Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise, and I gain no profit writing this.
L4D
Harry groaned, turning his head to the side and noting that his arms were wrapped around something warm. Every part of him ached and he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes; afraid of what he might find. He heard muffled words above him, and it slowly dawned on him that he was resting against a body, seated upright with his head against a chest, his legs tangled with another pair and arms pulling him into the warm body; the connecting hands rubbing his stomach and sides gently.
He was picking up on other voices now and the words were getting clearer.
"I told ya already Coach; no," the voice from above him said. The Georgian accent he could now pick up on told him that it was Ellis. He tightened his grip around the man's torso.
"I'm not suggesting we leave him here for good," Harry heard Coach mutter. "I'm just sayin' we go out and do what we need to do and come back for him once we're done. We don't know how much longer that helicopter's gonna be out there."
"We ain't leaving him," Ellis retorted, voice raised slightly. "What if something happened to him while we were gone? Or maybe we could all die out there and then what?"
"Never thought I'd say this, but Ellis has a point," Nick's voice said, closer than Harry had expected. "It's safer for all of us if we stick together; besides, it's kind of harsh leaving the kid behind."
"I'm torn," Rochelle chipped in. "I'd feel bad leaving Harry, but it's not like we wouldn't come back for him. It's just-"
"If we can get back to him" Nick supplied.
"Well I'm not goin' anywhere without 'im" Ellis declared, and fearing a full blown argument was imminent, Harry forced himself to open his eyes.
Somebody made a hushing noise and all eyes were then on the teen.
"What happened?" he groaned, acting as if he hadn't just listened to their conversation about him.
He turned in Ellis' arms so that he could face everyone; the Southerner's arms somehow still not releasing him.
He glanced upwards to see Ellis beaming, though his eyes were rather red. Coach and Rochelle looked happy to see he was awake, though they appeared a little guilty, while Nick was giving him a look which told him the conman knew he had heard everything.
"You were lucky," Rochelle told him. "They were all over you; it's all thanks to Ellis that you're alive."
"It was nothin'," Ellis said sheepishly. Harry looked back at him and smiled.
"Thank you Ellis" he said softly, relaxing against the boy's form.
Nick pressed something into his hand.
"Pain pills," the conman explained. "We bandaged you up but we couldn't give these to you while you were unconscious."
Harry took them gratefully. He looked down to see that his shirt was very blood stained, and on his arms and through the rips in his clothing he could see the white of the bandages; quite a lot of it.
"It's weird though," Ellis added thoughtfully. "When I was carrying you there was a deep cut across your forehead, but it's completely gone now, only your scar wouldn't stop bleeding for ages, no matter what we did."
"I'm not surprised," Harry muttered darkly; if Voldemort had had something to do with the zombie outbreak, his scar being slashed by a said-zombie was sure to affect it.
"How are you feeling now sweetie?" Rochelle enquired, looking Harry over with her eyes. "Are you up to moving anywhere yet?"
Harry nodded and pushed himself out of Ellis' arms to stand up, ignoring his protesting limbs. The pills were slowly starting to kick in; he didn't feel as bad as he had earlier, but he was willing to move despite the pain.
"I'm not brilliant, but I've had worse," Harry said, giving the group a reassuring smile, who in return reluctantly nodded.
"Just don't exert yourself, and stay close to at least one of us at all times, alright kid?" Nick said, looking at Harry pointedly.
"Want me to hold your hand when we're crossing the road as well?" Harry cut back, rolling his eyes. Nick just smirked at him.
"That wouldn't be a bad idea considering how accident prone you are," the suited man replied, and Harry decided he wouldn't argue that. He had known for years that trouble always had a way of finding him.
Ellis pushed a gun into Harry's hands, grinning enthusiastically.
"Well let's go alert that chopper," Coach declared, signalling for them to make their move out of the safe room.
The room opened out into the concession area of the stadium, with cream walls and flooring. Only a couple of zombies were lingering about, and they were easily killed.
Ethelinda had somehow escaped the zombies that attacked Harry unharmed, and had crept back out from her hiding place once she saw Harry moving; she didn't say anything to him, but she licked his face, so Harry guessed she was happy that he was alive.
Nick and Ellis seemed to be sticking to Nick's rule, with Nick keeping behind him and Ellis to the side while Rochelle and Coach walked in front.
Harry didn't mind the men's protectiveness that much, providing they didn't try to baby him, but considering Ellis had just saved his life; he wasn't going to complain if he was around.
Coach knew where he was going, and he led them out into the main stage area. It was an outdoor arena, with a roof covering the stage and seating areas only. The venue was pretty big, with seats going most of the way round and sloping upwards.
The place seemed to be deserted, though Harry doubted it would stay that way for long. They cautiously walked over to the stage area, spotting some figures against the back wall. They raised their guns ready as they approached, but on closer examination, they saw there was nothing much left of the bodies.
Harry grimaced as Ellis went for a closer look, Nick close on his tail; Rochelle shook her head in disgust.
