Highschool of the Dead
Those Who Walk Among the Dead
Chapter 10
House of the Dead
Saeko Busujima had heard many things about Soichiro Takagi, through her father, the master of swordplay and her instructor. But what she didn't know was that the man would be so firm with his ways that he would make the very people around him tremble in fear. She of course had no reason to fear him, as she knew he was being stern with the people to make them see reason, and she felt bad for Saya as she was the one being put at the forefront of his request. Knowing her, she would be able to handle it with dignity, if not throwing a few choice words at all of the people she was about to talk too. Hinata being by her would be another thing entirely. He hid it well, but the young man had serious mental issues, brought upon him by his past experience. Being a victim of the same thing, Saeko found herself empathizing quite a bit with the young man, if not having shown it. They hadn't met before the world ended, but if they had, she was sure that they would have become great friends.
She sat in the center of the Takagi Estate's dojo. The floors had been made with traditional tatami mats, which felt soft to the touch. All around her, were various trophies from many competitions that the head of the Takagi family had won through his craft. There were also various sets of armor, and practice swords, neatly placed on the wall behind her, a set of colored belts being underneath it. There was even a small shrine in the very back of the dojo, several incense sticks were lit up, most likely to mourn all of the lives that had been lost over the last six and a half days, as well as the Don's more personal friends.
Kneeling in front of her, still in his military garb, was the main man himself, Soichiro Takagi. He had been kneeling in front of her for awhile now, silently watching her, judging her with his eyes. She wouldn't admit it to the others, but she felt greatly unnerved by him, but she knew he was just wondering if she truly was the daughter of his Sensei. In front of him was a sword, which was several centimeters longer than her bokken was. It was held in a maroon colored scabbard, which was free of any designs or furnishings. As far as she could tell, it was just a plain scabbard. The tsuba of the sword was intricately designed, crafted out of a sturdy metal, at least from her point of view. It was also lined with gold, giving it a bit of brightness, where the scabbard served to darken the blade a bit. The handle of it was wrapped in a matching red leather thread, crossing each other to form a diamond pattern. The pommel of it was rounded off, and was polished to a shine. Two rings had been attached to the sword, one at the pommel, and a second one on the scabbard, this would serve as the strap holder, for when the user wanted to attach the scabbard to their clothing.
She had been staring at it for awhile, since the man had placed it on the floor between them in fact. She didn't know why, but she knew she recognized that sword from somewhere, as if she had seen it before at some point in her life.
"I had heard a great many things about the daughter of Master Busujima, so I made sure that if we ever crossed paths, I would formally meet you." Soichiro said, startling her out of her thoughts, though she didn't show it. She gave a small bow, her emotionless look changing slightly.
"It is an honor to meet you as well, Master Takagi. You have a beautiful home, and it is an honor to be allowed to stay here." she replied. The man chuckled, shaking it off.
"Worry not, I wouldn't turn down someone in need, especially the daughter of the man who taught me everything I know about the sword. I can see you've been staring at this sword intently for awhile now. Go ahead, I assure you, you will not stain it's power." he said firmly, gesturing to the sword between them. She reached for it, taking a firm hold of the scabbard. Carefully, she took a firm hold of the hilt, drawing the blade inside.
Her eyes widened as she saw the blade for the first time. It was a beautifully crafted sword, and she could tell the material that has gone into making it was the finest quality. She drew the entirety of the blade out of the scabbard, looking at it closely. It weighed a little more than her bokken did, and slightly less than a traditional Japanese Katana, but it was perfectly balanced. The further she looked at it, the more things she noticed, but the biggest shocker to her was the fact that it had two sharpened edges, it was a double edged sword.
"This is...a doubled edged sword, crafted during the Meiji Era of Japan, a beautiful military sword. If I am correct, this is the Murata-tou, crafted by General Murata in the Tokyo Armory." she said breathlessly, glancing at her surprised reflection on the blade she was holding.
"Very good. This was a sword indeed crafted by General Murata, who also created the Murata Rifle. I have had it for a great many years, truly a marvelous creation." the man said firmly, admiring the blade in the young woman's hand.
"It barely has a curve to it. To see something like this withstand the test of time, you have cared for it very well Master." Saeko said, placing the sword back in it's scabbard, laying back on the floor before her.
"Indeed, and now I pass this sword onto you...consider it a gift, not only for keeping my daughter safe, but also as a trade for the years of training I spent under Master Busujima." he said.
"What? Surely you jest...a sword of this caliber...it would be better suited for a man of my father's abilities. I still have much to learn." she said.
"Then perhaps you can take it to him. I hear he is in a dojo over seas, the old man wouldn't bow down to this crisis. He'll make it back here eventually." Soichiro said. Saeko swallowed the lump in her throat, reaching for the sword again, her hand trembling. It wasn't often she showed emotion, but when she did, she had a hard time hiding it.
Hinata was standing in front of the bed he had been using since he had come to the Takagi Estate. He had to admit, it had been the best bed he had ever slept in. Savannah surely thought so, since the girl had refused to sleep without either him or Saya, since she had already grown used to them. He had been looking his supplies over, having emptied his backpack just to do a dry count of everything.
Upon arrival, Shizuka had given Hinata the biggest hug he had ever received in his life, so much so that his face was half buried in her buxom chest. Apparently, the surplus of medical equipment he had brought them had been something she wanted to take advantage of. She was planning on asking him to resupply some stuff anyway, but when he showed up in an ambulance of all things, she had been absolutely ecstatic. She had quickly taken all of the necessities she had been looking for, as long as the stuff that they had salvaged from the hospital under her ownership, leaving the rest to Don Takagi for his personal use, the man having thanked him for his service.
Along with all of his medical supplies, he had three days worth of food, an entire week if he rationed them correctly, and several bottles of fresh water, the biggest ones he could find. He also had a surplus of ammunition, thanks to all of the SDF checkpoints he had raided on the way to the hospital. He hated to admit it, but he felt like someone that had been dumped in the middle of America with a box of bullets and spare rifle. He was glad that the US Military had sent help when they did, even though they had fallen to the Freaks, their sacrifice wasn't in vain, since their supplies would be helping a lot of people out, though the range of people varied, as he was sure some bad ones were out there, already abusing those spare weapons left behind in all the turmoil.
The thought of running into a hostile group of survivors scared him, and he honestly hoped he never ran into anyone like that, but he knew eventually they would. He started placing everything back in his backpack, making sure to keep it as orderly as possible. He did a mental check of everything, before zipping his backpack up. It wasn't that heavy anymore, considering most of the supplies inside had been taken by Shizuka. He did a final check of his weapons, making sure everything was working normally. He placed his handgun in his holster, and turned to his rifle. He had taken the suppressor off of it, as much as he loved using it, it made the gun extremely dirty, and he didn't know how to clean the rifle yet, so he would only use it at night, since it had the flashlight attached to it. He looked at the gun in his hands, a frown on his face.
"Well girl, looks like you and I are going out there again. You are one reliable piece of tech, hmm...maybe I should name you...how about Charlotte? That sounds like a good name." he said, drawing the knife he had gotten from Kohta earlier from it's holster. He sat down on the edge of the bed, flicking the safety switch on the trigger. He looked for a good spot, finding one next to the scope, he started etching out the name Charlotte, in the most intricately carved out calligraphy he could muster. Once done, he wiped the metal shavings away, leaving the bright platinum colored name.
"Well, I can see you're entertained."
He looked up, dropping his knife at the sudden voice that just happened to be right next to him. Almost dropping his rifle as he rapidly stood up, he turned to face Saya Takagi, who was looking at him with mild amusement on her face.
"Jesus Christ, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that Saya, shit like that will get you shot." he said firmly. He held his chest a bit, setting Charlotte down next to his pack. He was considering naming his pistol as well, but wasn't sure if Savannah would like that.
"I heard you flick the safety on, besides I know you wouldn't shoot me of all people. What drove you to pick the name Charlotte of all names?" she asked curiously. He chuckled, looking out the window, at the clearing clouds. The rain had let up for the time being, giving them a bit of sunshine, though he knew the storm would pick up for the next few days. It rained a lot in the Spring time, especially in Southern Japan, where Tokunosu was located.
