Talking about coming back from the dead...
I thoroughly apologize for this extended period of procrastination. I'm not leaving this story hanging, but I hope y'all know the drill: work, life, projects, exams, archery, a date yada-yada-yada here's n° 6!
Also, holy sh%t them reviews are powerful!
"...what's the most important thing in this world...?"
Letting out a silent breath Jack pushed open the double doors. As soon as they stepped outside the hotel howls and moans reached his ears. An arrow hissed past him and a zombie fell down while he twirled the staff in his hand, already getting accustomed to the new weight, and tested the metal crook on a couple of heads whose brains flew across the ground. It was harder, sturdier; better to fight if not a little satisfying. Maybe he could use it to climb too... But the faint smirk disappeared from his lips when he glanced up the endless death rummaging at the distance, the morning rays shyly peaking over the clouds and reaching his eyes. A couple more lunged, and he raised his staff again...
"...what does everyone want...?"
The Uzi strapped at his leg was a constant reminder that they had to go through this quiet and slow. No firearms for now, not when there were this many around, only a few scattered zombies that were close enough saw them and attacked. They had to be cautious and stick to the plan, otherwise things could get nasty. Even the dog stayed silent in formation as they advanced through the streets, the distant yet large mass unaware of their presence.
He peeked around his shoulder and saw how Merida yanked off an arrow of a corpse and drove it through another one's eye. It didn't gross him out as much as before, perhaps they've gotten a little numb to it after all this time. Well... maybe not all of them.
Her short breaths as she steeled herself made his eyes focus on her, and he noticed her gritted teeth, the chameleon over her tense shoulders, her blonde hair swinging with her every move, her green eyes fixed forward, and he remembered just how fragile she'd been when he first saw her, pale and shivering from that raging blizzard.
Multiple times he'd joked about her cliché of a weapon not being the most orthodox one to use in moments like this, sometimes the whole group, but she'd simply said that as long as it got the job done it was fine for her, and she´d spin her pan around her finger chuckling while the chameleon glared at him from her shoulder. Actually it proved to be as good as any other weapon, perhaps more when she was the one using it; that didn't mean she didn't look like she was about to throw up every time she caught sight of the guts she often sprayed over the floor after every clang.
"...what's the one thing a guy would walk hundreds of miles to get back...?"
He leaned against the wall as the girls fell quiet, the singing of the crickets and roaming of the infected outside pierced through the covered windows and somehow filled the silence as they stared at Hiccup, the dog sitting as his right with the same forlorn air. It wasn't usual for him to be this silent, all this stuff got him lost for words.
Honestly he did not see this coming, especially after everything they'd gone through all this time together. Tough now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure of how much time had passed, not that he really cared when most of it was spent running and scavenging, or running and fighting, or running and climbing, or just plain running. Sometimes it felt like there was no end to this at all.
Merida's once narrowed eyes and stern look softened, already knowing the answer. Even with the weak light of the candles that distant, knowing look in her eyes was unmistakeable, and she averted her gaze down before Rapunzel whispered the answer almost to herself.
"...we've all made mistakes, done things that we regret..."
"So far so good," Hiccup breathed by his right slashing one in half with his now stained blade.
"Speak for yourself." Jack said with a smirk and impaled another zombie, "You okay there Punz?"
"I'm fine—I'm fine..." She waved a hand dismissively as they cut a corner, her nose twitching a little, and reached a conveniently not overrun street. After some slow, paranoid steps he heard someone sniffing and from the corner of his eye he caught sight of her mouth opening... ever... so... slowly...
Even if he knew what was to come the high-pitched sneeze still made him flinch and the rest turned to a Rapunzel gritting her teeth, cheeks pink.
"...bless you." Jack whispered with a slight shake of his head. For some reason everything fell quiet after that, deathly quiet, and they carefully turned around in fear of the worst.
But the horde didn't notice them.
A loud scream broke the silence, though it wasn't the usual one full of rage they'd all came to recognize, this one was far worse, filled with horror and panic.
"What the..." Merida breathed and hopped on a trashed car, her cerulean eyes searching across the sea of infected.