"I hope that isn't a bad sign," the woman sighed, and Coach laid a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
"Don't worry Ro; maybe they died of natural causes?" the older man suggested.
Ellis returned to the group armed with a number of bottles containing pain kills, each of them taking one to pocket.
"Hey Harry," Nick called, and Harry turned to face the man, who took his gun from his hands and put another in it's place.
"That's a Magnum Pistol; it's a lot better than the one you've been using," Nick told him.
Harry decided to take Nick's word for it; he had absolutely no knowledge when it came to guns.
Coach had run off to turn the lights on, the switch at the top of the seating area. The stadium was filled with beams of light, creating an eerie feel when contrasted with the early morning sky.
"I'll hit the tape deck," Rochelle muttered, heading to the side of the stage where the music system lay. She waited until Coach returned before she turned the system on.
"Alright, Ellis and Harry, you cover the front with me," Coach urged. "Nick and Rochelle, take the sides."
Harry stood to the left side of the stage, glad the pain pills had started to work.
The music was blaring loudly from the speakers, the vibrations so loud that Harry could almost feel the stage moving beneath his feet. Sparks were flying from a machine by the front of the stage, and it was definite the helicopter pilot wouldn't be able to miss it; though similarly, the zombies couldn't miss it either.
He didn't know where the zombies had been hiding before, but they were certainly not afraid of showing themselves now. They seemed to be coming from every direction, and there were more of them then Harry had ever seen in one place before.
"You okay Har?" Ellis called.
Harry nodded, not sure if Ellis could see. After what had happened before, he wasn't surprised that seeing all of these zombies brought back the memories of the previous attack so clearly, but he tried to shake the images from his head; Ellis had risked his own life to save Harry before, so he wouldn't let him die now.
They were all firing their weapons rapidly, and Harry was pleased to note that Nick had been right about his new gun being more effective. If his aim was spot on, the zombie he was shooting would die in one go, though the more that were closing in on them, the more his aim was off due to panic.
He dug his feet firmly into the ground, biting down on his lip hard. Ethelinda had slithered forward, leaning outwards and hissing dangerously at the zombies.
He heard a Charger from the right, but he could only hope one of the others could stop it; he daren't take his eyes off his side for one second.
The horde seemed to fade away as the lights flashed furiously around the stadium. The vibrations seemed to be getting louder, and were echoing through the stadium.
"Shit!" Nick yelled, as all of them waited with bated breath for the Tank to come into view.
It appeared from the opening to the concession area, and Harry suddenly felt very grateful for Ellis and Nick refusing to leave him there alone.
A Molotov flew over his head, engulfing the Tank in flames. Nick grabbed Harry's wrist and yanked him backwards, ignoring Harry's wince of pain, before standing half in front of him, giving Harry enough room to shoot as well.
They all edged backwards as the Tank advanced; the fire not as powerful as it would have been for other zombies. Rochelle narrowly missed being hit in the head with a chunk of concrete the Tank ripped up from the floor, but the creature stopped suddenly, falling to the ground with a thump.
The stadium went silent for a moment as the song stopped, before returning to life with a second, louder song and more flashing lights and flying sparks. Coach hadn't been joking about the Midnight Rider's knowing how to put on a show.
As a new wave of zombies appeared, Harry felt a jolt of pain run through him. He staggered but tried to push past it, biting his lip so hard that he drew blood.
He could feel blood pulsing from under the bandages on his arms, but he couldn't stop and let his teammates down. He fired angrily at the creatures running towards him, managing to strike a Hunter before it could pounce.
He daren't risk using the dragon figurine; it would likely drain him of energy completely which wouldn't be a safe move.
He ran backwards to avoid the acid a Spitter had aimed towards him, almost colliding with Rochelle.
Ellis fired at a box away from the stage, just in front of the seating. The result was a small explosion of silver sparks, blowing apart the zombies who were stood too close.
Coach threw a pipe bomb out towards the seats; the flashing and beeping drawing the majority of the zombies away from the stage and further away to die in the explosion.
The sound of a helicopter added to the chaos, and Harry glanced to the sky to see it circling the arena. The zombies were thinning out, but Harry was sure he could hear another Tank in the distance.
The pilot of the helicopter had deemed it safe enough to land, and the group of survivors silently agreed to make a run for it, especially considering they could hear the Tank getting nearer and nearer.
They shot their way through the lingering zombies, managing to get away from the stage right before a large piece of debris was thrown onto it.
Fireworks seemed to be erupting from machines all over the stage now, drawing even more zombies to the area; Harry was surprised there was still that many around.
They headed up the aisle to where the chopper had landed, a horde of zombies on their tail, and the Tank not too far behind.
The pilot opened the door to his side, allowing Coach and Rochelle to climb into the front, while Nick slid open the side door, letting Harry in first, before jumping in behind him and leaving Ellis to close the door.
The pilot looked horrified as he took in the scene of the monsters coming towards them, and though Harry had never been in a helicopter before, he was pretty sure most pilots would not be so quick taking off.
The dark atmosphere of the group seemed to lift instantly as the helicopter took to the air, leaving the dramatic scene behind them.
