QUICK AUTHOR'S NOTE: I suggest you read this if you have any confusion!

In regards to the last update, I just want to clarify everyone of the situation in the plot line, since I feel as though I might have done a poor job or rushed in the last chapter. The last chapter WILL tie into the story later, even if it seemed confusing. The last chapter was really supposed to have left some things in the dark so that it would, again, be brought up later. This story is written in first point of view (which I normally hate, but felt it necessary for this particular plot) and the characters in this story are left in the dark themselves. The plot is taken place not TOO long after the zombie disease had broken out. Long enough to train and fight back to where there is a fighting chance, but source? Cure? Influence? They still have no idea. I'm taking this story at a slow pace. I'm trying not to make the story seem rushed (I often unintentionally do that anyway). Please, bear with me :) This story has yet to reach its peak. And you WILL see other characters; they didn't vanish into thin air! It would annoy me if they did, so I would not do that! Sorry, I just felt the need to clarify these points (in a light hearted matter, I don't want to come off as angry! Don't worry I'm not!). Anyways, thanks for sticking with this story so far, I appreciate it and hope you stay to it :P

P.S: Sorry I didn't update the weekend! My laptop is acting like an old lady (or man?) and refuses to run when I want it to, only when it feels like it. I mean seriously, it took me a few hours just to get an internet page or Microsoft Word to open. Sheesh, I'm starting to think that technology just likes to spite me :( But I don't think I deserve this!-Okay maybe I should've kept more on top of updates and deleting crap I don't need and…alright maybe I deserve some payback, but it's still frustrating!

Chapter Nine: In the Eye of the Storm

Disclaimer: I do not own Adventure Time

Fionna's POV:

Tears well up and cause a burning sensation, obscuring my line of vision. How can this be? I have never seen anything like this. Something worse than any nightmare I have ever faced. E two. Finn's sector!

Rotting carcasses are lying everywhere, dismembered, and whole. Some are zombified, some completely human. A good amount of bodies are wearing familiar clothing that I cannot bring myself to further speculate. I can't help it. A sob escapes my significantly constricted throat. My chest burns and the scene in front of us are leaving an unbearable anguish.

The pain only swells farther as I recognize the surrounding brick graphite buildings, convenient shops, and window treatments. A hot tear escapes and streaks down my cheek. This is my home. This is where I is where we grew up. The dots only continue to connect and a cruel unforgiving voice reaches my thoughts. There's the once living friendly mail man! Look over there, that's the once warm hearted neighbor you would always help bake apple pies with! Oh-is that someone you went to high school with? Probably

STOP!

I can't think like this! I need to focus!

"Attention. All recruited aid must avert their undivided attention to this information." I hear a monotone voice echoing from above, and I just realize the amount of people who had just arrived. I also begin to feel a hand resting on my back. I slowly bring my attention to the owner of that said hand as I once again grip my sense of reality. I now see a concerned looking Marshall Lee. Had I been that obvious? What have I been doing? For all I know I could have been weeping this whole time and not have noticed. I give him a reassuring nod; I need to pull myself together anyway-without help.

"Greetings volunteers" I only now look up to the source, recognizing the owner of the projecting voice. Gumball

"While we are not allowed to notify our exact concerns of the sectors you were just shipped from, I can assure you it's of the benefit." He pauses. He doesn't exactly seem to know the right way to sugar coat his speech. He of coarse sounds like the confident leader that he tends to take the role as, he usually get criticized for this, but there are certain things that Gumball has to do to avoid frenzy such as this.

"Those specific sectors must be thoroughly searched and recorded in order to answer our current theories. Theories that we are withheld from announcing, you must understand that we are taking control of the situation and that those theories can easily be a long shot in which we wouldn't want to burden you with." He obviously wasn't prepared for this speech, normal Gumball is much more calm and collected.

"This sector here is by far one of the most dangerous. We have set up a medical camp nearing the outside walls of this dwelling. Military and medical vehicles are being sent as often as we can afford to. Be careful" The screens turn black. That was it?

"Well that was completely useless. All we've gained from that fantastic report was that we are basically on a suicide mission." I don't have much to say. This is typical. We have so many scientists, yet we know nothing of what they gain until it's thoroughly proven. Although I can't complain, the knowledge of all these different theories would potentially cause chaos. I also don't sit right with being left in the dark. Normally, I can get information like this out of Gumball since we're buds, but he's not here and I'm not there.

