their way over. Dumbasses." Placing the folder on his lap, he rubbed the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. "I just don't get it. The zombies shouldn't be immune to the toxin; it was fool-proof. They all should be dead. They have to be…so what's the point to getting them?"

"Who knows?"

Kurogane jumped at the new voice. He then glared at the person. "Hey, how about warning a guy first? I almost had a heart attack, Subaru."

"Sorry. You seem deep in thought." Subaru was just as old as Tomoyo but he and Kurogane barely know each other. Excluding his older twin brother, Kamui (who is being annoyed by Fuuma), he had no other family which the young man can relate too. Sitting next to the guy, he crossed his legs and got out his own folder. "So we're going to France huh? That's nice. I always wanted to go there."

"We're not going there for sight-seeing." Kurogane frowned at the dark-haired boy.

"I know." Subaru smiled. "I just think it would be nice to just travel. But it's understandable; since the world is just healing." He soon frowned.

Sighing, Kurogane closed his eyes. "The world doesn't have the luxury to relax and neither do we. Before we can even enjoy life we have to fix it. Even though it will never be normal again; we have to try our best to make it normal. And that starts with getting rid of those things for good. While I don't know what's going on in those labs, as long as we're doing our duty; that's fine by me. Because I'm here to make the world a better place; no matter what."

Staring at the older teen before him, Subaru couldn't help but smile at him. "You're right. It's nice to know that the good people are still on earth." He then reached into his pocket and got out a small wrapped box. "Here."

"Huh?" Kurogane stared at both the box and Subaru.

"It's your birthday, isn't it? I've heard it from Tomoyo last week." Subaru chuckled. "Don't worry, it's only a watch. Happy birthday."

Frowning, Kurogane took the box and opened it. "How is it that everyone knew my birthday but I can't remember?" Nonetheless, he got the watch out and placed in around his left wrist. He looked at it and nodded. "…Thanks….or…whatever…."

Nodding, Subaru chuckled. "No problem."

"I said get off of me, you moron!"

Both Subaru and Kurogane looked over their seats and saw Fuuma hugging Kamui tightly around the waist. They then winced as Kamui landed a punch on Fuuma's stomach, hard; causing the guy to fall over in pain with a smile. That made Kamui even angrier.

Kurogane rolled his eyes behind getting back to his seat. "Remind me why we're stuck with those idiots again."

Subaru only smiled at the teen.

Back at the organization

Yuuko Ichihara was starting at her recent experiment. Taking off her glasses, she rubbed her forehead; feeling a migraine coming on. She looked down at the clipboard and frowned. "Well this isn't very promising."

"Another failure?"

The woman turned her head just slightly to see an older man with long black hair tied into a ponytail and round glasses. She frowned at those dark, kind eyes. "Soon to be. It's self-destructing at the moment. Won't be long now." She sighed as she gripped the clipboard. "We're missing something. A piece of the equation that's right under our noses but just not there. What do you think, Clow?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Clow responded. "While we were creating a toxin to kill the zombies, a certain someone wanted to do something else; something that seems very impossible even now."

"True." Yuuko nodded. "And while he is no longer with us, we wouldn't dare stop the program now. Even if one wish is left not granted, another will. We just have to keep trying."

"I see. And what happens when the boy finds out?" Clow asked with curiosity lingering in his voice.

"That we tell him the truth." Yuuko stated. "Personally, he should have known right from the start. But we were sworn into secrecy. I'm sure you are well aware why."

"Yes." Clow then turned his attention back to the experiment.

"I hate lying." Yuuko stated darkly. "I hate keeping things from our younger co-workers. I had to fake reports and give them to Tomoyo so she wouldn't find out. She's smart but—"

"You're smarter." Clow calmly interrupted. "And she's a very forgivable girl and no one can hold grudges like you." He chuckled. "So let's stop worrying and continue with the program. When the time comes then the time comes. Nothing else we can do."

With a twitch of an eyebrow, Yuuko stared back at the glass. "Despite your dull way of a teasing, you're right. But don't blame me when the boy explodes and all hell breaks loose."

"Dully noted."

-Inserting the poison injection now-

The two elders watched as needle that came out of the metal wall sting into the zombie's skin as it growled and snarled. The needle pulled back. The zombie's movements and grunts started to slow and grow quiet. Soon, the zombie stopped and was still.

Then….

*SPLAT*

Dead flesh and limbs hit the glass before it slid down; making nasty noises as it went down.

Yuuko angrily sighed as she took off her glasses. "Experiment number 367. Failure. Duration: three weeks." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cell phone. "Looks like we're going to have an all-nighter yet again."

Clow simply smiled and went to a desk to record some data.

Somewhere in France

The finders at the scene consisted of only four people, Kurogane, Kamui, Fuuma and Subaru. There were three others in that team but they were reassigned to another lab; a smaller one then the first.

Clicking the utility belt around his waist, Kurogane put on a black tight suit with lighter black gloves and boots. He got a small communication device and hooked it on his belt. He clicked on a button and the light shone red. He nodded in approval. "Okay, are you guys ready?"

Zipping up his suit, Fuuma gave Kurogane a thumbs up. "Ready~!"

"I'm good to go." Subaru responded with a smile.

"…." Kamui scoffed to himself as he turned on his communication device.

Rolling his eyes, Kurogane got out his sword and hooked the sheath around his belt. Armed and ready, he turned to his teammates. "Right. Let's move out!"

"Yes, sir!"