"Charlotte was the name my parents had chosen for their second child, a little girl that had been growing inside my mother when my father passed away. The shock of the whole thing made my mom really sick...for weeks I thought she would leave me too, to suffer in this cruel world alone. Charlotte was stillborn, she didn't survive the shock...it wasn't just my father who we lost...it was my little sister too." he said, holding back the tears.
"I'm so sorry...I shouldn't have asked you about something like that." She said, taking a seat next to him. He shook his head, giving her a smile.
"It's alright...I fell into depression a couple years back, and my therapist said I should talk to people about it. I trust you with my life, so if I want to make that trust even stronger, I have to share everything I possibly can with you, so that there aren't any secrets between us. It's the same for the others, I'll eventually tell them about this stuff too." he said with a shrug.
"Let's not talk about this sort of stuff...it's already bad enough, I don't need you getting depressed on me. I don't know what I would do if you were to snap." she said firmly. He nodded, glancing at his rifle.
"I take it you came here to let me know when we leave? Does your father even think it's good for you to leave?" he asked curiously. She pouted, crossing her arms under her chest.
"Even if he didn't agree with it, I would still go with you and the others. I made my decision remember? And right now I'm making another one."
"Another one? Pardon me, but what are you even talking about?" he asked, his head tilted in curiosity. Saya's body language changed a bit, he was used to seeing a rather annoyed body language, or a haughty one. The past few days though, her attitude toward him had changed, quite drastically, though he knew it was due to the given situation at the time. They had developed a close bond with each other, whom they also shared with Nick and Savannah. They had gone through a lot during that night away from the others. Hinata wouldn't say it was a necessary change, but it was a welcome one. He knew that eventually Saya would have to buck up and take charge to defend herself and the others in the group, and even though he hated to admit it, that trip to Mercy Hospital had been good for her, and for Nick as well, who had been taking things way more serious than he had been before. It was impressive how much the human mind can change in such a short period of time. It hadn't technically been a week yet, since the world ended, and yet all of them had changed, whether for the better or for the worse, he had yet to decide.
Saya remained silent, possibly thinking of a good response to his question. She honestly didn't know how to answer him. She was so used to avoiding this kind of stuff at school that she had grown used to straying away from emotions like love and affection. She didn't even know how many times Kohta had asked her out back in school, or how many times others had invited her out, only for them to flat out refuse them. This time though, she couldn't deny her feelings, not in this new world. They were confusing, and she needed to figure them out, before something ended up happening to all of them.
"I heard what you and Kohta were saying, that entire conversation. I wasn't intending to listen in, but I couldn't help myself. It did involve me after all." she said firmly. His eyes widened a bit, a chuckle escaping his lips, it was a dry one, holding little emotion, other than annoyance and slight anger.
"I get it, you came to tell me that you picked the other guy. I understand, we haven't spoken in years so it makes sense if you went with him. He knows more about guns than I do at least, so he'd keep you safe. So long as he makes you happy, then I'm happy." he said.
"Shut up you dumb ass, you need to let me talk! Jeez, I came here to tell you that I like you, not Kohta. I'll admit, the gun otaku has grown on me, due to all of his knowledge with firearms and his ability to stay calm in the toughest of situations, but I didn't connect with him like I did with you. We've been through so much already, I just can't deny these feelings. So you best help me settle my confusion dipshit, or I'll shoot you with my 12 gauge!" she snapped.
He honestly didn't know how to respond to that. He had turned her out when she said she liked him. His scowl had turned into a bright grin, a slight blush dusting his cheeks. He hadn't really been looking forward to starting a new relationship, especially in the mess they were currently in, but he was looking forward to it. He took her hand firmly in his own, giving her a warm smile.
"I'm glad you told me this Saya...I hate to admit it, but as soon as I saw you in that bus on the bridge, I sort of started falling for you. I've had a crush on you since fourth grade, I just didn't act on them back then, and then we ended up going to separate middle schools, I just forgot. I promise to keep you safe, I won't let anyone, anything happen to you." he said, giving her hand a firm squeeze.
"Good, I know you'll be able to hold that promise. Now...um...don't make fun of me but...I've never...you know." she said, blushing a bit, looking away from him, her light pink hair shielding her face. He looked at her for a few seconds, only to realize what she was getting at. He started chuckling a bit, causing her to look back at him.
"Don't laugh asshole! It's not funny." she snapped, almost wanting to slap the teen. He reached up, cupping her cheek with his hand, the sudden action made the girl stiffen a bit, as she hadn't been expecting him to do that. He brushed aside some of her hair, and looked right into her eyes.
"Smile beautiful, you look better when you do." he said.
"Such a way with words." she said, the sarcasm dripping from her voice. He started leaning forward, making her breath hitch a bit. She closed her eyes, leaning in, pressing her lips onto his own. It was a soft kiss, filled with a lot of emotion. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself a little harder into him, and he replied in kind, wrapping his arms around her waist. Their soft kiss evolved, into a more fierce and passionate one, filled with the love that had blossomed between the two, like a Sakura tree in the Spring. They pulled away for air, only to kiss again, much rougher than the last time. They just continued on, until she was literally straddling him, her small hands having taken a hold of his face.
It was then that someone cleared their throat, rather loudly. Both teens pulled away, a look of shock written on both their faces. Takashi had been standing there, all geared up, his Colt Detective Special tucked into his belt. He rubbed his neck awkwardly, brushing some hair out of his eyes.
"Um...we're all set to leave." he said.
"Alright, you could have knocked ass hat, jeez! Don't go running your mouth either or I'll shoot you!" Saya snapped. The teen held his hands up in self defense, shaking his head to and fro.
"I'm not...I'm happy the two of you got together. Hearing Hinata mutter your name in his sleep was really starting to annoy the rest of us." He said. Hinata stood up, drawing his 1911 from his holster, pulling the slide back. The teen turned around, running off as his laughter filled their ears.
"Jesus Christ, he's gonna tell someone. Anyway, are you ready to go?" he asked, earning a nod from her.
"I am, sadly I don't have anything else to wear, just fancy dresses, all of my school uniforms are back at the academy. We'll need to stop by a store at some point to grab some changes of clothes. Running around in blood soaked garments really isn't ideal." she said.
"What happened to all of the clothes we got from Rika's place?"
"Shizuka handed it all to the people standing here, all of the women that needed it at least, a real shame. Some of that was really expensive stuff. Let me go grab my pack, I'll meet you down stairs." she said, giving him a peck on the cheek, causing him to blush a bit. He flicked the safety back onto his pistol, grabbing Charlotte off the ground.
"Lock and load mother fuckers." he said, a grin on his face.
Tokunosu International Airport was one of the biggest in Japan, and the only public airport that was in the ocean on a large artificial island. The only way to reach it was by boat, so many thought it would be a secure place, at least until they showed up. It had all been fun and games, shooting a few of them, cracking jokes while they kept everyone safe, but now most of the surviving staff and operators had been killed, leaving everyone left in the terminal stranded.
Even through these circumstances, Rika Minami didn't worry. She was a trained S.A.T. having once been in the military herself, she knew her way around a gun, and she wouldn't give up so easily.
She was a woman of twenty seven, with long fuchsia colored hair that she had put up in a high ponytail. She was wearing the best in tactical gear, provided to her by the Self Defense Forces. She was currently wearing a long sleeved leather jacket, which was zipped up half way, leaving parts of her upper chest exposed. She was also wearing matching black pants, stuffed into thick black leather boots. The pants were durable, made of a material that was similar to denim, and wouldn't tear so easily. Over it she was wearing a black armored vest, which she absolutely detested, but figured it would be good to have anyway. She wore thick black pads on her knees and elbows, which were made from a tough alloy that would make them less likely to break, and would keep her joints safe from harm. She was wearing a white belt like collar around her neck, a dog tag was attached to it, her name written on it in bold black letters. Attached to her leg was a holster, which carried her now empty Sig Sauer P226, and some spare magazines which had been deployed from her sprint back to the terminal. She had an M-16 carbine, standard issue with an EoTech scope attachment and an extended magazine, the gun belonging to her now deceased partner. Around her shoulder was her favorite gun, a type 89 rile, with a folding stock and a high powered scope for long distance shooting. She had just come back from a mission to destroy the remains of them that had been wondering out on the runway.
