Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater nor the song lyrics to Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz.
Ripchord
by. Poisoned Scarlett
Don't stop, get it, get it
We're your captains in it
"TSUGUMI, GO TO THE ROOF!"
Maka Albarn tried to keep the hallway door shut for as long as possible, sweat beading down her temple. After taking care of the Biter, their fight had only bought more time for the others to come in. She was not about to take on three ravenous Walkers at the same time while she barely had enough room to move—she barely got past the Biter, and they were the worst ones yet.
She had strategically placed the kids so that the next set of stairs would lead to the rooftop and the hall door could shut in case the undead managed to get that far. It worked like a charm, too.
She could hear the kids scampering up the staircase behind her and when a jarring alarm screeched to life, having been unable to disarm the alarm for the roof door, it drilled into her skull—she could barely discern Tsugumi's cries for her to follow from the harsh screeching that echoed twice as strong because of the vaulted ceiling. It pained her to let them out of her sight like this but it had to be done, as she shut her eyes and tried to keep the door shut for as long as possible. It was starting to give, the undead on the other side moaning and slamming into the door desperately. The alarm was only riling them up and probably attracting a lot more attention than they needed.
"You go ahead! I'll catch up! Remember the plan!" Maka screamed when the door suddenly cracked open, the wood hitting her temple hard. She slammed it back closed. "Run, Tsugumi!" She heard the little girl give a cry of despair but obey her: the door shutting after them, alarm still raging.
How long would she have if she ran to the roof? Enough to break through the door and follow the children? She needed to give them time to cross over, though. Maka shut her eyes again and steeled herself. Just a few more minutes, enough time to let them cross to the next building, then she would follow. Would they be able to jump to the next building, though? They had drills, she taught them how, but it was still a sizable gap and Clay was terrified of heights. That awful knot in her stomach came back, tighter than ever, and the emotions of dread and fear ran up her throat, threatening to thaw her resolve the longer the undead pounded against the door. Her boot slipped and she gasped, pushing back even harder to keep them at bay.
"Fuck," she hissed.
Then she ran, the door slamming open, and scrambled up the stairs and threw herself out of the roof door and slammed it shut behind her. She couldn't see the kids anymore but she hoped they had followed proper procedure as she ran across the rooftop and cleared the jump like it was nothing. She landed with extra room to spare and ran across that rooftop as the roof door she'd broken through slammed open and the undead began to leak out of it like a swarm. They were only Walkers but a Runner could be heard screaming and making a fuss; some toppled over the edge from its raging.
"Tsugumi!" Maka shouted, catching her breath. "Tsugumi! Akane!"
"Maka!" A tiny voice came from down below. "Maka! Down here!"
"Down? Dammit!" Maka cursed. They hadn't followed procedure. They had gone down and Maka felt panic swamp her as she ran for the fire escape ladder. She could glimpse Anya already and could hear the little girl cry for her. It tugged at her heart – she needed to get down there now. "Don't you dare move, I'm coming down!"
"Maka! There's more people!" Tsugumi cried.
"What?" She asked, sharply.
"From down the block! I saw one of them wave us over! We have to get there! They can save us!" Akane shouted, sounding the most mature of them all. Or perhaps the most solemn, as he watched Maka drop down in a crouch on the floor, meeting his brave but frightened eyes. "I saw them! But we can't jump to the other building! Clay will fall!"
"N-nu-uh!" Clay sobbed, clutching his bear to his chest. Maka gathered them all up, guiding them down the alley as fast as possible. She peeked out, seeing the horde starting to form at the mouth of her old apartment as they forced their way through the opening the Biter made. This was exactly the type of situation she wanted to avoid. It was different when was only her but with the kids there, it made things very dicey. She couldn't protect them if they frightened and scattered.
"Okay, Clay, Anya – come here!" Maka crouched. First thing's first: carry those who would definitely not keep up. "I need you hold onto me – don't let go, no matter what. Gopher, you can go on my back—!"
"No!" Gopher stubbornly shouted.
"Gopher," Maka addressed sharply, her eyes flashing. She would not put up with his attitude, not when they were in so much danger. "You get on right now or else! I don't have time for your games, we have to go now—!"
"Maka, they're coming!" Tsugumi shrieked, staring fearfully at the horde that had finally caught their scent.
"Gopher!" Maka screeched. But the boy only ran out ahead of them and Maka cursed, hurrying Tsugumi and Akane down after him and carrying Anya and Clay in her arms. She ran but not as fast as her feet would take her, mindful of the three children that ran madly ahead of her. "Don't stop! Keep running! Akane! Do you know where it is?"
"Yeah!" He shouted, breathless and wheezy. "D-down there! The last one! I saw!"
"Faster!" Maka shouted, Clay sobbing openly and burying his face in her neck. Anya was starting to cry, too, but sucked back her tears, her tiny nails digging into her neck from how tightly she was holding on. But Maka hardly felt it, adrenaline numbing most of her aches and pains. To their great fortune, she quickly saw a door get thrown open down the block. The otherwise boarded door – reinforced with steel from the inside, from what she could see – was open to reveal a man. It was a familiar man with turquoise hair, the scar outline of a star on his shoulder that he often gloated was a birthmark passed down in the Star family. He had a very loud voice, as loud as she remembered it to be, and he called them over using that voice to his advantage, shouting at them to hurry the fuck up because that horde was coming and coming fast.
Maka let Clay and Anya slip from her arms once she was close and pushed both of them to Black Star, who ushered them inside along with Akane. But there were two missing, Maka saw with a paling face, there were two missing because she hadn't seen them go inside and panic blinded her as Black Star shouted harshly at her to get the fuck inside.
"How many went in?"
"What?"
"How many went in, Black Star!"
"Like, three! Hurry up – they're coming!"
"No! No, wait, there's two missing – !"
And Maka froze, hearing something that made her blood run cold in her veins.
Tsugumi chasing after Gopher, heading straight for the horde.
