The Smashing Dead
Episode 4: Around Every Side Quest
Part 4
Elec Man came down the stairs and into the room where half of the group was waiting.
"Is Douglas doing okay?" Ike asked.
"As well as can be expected under the circumstances." Elec man said, "I did what I could for him, cleaned out the wound. But he's got a real infection, running a fever. Without antibiotics…"
"Will you quit pacing?" Lucario snapped at Samus, "You're making everyone nervous."
"Why are you even still here?" Samus shot back.
"Hey, if your friend can really get that boat working, you're taking me as payment for saving your asses. I figure that's fair. Don't you?"
Before Samus could retort, Link and Little Mac came down the stairs.
"Well?" Ike said.
"You want the good news or the bad news?" Link offered.
"Let's get the bad news out of the way first." Ike answered.
"Bad news is the boat's not taking us anywhere with the shape it's in." Told Link, "Gas tank's empty and the battery's dead."
"So what's the good news?" Samus demanded.
"That's it." Link said, "That's all we need. Some gas and a battery. Other than that it's all good to go."
"Well how are we supposed to get that stuff?" Samus said.
"Sounds like HH is the one place that has everything we need." Ike said, "Maybe we should try there."
"Now hold on a minute." Elec Man said.
"Surely we have to try." Samus interrupted, "If there are people who are left in this city who are still alive, who still have supplies."
"Trust me, you don't know these people. I do." Elec Man protested, "You show up with a wounded man? You might as well put a noose around his neck. They don't exactly welcome children with open arms either."
"What the hell kind of a place are we talking about here?" Samus said.
"The worst kind." Lucario said, "But I don't see what other choice we have."
"And just how exactly do you figure we do this?" said Link.
"There's got to be some way to sneak in undetected." Ike offered.
"There might actually be a way." Elec Man said, "I know the sewer system that runs beneath HH like the back of my hand. You guys wouldn't happen to have a map by any chance?"
"Yeah, actually." Ike took out the map of Twoson and spread it out on the floor.
"I think I could lead us through and pass right under the perimeter and right into the center, where they keep their supplies." Elec Man planned, "We come up right behind them, take them by surprise, grab what we need and get out before they even knew what hit them."
"That's actually not the worst I've ever heard." Lucario said, "I mean it's close, but…I don't know, maybe it could work."
"I've thought about it before, just didn't have the people to do it." Elec Man said, "But I think if we all work together, we can pull this off."
"What do you want in return for all this help you're giving us?" Link asked.
"HH don't just have things with your boat." Elec Man replied, "They're also well stocked with medical supplies. Medicine that my people could use, just as yours could."
"We can do this." Samus encouraged, "We have to."
"We can do this." Ike agreed, "I know it."
"Hell yeah we can!" Link said.
"Are we seriously talking about this?" Little Mac said, "I mean, what about the risk?"
"I don't know about you kid, but I'd rather take a chance on doing something than just sitting around here waiting to die." Link replied, "That boat out there is an answered prayer, we just gotta push a little farther. Are you in or out?"
Little Mac looked at the floor, not replying.
"We should go tonight." Elec Man said, "Under the cover of dark. I'll go let my people know, give you all a chance to prepare. I'll be back before midnight."
"Be careful." Samus said.
"That's how I'm still alive." Elec Man said as he exited.
Ike suddenly noticed Ness on the staircase, listening.
"I told you to stay in your room." Ike said, walking up to him, "How long have you been up there?"
"Is it going to be dangerous?" Ness asked, ignoring Ike's question.
"Is what going to be dangerous?"
"…The HH."
"I can't lie to you Ness, I just don't know."
"I don't want anyone else to die."
"Neither do I, Ness. But sometimes we have to take that risk."
"I guess I should get ready." Ness began to walk up the staircase.
"Say what now?"
"You said all of us need to do this. And you said I'm a big help, remember? Lucario said that HH was the only place left in Twoson that still has people. That means it must be where my parents are, right?"
