Chapter 10: Decisions of the DEAD
"How many times do I have to tell you this to get you to understand?" Saya says in her annoyed tone of voice. "Killing pandemic? That's complete bullshit! The government is using it as an excuse because they can't figure out why dead bodies suddenly rise up and attack people!" Suddenly one man in the group of refugee's steps forwards.
"You're trying to tell us that you believe that all these people are dead?! Don't be ridiculous! It has to be some kind of disease!" Suddenly another woman steps forwards.
"That's right there's no way this could be happening without a reason!" She yells out at us.
"Well of course there's a reason!" Saya yells back. "But none of us around here are gonna find it out! Unless you're a prize winning research scientist with access to a lab! And even if you are do you think that any of us have time to sit around and wait for the results?!" The woman steps back.
"Well uh. That is…" She stutters.
"We need to concentrate on surviving! Try not to get eaten!" She turns away. "I can't believe this mob incompetence." She mutters before turning back to them. "Did you not listen to a word my father said?!" Suddenly the woman gets a smirk similar to the one Shido had.
'I never like that kind of smirk…' I think to myself.
"I see. That's the point you really want to make isn't it? I was wondering why high school kids were flashing around guns like they were cops." Saya, Takashi, Kohta and I all voice the same thought.
"Huh?"
"That's what you're really after isn't it? You're just saying you're going to protect us. People out here are trying to control us with violence. Violence! How dare you when there are so many other people suffering in other Asian countries?" At this point I've become confused.
'What the hell is this lady going on about? What does global suffrage have to do with this?' I think to myself incredulously.
"Just you listen to me everybody." The lady says turning around to face the crowd. "The one who's telling us to be murderers, no. Who's forcing us to be murderers. Is that man's daughter who says yes to killing." Alright. I've had enough of this.
"Excuse me. But what the hell are you talking about lady?" I ask her.
"You're just a bunch of kids. Shut up." Some guy in the crowd says.
"Hey f*ck you asshole we have just as much say as you in the matter." I yell out.
"Adults are making decisions from now on! Not those pigs of exploited classes or some high school kids! Who are intoxicated by their violent power!" The lady yells out at us.
"That's right yeah! Yeah!" The crowd yells out in agreement.
"We absolutely refuse violent dominance!" She yells out again.
"We refuse!" The crowd agrees. At this point, I've had more than enough. I step forwards and look down so that my bangs are covering my eyes.
"I'm going to give you to the count of three to stop all this nonsense and listen to Saya." I tell them.
"Oh? The count of three? Alright! Go ahead and start counting!" Yells out a random man.
"One." I start. They continue to jeer. "Two." I say, my voice getting deeper. Some of the people in the crowd start to shift a little. But others keep up the taunting. "Three." I finish. I continue to look at the ground but turn a little so that I'm slightly facing my three friends. "Get out of here now. I don't want you to see me like this." Takashi and Kohta nod. Then they have to pull a frozen Saya out of the tent. I turn around again to find the crowd still jeering.
"What are you gonna do kid?! Control us with more of your violence?!" I just look up. No longer myself. Suddenly a shudder goes through the crowd. I've let out Anger partially. And no one can ever face Anger and not shudder. Saeko was the only one to not show her fear completely.
"I warned you once." I say with my new monotone voice. "And now, I'm going to give you one last warning. If you try to rebel against Saya, or her father. I will personally throw you outside these gates one by one. I may seem like I love violence, but in reality. I hate it. So how about you don't make me do something that I hate? Okay?" And with that, I walk out of the tent leaving the now frozen refugees. Regaining complete control over my body. I walk over to my friends who are standing underneath an overhang.
"That was a really good job Saya." I tell her, completely ignoring the fact of what I just did.
"She's a Nazi! I only talked to her because she was talking bad about my father but it was pointless!" Takashi takes a look over at the tents.
"Are they crazy?" He asks out loud. "Have they seen what's happening out there?" He asks. Saya just gives off her signature *Humph*.
"That crowd doesn't see anything." She says. Prompting Kohta to look over his shoulder at the tents.
