A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews, guys:) critical or not, I will always and forever appreciate them.

WARNING: This chapter contains a rather brutal battle scene. If you don't like that stuff, please don't feel obligated to read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Office or it's affiliates.


Dwight, Creed and Jim were once again running swiftly down the darkened hallways.

"Where to now?" Creed asked, striding along quickly beside Dwight. "Another fire escape?"

"No, not a fire escape..." Dwight said hurriedly, with the bottle of mace still gripped firmly in his fist.

"Where's the last way out then?" Jim panted, trying to keep up.

"The roof." Dwight said simply, halting to a sudden stop and turning left down another corridor. Creed and Jim glanced at each other before following him.

Down a hallway, then down another, through a few doorways, turn left, then up a flight of stairs. Jim was growing dizzy, wondering vaguely how Dwight was so sure where he was going, for the darkness around them was thickening with every step they took.

As he was running beside the two men, Jim personally decided that he wouldn't let his sadness about Pam affect him until he actually got out of this place. As irrational as that sounded, it was the only thing that comforted him: if he got out of here, he would feel terrible and miserable, but at least safely so. If he went mad in here while trying to escape, well... at least the pain of losing the girl he loved would be gone if he was a monster.

He would forget, which, Jim realized ironically, sounded rather appealing right now.

"Up here." Dwight hissed, and he burst through another doorway.

Creed and Jim followed, but all three of them suddenly stopped. They actually recognized this hallway: it was on the way to the hatch leading to the roof from their office. Their potential freedom was so close. But there was only one problem...

Kelly was standing at the other end of the hallway, blocking their passage to the roof. She spotted them with her horrible red eyes, and immediately shrieked, which sounded screechier and more terrible than any of the men who had become infected. She bared her teeth, and charged toward them at once.

Jim and Dwight were prepared: Jim raised his hammer, ready for attack; Dwight was gripping his bottle of mace even harder now, as if it were a grenade. Both men advanced at her...

"NO!" Creed suddenly appeared, and shoved the two men into the wall. Dwight and Jim, shocked, stumbled aside as they watched the dark outline of Creed rush toward Kelly, his broom handle gripped in his hands. There was a split second, where Jim and Dwight tried to regain their footing, when all of a sudden...

CRUNCH!

The sound of bodies smashing together, and Kelly's shriek of pain and rage, filled their ears. Both men watched, shocked, as Creed was practically wrestling with the monster Kelly. She was pressed against the wall a few feet away, Creed's broom held sideways by both hands, shoved to her neck. Kelly herself was thrashing around furiously, her long nails trying to grasp either the broom or Creed's flesh.

"GO!" Creed gasped to the other two through gritted teeth. He was holding Kelly off for as long as he possibly could so the other two could escape. He was sacrificing himself for them.

Dwight hesitated for a second.

"C'mon!" Jim seized a handful of Dwight's shirt and yanked him down the hallway. They passed the two struggling figures, and Dwight seemed to snap out of it, pulling himself out of Jim's grasp and running by himself now. As the two darted past Creed and turned into the next hallway, they heard the horrible snap of the broom breaking, and a scream of pain issuing from Creed.

Dwight stumbled slightly as he halted to a stop, his eyes wide. Jim stopped too, looking around.

"I think he's been bitten." Dwight whispered urgently.

Jim grit his teeth, reaching over and grabbing Dwight's arm. "There's nothing we can do!" and Jim yanked Dwight down the hallway, ignoring any other protests from him.

They had barely gone a dozen steps when another shriek sounded up ahead. This time, it issued from Michael, standing in a doorway, looking madder and more terrible than ever.

Jim gripped his hammer as if it were his lifeline. He spoke to Dwight, who was now standing slightly behind him: "Keep moving toward the hatch, no matter what. Don't stop for anything. If you see something move, attack it. You understand me?"

"Yes." came Dwight strangled reply.

Michael suddenly shrieked, then lunged forward.

