"Damnation's whore,
Is looking for a victim tonight..."
- Disturbed, "Serpentine".
"Urahara?"
Ichigo rubbed his eyes, making sure that the man standing before him, as well as the others in his proximity, was not an illusion. Indeed they were not; Kisuke Urahara, Renji Abarai, Rangiku Matsumoto, and young Jinta and Ururu were very much alive.
"Captain!"
Rangiku's voice shattered the silence. The beautiful lieutenant dashed towards the four men, her sights set on the youngest of them. In the blink of an eye, Hitsugaya went from standing on the ground into his former subordinate's arms in a massive bear hug, his face pushed into her cleavage.
"Lucky bastard…" Shuhei muttered, looking on with jealous eyes.
"Thank goodness you're alive, Captain!" Matsumoto squealed, "I thought you were dead!"
"Mmmph! MMPH!"
"What was that?" The woman loosened her grip on Toshiro, allowing him to breathe.
"You were suffocating me, Rangiku!"
"Oh…Sorry, Captain…" Hurt, Matsumoto was on the verge of tears. Toshiro realized his mistake, and soon corrected it.
"…But, I will forgive you, for I am happy to see you too, Rangiku." The young man smiled at his lieutenant, something he rarely (or ever) did. As Matsumoto embraced him again, much gentler this time, her four traveling companions approached the group, with Urahara in the lead.
""What is it, Mr. Kurosaki?" Hat 'n Clogs smirked while pulling out his trademark fan, opening it, "You really think I, the greatest mind in this world, wouldn't survive?"
"Yeah, Ichigo!" added Renji angrily. "What gives?!"
The pressure was building up on Kurosaki, who tried to answer. "No, no, no! Y-you guys got it all wrong! It's not that I thought you were dead! Well, I did, actually… But this, this is such a surprise!"
"Ya got that right!" Jinta shouted, pointing his small finger towards Kurosaki's face, "We're the best in th- MMPH!" Renji quickly muffled the fired-up child.
"Be quiet, you little punk!" Abarai scolded, "You want those things to come get us?"
"Now now, Renji," Urahara smiled, "Don't be mean to my little friend, no matter how annoying he may be." He turned to Ichigo, "I take it you aren't the only four living in that motor home, am I right?"
At that moment, the R.V's doors swung open, and out stepped Rukia brandishing a pistol, believing that all the commotion was caused by some threat. The small Soul Reaper soon dropped her weapon as she caught sight of her oldest friend standing with Ichigo.
"Renji!"
Hearing the voice calling his name, Renji quickly shoved Jinta to the ground, only fueling the child's rage even more.
"Rukia!"
Kuchiki jumped down from the vehicle, almost stumbling over her own feet as she ran towards Abarai. She met him in a running embrace, almost knocking the red headed man off his feet. She quickly pulled away and locked eyes with him, hers beginning to water.
"I thought you were dead…" Kuchiki said softly.
"Takes a lot to put me down, Rukia," answered Renji with a smile, "No way I was going to die without seeing you agai- AHH!"
Suddenly, Urahara appeared between the two friends, his smiling face inches away from Renji's.
"What the hell, Kisuke?!" Abarai yelled.
"While I hate to interrupt you happy reunion, all this commotion is probably attracting some of those walking stiffs. Maybe we all should head inside that R.V where it's safe and finish catching up there."
In a silent agreement, everyone began conjugating towards the motor home, off of the deserted highway and out of the threatening darkness.
Hours flew by inside the R.V as the Urahara and the other newcomers told their story of survival. Urahara recalled the events he experienced on the first few days of the epidemic, and how he, Yoruichi, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu managed to escape the walker-invaded Karakura Town through its sewer system, in much the same way that Ichigo and Hitsugaya had done so. Hat 'n Clogs then went on to say that only hours after exiting the city, they were attacked by a horde of the undead, and that Tessai sacrificed himself to allow he, Yoruichi, and the children to reach the safety of a small house. The four of them had stayed there for weeks hiding from the dead, until three familiar faces arrived on the doorstep. Urahara didn't hesitate to let Renji, Rangiku, and Ikkaku in then, but almost regretted doing so when he found out Madarame had been bitten on the shoulder before arriving. It was only hours later that the 11th Company warrior succumbed to his wound, and his reanimated corpse had to be put down. The gunshot from the execution attracted the undead to the house like flies to meat, and the group had to abandon their safe haven. After that, Kisuke's group roamed around, scavenging from rundown stores and finding places to stay for the nights, all leading up to today's encounter with Ichigo's group.
