A/N: Arrg... some chapters get soooo long DX
Time Before Military Arrives: 63:15:58
Trent walked down the darkened halls of the safehouse. Things were unusually silent for the musician.
"Gwen? Cody? Where are you two?" he called out for his two closest friends.
Wandering down the corridors, he hears a sound in one of the rooms. Following the noise, he opens the metal door and peaked in.
"Gwen?" Trent's eyes widened to see the grisly act.
A ravenous Gwen was feasting upon the entrails of a newly slain Cody. The infection had finally taken hold of her as her maw rips into the gory remnants of a once terrified geek.
"Oh God…" was all the musician could say as the zombie goth turned back at him.
She mindlessly growled at Trent and stood up from her geeky meal. Without warning, she lunges at the musician, bearing her decrepit fangs.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Trent, wake up!"
The musician snapped out of his dream thanks to Chef, who finished preparing his meal inside the cafeteria room.
"Sorry, hehe, running around a zombie filled resort gets a guy sleepy" Trent said nervously.
"Well, here's lunch" Hatchet said, handing the food to the musician.
Trent, Cody, and Gwen had spent their downtime recovering in the Fortune City Emergency Shelter. As time passed, Trent got more and more restless, knowing every second he spends just twiddling his fingers another person could perish at the hands of the undead or a psychopath.
"Got any fives?" Justin asked Alejandro as the two spent their time in the safehouse playing cards in the cafeteria room as well.
"Go fish, amigo" the Latin responded as the Hawaiian drew another card.
Trent was at the other table as the other two killed time. No longer handling the nothingness that was occurring, the musician gets up and walks to the security room.
"See anything out there?" Trent asked Stacey who was surveying the playback monitors.
"No trace of live activity yet," the CURE leader informed.
Trent grew frustrated, "What are we supposed to do in the meantime?"
"Well Gwen and Cody still need time to rest up and heal their wounds, so that just leaves you"
"There's gotta be something I can do out there!" Trent pleaded.
"Well, tomorrow Gwen will be needing another dose of Zombrex and it would be a good idea to get some sooner, rather than later" Stacey reminded hum of Gwen's zombie infection.
"Where can I find some more?"
The CURE leader shrugged, "If there's none more in the pharmacy then I don't have a clue"
Trent gave a depressing frown, "Well I can only forage a zombie infested city for so long…"
Stacey turned back at the monitors, "Hey look, I think I see a survivor barricaded up in the movie theatre"
"In the movie theatre? Where's that?"
"Down the Platinum Strip, it's a road that starts right next to the Fortune City Hotel where you first met Rebecca Chang" Stacey reminded.
The musician grinned, "Well it's better than staying here all day, I better help the guy out!"
Trent stepped out and walked towards the air duct. However, he is stopped as a certain gap toothed geek ran to him.
"Trent, wait!" Cody called out.
"What is it, Cody?" the musician asked curiously, "And what do you got there?"
Cody grinned back at Trent, "Well it may be a bit before my wounds heal, so I thought I would assist you in another way. So I just thought that you could use this, I made it after finding the parts around the bunker here. I call it, the Defiler!"
Trent was astonished, looking at the ingenious craft of two duct-taped fire axe heads attached to the handle of a sledge hammer that has been turned onto its side for two blunt ends and two sharp ends with increased mass for a stronger blow from any of the four sides.
The musician chuckled, "Hehe… You came along way from building Gwen's head…"
The geek kept his patented gap-toothed grin as Trent took the modified weapon and crawled down the air duct.
After ten minutes of crawling through, the musician returned to the dark corridor that leads to the Royal Flush Plaza. Trent then made off down the shadowy hall to begin his next mission. Stepping into the mall, the musician makes off down the plaza to the other side of it. Standing in his way were a group of flesheaters eager to sink their teeth into him.
"Well, let's give this a test run" the musician tells himself as he pulled out the Defiler.
All it took was one good swing from the hammer and axe hybrid cleaves the upper half of each zombie it struck. Satisfied with the result, Trent puts away the modified weapon.
