A/N: Hello, and welcome one and all to Chapter 4 of Those Who Walk Among the Dead, in the last chapter Rick and his Group were captured by Negan where...oh...I'm sorry, wrong series...lol...anyway, Hinata and his friends are starting to see the beginning of the collapse of social order, now having met up with his cousin, he will merge with Takashi's group and formulate a strategy to survive against them, and get across the river to the Eastern side of the city, where he hopes to reunite with his mother Aiko, and his aunt and uncle, Kiriko and Tadashi, but of course it's never really that easy. This chapter will lead into the beginning of the next mini arc, which will be an homage to one of my personal favorite levels in Left 4 Dead, No Mercy, of course I will be adding my own twists to it to make it as unique as possible, but it will start building the relationship between Hinata and Saya. This chapter will also serve to explain the scar on Hinata's face, and some of his past, so I hope you all enjoy it, I worked hard on it.
So, after last weeks episode of the Walking Dead, I was going to just post these after the end of the episode, but I couldn't wait, that and I still have no internet, I'm down to my last mega byte on my phone and have to talk to my bank so I can figure out why my account was suspended, even though my card wasn't stolen, but I digress, you little Dragons don't need to know my personal problems, or how much I detest the currupt banking system...or the Iluminati...
Here's chapter four...
Highschool of the Dead
Those Who Walk Among the Dead
Chapter 4
Running with the Dead
Steam filtered through the open window, as the hot water within the bathroom was drawn into the tub. From within the room, the sounds of laughter could be heard. All of the girls had decided to save time by taking a group bath, while the four guys ended up waiting for the showers to clear out. Hinata had already shed his bloodied jacket, not wanting to wear it any longer, the white shirt he wore underneath was covered in blood, so he had taken that off too, choosing to stay shirtless while he waited.
Rika's house was way bigger than any of them had anticipated. When they walked through the doors, the only thing they could do was stare. It was a beautiful pad, with hard wood floors that had been polished to a shine. The living room had large black leather couches, along with a large flat screen television, which sat above a mantle, and beautiful fireplace sitting beneath it. On either side of the couch sat two decorative plants, their large green leaves falling over the couch's arm rest. To their right was the kitchen area.
There was a stainless steel refrigerator, which Hinata bet was filled with tons of food. Next to it was the kitchen counter, the sink being right next to it, with the microwave oven being placed right above the sink. The stove sat next to a window on the far side of the kitchen, it was a white gas stove with iron burners, the digital clock on it reading 8:05PM. There was a wooden block with black handles sticking out of it, next to a toaster oven and a coffee maker. In the center of the kitchen was an island, with a granite counter top, and a pot rack right above it.
The cookware set hanging from it looked expensive, like the models used by professional chefs. In the very back of the house, was the bathroom, which was the largest one he had ever seen, with white tile floors and walls, and a hot tub styled bath tub with water jets on it. It also had traditional Japanese showers, and a shower stall with glass doors. He spotted several hair care products and other frufru things girl's normally bought for themselves. There was a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor, there the only bedroom was located.
The bedroom was big, and had an outdoor balcony which looked over the entire complex and the neighborhood as well. It had a vantage point of several miles, enough to see everything around them for quite a distance, including Tokunosu Bridge, one of the biggest light sources still left in the city, as the lower West side was almost in the dark. Not from power outages but from lack of people. The bedroom also had polished hard wood floors. In the center of the room was a king size bed, with bright crimson bed sheet neatly placed on it.
There were a couple white pillows sitting against the black backboard, a black night table was placed beside it with a large lamp on it. In the front of the room was a large dresser, with six large drawers on it, a thirty five inch screen sitting atop it, next to the dresser was the door to the closet, which was filled with lots of designer clothes. While everything in the house was interesting, Hinata was more interested in the two lockers that had been placed next to the dresser.
They were average sized, maybe around the size of a school locker, colored a sleek metallic black. It was bolted to the back wall, so even if you kicked it, it wouldn't move an inch. Takashi and Kohta had been debating on how to open it for awhile, but it was when Hinata went for it that they all decided to open it. The first locker had been filled to the brim with extra magazines and boxes of ammunition. The right side of it was stacked with .762mm x 20 rifle ammunition. He had counted at least sixty magazines, all made to hold twenty rounds.
He did the math in his head, and if there were sixty magazines, that meant half of them belonged to another rifle, meaning there were at least two rifles in there. The shotgun shells were obviously for a shotgun, and even if the locker didn't have one, he had his Benelli Nova which could chamber 12 gauge ammunition. The final thing he saw in there was a quiver filled with thin titanium arrows, at least 200 or so, and since they were thin, they had been literally stuffed in there.
"I'm gonna seriously get a headache if this thing turns out to be empty." Kohta muttered, looking at the bullets he had pulled from one of the cases.
"Tell me about it, though the way it's going, there are bound to be guns. If there's ammo, there's guns." Hinata said. Takashi reached into the locker, pulling out a black case from inside. When he opened it, he saw what looked like a knife inside.
"Check out this fancy knife, you can definitely stab them with this." he said.
"That's not a knife Komuro. Its a military issue bayonet, an eight inch double edged blade sharpened to a tip with a durable polymer handle and metal guard. This is definitely made to be mounted on a gun, by the looks of it, a rifle." Kohta said. Hinata grabbed the crowbar from the ground, wedging it into the second locker until it was firmly in place.
"Well, instead of just waiting around..we should just get it over with." he said, taking a firm hold of it. Takashi and Kohta took a firm hold of it from the opposite end. While they pushed, Hinata would pull, making it that much easier to open the locker.
"Oh God! It's so cold!"
"Man, these are huge, no way these are real!"
"They're having a ball." Hinata said, looking toward the stairwell leading down stairs.
"Do you wanna take a peek? We're supposed to you know." Kohta said firmly.
"Thanks, but I don't wanna die yet." Takashi added.
"Besides, I've seen Nozomi naked before. Our parents let us take baths together when we were younger, and we still do it sometimes, though it started getting awkward at around the age of thirteen." Hinata said, his face flushing. Kohta chuckled, shaking his head.