The battle was on. Jim swung, thrashed, jabbed, and stabbed his hammer as hard as he could toward the monster, just barely keeping him away. Jim heard Dwight fighting beside him, and Jim could feel the slight sting of pepper spray in his eyes. Blinking the burning feeling away, he still fought. Slowly and steadily, Jim and Dwight managed to move toward the exit...

Two shrieks from behind them meant Kelly and Creed were now close by.

"Dammit!" Dwight bellowed through his teeth, whipping his head around to look behind him. Jim took this moment to smash his hammer against Michael's hand. Michael, howling with pain, stumbled aside. Now was their chance...

"C'mon!" Jim grabbed Dwight's arm, pulling him past the writhing form of Michael. Jim, glancing over his shoulder, got a glimpse of Creed's and Kelly's blood-red eyes glaring at them, their blackened teeth bared.

Jim turned forward, and dragged Dwight away and around a corner.

The hatch to the roof was in sight, only about fifteen feet away. But they had other problems: Oscar and Ryan were smashing their way across the threshold, toward the two. Behind them, they could hear Kelly, Creed, and Michael stumbling their way toward them. Earsplitting shrieks surrounded them on every side.

They were trapped.

"I got Oscar and Ryan!" Jim shouted to Dwight over the angry cries of the monsters. "You got the rest!"

Dwight didn't reply, but immediately leapt over toward Creed, Kelly, and Michael, brandishing his bottle of mace. Jim quickly turned and began attacking the other two.

SMACK!

Jim swung his hammer wildly through the air, and it collided with Ryan's ear. He grasped the side of his head, stumbling in pain, and shrieked loudly. Jim immediately turned to battle with Oscar, who slammed into him before Jim could even raise his weapon again.

"No!"

Jim felt Oscar be pushed brutally away, and he noticed Dwight colliding with him at full speed. Oscar slammed to the ground with a loud shriek.

Dwight quickly turned to Jim, looking slightly panicked. "Are you all right? Did he bite you?"

"I'm okay." Jim glanced down at his arms and legs, seeing no cuts or punctures. "Look, Dwight- -"

"What?" Dwight asked, but was quickly distracted by Kelly, who was running toward him and shrieking madly. Jim quickly leapt forward and slammed his hammer into Kelly's jaw before she could reach them. She got knocked to the floor, writhing and screaming in pain.

Panting, Jim turned to Dwight. "- -I think you should get to the hatch right now. I'll hold these guys off..."

"Are you crazy?" Dwight exclaimed, as Michael blundered toward them angrily. He lunged, and Dwight immediately jumped aside. Jim quickly ducked down before Michael could manage to sink his teeth into his flesh, and Jim hastily swung the hammer around:

THUNK!

The hammer smashed into the side of Michael's knee. He howled with pain as he fell to the floor, red eyes rolling madly.

"Dwight: get out of here!" Jim bellowed through his teeth, leaping back to his feet.

"NO!" Dwight insisted.

Another shriek behind them indicated Oscar was back on his feet. The two whipped around, their weapons raised and ready.

"I'll be fine!" Jim insisted, as Oscar flung himself at the two. Jim swung the hammer as Dwight tried to spray him in the eyes, but only an odd hissing erupted from the nozzle. Jim's hammer smashed Oscar's nose, and Oscar wobbled dangerously on his feet, clutching his face. Taking advantage, Jim quickly ducked down and football-tackled him to the ground.

THUMP!

Oscar's head hit the ground with a sickening thud, and he went still.

Jim scrambled to his feet, and Dwight was twisting the nozzle of his mace vigorously, trying to fix it.

"I think your out."

All of a sudden, Ryan jumped to his feet, shrieking when he noticed the two men several feet away.

"Dwight, get out of here! I'll be fine, I'll hold them off! Just go!" Jim insisted once again, grabbing him and shoving him bodily toward the hatch, which was now right above them. Dwight hesitated.

