So I actually missed post apocalyptic writing and decided to have a crack at one in a different fandom. I hope this one is as fun to write (and read) as the last one was. Thanks to those who have reviewed this already, I do hope to continue writing this and keep it up to standard!
Lu
Well, the end of the world was turning out to be one big joke! There was hardly any food, clean water had become a precious commodity and being in a city was one of the most dangerous things one could consider doing. So why was it she found herself constantly being thrown back into the mix? Running a hand through her red hair, she sighed and shook her head, the group needed medicine and that was what she was here for. A quick trip to the hospital and back again before her presence would be noticed that was the plan.
She had come alone, not expecting overly much trouble. Zombies she could handle and she knew well enough that if there were any groups in the city, she could handle them too. That was if they even saw her. She knew her way around parts of the city so well that she could avoid people seeing her and those parts she did not know? She could improvise her way around those easily enough.
Getting to the hospital was the easy part, the city was almost clear of the dead it seemed and those she did come across, she dispatched easily with a knife just under the ear; her favourite manner of killing them. It took a lot less effort than an over the head stab as some of her friends favoured, anything to preserve her energy and keep going!
When she arrived at the hospital, the first thing she noticed was the fresh corpse in the antechamber. There was a puddle of black ooze on the floor and its head had been caved in by what looked like an axe. That put Natasha on her guard immediately; it meant that someone had been here recently. Question was whether the person who had done the chopping was still around.
The medicine would not be on the ground floor anyway and they desperately needed antibiotics so she had to push on and reach the upper floors. Her guard up, she found the staircase and crept up it, making no noise at all.
Sleep had been hard to come by; every noise he heard had him awake, axe in hand expecting one of those things to have found him. His heart raced at every slight creek he heard and sweat crept down his neck with the slightest movement. The curtain had him up and moving at least twice. When he had slept, he had been plagued with nightmares, not of his past but of what he had seen. A jawless woman crept trying to strangle him and he had awoken with the covers wrapped around his head.
When he had awoken, he was hungry. Hunger was going to be something he had to get used to in this new world he supposed. The vending machine down the hall would do for the time being but he had to find something decent to eat. That would mean venturing out into the world, something he was forced to admit that he was rather afraid of doing. The vending machine it would be for the morning then.
Running a hand through his hair, he flicked the locks back before he picked up the fire axe and carefully stuck his head out of the door. The corridors were completely clear so he stepped out and headed back to the machine to obtain something that might pass for breakfast. Using the fire axe, he smashed the glass and grabbed as much as he could.
As she was climbing the stairs, she heard the sound of smashing glass. She froze. Someone was in the building with her. Someone who was alive and still very much in charge of their own mind, question was, were they friendly or did they want to chop her into pieces with an axe. Perhaps she could avoid them completely, raid the cupboard and then get the hell out of there without disturbing whoever it was.
That sounded like the best course of action and so crept out into the corridor as silently as she could. The medical supply cabinet on this floor should be just along the corridor and around the corner, if he was correct that was.
She did her best to make no noise at all, however she was completely undone when she approached the glass of the vending machine, it was all over the floor and although she was careful, although she tried really hard, a small piece crunched under her foot.
What the hell was that? This time he knew he hadn't heard things, there was definitely someone creeping about out there. Picking up the axe, he padded over to the door once again. He pushed it open a fraction and took a look into the corridor. A red headed woman was picking her way over the glass in what appeared to be completely normal movements. He let out a soft sigh.
The moment he made a noise, her head snapped up and he knew he had been seen. Damn her hearing must be acute to pick that up! Well, there was no time like the present, "Hey!" he called out, "I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to talk," he said. He stepped through the doorway and lowered the axe, "Unless you're one of them…" She didn't look like one of the undead, although she had gone a very pale shade of pink.
"It's you…" she said, a hand covering her mouth in shock. "How?"
"You know me?" he asked. Now he thought about it, she did look a little familiar. He took a step closer and he frowned, "Steve's friend…?" he asked.
"You can remember!"
"Fragments, what the hell is going on?" he asked. There were more important things to discuss right now than his broken past.
"James, don't you know?"
"I saw a dead woman walking about in the foyer and I saw a whole lot more out there," he said gesturing to the window. "What happened?"
"It's complicated, I think it best if you came with me back to the others, we'll explain everything then," she said. Bucky pressed his lips together and nodded aware that he would likely do a whole lot better if he was with others than he would if he was on his own.
"OK," he agreed. "Why are you here?"
"We need antibiotics, Stark had an infected leg wound and he's not doing so well, we need him alive…" she explained. He nodded and walked over to her. She seemed to take this for an acceptance of help and so led him down the corridor. Around the corner, they came across a cabinet, which seemed to be what she was looking for. She slung the bag off her back and began loading it up with what she could take. Bucky helped her and before long, they had everything they needed. On the way back, she paused at the vending machine and grabbed as much as she could from that too, "Don't judge me, you know how long it has been since I ate chocolate."
He shook his head
"Too long!" she replied. She offered him a smile and he did his best to return it, "Come on, let's get out of here and to somewhere safe," she said.
"Safe sounds good," he nodded. With that, she led him down the stairs and out into the streets. He could see the change in her immediately, she looked around as though something might be lurking and her pace was much quicker. He had no problem in keeping up and he too kept his eyes open for things that moved. The heat of the day seemed to have kept them to the shadows, or so he thought and for that he was thankful.
In the road at the edge of the city was a car. It became apparent that it was hers and she clicked the key to unlock it, "Why didn't you drive in?" he asked as he climbed into the passenger side.
"They're attracted to sound," she said as she started the engine, "This would have attracted way too much attention that going on foot. In the city it's much safer to walk," she explained. The car was turned around in moments and they were rattling through the suburbs and out into the countryside.
Looking out the window, it was as though everything was as it should be; there was very little sign of damage to the surrounded area, which was misleading. The sunshine lit up the grassy fields and gave the entire landscape a warm feeling. Perhaps that was the giveaway; the fields were not planted, there were no crops growing in the ground, only grass and some self-seeded plants that grew hither and thither, with no order to it. Subtle signs like this told him that something was indeed very wrong with the world.