"Alright, at the count of three. One...two...three."
The three put all of their weight into the crowbar, Hinata pulling as hard as he could while Takashi and Kohta pushed with all their strength. A loud snap filled the room, and the three men went flying back, the door had literally come out of its hinges. Hinata was the first to sit up, rubbing his head.
"Okay, that sucked." he muttered.
"Where the hell is Nick? He could have helped us out here." Takashi muttered dryly, still facing the floor.
"He said something about taking a nap downstairs, something tells me the bastard is trying to sneak a peek at the girls. Well, Saeko will beat the hell out of him with that sword of hers, so that would be a welcome sight in my book." Hinata said, making the spiky haired teen chuckle.
"I just knew it! If there was ammo, there had to be guns, and we were right." Kohta said, grabbing a from within the locker. It was a sleek black rifle, which was 1118mm long. Hinata could tell that it was an M14, though it had been heavily modified for consumer use, and knowing that Rika was an S.A.T. meant she could get enough money and spare parts to build her own weapon. It had a small red dot sight attached to it, he could see that it was an EoTech model, but it was a cylindrical red dot version instead of the holographic models.
"A Springfield M1A1 Super Mach. This is a heavily modified M14 series, and its had the automatic function fully removed. Then again full auto only serves to waste ammunition." he said, looking the rifle over, setting it down next to him. Hinata looked at the barrel, seeing the mount on it matched the small clips on the bayonet.
"Hey Kohta, looks like the bayonet Takashi found goes with this gun. I see some strap locks too, meaning there should be a strap for it somewhere." he said.
"I noticed that too, maybe there's some stuff under the bed, mind looking for me Hinata?" he asked, earning a nod from him.
"Sure thing, pass me a shirt from that dresser, my nipples are starting to pucker from the cold." he said.
"Aw man, I really didn't need that image in my head." Takashi said, looking at the far wall. Kohta chuckled, grabbing the first shirt he saw from the top drawer. Hinata didn't even look at it, he just slipped it on over his body. It was long enough to cover his entire body, but the sleeves were abnormally short and tight on him. He noticed with was bright pink in color. When he looked at the front, he saw a purple cat, with sequins on it. The words boo boo kitty were written on the sides. Takashi and Kohta were trying not to loose their shit from seeing their friend in a clearly feminine shirt.
"Come on man, laugh it up. Just hurry and fangirl over your new toys, before I get pissed." he said, looking under the bed. Kohta turned back to the locker, pulling out the second rifle contained with in.
"Oh man, this is a Knight's SR type Armalite AR-10. It's 1118mm long, just as long as the Springfield, but this one has been modified even more. It looks like she took a standard issue AR-10 Law and smithed it into something entirely new. This is an entirely new stock, with a spring assist inside it to minimize recoil. The trigger guard and trigger mechanism is also different, it's more ergonomic, easier to use. It also has an adjustable bi-pod, meaning this rifle's purpose lies in its range. This scope is also an illegal addition to this weapon. You can see up to three thousand meters with this, and it's zeroed in quite nicely. I think this is going to be my new personal favorite." Kohta said, a grin on his face.
"Okay, I know you said this Rika girl is a cop and everything, but who the hell is she? Sarah Fuckin' Palin?" Takashi asked, glancing between the two rifles and what was left in the locker.
"Something like that, my mom told me stories of how Rika used to smuggle extra parts and illegal armament into Japan to make her own weapons. Technically, mom was supposed to arrest her for it, but she always said she didn't have proof of the gun's existence, and they couldn't get into her house without a warrant anyway." Hinata replied, he was half under the bed, having pulled a flat black case from underneath it.
"Still though, it's interesting to see just what kind of stuff this woman is into. Shizuka said she was in the military for awhile too, before quitting them and joining the Self Defense Force." Kohta said. Takashi had finally gotten back to his feet, and had pulled out another weapon from within the locker. Hinata had finally pulled out all of the cases from underneath the bed, wiping sweat from his brow. He looked up, seeing the shotgun in Takashi's hands.
"Well I'll be damned. That's an Ithaca M-37 Riot shotgun. It's a sweet gun made by Americans." He said.
"He's right, it played a major role in the Vietnam war. It chambers 12 gauge ammunition, so you can use the shells in the locker and which ever 12 gauge shells you happen to find." Kohta said, earning a nod from Takashi. He pulled the pump back, the sound filling their ears.
"Cool, and it has a scope too." he said, looking through it, seeing the dot in the center. Kohta screamed out, ducking for cover.
"Are you insane, never point that thing at anyone, even unloaded, but when you do...shoot to kill!" he said, a firm look on his face.
"Heh, alright." Takashi said halfheartedly. Kohta chuckled, grabbing the magazines from the right locker, along with some ammo boxes.
"Hey, if I were to turn into one of them, don't hesitate to blow my head off." Kohta said, a degree of seriousness in his voice. His expression was firm, eyes locked on Takashi and the shotgun.
"Right back at ya." the spiky haired teen replied.
"Jesus guys, I know its a hard world out there, but don't think like that yet. We need to get laid first!" Hinata said, grabbing the bigger of the two cases, flicking it open.
"Speaking of that, we haven't known each other long enough Hinata, but do you and Nozomi have a thing?" Kohta asked.
"Not really, she's my childhood friend, we know each other practically from birth. My mother, Rei's aunt, works as an Emergency Operator and Dispatch officer, and she met Lila, Nozomi's mom, when she and my father moved into their neighborhood. As it turns out, my mom and her mom were pregnant at the same time, but I was almost fill term while Nozomi still had a couple of weeks. She was actually born premature, almost died a couple of times too." he said, a frown on his face.
"I'm sorry to hear that. It's great that she made it out fine, premature babies are the lucky babies you know." Takashi said, making him chuckle.