By the time Urahara finished the story, the day was in its early morning hours, and everyone except for Ichigo and Kyoraku had fallen asleep. The only things that kept the two up were questions and entertainment.
"What a story, Kisuke!" Shunsui exclaimed quietly, not wanting to wake anybody. "Though I am sad to hear about what happened to Tessai and Ikkaku. Oh, I remember the conversations me and Tessai used to have before you and he were banished. A shame I won't be able to have any more…."
"Huh," Urahara answered, "I never thought he was much of a talker. But I still miss his silence, all the same."
"Speaking of silence, what's up with that little girl in the pajamas? I haven't heard her say a word since she got here."
"You mean Ururu? Well, she was never a talker to begin with. Most we could ever get out of her was ten words at the most. But since this all started, she hasn't said a thing, let alone make a sound. All I've heard from her has been coughs and yawns. Tried talking to her, but the poor little thing just looked at the ground. It's sad, really."
Dead silence followed.
"Wait a minute," Ichigo asked, restarting the conversation, "What happened to Yoruichi?"
Urahara tilted his head. "Pardon?"
"Is Yoruichi alive?"
"Of course, Mr. Kurosaki."
"Then where is she?"
"…Somewhere."
"Whaddya mean, somewhere? I thought you said she was with you?"
"She was."
"And?"
"And what?"
"Where is she now?!"
"Like I said, somewhere."
"You don't know?!"
"Oh calm down, Mr. Kurosaki. She's fine… maybe. I don't really know, actually. One night, she just got up and vanished. All she left was this." Urahara reached into the pocket of his green cloak and pulled out a tiny note, handing it to Ichigo, who read it aloud.
"Dear, Kisuke,"he started,"I don't have much room to write about why I'm leaving, or the reasons behind it, so I'll just say goodbye. Hopefully we'll find each other again someday. Or, in realistic terms, I'll find you, 'cause I'm damn sure you'll never find me! Love, Yoruichi. P.S., Thanks for the human Gigai. Being stuck as a cat wouldn't get me very far at sea!"
"Clever woman," said Kyoraku, "I didn't think she knew anything about sailing."
"She doesn't," Urahara took the note back from Ichigo, "But I trust she'll learn how to pretty quickly. It's not like she's going on a worldwide cruise or anything."
"Did you guys try and look for her?" Ichigo asked.
"Yeah, but we didn't even find a trail. We didn't expect to, really."
"Understandable," Shunsui yawned again, "She was the leader of the Stealth Force and all-
*THUMP*
Everyone stopped.
"What was that?" Ichigo turned to Urahara.
"Why are you looking at me, Mr. Kurosaki?"
"Cause every time you're around, something always happens."
"Well, I wouldn't say always..."
*THUMP*
"May I suggest something?" Kyoraku was now holding Ichigo's hammer, presenting the weapon to its owner, "Instead of arguing, how about you go deal with our company outside?"
"Why do I have to do it?"
Shunsui smiled. "Well, first of all, you're the youngest. Secondly, Kisuke here and I haven't had any sleep all night. We older folks need our beauty sleep."
"Oh, come on! Those aren't excuses!" Ichigo stood up quickly, gesturing to Urahara," Besides, Hat n' Clogs here isn't even tired."
"Well, now that you mention it, "Urahara yawned loudly, his act clearly a façade, "I am feelin' a little drowsy…"
*THUMP*
Kurosaki sighed.
"You guys suck."
Giving in, he snatched his hammer from the still smiling Kyoraku's hand and went over towards the door, opening it enough so that one good, solid kick could send it swinging hard into whatever stood on the other side. Stepping back, Ichigo shot his leg out into the door, which did indeed hit something. Ichigo lunged forward to bash in the skull of the walker lying in front of him on the road, but stopped midway after seeing that their "company" was not alone.