With weapons at hand, the team entered the abandoned town. Upon walking into the town limits, their noses were hit with a heavy stench of death and rotting corpses. Subaru had to cover his mouth as the smell hit him the hardest. He started to feel faint.

"Don't pass out on me now." Kurogane warned the other teen. "Let's go." With him in the lead, the team went further into the town; keeping their guard up. He tightened his hold on the sword as he can sense someone or something going about in the area.

"Well isn't this a wonderful place?" Fuuma loudly stated. "Wasn't this like a tourist hot spot for like camping and such?"

"According to the reports yeah." Subaru nodded. "It was stated that this town was used to room and board for those who can't afford to stay at Paris. Ironically, it was one of the first areas to be overcome by the undead. Shame."

"…." Kamui nodded; agreeing with his brother.

"In any case, we should split up." Kurogane pointed to Fuuma and Kamui. "You two go to the east side of the town while Subaru and I will go west. See anything weird and report it me. Got it?"

"Yes, sir." Fuuma and Kamui saluted at the older teen. They then went to the opposite direction.

"Right; stick by me and you'll be fine." Kurogane softly instructed. Subaru wasn't the strongest person in the groups and often called the weakest link. However if someone were to push his buttons, he can be the most lethal which is partially why Kurogane wanted him on his team.

Twenty minutes or so passed and so far, Kurogane and Subaru found squat. Fuuma and Kamui weren't doing so hot either. The town was littered with zombies yes but now most of them were still; like the dead should be. The rest were crow chow by now. They knew that the reports given to them weren't fake. If there were sightings of any remaining zombies anywhere, it would have to be double-checked before the organization can send finders.

But at the moment, it would seem that it would be a first time.

"This is ridiculous." Kurogane grumbled after an hour of silence. "We're wasting our time. If there were any zombies, they should have come at us by now. Everyone knows that they come when they hear something or smell fresh meat!"

Feeling the leader's distress, Subaru smiled sympathetically. "Well even if this turns out to be a wild goose chase; it's still worth looking after. There are people who have a home here and would want to know if it would be safe to come back; corpses or not."

"….Yeah." Kurogane grunted. "It's just after all these years you'd think they would die and stay dead. Even after father—" He stopped suddenly as he heard a noise. He looked at Subaru and pressed his lips; telling him to be quiet.

Subaru got the message.

Trailing his eyes around, Kurogane saw a lone shadow coming from within an alleyway. Clicking his device; he whispered into it, letting the rest of the small team know their whereabouts. He then gestured Subaru to follow him.

They walked quietly and carefully to the alleyway; weapons ready. Leading them inside, Kurogane tip-toed his way; trying not to step on anything that might cause unwanted attention. As the two got near the noise, they were shocked to see what they have found.

Blonde hair, pale skin and shaking limbs. Most likely a male by the flat chest and no curves. And it seemed to be petting something. Upon closer inspection, it was a cat. The cat seemed pleased that it was being loved by the way it was mewing.

Subaru sighed in relief. "Oh good, it's a guy." Smiling, he moved passed Kurogane a bit; only to have a hand on his shoulder. He turned and glanced curiously at his leader. "What is it?"

"Don't go any closer." Kurogane said with a dark tone. "He's not human." He pointed at the person in question. "Look."

Drip

Drip

Drip

There was blood coming out of its lips as bits of rotten flesh were hanging off the body. As it looked up from the cat; the eyes were a nasty pearly white with the orbs close to the same color; with only a tint of blue.

"Yep, zombie." Unsheathing his sword, Kurogane made his way around Subaru. "Get the compact net ready. Seeing Subaru nod in the corner of his eye, he then stepped forward to the zombie and pointed his sword at him. "Hey, freak." He started. "We're here to capture your dead, decomposing ass. As much as I want to kill you here and now, you're needed. So we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

It was the same generic speech Kurogane gave to every zombie. He may have low opinion on them and even dislike them to the core but he had honor and he will go by a code. After all, they were all human once.

Blinking slowly, the blonde zombie dropped the cat in its arms and stood up. By the basic structure it was tall; very tall. The clothes on the thing made a homeless man seemed posh. Having a slight limp on its left side; it wobbled as it just stood there. It seemed to be staring at Kurogane; which freaked said person out.

'The hell is it staring at me for?' The teen noted. 'If it wanted to eat me, it should have done so by now.' Nonetheless, he stood his ground; waiting for the zombie to make a move.

Tilting its head ever so slightly, it started to limp over to the teen. It then reached out with one hand.

Kurogane narrowed his eyes. He was prepared to stab the zombie if necessary. Then he got the surprise of the century. It touched him. The zombie reached out and just…touched him. It was a feathery touch as fingers were tracing just lightly on the teen's cheek. The teen was frozen on the spot. Never in his short life had he seen a zombie just…touching a human.

It was like it was mimicking human movements.

'What the hell?'

"Kurogane!"

The teen snapped his eyes over his shoulder to find Fuuma and Kamui right by Subaru with priceless expressions.

The zombie must have seen Kurogane turned away from as it looked over and stared at the other newcomers. It narrowed its eyes and growled slightly.

Kamui snapped into action and readied his gun at the zombie. He assumed it was going to eat Kurogane; his leader. Well that's not going to happen! "Damn creature!" His finger slowly pressing on the trigger.

Suddenly, the moment of the situation was played in slow motion; hurling all of them into a bit of a frenzy.

"Brother, wait!"

"Kamui, don't!"

"No!"

A loud growl was heard before a gunshot echoed in the alleyway.

Then…silence.

TBC

Expect more twists up ahead.

Just putting it out there.