"Best I save it for a rainy day"
The musician then looks around for a substitute weapon for the time being. Running past the stores, he kept a good eye on what weapon to use. After running past store after store, he finally passes one that caught his eye above all others. Running into the sporting goods store, he grabs a golf club.
"This should do nicely," Trent said, inspecting the steel putter.
A zombie followed the musician inside the store and lunged at him. Quickly leaping back, Trent then swings his golf club against the rotted head of the corpse. Satisfied by the result, the musician carries his second new weapon out of the store and continues to the Royal Flush Plaza's parkside exit. In no time afterwards, Trent reached said exit and clubbed down the zombies that stood in his way. Quickly eluding the others, he slipped by and out the glass doors.
"Okay," Trent tells himself while pulling out the city brochure, "Looks like I need to head west now"
**Gwen**
Back inside the safehouse, Gwen wandered around the halls. She notices Chris tinkering with some video tapes.
"What are you doing?" the goth inquired the former host.
"Umm… nothing…" Chris nervously responded.
Not buying his fib, Gwen looked at his monitor to see him editing the footage of the goth's fight with Sadie.
"You are sick" Gwen informed with disgust.
Chris shrugged, "What? This is Celebrity Deathmatch for reals!"
Not wanting to bother with the dementia of a televised madman, Gwen proceeded to leave. However, she did get one last glance at the monitor to see the zombified Katie again.
"If I don't get my next Zombrex dose by tomorrow… that will be me next…"
**Trent**
Following the path on the brochure, Trent leaves the park and runs down the Platinum Strip which was on the opposing end of the park from the Silver Strip where Cody went up to the Yucatan Casino. Heading down the former, Trent fought off every undead that crossed his path towards the Movie Theatre. Said destination is what held the survivor he was looking for. As the musician ran, another point of interest caught his eye. It looked like a rundown store, but was occupied by figure moving without a stumble or a stagger.
"I shouldn't keep him waiting, but I might regret not visiting this place later…" Trent tells himself while nervously entering the decrepit store. As he did, the figure he saw revealed to be none other than a looter. Wearing the hoodie and red bandana like the other thugs Trent came across before, this one, however, did not give the musician the same hostility.
Instead, he just asks, "What can I get for you?"
"What?" Trent asked, still astonished by the revelation.
"You came to buy something or what?" the looter asked impatiently from behind a gated counter, shielding him from the undead horde.
"What is this place?"
"A pawnshop, dumbass. We looters steal stuff, and then sell stuff," the looter merchant informed sharply.
"What do you sell?" Trent questioned again.
"Whatever useful things we find. We sell guns, melee weapons, vehicle keys, Zombrex…"
"ZOMBREX?" Trent asked with greater astonishment.
"You bet, buddy"
This was a very pleasant turn of events for the musician. He needed the suppresser so Gwen could live another day. Despite having to make deals with thugs, the ends would justify the means for him. Trent happily took out his wallet.
"That will be twenty-five thousand dollars"
"…," Trent turned quiet for a moment, "T…t…twenty-five thousand dollars? For MEDICATION?"
"Listen buddy," the looter enlightened, "Zombrex does not come cheap. It never did. Most actual stores charge three hundred dollars a box. But since the outbreak, supply is a bit behind the demand, so us looters want to earn a bit more chub for our change"
Trent's eyes widen after hearing this. Zombrex, the controversial drug costs three hundred dollars even on a regular basis outside an outbreak. To think one would have to spend that much EVERY DAY. Even if Gwen makes it out of the city alive, for her to have to continue on, spending a ridiculous amount of money on a consistent basis, it's just insane.
"If you don't have the money, I'm sure there are plenty of pharmacies here that will gladly sell you some for just three hundred… hehe…" The looter sneered at the musician with his sarcasm.
Trent only sadly walked away, unable to do anything to get the Zombrex at this pawnshop.
"DAMMIT!" the musician screamed in frustration over his helpless predicament.
"IS SOMEONE THERE?" a scream was heard coming from the movie theatre across the street.
Trent was instantly reminded of his original task. He followed the sound of the voice into the building that read Paradise Platinum Screens.
