A/N: Thank you to all the readers and reviewers for your continued support! Hope you enjoy the latest installment of this long-running story; we're still kicking! Like, ya know, zombies... Grrr. Arrrgh.

Update: We keep trying to fix this wonky chapter, which we realize keeps repeating, but FF won't let us! Hope this latest update works. Sorry for the confusion! Stay tuned for more, soon!

- RGS

January 12, A.C. 208

Hotel, L1 Colony

Nearing Dawn

Relena was aware that she was still screaming, but she couldn't make herself stop. Her fingers dug into her cheeks, as if that might stop the torrent of shrieks emanating from her. Before her very eyes, Sandy's body was devoured by the creatures, bit by horrible bit. She felt someone's hands on her, trying to pull her up from the ground, but she couldn't move. Her body was frozen in place, her muscles stuck, her heart unwilling to leave Sandy behind.

"We've gotta go, Relena."

It was Duo's voice. Relena had thought Heero was the one pulling on her, but no, Heero had stormed off to heaven knows where. Duo's hands slipped under her arms and hoisted her up. Her feet never made contact with the ground, but before she knew what was happening, Duo flung her over his shoulder and began to run.

"Duo?! What are you-"

"We gotta go. We can't fight those things ourselves," Duo said, running with an awkward limp, Relena's body throwing him off-balance. Relena glanced up from Duo's back and saw a group of creatures that had broken away from the remains of Sandy's body. They were striding toward them at a speed Relena hadn't expected they'd be capable of.

"They're following us!" Relena shrieked.

"Yeah, I know, princess," Duo said, and increased his speed. She shifted, wanting to be put back on her feet, but Duo's grip on her tightened. Relena couldn't find the words to answer him, but thankfully, Duo was on top of things. He hurried down the hall until they reached their suite. He ripped the keycard from his pocket and swiped it. At first, the door buzzed and a red light lit up.

"Duo…" Relena called, trying to urge him to open the door. The creatures were coming closer and closer.

"Hang on," he growled, and swiped the card again. This time, a green light. He pushed open the door and stumbled inside, ungraciously allowing Relena to fall to the ground as he himself collapsed. Relena rolled away from him and kicked the door closed with her foot. The lock slid in with a satisfying click.

Duo pushed himself up on his hands and knees. "Something is wrong with them - some sickness or something." He paused and glanced at Relena. "I never thought I'd see real-life zombies."

"What? Zombies?" Relena stuttered. "Those aren't real."

Duo ignored her. "We have to get off this colony," he said. "Fast."

"What about Heero?" Relena asked.

"Heero can take care of himself," Duo snapped. "I was hired to protect you, not him." Relena sensed that Duo was still offended by Heero's abrupt departure, leaving Duo to protect both Relena and Sandy on his own.

Relena watched as Duo began to pack, haphazardly, by throwing all the items he could find into bags. When Relena didn't immediately do the same, he paused and stared at her. "I know you're in shock, princess, but we have to go," he said. Relena blinked at him, and remembered that yes, they needed to get off the colony.

Somehow, they'd have to make it to the spaceport.

The suspiciously empty spaceport.

"Duo…" Relena said, wringing her fingers together. "Do you think this is the reason why the spaceport was so empty?" He shrugged his shoulders, still packing, barely paying attention to her. A moment later, his phone was in his hand, and he made a call. It sounded like he was ordering taxi, but with difficulty.

"Why isn't anyone answering?" he asked, tossing down his phone. Relena pressed her lips together and turned away, to enter her room. Her clothes were scattered around, so she began to scoop them all back into her suitcase. She could worry about wrinkles and creases later.

Among her things, Relena found a note from Sandy, that had been stuck on the top of a report. Her curling, girlish handwriting was scrawled in purple ink on the white paper. Relena fingered the note for a moment, before a sudden wave of realization crashed into her chest, knocking her backwards and onto her knees. Another wail left her lungs, a sob, and a cry. Sandy was dead. She'd been … attacked by those things… those zombies.

"Relena!" Duo shouted at her from the other room. "Come on."

