Hey there Fan Fic, I'm back with the second chapter after like...a month or two. Yeah, two months. Sorry for the delay, I finally found time to actually sit down and write out a chapter. Summer vacation is coming up soon, so hopefully I'll get out more chapters during that time. And now, enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own L4D. Just my OCs

The Survivor's Guide to Surviving the Infection

Chapter 2: B is for Boomer

Beware of Boomers. The pukers, the gurgling fat man. He's a greater danger than he looks, so don't be fooled by their somewhat innocent looks. The puke of a Boomer does no harm to its victim, but the odor will attract other zombies towards you. Boomers are to be shot on sight, but from a safe distance. When shot, you learn the real reason as to how they got their names.

Three weeks after first infection

Was the blanket always this heavy? Divine was awake before her eyes were open, trying her best to hold on to the last bit of sleep. One of the first things that the girl had noticed was the sudden weight of the blanket she had covered herself up in last night. Her face was plastered into the pillow, and she found that sitting up was proving to be quite difficult. Something was on her, restricting movement and snoring in her ear. Oh, he did it again.

"Zachary" Divine growled at the Hunter, an annoyed look crossing her face. He didn't give any sign that he heard her, and continued to sleep upon her back. It was frightening the first time he did this, the second was just plain weird. The third time had become rather bothersome, and now the fourth time was really, really annoying. "Dude, I've told you before. I'm not your damn teddy bear" Divine continued, trying to turn her head to glare at him. Sure, the extra warmth was welcoming, but having a hundred pound infected man on her back wasn't too comfortable.

It had been exactly one week since she met him in that alleyway full of bear traps. Since then, his leg had recovered at an astonishing rate, and he easily could have killed her, or run away. Instead, Zachary followed her around the city, proving to be a helpful watchdog, and some good company. The girl wouldn't deny she liked having him around. She had someone to talk to, someone to experience this whole crazy ordeal with her. Sure, he didn't understand half the crap she talked about, or fully understood the situation they were in. But company was company, even if it meant his new instincts would kick in from time to time.

His behavior was strange, to say the least, and it was unclear if that was normal for his kind of Infected or not. Divine figured she would find out eventually, for the topic of Hunters could not be put aside forever. As of now, she planned to gather intel on the puking fat men, or the Boomers, as the others referred to them as. It was a Boomer that caused the meeting of woman and Hunter, so it only seemed right to discover what lied under the fat and beyond the bile. She figured if anyone could track one down, it would be the hooded body slumbering on top of her.

"Alright, I'm giving you till three to get off me. Okay?" Divine warned, prepping herself for the removal that would soon occur. Zachary grumbled in her ear, but didn't move away. "Ready? One" she began counting. The Hunter buried his face into her shoulders, a grumble rising in his throat.

"...Nnnooo…" Zachary groaned.

"Two"

A deep, throaty growl sounded in her ears, the kind that would normally make anyone freeze in their tracks. Fuck him. "Three!" Divine cried, pushing off the mattress and rolling to the floor, taking the Hunter with her. They tumbled to the ground, and Divine tried crawl away, but failed when she was flipped onto her back, Zachary's face snarling in hers. He screamed at her furiously, sharp teeth dangerously close to biting her face off. "Well, aren't you a morning person" Divine commented sarcastically. But the close contact made her uncomfortable as the reminder of what her new "friend" was. Luckily, she had quickly learned his weaknesses and didn't hesitate to use them. Divine shot a hand up, fingers outstretched to take a grab at the Hunter's hood. He jumped back whining, his clawed hands pulling the hood farther down his face.

Divine picked herself up, smirking the whole time. "I didn't even touch it" she teased, grinning as Zachary looked up to glare at her. He could be so sensitive sometimes. The girl walked over to the food boxes and pulled out a ration. She tossed it over to him before picking one out for herself. Breakfast time! After all, they would need their strength to go running around looking for big, fat guys. As Zachary tore into his food, Divine took time to take notes. Notes were the writing on the walls, the messages left behind by other survivors. Her eyes drifted over them, wanting to take in all information she could before they left.

We're all gonna die! Repent! Repent!

Of course we are, there are fucking zombies, man!

No, they're not! They move too fast, and don't eat brains!

That's only in movies, dumbass.

They must be aliens, then!

Bullshit.

Where's CEDA? Why aren't they helping us?

CEDA's gone bust. We're on our own now.

THE YANKEES SUCK!

Beware of Hunters!

Hunters? You mean them hoodies guys?

I saw one jump a guy from across the street!

I saw one jump down from a thirty floor building!

Liars! There's no fucking way!

Your mom was no fucking way!

Watch out for them grabbing dudes, they'll get ya from sky!