"That's what Lila said. We didn't play much together, even growing up. It wasn't until we met in first grade that we became best friends. No one...no one wanted to be my friend, after what happened to my father. They all just looked at me like I was a monster, all because of the scar on my face." he said, finger tracing the scar that stretched from his brow, across his face to his lower cheek.
"Would you mind sharing it with us? It's alright if you don't want too, we all have skeletons in the closet after all." Kohta said, he had already loaded magazines, Takashi was watching him carefully, playing with a stray bullet.
"I don't mind sharing, I would have told you everything at some point. Takashi and Rei know it, after all we played a lot as kids and we went to the same elementary school, this was before I met Takashi though, and Rei was in her annoying phase, so she didn't talk to her cousin. The school wasn't that far from where I lived, so I usually walked home by myself, with a big group of kids. One day, I stayed late helping my teacher clean up the room after a birthday party we all had, I was a bit of a teachers pet, I'll admit. Anyway, it was almost sundown when we finally finished so I grabbed my stuff and started heading home.
On my way there though, these guys tried to kidnap me. I was struggling to get free, ended up biting the guy so hard I drew blood. He dropped me and I ran off, but one of them was able to catch me, twisting my arm out of place. He screamed in pain, and he slashed my face with his knife, in retaliation for biting his friend. My dad came out of nowhere, tackling the man to the ground. He told me to run, but I couldn't just leave him, so I stayed and watched. The other man put a sack over my head and he...he tried too...my father got him off me, but in the scuffle, he didn't notice one of the men had a gun, and he was fatally wounded. They took off right after and never turned back. I...watched as my father slowly bled to death, the hole in his chest being too close to his heart, he bled out within the minute, and by the time rescue showed up, he had already died." He said firmly.
"Jesus Christ...I'm sorry that happened man." Kohta said softly. Hinata smiled, giving him a nod.
"I've made peace with it, so I'm not often bothered by it. My mother ended up joining the police force right after his death, she wanted to stop people and their wrong doings, so she took the training, and the required law classes, finally earning her degree in Law Enforcement, and she started working at the East Police Station with my aunt and uncle. Even though she's working in the office most of the time, she's a qualified SWAT officer, so she can kick ass just as well as she can push a button. No one takes shit from my mom, not even my uncle, who admitted being scared of my mom when she was angry." he said, a chuckle escaping his lips.
"He isn't lying, Tadashi pissed her off at this family gathering once, and she ended up throwing a Cornish game hen at him. They ended up wrestling on the floor and she came out the winner, having pinned him onto the floor. Rei hates talking about that story, purely because she saw her old man get his ass handed to him by his little sister, and mostly because Hinata there was able to put her in an arm lock after she said his mother couldn't beat anyone in a fair fight." he said.
"She hasn't forgiven me for that either, man those were the days. So, are you two still a thing? What happened to that other kid you used to hang out with? Hisashi, I think his name was?" Hinata asked. Takashi's face hardened a bit, and Kohta shook his head.
"Hinata, I wouldn't ask him that." he said.
"Oh...my bad bro, I didn't mean to..."
"No its fine. Rei and I broke up a couple months ago, and she started dating Hisashi, the day shit hit the fan, he got bit and I took care of him." he replied. Hinata swallowed hard, looking at the far wall.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Um, lets change the subject, I really wanna see whats in this case, but there's a key slot to it, so simply flicking the locks won't do." he said, reaching for his crowbar.
"Hey Takashi, help me with these magazines. Loading them is a pain in the ass." Kohta said, handing him a stack of empty magazines. Takashi nodded, grabbing a case of bullets, tearing it open. He looked at the black magazine, glancing at Kohta for a second, then mimicking his actions.
"So, you seem to be an expert in all this, you train with BB guns?" he asked, leaning against the bed.
"No...I trained with the real deal." he said with a grin.
"W-what?" Takashi asked, unable to believe what his friend was saying.
"Back when I was visiting the States, I took formal training classes during the summer. The guy who taught me worked for a private military company." He said.
"Blackwater USA, the best Military training facility in all of America, or so I've been told." Hinata said, carefully snapping the lock on the black case.
"That's right...while in America, my instructor taught me with different guns, shotguns, rifles, variants, handguns, everything under the book. It only made my love for firearms grow even bigger." he replied, a smirk on his face.
"Oh my god, one of the biggest geeks in school is a card carrying member of the N.R.A...I'm so glad you are on our side." Takashi said, shivering a bit at the thought of having to face Kohta with the firearms they had found.
"I can sort of see it, the person one least expects in class is usually the one that knows how to use a gun...don't misinterpret that, I didn't mean anything by it." Hinata said, shaking his arms rapidly, earning a chuckle from Kohta.
"Don't worry about it bro! I'm not gonna go into school guns blazing or anything, unless its filled with them." he replied. Hinata checked the case over a few more seconds, before nodding to himself.
"Alright boys, fingers crossed." he said, flipping the top open.
Inside the case sat a rifle, one that Hinata recognized as an AR-15. It was slightly shorter than the other two rifles, but it made up for it with a threaded barrel. The muzzle of it was black in color, with tan markings on it, mimicking a camouflage finish, which shined in the light. It had a pistol grip bottom receiver, with a tan colored trigger and a rounded off trigger guard, which had the safety switch installed into it.
He didn't see a switch on the side either, so that meant it was a semi-automatic rifle, which was good for him as they were a waste of ammunition. It had a triangle shaped buttstock, which had a gap in the center, and had a small switch on the side. Instead of iron sights, it had a rail on the top of it, with small clips on it. While the pistol grip and trigger guard were tan, the stock was a silver color, and the rail was a sleek black color. Beside it, was a long cylindrical tube, about the size of a standard issue flashlight. He pulled the rifle out of the case, testing it's weight.
