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Chapter X – Reunion
Blair looked back to her team before shrugging and followed in after the stranger. He led them into the hospital and towards this huge red steel door. She had only seen a few of them in her journey of survival. It seemed sturdy as Derick grunted to open it. Walking in, her green eyes danced around the supplies and counter tops until her eyes rested on the other people in the room. One of them looked absolutely gorgeous and the other-
"Farrah?!" Her voice reached a higher octave as she squealed the midget's name.
Farrah awakened from her coma at the sound of her name, "Blair!" she cried and leaped up. She would've hugged her if it wasn't for Blair's touch phobia. "You know what, I'm just gonna start touching you and you're going to learn to like it!" she cried and hugged her anyways.
"Isn't that rape?" Aubrey questioned. She studied the newcomers with distaste. All of them were relatively attractive, but clearly posed no competition to herself so she relaxed. Blair had to shake off her goose bumps, but it was the end of the world and she did really like Farrah in the time she knew her. Her own arms came around the little blond, though she noticed the bandages and was gentle.
"What a touching reunion," Rome murmured sarcastically despite grinning. He examined the room and found a place to set down his bag. If they were going to be there for awhile, no reason not to but that didn't at all mean he would readily share. His mind set was still that of looking out for himself and Aimi, which would have surprised him if he thought about it. Aimi stood at the back of the group, feeling a growing anxiety. She hated being in big groups of people, especially when she didn't know anyone.
"Everyone! This is Farrah. Farrah this is Cherry, Aimi, and Rome," She turned away from Farrah and pulled her arms away from her quickly. She gestured to each person respectfully. "I know her from.."
Blair trailed off sadly and turned to look down at Farrah. "Was Amika with you when it happened?"
"Yes. She was supposed to be with you," Farrah turned to question Derick. Derick merely shrugged, having gotten distracted with the newcomers he had forgotten about Amika.
"Wait, how do you know Amika?" Aubrey's attention was caught by Blair. She studied the girl more critically as she waited for an answer.
"She's my girlfriend." Blair, in turn, studied Aubrey. Not liking the tone in her voice as she asked.
"Do I sense a cat-fight in the making?," Rome asked in a hushed voice, turning his eyes to Derick briefly, arms crossed. Derick, remembering Aubrey's previous actions, nodded to him.
"Wait, she's alive?" Blair's gaze moved from Aubrey to Derick as she realized that Aubrey knowing Amika meant she had survived.
"This isn't going to end well," Farrah muttered under her breath. Derick nodded slowly, seemingly at both women.
"Last time I checked.." He glanced at the door. Maybe he should have waited for her before leading the new survivors inside.
"Where is she?" Blair asked Derick just as the door to the safe room opened.
"Thanks for waiting for me Derick-Who the hell are these people?" Amika started off sarcastically then was caught off guard by the new faces. She set down her bag and surveyed the crowd.
As Amika walked in, Aubrey leaped from her perch on the counter and grabbed her by the face, giving her a passionate kiss. After a moment, she released her, "I was so worried about you when you didn't come back with Derick," she said, then turned to see Blair's reaction.
"My turn!" Cherry called, pushing herself out towards the middle of the room. "No? Anyone? Any takers?" Roman laughed openly at Cherry's offer. The comedic timing was perfect.
"Ooh," he commented softly, "the other woman strikes first. What will the girlfriend do now?"
Amika, although thrown the fuck off, immediately accepted the kiss and her hands found themselves on the other girls body. When Aubrey pulled away Amika barely registered the words said to her, but when Aubrey turned Amika's eyes followed.
"B-Blair?" Blair was pissed. It was evident as flecks of brown dotted her eyes. Amika pushed past Aubrey, as if forgotten, and pulled Blair into a tight hug, even lifting her off of the ground.
"I'm so happy you're alive!" Blair hugged her back, though her eyes lingered on Aubrey's tiny frame.
"Just not happy enough to be faithful!," Rome piped up in a hush again, clearly amused. Derick chuckled, hands in his pockets and still leaning against the wall. This new guy, Rome, had very entertaining comments.
"Not complaining about being stuck with a bunch of hot, kick ass lesbians at the end of the world - not at all - but if we're in charge of restocking the human race they better be open minded." He smirked at Derick.
Aubrey was positively seething, but she wasn't about to show it. Instead she pretended to not be bothered by it and turned her attention to the men of the room. "Anyone know where a girl can get a hot shower? I feel so dirty."
"Actually," Amika released Blair and turned to speak to Aubrey, "There's a corner store not far from here that has working water in the apartment above it."