The sound of Ichigo slamming the door shut with all his might awakened everyone who had been sleeping in the R.V. Those who were asleep in the front of the camper around Ichigo, Kisuke, and Shunsui shot up from out of their covers or sleeping bags, while those whose beds were located in the back room, which was blocked off by a curtain, slowly made their way to the front.
"What the hell's goin' on?" Renji asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Is everything alright?" Orihime followed. Yuzu was beside her, holding a blanket and half asleep.
"Better have a pretty damn good reason to wake me up, Kurosaki," Shuhei growled. A light sleeper, this was the first night Hisagi had been able to rest other than being on his usual guard duty.
Ichigo stepped over to the window adjacent to the door and pulled back the curtains. "See for yourself."
Shuhei peered out through the glass, others following in suit. The sight of what lie on the outside immediately erased their drowsiness.
"Oh, shit," Hisagi breathed.
Though the highway was still covered in pitch blackness, everyone could see the twenty or so walkers shifting around outside, the silhouettes of their rotting bodies swaying back and forth. The lights inside the R.V. gleamed off their eyes, making them look like alligators floating in a moonlit swamp. Growls and rasping moans began to fill the air as one walker reached up and slammed its rotted, disfigured hand onto the window the group was watching from.
"Fuck!" Caught off guard, Shuhei jumped back into Rangiku's chest, breathing heavily. The woman couldn't help but giggle.
"Don't worry," she crooned playfully, patting him on the head, "I'll protect you."
Embarrassed, the former lieutenant stood up, regaining his tough-guy persona. "So," he said gruffly, "What's the plan?"
Nanao rolled her eyes. "Drive away, dipshit. What else?"
"Sounds good to me," Kyoraku said as he buckled himself into the driver's seat. "Take a seat everybody: This could get bumpy!"
Shunsui floored the gas pedal, jerking the camper and knocking mostly everyone to their feet. As the vehicle sped away from the walkers, those inside began to make it back to their feet. Ichigo helped Orihime and Yuzu up.
"Are you two alright?" he asked.
"What was out there?" Yuzu looked at her brother with tired eyes.
"Nothing to worry about, sis. Go back to bed and get some sleep."
"But-
"Come on, Yuzu," Inoue ushered, nudging her towards the back room, "Listen to your brother. You need your sleep." She turned to Ichigo. "Do you want me to stay?"
"No, go back with her. Keep her company. I'll be back there soo- OOF!"
The R.V. suddenly hit a bump in the road and lurched upwards. Ichigo was knocked into the side of a table, pain shooting up his side.
"Ichigo!" Inoue stood him back onto his feet.
Kurosaki quickly brushed off the pain. "I'm fine, just take Yuzu now!"
As Orihime took Yuzu away, Ichigo spoke to the others. "Alright, some of you get in the back now! We can't all stay up here, 'cause someone'll get hurt!"
"Come on, you heard 'em," Shuhei ordered, "Move it!" The tattooed lieutenant followed those he ordered into the back, leaving Ichigo, Rukia and Renji up front. Abarai, struggling to keep balanced in the rocking R.V., staggered over beside Ichigo.
"This is ridiculous!" Abarai shouted as the R.V. hit another bump.
"Shunsui!" Ichigo yelled at the driver, "Slow down!"
"Hold your horses, kid!" Kyoraku called back, "I ain't the best at driving this thing!"
"Besides," Urahara added, "That wouldn't be the best thing to do at this time. Not with that up ahead."
Hat 'n Clogs pointed towards the dip in the dark road ahead. The stomachs of everyone in the front dropped as hundreds of pairs of glowing eyes came into view at the bottom of the hill, their owners gathered together in a great mass of death and decay. Even more began to appear from the forest surrounding the road, the rasping moans growing louder and louder as the camper sped right towards them.
"Dammit," Renji cursed, "It's a herd!"
"A what?!" Last time Ichigo remembered, a herd was a large gathering of animals, not of bloodthirsty corpses.
"A herd, you idiot!" Renji yelled at him, "These things can gather together in the hundreds at times; this is exactly what drove my group out of our old home! It's probably the same exact one, seeing as we came from this way!"