Smokers don't come from the sky, nimrod. They sit on buildings and shit.

Like Batman?

Divine chuckled to herself, amused by the constant bickering of others. But the survivors always left behind new terms, new info, and general news about the world. Three nights ago, that was how she learned the official name for Boomers. Last night, the official name for Hunters and Smokers. They talked about the zombies, CEDA, the army, and just silly little things in generals. Usually there was at least one message to loved ones, directions on where to go or just to let their family know they were still alive. She was beginning to doubt whether or not any of them were still kicking. Though, constant gun fire in the distance told her otherwise. To find any of them would be miracle, for there was always safety in numbers. But that would mean leaving behind Zachary and she didn't want to abandon him after all this time. A week was long enough to forge some sort of friendship. At least for her, anyway.

Zachary reminded her of a bloodhound with his nose to the ground, lifting it occasionally to catch a scent in the air. Divine trailed after him, assault rifle in hand, ready to shoot whatever decided to bother them. So far they had mostly encountered Commons and one other Hunter, who Zachary quickly dealt with on his own. It was mostly a screaming match, with a few swipes that were exchanged, so nothing serious really happened. But Divine got good data on Hunter pissing matches, and was able to jot a few notes down before the other Infected took off. It dawned on her a few minutes later that Zachary could have asked the Hunter if he had seen any Boomers around, and where they could find one. She was still kicking herself for that.

Their search wasn't getting very far, and she worried that they would be out here all day searching for a fat thing. Suddenly, her Hunter froze in his tracks, head lifted to the sky, nostrils flaring. Bingo. "Which way, boy?" Divine asked excitedly, her heart thumping against her ribcage. At last, a Boomer scent! Zachary jumped to a wall, ricocheting off to the next. She ran after him on the ground, slowly realizing she'd never be able to actually keep up with him. The Hunter disappeared over a rooftop, making the girl lose sight of him.

His head popped over a few seconds later, looking down at her expectantly. "The hell you looking at me for? You know I can't get up there myself!" she shouted up at him. She could have sworn she saw Zachary roll his eyes at her, and wondered if she could get in a good headshot from here. The Hunter bounced back down to her, a scowl upon his face. "Don't give me that look. Not all of us were blessed with amazing zombie abilities like yours" she huffed. "Why don't you just go back up and tell me when the Boomer gets closer? Or go after it or something?" the girl suggested to him. He stared at her as if she was stupid, or at least that's what it looked like to her.

They would have been sitting there staring at each other all day; if not for the loud groaning sound that echoed from the alley. Their heads snapped towards the sound, and the Boomer waddled out from the shadows. Divine shot him, causing them to be sprayed with blood and bile. "Sorry…..force of habit..." she apologized, wiping puke from her face. Zachary let out an annoyed huff in response. "We should probably run now, huh?" Divine asked, glancing towards him. He nodded, and the two took off down the street. The Infected poured out of buildings and alleys, all with the intent to get themselves of a piece of bile.

Divine shot at them, cursing loudly every time one got too close, and she had to bat them away. Zachary slashed at them, his claws easily ripping through flesh and bones. The duo managed to work their way down the block, refusing to stop until the others did. They finally stopped coming, probably deeming the fading smell of bile not worth chasing any longer. Which suited the pair just fine, as they now had tattered and dirty clothes. Zachary's sweatshirt had all sorts of stains on it, so he obviously didn't mind something new dirtying it further. Divine, on the other hand, strove for some cleanliness among the death and gore she had to live through. Finding clean clothing was a priority in the new zombie infested world. It was just another fine example of all the things people had taken for granted before the Infection hit. Safety didn't mean shit anymore, fresh food was hard to come by, basic supplies were essential, and a warm bed to sleep in had become a fantasy.

And thus, a new search began.

The glass had shattered, providing an easier access than opening the door itself. Trash littered the ground of the convenience store, and most everything that was once on the shelves was now either ripped open or covered in flies, or still wrapped up in their packages, waiting to be eaten. The acrid smell of smoke filled the air, but it was ignored for the quest of food. Divine headed straight for the candy aisle, opening up her pack and dumping chocolate bars in. She grabbed small bags of chips, and was lucky enough to find some mini doughnuts, still in perfect condition. Soda bottles, although cold, sat in the freezers, and she pulled out a Coke to enjoy. The zombie apocalypse, one big excuse to eat nothing but crap, and then go running afterwards. Too bad all the obese people of the world went first, or turned into Boomers.

