So apparently after recent events with me struggling to get my algebra out of that 60 threshold and up to a 70 my parents decided to ban me from anything technology related, Xbox, PS Vita, YouTube, etc. So basically they said, "hey, if you want to be entertained: read a book." And right now I'm pretty much saying screw that, I'm going to write a new mothafukin overdue chapter... But yeah I also want to do a shout out to TehBigTwix to be the first one to favorite. Welcome sir... prepare for the longest chapter waits of your life. And also one to Crystalline for being the first one to follow and show great support (I'm pretty much slapping myself mentally for not doing yours sooner). You guys pretty much are the reason why I decided to keep on writing. Thank you.

Chapter 6: Nightfall

7/28/2017, 7:24:58 PM

I woke up with a jolt and moaned. "Where the hell am-" I stopped to see a dead corpse in front of me... that pretty much answered my question. I tried to pull myself up only to immediately experience the fiery roar of pain in my left shoulder and right leg, I dropped down. 'This is gonna hurt like a bitch isn't it?' I thought as I forced myself up. It was at that moment I wanted to cry from pain. Trying to ignore the burning sensation I eventually got back up. Gasping I looked around the room to find the rifle on the floor. As I picked it up the handle with my right hand, illuminating orange hexagons ran across the rifle as if it were scanning it. Next thing I knew it vanished with the hexagons and reappeared almost simultaneously in my hand, then it vanished into thin air, leaving me nothing. 'Notch, just what the hell did you do to me?' I wondered before looking outside.

The sky was a sunburst orange, and it was not until when I saw it I realized it getting dark before I return was inevitable. Reaching for my backpack I searched for something useful. Those "useful" things turned out to be two emergency high intensity orange-yellowish glow sticks and a pack of road flares. I then began to tie both of the glow sticks on the back right side of my backpack (opposite side of the shoulder straps) before snapping them to make them glow in the now slightly sunlit room. I grabbed three flares then lit one of them and slipped the other two in small straps attached on the shoulder straps, then looked outside to see nothing but the sun almost setting. I then scavenged the man from yesterday to pick up ammo and limped slightly toward the exit. "And back into battle..." I mumbled before walking back on the streets.

The first thing I did was load my pistol before throwing the lit flare towards a darkened area which revealed two zombies aimlessly walking around. I then took light steps as I carefully walked around the two undead before I limped off. Well... this is a shitty situation.. if only I knew how to hot wire a car then this would be a breeze. It was not until twenty more minutes of walking I felt a hard shove.

"Oh crap, coming through!" A feminine voice said before it was drowned out by the grunts and moans of six zombies. oddly enough none of the flesh eaters paid no attention to me and kept pursuing the girl. Once I regained my balance I looked up to see the girl. She was a little shorter than me, just about two in a half inches, she wore a pure black jacket with a skirt. She had dark purplish hair along with four red beads, and to top it all off: her eyes seemed to be red.

"Hey!" I yelled, hoping for a response.

"What!?" I heard the familiar distant voice again.

"Do you need any help?"

"What does it look like!?" The female voice once more answered.

"Um.. uh..." I muttered while I did a chamber check on the Glock before aiming to fire two bullets. A few seconds later a death groan could be heard, after attempting to fire follow up shots the pistol jammed. "Ah.. damn." I said as I caught a glimpse of the hoard coming at me now. Sighing, I quickly faced the pain on my leg due to the fact I was running in the general direction towards the girl. She however was gone.. probably ran off to save herself. Ignoring the question of where she went I quickly used the alleyways again since it's been in my favor so far.

Many turns and tipping of debris later I eventually lost half of them. I looked for a building to lose the rest, a few steps later and I found a small building that would suffice. I then noticed that the building was a bookstore when I bashed through the door. After shutting the door I felt a strong force trying to pry it open. After looking for a nearby object I noticed that the sun has fully came down from a distant window. Moments later I stuffed a chair on the knob for a little time before barricading it with a metal cabinet.

I sat against the wall to take a breather. "Alright... where the hell am I now?" I asked myself before getting the GPS from my pocket and opening the sides. A bright holographic map then lit the room. As I tried to pinpoint where I was a ping signified my location, I was halfway out of the city.

