Chapter 4. Bitten.
The atmosphere was thick as the group sat back in the living room. Arthur was on the loveseat again, running a hand through his hair with Alfred next to him. Francis and Antonio were trying to comfort Matthew and Feliciano, who were still crying. Lovino and Ludwig sat on opposite sides of the couch. Ivan was standing near the front door as a lookout and Natalia was nearby, as if to make sure nothing bad would happen to him.
"We can't just sit here and wait for the next ones to come," Alfred sighed, standing up to start pacing.
"What else can we do?" Arthur asked with a flat voice. "We obviously aren't in control of this."
"We're in control of if we die or not," Alfred stated. "I'm not going to just let this game take control of me."
"And the only person as headstrong as you is dead, da?" Ivan raised an eyebrow.
"Just sitting and feeling sorry won't accomplish anything," Ludwig stated.
"And what the fuck are we supposed to do?" Lovino snapped. "Board up the doors and windows again?"
"Arguing will get us nowhere," Francis sighed.
"I say we try to find a way out through the forest," Alfred stated, looking towards the door.
"You shouldn't go out there without weapons," Natalia stated gruffly.
"So you're being helpful now?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Ivan could get hurt by your stupidity," Natalia scoffed. "I'm not helping you."
"We can check in the garage," Alfred offered.
"And we have the knives in the kitchen," Ludwig stated.
"And the chainsaw," Antonio shrugged and Alfred winced slightly.
"I don't want to have to kill anyone," Feliciano muttered quietly.
"Would you prefer to be killed and dragged away?" Arthur asked.
"I'll go with you," Matthew stood up.
"Are you sure you are alright?" Francis asked him.
"I'm fine," Matthew faintly nodded.
"I'd rather have something to fight with," Lovino sighed, deciding to stand up as well.
"Feli," Antonio locked eyes with the small male. "Even if you're scared, you're going to have to keep going."
"B-But…" Feliciano bit his lip.
"It won't do you any good just sitting around," Alfred stated. "And you can actually help the rest of us. No one's gonna go down without a fight."
"Come on," Antonio smiled, standing up. "We'll all do this together."
"I have my pipe, so I will stay here," Ivan hummed.
"Where the hell did you even put that thing?" Alfred asked.
"I have it hidden," Ivan said happily.
"I will not leave Ivan's side," Natalia glared at them. "And I have my knives."
"You're the one that took the other knives?" Arthur asked.
"Yes," Natalia nodded.
"We should move quickly before the next one comes in," Ludwig sighed and started for the stairs going down.
"Wait!" Feliciano was quickly on his feet and gripped onto Ludwig's arm. Ludwig flinched slightly, obviously surprised at the others actions.
"Just don't get in my way," Ludwig sighed, relaxing slightly and Feliciano nodded feverishly.
"How the hell can he trust that potato bastard?" Lovino scoffed.
"Potato bastard?" Matthew asked.
"Well, obviously he's German, which means you can't trust him," Lovino crossed his arms over his chest.
"To the garage!" Alfred cheered happily and grabbed onto Arthur's arm and dragging him after Ludwig, who was already mostly down the stairs. The others followed them close behind and soon they all filed into the cold, dark garage.
"This would be a perfect place to attack us," Francis muttered as Alfred finally released Arthur and started searching through the room for weapons.
"Don't jinx anything," Arthur sighed.
"We cannot avoid the deaths," Francis sighed. "It looks like whoever is in charge of this knows what they're doing and quite possibly knows what we're doing as well.
"Have you ever noticed how dangerous garden supplies are?" Alfred asked, pulling out a pair of garden shears. "I mean, aren't scythes farming shit, too?"
"How many things for gardening are there?" Matthew asked, coming up to him.
"Let me see," Alfred continued to rummage through. "There's a weed-whacker. That could cause some damage. Those shears. A hatchet. Ooh, a sledge hammer."
"Why would the person who did all this give us all these weapons?" Antonio asked curiously, coming over as well.
"To make the game more interesting?" Arthur offered. "As long as we can fight back, it makes it more fun."
"Oui, someone crazy enough to do this would consider something like that," Francis nodded.
"Alright, I think Ludwig should get the sledge hammer," Alfred said, pulling up the heavy hammer.
"What makes you think that?" Feliciano tilted his head to the side.
"I think if just kinda fits him," Alfred shrugged and held the weapon out for the German to take, which he did. "And then…Artie should get the hatchet."
"How many times do I have to tell you my name is Arthur?" Arthur sighed, allowing himself to relax slightly in this atmosphere.
"Dude, it's just a nickname, calm down," Alfred laughed and held out the hatchet for Arthur to take. Arthur let out a sigh and begrudgingly took it by the handle, allowing it to hang at his side. "The shears should go to Lovino…"
"Fine," Lovino held out his hand and quickly took hold of the object handed to him.
"I'm not sure how reliable the weed whacker is," Alfred muttered.
"I'll take it for now," Matthew swiftly picked it up, holding it with two hands.
"And that leaves two more," Alfred continued on his search. "Shovel!" He pulled out the new object. "Who wants it?"
"I'll have it," Antonio chimed, taking the object.
"That leaves Francis with…" Alfred searched around for a little while longer. "A rake."
"Merveilleux," Francis sighed and held out his hand for Alfred to place the object in his hand.
"What will you be using, genius?" Arthur asked.
"The chainsaw," Alfred shrugged. "After all, I think I earned it."
"And what about Feli?" Antonio asked.
"I don't want a weapon," Feliciano shook his head rapidly.