"NO! HELP ME!" The voice screamed again, and her face turned to the street they'd been seconds ago.
"What's going on? What do you see?" Hiccup asked.
"PLEASE! OH GOD!"
"It's a girl..." was all she said, her expression unreadable.
"Was?!" Rapunzel hissed.
He hopped on as well and his eyes widened when he found a woman a couple of blocks away from them. Despite the distance he saw her stained clothes, her dark hair, the way she flailed around in panic trying to escape the infected chasing her to no avail. "She's surrounded."
"PLEASE!"
"We have to do something!" Rapunzel's green eyes darted between the other three fearfully. "We have to help her!" They all shared the same look of worry except for Merida who just stood there watching the scene unfold.
"You do know that's suicide, right?" He asked gesturing to Hiccup with the staff.
"Yes but that's not what—"
"But Hiccup, something could happen." Rapunzel began to fumble with a stray golden lock.
"I know," he ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm forever in debt to you guys, I truly am. But this is something that I just have to do."
"Yeah, jus' go and kill yerself, prove the world yer ae madman." Merida crossed her arms, and when she glared at the wall she muttered. "No' that yer a man..."
"And what if they're dead?" Jack blurted. He didn't mean to sound as if he'd spat the words, it just happened.
But Hiccup shook his head and looked at him in the eyes. "You don't know that."
And neither did he.
"But still..." Rapunzel timidly began only to be interrupted with a huff from a certain redhead.
"Unbelievable!" She whirled around in a flash of red and stormed towards him, hands balled into fists. "Yer talkin' as if yeh don't have any say in it!"
"Well maybe I don't!" He glared back and motioned with his hands. "A-and besides, why is this so important to you all of a sudden? It's not like we have—"
"Because this is insaene, that's why!" She jabbed a finger at his chest, her voice growing in volume. "It's nae enough to do stupid and crazy oh no, ye jus' have to do insaene now. Wha' makes ye think ye will even make it!? Wha' about Toothless!? Yeh think yeh two alone will jist survive off like tha'!? And wha' if you get there then?! Wha' makes ye think they're not—"
"Stop!" Hiccup finally snapped and grabbed her hand in his, the Scott's glare fading at the sudden contact. His eyes were locked with hers until he dropped his gaze, but didn't let go of her hand. "Just... stop."
He wasn't sure how to take all this yelling between the two, but from the look in her green eyes he realized that she was probably thinking about her family; or just her mother for that matter as she had mentioned once, a long time ago actually.
It's not like he wasn't familiar with the feeling—on the contrary, he'd learned to hide it years ago when he felt just as alone in the world as they were now—but the only thing that his brain could come up with was to place a hand over her shoulder in a pathetic attempt of comfort. But when she looked up to him and a corner of her lips turned, he didn't feel as the messed up guy that he was, though he knew that smile had been forced.
A heavy sigh made their heads turn to Hiccup before he spoke up again.
"...every time we step outside, we risk our lives..."
The screams were drawing more and more zombies towards her, like an injured animal calling for help only to attract more starving wolves.
"We cannae do anythin'. There's no gettin' to her."
"What?" Jack turned to face her with a look of incredulity plastered on his face, and saw a glimmer of something in her eyes, like a bad memory...
"OH GOD! OH GOD!"
"We gotta do something!" Hiccup interjected, "Toothless, stay back—" But as soon as he walked forward Merida jumped down and stopped him
"...we try to stay hidden, we risk our lives..."
"Don't!" she grabbed his shoulder. "She's bit, I've seen i'... w-we can't!"
"And leave her to die like that! She's not live bait!" He exclaimed gesturing with his hands.
Those words were as hard as they were true. The infected hadn't noticed them yet, and if they let her alive she'd keep being the centre of attention (though it wouldn't be for long), and thus, would buy them time. Yet it was sickening to be even thinking about it.
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
"...hell, nowadays we even breathe, and we risk our lives..."
"We're not like that." He argued hopping down at last, both hands gripping the staff tightly.
"I know—I kno'ow!" Merida hissed, her eyes slowly dropping to the ground.