She sat down on a bench next to the windows, the sun was setting, so the light orange glow was coming into the terminal. She set her weapons down beside her, and quickly went to work on taking off her vest. Once she had, she set it aside, opening her jacket and letting it fall off her shoulders, revealing her white crop top. She groaned a bit as she massaged her breasts, the vest had been killer on them and she had been dying to take it off. She sighed, popping a cigarette from her dwindling pack. She placed it in her mouth and lit the end of it, taking a long drag.
"I'm gonna miss ya man, you were the best partner I ever had." she said softly, looking up at the ceiling. She drew her cellphone from her pocket and flicked it open, looking through her contacts, selecting the one belonging to her girlfriend, Shizuka Marikawa. She knew the woman wouldn't easily be turned into one of them but she also knew how ditzy the woman can be, even when trying to act her age. It was one of the things that made them the best of friends.
She knew that eventually she would end up at her apartment, and would figure out how to open her locker, and she knew that whoever was with her would be able to use the guns she had to keep them safe, though she had been missing her AR-15 as of late. She pressed the call button, holding it up to her waiting for the dial tone to dissipate so that she could hear her friends voice.
Alas, that wasn't the case, for the fifteenth time, she hadn't replied, and that was something that was worrying her.
"She must have forgotten her phone in her car, or left the school without it. Even though I told her to have it on her at all times, you dummy." she said silently, closing her phone, setting it beside her. She took another drag of her cigarette, blowing the smoke slowly out of her system.
It hadn't been that long since she had talked to her commanding officer, and had told him that she would be going back to the city to find her friend. The man had agreed to let her go, supplies and munitions were dwindling at a rapid pace, and at the rate things were going, they would have to pull out eventually, taking the remaining survivors with them. If things were as hectic as they had gotten in the airport, then the city would be twice as bad, if not worse. She would have to stock up on ammunition and hope to hell that her friend was still alive. Once they were together, they could find themselves a place to stay until help could arrive, if it ever did.
Her phone started vibrating, making her quickly grab it, flicking it open to see the incoming caller. It was an unknown number of course, but she didn't care at the moment. She pressed the green button holding the phone up to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Rika, is that you? I'm so glad to hear your voice. I never thought I would hear you again! I've been through so much hell."
"Shizuka, thank Christ your alive. Where are you, my apartment?" She asked, leaning back against the glass window.
"That place is no good. We were there for a single night, and it got overrun, we did borrow your guns though." she said.
"That's fine...where are you? Are you safe?" she asked firmly.
"Oh, we're at..."
Rika cringed as her phone fizzled out, steam coming from it. She looked up, seeing the start of a bright flash. She saw another thick trail of smoke heading toward whatever the flash was, colliding with it mid air, taking it out completely in a large explosion, the mushroom cloud towering thousands of meters in the air, taking out the flash entirely. She looked around the airport, seeing a few of the electronics had been taken out, though most of the monitors were still displaying the canceled flights and some nature show, most of them had gone dark. The emergency lights kicked in after a few seconds, though it was dimmer than the airport had been previously.
"Hey, you're S.A.T. right? What the hell was that flash just now?" one man asked. He looked horrible, covered in sweat, his hair unkempt, his face covered in thick stubble. She tossed her phone aside, taking a long drag of her cigarettes.
"Nothing much, our nights just dimmed a bit. It's gonna make this so much harder on all of us." she said simply, not answering the question directly. Hell, if she told him that what he had witnessed was an EMP, she doubted he would have even known what it was. She could only pray the city wasn't badly affected by the partial detonation of that warhead.
Xxx(Ten Minutes Earlier...USS George Washington)
It had been a terrible six days for the United States of America. Not only had they witnessed all of their citizens turn into ravenous freaks, but they had also witnessed the loss of almost every chief of staff and cabinet member that once worked within the White House. It hadn't been that long since Air Force One had been confirmed as having fallen, killing the President of the United States. After that, the remaining three days were nothing short of turmoil, as the shift in power had transferred to literally anyone who was still able to lead.
That's why, for now President Pierce Washington, he had to do something to protect his nation. Thanks to the news outlets, everyone knew that Air Force One had fallen, and it wouldn't be long until people started resorting to nuclear weapons.
He was a man in his early forties, the second youngest president to ever be inaugurated into service, though that was an understatement, considering everyone he knew was already dead. He was a tall man, standing at an even six feet, with dirty blond hair that was slicked back with gel, normally at least, now it had been a bit unkempt, especially from the strong winds that whipped up on the ocean. He was wearing a pressed blue suit, with thick black buttons on the cuffs, and a clean white shirt, with a bright red tie, on the lapel was a pin in the shape of the American flag. He was wearing matching blue slacks, which reached down to his black leather oxford shoes, which were firmly tied onto him. He also had a holster attached to his leg, a Colt 1911 secure inside. Thanks to the crisis, it was imperative that everyone still alive on the ship was well armed, in case one of them attacked, though he doubted that was possible, considering none of them had gotten aboard the ship.
"Sir, we have a call from Washington, it's urgent." one man said, appearing next to him. The man nodded, and was quickly whisked away toward a conference room. When the initial attack started, the previous president had agreed to split up the cabinet, so that in case they were killed, everyone would die at once. It had worked, to some extent at least. One of the remaining secretaries, the Secretary of the Department of Education, had decided to remain in the White House, as he didn't want to leave the capital city. Once inside the room, he looked around, seeing the remaining chiefs of staff, along with the only General still alive. He nodded to them and walked over to his seat, picking up the phone.
"Washington speaking." the man said firmly, there was shuffling on the other line, before hearing the man's voice.
"Washington, it's good to hear you. I have some very bad news."
"Tell me Smith, what's going on in the capital?" he asked curiously. The man sighed, remaining silent for a few seconds, before finally steeling his nerves.
"It seems you are now the last President of the United States of America. We had a breach, the remaining Secret Service members and staff all turned into them. I was bitten not to long ago, and ended up cutting my own hand off to stop the flow of the infection, but I won't last much longer, I'm bleeding out as it is. Before everything went to shit, we got word that Russia is preparing for an assault. North Korea and China are preparing as well." he said.
"My god...they can't...they just can't do that."
"Sir, I am calling you because we need to launch our own attack, before they are able to launch their own. Beijing is in shambles, and there's a riot in North Korea leaving all of the military scrambled, and Russia is still off the grid. We need to protect this nation, it is your constitutional right."
"I can't do that and you know it Smith. I wasn't even properly briefed, I don't have the codes and even if I did, I wouldn't issue that order." the man said.
"Well I do, and you have to launch this attack, or else everyone here in America will suffer greatly due to the nuclear arsenal in their possession. It's bad enough having to deal with them, but do you want to deal with a nuclear fall out as well? Heed my words Washington, we have to take this preemptive strike while we have the chance." the man said. Loud coughing filled the other line, along with the sounds of dry heaving.
"Washington...you have to do this...I'll give you the codes right now...it's your right." the man said weakly. Gritting his teeth, Washington looked around the room, earning nods from everyone present. He sighed, looking up at the ceiling.
"Go ahead." he said, grabbing a nearby pen.
It only took a few seconds, but Washington was able to jot down the numbers. It wasn't long after that the line was silenced, a loud gunshot echoing through the room as it finally went dead. Washington hung the phone up, looking at the paper in his hands. He passed it to the general, giving him a nod.
"Proceed without me, I'll be on deck." he said. The man nodded, standing up from his seat. President Washington, walked down the long winding halls he had grown used to in the last few days, and headed up to the top deck. He slowly made his way toward the edge of the Airship carrier, looking down at the waters below. He didn't even know where he was, or what ocean he was in...but it didn't matter. Not anymore at least. He pulled his gun from his holster, along with a picture of his family, staring at it longingly.
"May god have mercy on us all." he whispered, bringing the gun to his head.
"Mr. President!" one of the Secret Service men shouted, racing toward the man's side. A loud gunshot resounded through the deck, the last President of the United States had taken his own life, his body plunging to the icy depths below.