"Holy shit, that's an AR-15 Variant. Look at it, threaded barrel, a pistol grip lower receiver, and a Magpul adjustable stock. And from the looks of it, it's also had its automatic fire function taken off. The rail at the top of it has fasteners on, there has to be a scope for it somewhere." Kohta said, looking rather excited. Hinata allowed him to see the rifle, while he opened the smaller case. Inside he found sleek black scope, which was around the same length as the cylindrical object he had found inside the rifle's case. It was smaller at one end, and larger at the other, and had two black caps that flipped upward. It had two knobs on the sides, with the insignia of the company that had made it, there was also a knob at the very top, which was larger than the other two. It had a mount piece attached to it, with silver screws attached to it. Inside was also a small screw driver, and a lens cleaning cloth.
"Yo, Kohta...I found the scope." he said, holding it out to the young gunslinger.
"Oh my god, this is a Vortex Viper 6.5 20x50 PA rifle scope. This thing is the best short to long range scope money can buy. It's a Mil-Dot sight, which makes it easier to estimate range and windage. Best of all, you can see in any level of light, in the early dawn, in the dead of night, you'll be able to see your target. Another awesome feature about this scope, if you zero it for long distance shooting, you'll be able to fire it up close and long distance without having to change the sight at all." he said, totally gushing over the scope.
"Well...Rika really knows how to buy these guns. The way you make it sound, it seems like this a very expensive set up." Hinata said.
"In the United States, a variant AR-15 of this caliber, along with all of the adjustments and spare parts would run you around 7,000 to 9,000 dollars, if you buy magazines for it, even more. Since these are technically illegal in Japan, she could get in a lot of trouble, of course, that's if she has them set up this way, if their in parts, they can't do shit about it." he said with a shrug. He took the screw driver from the case and started mounting the scope on it, while Takashi finished off loading the magazines.
"Well, whatever the case, I am very glad we stopped at this place. We have enough ammunition to last us awhile, and we can always find more." Takashi said.
"The only gun store I know of is the one across the bridge, near the Tokunosu Castle. If we are lucky, then it hasn't gotten raided so bad, I know people normally head to the nearest gun store in situations like this, but in this case, I think all of the Freaks slowed them down, at least enough to prevent heavy looting." Hisashi said, opening the third and final case, which was medium in size compared to the others.
"That's a grim thought." Takashi replied, not wanting to think about it. Hisashi opened the case, seeing all of the other accessories that belonged to the rifle. There were thirty magazines inside, all of them already loaded to the brim with ammunition. They were a bit longer than the other magazines, so he figured they held more bullets. He saw a long black strap, along with the clips that would attach to the gun muzzle and stock.
"This thing is a beauty, and it comes with a suppressor too. It's a nice gun, but I think I like the AR-10 a little better." Kohta said, finishing with the scope. He took the suppressor from the case and screwed it into the barrel. Loud cries filled the room again, making the two of them sigh.
"Man, they really do know how to make noise." Hinata said, glaring at the door leading downstairs.
"Don't worry, I doubt they can hear the girls. Their focused on something else." Takashi said, holding a pair of high tech binoculars to his eyes. Kohta stood up, grabbing his chosen rifle, handing Hinata the AR-15. They both walked toward the balcony looking toward the bridge. Hinata held the gun to his shoulder, looking through the scope. His eyes widened a bit, shocked to see just how clear everything was. He could see all of the people on the bridge, walking around, being held up by police officers, he also saw a few people holding up signs, but he couldn't see what they said.
"Hinata, turn on the television would you?" Takashi asked, earning a nod from the black haired teen, he walked back into the room, pressing the power button on the remote. It roared to life, staying blank for a few seconds until the image come on. Hinata grabbed all of the magazines from inside the the case and set them on the bed, slipping one into the receiver until it clicked. He attached the clips onto the muzzle and barrel, slipping the nylon strap through it. Once done, he slung it across his shoulder, grabbing his shotgun off the ground and setting it on the bed.
"It seems the protests against the Prefectural Police are growing in number. The protests began late this morning, where a group of civilians started demanding they be let through Tokunosu Bridge by the Police. It seems the large case of Murder Syndrome victims has been attributed to a Biological Weapon, which is believed to have been massed produced by a foreign country...scientists say that..."
"What a load of bullshit, Murder Syndrome?" Hinata snapped angrily.
"Probably something the government came up with, to stop people from panicking." Takashi replied, eyes firmly on his binoculars.
"It seems that these protesters believe that there is a hidden conspiracy and that the Prefectural Police are deliberately preventing the movement of traffic into Eastern Tokunosu due to orders from a higher operative.."
"Jesus, these people really are retarded." Hinata muttered dryly. He walked into Rika's closet, looking around for a spare change of clothes, he wasn't going to be wearing a fresh pair of underwear, and his clothes had been smeared with blood, and would take too many washes to clean them fully, something that took time, time that he wasn't willing to waste.
He found a pair of jeans that seemed to be around his size, and though they were for women, he didn't seem to care at the moment. He grabbed a different tee shirt, which was light green in color, and had Hello Kitty printed on it, the words Love and Peace being written above and below the anthropomorphic cat. He walked back into the other room, grabbing a spare pair of socks, which were pink in color and slightly fuzzy.
"Jeez, I know Rika is a woman, but does she really need to have so much pink shit?" he said to himself, since his friends were too busy looking out to the bridge, discussing what to do, he could only hope the girls would hurry up so he could take a shower, if there was any hot water left.
"So like, whats up between you and that loser Hinata? You fucking him or what?" Melanie asked, looking at Nozomi who was sitting beside her in front of the showers. The purple haired girl had been a bit reluctant to get into the shower with the rest of the girls, since she didn't know anyone other than Rei, but she had been forced in there by Melanie, the only other person she knew. Honestly, she would have been more comfortable taking a bath with Hinata, but that wasn't an option at the moment. She scrubbed her scalp, not really thinking about the question, the suds of her shampoo slowly dripping down her soaking wet body.
"Melanie, please stop calling Hinata a loser, he isn't one alright? He saved your ass on the bridge, if it wasn't for him you would have drowned with Hide and everyone else, and just for the record I am not fucking him, he's my best friend, nothing more nothing less." she said, sounding rather angrier than she intended. Melanie huffed a bit, glancing at her reflection in the mirror, ignoring the water fight the others were having in the tub, though she saw Saya looking in her direction and couldn't assume she was listening to everything they were discussing, not that they cared.