Out of habit, and the need to put some sane routine in an insane world, Divine brought the food to the counter, as if to pay for them and not get arrested for shoplifting. A welcoming sight greeted her behind the counter. The store owner had possibly survived, as they were reading the newspaper while waiting for customers. At least, that's what it seemed like. The smell of smoke was overpowering, threatening to dominate her lungs and choke out all the oxygen. "Afternoon, my good sir. And what shall today's total be?" Divine asked, in a mocking British accent. A cough sounded from behind the newspaper.

"We're having a special sale. Everything's free!" they said before going into a coughing fit.

"Uh, you need a drink or something?" she asked, already guessing the answer.

"Ain't gonna do much for me, girl. So you better save it for yourself" came the reply. She nodded, unscrewing the cap of her bottle and taking a swig of soda. Silence reigned over the shop, no one making a sound, save for the holder of the newspaper who would occasionally cough, and Zachary, his small growls never ceasing as he tore into packages and ate whatever he could fit in his mouth.

"Zachary, don't go eating all that junk. You'll get a stomachache" Divine scolded, rolling her eyes as the Hunter made a bigger mess of things. The newspaper holder chuckled, turning a page of the paper. Divine glanced back over at them, taking a few seconds to observe their gracious host. "Can you even read?" she inquired, resting her elbows on the counter and placing her chin in her hands.

"Course I can! What makes you say that?"

"Well, for starters, you're holding the paper upside down. And it's in Spanish" Divine pointed out. The jig was up, judging by the sigh that came from the other side of the paper. "Oh, don't feel bad. I usually get the paper for the comics" she added, trying to sound cheerful. The newspaper flipped down, and she finally came face to face with the Smoker she had been talking to. Like his brethren, the left side of his face was covered in lumps and various boils that trailed down to his next. Similar lumps dotted his arms and onto his hands. Atop his head was once straw colored hair that had long since dirtied up, as it was now a more sickly green color. A cigarette hung from his mouth, but would slide down his chin to reveal his long, purple tongue. Divine smiled at him, happy to find another Infected that had yet to bite her face off. "Good morning sunshine, the earth says hello!" she greeted the Smoker with a wave of her hands. A smirk appeared on the Smoker's face, and he dropped his cigarette in a nearby ashtray. His long appendage was truly fascinating, acting as a third hand. Like how a monkey used its tail for grabbing onto branches and hanging from there. Except in this case, the extra hand came from the other side of the body.

"Well, hello to you too" the Smoker said back, his tongue retracting back into his mouth when he spoke. Oh yes, gathering research on Smokers were going to be so much fun. She still needed to find a living Boomer, though. "You're a rare sight around here, girl. I thought all the survivors escaped, or died" he continued, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pack of cigs. He tapped one up, and then pulled it out with his handy third hand.

"Not all of them, I guess. Not sure if I should consider myself lucky not" she replied with a shrug. The girl opened her mouth to say more, but Zachary beat her to the punch. The Hunter was letting out a series of short growls and squeals, and look very jittery. Even from where she stood, Divine could see that the Infected was experiencing a sugar high. Hunters were already bouncy people; having such a high amount of sugar in their bloodstream probably didn't help. Before they knew it, he was bouncing around the store, knocking over shelves and sending items to the floor.

This Divine and the Smoker found comical, as they burst into laughter at the sight of Zachary rocketing around the room. The Smoker's laughing abruptly ended when he once again, went into a coughing fit, leaving him gasping and wheezing for air afterwards, while trying to giggle at the same time. At that point, Divine figured it would be best to calm the other Infected down before he broke something else, or his own body. She made a move to catch him but a rough hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. She gave the Smoker a quizzical look, wondering why he stopped her.

"Claws" he wheezed, then flexed his own fingers for emphasis. She nodded in understanding, now grateful he stopped her. Of course, what sane person would go and try to get a deranged Hunter to sit still? It was suicide, and she didn't even realize it.

"Thanks, the would have been bad"

"Don't mention it. It's a been a rough day"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it"

It was once a dark brown color, but the darkness had faded and a hole was worn on one side. The wallet was clearly well used, but well taken care of. Divine turned it over in her hands as if she was trying to identify the person that had once used this so often.

"Go on, open it up. Read it for me" the Smoker commanded, curiosity etched across his face. With saying a world, the girl pulled it open, and began removing its contents. Inside were a receipt, twenty dollars, and some business cards. She pulled out credit and debit cards, and even a crumpled up movie ticket. The real prize was the driver license she slipped out. And for the first time, Divine saw the real man behind the boils and tongue. She was right, he had been a blonde. He once had blue eyes, and his skin looked healthier than it did now. He was at least six feet, but she was guessing he grew a couple more inches, since all the Smokers she had seen easily towered over all the other infected. His name stung at her heart though. He shared it with beloved friend of hers, but she managed to hold back tears.