"I can't just leave you down here!" he yelled desperately, as Ryan ran toward them. Jim turned around to fight, but Dwight quickly raised his now-useless bottle of mace and chucked it as hard as he could at the monster. The bottle's edge knocked Ryan in the temple, and he shrieked as blood poured from that point and down his face. Jim raised his hammer, but Ryan merely sunk to the floor, eyes rolling up into his head, clearly unconscious.

"Dwight, I'll be fine." Jim repeated, as they heard Creed and Kelly getting to their feet. "They're just going to keep on attacking. But I can hold them off while you can escape. I'm the only one with a weapon- -" Jim held up the bloody hammer. "I'm the only one who stands a chance."

"Give me the hammer!" Dwight demanded as Kelly and Creed blundered their way toward the two. Jim, grunting in frustration, quickly whipped around and brandished the aforementioned weapon. Creed lunged at him, but Jim smashed him in the head with all his might. Creed fell over, blood blossoming over his graying hair. Kelly moved in, but Jim quickly swung his hammer so he hit her side. The sound of cracking bones meant that her rib had cracked.

"DWIGHT! GO!" Jim yelled over the shrieks of all the reviving monsters around them.

Dwight hesitated. "I can't just leave you here...!"

"You have to!" Jim quickly whipped his head around, noticing that Creed and Michael were getting unsteadily to their feet.

Dwight's expression grew angry: "If you stay down here, you're dead! I'm not going to let that happen!"

Dwight quickly moved forward, and tried to grab Jim's hammer from him, but Jim fought him. With a violent shove, he managed to throw Dwight off. But at that second, Michael lunged at him: with two swings, Jim managed to hit Michael in the shoulder and then in the jaw. Michael stumbled away, blood spewing from his mouth. Jim jabbed the hammer as hard as he could into Michael's stomach. Michael, howling in pain, quickly fell to the floor, eyes screwed up in agony. Creed suddenly pounced at Jim, who swiftly shoved him bodily into the wall. Panting, Jim took the hammer with both hands and shoved it against Creed's throat, pinning him in place.

"DWIGHT, GET OUT OF HERE!" Jim shouted, his teeth grit in anger and exhaustion. Creed shrieked with fury.

Dwight hesitated once again, his anger turning into fright. "No, Jim. I need to fight with you- -"

"NO, YOU DON'T!" Jim shoved the hammer even harder against Creed's windpipe, and the monster sputtered angrily. "YOU HAVE SOMEONE OUT THERE WAITING FOR YOU! YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR! YOU HAVE ANGELA! WHO DO I HAVE? NO ONE!"

Dwight hesitated a third time, watching Jim struggle.

"GO!" Jim shouted, turning to look at Dwight with burning determination.

Dwight quickly strode up to the ladder and climbed a rail or two, reaching up and grabbing the handle to the hatch. Dwight closed his eyes for a brief second before snapping them open again and pulling at the latch.

It loosened easily. Dwight pressed his hand against the portal's door, and pushed.

It swung open, and cool, wonderful night air hit him in the face. He could see the stars above, the moon shining brightly...

With one last scared glance below, Dwight quickly placed one hand on either side of the opening, and heaved himself up. In a matter of seconds, he was gone.

The hatch door then closed behind him with a snap.

~/~

Jim's muscles were shaking; his face was shining with sweat, and his breath was coming in short, painful bursts. He knew he couldn't hold off Creed for much longer, for the monster showed no sign of wanting to give up. Creed still scratched and snarled and fought with determined ferocity.

Jim could hear the other monsters getting up behind him, making their way toward him. For once, they weren't shrieking like their vocal chords were on fire: they were rather silent as they crept up to the two forms wrestling at the wall.

Then, with a sudden burst of power, Creed threw Jim off of him and shoved him away. Jim could just see outlines of the figures bearing down on him as he stumbled backward. The darkness seemed to overcome him as they continued to close in on him...