"Well, I only ask because Bryce isn't with you, and I know he wouldn't leave you alone with Hinata, even if he is your best friend, those two hate each other. Does that mean he's dead?" she asked.
"No, Bryce isn't dead. When we left Tokunosu West Academy, we all left together, me, Nick, Hinata and Bryce, but I quickly realized that he was a hindrance to our survival, he wouldn't stop instigating fights with Hinata, insulting him, insulting me. It wouldn't have been long before the asshole hit me like he always did when we were alone. He knew Hinata would fuck him up if he did, so he didn't do anything. I finally got sick of it, and when Hinata threatened to kill him, he jumped out of the truck. I haven't seen him since, and let me tell you, it feels fucking great, it's like taking a piss after an assembly, great and oddly satisfying." she said.
"Ew." Rei muttered, making the other girls laugh. Nozomi shrugged and grabbed the hose, using it to wash the shampoo out of her hair.
"So you just abandoned him? And when did Hinata start threatening people? He's always been the one to take the abuse not dish it out." the blonde said, oddly surprised to hear that the person her friend had bullied had grown a spine.
"To answer the first question, yes I abandoned him, and I hope he's dead, and two, Hinata wasn't threatening him. I could hear it in his voice, see it on his face. In his eyes, he had that look, that killer instinct was in his eyes. He was going to kill Bryce if he didn't leave, and frankly I wouldn't have stopped him, he deserves it for being a fucking asshole." she said, washing off the last of the soap. She stood up, flicking her wet hair behind her shoulders.
"Goddamn you're huge...those are bigger than mine." Rei said, glancing at the other girl's bosom. Nozomi grinned sheepishly, a vibrant blush on her face.
"Sorry Rei, I'm a grower not a shower." she said with a wink. She didn't notice Melanie creep behind her, a grin on her face as she reached around the shorter girl's body, taking a firm hold of her breasts.
"Kyaaa! Melanie stop it!" she cried, the blush on her face growing in ferocity.
"Jeez, look at these. They must be a double d cup, and their really squishy too." the blonde said, squeezing the girl's a little harder.
"S-stop it...I d-don't like getting fondled, I-It makes me..." she stopped talking, as she felt her nether region start getting moist. She was panting a bit, some of the clear fluid dripping from her.
"Oh my god...are you dripping?" Saya asked, eyes widened in shock. Nozomi wrestled herself out of Melanie's grasp.
"I tried telling you...I get really aroused when someone fondles my breasts, I can't help it." she said, looking down in shame.
"Aw sweetheart, there's nothing to be ashamed about that. That just means you'll make your man really happy in the future." Shizuka said.
"Yeah I hope, I dated Bryce for two years, but I couldn't bring myself to have sex with him. He wanted me to just let him take me, and he tried making me have sex with him by force on so many occasions. Luckily, Hinata lived next door, so whenever I banged on the wall three times, he would always come knocking and wouldn't leave until Bryce was gone." she said.
"You really care for him don't you?" Rei asked curiously.
"Of course, I love Hinata with all my heart. He's my best friend, the only one who was willing to be friends with me, even after he lost his father." She said.
"What happened to him?" Shizuka asked, looking between the two girls.
"Perhaps you shouldn't, it sounds like a touchy subject." Saeko said, having spoken after remaining silent for so long.
"No it's alright. My Uncle Taeyang, he lost his life when he stopped my cousin from being kidnapped. He stayed late helping our First grade teacher after a party. My mom asked me to go get him, since my aunt wouldn't be getting out of school until late at night, but my uncle was home at the time and he said he would get him so I wouldn't have to walk the twenty minutes to the school. When he found Hinata, he was being shoved into a van. He managed to break free from the two men, but one of them ended up slashing him across the face." she said.
"Is that why he has that scar across his eye? I saw it when he was looking at me on the bridge." Saya said, earning a nod from Rei.
"Taeyang raced toward the two men, distracting them enough for Hinata to run. However, the second man quickly caught up to him, and put a sack over his head, pinning him to the ground. While his father was distracted, the man tried to rape him. Thankfully, Taeyang was able to get free, and tackled the man off him. Sadly, the other man had a gun on him at the time and shot him fatally in the chest. They sped off, but Hinata was emotionally scarred after that. He watched his father die, right after almost being raped, it was too much for him to handle, so he just shut down for a bit. No one wanted to be his friend, he was always made fun of for his scar, and for not having a father to bring to school for father daughter events. One time, his mother came in dressed as a man to make Hinata feel better, and that only made him worse. Eventually, I decided to be friends with him, after all we were neighbors and were practically born at the same time. We've been friends ever since." Nozomi said.
"Wow I...didn't know he had been in such a messed up situation." Melanie said firmly. Saeko had a hardened look on her face as she got out of the tub, grabbing a towel from the pile they had brought in.
"I'm done here, I need to start making dinner anyway." she said, leaving the bathroom.
"She's right, we should be getting ready for tomorrow. We don't know what will happen, so it's best to be prepared." Nozomi said, grabbing her own towel. It wasn't long before all of the girls had grabbed their towels and had decided to end their shower. It had been a bit awkward after the story Rei and Nozomi had shared with them, but it at least made them understand Hinata a bit more.
"Jeez, it's about fucking time! You girls better have left me some hot water because I've been dying for a shower." Hinata said, brushing past the girl's as they walked out of the bathroom, not caring that they were all in towels.
"I'm sorry of there isn't, it wasn't my fault though!" Nozomi cried back, as she heard the door lock a few seconds later.
"Come on, lets hurry up and get dressed, before we all get a cold or something." Saya said firmly, walking to the couch where her change of clothes had been placed. She eyed Nick, who had fallen asleep on the couch, his ass high in the air. She huffed and looked away.
"Stupid." she muttered.