I am surrounded by faint murmurs of complaint and defiance. My anguish quickly turns to rage. So these people just want to stand around while everyone else is fighting? While they're surrounded by dead bodies and pay no mind? I shrug away from Marshall's grasp.

"LISTEN UP!" All of the echoing murmurs are put to a halt.

"We have an obligation to do and we're sure as hell carrying that obligation out!"

"I don't want to see any slackers! We're fighting to protect people and I do not tolerate selfish slackers only willing to save their own skin! And I am infuriated that even one of you so called "soldiers" heeds no mine to our surroundings and decides to stand here waiting for some outside force to move you into action! Now go do what you signed up for and quit your lolly gagging!" It takes only a few moments for the relatively small army to split up and start their way into the town, leaving the clearing vacant in exception of Marshal and me.

"Are you okay Fi? You seem shaken" I solemnly look up to his eyes.

"Let's just go" I turn away and start to jog my way down the-oh-too-familiar roads.

There are no clear paths to stride upon; all is occupied with mentally scarring sights. The once heartwarming place of home is now eerily quiet and I find myself having trouble to stay on alert. Each time I spot a building, past images of what it had once looked like floods through mind and I find it harder and harder each time I am forced to blink the images away. All along my home has been one of the deadliest dwellings. How could I have been so ignorant? I feel as though I should have been aware of this information in some way-and yet here I am taken aback, appalled as I was when I first fled from here. Well I am not fleeing with my tail between my legs this time!

"Fi! Slow down!" At the sound of Marshall's voice, I halt. When did I start sprinting so hard? I wait until Marshall catches up with me. It feels as though I pushed him miles away from me. And I don't like it. But why should I care? Didn't I want to avoid closeness such as this? Especially after what happened? When did I start to have this undying feeling to stay at Marshall's side? Is it because you care? That perhaps you've developed feelings for him? I shake my head. No I can't.

"You do realize it's going to be difficult to face zombies when we're too busy catching our breath, right?" For some reason unbeknownst to me, I feel a pang of guilt. Is it for being irresponsible and rash? Or is it because I haven't told Marshall why I am upset, slightly pushing him away in the process…

"Look, I'm sorry-"

"It's okay, when you're ready to tell me, I'm here. You don't have to push yourself. Come on, we have other stuff to focus on." I can feel the corners of my mouth cork up, but the sweet moment is unfortunately interrupted by an unsettling groan in the distance.

I swiftly turn only to bear the sight of three barely fleshed rotting creature bolting toward us in full sprint, ready to lunge. I don't have enough time to grab a gun of some kind and properly aim, so I instead reach for my trusty sword.

The first and leading of the three initiates its fatality directly towards me, however I manage to disrupt its path with a powerful kick to what's left of a jaw. The creature staggers back and I give no second thought but to make a menacing slice aimed for the meaty torso. Innards spill out and the mutant creature falls back against the pavement.

Marshall Lee's POV:

The sprinting structure of dripping flesh continues to sprint toward me, arms put at full length ready to grab me. I step to the side at last minute, pushing the zombie, letting its momentum do the work for me. The creature stumbles and falls over. I unfasten my axe and behead the zombie before it has the opportunity to steady itself. When I hear another distinct groan, I realize that I had briefly forgotten about the third pursuer. I turn to the zombie not but a few feet away. I stumble back in an attempt for distance; however this might not have been the best decision because I now see that I've given the upper hand for it to ready itself to pounce. How could I be so stupid?

My grip on the rod of my weapon tightens as I prepare to play a sick version of baseball, but it proves unnecessary. A small blade is hurled and embeds itself inside the carcasses' neck. The creature falls to its knees and slumps lifelessly forward against the asphalt. Fionna retrieves her dagger, maybe it's the same dagger that saved my life before, and I control my erratic heartbeat.

"They came from over there" I look to where she's pointing, a path behind two buildings. But where does the path lead to?

"Let's go check it out, I have a feeling they were in full sprint for a reason other than us." She then strides confidently over to that said direction, as if she knows where she's going. But how could she? Has she been sent here before? It's possible, I mean she has been doing this ummm..occupation? For a while now, I just shrug off my questions and follow.