"I don't know… I can kind of see where they're coming from." He says. Making Saya round on him." Are you trying to pick a fight with me fatass?!" She asks, raising her umbrella that she had with her as if to skewer him. But I put my hand onto her umbrella to stop her.
"Nonono that's not what I'm doing! You see…" He looks down at the ground. "People have a tendency to ignore what they don't want to see." Suddenly Takashi gets this thousand yard stare, and just stands still. But I'm the only one who notices. I have a feeling it has something to do with Hisashi and Rei going out after she dumped him. Kohta goes on talking to Saya. "No one wants to be denied. That's why most people won't do anything even if they see something happening. It's human nature." Saya turns to look at me.
"you can't deny that there's a shift happening in this defacto survivor colony." Kohta grips the gun he was carrying this whole time tighter.
"Well yeah. In this kind of situation, most people's first reaction is to ignore it. Because they can't handle it." Saya turns around to him again.
"If they don't accept the change, then they don't have to admit their mistakes or idiocy." She says. Kohta leans forwards.
"Well, yeah exactly. Ignoring our mistakes and humiliations… how do you think we get through high school?" He asks. Saya leans forwards and adjusts her glasses.
"hmmm… very breakfast club of you chubby." She says. Suddenly Takashi buts in.
"I see." Is all he says. Prompting Saya to look at him.
"See what?" She asks.
"Well that was informative." He replies. We all look at him for a few seconds, before glancing between ourselves. Smirking a bit.
"Uh-huh." Says Kohta.
"What? What is it?" Takashi asks.
"You don't do that." Says Saya cheerfully as she turns towards him.
"What are you talking about? This is embarrassing. But I'm still admitting to it." Saya turns to us.
"See? Don't you guys think this makes him the one?" She asks. Me and Kohta nod our heads.
"You're right. Takashi's kind of different." Kohta says. I nod my head in agreement.
"Yup. Definitely the one." I say. He just looks at us with confusion.
"What are you guys talking about?" He asks.
"Don't you see? Out of any of us you're the obvious choice. You should be our leader!" Saya replies. To which Takashi gives the intelligent response of, 'Huh?' we just smile at him. Me and Kohta giving him thumbs up's. Then he seems to regain his composer.
"B-b-but. John here is the Zombie Apocalypse otaku! Shouldn't he be the leader?!" I just shake my head.
"I may know the different things that we can do in different situations, but you're the one who always chooses which one we do, and when we do it." I tell him. He just stands there dumbfounded for a minute, before he walks inside and heads upstairs. Me, Saya, and Kohta share a look. Then burst out laughing.
"Man. I don't think that he was ready for that!" I exclaim once I've calmed down a little. Kohta just continues to laugh along with Saya. This makes me burst out again and join them.
*Scene Break*
I'm in the kitchen with Alice when I suddenly hear Takashi yell out "What the?! Rei!" I turn to see Rei rushing outside with her gun drawn.
"What the heck could she be going outside fo-" I cut myself off when I see who's being led underneath the overhang and towards the door. 'Shido.' I think to myself. And then drop the soda that I had taken out of the fridge and rush out after her. I run out to hear Rei begin talking to him.
"To think how you made my father suffer. The man who had never been fazed by anything apologized to me in tears. He told me that I had to repeat the grade because of an investigation that he was conducting. But I know that only you can control the student's grades. But I held my temper. Because he told me that he would be able to place you and your father behind bars if his investigation went smoothly. But he couldn't because of what your father did. So now…" She places the bayonet on his face, drawing blood. "You pay."
"A-are you going to commit murder? You're a policeman's daughter for Christ sakes. You don't want to become a criminal do you?" He questions, shaking all over.
"I don't want to hear that from you!" Rei yells out. Suddenly I noticed Mr. Takagi step outside of the house out of the corner of my eyes.
"Then you should kill him. I once had an association with this man's father. But now that means nothing. So if you wish it, kill him." Suddenly Takashi tries to run forwards to stop Rei, but Saeko grabs onto his arm.
"No." She says. "She needs to decide this on her own." Suddenly Shido steps back and spreads his arms out.