Jack shot a glance at the moving horde and faced the group; Rapunzel was biting her lower lip, knowing what was to happen but afraid to speak her mind. "We have to put her out of her misery." He said and offered his staff to Hiccup who nodded silently and handed him the rifle.
"...every moment now, we never have a choice..."
Moments like these were the ones that made him hear his own heart pounding.
He hopped on the wreckage again and took in a long breath, the moving clouds blocked out the sun over his eyes and gave him a clearer view, it wasn't going to last though. He scanned the herd, aimed at the screaming girl and without pondering about it pulled the trigger.
The shot surely gave away their presence, and he knew they had to leave.
But he stood still.
It wasn't impotence that kept him from reacting, nor the shock of realizing he just killed a human being, but the lack of it. He saw how a hundred hands dug into her flesh and ripped her open, how her limbs were torn apart in the massive feeding frenzy, how a small group was now moving towards them. Everything seemed to slow down.
So it was true.
He'd gotten a little numb to it after all.
The sun appeared again and forced him to narrow his eyes. There was nothing more they could do now. He dropped down and handed the gun back, his eyes betraying more than he'd want.
"Run." Though he doesn't say it, they all knew what he meant with that single nod.
Time was running out.
And so they ran away, no one casted an occasional quick glance behind them, no one dared. They kept going for a good amount of blocks until the mass of infected was nothing more than a blur in the distance and a bad memory.
It was a surprise no one followed them.
"...the only thing we can choose is what we're risking it for..."
Even though they were in the open Hiccup looked to and fro to make sure it was clear, and was the first to plunge down by the sidewalk before sheathing the blade and resting his arms on his knees.
"Well this day's been uplifting." He mumbled and put a hand over Toothless' forehead. The dog let out a small whine and leaned against his side while the others sat down.
"Yeah..." Jack stretched his legs and hung his head back for a while; even with the heels of his hands pressed against his eyes the image of the girl was still there, and he looked up and about to at least try and avert his thoughts.
A breeze twirled around above them, like a childish whim completely ignorant of what was to come, its deep whistle blending in with the shaking of the infinite leaves of all the trees from around. Behind them large clouds passed by, colossal pillars soaring.
"...and just hang on a little bit longer..."
It was going to rain... again.
"Oh, wait..." Rapunzel mumbled and reached out for the dog, one arm stretched in front of him and the other resting her weight over his left knee.
Toothless looked at her with wide eyes, tilted his head to the side and let his tongue out to dangle freely. Then as she stretched her hand towards him he took off in a sudden black blur, which ended up in her letting out a yelp and beginning to chase him around.
"Hey! Would you—settle down...?" She groaned, though a small smile was playing on her face, "Toothless! Lass mal sehen!"
"Punzie," Jack smirked at the way they skipped about and how the dog was practically challenging her, and chuckled when they darted past Merida almost knocking her down, Pascal holding on for dear life. "What are you doing?"
"I just want to—ugh, want to take the rag off—Hab dich! Oh, komm schon..."
"Good luck with that." He chuckled with a twirl of his staff and took out a bottle filled with rainwater from the backpack.
"Hold up. Bud..." Hiccup patted his lap and the dog quickly halted at his side. "Now try it."
She blew a golden lock off her forehead and knelt down in front of Toothless. "Okay." But this time, when she was just inches away from the red cloth a low growl made her yank her hand away. Everybody looked at the dog in surprise, its greenish eyes fixed on her slim fingers. "Was?" She mouthed but tried again, and again the same low growl stopped her.
"Toothless..." Hiccup scowled to which the dog only looked at him. They stood there for a split second, as if they were reading each other's minds, before his eyes widened and a smile crept at the corner of his lips.
"What's the matter with 'im?" Merida asked, cerulean eyes darting between the two.
"He wants to keep it."
"What?" Rapunzel tilted her head and stared with a clearly confused countenance as he began to stroke Toothless' side, his thumb drawing circles over the dark fur.
"Well, look at that..." Jack breathed and leaned forwards to pass the bottle to the red head.