It wasn't long before Hinata had finally taken his shower. Luckily, there had been some hot water left for him to use. After two days out in the streets, half a day of him being caked in blood, it felt great to just wash away the grime. He didn't even care that his hair smelled like blooming cherries, and that he had to use Moonlight Musk body wash, he was just glad to be clean. After he was done with his quick shower, (he wanted to save time), he got dressed in the clothes he had chosen.
Not having an option, he put on the same underwear he had been wearing, though he had flipped them inside out. He couldn't complain about, as he could have not had any in the first place. He put on the fuzzy socks first, feeling a bit odd at how the felt. He ignored it, hopping into the jeans afterwards. Surprisingly, his initial assumption had been correct, and he had been able to fit in Rika's jeans, though the thigh area was a bit tight on him, he didn't really seem to care. He put on his belt, buckling it loosely around his waist, but secure enough that it wouldn't fall off if he had to run. Finally he donned the green shirt, frowning at Hello Kitty's appearance on it. His nose scrounged up a bit as he dried his hair.
"Hello Kitty scares the shit out of me. How the fuck can she even talk when she doesn't have a mouth?" he thought to himself, drying off his hair as best he could. He tossed the towel in the hamper and opened the bathroom door, walking into the living room. The first thing he caught was the scent of fresh food being cooked, the second thing he caught was the sound of a dog barking rather loudly, and the third was obviously his friend who was laying on the floor, an empty beer bottle next to her.
"What the fuck Nozomi, are you serious?" he snapped, causing the girl to sit up. She hiccuped, her cheeks tinged slightly pink.
"Oh...hiiii Hinata...there's four of you in front of me~" she slurred, a goofy smile on her face. Hinata knelt down beside her, grabbing the bottle from the ground, taking a whiff from it.
"Ugh...jeez, what the hell kind of booze is this?" he asked, looking at the label. It was in some language he couldn't even understand, most likely foreign. Nozomi giggled, twirling a strand of violet hair between her fingers. Hinata took notice of what she was wearing, a black tank top, which was really tight on her, along with a pair of lacy purple panties, and nothing else.
"Hinata...are you mad at me?" Nozomi asked, a pout on her lips, she had a really cute look on her face, most likely trying to act innocent while being drunk. He sighed, shaking his head.
"I'm not mad at you sweetie, just don't make stupid mistakes like this. The dead are walking, so we need to be in our right mind in case shit hits the fan." he said, standing up. He tossed the bottle into the trash, brushing past Saeko as he grabbed a glass, filling it with water. He walked back to where he had left his friend, and handed her the glass.
"Drink that, it'll help." he said. She took the glass, her hand trembling a bit as she downed the clear liquid. She gave Hinata a grin before passing out, the boy barely grabbing her before she hit the floor. He set the glass on the island, kneeling down to pick up his sleeping friend. He walked over to the couch Nick was sleeping, and kicked him as hard as he could, making him jolt awake, falling to the floor.
"Ah, what the fuck?" he cried out, though his tone was full of grogginess. Hinata set Nozomi down on the couch, and she instantly settled into it, getting into a fetal position. Nick rubbed his eyes, looking at the sleeping purplette.
"The hell happened to her, and what are you wearing?" he asked curiously.
"She got drunk, and clothes from Rika's closet. Hurry up and get cleaned up, I'm gonna head upstairs with the guys and check over our weapons in case we have to leave." he said, turning toward the stairs. He slowly made his way up them, brushing past Takashi and Rei who had been talking to each other for awhile. Walking back into Rika's room, he noticed the television set had been turned off. Kohta had been looking toward the bridge with the high tech binoculars, a stern look on his face.
Hinata walked into the closet, looking around for something to put his extra ammunition in. He found a black satchel purse on the top shelf and grabbed it, pulling it off with a couple other satchels. He grabbed them as well and walked back into the bedroom. He set them down next to the guns and grabbed all of the magazines, stuffing them into the satchel, followed by the extra cases that was with the magazines. He zipped it up and grabbed a second satchel, stuffing it to the brim with shotgun shells, adding in a couple unopened cases as well. He slung both satchels over his shoulders, both straps crossing over his chest.
"Man, this is bad." Kohta said, entering the room with a look of shock on his face. Hinata looked up, slightly concerned.
"What's up?" he asked. The portly boy only handed him the binoculars and gestured to the balcony. He walked over to the edge of it, taking a look down to the bridge. He saw what looked to be a bulldozer plowing through cars, Freaks and living people. He swallowed hard, shifting his view to some of the nearby streets. One man was taken down, and instantly torn apart by a group of Freaks. Another man had been pinned to a vending machine, and had his throat ripped right open, his blood smearing over the machine.
"It's gotten worse...much worse! It won't be long until the end of everything." he muttered dryly. The dog barks got louder, but he wasn't able to see it anywhere. Takashi made his way onto the balcony, accepting the shotgun Kohta handed him.
"I heard you two talking, is something wrong?" he asked. Hinata nodded, handing him the binoculars.
In the streets below, the sound of running could be heard, a young survivor was trying to make his way through the horde. He shot one with his shotgun and grinned to himself. He popped it open, dumping the empty shells, before loading two new ones.
"Come on you bastards." he cried, shooting another one. He gave a sharp scream as one bit into his neck. He was pulled to the ground seconds later.
"That's so damn cruel." Takashi cried, slamming his fist onto the railing. He held onto his shotgun rather tightly. He turned to leave when Hinata took his arm.
"And what are you going to do about it?" he asked.
"Shoot them? What the fuck else?"
"Did you forget, sound attracts them?" Kohta snapped.
"This isn't like before, when we were both at our schools. Everyone was trying to get out fine, so saving as many as we could made sense. But look around you, everyone is trying to survive. We can't save them all Takashi." Hinata said, a firm tone in his voice, one could tell he was serious.
"I thought you of all people thought differently Hinata." he said.
"Don't give me that shit. Don't you know if I could do something I would? But right now I've got to think of what I'm going to do. There's no way I'm going to risk Nozomi's life to save someone who might not even thank me. Going down there isn't just a waste of time, it's a waste of bullets, something I can't afford to do." he said firmly.