"Go ahead and kill me. I welcome it. Just know that when you do, you shall be haunted by this violent act of vengeance as long as you live. And having you learn that is the best lesson I can give as your instructor. Do not fail this test Ms. Miyamoto." He says smiling smugly. Everyone watches this. Everyone except Alice that is. Because Shizuka is blocking her eyes. After a few more seconds of aiming the gun at him, Rei lowers it and walks away.
Everyone in the group breathes a sigh of relief. Everyone except me. As she walks by Mr. Takagi, she stops. "Are you sure this is your decision?" He asks her.
"He's not even worth killing." She replies and walks into the house. Shido just stands there and seethes. Just as Mr. Takagi is about to give the order to make Shido leave, I step in front of him.
"Not just yet Mr. Takagi." I say. "I have a more personal issue to discuss with Mr. Shido here." I say. Shido seems to recognize my voice and focuses on me. Fear in his eyes. Then I turn to Shizuka. "Take Alice inside. Will you?" She nods. But before she can do anything, Alice runs out of her grip and runs up to me.
"Alice!" I hear Shizuka yell. But I just look down at the little girl as she runs up to me and hugs me around the waist. Looking up at me.
"What are you going to do John?" She asks me. I just look at her for a second before responding.
"I don't know Alice. What do you think I should do?" She looks up at me for a few seconds before responding.
"You should find out the problem and then talk it out!" She replies in her usual cheery tone. I look at Mr. Shido for a minute before turning back to Alice and nodding. She nods back and she lets go of my waist. When she does, I step towards Shido.
He takes a step back from me. But Mr. Takagi's guards keep him from running away. I walk up to him until I'm standing in his face. "You're father hired a thug to kill my parents. And now I find out that he asked you to hold Rei back a grade. I'm debating whether or not I'm going to kill you Shido. Care to nudge me in a certain direction?" I ask him.
In response he swallows a lump that formed in his throat. "You don't even have any means of killing me Mr. X. How would you plan on doing it?" He asks. Saeko steps forwards, hand going to her newly acquired katana, and goes to pull it from its sheath. Probably to give to me. But I hold up my hand. Then I face Shido again. I hold up my wrist and flick it. Causing the 10 inch blade to pop out. To which everyone, except the Takagi parents and Saeko, recoils when they see it.
"I think that this would do nicely. Don't you agree?" He just swallows another lump. We stand there for a few seconds not doing anything.
(…)
(…)
(…)
(…)
Then I flick my wrist again and the blade retracts. I turn and start to walk away before looking at him over my shoulder. "You should be happy that I still have my morals in the apocalypse Shido. And you should also be happy that Alice was able to bring me back from my darkside. Otherwise you would be a dead man. But know this. I've given you two chances to live. So if you mess up one more time…" I leave the rest hanging in the air. Then I continue into the house. When I walk in the door I find Rei. She was watching the whole thing from the doorframe. Behind me I can hear Mr. Takagi ordering Shido to leave the premises with his students that were infected by his evil.
*Scene Break*
"So what made you not kill him?" Asks Kohta. I turn to him. We're all gathered in Saya's room.
"Well. Like I told him. I still have my morals in the apocalypse. Takashi can vouch for that. Every time that I went to a store and took stuff, I would leave money on the counter." They all chuckle at that. "I also said that Alice was part of the reason. That's not a lie. When she came over to me, she got me back in control of my body. Because by that point, Anger had basically taken over." I tell them. Then I turn towards Takashi. "So you're actually going to go look for your family and Rei's?" I ask him. He nods his head in response.
He had told us that since we were all going to leave in the next two days, He was going to try and find his parents, as well as Rei's in that time. If he didn't than either something had happened, or he was staying with his mother. Rei had opted to go with him to help, but he had told her to stay with the rest of us for reasons he didn't tell the rest of us. "Alright. Well before you go could you at least tell us how you and Rei got that motorcycle and met us on the bridge? You never did tell us." He chuckles lightly.
"Alright. I guess I could do that before I leave." And then he tells us how he met up with us after we got seperated.