Xxx(Maritime Self Defense Aegis Convoy, Kongo, Sea of Japan)
"Before taking a direct hit from a trident warhead, we confirmed the launch of four DF-21 medium range ballistic missiles from Tonghua, Jilin Base! Even with the world overrun with those monsters...switch to fully automatic! Commence long distance ballistic missile interception combat!" the commanding officer cried out, looking at all of the soldiers. They were scrambling around, inputting commands into their systems, hoping to get everything ready in time.
"All systems set to go, on your command captain!" a young navy officer cried, looking at his captain. The man lowered his binoculars giving him a nod.
"Fire, fire all!" the cried. The young man turned the key attached to the console and pressed the red flashing button. Alarms started blaring through the shift, the sound of jettisoning missiles filling the entire ship.
"Standard SM-3 missile destroyed target. JDS Kirishima DDG-174 and USS Shiloh CG-67 also confirmed hit." the young navy officer cried out, everyone begun cheering loudly.
"What about the last one? Is it still inbound?" the captain asked.
"Uh...holy shit, yes it is. That target was assigned to Curtis Wilbur!" he said. The captain grabbed a hold of the radio, pressing the button on the side, a sense of dread filling his system.
"Curtis Wilbur, come in. Curtis Wilbur come in! What the fuck happened?" the man shouted angrily.
"May god have mercy on us all." one man said, watching the radar intently as the incoming missile was fast approaching their home.
Xxx(American Aegis Destroyer Curtis Wilbur)
A single navy officer made his way through he halls of the ship, he was the last one alive. In his hand he held the key that would active the launch sequence. He stumbled into the bridge, seeing all of them in there. His fellow officers and captain. He let out a predatory wail, pushing through the horde, heading toward the panel.
"Curtis Wilbur, come in. Curtis Wilbur come in!"
He ignored the radio, inserting the key into the slot. He quickly typed several things into the panel, all the while, they were getting closer. Finally he typed the last sequence in, turning the key so hard it almost snapped. He pressed the flashing red button, starting the launch sequence.
"Ha, take that you motherfuckers!" he shouted, just as he was taken down by his dead friends. He may have been late to the party, but at least he got the job done. It would be up to the missile now, and hopefully it would intercept it before the warhead detonated. The last thing the young navy officer saw, was the jaws of one of them as it took a large chunk out of his throat, ending his short life.
xxx(Takagi Estate- Ten minutes before EMP.)
The rain had picked up again by the time Hinata had grabbed his stuff. Saya had run off, going back to her bedroom to grab her extra ammunition and her pack, as she wouldn't be letting him leave without her. She had already gathered a few extra knives from her father's stash, so they at least could rely on that. He had been waiting in the foyer, with Takashi and Rei, who had been talking quietly to themselves. Thunder rumbled above them, making the rain pick up a bit more.
"Man, this is gonna be fun! Maybe we should lip sync in the rain!" Hinata said.
"Ha ha, very funny cousin! This isn't the time to be singing a Broadway song anyway." Rei said.
"Jeez girl, take a joke, no need to get your panties in a twist." he exclaimed. She huffed, looking away from him. She had gotten her Springfield M1A1 back from Kohta, and had quickly put the harness back on, having reattached the bayonet Hinata had borrowed not that long ago, the sharpened blade stuck out from the bottom of the gun. In many ways, it was like the girl had found herself a better spear. He knew just how trained she was, after all they had the same master.
"I'm not, I just don't want to sing anything in the rain. So, I heard about your little make out session with Saya, any details you wanna share?" she asked, a smirk on her lips. He glared at Takashi, who only chuckled in response. His scowl turned into a smile as he looked directly at his cousin.
"Yeah, I have some details...detail number one...Fuck...and detail number two, You...hope that was satisfactory!" he said. Rei giggled lightly.
"Say that all you want, I can see the blush on your cheeks. She was totally eating you wasn't she? Poor thing, I heard it was her first kiss!"
"Takashi, you do know Saya wasn't kidding about shooting you right?" Hinata asked, glaring at his friend.
"Don't give me shit, she was peeking through the keyhole way before I came into the room." he said.
"You both suck! Anyway, what's the plan?" he asked firmly, trying to get back on topic.
"Well, I talked to Don Takagi and set the ground rules for this trip. Essentially, we have to get our parents together before they leave on the buses tomorrow morning. If we don't make it on time, they leave without us. I neglected to tell them Saya was coming with us though." he replied.
"Doesn't matter, Saya is coming with us whether he agrees to or not." Hinata said. He didn't say it because he himself wouldn't take no for an answer, it was because Saya would go regardless of what he said.
"Wow, big sis Saeko you look great!" Alice cried out suddenly. She and Savannah had been playing with Zero in the foyer not that far from where they all stood. Nozomi and Melanie had been patiently waiting for the time where they were set to leave, with Shizuka standing close to keep an eye on everyone. They all gazed up at Saeko, who had stepped into the foyer.
Not much had changed with her outfit, other than her wearing her school shirt and green ascot. She had changed the skirt entirely, replacing it with a dark violet on that was open on the sides, and served only to cover the front and back, her long violet stockings reached all the way to her mid thighs, and her attached to violet garters with thick black belts. She was still wearing the boots she had salvaged from Rika's house, the violet laces tied firmly. She left her long hair down, which trailed down her back. The thing that was different about her was the katana now strapped to her waist.
"So, are we ready to go?" Saeko asked firmly, looking at everyone.
"Not yet, we need to wait for Saya." Hinata said.
"Well, Don Takagi said he had something for us to take instead of the Humvee, apparently it's too damaged for us to take now, and has to get more repairs before it can be driven normally." Takashi said.
"You guys can check it out if you want, I'll just wait for you on the front steps." Hinata said. The rain had let up quite a bit, though it was still drizzling a little. Everyone decided to go outside to enjoy the last rays of the sun before it fully set. Hinata leaned against one of the support columns, watching Takashi and the others walk toward the garage, where the mechanic Matsudo was waiting with their new ride. From what Hinata could tell it was an Amphibious vehicle, with six thick wheels, that would make it harder than hell to flip. The only disadvantage it had, was the fact that it had no roof.
"Hi Hinata, how've you been?" Nozomi asked, gaining his attention. He shrugged, looking back at the others.
"I've been fine...just trying to get through the day. How are you holding up sweetheart?" he asked, a small smile on his face.
"I'm doing great! Saya's family has been so kind to us, and I honestly can't thank them enough. Mrs. Takagi even gave me this necklace, she said she wouldn't be needing it, and that it looked great with my eyes." she said, digging her hand inside her shirt, pulling out a necklace with a bright blue gemstone. It was a Sapphire, cut into the shape of a heart, the mount being encrusted with tiny little diamonds. The chain itself was made of sterling silver, with little diamonds on the sides of it. It was the most beautiful gem he had ever seen.
"Le coeur de la mere." he said softly, looking at the blue stone.
"What?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Nothing...I gotta say, that is one hefty rock. Betcha it's worth thousands." he said.
"Millions actually." the soft but firm voice of Yuriko Takagi said, as she stepped out into the front steps with them. Melanie, who was leaning against the other support column perked up a bit. In many ways, she looked up to the woman. She was rich, had tons of awesome clothes and an eye for jewelry. Maybe she would get lucky too.
"That thing is worth millions? Jeez, why would you waste so much money on a hunk of rock?" Hinata asked, unable to believe what he was hearing. Yuriko huffed, shaking her head.
"What a man...that is just what my husband say when I first showed it to him. Men just don't care for fine jewelry...talk to them about cars and they'll drool like a hound dog in the summer." she said, making the two girls laugh.
"Hey...that is absolutely right...that and cute girls in swimsuits." he said, a blush on his face.
"You better not be thinking about other girls while I'm around dip shit, or I'll shoot you!" Saya suddenly said, making the teen jump a bit in surprise. She had walked out of the house, her black backpack slung around her shoulders, her shotgun in her hands. Yuriko looked at her, a questioning look on her face.
"What is all that stuff for honey?" she asked.
"I'm going with them mom, don't try to stop me because I've already made my decision." she said firmly. She stood next to Hinata, hooking her arm around his own.
"I'm going to marry this dolt, so be a good mommy and fetch me a wedding ring, one from the safe will do." she said.