"Then just stick close to someone who does," Arthur sighed. Feliciano nodded, holding onto Ludwig's arm even more.
"I think you guys moved the chainsaw outside, right?" Alfred asked and started moving towards the door back inside when the garage door started clattering.
"I do not like the sound of that," Francis muttered.
"Is that moaning?" Matthew asked. Arthur tried listening in more carefully and over the clatter, he could definitely hear some kind of moaning or groaning.
"Let's get back to Ivan and Natalia," Ludwig stated and everyone filed out of the garage without question.
"You might want to see this," Ivan stated as they started coming up the stairs.
"No fucking way," Alfred muttered as he got a good look out the door, but Arthur's view was blocked.
"Zombies?" Feliciano squeaked.
"What?" Arthur shoved his way through between Alfred and Francis to look through the door. Just outside the house, coming from the forest, were several undead, dragging themselves around aimlessly. "Bloody hell…"
"What do we do?" Matthew asked.
"Well, it's either fight or die," Alfred shrugged.
"Can I choose neither?" Feliciano asked.
"Feli, you can stay in here," Antonio said happily. "We'll try to keep them away, but if they get in the house, come outside to us, okay?"
"Si," Feliciano nodded and released Ludwig.
"Let us go, then, da?" Ivan asked happily, swinging his pipe over his shoulder.
Arthur tentatively nodded and followed with the group as they left the house. Arthur couldn't exactly wrap his head around using the hatchet in his hands to attack anything, even if it was already dead. Alfred immediately set to work trying to find the chainsaw as others, like Ivan, Natalia, and Ludwig, immediately started out to the zombies. Within a few seconds, several were on the ground and Arthur winced.
"Don't worry," Alfred put a hand on his shoulder, his other hand holding onto the chainsaw. He was obviously a little scared as well. "We'll protect each other, right?"
"I don't know a hatchet is going to be much better than a chainsaw," Arthur sighed.
"You can have the rake any time," Francis chuckled behind him.
"Oh, please," Arthur rolled his eyes.
"Are you bastards going to move, or what?" Lovino snapped, pushing Arthur forward and onto the grass. "You're the least annoying one around, so I'm going with you."
"Aw, Lovi, that hurts," Antonio laughed as Arthur was pushed towards he forest, though he could tell they were going to a place hardly crowded by zombies at all.
"These fucking shears won't do anything," Lovino let out a groan, dropping the shears onto the ground.
"They're better than nothing, you idiot," Arthur snapped at him.
"Relax," Lovino sighed.
"How do you expect me to relax," Arthur demanded. "Look around you!"
"You think I don't fucking know the situation we're in?" Lovino scoffed and Arthur noticed a few zombies paying attention to them and slumping towards them.
"How do you expect to fight with no weapon?" Arthur asked.
"I can't fight, alright, bastard!" Lovino yelled at him. "I'm a fucking wimp just like Feliciano, are you happy?"
"Why didn't you say anything?" Arthur demanded. "Why did you walk all the way out here?"
"Pride? I don't fucking know!" Lovino snapped and Arthur started backing away in hopes of getting away from the slowly walking undead.
"And you chose me of all people to fight with you?" Arthur snapped.
"Hey, two people have tried to kill you in the past hour and you've lived," Lovino huffed. "I think you have luck, alright?"
"You're hopeless," Arthur sighed and put his hatchet up at the ready. The shears were too far away now to get without possibly getting hurt by the undead, so Lovino was completely unarmed. One came too close and Arthur sliced the hatchet at it. All that happened was the arm dropped to the ground and the thing continued forward. "You know, I can't fight much either."
"You're fi-" Lovino cut himself off with a scream and Arthur allowed himself a glance back at him. A zombie had gripped onto Lovino's arm and actually taken a bite out of it. When Arthur turned his attention back to the zombies around him, they were even closer and he wildly slashed out with the hatchet, finding it occasionally hitting those around him. He was shaking terribly and fighting against throwing up. They all wreaked of death and the blood around him was making him dizzy.
Lovino screamed again, but it quickly turned into a kind of gurgling noise. Quite a few of the zombies turned to Lovino and Arthur had time to look back. Lovino's face was frozen in fear, his neck with a chunk ripped out and blood dripping down.
"No!" Arthur yelled out and had to whack at a zombie trying to get to him. When he tried again to look at Lovino, he was completely surrounded by zombies, no longer screaming or making a noise, most likely because he was unable.
More zombies grew attracted by the smell, apparently, and more of a crowd came towards them. Arthur could see the others trying to distract them and get over to him, but the crowd was far too thick. Arthur swung the hatchet around wildly, catching on multiple monsters around him. The group around Lovino slowly started moving into the forest again and Arthur could see socked feet limply being dragged off.
Arthur let out a panic scream, knowing he would be next and continued to wildly attack the others. He slammed the hatchet down heavily on one zombie, cracking the skull and making the thing drop to the ground. Arthur had a few issues pulling the hatchet back up and was scratched quite a lot before he got it out and continued to swing.
"Arthur, hold on!" Alfred yelled out and Arthur could hear the motor of the chainsaw. But something told Arthur he wouldn't last long enough for him to see them rescue him.
Romano fans, don't kill me! All the deaths for these characters have been planned out since before I started writing, but don't worry, he's in a better place now. I do feel pretty bad, though, that death would have to suck quite a lot. How could Arthur possibly get out of this one? Tune in next chapter to find out!
Please review!
And look out for Chapter 5. Afterlife.