This did not make Blair happy. She kept her mouth closed, though she glared at Aubrey the entire time. If Derick were around people he was comfortable with he would have been rolling on the floor laughing. Instead he kept it to chuckles as he coolly stayed against the wall. Rome shoved himself to a stand and grabbed his bag. A shower sounded good even though the drama was plenty fun.
"Aimi? Shower?" She could come with him or he would go alone. It made no difference to him and for once there was no crude intent in the question.
"Shouldn't we be trying to get to the helipad?" Aimi's timid voice sounded.
"He announced that he wouldn't be leaving until someone sounded the radio. Farrah over here suffered a lot of damage. I want to wait one more day until we head out." Amika answered.
"I'm feeling much bet-" Farrah started, foreseeing where Aubrey's antics might lead, but was quickly silenced by Cherry.
"You look like you could use another day, munchkin," Cherry interrupted, then more quietly, "Don't ruin this for me!"
"Can a group this size even fit on one of those flying death boxes?" Rome quipped. Perhaps Aimi was right, maybe they should leave in smaller sets.
"You can try to all fit in.. I might actually stay here, but I'm willing to help you guys get there." Derick finally got off of the wall. Rome shrugged.
"Either way is fine with me. Staying or going." He asked again but this time looked much more ready to leave the room.
"Actually, a standard helicopter can hold four, maybe five passengers," Aimi answered.
"And military grade?" Rome continued to stare at Aimi. She was a little box of useful information... and sometimes not so useful but still.. If they had to make radio contact before a helicopter came they would probably let them know how many people were leaving and could either make multiple trips, send more than one chopper or at least a bigger one but then again, who knew what the CEDA had at their disposal.
"Well military transports can hold 35-55 depending on the size, but I'm not sure if the helipad is equipped for those types of helicopters," Aimi replied.
"Guess not.. It's just a hospital." He scratched his head. All the talking was making him crabby and probably all of the estrogen.
"Alright, are you coming with me or not?," he asked her pointedly one final time.
"Uhm, yes," Aimi replied. She wished they were going to the helicopter, but either way she didn't want to be left with people she didn't know. Although she had only known Rome a few days longer, she definitely felt more at ease with him around.
Amika ventured closer to the door, nodding at the new fellow to follow her. "I'll take whoever wants a shower."
She needed to get out of the room. All the tension was making her feel claustrophobic. She generally liked meeting new faces, but it was mainly the tension between Blair and Aubrey that made her feel anxious. She would prefer to ignore it for now.
"Right behind ya," Aubrey called, following Amika out of the room. As soon as Amika was out of her line of vision, she turned and glared at Blair, pointedly running her index finger across her throat menacingly. Then smiled winningly at the rest that were still in the room as she sprinted off to catch up with Amika. Derick couldn't help himself and fell into fits of laughter at Aubrey. He avoided Blair's heated gaze, but really couldn't keep his straight face much longer.
Amika had her guns loaded and ready. She glanced back at the group and almost wanted to laugh. It was only the new guy, the Asian chick, and Aubrey. Four sets of people seemed to be the thing nowadays.
"It's not far and there wasn't any infected around when I left. It shouldn't take long." She cocked her pistol and pulled Aubrey a bit closer to her, so she could protect her better if anything decided to show up. Rome kept behind Aimi. He hadn't expected a guide and didn't care a lick for Aubrey one way or the other, kept his eyes peeled and moved stealthily along. He didn't reply to her comment as they went along.
Aimi was studying the area around them, knowing the odds of them making it the whole way without coming across any infected were pretty low. Suddenly, she spotted movement up ahead. "Charger!" she cried and quickly pulled a Molotov out of her back. She carefully aimed and then whipped it at the fast infected.
Aubrey watched as it burst into flames. Only it didn't stop, it was headed straight for the sexy Asian! Aubrey felt a compelling urge to yell a warning, if only to protect her attractive male teammate but suddenly felt the tongue of a smoker wrap around her neck. It quickly began to drag her away.
Rome whipped out his knife and suddenly looked serious. It didn't last long. He began to grin as he charged the Charger. It was probably the most stupid decision he'd ever made... at least in the top ten. All he had to do was make it miss and he'd have an opening, if a brief one..
"Aubrey!" Amika first held an offensive pose for the Charger but Aimi clearly had an even better approach. She heard the casting noise and it snapped her attention to the girl that had been behind her. She chased after her. At first her eyes looked for the Smoker, but as seconds ticked by she aimed at the long, slimy tongue that had a hold of the pretty girl.