"Saya! Christ what the fuck are you saying? At least let me think about this stuff first, we just became a couple. I can't just marry you off the bat." He exclaimed. Yuriko on the other hand, could only smile at her daughter's antics. She looked right at Hinata, a smile on her face.
"Take care of my daughter Hinata-kun, you have my blessing to get married! I expect grandkids soon!" she said.
"Yuriko-san please...this is embarrassing." he said, a blush on his cheeks.
"Uh-uh, from now on you call me mom!" she said firm yet motherly tone. He was about to say something when the sound of the gates opening caught his attention. All of them turned to the gates, seeing a small passenger bus making it's way into the courtyard. To Hinata, it didn't seem out of the ordinary, but Saya stiffened up quite a bit when she saw the bus. She tightened her grip on his arm.
"Son of a bitch! That bastard is still alive!" she hissed angrily.
"Who?" he asked curiously, also getting Nozomi and Malanie's attention. Saya spat at the ground, glaring at the bus right after.
"Koichi Shido...he's a douche bag teacher from Fujimi Academy. He has a sick twisted personality, capable of turning even the most docile of people into his puppets. We all saw it happening in front of our eyes, all it took was a couple of hours, but he had those kids eating from the palm of his hand." She replied, anger coursing through her.
Hinata watched the bus intently, as a young man in his late twenties stepped out of the bus. He was wearing a black pinstripe suit, which was a bit worn out. He was wearing a white shirt underneath, with a loosened red tie around his neck. He also wore a matching pair of pinstripe slacks and formal shoes. He had short black hair in a bit of a bowl cut, and had a thin framed pair of glasses on his face. Even from where he stood, Hinata could tell he had an air of arrogance, he could see the controlling smirk on his face, though Don Takagi's guards weren't any wiser.
He also saw a few other students get out of the bus, all of them looking like drugged mind controlled mental patients. The two girls were practically eating each other, as they leaned against the bus, literally sucking their faces off. The only other male in the group was groping an orange haired girl, and apparently she was enjoying it quite a lot.
"You see that, those are the kids I was talking about...though a couple of them is missing, probably took off while they had the chance." Saya muttered softly. He was about to say something when another person got off the bus, an all too familiar looking person, who should have been dead by this point. Hinata pulled his arm free of Saya's grasp, and took his backpack off, handing it to her as he started walking toward the bus.
"Hinata, please don't do anything stupid!" Nozomi said, a worried look on her face. He smirked, drawing his 1911 from his holster.
"Trust me, I won't!" he said cheerfully as he flicked the safety off.
"Man, I gotta say Mr. Shido, I'm surprised you saved all of these high school kids." the guard said, glancing at the teenagers who were literally pinning each other to the wall. He was a bit unnerved by them, but decided to ignore them.
"Of course! I love my students dearly, so I couldn't just leave them behind. We also managed to pick up this young man, a drifter if you will, who was part of the Tokunosu West Academy alumni. He was abandoned by his fellow students, left to wonder the streets alone." Shido said, placing a hand on Bryce's shoulder, both of them smirking inwardly.
"I'll get the Don to come meet you. Surely he would like to meet the son of Ichirou Shido." he said.
"Man, this is a sweet place. I always wanted to see what this mansion looked like on the inside." Bryce said, looking around the area.
"Hey asshole!"
His ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. He saw Hinata Miyamoto fast approaching him. He turned to face him a smirk on his face, but before he could say anything derogatory to him, he was met with the barrel of a gun, pressed right to his forehead.
"Yo man what the fuck! Get that gun off my face!" He snapped angrily.
"Why should I? Why are you here? How are you still alive?" He cried out, his grip tightening on his gun.
"Son, get that firearm away from this young man at once! Don't you have any decency? What if it were to accidentally discharge? How would you feel if you ended up killing him?" Shido asked, looking right at Hinata, who could only smirk in response.
"Actually, it would be a great weight off my shoulders. You see over the last few nights, I couldn't sleep right at all, knowing he was still alive somewhere. I just wanted to run into him at some point, so I can take care of him myself." He replied, making the man take a step back. He felt a prick at his back and quickly turned around, only to see the tip of a bayonet aimed right at him.
"Miss Miyamoto, what a coincidence running into you here?" the man said, chuckling dryly.
"Do you know why I'm so good with a sojutsu? It's because I was also trained with the bayonet. And the person who trained me was my father, a man who never knew failure, during his entire life, working at the precinct or anything. He has had some losses, but we pulled through them, at least until he started his investigation on your father. You see, he was going to lock him away for doing a lot of bad things, and when he was close to cracking the case, he backed away, the reason being my failure of the second year. The man that hadn't cried a single time in his life, had suddenly broken down in front of me, telling me that it was his fault that I had failed. I didn't know what he meant until I realized that it had been you who tampered with my grades, you held me back, just so that he could back away from your father." she said angrily.
"What are you talking about? I wouldn't do that to you Miss Miyamoto...I love all my students dearly!" the man exclaimed.
"Don't make me laugh! I know it was you, you were the only one who had access to the student records, the only one that ever could! You made my father cry, you held me back for no goddamn reason, and for that you should pay!" she said, pressing the tip of the bayonet into his cheek, causing a bit of blood to dribble from the cut.
"It that's how you feel, then kill them!" the firm voice of Soichiro Takagi said. He was walking toward them, a small group of armed men trailing behind him and his wife.
"Don Takagi." Hinata muttered, stiffening a bit.
"Me and that man's father used to have business together. He was a detestable person, and there's no doubt his son is the same way. If you feel the need to, then kill him...I would do it myself, if I had a reason. The same extends to you Hinata, if you feel like this young man has wronged you...then it's up to you to take back what you rightfully deserve!" he said firmly.
Hinata licked his lips, looking back at Bryce who was trembling in fear. He didn't know why, but he felt so empowered, the fact that he had a gun pointed at one of his worst enemies, and that his life was literally hanging by a thread due to him, it was a feeling that he couldn't get over. His blood was pumping, and adrenaline was filling his system. His pupils had dialated a bit, and a look of sheer enjoyment appeared on in his face.
"H-Hinata...hey man if it means anything, I'm sorry, about everything that I did to you, let's just have a clean slate alright?" Bryce said. He gave out a low chuckle, throwing his head back a bit.
"Clean slate? Do you think you and I can have a clean slate after all of the times you tormented me? After all of the times you verbally and physically abused my friend? It doesn't work that way asshole. You are the scum of the earth, you don't deserve to stay alive. You should be one of them, shambling the streets, undead and unfeeling, for the rest of all eternity, suffering for your actions in the fiery pits of hell. That's the reason why I don't kill you right now, because I want you to suffer the same way our peers suffered in school the day the world went to shit, and to make things easier..." Hinata shifted his aim from the teen's head down to his thigh. He pulled the trigger, shooting the young man right in the thigh. Bryce dropped to the ground, howling in pain, as blood and bone started pouring from his new wound, staining his hands and pant leg. Bryce clutched his leg in pain, looking at him with burning eyes, tears of pain falling down the sides of his face.
"You shot me, you fucking shot me!" he cried out.
"If we ever run into each other on the streets again, I will shoot you, right between the eyes. Let's hope we don't meet again, because this isn't a threat...it's a promise." he said firmly, holstering his gun. He brushed past Don Takagi, who gave him a small smirk.
"Well done son, I know you'll take care of her." he said firmly, earning a nod in return from the young man. He wrapped his arm around Saya's waist, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He paused briefly to look at his other friends, who had looks of shock on their faces at his actions, though Kohta was more focused on the fact that Saya had picked Hinata over him. She had already talked to him about it, but that didn't mean he had gotten over it. Hinata didn't pay much attention after that incident, he was focusing on the rush that was going through him, the sheer enjoyment of having released so much pent up aggression on one of his tormentors, it felt absolutely fucking amazing. Shido helped Bryce back into the bus along with all of the other students, and they drove off into the sunset, hopefully never to be seen again.
"Man, that certainly was something." Takashi said, looking at the Miyamoto's unable to believe what he had seen. Rei giggled, looking at the sky.