She put everything back in order, wondering why he would still have this. Perhaps….perhaps some bit of humanity really did reside in the Infected. Material objects found in their pockets were suddenly precious; as it was their only connection to a time they had since forgotten. The girl gently placed the wallet into the Smoker's hand, who merely shoved back into his pocket. "Well, what did it say?" he demanded, desperation in his voice. Divine looked up at him and smiled.

"Your twenty-three years old, you had blue eyes, and your name is Ryan" she informed him, watching his single eye widen. Ryan leaned back in his chair, blinking rapidly as if trying to recall of memories of his previous life. "Does that sound familiar to you? Ryan?" Divine asked him, wondering if he would be the same as Zachary. The Smoker shook his head, tongue wiggling as he did. Oh, well, it was a bit of a long shot. It wasn't the same for everyone, she supposed. Something bumped into her leg, and a second later, Zachary stood next to her, bracing himself against the counter for support. The Hunter leaned forward to take a sniff at Ryan, who simply sat and watched. Ryan growled himself, making odd, half-choked noises from his mouth.

Zach leaned back a bit before replying in his own language of growls and screeches. Divine didn't dare make a sound, far too interested in trying to figure out what they were saying to each other. So the Infected could communicate with each other! Even Ryan, who could still speak properly. Their talk was hard to decipher, save for the laugh they shared. Zachary kept pointing to her, saying something that made Ryan grin. The Smoker shook his head in amusement, glancing over at her.

"Girl, you must be some kind of crazy. Boomer hunting?" he laughed.

"Yeah, it's a research project. I'm and not getting anyway so far" Divine confirmed.

"Well, why didn't you just say so? I know a guy, comes around her every once in a while. Came in and stole all the Twinkies a couple days ago. The fatass said he'd be back later for more. You could uh….talk to him about your little experiment"

"…..Ryan, you're awesome!"

"Yeah, I know" he thanked. "You guys can chill upstairs for the night. It'll be a lot safer than looking for a safe house" he offered, pointing to the roof. Divine glanced outside, surprised that shadows were creeping over the tops of buildings and around alley ways. Time sure flies when you're having fun.

"Yeah, sounds great. Beam us up, Scottie" she agreed. He most likely didn't remember where that line was from, but Ryan smiled anyway. Then he stood up, and Divine knew that six feet was utter bullshit now. The Smoker led them to a door in the back, having to duck down to avoid hitting his head. When standing, Zachary still didn't need to do that. The Hunter had dropped back down to all fours, crawling up the stairs after them. Above the store was an apartment that most likely belonged to the owner before the infection hit. The door had been ripped off its hinges, creating an ever always entrance that would needed guarding, seeing as entering and exiting the building was incredibly easy, unless the others were desperate enough to enter the domain of a Smoker. If the smell didn't keep them back, then any unlucky sucker who came in would choke on the overpowering gas clouds Ryan frequently emitted. In such close quarters, Divine had to cover her face just to breathe, yet she could still feel her eyes watering.

Once inside the apartment, the girl ran to the windows, and cracked a couple of them open. She would have to remember to close them later so that nothing could climb through later and attack them. Hunters were the main threat to anyone sitting up at great heights. From observations and experiences, Divine knew that a Hunter could easily leap upwards to make a grab at his prey. They didn't give up so easily either, as a few days beforehand, Divine got into a tug-o-war with Zachary over a fresh shirt. Several seconds later, it had a gigantic hole in its middle, and she let Zach continue to shred it while she found a different one. Hopefully, Specials didn't bother other Specials, so there was a chance Ryan's smoke would keep the Infected at bay.

"So, this is it. Bed's here, some clothes should be in the dresser, and there's a bathroom too. Don't know if the water's still running, but you can give it a shot" Ryan explained, pointing to the various objects he was describing. The mention of a bathroom with possibly running water made Divine's heart soar, and she immediately ran inside to check. Her heart nearly died of happiness as water churned out of the faucet when she turned it on. Oh, at long last, she could take a damn shower!

"I call first go! Ryan, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid" she ordered, motioning to the Hunter, who was hanging his head outside the window. Ryan nodded, and moved to pull Zachary in, but stopped when the hooded Infected suddenly wretched into the alleyway below. "I told you!" Divine called out to him, then shut the door to take her well-deserved body cleansing. Boys, why don't they ever listen?

When properly hunting for Boomers, try not be trigger-happy, as shooting your subject will do nothing for your research. However, you could always come back later to examine the carcass. More information still required.

To be continued…..

And that's chapter two. Chapter 3 will be a continuation of chapter 2, even though it will have a different name. R&R, thanks for all the favorites I've been getting,. You're a wonderful audience. Hasta la pasta!