Rukia held on tightly to the side of Urahara's seat while looking at the horde ahead. "Is it safe to drive through?" As she spoke, the camper was speeding down the hill, its driver unable to slow it down.
"We're about to find out!" Urahara grabbed hold of his fedora. "Brace yourselves!"
Far away from the perilous situation that the group's R.V was about to enter, the community known as The Sanctuary was enveloped in peaceful darkness. No lights shined on its roughly paved streets, not a soul travelling on them, for all where nestled away in their beds, sound asleep.
All except for Kingpin.
The man had been awake for the majority of the night, switching back and forth from sharpening his knives, swinging Lilith in silent, compressed rage or thinking of his troubled past. Nights like this were typical for him. Night terrors plagued him from time to time, and the madman hated feeling fear, feeling weakness. After hours of angst and anger, nature kicked in and he succumbed to drowsiness while sitting at his desk, his dagger Draco still grasped in his hand.
For once, he felt peace.
But not for long.
"Wake up."
Kingpin's eyes shot open from under his mask.
She was back.
He looked up from his desk, still tired but completely awake, and towards the chair across the room where she sat, smiling at him. She was dressed all in white, the color seemingly illuminating Kingpin's almost pitch black room. Her fine leather jacket, trimmed with faux fur, was zipped down halfway, exposing a fine amount of cleavage, while the short skirt she wore exposed almost everything underneath, her crossed legs hiding the rest. She brushed a strand of black hair from her face and smiled at the man behind the desk.
"Miss me?" she asked, eyeing him seductively.
"What do you want?" Kingpin hissed. He never liked when she toyed with him.
"Oh, come on, baby. You know why."
"Then get it done with."
"Nope," she stood up and walked over to the desk, sliding on top of it, her ass raised in the air, "We're gonna have some fun first."
"Not tonight. I need sleep. You damn well know what's goin' down tomorrow."
"Of course I do. But I know you aren't gonna find them."
"And so it begins…"
"You know just as well as I do that you're gonna fuck it up. They're not worth finding, anyway. Just stay here with me, forget it all. I'm all that you need."
"No, you're not!" Kingpin snarled at her. "How can I have just you, huh? No man can have just one thing! You know what HE took from me! He took my life, he took my home, he took everything! He took-"
At that, he stopped. He looked at the young woman sitting on his desk, gazing at her with sad eyes.
"He took you… All that I had was you, and he took it away from me... I won't let that happen again. I won't let someone take from me ever again! I won't give anybody a chance to take from me! I'll kill them all!"
Kingpin slammed his fist down on the desk. The woman was unfazed by his rage, her expression still the same as when she first arrived.
"And then…" the man sat back down in his chair, "Then I'll have everything."
The woman turned herself on the desk to face Kingpin. "I thought I was you're everything."
"You were. You still are. I just need more."
She slid off the desk and onto Kingpin's lap. She wrapped her legs around his and stared deep into the eyes behind the mask, all while unzipping her jacket further down.
"I'll give you more," she whispered to him. Her touch sent shivers throughout his body, the sight of her body sending him into a brief moment of ecstasy and pleasure when…
*BAM! BAM!*
Kingpin's blood rushed back up to his head when he heard the pounding on the door.
"What the fuck…" he hissed, turning his head to the unopened door, "Who is it?!"
"Are you alright, boss?" the deep voice of Gentu asked, "I heard yelling."
"I'm fine, dumbass. What did I fucking tell you about coming unannounced?"
"Not to, sir. My apologies."
"You're damn right. Now get the fuck out and go home. Go sleep, play cards, jerk off, I don't care what it is, just stay the fuck away from me!"
"Yes, sir. Good night, sir."
Kingpin waited until the sound of Gentu's heavy footsteps disappeared before turning back to the woman. "Now, where were we-"
But she was gone.
He frantically looked around the room for her, but her presence was gone.
Kingpin sighed, and stayed quiet for a few minutes, his mind engulfed by thoughts of her. Then, almost as if under a spell, he stood up and grabbed Lilith off her mantle.