But the tears wouldn't stop. Not this time. They gushed from her eyes and down her cheeks, sprinkling on her clothes and the carpet. Duo appeared in the doorway of her room, looking more haggard than before. He gripped her arms and pulled her to her feet.

"I'm sorry, princess," he said, his voice kinder this time. "But we have to leave. You have to wait to mourn her until we're safe."

As if to validate his words, a loud crash resounded against the hotel door. Relena and Duo both flinched in response.

"There's another problem," he said, trying to ignore the crashing against the door. "There's no one answering at any of the taxi or driver services. We'll have to get to the spaceport on foot, unless we can steal a car."

Relena's stomach sank. They would be exposed and in even more danger. Her eyes, still leaking tears, swept over her personal belongings, which were still scattered around the room. She didn't need any of it. There was nothing special she brought with her on this trip. All her documents and files would be backed up at the ESUN headquarters, she was already wearing her engagement ring, and clothing could be replaced.

"Let's go," she said, her voice thick with the tears that wouldn't stop. Duo nodded, and they rose from the ground together and headed towards the door.

January 12, A.C. 208

Nearing Dawn

Western Sky Medical Research Lab, L1 Colony

Heero squeezed a round from his gun. The bullet pierced the chest of the nearest creature that emerged from the darkness in the hall. Its chest cavity was ripped open, and coagulated blood fell in clumps, along with whatever other innards Heero had hit. But the creature continued to move. The bullet had only halted its step for a moment.

"What?" Heero said, lowering his gun and swinging his gaze to Trowa, who was also aiming a the creatures.

"This has something to do with the travel ban and the alleged virus," Trowa said. "This must - be what happens when someone is infected."

"How do we kill them?" Heero asked. Instead of answering, Trowa fired a shot at the horde. The bullet hit one of the creatures in the middle of its face, and its skull and brains exploded outward. The creature slumped to the ground, and the others around it walked over it, uninterested that one of their own had fallen.

"Head shot," Trowa commented. "Let's go. I don't know about you, but I don't have enough ammunition to take all these things down." Heero nodded, and together they turned and ran, continuing towards their destination. Heero hoped against hope that they would not meet more of those creatures along the way.

No such luck.

Their next turn down a hallway was greeted by another horde of creatures, all wearing business casual clothing, which was loose and falling from the rotting, reanimated corpses. Trowa and Heero both swore loudly, and turned on their heels. They sprinted down the hallway until they reached a dead end.

"Now what?" Heero asked. Trowa shook his head.

"We both need to go that way," he said, pointing towards the second horde. Heero glanced around them, and tried the nearest door. It was locked, and he didn't have time to try and open it. Besides, more of those creatures could be behind the doors. He looked up, and saw a vent cover in the ceiling.

"We can go up," Heero said, pointing to the vent. Trowa followed Heero's arm and nodded his head.

"Give me a leg up," Trowa said. Heero cupped his hands and bent to allow Trowa to step into his palms. Once the acrobat was secure, Heero hoisted him up, surprised at how light the taller man seemed to be. Trowa easily reached the vent cover and ripped it from its tracks. He dropped the metal vent to the ground, where it clattered, eliciting a loud cry from the creatures down the hall. Heero could have been crazy, but he thought the creatures seemed to move faster at the noise.

"Drop me down, and I'll push you up," Trowa said. Not caring to argue, Heero lowered Trowa back to the ground, and Trowa reciprocated the stance with his fingers laced together. Heero stepped into his palms, and Trowa easily hoisted Heero up to the open vent. Heero groped his hands around, searching for an edge. He found one, and gripped it as tightly as his sweating hands could handle. Trowa gave him another boost, which allowed Heero to scramble up into the vent duct. The metal creaked and groaned under his weight, but held. Before Trowa could make his jump, Heero moved out of the way.

Trowa appeared a moment later, having made an inhuman jump from the ground to the vent, and pulled himself easily into the duct, making Heero a little envious. Both men took a moment to orientate themselves, then began to crawl back towards the horde, but above their heads.

Heero only hoped that the ductwork would hold until they reached their destination.

- RGS