"ANYONE?" The voice hollered once more.
Fending off the zombies that crowded the admission counter, Trent made his way into the screening room. As soon as he stepped in, he was nearly blinded by the bright projection of a cheesy love scene that played. As his eyes recovers from the bright room, he noticed a mohawked figure surrounded by a horde of flesheaters.
"Duncan?" Trent silently asked as his eyes continue to make out the figure shrouded in the light of the movie projection. After fully making out the shadow, it revealed to be not Duncan, but another man with a different styled Mohawk and was blue. He wore a plain black T-shirt, blue jeans, and black converse.
"Hey dude, wanna help a fellow out?" he beckoned the musician as he stood on the stage surrounded by the undead mob.
Trent snapped out of his daze and ran to the mobbing copses and pulled out the Defiler. The hammer and axe hybrid smashed apart the undead like mashed potatoes. The combined forces of blade and blunt strength made quick work of the mob. After taking down the last one, Trent ran to the survivor's side.
"You okay?" the musician asked.
"Thanks man, but what kept ya?" the blue mohawked man asked.
"Sorry, you just reminded me of someone I know"
"Someone you want dead?"
"Noo… just someone… who has the greatest girl in the world…" Trent sadly lamented, "Who I lost, due to my own insecurity…"
"Hehe… just kidding dude… no biggy. But sorry about the girl, though" the survivor expressed his condolences, "By the way, my name's John, thanks a ton for lending me a hand"
"No problem, my name's Trent. Listen, there's a safehouse where I can take you"
"Really?"
"Yeah, it has all the supplies we need to last before the military arrives in a few days," Trent happily informed.
"Sounds good to me, bro" John said with a grin.
"By the way…" the musician began on a serious note, "You never happened to have ever come across some Zombrex have you?"
The blue mohawked punk shrugged, "Sorry dude, can't say that I have"
"Damn…" Trent frowned once again, "The only one I know is available was the one sold by the looter in the pawnshop I came across… but there is no way I can get twenty-five thousand dollars to pay for it by tomorrow"
"Hehe… those looters are a pain in the ass. They told me help would be found in this theatre, but… you know the rest… Well… since you helped me, maybe I can help you," John offers, "You may not have noticed, but this place has a ton of ATMs"
Trent raised his head in newfound hope, "You're saying we should smash the ATM machines?"
"Won't do any good. Too tough to break into totally. You'd be lucky if two hundred dollars would come out. But fortunately for you, you came to the right metalhead. I know how to tinker with one of those contraptions to spill out more than the required amount to buy some of that Zombrex"
"Really?"
"You bet"
Before Trent could say anything else, he hears his transceiver go off, "What is it, Stacey?"
"Trent, looks like there is another survivor spotted in your vicinity. Just finish walking down the Platinum Strip and he is just in front of the Fortune City Arena building," The CURE leader informed.
"Really?"
"Looks like he is on a bike"
"I'll be right over there," Trent said before hanging up and then mutters, "Shit, why can't I do two things at once?"
"Relax man, just loan me one of your weapons and I can go retrieve the money and get you that Zombrex, go carry on with that detour of yours"
"You sure you can handle the zombies by yourself?" the musician asked skeptically.
"A couple of corpses aren't going to do me in" John scoffed.
Trent caved and hands him his golf club, "Thanks, John"
"No problem bro, you got to have your own skin so you can win back that girl of yours" John grinned before running out of the cinema.
Trent smiled and did the same. The two went separate directions from there. The musician continues down the Platinum Strip to find this new survivor. Eluding the zombie interceptors, he eventually made it to the end of the outdoor strip and the front entrance to the Fortune City Arena. After a minute of looking around, searching for the survivor, the musician hears the sound of a motorcycle closing in fast from behind. Quickly turning around, he sees none other than a green TIR rider driving his Slicecycle straight towards Trent. The musician fearfully tries to take cover just before the modified vehicle makes a turn at the very last second. After hitting the deck to avoid the oncoming chainsaw blades, Trent got back up to see the person being none other than Leon, the same green rider who so coldly mocked him in the Terror is Reality show just before the outbreak. The arrogant contestant pulls over beside the musician.