The special infected wasn't used to Rome's approach but it only seemed to further enrage it as it plowed towards him. It bellowed aggressively. Somehow, Rome timed things perfectly - or he was disgustingly lucky. Using the heavy arm it kept in front of it, the Asian American leapt acrobatically, kicked off from the calloused appendage and basically landed on its face. It was a terrible position to be in but lucky for him momentum didn't allow him to stay there for long and he had to clutch the top of its tiny head to keep from flying off the beasts back.
Amika shot at the tongue a couple times, but the last was a well placed bullet and it broke the appendage. She slid to a stop and followed it as it got sucked back into the special infected. She took a step back and aimed. She pulled the trigger and smoke filled the air from down the corner.
'Yes!' Amika kept her mental cheer to herself as she rushed towards Aubrey. She knelt next to the gasping girl and tore the tongue from her throat.
Aimee watched the two battles, not sure where to offer her help or if it was needed at all. Then she heard the cry of the Hunter. Quickly her brown eyes tried to pinpoint its location. She heard the cry again and raised her head to see it leaping towards her. She reached for her pistol as she spun out of the way. It slid passed her only to regain its footing and leap again.
"Fuck!" He clung to the strip of fabric running over the monsters shoulder with one hand as the creature finally figured out what had happened and began to express its displeasure. It made a series of short, furious sounds then bellowed again and began to reach for him. Rome let the creature reach for him twice before using the rhythm of motion it had set against it. He somersaulted over its shoulder, gripped his knife with two hands and stabbed it into the monster's neck as deeply as he could drive it then used the full weight of his body to drag the blade from one side to the other.
Aimi fired shot after shot but still the Hunter stalked her. She was out of breath from all the bobbing, weaving and shooting. It took another leap and this time she wasn't fast enough. It clipped her shoulder and she was knocked to the ground. She rolled to her back in time to see it pounce. She had one bullet left. She fired. The Hunter fell dead at her feet.
Amika glanced back at the other two, but Aubrey and herself weren't in immediate danger. She aimed and took down a few stray infected that stumbled out into the street at the commotion. Amika turned back to give Aubrey a reassuring smile, expecting a snappy comment back, "You gonna live?"
Aubrey was about to say "took you long enough," but changed her mind. She flashed Amika a warm, thankful smile. "With you here, of course."
It wasn't the cleanest kill Rome had ever made what with all the gurgling that ensued but with some more hacking and dodging it was effective. He spit out zombie goo and used his forearm to clear some of the mess from his face. He turned and looked around for more and for Aimi. She seemed fine. He reloaded and looped back towards her and the other two, more interested than ever in a shower. He looked Aimi over once he was closer to check her status and then nodded towards the purple girl and the other woman.
"What're they doing, takin' a nap?"
Amika shook her bangs at the total opposite response she received. It took her so off guard that all she could do was smile. Even hearing Rome's comment didn't falter the tugging at the corners of her mouth. She helped Aubrey to her feet and turned back to the other people.
"That shower sounds really nice about now, eh?" It was a failed attempt at easing the air, but it was an attempt nonetheless. She reloaded her gun and started towards the apartment. This time Aubrey was in front of her and they moved at a faster pace.
Meanwhile, Derick felt himself grow uneasy but he didn't alert the three other females of his discomfort. Blair has started to talk to Farrah again and included Cherry on the conversation, while they both munched on the food provided for them.
"So what's your number?" Cherry asked, turning to Derick.
"One." Derick said with a smile as he turned his attention to her.
Cherry started to laugh, "Wait, is he serious? You must've had more sexual partners than that."
"No, just you." He chuckled smoothly.
"You haven't had me," Cherry raised her eyebrow, but she was smiling.
"Yeah, I have." He smiled broadly, "I just hope the reality is better than the fantasy."
He laughed a bit louder, letting her know he was joking. It was the end of the world; it didn't hurt to push his game.
"Guess you'll have to wait and find out," Cherry grinned mischievously.
Aimi followed the pair, rubbing her shoulder absently. She could feel the bruise blossoming.
"Is this it?" Aubrey eyed the corner store doubtfully.
"Yeah." Amika lead them inside. Amika closed the door behind them. She paused a moment and then continued on as they reached further inside the store. She went to the back and opened another door that lead to a flight of stairs. Ascending them Amika heard that something was off and she pulled out her pistol again.
She opened the apartment door and with her gun poised she entered the room. A noise was made in the kitchen and Amika leaped into it, her finger on the trigger. Rome kept a diligent guard on the back half of the party, still waiting for an excuse to use his flamethrower.
"What the hell?" Sebastien strolled out of the back room, bloody machete in hand. "Fuck. I know you."