"I agree with Hinata. As much as I hate to admit it." Saeko said firmly. None of them had even noticed her arrival. She was holding her wooden sword in her hands, arms crossed with disdain, a frown on her face. Kohta took one glance at her, letting out a high pitched screech when he saw what she was in.
She was wearing a frilly white apron, over her bare body, without a shirt underneath it. It only served to cover the front of her body, outlining every curve she had. She was also wearing a pair of black panties, which looked rather tight on her. She was also wearing a pair of white slippers on her feet, her hair having been tied up in a high ponytail.
"We are all trying to survive, but the dead prey on the living. And the living prey on us, they see the light, and flock to it like moths to a flame. We need to stay in the dark." she replied, turning off the lights in the bedroom, throwing the porch into darkness.
"But...we can't just..."
"Takashi, take a look around you. Tell me what you see, and then you might understand what we are trying to show you. Trust me, I don't like it either, but this is the way the world is now. You best get used to it." She said, handing him the binoculars. She walked off, heading back downstairs..the dog barks seemed to grow louder, as they drew the horde closer to where they were. Hinata sighed, walking back into the room.
He grabbed his shotgun, and checked it over, making sure it was ready in case he needed it. He slung the AR-15 onto his shoulder and started walking down the stairs into the living room. Saeko had dimmed the lights a bit, enough for her to see but not enough for anyone outside to notice them. Nick had been watching through the window, a frown on his face.
"There are tons of Freaks moving around out there. It will be hard if we have to leave on a dime." he muttered quietly.
"Yeah, which is why you'll need to be armed. Here, this shotgun is really easy to use. This satchel is filled with extra shells, so you'll be good." Hinata said, handing both to Nick.
"Are you insane? I barely know how to use that dinky .38 special, you think I can handle this shotgun?"
"It isn't hard. When you are about to fire, all you have to do is lean into it, because of how powerful it is, making sure your leading foot is planted firmly onto the ground. This model of shotgun holds six shells, but you can get seven in if you have one in the chamber. When you run out of ammo, open this gate on the bottom and feed the shells into the tube, cock it back and it's ready to go. Just make sure not to press the button on the bottom of the pump, it'll make it so it doesn't chamber the round and you'll have to cock it again. I'm gonna ask Kohta to remove it when we have the time." he said. Nick nodded, slinging the satchel across his shoulder, grabbing the gun firmly in his hand.
"What about that rifle? Think you can handle it?" Nick asked curiously. Hinata smirked, glancing at the silenced rifle on his shoulder.
"My uncle taught my how to fire assault rifles. I fired an AR-15 before, standard Police issue though. This one has been modified for short and long distance, and it's had its automatic function taken off. I'm sure I can handle it, the suppressor will definitely go a long way." he said firmly. Nick was about to say something with a single gunshot tore through the quiet house, jolting Nozomi and Melanie awake, the two girls had been sharing the same couch for awhile now, and when the blonde realized it, she stood up, taking a few steps away from the purple haired girl.
"What the fuck was that?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.
"That was a gunshot." Hinata said, only to hear a second one, and then a third. He nodded firmly, looking out the window, seeing several Freaks falling to the ground, one after the other, their heads being blown apart.
"Kohta wouldn't shoot unless there was a legitimate reason. Something must be happening." he said, pulling his own rifle off his shoulder. He flicked the safety switch on the trigger guard, pulling the slide back until it clicked. A grin worked it's way onto his face when he heard the sound of the chambered round. Takashi came down the stairs, putting his blazer on, along with his biking gloves.
"Takashi, what's going on?" Rei asked curiously, a bit frightened at the sound of gunfire.
"There's a little girl outside, and I can't bring myself to let her die, so I'm going to rescue her. I can get to her on the bike and bring her back." he said firmly.
"But Takashi, that's dangerous, at least let me go." Rei said, grabbing his arm.
"No, I'll be fine on my own. Sorry Rei, but I can't let you risk your life." he said.
"Takashi..."
"Let him go! A man's decision is his bond, we'll keep the house safe until you return." Saeko said, brandishing her wooden sword. Takashi nodded, looking at the purple haired girl.
"For whatever its worth, I'm sorry. But I can't bring myself to be that kind of person." he said, heading toward the door.
"I understand. It's quite alright." the girl said, giving him a smile.
"Takashi, at least take this with you."
Rei handed him an extra .38 special, that they had recovered from a police officer in town. Takashi nodded, taking the gun and placing it in his pocket. He put on his shoes and opened the door. Hinata looked at everyone else, walking toward the front door.
"I'll cover you from the street, give you a little extra protection. This place is going to get invaded fast, so start packing up. Nick, wake those two up and help Kohta pack the essentials, Nozomi get dressed, and start packing up the food." He said. He grabbed a pair of black boots that had been placed by the entrance, along with a few other pairs, all of them being military issue, though the ones he picked were the only ones without heels. He slipped his feet into them, surprised that they fit him perfectly, and tied the laces. He walked outside, climbing onto one of the square fence posts. Kohta had taken quite a few Freaks out, and had been keeping the area clear of them, the dog barks were also coming from that direction. Hinata nodded to himself, raising the rifle to his shoulder, steadying his breathing.
"Hey Kohta, who ever kills the least amount of Freaks has to carry the ammunition until we find a safer place." he said, looking at the balcony. The teen smirked, replacing his magazine.
"Then you better hurry, I just took out twenty of them. At this rate it'll be you eating those words." he said. Hinata lined up his first shot, a young woman with a hole in her cheek. Licked his lips and pulled the trigger. The kickback was a little harder than he expected, but was absorbed quite well by the stock of the gun, even with its design. The woman's head snapped back, half of her face and teeth gone.
"Damn it, I was off target." he muttered, quickly lining up the next shot.
"What the hell is going on here?" Saya snapped, walking down the stairs. By this point, Takashi had already vaulted over the Freaks on his bike, speeding up the street to rescue the little girl. Hinata glanced at her, pulling the trigger of his gun, getting two headshots with a single bullet. He heard Kohta's whistle of approval, a chuckle escaping his lips.