"Ohhh… well… lookie here," Leon said with his usual cocky attitude, "If it ain't widdle Twenty Smith! Didn't get enough of me yet? You came for my autograph?"
Trent brushed himself off and glares at the arrogant TIR contestant on his Slicecycle which, to be reviewed, was a fully-modified IJIEK 772c Racing Bike (Second-Half 2004 Model), reverse-engineered to incorporate a low center of gravity (LCG) muffler design, a sixteen-valve, 4-stroke, DOHC engine, and, of course, a twin pair of chainsaws and 4 radial blades, attached to a separate engine located within the front fairing.
(A/N: Yes, I copy and pasted this description, sue me :P)
"Oh, I bet you just get rrrrrrrrrock hard thinking about me at night, don't you, Trenty?" Leon continued while shimmying his Slicecycle suggestively with the innuendo, "You come to throw your panties at me? Hahahahaha!"
Leon continued to taunt the musician as he starts to do a slow donut around him on his modified bike.
"Whatever buddy," not in the mood for anymore games, Trent changes the subject, "Look, I can take you to the bunker where it's safe…"
Leon slammed on the brakes after circling the musician, "Bunker? Where it's safe? Man, you are a pussy, aren't you?" the arrogant rider then scowls at Trent, "I used to worship you on your show! I bought your band's every album! But look at you now. Since season two, you get yourself into relationship after relationship that all end in self-sabotage. You're a broken man. You just don't got it anymore, do you?"
Trent was getting more frustrated with this guy than ever, "What's your problem?"
"You're such a chump, Trent…"
"HEEEEEEEEEY! TRENT! OVER HERE!" Interrupting the conversation, John had returned after retrieving the Zombrex that Trent had so desperately requested.
Trent was happy to have good company for once and even giddier about the white and blue box the punk tourist was waving at him. The musician was about to run over to John but was halted by Leon.
"I'll race you for him…" the arrogant rider said as he drove past the musician on his Slicecycle and sped right towards the tourist with a blue Mohawk.
Seeing the deadly vehicle heading straight at him, John turned around to flee. However, the Slicecycle was just too fast and the left chainsaw handlebar ripped right through the mohawked punk's torso, slicing him in two.
"JOHN!" Trent screamed while flabbergasted at the malicious act of the sadistic TIR contestant, "YOU BASTARD!"
"HAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Leon manically cackled while driving back towards the musician. He now sped up in Trent's direction just before slamming the breaks with the bloodstained chainsaw handlebar only inches away from the musician.
"What the fuck were you doing? THAT WASN'T A ZOMBIE!" Trent angrily shouted.
"Yeah, no shit, Trent," Leon sneered back, "Twice the points! They're harder to hit 'cause they move around so much, bastards…" he finished while angrily inspecting his chainsaw handlebars.
"You're crazy! This isn't a game!" Trent reminded once again.
The sadistic TIR rider slowly turned back at the musician, "You're right about that… THAT was just PRACTICE! Hehehe…" Leon, once again, circles Trent with his Slicecycle, NOW it's a game! Terror is Reality, baby! For Real! Hahaha! heha! haha!"
Leon's Slicecycle picks up speed as it makes more donuts around Trent.
"LIVE IN FORTUNE CITY! HAHAHAHA!" the TIR psycho contestant continues to cackle, "I've always wanted to take you down, chump,"
Leon then halts and throws a key at the musician.
"But you need some wheels, Trenty!" he informed as he points at a regular motorcycle that was mounted in front of the Arena building for promotional purposes prior to the outbreak.
"I'm not going to play your game…" Trent stood firmly. As vengeful as he was over what Leon did to John, the musician knew nothing good would have came from playing along with the psychopath.
"Maybe Trenty needs some motivation" Leon sneered and drove back to where the severed corpse of John laid. The TIR psychopath then reached out for the white and blue box of Zombrex. Leon then tauntingly shook the container in front of Trent.
"Wait! I need that for Gwen!" the musician protested.
"Then don't keep me waiting…" Leon responded before flooring it up the Platinum Strip, "HAHAAHAHAAH! HAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAA!"