*Flashback* *Takashi POV*
The front of the tunnel had just collapsed. We stand there for a few seconds before I see a spark on the bus. I immediately turn to Rei and grab her wrist. "Okay, we gotta go!" I yell pulling her along with me as I run towards the other exit of the tunnel. A few seconds later, an explosion rocks the tunnel behind us. The flames follow us as we race out the other side. We turn around, panting heavily, and watch as flames spew out of the tunnel. I turn around when I hear something falling on the stairs behind us to see a rock tumbling down them.
Then someone in a motorcycle jacket and helmet jumps me and slams me to the ground. Causing me to let go of my baseball bat. He grips my school jacket with his fists, while cracking his neck upwards. Then he slams the helmets visor into my forehead. "Gahhh!" I yell out. Before pushing against the helmet in order to keep the thing from taking a chunk out of my neck. We push back and forth for a few seconds. "Dick." I manage to grunt out.
Suddenly I hear a *Crack* and the thing stops pushing against me. I see blood running down the things face, and push it off me and look up to see Rei holding a dented cinder block in her hands. I crawl out from under the thing and take in big gasps of air as Rei walks away and drops the cinder block. Then she walks back over to me and holds out her hand.
"Takashi." She says to me. "Let's go." She says with a slight smile. I get up with her help and grab my baseball bat. We start up the stairs and turn to the right. Only to see the things motorcycle lying on its side. I lift it up, and find that the keys are still in it. I turn the throttle and the thing starts up. "Do you even have a license?" Rei asks me. I just chuckle.
"Like getting a ticket is the biggest problem we have right now." I turn and look at Rei. "Well? What are you waiting for? Get on." I tell her with a smile. She smiles back and climbs on behind me. I start up the bike and we drive down the road. We go on for a good half hour, and surprisingly the roads are empty of 'them'. As well as any cars.
After a while I stop the bike and look down at the city below. Rei looks down with me and gasps at the sight. Below us, the city is just like earlier. Except instead of crowds of people running away. There are crowds of 'them' shuffling around. "Holy shit." I manage to get out.
"I wonder… I wonder if anyone will come to rescue us." Rei asks. I look away from the sight.
"No one's gonna come to rescue us." I reply. She whirls around and stares daggers at me.
"How do you know that?" I turn and look at her.
"Just like the helicopters that flew over the roof top. They don't have time to rescue us. Maybe they'll never have time to." Rei gasps at this.
"Never?! Then what are we supposed to do with no kind of help?!" She asks.
"We'll do whatever we can to survive. That's really all we can do." I reply. She huffs in response.
"God you're so predictable. The glass isn't half empty. For you there is no glass." I whirl around at her remark.
"I only told you the truth!" I exclaim. She leans towards me.
"Well you don't have to be such a bummer about doing it!" She yells at me. Suddenly we hear groaning and turn to see a group of 'them' down the road shuffling towards us. She turns back around and faces me. "Let's go." She says. I turn around and start up the bike again. After a few seconds we start off down the road again.
*Scene Break*
Soon we're driving through the city. No sign of 'them' and the only noise was the bike. All the alleyways that we pass by have broken bikes, purses, and stray cats and dogs. I stop the bike and look around. "There's no one here. And there's none of 'them' either. So… They must have gotten away." I tell Rei. She nods. Then looks past me.
"Takashi! Look!" I look were she's pointing and see the front of a police car with its headlights on poking around a corner. I glance over my shoulder and look at Rei.
"No license, no helmet, stolen bike. I'm just asking to be arrested aren't I?" she chuckles.
"Oh please. After fighting that many of 'them', you're not still afraid of the cops are you?" I chuckle.
"You've got a point there." I reply as I ride the bike towards the car. But when we get close enough to see the rest of it we gasp. The car was crushed and rammed into the side of the wall by a truck. "God damn it." I say, as Rei climbs off and starts towards the car. "Rei stop!" I yell out, prompting her to turn around. "There's leaking gas from that car!" She just huffs in reply.