"You folks okay?" the pilot asked once everyone had caught their breath.
"Yes, we're all fine sir," Coach answered. "We can't thank you enough for picking us up."
"It's my duty. I'm Frank, by the way," the man replied.
"Well Frank, I'm Coach, this lady here is Rochelle, and in the back we have Ellis, Harry and Nick. Do you think you can fly us to New Orleans?"
"I'll try; last I heard it was still safe, but my radio's been dead for two days," Frank told them.
The man didn't talk much after that, so they settled themselves in for the flight.
"Er, Harry, yer arm…" Ellis started, taking hold of Harry's arm gently where the blood had stained the bandages.
"Don't worry, I just used it too much," Harry muttered, but Ellis wasn't buying it.
"I'll wrap it again," Nick announced, rummaging around for his first aid kit. He pulled out more bandages, and took hold of Harry's arm lightly.
"I've done this a lot," Nick answered in reply to the questioning looks Harry and Ellis were giving him as he worked almost professionally.
Harry leant back into his seat once Nick had done, shifting as Ellis moved to wrap his arm around him. He rested his head on the Georgian's shoulders; the position seemed to be comforting to the both of them. Ellis dropped his head down, and Harry swore Nick had scooted slightly closer to them as well, but by then his lack of energy had finally caught up to him, and he fell into a unsettled sleep.
L4D
Harry awoke to a peculiar noise; all the time he had spent camping in the open countryside with the risk of Voldemort, Death Eaters and Snatchers around every corner meant that the Gryffindor had gotten into the habit of sleeping very lightly.
Nick had stirred too, but the other three were still asleep. He and Nick glanced at each other, freezing as the noise came again. Frank shuddered visibly in his seat before screeching, causing the other three to wake with a start.
Nick moved to his gun but Ellis leant over Harry to try and stop him.
"You can't Nick," the Southerner urged, but Nick ignored him.
"He's infected Overalls," the conman stated, placing the gun barrel to the back of the man's head and pulling the trigger.
It was afterwards that Nick seemed to realise his mistake, as he looked out of the window.
Coach had leant over, pushing Frank's body to the side and started to try every control that he could. Nick sighed and crawled into the front, holding onto the control stick.
The helicopter seemed to be dropping rapidly, despite Nick's efforts. Harry had never felt so useless, and he was sure the others felt the same, just having to sit there while Nick tried to stop them crashing hopelessly into whatever was below.
Tree tops passed their vision, so Harry imagined they would be hitting the ground momentarily. Ellis grabbed hold of one of Harry's hands so tightly he felt like it would break it, and then the chopper collided with the ground, the metal creaking as it toppled over.
"Ethelinda, are you alright? Can you see if there is anything around?" Harry hissed to the snake, who complied readily.
"It is clear," she told him on her return.
"It's safe out there," he repeated for the group. "Are any of you hurt?"
Everyone shook their heads, so they clambered out of the crashed vehicle. They had fallen in a rather deserted place; a lone road was blocked by a derailed cargo train, and only a couple of houses could be seen in the distance. The nearest landmark was a petrol station, which had a sign pinned up to the fence marking the land. It read 'NO CEDA. NO OUT!'
"I guess they didn't trust the government," Rochelle uttered upon reading the sign.
"Y'all reckon we should hold up in a carriage for a bit?" Coach asked, pointing at the train. The group nodded and moved over to the vehicle and sliding open a door at random. They shone their torches into the compartment to make sure nothing was in there, and when they were confident they climbed in, shutting the door just slightly behind them.
"Any of you have any clue where we are?" Nick said scathingly, as if he thought everyone else had been the reason for their dilemma.
"It looks sorta…swampy," Ellis mused, and Nick rolled his eyes.
"I know that; I'm not blind" Nick spat back.
"I was jus' sayin'," Ellis retorted. Harry noticed his accent seemed to get heavier when he was annoyed. "I'm not the one who shot the pilot and got us inta this situation."
"He was becoming a zombie Ellis; you know? The things that have been trying to eat us for the last few days?"
"Boys, boys, leave it okay? Both of you" Rochelle interrupted, giving Nick in particular a glare. "Question we need to be asking ourselves is how are we gonna get out of here?"
"It looks like there's a village out there. Maybe we could head there and see if there are any survivors?" Harry suggested shrugging.
"Think that's all we can do unless Ellis knows how to fix a 'copter," Coach said, looking at Ellis curiously.
"I mighta been able to back in my garage, but I ain't got no tools here and I don't think any of us could fly the whirly bird anyway, so the village idea's better."
"Well then, let's see what the swamp has to offer us," Rochelle said sarcastically, opening the doors, allowing them to make their way into the wilderness.
L4D
I am really sorry about the wait for this chapter. Real life has to come first, but it is almost the winter holidays, which means I get a month with no exam revision and no essay deadlines to meet, so that equals plenty of updates.
I've never been that big a fan of the Swamp Fever campaign because I always seem to do badly at it, but I have some wonderful ideas for it; I'm looking forward to seeing your reactions.