"Oh, Lady Saya...Takashi went to rescue a little girl so we thought it best to give him some cover fire. Would you mind helping Nozomi and Nick pack up? We can't stay here after all this noise." he said, rather politely. The girl blushed, fixing her glasses.
"Why the hell are you being so formal?" she asked, glaring at him. He looked at her briefly, lowering his rifle.
"Well, you are the daughter of Don Takagi, the former Lord of Tokunosu. I just thought I would show some respect." he said with a shrug. He rose his gun again, letting out another round, receiving a muffle sound due to his suppressor. The girl sighed and walked up the stairs, taking heavy steps.
"Just call me Saya, you idiot!" she snapped, disappearing through the door.
"Will do." he called back. He heard a loud slam and looked back to where Takashi was, though from his vantage point, he couldn't see over the large fence. He did see the metal gate being slammed shut, a single gunshot filling the air afterwards. He sighed audibly, lowering his rifle, the barrel had been smoking a bit, the smell of gunpowder filling his nose.
"Hey Hinata, it seems you lost, I got thirty five while you only got nineteen." Kohta said with a grin.
"I suppose I did, but I get five extra points for the double headshot." he said.
"Fine by me, you still lose though."
Hinata slung his rifle across his shoulder and jumped down from the post, heading back up the stairs. Nozomi and Melanie had already packed up several plastic bags filled with food, water and clothes. He grabbed all of them and started heading down the stairs, setting them down at the foot of the stairwell.
"What the hell do we do now? It's gonna be hard getting Takashi and that girl back here." Rei said.
"We're gonna have to go get him." Shizuka said, still a little groggy from her nap. She had been walking down the steps, buttoning a white blouse over her body, her hair still being wet.
"That's not a bad idea. Surely that Humvee can take hits, we can barrel through them, the problem is fitting all of us and those supplies. We'll be wedged in to tightly, there might not be any room for Takashi or that little girl." Hinata said firmly.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Let's just start focusing on getting the stuff in the car." Saya said firmly, earning nods from everyone. Saeko opened the gate, scanning the street for any stragglers. She gave them a nod, and Hinata moved, carrying all of the bags in his hands, heading behind the car. Rei opened the trunk door, and he placed them neatly in the back. Nick came running after, holding two black cases and all of their backpacks filled with medical supplies.
"All the extra ammunition and gun parts are in these cases." he said simply.
"Anything else?" Hinata asked.
"Yeah, Kohta is bringing the last of the weapons with him, after that we're all set to go." He said. Hinata nodded, and walked to the front of the car, looking out into the drive way, his rifle firmly in his grasp. He looked to his left, seeing a few Freaks shambling toward them. Lining them up, he easily killed them, their bodies dropping into the hard pavement.
"You seem to be a natural with that gun, glad my dad gave you lessons?" Rei asked curiously, standing next to her cousin.
"Of course I am, I'll never regret learning to use this kind of stuff. I wish I had Kohta's training in firearms, but the basics are better than nothing. Get in the car, I'll keep watch until Kohta gets down here." he said. She turned around, heading back to the car, getting into the back seat, while Saya was already sitting in the front. He saw Nozomi and Melanie dive into the back, pressing themselves against either side of the car, leaving enough space for a few more people, even then it would be a tight squeeze on them all. He sighed.
"If only there was another militarized vehicle I could steal from somewhere." he muttered dryly, looking up at the sky. The stars were barely visible, tall plumes of smoke rising steadily into the air.
"Hinata, we're all set." Kohta called out. Hinata raced toward the humvee, climbing onto the roof of it, just as Kohta opened the hatch. He grabbed the handles on it, giving him a nod.
"Go for it." he said, holding down as hard as he could. The engine roared to life, the entire vehicle shaking from the sheer intensity of it. Shizuka shifted into drive, pulling out of the driveway.
"Hang on everyone!" she cried, the car started picking up speed, and Hinata was forced to duck, as several Freaks ended up rolling over the windshield, right over him and Kohta. He grinned, feeling that rush in his bloodstream again. He looked at Takashi, who was carrying a little girl on his back, along with a puppy that was tucked into his jacket.
The little girl couldn't have been older than seven or eight, with dark fuchsia colored hair. She was wearing a light pink jacket, over a white and green striped shirt. She was also wearing a short pleated skirt, with a plaid pattern on it, long white stockings and sneakers. Her eyes had been firmly shut, as Takashi was making his way over the narrow path on top of the stone fence.
"Shizuka, side swipe them!" Hinata cried loudly, hoping the woman would hear him, luckily she did.
"Hang on!"
Kohta screamed loudly as Saeko knelt down, grasping the handles on the top of the Humvee, her large breasts literally were on the top of his head, blood had been leaking from his nose, making Hinata shake his head. Several loud thumps filled their ears as the bodies of the undead were sent flying in all directions. Hinata saw an arm literally being crushed by the tire. They had pulled to a stop as close as they could to Takashi. Saeko looked down at Kohta, who was still blushing.
"Give them some cover would you?" she asked. He grabbed the shotgun he had been holding, cocking it loudly.
"Kaboom!" he cried, firing a single round into the crowd of Freaks. As if by some miracle, or maybe their sheer luck, all of the Freaks around the right side of the car had been knocked back by the shockwave, some being torn apart entirely. Hinata flicked the safety off his rifle, smirking at Kohta.
"Round two, speed round for redemption!" he said, pulling the trigger hard, blowing apart the head of the nearest Freak. Saeko jumped down onto the street, and started taking down the nearby ones.
"No fair Hinata, you didn't give me a chance!" Kohta cried, cocking his shotgun.
"I didn't know it at the time, but these friendly competitions between me and Kohta were going to become commonplace for us. This day, this night...it was the beginning of our transition. Walking around, with big guns for self defense, acting first, killing before being killed, it was all small changes, but drastic ones at the same time. Nothing would be the same, after the night we crossed the river. Everything would change, for better or for worse, that's for you to decide."