And he swung the bloodied bat again, and again, and again, and again…
*KROOM!*
The R.V slammed into the herd at full force. The blackened blood of the unlucky walkers in front ejaculated onto the window, their limbs lodged into the front grill. Bodies were crushed under the weight of the vehicle's tires, the heads of the monsters popping like overinflated balloons. Thumps created by walkers clawing and pounding the outer exterior echoed throughout the inside of the camper.
Inside, those in the front compartment were rattled and thrown about into the walls as their transport struggled against the ocean of undead outside. Food, clothing and other items fell from the cupboards and onto the floor, only adding to the chaos. Amidst all of it, someone noticed one vital, very bad detail:
"We're slowing down!" Rukia yelled as she regained her balance by leaning against a wall.
"What?!" As Ichigo answered her, he noticed that she was indeed correct: the R.V. was quickly slowing down, meaning that it would soon be stuck in a sea of walkers with nowhere to go.
Renji, who in the chaos was slammed into the wall by the window, peered through the glass to see the horrible sight outside. Walkers were climbing over each other trying to reach the vehicle, limbs poking out between withering bodies. A chorus of moans pierced through the thick metal hide of the camper, almost drowning out the voices of those inside. But the worst part was that the majority of them were attacking the front of the vehicle, hindering its advancement.
"How the hell are we gonna get through this?!" Abarai yelled, "These things just don't stop coming!"
'He's right,' thought Ichigo, 'The only way we can get out is to clear a path by killing them, but the sound of the guns will only attract more! There's has to be a way!'
Then, out of the corner of his eye, Kurosaki saw the solution: A large red container was lying by the wall near Rukia's leg, most likely knocked from its place in a cupboard during the rickety impact with the herd. Inside of it swishing back and forth was a good five gallons of highly flammable gasoline.
"Rukia!" he pointed towards the container by the Soul Reaper's leg, "Toss that to me!"
"Huh?" Kuchiki looked down to where he was pointing, noticing the object for the first time. She quickly got ahold of it and slid it across the vehicle to Kurosaki. "What are you going to do with that?"
"You'll see!"
With the container in hand, Ichigo quickly made his way through the curtain leading to the back room. In it sat the others, some crowded by the windows viewing the undead sea, while others sat in their beds avoiding the sight outside.
"Ichigo!" Izuru was the first to notice him enter the room, "How's it going up there?"
"Not good," Kurosaki answered, "But I'm about to fix that. Shuhei!"
Hisagi, who was one of those looking out the window, turned towards the sound of his name being called. "Yeah?"
"I'm gonna need you for this. Get your crossbow."
Orihime looked at her love, noticeably worried, "What are you doing with that gasoline?"
Ichigo smirked. "Just gonna bring the heat to our friends out there."
"Whoa, WHOA!" Nanao stood up in objection, "Do you know how hard it is to find gasoline?! We can't afford to waste that much!"
"What would you rather do, Nanao: Live or die?!"
The lieutenant quickly shut her mouth, as Ichigo pushed open the ceiling hatch leading to the roof. The stench of rotting flesh instantly flew into the room.
"Damn, that stinks!" Hisagi covered his nose and mouth with his hand, preventing the rancid air from entering and the contents of his stomach from exiting. Quietly enduring the stench (unlike his partner), Ichigo climbed up onto the roof, followed closely by Shuhei. From their position, the two could see the entire herd, in all its horrifying glory, surrounding the R.V.
"Holy shit…" From the inside, Ichigo couldn't see the herd in its whole, but now from a higher perspective, it went from being a deadly obstacle to something truly of nightmares. As the shapes of he and Hisagi moved slowly in front of the moon, extensions of the vehicle driving below them, the walkers below instantly saw the shapes of prey looming above them.
"They're looking at us, Ichigo!"
"Come on, let's do this before they all notice us!"
"You still haven't explained what we're going to do yet!"
"Just watch."
Without another word, Ichigo carefully walked up to the very front of the R.V., his feet ending up at the edge. Without looking down, he unscrewed the lid to the gasoline container. Then, gathering as much strength as he could, Ichigo made one big motion and sent all of the flammable liquid inside flying into the air, dousing a large group of walkers taking up at least fifty feet of space of the road ahead.
"That should do it…" Kurosaki pulled a small, shiny cigarette lighter from his pocket.