8:12:46

"Hey!" A voice said, interrupting my route planning.

"Huh?" I looked up to see a figure, it took a while before I could manage to make out what it was through the moonlight. It was another girl, she had ice blue eyes and oddly enough her hair seemed to be dark grey, which was cut short. (Her hair pretty much looks like Yuki Nagato's) She was wearing a grey hoodie with sleeves cut off, a white T-shirt which the sleeves could be seen, black cargo shorts which seemed to stop at her knees, a black nylon utility belt with a stainless steel quick release buckle, black under armor gloves, and white/black Nike Free Run 6.0 shoes.

"Whoa, hey!" I said, obviously startled. "Wait, who are you?"

"Iris." She answered. "And I dont suppose you've seen another girl out here? A bit shorter than me, purple hair?" I then remembered.

"Uh... yeah I kinda saved her from a horde of zombies." I replied.

"...Damn it." Iris irritably said before she held the bridge of her nose.

"What?" I asked.

"She's my partner. One second she was with me and the next she disappeared like she always does." She then took a moment to stretch. It was not until that moment I saw a silver tail peek out from a small hole in the back of her cargo shorts. I was speechless at the fact that barely now I noticed she had animal like ears, and it took her a while to notice my dumbfounded expression. "Hm? You seem like you've seen a ghost." She exclaimed.

"You... have a... a.." As I tried to search for the words she intervened.

"Tail... and wolf ears." She finished. "Anyway I would love to stay here and chat but I need to track down my teammate before she does something daft... again." As she was stepping away she paused. "Actually I have a better idea, you're going to help me." She declared as she approached me with a tone of uncaring but her bright blue eyes screamed enthusiastic.

"Eh.. can't." I nonchalantly responded .

"What? Why?" The silver tailed girl asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I don't have much energy, in fact I think it's a miracle I haven't died of blood loss... This is as far as I go, or can go." I concluded.

"Alright how about this: you help me and I'll treat your wounds easy deal right?" Iris asked while getting out what looked like a small first-aid kit. Before I had the chance to think about it she got on her knee and started to examine my wounds. "Damn it's too dark in here." Said Iris as she was narrowing her eyes.

"Hold on." I said before reaching for a flare and lighting it. A familiar crackle sounded before bright red lighting filled the area.

"Ah, much better." Iris half smiled but soon faded away before she touched a spot on my cheek which stung on contact.

'What the? I don't remember taking a hit there... unless.' I thought back on the events from yesterday, to the moment where I had the most adrenaline running through my body, or in this case the moment where I couldn't feel anything. "Hm... I guess he didn't miss after all." I thought out loud.

"Huh? Who?" Iris asked. I shrugged, "nothing." I said while feeling the wound. It was a straight cut located at least a few millimeters below my left cheek bone, most likely a grazed hit. But considering that the shot was two inches away from a fatal hit, I might as well count myself as one of the luckiest people alive. "Eh.. that'll leave a scar. Anyway on to the next." Iris stated as she started to look at my leg and shoulder. "The best I could do is bandage you. Your right leg seems like crap, unless you can heal immediately, you can't stand up without help." Said Iris as she unzipped the kit, pulled out wraps and a tourniquet, "lie down." Ordered Iris as she started to bandage me. I lied down. "As far as I know you need medical gloves or something for this... well I say screw that, we'll have to improvise" she wrapped the tourniquet around my thigh, just above my wound. She looked at me blankly, she tightened the tourniquet slowly until she reached the final tightening part. "I'm not gonna lie this will hurt... a lot." She warned before I gave a nod of approval. She covered her hand above my mouth before tightening the strap hard as she could. Her hand did average to suppress my screams of pain, after a moment of the world around me getting darker Iris quickly spun the windlass rod and clipped it to secure the tight strap, "done." Iris declared before she cut the rest of the remaining strap with a pocket knife.