The path ends up leading us toward a park; I look around and notice that this is the only portion of land that seems clean so far. Clear, well pigmented patched of grass, crisp water occupying the ponds and in the one fountain, and the dirt paths are well kempt. As my head turns left to right at the sight, I blindly walk into something and stop.

It's Fi, and she looks ahead horrified. I follow her gaze and cringe. Piles of zombified bodies piled over wooden debris, ready to be ignited. People pushing wheel barrows of both zombified and human bodies. The human bodies awaiting proper burial while the zombies await their sloppy cremation; a camp is set up. Multiple make-shift beds are occupied by what I would assume are victims who are breathing wearily.

"No, no please! There has to be another way" I feel Fionna hug the wind out of me as she buries her face into the nape of my neck. I can see why. A man lies on the ground as another man brings down an axe blade, severing the suffering man's calf off. There's a cry of horrifying pain and I feel an eerie shiver as my bodies' only response is the wrap my arms securely around Fionna.

"When you are bitten, the only way to prevent you from becoming a zombie is to immediately remove that part of your body-before the disease can spread." The vibration of Fionna's voice against my neck causes the hairs on the back of my neck to stand. I simply nod in acknowledgement. I cannot begin to imagine the pain the man must be feeling right now. I begin to blink once again.

"Don't look so surprised lad; this is what has to be done. Tell your girlfriend to quite her blubbering, it's a horrible sight indeed, but crying about it won't do no good."

"Excuse me for not wanting to witness someone's limb being lopped off! You guys aren't troops, so what are you doing here still? Shouldn't you have been led out by now?" Fionna spits back with venom laced around every word.

"Hasn't been much surviving soldiers to lead us back now has there. Naw, we're best off our own. I'm not risking our skins in hopes that you people will pull through and save the day. We're taking care of ourselves just fine. Now, off you go, we're best off without the likes of you. We've decided to find our own way out." I lowly growl.

"We can help you. We might just be your only hope and yet you cast us off like we're some kind of nuisance? Maybe you should think about what you're saying before you send us away" A crowd gathers with infuriated expressions.

"We've put our faith in your hands before and it's only caused grief, now off with you!" The crowd chants. I lead Fionna away from the park.

"I can't blame them." I pause to listen.

"I mean, it's only natural for them to become defiant. There doing what they think is best to ensure survival. Who knows, maybe they are right"

~time skip~

Fionna's POV:

By now, I am used to running. I am in better shape than I have ever been in my life. But the body always has its limitation and I can only push my body further, even when every muscle is screaming out in pain and exhaustion. I only run forward as I bring down as many numbers as I can, it's what everyone is left to do. At least fifteen other soldiers scurry around the main street area, fighting off the walking-or should I say running dead. Each one of us seems to be outnumbered by at least ten. This area is intensely infested.

"Everyone! Clear the way, I'm gonna set off a grenade!" That said, everyone drops what they are doing and makes a mad dash away. I quicken my pace even more. I don't pay any mind to the building I run parallel to. I do however; notice a notice a sewage tunnel lid next to where it should be tightly snug. No problem. Just a small leap and I'm fine.

While in mid-leap, a tarnished intimidating hand reaches from below the street leading into the tunnel. A death grip is wound around my ankle and I cry out in pain. I try and fight the tug of war battle and I begin to feel my thigh rub against the cold ladder. I feel my leg get stuck between the rods during the struggle and my panic increase. I can't die like this! Not being drug down and eaten alive my some zombie-or zombies! Or worse, staying in this position while I get the blood drained out of me from my leg! I clamp my palms firmly against the road and continue to fight in desperation for my right leg.

My left leg rests on its knee in safety while I begin to kick my left leg hurriedly. Tears begin to brim and film over my eyes, and that's when I hear and feel a snap. Another cry of pain escapes my lips, this time louder and full of anguish. My leg is broken!

"Fi!"

Author's Note:

*Gasp!* What will happen? Well you'll have to find out in the next update :P I was originally going to make this one humongous chapter, but I decided to split this part of the story into two parts. Don't worry, I'll probably update the next chapter sooner, no guarantee though. Any who please review! I like to see whether or not my story is going in the right direction so that I can clear things up and blah blah blah. Ta ta for now!~

-J.M