"Don't worry about it, I dealt with my demons already...I can move on from this, and just start everything anew. I'm sure Hinata feels the same way!" she said.
"Definitely cousin...but that doesn't mean I'm not taking a crack at him, if we do run into each other." He said.
"If I was in Don Takagi's shoes, I don't know what I would have done. Sending them out there is suicide but...leaving them in here with us is just as worse." Takashi said.
"I commend that line of thought son, but I don't lean toward hesitation. As I stated before, if I had a reason I would have slain him where he stood. All of those kids, I feel ashamed to have even stood near them." he said. His wife hugged him tightly, bringing a smile to his face.
"Well, I suppose we should start leaving...we wanna make it to Rei and Takashi's houses before sundown, at least so we can head to Melanie's right after." Hinata said.
"Oh I did it! Yes I did it!" Shizuka suddenly said, jumping into the air, who voluptuous chest bouncing with each jump.
"Um...what did you do exactly?" Nick asked curiously, trying not to look at the woman.
"I remembered my friend's number. It was really hard since I didn't have my phone or my address book, but I finally remembered. Quick, someone hand me a phone." she said. Melanie sighed, shoving her hand in her blazer pocket.
"Here Doc, use mine." she said. Shizuka took the pink phone from her hand, quickly flipping it open.
"Ah yes, there's the one, and the two...all of the numbers are where they're supposed to be!"
"Do you want me to dial it for you?" Kohta asked.
"Oooh, you'll just mess me up..I'll do it." she said, slowly dialing the number in.
"Hey Takashi, you sure you can drive this thing? I know you were able to drive a motorcycle, but I just wanna make sure." Hinata said, looking at the Amphibious vehicle next to them.
"I can handle it man, don't even worry about it." He said, giving him a thumbs up.
"Rika, is that you? I'm so glad to hear your voice. I never thought I would hear you again! I've been through so much hell."
"Shizuka, thank Christ your alive. Where are you, my apartment?"
"That place is no good. We were there for a single night, and it got overrun, we did borrow your guns though." she said.
"That's fine...where are you? Are you safe?" she asked firmly.
"Oh, we're at..."
The phone in Shizuka's hand suddenly fizzled out, a bit of steam coming from it. She looked at it oddly, noticing how hot it had gotten. She pressed a few buttons, but the phone didn't respond in any way. In that moment, a bright flash could be seen above all of them. Hinata's eyes widened a bit, seeing the bright flash high up in the atmosphere, only to see what looked like an explosion right afterwards. The area around them had cleared completely of clouds, and the rain had suddenly stopped as well. Everyone remained silent, not knowing exactly what had happened.
"Um...Melanie...I don't know how to say this but...your phone is busted." Shizuka said, holding the pink phone back to it's owner.
"What the fuck Doc? That phone was extremely expensive." Melanie snapped checking it over.
"My phone doesn't work either, and I was just looking at my clock to see what time it was." Takashi said. Hinata's breath hitched a bit, as the sudden realization hit him. He looked up to where the flash had happened, and noticed another trail, extended outward from where the explosion had taken place. He traced it with his finger, seeing that it was pointing straight to where the ocean was.
"That was...a counter strike ballistic warhead. That bright flash we just saw...it was a H.A.N.E." Hinata said.
"A what?" Melanie asked curiously.
"A High Altitude Nuclear Explosion. When a nuclear warhead detonates high in the atmosphere, the gamma rays make surrounding molecules get charged with electrons, causing a compton scattering, which in turn causes an electromagnetic pulse. That is detrimental to electronic devices." Saya explained, earning halfhazard nods from everyone. She sighed, turning to her boyfriend.
"Dumb it down for them."
"Rocket go boom, big flash cause phones to die. All electrical devices in city no longer work, we're screwed!" he said, making a fizzing sound with his tongue. Nick grit his teeth, socking the teen across the face, though that didn't really do much, other than knock him onto the ground.
"Okay, guess I deserved that one." Hinata said, wiping his mouth.
"So wait...are you telling me that everything electrical would stop working?" Rei asked, a look of disbelief on her face. Hinata rapidly stood up, deciding to continue the conversation.
"Not necessarily. Things like phones and computers, that were on at the time of the pulse would be dead, as long as they had a charge going through them. Power stations have all of the necessary equipment to replace the fried parts, so it wouldn't take that long to get power back in places where it's gone out. Though that particular warhead seemed to be taken out mid flight, so the pulse didn't fully go off, so there might be a chance that a lot of the electrical systems in the city still work, though most of them will be dead." He said.
"A ballistic counter strike warhead...and it's coming from the ocean...I know there are two Navy vessels out there, the Curtis Wilbur and the JSDF Kongo." Nick said matter of factly
"How do you even know that?" Saya asked curiously, looking at the brunette. He gave her a smirk, glancing at her and Hinata.
"Is this how you two feel when you know something others don't? It feels empowering...let me bask in this for a second."
"NICK!" Everyone snapped at him, making him chuckle. He shook his head, following the smoke trail back to the ocean.
"I know this because my father is stationed at Okinawa's Military Base. He isn't in the Navy or anything, but the Marines work closely with them, so he knows which ships are out there. When I went to visit with my sister Mindy last year, he took me to meet his friend who was the Captain of the Curtis Wilbur, so I know those two ships in particular are always doing rounds in the area. The scary thing is that everywhere around the world, all of the countries have decided to put nuclear warheads into use, who's to say that one wasn't the only one?" Nick said, a grim look on his face.
"We can't think of that now. Saya, do you think it could be possible to fix things?" Soichiro said, looking at this daughter. All of the guards had been placing lit torches all around the courtyards, to provide the area with sufficient light.
"Well, there is a chance we might be able to find cars that weren't that damaged by the pulse. Since it was destroyed before it took full effect, the scattering should have been less than normal, though even a fraction of it is strong enough to damage several important pieces of technology. We might be able to replace the fried parts in cars that don't use computers for their fuel injection system. Of course classic cars will be completely fine as well." She said. The man nodded, looking at one of his men.
"Start doing research on this right away, we can't leave unless we have vehicles." He said firmly.
"Sir!" he cried, taking off. Hinata dug his hand in his pocket, and pulled out his own cellphone. He didn't know why, but he had felt the need to take out the battery that morning, just in case something happened. He put the battery back into the device, holding the power button until it miraculously turned on. He looked at Nick, a smirk on his face.
"Hey Nick, is it better to be Smart? Or Lucky?" he asked, holding his phone up. The teen chuckled, shaking his head.
"You and Saya are a match made in heaven, honestly you are!" he said.
"Wait...you guys are together?" Savannah asked, looking between the two, earning a nod from them. She squealed loudly, hugging the two of them tightly, congratulating them over and over again. However, that ended when one of the guards came in through the gate, holding his shotgun tightly in his hand.
"It's them. They've broken through the barrier!" he shouted.
"Close the gates, don't let anyone though it. Defense Unit, assemble, don't let any of them through." he said.
"Don, are we just going to abandon the people that are already here?" one of them asked. Soichiro drew his sword.
"If we do not close it now, we'll lose everything." he said firmly. He kept his face firm, but in his eyes, they could see his pain and having made such a hard choice. The men nodded and quickly closed the gates, just in time to hold them all back. They pushed with all of their might, trying to keep them closed.
"One of them got through." One man cried, as one of them slowly walked inside the courtyard.
"Hey, you gotta gun...shoot it." the black haired woman from before cried out, glaring right at Kohta and Hinata. They both looked at each other, hostility still in their eyes, but that's when Hinata held his fist out. Kohta looked at it oddly, finally understanding what that meant. They had a quick RoShamBo, with Kohta being the winner. He grinned, flicking the safety of his rifle off, lining the shot up.
"Looks like got one...right in my pocket!" he said, pulling the trigger. The bullet sailed right through its forehead, the head splitting apart as the body hit the ground.
"Nice! Looks like you got her scope zeroed in nicely." Hinata said, impressed with his friend's kill.
"Course I did, I did have time to play with it after all." he said with a grin.
"Sir, Madam! I've brought your things." one of the guards said, holding two firearms to them. Yuriko quickly tossed the scarf she had been holding onto to the ground, tearing her dress in a single fluid motion, revealing a holster, the handle of a gun sticking out of it.