I breathed heavily with sweat running down my face, Iris quickly put her hands on my cheeks and slapped them. "Hey! Come on stay with me, do not blackout now." She continued to console me before pausing and spinning her head towards the window behind us, Iris then threw the flare towards the opposite side of the store before dragging me under a tipped book shelve. "Stay quiet." Whispered Iris as she slowly laid down next to me.

"What are we doi- MPH!?." My question got interrupted when Iris's tail covered my mouth. "Shh..." Hushed Iris. moments later I heard faint footsteps and a spine tingling hiss and small coughing. "Creeper." Iris whispered, having her eyes glued onto the window. 'Creeper? What kind of name is that?' I thought as a shadow rolled by a brick wall. Fear slowly made its way into my mind. The footsteps grew louder until I felt its presences just out the staff exit, where I came in. As the metal door slowly crept open I heard a faint sliding sound near me. "Five... four.." Iris whispered to herself with her body tensing up.

"One!" Iris yelled as she dashed out of our hiding spot, fully drawing out a sword with a black handled, mid length carbon blade (Search up: titanium carbon sword prototype to see exactly what it looks like). After a while Iris drew her sword back into a black holster located on the left side of her utility belt, Iris had a face of surprise. The potential threat was not a monster but something else I can't see.

"Iris?" I heard a familiar voice. No... it can't be.. there's just no-

"Cupa?" Iris asked. Why... the hell is she here? Iris then asked. "What are you doing here?"

"You know... you did not have to come. I was nearly there." I interrupted.

"Niko!" Cupa jolted as she was looking around. "Down here." I raised a hand to signify where I was. She quickly rushed by my side

"Yeah, yeah, I may be an idiot... but I get the job done." I said as I slightly leaned over so Cupa could see my new backpack.

"So your name is Niko?" Iris asked. "It's Nikolai, Niko is just a nickname." I corrected. "So.. you two know each other?" I asked.

"Yeah, we kinda were acquaintances back in our world." Iris explained.

"Yep! pretty much it." Cupa said while looking at Iris for quite a while now. "Say, this is not how you usually look like. What happened to your original clothing and war paint?" Cupa slightly tilted her head to the side questioningly.

"Oh, I found a group... or rather they found me when I was attacked by robbers, of course they did not get away with it easily with my speed." Iris gave a slight smile of triumph then continued. "The group was very kind to me too. They treated my cuts and bruises, offered to train me when I recovered, and they showed me how to do many other stuff that I did not know was possible. Believe it or not, a few familiar faces are at their camp right now." Iris's face darkened a little. "But recently we've been going through tough times at the moment, a while ago a lot of people were cheering because of something about trading with some sort of organization. But so far, early in the morning we lost contact to those who were offering. With supplies down low they sent their fastest including me, to search and do a quick survey.

I thought for a moment before saying. "So I'm guessing with the shortage of materials you can't use firearms huh?" I said while inspecting my pistol. Iris nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, but it's not really a huge difference for me and my partner since swords are almost everyday use for us... But I guess one definite difference are the resources you people use. Seriously what is this made out of? It's light as wood yet it's as durable as diamond." Stated Iris as she unsheathed her sword and examined it.

"Diamond?" I asked. "Now that sounds like a badass sword, but seeing a carbon fiber sword is a first for me too." I said as I tried for a closer look myself.

"So all of it is made of this thing called carbon fiber?" Iris asked, I shook my head. "Not all of it, the handle and the top part of the blade, yes. But the bottom part which goes to the sharpened edge seems to be made out of something else."

"So if I may ask, what is your world like? what is it called? and what's with you calling Cupa a creeper?" I asked.

"That is too long of a story for us to stay here. Well talk during our search for Kelly. You know Kelly, right Cupa?" Iris asked.

"Of course." Cupa said, "she's one of my friends after all." She added. With that the two of them readied up, Iris passed Cupa a pocket knife.

"In case they get too close, I don't know if you know yet but our kind are not our friends anymore." Iris stated.

"Huh? What do you mean." Cupa asked in confusion.

"I don't know why. But they will attack us on sight now." Answered Iris. "Now, other than that we need to get your friend some serious help." Iris gestured her hand towards me.

"What happened?" Asked a curious Cupa.