"What's wrong with you? This is Armageddon. Man up." She says to me. In response I put the bike on its kickstand and wait while she gets whatever it is that she's grabbing. When she comes back over to me she has handcuffs with their keys, a fold up police baton, and a handgun with 5 bullets. She places them all on the bench and we look at the stuff. I pick up the gun and place it in my palm. I stare at it for a few seconds before Rei snaps me out of my trance.
"What is it?" She asks. I continue to stare at it before I respond.
"It's just that it's… It's a lot heavier than I thought that it would be." I reply. She scoffs at me again.
"Well yeah. It's the real thing." She says. Then she nudges me. "Here." She says with an outstretched hand. I look and see that she's holding out another 5 bullets to me. I take them, and then place the gun in my pocket. I place the police baton in my other one, and give the handcuffs and keys to Rei. Then we get back onto the bike and ride away.
*Scene Break*
Soon after we get to a gas station. I look at the fuel meter and see that the idiot light is on. (AN: I refer to the orange light that pops up when you are low on gas as the 'idiot light'. Kind of like, 'hey idiot! It's time to get gas!') I pull up to a pump and get ready to fill the tank when I see something. "God damn it!" I yell out. Rei looks at me.
"What is it now?" She asks me. I gesture to the pump.
"The thing's self-service! And I don't have any money on me!" She looks behind me and I do too. I see the store part of the gas station and get what she's thinking. I get the bat, and go inside. I try the button to open up the cash register but find that it's not working. "Oh well. I've always wanted to do this anyway." I say, climbing on top of the counter. Then I bring the baseball bat up, then down onto the register smashing it open.
I collect the money that's littering the ground when suddenly I hear Rei scream. I rush back out and find that some thug is gripping her with a knife to her neck. "Jesus man! What the f*ck are you doing?!" He looks over at me, and then gestures to the bike.
"Fill it up. Or else the little lady here gets it." He says. I comply, not wanting to risk Rei getting hurt. But before I can walk over to the bike, he calls out to me. "Get rid of the bat! I don't want to risk you trying something!" I then proceed to throw the bat away. It makes a clattering sound against the ground that I know is going to attract 'them'. I then go over to the bike and fill it up. When I've finished, I lock up the gas cover on the bike and face him.
"There. It's done. Now can you let us go?" Instead of answering, he waves the knife in my direction.
"Away from the bike. And start walking!" I wait a few seconds, and then start to walk away. But once I'm a few feet away, I turn and start towards him.
"Hey man. Could you just-" He swipes the knife at me.
"Don't take one more f*ckin' step!" I stand still for a few more seconds before trying again.
"Dude. I'm begging you. Could you just-"
"Shut the f*ck up or I'll kill you, you mother*cker!" he swings the knife upwards and I take that as my cue. I'm running forwards and bringing the gun out before he can react. Then I'm aiming at his chest, and flicking the safety off.
"Urgghhhhh." Is his intelligent response to what I've done.
"I've never shot a gun before. But for some reason I don't think I'd miss at this range." I growl at him.
"The gas." He chokes out. "The gasoline would blow us all up!" I just stare at him.
"Better than someone taking my girl." Is my response. I see Rei look at me with gratitude when I say this. Then I pull the trigger and shoot the guy. He flies backwards into the pump and slides down it. His knife flying out of his hand and clattering against the ground.
"Urgh! Uarrggaaaaaaasssshoooleee!" he yells out. "Bleeding! I'm bleeding!" He yells out. Then looks up when Rei steps towards him.
"Be glad that I don't shoot you, you asshole!" She tells him as I climb onto the bike.
"Rei!" I yell out. "Stop!" She whirls around and faces me.
"But he-" I stop her mid-sentence.
"We don't have time for this. Companies coming." I say, nodding at the crowd that's coming our way. She turns and sees them, then turns back to the man with a look of disgust on her face. She walks over to the bike and climbs on.
"Hey! You aren't just gonna leave me here are you?! What kind of f*ckers are you?!" He yells out as I drive away. "No! Come back! No! Ahhh-" His screams cut off and I know that he's already done for. We drive along in silence.