"I'm all ready to fight, but a little backup never hurt. What about you Soichiro dear?" the woman asked, holding the CZE Vz83 submachine gun out to her husband. Instead the man drew his sword from it's scabbard, holding it out.
"I'm ready to fight! Hand that gun to Saya, it suits her better than that shotgun." the man said, small smile on his face. Yuriko turned to her daughter, holding the pistol out to her daughter.
"Here, I want you to take this." she said.
"Oh my god, that's a Luger P08, with a wooden stock and drum magazine. These guns are super rare!" Hinata said, pouring over the old firearm.
"I'm surprised you know about this kind of gun Hinata...then again you do have the basic firearm training the police go through." Kohta said.
"Actually, I know of this particular gun because my uncle has one. He collects World War 2 era pistols and rifles, this type of firearm happens to be one of his favorites, the bastard never did let me fire it." he said.
"If it's an old gun, then I wouldn't be able to use it." Saya said. Yuriko chuckled, placing it in her hands.
"I'm sure Kohta and Hinata are more than capable of teaching you how to use it. In the mean time, I need to start getting ready to fight." she said.
"I have another question for you, what are you even doing with a gun?" Saya asked, earning a smirk from her mother.
"When I was working on Wall Street, I took the executive training course. I might be an even better shot than your father!" she said with a laugh, loading a magazine into the receiver of her gun.
"Daddy, we should get into the house." Saya said, looking right at her father, determination in her eyes. The man scoffed, shaking his head.
"Our goal is to defend ourselves. They already took out the gates, even if we went inside, they would get in and we would be eaten. You should know this by now, Yoshioka!" he exclaimed, summoning one of his most loyal workers. He stood next to the man, giving him a salute.
"Sir, I saw from the second floor, the neighboring houses have yet to be attacked. We can take back the gates." He said.
"Our targets are those who have broken through. Men who can fight, prepare yourselves. Women and children who want to live, get in the back." Soichiro commanded firmly, waving his hand out. His men had already formed a firing squad in front of them. The gates finally came down, and the Freaks started coming into the courtyard.
"We have to fight you guys, we can't let these people die here!" Takashi exclaimed, getting nods from all of his friends.
"Weren't you going to find your parents?" Soichiro asked, earning a nod from the lad.
"Yes but..."
"Then you should be on your way...we'll handle everything here. Hinata...take care of my daughter." He said firmly.
"I'll protect her with my life sir!" He said proudly.
"What...no I can't leave..not when all of you need help!" Saya said. Yuriko took a firm hold of her daughter's arm, and slapped her hard across the face, leaving the young woman stunned.
"Mom..."
"Don't think for a second that this doesn't hurt us. It's tearing us apart...but we have things we have to do. I'm not leaving you because I want too, I'm leaving you because I have too...they'll keep you safe...he'll keep you safe." she said, gesturing to Hinata, who gave her a firm nod.
"Mommy, Daddy...I love you!" she said, giving her a firm hug. She grabbed her backpack off the ground, slinging it around her shoulder as she took off toward the garage after the others. Hinata was about to take off as well, when Yuriko put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stop.
"She wants to marry you, she wouldn't have said something like that unless she meant it. She sees something in you that she didn't see in many others...remember, I want grand kids." she said, placing a black velvety box in his hand. He wanted to look inside, but the sense of urgency filled his mind. He gave the woman a smile, hugging her tightly.
"I'll keep her safe, so don't worry about her, mom." he said, giving her a wink. He shoved the ring box in his pocket and grabbed his backpack off the ground, slinging it around his shoulder. He took off toward the garage, the firing squad had already opened fire on the horde, taking a few of them down.
"Do you think they'll be alright dear?" Yuriko asked, looking at her husband. The man nodded, gripping his sword tightly.
"Of course, they have a strong leader, he just needs to realize it soon."
"Hinata, great news. The Humvee still works, but it still needs repairs, the thing is, it won't fit all of us. What should we do?" Takashi asked, looking at the black haired teen.
"I don't know man, the Humvee would be safer than the ATV, since it has a roof, but if it's gonna give us engine trouble we shouldn't bother with it." He said.
"Why don't we take both vehicles? We can easily mow through them if the buggy goes behind the Humvee. They can take out the ones the Humvee missed." Melanie said with a shrug, looking at both vehicles intently.
"That's a good idea, but it takes balls to do." Nick said.
"Takashi, Rei, Saeko, me and Saya will go on the buggy, the rest go in the Humvee, from there we can head to the East Police Station. We don't have much time, and the Freaks are closing in on us." Hinata said, taking a couple shots with his rifle.
"Takashi, what do you think of this?" Kohta asked.
"Its a good plan as any, how much longer until its ready to drive?" Takashi asked.
"Its all ready, give her a go." Matsudo said, coming out from underneath the Humvee. Shizuka turned the key, and the engine whirled to life.
"It works." she said happily, her hands tightly wrapping around the steering wheel.
"Matsudo, get in." Kohta said.
"Sorry kiddo, my love is still here, you go." he said, grabbing an adjustable wrench. Everyone quickly filed into their respective vehicles, with Takashi getting on the ATV, quickly starting the engine.
"Alright Takashi, I hope to hell you can really drive this thing."
"I can..trust your leader." He said. Hinata smirked and rose his hand up, he signaled Shizuka to go ahead of them. The Humvee zoomed by them at a break neck speed, making Nick chuckle to himself. Takashi took off after them. Hinata was able to shoot a few infected that got too close, they zoomed by the Takagi's, who were busy holding off the fort. Hinata stood up and gave them a Salute. Soichiro saluted him back, just as they passed through the gates. They landed hard on the asphalt, almost knocking him down.
"Christ, that was harder than I thought." he said.
"Sorry, wasn't expecting that." Takashi said.
They kept driving down the hill seeing Shido's bus, which had slammed into the forklift. There was narrow gap, too drive through. Somehow, the Humvee got through it, though it ended up taking the bus's door, sending shards of glass and metal flying in all directions.
"Oh God, can we make that?" Rei asked.
"We're gonna have too, hang on!" Takashi said, flooring it. Everyone closed their eyes, waiting for the crash that never came. The buggy passed right through the gap, though it scraped the bus a bit. Takashi drifted into a turn and followed the Humvee. He pulled up next to it, and Shizuka rolled the window down.
"This thing is making funny sounds, can I stop?" she asked.
"No, keep going, we need to reach the highway." Takashi said. She nodded and sped up a bit. Nick sighed and sat down.
"Man, why does everything have to turn to shit?" he asked.
"It just happens man. We better get used to it, our nights are going to be a helluva lot worse without power." Hinata said, seeing the sun was almost gone. There was nothing they could do now, the explosions coming back from the Takagi Estate would distract the Freaks, but for how long? He looked beside him, seeing the disappointed look on Saya's face. He reached for her hand, taking it in his own.
"Sweetie, it'll be alright. Your parents...their tough as nails...a horde of Freaks wouldn't take them down." he said.
"I know it's just...I wish we could have settled things on a high note, instead of through this. My face still hurts!" she said, making him chuckle. He kissed her cheek, making her blush a bit.
"There, that'll get rid of the pain." he said.
"Ugh...can you two not be a couple right now? We need to focus on making it out of here alive." Rei said, a teasing tone in her voice.
They finally reached the Highway, seeing it abandoned. Several infected were shambling around. Shizuka stopped and shut the engine off. Takashi did the same.
"Crap. They're everywhere." he muttered. Thankfully, they hadn't noticed. Kohta came out from the hatch in the Humvee.
"Hey, what's the plan here?" he asked.
"We still have to reach the police station, but its getting dark, we can't be outside for much longer." Takashi said.
"Fuck, of all goddamn things to happen. I blame Shido, that fucker is the reason the estate got taken over." Nick said, tightening the grip on his gun.
"Well we gotta do something." Shizuka said.
"Why don't we just go to the mall? It's a couple kilometers from here...we can take this road all the way there." Melanie suggested, having rolled down the window on the right back door of the Humvee.
"You just want an excuse to gallivant in an empty mall with free shit you can take. No thanks, I'm not going to risk my ass for that." Saya snapped.