"Two major injuries... enough to disable him of movement without help. He could probably die of blood loss" Iris replied. "I'll need you to help him up."

Cupa stood there in silence looking dramatized at the 'will die' part. "John." Cupa said. "John can help you right? I mean he is a protector."

"Protector? Yes, but he retired at least three years ago... Also he only had a two hour course of medical training." I stated.

"Then our best bet is if I take you to our camp." Said Iris as she turned around towards the exit. "Well Nikolai, what will it be? Die now.. or maybe die later?"

"Uh.. Ma-maybe... maybe die later?" I said as I myself was slightly dizzy from the mention of my possible death.

"Alright." Iris said with a slight relief edge in her voice. "Cupa, help him up." Ordered Iris. And with that Cupa grunted as she struggled to pick me up and wrapping my arm around the back of her neck for more support.

"It's going to be a pain going though these streets at night... I don't suppose you know your way around?" Iris asked as she looked outside. I fished for the GPS in my pocket, but stopped when I felt a new aura of energy through my right arm as I touched the metal exterior. My HUD turned on by itself before a series of strange symbols appeared. (Enchanting characters or words from Minecraft) A three-dimensional map displayed with all the buildings and streets along with there names.

"Yeah..." I replied. "Like the back of my hand."

12:00:52

As we were walking I lost my balance from Cupa's arm and nearly fell off before catching myself with my left arm. Which made the pain worse than it would be if I actually would have hit the floor. "Whoa, hey easy." Cupa said.

"Yeah... okay now this looks familiar." Exclaimed Iris. "You see over there?" Iris pointed towards a suburb. "That's where they are. Cupa, put him down at that tree over there." She said. Cupa followed her orders. then Iris started walking off in a different direction.

"Where are you going?" I asked, adjusting myself to sit up straight.

"Going to look for my partner. I'll find you a way to repay me later. Come on Cupa." Iris ordered.

"W-What!?" Cupa said. "Are we just going to leave him here?"

"Of course not." Iris responded as she took out a gun and aimed it straight up in the air.

"Wait, you've had that this whole time?" I asked.

"Yup." Answered Iris as she fired. Along with a bang a bright trail of cyan blue light ripped trough the midnight sky before reaching it's full brightness as it reached it's maximum height.

"Flare guns... neat." I said as I stared up in the sky.

"Response team or whatever they call them should be arriving soon. I would suggest putting flares around the area, that's how to keep the mobs away." Said Iris.

I reached for my backpack to pull out the pack of flares I got from the supply drop. "If you would kindly..." I said as I extended my arm to Cupa who then grabbed them. "It's okay, I'll be fine." I said before watching Cupa lighting flares and dropping them around the general area.

"Alright, that should do it. Let's go." Iris said over her shoulder. Cupa then followed her after saying good luck to me.

12:17:34

It was at time I heard the distant crushing sound of grass, and seeing human like figures.

"Hey! over here!" Yelled one of them.

"Yeah, we see it Nate." Said another. I then noticed that they started running until a boy who had a black beanie and seemed a month older than me came through the trees along with a partner not that far behind.

"Wait who are you?" One who I'm guessing Nate asked. I was about to respond before another man came out.

"Alright what's the big-" He paused when he saw me... This was a surprise.

"Oh hey ah... well.. long time no see." I waved sheepishly.

There was a silence. "Yeah... Nikolai." Said Samuel as Nate and the other guy was trying to make sense of the current event.

"Well... I still got the supplies." I said.

"Yeah, yeah, and I got medicine for my heart attack when I thought I sent you to your death." Remarked Samuel then sighed. "Get him up. We're taking him back to base." Samuel ordered. The two men complied and helped me up. As they helped me up I felt and heard a sharp and high pitched sound in my ear.

"Hm... I was wondering when this would happen again." I said.

"Huh? What're you talking about." Nate's voice echoed in my ear.

"Crap he's blacking out. We need to get him back to camp now!" Yelled the other guy.

Then darkness consumed my vision along with my hearing.

I would also like to thank the GoldBlockIngot for following during the development in this chapter.