I love you Pam

And with that, Jim's body slammed into the opposite wall. His head flopped helplessly back and hit the wall a split second later with a sickening thud.

He heard a scream, his eyes slid upward, and then he knew no more.

~/~

They would have devoured him on the spot. Seeing him unconscious would have meant the monsters were going to have a feast: biting him, piercing his flesh, clawing at him, perhaps even enjoying an indulgence or two by ravaging his fingers and toes. But that never happened, because a piercing scream of fear and alarm interrupted their feast. They all turned around to face the source of the noise.

Pam Beesly was staring at what was going on with wide eyes. The white gauze bandaging her arm seemed to glow in the darkness as the tape dispenser she had left in Darryl's office hours ago before was clutched tightly in her hand.

A chorus of shrieks answered her back. Kelly and Oscar both leapt at her immediately.

Pam was ready for them: swinging her arm around wildly, she managed to knock Oscar in the temple and graze Kelly's cheek with the razor end of the dispenser. Both stumbled away angrily, blood spurting out over their ripped and torn clothes.

The others shrieked angrily and leapt at Pam, eager to devour her instead.

Pam didn't know what came over her, but she fought savagely. Her hurt arm, which was throbbing like crazy a few minutes ago, went oddly numb as she fought off the monsters. The happiness and relief at being alive and sane burned like a kind of talisman inside of her, making her feel invincible. Surely, the meager attacks by her, as of late, insane coworkers couldn't vanquish the solace she now held inside of her?

Pam fought and fought her hardest, until finally all that lay around her were half a dozen unconscious bodies. Chest heaving, Pam stood above them all, the bloody tape dispenser still clutched tightly in her right hand. Quickly, she darted to each body except Jim's and taped each one of their mouths firmly shut, in case they woke up. When she was finished, she stood up straight again and admired her work.

A sudden shuffling sound behind her made her whip her head around. Michael had gotten silently to his feet, giving her a look of deepest loathing, seeing as he couldn't shriek. He lunged at her.

Forgetting about the tape dispenser, Pam drew back her left fist and punched him as hard as she could in the face. Michael stumbled backward and hit the floor with a thud, a spectacular bruise blooming over his right eye. He fainted on the spot.

Pam couldn't help but smile weakly as she looked at his deranged face, panting slightly. "You know, I always wanted to do that."

Michael still lay there, and Pam chuckled slightly to herself. Turning away, she quickly went over to Jim, who was still slumped against the wall, unconscious.

"C'mon Jim." Pam quickly searched for a pulse, and felt his heart beating weakly in his wrist. She then examined his arms, legs, and face for any bites. His skin was unscathed, though was deathly pale.

"C'mon."

Pam quickly crouched at his side and pulled his arm around her shoulder.

"Okay. One... two... three."

She heaved with all her might, and just managed to get Jim into a hunched kneeling position. With one more great tug, she managed to get him to his feet. Pam quickly got to her feet too, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"C'mon, Jim... try walking..."

Jim's right foot moved a half-inch forward, but that was it.

Pam couldn't help but smile at him. "If you can look me in the eye and admit your love for me, Jim, then you can do this."

Jim gave a faint, noncommittal grunt. Pam took that as a nod of determination.

"Okay..."

And with that, Pam half-dragged Jim through the mass of bodies surrounding them toward the hatch. Pam shifted Jim's weight so she could climb up the first two steps on the ladder. She then reached up, and knocked three times on the door, an unknown confidence that it would open filling her heart until it overflowed.

And sure enough, the small circular doorway whipped open by someone she couldn't see. Pam smiled.

The night sky never looked so beautiful to her than it did on that night.


Yay! So they finally made it out! You guys better be jumping up and down in happiness, cause I sure am...

There is still one more chapter to go in this story, to satisfy all you JAMmers out there:) I want to finish this story before school starts, which is in literally only seven days. (*gulp*)

Anyway, please leave your reviews below! I'll read them when I get the chance:) Thanks for all the awesome support from you guys, it means a lot!