Trent took the key the psychopath had given him and ran to the idle motorbike. Now that Gwen's life was practically in the sadistic TIR rider's hand, Trent had no other choice but to go after him. He needed the Zombrex. Hopping on the motorcycle, he used the key to turn it on.
"For Gwen…" he tells himself while cursing over the fact that he may have to once again kill for the goth's sake.
Driving the bike down the Platinum Strip, the musician pursues Leon on his Slicecycle. Not having chainsaws strapped to his bike's handlebars, Trent was at a grave disadvantage. However, he did have Cody's trusty Defiler. The zombie horde was not much of an issue for the biker since the motorcycle mowed through the undead crowd with ease. Even better was the fact that the musician had prior experience with motorcycles since he had once repaired them for a living. This talent allowed Trent to navigate up the strip and after Leon. Eventually he caught up with the psychopath in the park.
"Didn't think you were gonna make it!" Leon taunted.
"Give me the Zombrex!" Trent angrily ordered.
"You don't win contests that way Trenty!" the TIR psychopath taunted, "Come and get it!"
Leon floored it once again took off with the musician closely following him circling the park. The chainsaws that hung out on Leon's Slicecycle chopped through the undead road kill like butter. As Trent starts to gain up on him, the TIR psychopath made a quick turnaround, facing the musician.
"HERE IT COMES, TRENTY!" Leon yelled as he hastily drives his Slicecycle right at Trent.
The modified bike rushed right at the musician and Trent couldn't help but jump off his own ride to narrowly avoid the chainsaw handlebars of Leon's Slicecycle.
"Awww, Looks like Twenty doesn't want his Zombwex!" Leon continued to taunt.
Trent grunted in pain after having to throw himself onto the ground. Before a zombie could become an opportunist, the musician quickly hops back onto his motorcycle for another round. He then drove his bike to catch up to Leon who had driven to the other side of the park. Driving past more and more undead crowds, the musician eventually reached Leon.
"Ready for round two Trenty?" Leon asked as he speeds up towards Trent again.
This time, the musician was ready for him. Trent pulled out the Defiler as the Slicecyclist got closer. Just when he was within reach, Trent swung the axe and hammer hybrid at him. However, Leon ducked in just a knick of time.
"Lookie, here! He's actually got some fight in him after all!" The TIR psychopath stated as he turned around back at Trent, "Now I don't have to toy around with you anymore"
Trent turned his bike back at Leon as well. The two begin their third joust while speeding towards each other. This time, Leon performed a wheelie by raising the front end of his Slicecycle so the chainsaw handlebars was closer to Tren't head. From the current angle, the Defile was useless and all Trent could do was lean the other way to avoid maximum damage. The chainsaw teeth, however, reached and tore into the musician's shoulder.
"GAAAAAAHHH!" the musician screamed by the swift slice of the chainsaw. The impact was strong enough to throw him off of his bike.
"TRIPLE POINTS FOR KILLING TRENT!" The maniacal Leon screamed.
Trent gets up from falling off his ride yet again. But this time, Leon was not as charitable.
"FREEBIES ARE OVER!" Leon screamed as he charges his Slicecycle at grounded musician.
As the chainsaws swung at him again, Trent rolled out of the way in time to elude the sadistic TIR contestant. Trent quickly made a run for it back to his motorcycle before Leon turned around again. Hopping back on, Trent floors it. However, Leon had already made his next charge at him. As Trent drove around the park, Leon was gaining on the musician from behind and fast.
"Gwen was right to dump your pussy ass!" the belittling continued from the arrogant psychopath, "Now you're gonna blow your shot with her again!"
That did it for the musician. He instantly stepped on the breaks and rams the Defiler against the face of a speeding Leon. The blunt impact smashed into the Leon's face and the Slicecycle rider staggered away in pain aboard his ride.
"Ouch, you bitch!" the psychopath cursed.
Regaining his ground, Leon turns his Slicecycle around for the next joust. Applying a firm grip to the Slicecycle, Leon and his ride leapt in the air and lunges right at Trent with chainsaws ready to decapitate.