"Why?" Rapunzel stretched her hand again, though this time she began to pat his snout.
"He's like that I suppose. You should've seen him fighting with my dad for the couch the morning I found him. He'd really never approved of pets." Hiccup shook his head. "But then he changed, we all did... He even got Toothless to visit me in the hospital."
"Must be a great man..." He said, a sudden wistfulness falling over him.
"Great would be an understatement, I'd use the word huge personally. But... yes." They all smiled and allowed for a peaceful silence to fill what little quiet time they had left for the day, and he allowed his eyes to wander around again to the clouds, the buildings, the trees, the street, Pascal on her shoulder, her hair, her neck, her eyes, his feet...
"Wha'?" Merida asked after Hiccup's dry laugh.
"I-I still don't get it." He looked at them with a light frown. "Why would you want to come?"
"Are you kidding me, after that long ass speech last night, really?"
"It's just that... not every day you hear somebody wants to go with you in a crazy," he gestured with his hands for the twelfth time, "apocalyptic-backpack trip around Europe."
"Hiccup," Rapunzel began, "we've already told you why. It's our choice." In fact Merida had been the one who decided that. The plan was to travel together to find their families and then part ways as unlikely friends: Merida would reunite with her filthy rich family in that bunker or whatever metal box they were in below Paris, Rapunzel would go back home to her mother and Hiccup would carry on from there to his wet heap of rock in the middle of nowhere.
And Jack, well... he had a completely different reason to go.
"...I don't want to survive just to survive..."
"Yeh can be very persuasive sometimes did ye know tha' ye dork?" Merida rubbed her mouth with her sleeve. "Anywa'ay, how are we goin' to get out of th' city?"
But before he could answer she held up a finger and added, "No' walkin' please."
"Actually no, we'll just have to find a car, preferably a van... for supplies and stuff. We'd have to take the gas out of some cars, that shouldn't be much of a problem; we only need a normal hose."
"Pizza delivery anybody?" Jack pocketed his free hand and casually pointed the staff at a yellow van parked at the far end of the block. Believe it or not it was perfect: it turned on, it wasn't so damaged, there was a lot of space inside and it even had some fuel left; even with all the scratches the words "Pizza Planet" were still recognizable on the side, though what really caught his attention was the little rocket attached at the top.
"...I'm doing this for them..."
"I drive!" Jack declared after they opened the trunk and literally threw the bags in.
"Yeh of all people! Ohh no, there's nae way the yeti is drivin'."
"Hey, I found it!"
"Daesnae matter."
"Yes it does!"
"Nae i' doesn't. And yeh don't even drive from th' righ' side!"
"That doesn't matter!"
"Okay!" Rapunzel interjected holding up her hands, "No need to get too loud and bring more friends. Why don't we solve this the civilized way, hm?"
He huffed. "...fine."
"...that's reason enough to risk mine..."
"What bollocks..." She muttered.
Of all the possible things, he had to lose at Rock-Paper-Scissors; apparently a lifetime playing it wasn't enough. Well... at least he called shotgun first.
From the corner of his eyes he saw how Merida kept muttering under her breath from the backseat between the dog and the blonde. When her glare landed on him he smirked, though it disappeared when she mouthed some quite rude words at him. Luckily he didn't have to fear for his safety when a little giggle escaped her.
"So..." Hiccup took out his journal from his jacket pocket—the term diary would be far more accurate in Jack's opinion—and unfolded a quite large roadmap of England from it. "From here we'd have to find a way out to the M20, drive till we reach Folkestone and if I'm not mistaken through the channel tunnel to Calais."
"The underwater one?" Rapunzel popped up from the behind.
"Yup," Hiccup pointed at the red line that cut across the English Channel. "Shouldn't take too long; a couple of hours maybe." He passed the map over to her and started the engine. "Alright, no turning back now... Are you sure you still want to do this?"
"Ja." Rapunzel nodded, Pascal chirping from her shoulder.
"We already said yes Hiccup!" Merida narrowed her eyes at him playfully.
"What about you Jack?"
He glanced at the group, his thumb caressing the staff between him and the door, and grinned.
"I'm in."