"Heh, I didn't know you smoked," Hisagi said once catching sight of the silver object.
"I don't. Took it off a walker I killed back during the attack at the camp. Knew it'd be useful one day." Ichigo tossed the lighter to his partner. "Load and light up an arrow, and fire it on one of the ones covered in gasoline down there. Hopefully the flame will catch onto the other ones, too. The fire should char their bodies enough so the R.V can plow right through 'em."
Shuhei carefully placed a burning arrow into his crossbow. He went and knelt beside Ichigo, taking aim at the closest walker doused by the liquid. "Let's hope this works."
He pulled the trigger.
A few moments earlier….
In the front of the camper, Shunsui and Urahara, with Renji and Rukia standing behind them, watched as walkers pounded on the thick glass that made up the front window.
"Oh, boy," Kyoraku sighed, "These things are getting feisty."
"I wouldn't say that," Urahara was fanning himself, his feet propped up on the dashboard. "It's more they just want to devour our flesh."
Suddenly, some of the walkers were seemingly drenched in liquid.
"What was that?" Renji asked.
"The gasoline I gave Ichigo, dummy," Rukia answered smartly, "What else would it be?"
"Hey, you don't need to be smart about it! It ain't my fault I didn't see you give it to him!"
"Well maybe if you paid attention more-"
As the two argued, Urahara and Shunsui looked at each other, both realizing what plan Ichigo had in mind.
"Uh…" Kisuke stopped fanning himself and turned around in his seat, Kyoraku doing the same. "You guys might want to look away from the window…"
Abarai did the opposite, turning his face directly at the glass.
"And why's tha-"
*THUN-WHOOOSH!*
"My eyes!"
The darkness outside was instantly filled with a bright, burning light, illuminating the black sky in an ominous orange glow.
As soon as the burning arrow pierced the walker's rotting skull, the flame instantly gained life, spreading all over the doused body. It grew more intense as the beast fell back onto the one limping behind it, catching it on fire as well. In mere moments the chain reaction created a line of flames, an inferno of burning corpses leading the way to safety.
"Shit," Hisagi smirked, "That actually worked."
"We're not in the clear yet," Ichigo said, "Now we just gotta get out of here. Let's get back inside-"
A large flame shot up from the inferno, inches away from Kurosaki and Shuhei's faces.
"Like right now!"
Ichigo was the first to drop through the hatch into the back room of the camper, with Shuhei coming through seconds later and pulling it shut. The former was met with a hug by Orihime.
"You okay?" she asked.
Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. As a matter of fact, we all are. Shuhei, go tell Kyoraku it's safe to drive ahead through the burning walkers."
"Will do." Hisagi exited through the curtains, only for Rukia and a half-blinded Renji to enter.
"Hey, what's the big idea with not warning us about those giant ass flames you made?" Abarai snapped, rubbing his eyes.
"There wasn't enough time to explain," Ichigo said as the R.V. shifted forward, once again in full motion, "And besides, weren't you ever told not to stare at fire?"
"Apparently not," Rukia smirked, much to Renji's annoyance.
"Oh, shut up!"
While the two old friends began to bicker, Ichigo plopped down onto one of the beds, the same one his sister Yuzu was kneeling on. She crawled over and placed one of her hands on his.
"You're okay, right?" the little girl said quietly.
Ichigo smiled. "How many times do I have to say it? I'm fine, Yuzu. Don't worry so much about me."
"But I can't help it, Ichigo! You're all that I have now that Karin's-"
Yuzu stopped. It was the first time she had said her sister's name since the night of her death. Memories flew through her mind, of how they used to play together, of the secrets they shared, of how one of them died…
It was too much for the little girl, and she broke down in tears, falling into her older brother's lap.
Holding back his tears to be strong for his sister, Ichigo pulled her close, stroking her hair. "Don't cry, Yuzu. Please, don't cry. Karin wouldn't want to see you like this. I can't stand to see you like this. Look at me." He raised his sister's head up, making sure they were face to face. "You have to be strong, Yuzu. If you're not, then…"
Ichigo hated having to say this, but it had to be said:
"Then how are you going to survive if I'm not around?"
Yuzu looked at him in shock. "…What?"