"That's actually not a bad idea. The doors are made of plexiglas, which is very hard to break. There's a set of double doors, so we can lock the outside doors and barricade the inside ones. All of the stores will be left with their full stock, including the grocery store, and the best part of all, the EMP wiped out the power to the city, but since it was only a small detonation, there's a high chance that there's power there, and if not the mall should be equipped with back up generators. We can siphon the gasoline from the nearby cars and use it to power on the generators. We can also use the flat roof to grow crops for when we eventually run out of food, and we can set up an irrigation system, an aquaponics station and a backup water collecting system, we can definitely make this work in our favor." Hinata said, already formulating several ideas for how they could use the mall to their advantage.
"I thought you wanted to go to Mt. Fuji, did you suddenly change your mind?" Rei asked curiously.
"Hardly...it's just that it would be easier to focus on our local area, at least until we can rescue our parents. We can't just leave Tokunosu right afterwards either, we need to prepare to leave, after all we'll be crossing through the Tokyo Metro Area, and that's bound to be filled with Freaks of all shapes and sizes, we can't just can't risk it, not at this moment at least." He said firmly.
"You know Hinata, you are actually smarter than you let on. I would have never suggested starting an aquaponics station, I doubt half of you people even know what that is. Regardless that will take weeks of planning, for now we need to focus on getting the group there. Distracting these Freaks is top priority, reaching the mall is our second, and making sure it's clear is our third. I think we might have to split into groups." Saya said.
"How would we even communicate? It's not like we have walkie talkies or anything of the sort." Nick muttered dryly. Hinata hummed to himself, his eyes widening a bit.
"Nozomi, you said you had extra batteries for your phone right? In case one of them shorted out, would you happen to have any of them on you?" he asked. The purple haired girl nodded, digging through her backpack.
"I normally take the battery out of my phone when I'm not using it, after my phone battery exploded a few years back, I didn't take any chances with it." she said, getting out of the Humvee, she slowly and quietly walked over to the ATV, handing Hinata her cellphone and the battery. He quickly put it into the phone, pressing the power button while holding his hand tightly over the speaker. He muttered a few prayers under his breath, hoping it would turn on, and when it did, he let out a sigh of relief. He waited for it to fully turn on, seeing it had a full signal on it.
"Great, now we have something to contact each other. The EMP didn't wipe out any satellites, see...I told you the satellite model would come in handy someday, and you doubted me." He said, glancing at his best friend, who just huffed in annoyance.
"Wait...you two bought your cellphones together?" Saeko asked curiously.
"Um well...they were a gift from Aiko-san for our birthdays. We were born on the same year, a couple months apart, so when we both turned fourteen, she got us both a pair of cellphones, we got to choose which ones of course. When my battery exploded on me, we decided to get flip phones because they were in style. The ones we picked not only worked with our regular cell reception but they also doubled as satellite phones, so our connection gets bounced from the satellites in orbit." She said.
"I didn't even know they had those...interesting. Well, we have a means to communicate now, all we have to do is figure out what to do about them." Kohta said. He had been keeping his eye on them for awhile, and it wouldn't be long before they noticed them.
"I have a plan for that...I'll use the buggy as a source of sound and make them follow me. I'll take them down by the river, that should buy you all enough time to get outta here." Takashi said firmly.
"Takashi, don't think for a second you can just do that. You can't just run off on your own!" Rei snapped, glaring at her friend.
"If we don't do that, then we are going to get spotted. The Humvee can't go on anymore, this is likely the only working engine for kilometers, we'll be followed regardless. At least I can clear this area for you guys, we don't have choice, plus it's already sundown." He said firmly. Rei wanted to retort, but knew she couldn't as she had nothing to counter with.
"I'll go with you. You need someone to cover your back, Takashi. We can work silently and make it to the mall by tomorrow morning." Saeko said, earning a nod from him.
"Alright then, let's get ready." Takashi said.
"Hey man, are you sure about this? I can come along for back up, I may not be the best sharp shooter, but I'm still good enough." Hinata said. The teen shook his head, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I need you to watch over them for me. You have what it takes to lead without me here. If the need arises where you have to leave, then I want Kohta to take over for you, is that alright?" Takashi asked, looking at the two teenagers. Hinata gave him a firm nod, while Kohta simply gave him a thumbs up.
"Takashi, take this...I want you to be safe out there alright?" Saya said, handing him her shotgun, along with her ammo satchel. He took them both in his hand, giving her a smile.
"Thanks Saya." he replied.
Everyone filed out of the buggy, hiding behind an overturned car. Takashi slung the Ithaca across his shoulder, cracking his neck as he restarted the buggy. Saeko hung on tightly as he drove to the middle of the street, revving the engine as loudly as he could. All of the Freaks looked in his direction, slowly shambling toward the black buggy. Their grimy hands reached for the two, their groans growing louder as they drove off, heading toward the river.
"Come on you motherfuckers! Fresh meat!" Takashi howled, just before he disappeared from sight. The sound of the engine carried out throughout the area, making all of the Freaks follow them. Within minutes the entire road had been clear.
"So, what exactly is the plan?" Kohta asked curiously, looking through the scope of his AR-10, making sure they were truly alone, the distant sound of the buggy still echoing through the area. Hinata took out his map, quickly finding the road they were on. Tracing the path with his finger, he mentally counted how many blocks away they were from the mall.
"Okay, so we're approximately 24 blocks from the mall, depending on how fast you all move, we can cover half of that within half an hour, though with all of our supplies and all of the dangers, that will only add to our time. I would estimate us reaching the mall at eleven at night, give or take a few hours." Hinata said.
"Are you sure about that? You could be wrong." Rei said.
"He isn't wrong, trust me. We mapped the area out together when were trying to reach Mercy Hospital, and we got there at the allotted times we set for ourselves. We just have to keep a good pacing, our eyes and ears clear and not make a single sound. Also, we have to be careful, we don't want to run into any Runners while we're out here." Saya said firmly.
"R-runners?" Shizuka asked curiously.
"Oh right, we never did tell you about them. Runners are like regular Freaks, except they are much stronger and faster than them. They can climb and run at fast paces without wearing out. There aren't that many of them, but if we do manage to run into any of them we have to be careful. Also Kohta, I want you to take this, in case we do run into any Runners or into a bigger horde of them." Hinata said, handing the teen one of the pipe bombs he created. The teen looked it over, eyes widening.
"How did you make something like this? Let alone making it work...it must have taken you a long time." he muttered.
"Not really, it's just a couple of household chemicals in the proper proportions. Those things have a helluva a lot of power, so throw it if you mean it and duck for cover. I also have a couple road flares to light our path, if we run into another police car, we'll need to search it for more. Also, keep an eye out for cars with keys in the ignition, we might be able to find one that works." Hinata said, earning nods from his friends. He pulled his suppressor from his backpack, quickly twisting it onto the barrel of his rifle. He pressed the button on the flashlight, the bright beam serving as a small beacon for them. He handed the kerosene lamp to Shizuka, along with a small box of matches.
"I made sure to fill that back at Saya's, keep it dim enough to see. We don't want to reveal ourselves to anyone." he said firmly.
"Okay...but who would see it? They can't exactly see light you know." She said.
"I'm not worrying about the Freaks, I'm talking about other people. Before, everything was about surviving, everyone just had that mutual agreement, but now that there's no power in the city, most of the city anyway, people are going to start getting desperate. Desperate enough to steal from others, desperate enough to kill others for their supplies. I'm only saying this once, but if you ever feel threatened, by anyone on the road, do not hesitate to kill them. I surely won't." Hinata said.
"We're not supposed to kill the living cousin, that's wrong." Rei said, looking at her older cousin who just narrowed his eyes at her.
"I'm sorry Rei, but that's the way of the world now. We shouldn't fear the dead, we should fear the living. Now come on, before Takashi and Saeko's distraction goes to waste." he said, taking point. As much as they hated to agree with him, Hinata was right. The world was starting to fall apart, and it was only growing worse by the second. They couldn't take chances anymore, even though they were trying to survive, they wanted to keep their humanity intact, for how long, that was a question that no one knew the answer too.
A/N: Cookie goes to whoever can guess the two movie references I made in this chapter.