*Scene Break*
"What's the matter Takashi?" Rei asks me. "Why have you been so quiet?" I just continue to stare ahead.
"I've just been thinking. Stuff like that's gonna happen all over, and all the time now." I reply.
"You think so…? I mean. I guess so." She says, leaning her head against my back.
"But don't worry about it. It's over now." I tell her as we continue to drive along. Soon we get to a bridge and start to drive across it. As we do so, I hear a jet flying. I turn my head to the right slightly, and see one go by. Rei waves to it as it goes by. Then once it passes we continue on our way.
'Must be taking pictures of how things are going. All the destruction' I think as I continue to drive.
Soon we get to a street where cars are on fire, and tipped over. I can see a gang up ahead. Shotgun blasts go off occasionally, and sometimes there's maniacal laughter. "This is absolutely nuts! It's like a war!" Rei exclaims.
"Yeah." I reply. "And we're front row center for it" I gun the throttle, and drive through the carnage. I notice one of the maniacs point at us, and another two come at us. "Hold on Rei!" I yell. I dodge past one of 'them', then past one of the maniacs who swings at us with a meat cleaver. I see another one aim at us with a shotgun, and I swerve out of the way of his blast. Making him shoot the door on a parked car instead. The he pumps it, and shoots at us again, but we're driving too fast and he hits one of 'them' as we drive past it.
"We're not dead! Why are these maniacs shooting at us?!" Rei yells out. I just continue to drive.
"The whole world's gone crazy Rei. We can't trust anyone." I explain. She's silent for a few seconds before responding.
"We can't trust anyone…" After a few more minutes of driving, I see a sign that says the bridge is just ahead. Then I see it and turn onto the street that connects to it. Rei looks at me over my shoulder. "Where are you going?! The bridge was straight ahead!" I stop the bike and look back at her.
"Yeah. But did you see it?" She turns back around and gasps when she sees that the bridge is completely crowded and there's no way across. "At this point, we might never get across. So we'll head to Ombitsu Bridge and hopefully meet up with the teachers and the others." I start up the bike again and we drive off.
*Scene Break*
We look out at the crowded Ombitsu Bridge. "It's the same here." Rei says. "Should we try a different bridge?" She asks. I turn around and look at her.
"I'm pretty sure they're all the same. That they're all blocked. What's the point of policing us unless they block them?" I take out my phone and see that I have no service. "Damn it. We need to cross the bridge and get to the east police station by seven." Rei looks at me.
"How?! That's a little easier said than done you know." She tells me. I grunt.
"I know. Just… Give me a second. Alright?" Suddenly we hear a shot. Rei gasps.
"Gunshot?!" She yells out. I look at the bridge.
"No. That was… Hold on!" I twist the throttle and we start riding. I drive down a small hill towards a car carrier that has its ramps down. Rei notices and gasps.
"Are you nuts?!" She asks me.
"Yes! Now hold on!" I yell at her, and then I gun it, and we jump off the car carrier. Then we land on the bridge and start to help you guys out. And the rest you already know.
*End Flashback* *POV John*
"Holy… Shit." I say once Takashi finished his story. "I had no idea that you guys were…" I don't even finish the sentence. Takashi and Rei just nod. Then they get up.
"Well." Begins Takashi. "I better get going if I'm going to make it back here before you all leave. We all nod and get up to follow him out the door to bid him farewell.
*Authors Note*
Alright! So the whole meet up with Shido scene! I really want to kill that son of a bitch off. But I've heard that he apparently plays an important role in act 30. So I can't kill him off… Damn. Whelp. I also made it so that I wrote down the missing episode that was in Takashi's POV.
What else…? Oh! Alice is now the only one who can keep John in control of his darkside! I figured that it would be nice if since Alice is a little kid and really innocent, that she would be the perfect one to keep John in check. So yeah. See you next time! And thanks for reading!
P.s. Alright. The only reason for 2 chapters in 1 day is because this chapter is mostly the same thing that happened in the anime. So I really only needed to write down what happened in it. Thanks guys for reading guys!