"You heard me. There's no certainty that I'm going to make it out alive, Yuzu. You need to learn to be strong, be brave. You can cry for those who died, but you can't let their deaths haunt you like this. Its time you've learned what it means to be mature. You know, acting like an adult. It'll take some time, but you need to start now… I'm not trying to be mean to you Yuzu. I'm trying to help you. You got that?"
The little girl sniffed. "Y-yeah, I do."
"You promise you're going to become strong for me?"
"I promise, Ichigo."
As the little girl wiped her eyes clean, Shuhei stuck his head through the curtain. "Good news, everybody. Kyoraku got us outta the herd. We're in the clear for now."
"So now where are we going to go?" asked Kira.
"We'll figure that out in the morning," Ichigo answered, "Shuhei, tell Kyoraku to drive a bit farther until he feels we're far enough away from that herd, and that Nanao can take the wheel so he can get some rest."
"Got it."
It didn't take very long for Hisagi to relay the news to the driver upfront, and by the time he returned to the back, almost everyone there was in their beds or sleeping bags falling asleep. Only Ichigo and Orihime remained awake, the former tucking his sister into her covers. The little girl's eyes were shut, drifting off into a deep sleep, but she could still hear the words of the two people sitting on her bed.
"I feel so bad for her," Orihime whispered, laying her head on Ichigo's shoulder, "She shouldn't have to go through this."
Kurosaki stared at Yuzu. "I know. The worst part is I can't do anything about it, other than keeping her safe."
"I heard what you said to her earlier, Ichigo. Do you think she can do it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Take care of herself if you're gone. I'm not even sure I'd be able to if you… you know."
Ichigo kissed her softly on the lips, and smiled. "Don't make me give you the speech, too. You'll be fine. Both of you. I promise."
Yuzu turned onto her side, her back facing her brother and Orihime, and smiled for the first time in days. Her brother's words uplifted her spirits enough to feel just the slightest amount of hope, and she fell asleep with his last words echoing through her head.
The time had finally come.
The moon shone on ten trucks, their beds filled to the brim with machine guns, grenades, and bludgeoning weapons. They sat at the edge of The Sanctuary's gate, the drivers waiting for their leader to show. The drivers were a rough lot: soldiers, boxers, and part time criminals making up the ranks. But the worst of them approached from behind, carrying the deadliest weapon of all, with his right hand man beside him.
"Is this all of 'em?" Kingpin asked Gentu.
"Yes sir," the bigger man replied, "All but that blue haired guy. I still don't get why you don't want him to come with us."
"I don't trust that fucker yet. Besides, I promised him that he'd get his fun when we come back with the prisoners."
Kingpin brushed his way through the group of men in front of the gate and climbed up onto the hood of one of the trucks, his gaze examining all his followers below him.
"Alright, men!" The masked man sounded like a drill sergeant ordering new recruits. "You know what to do. Split into teams, two trucks each. You've been given their descriptions, and you've been told where to search. Find these fucks, and when you do, wait until I arrive. Anyone touches a hair on 'em, you lose a hand. Got it?"
The entire group chanted in unison. "Sir, yes sir!"
Kingpin smiled under his mask. His eyes shifted towards the buildings in the background, zooming in on his apartment. A slim figure stood in his window looking back at him, her eyes meeting his. She smiled at him, placing her hand on the window, and vanished instantly.
Kingpin had never seen her actually vanish before. He panicked. What did it mean? Was it a sign? Was he going to fail?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He couldn't wait any longer. He had to kill these people now.
"Get in your trucks!" Kingpin raised the bloodied Lilith towards the men, which was enough to scare some of them into the vehicles instantly. He jumped off the hood and entered the truck's passenger side. Gentu entered and sat opposite of him.
"Which way, sir?"
Kingpin glared at the man. The fool still couldn't tell when he shouldn't speak to his leader. "Shut up and drive."
"Y-Yes, sir."
Kingpin watched as two men opened up The Sanctuary's rusted gates, giving access to the nightmarish world outside. He stared deep into the woods ahead. His prey was out there.
And all he had to do now was find them.
In Memoriam:
Crushed Walkers
Scorched Walkers
"Charred zombie patties, anyone?"