The musician narrowly ducked in time to avoid the lethal blow. Wasting no time afterwards, he quickly turned his bike around and gave chase. While avoiding ever corpse along the way, Trent gains on Leon and swings the Defiler against the psychopath's back.
"UGH!" Leon grunted in pain.
Quick to counterattack, the TIR rider does a sharp donut and the chainsaw handlebars rip into Trent's thigh.
"Aurgh!" Trent also winced over his wound.
"Time to do away with you for good, Trenty! Hahahahaha" Leon continued to cackle while turning to Trent's direction one last time"
Trent fights through the pain as he follows suit and readies to charge at Leon.
The two bikes drive right at each other while their drivers readied their weapons. Trent prepared to swing his Defiler while Leon raises the chainsaws on his Slicecycle. As the two rides practically collide, The chainsaws rip into Trent's side while the axe and hammer hybrid implants into Leon's ribcage. The forces caused both riders to then crash into a steel fence alongside the park.
Weakened from the blunt trauma and axe choppings, Leon tries to drive away after crashing. Little did the TIR contestant know, that the collision to his Slicecycle caused his gas tank to leak at fast pace. The vehicle started to slow down because of this. Too frustrated to work with it, Leon stumbles off and tries to stagger his way from the scene. However, preventing the psychopath from escaping, Trent parked his ride in front of Leon after recovering from the crash himself.
"Give me the Zombrex," the musician ordered once more.
The defeated psychopath grinned maniacally back at him, "Hehe… Oh, you think it's that easy, Trent? You think you're the man?"
As the gasoline puddle gets bigger, Leon stubbornly and weakly hopped back onto his Slicecycle.
"You'll NEVER beat me! Hahahahaha!"
The exhaust of the bike rumbles as the psychotic TIR rider starts to drive the modified bike again while spraying the leaked gasoline liquid all over the place.
"Yeah, that's right, quadruple points, Trenty… LET'S SEE YOU TOP THIS!"
The crazed rider starts performing tight donuts again.
Not even attacking Trent anymore, Leon continues to cackle, "Hahahahaha! Yeah, you take that!"
Leon's turns were so sharp, the chainsaw handlebars scraped against the concrete ground. The sparks it created mixed with the spilled gasoline, thus igniting a flame that spread onto the Slicecycle, as well as the psychopath himself.
"On top… all the way to the end!" the psychotic Leon boasts, ignoring the fact that he was set aflame.
After doing enough circles, the Slicecycle gave in to the fire, and an ablazed Leon finally stepped off of it.
"But never forget, chump! I'M NUMBER OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!"
Leon cackled one last time before finally succumbing to the flame.
Trent only glared at the crisped psychopath, "Yeah… you're on fire…"
The musician's attention had then diverted back to the blue and white box that had also caught on fire.
"Shit!"
Trent grabbed the Zombrex and quickly put out the flame before it could consume that as well. Before he had a moment to enjoy getting Gwen's saving grace, the musician realizes how much excruciating pain he really was.
"Dammit, I'm not gonna make it to the safehouse at this rate…" Trent stated weakly.
He stumbled back on his bike and drove around the park, looking for a temporary place to rest. Eventually, he came across a large fountain that stood just in front of the Platinum Strip.
"There's no way a zombie could climb up that"
Trent stumbled off his bike and scaled up the fountain. Now safe from the zombie's reach, the musician rested his head backwards and allowed the water to help treat his wound. Time seemed to speed up as the musician relaxed in fountain.
Suddenly, Trent was alerted by a chiming of the park's clock tower. The musician lifted his head back up to see that nightfall had come again. To make matters worse, the undead's eyes had reverted back to their nightly glowing crimson color. Their aggressive nocturnal nature had returned as well as they all looked up hungrily at the musician.
"Not good…"
To Be Continued…
Time Before Military Arrives: 61:59:59
A/N: Though I kind of want to bring out official characters in at a faster rate, you all are free to submit as many survivor OC apps as you want. Though I can't guarantee they'll all get in, let alone if they survive, I will always hear out all requests.