"Where I'm going, it's just too dangerous. For children especially."
"You said I'm always supposed to stay close to you. Can't I come with you?"
"Okay, you can come." Ike sighed, "But promise to stay quiet and do exactly what you're told the whole time we're in there."
"Okay, I'm gonna go get ready."
Ness ran up the stairs, getting ready for their journey to HH. Was Ike leading Ness to his death?
[At midnight…]
Everyone was in the backyard, preparing for their departure.
"Check out what I found in the garage." Link said, "Hatchet, hacksaw, some other tools. Might come in handy in this little break-in."
"Nice." Ike said.
"Um…can I talk with you for a second?" Link said, leading Ike away from the group.
"What's up?"
"I tool another look at the boat. It's 30 feet."
"So?"
"So, we're gonna have a capacity problem. That boat isn't gonna hold more than five people, even if one of them is a kid."
"Me, you, Ness, Samus, Douglas, Little Mac, Lucario…"
"Assuming that everyone comes back alive, that's still one too many. Even if we cut Lucario loose. Before this is over, we're gonna have to make a decision."
"You're not serious."
"Look, I'm just saying. If we want the best chance of-"
Elec Man entered the backyard, Ashley following close behind him.
"Who the hell is this?" Link pointed at Ashley.
"This is Ashely." Elec Man introduced, "She can help us."
"Help us how?" Ike asked.
"I was a student at the school where HH keeps all their supplies." Ashley explained, "I know the layout."
"With her help, we're in and out faster." Elec Man said, "Anyone got a problem with that?"
"I guess not." Ike replied.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get moving." Lucario said impatiently.
"Just a minute." Ike said to the others, who were leaving, "You ready for this, Ness?'
"Ready." Ness said.
"Now hold on." Elec Man said, "You're not taking her with us."
"This kid isn't just excess baggage." Ike defended, "He's gotten us out of a tight spot more than once. He's coming. Deal with it."
"You heard the man." Link said, "Let's move out."
Little Mac held out a hatchet for Ike. Ike took the hatchet and led the group out.
[Down in the sewers…]
"This should be it." Elec Man said in front of a ladder, "We're right underneath the center of HH. The school should be directly above us."
"Okay people, this is it." Ike said, "Remember the plan. We stay quiet, we stay hidden and we stay together. We find what we need and get the hell out before anyone knows we're there. Got it?" Ike looked over to Ness, "And that part about staying close? That goes double for you."
Ike climbed up the ladder and carefully pushed the manhole cover off.
"Let's go." Ike whispered.
The group clambered out of the sewer and crept behind the corner.
"Where is everyone?" Elec Man quietly asked, "There should be guards patrolling."
"What? Are you disappointed?" Link snapped.
"It's just strange, is all." Elec Man said.
"I think I see one, over there." Told Samus.
"Okay. Me and Link will sneak up on him and take him out. The rest of you wait for our signal, then follow us over." Ike said, "Everybody got it?"
Everyone nodded.
"Alright Link, let's do this. No shooting unless there's no other choice."
"Right behind you."
Ike snuck up to the guard, Link close behind him. Ike raised his hatchet, ready to strike. Something stopped him, though. The guard wasn't a guard. It was a walker.
"What the fuck?" Ike gasped.
Ike made quick work of the walker.
"What the fuck is a walker doing inside here?" Ike demanded, "Get inside, fast!"
The group ran into the school building, away from an oncoming hoard of walkers.
"Fuck. Fuck!" Link cursed, "Do you think they saw us?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." Ike replied.
"What the hell happened here?" said Samus, "I thought this place was supposed to be secure!"
"What always happens, I guess." Lucario shrugged, "In the end, the dead always win."
"Oh man, we're so screwed" Little Mac whimpered.
"No, this is good." Elec Man piped up.
"What?" Said Ike.
"How the fuck is this good?" Samus said.
"Before, everyone in HH was smart and they had guns. Now they're dumb and they don't." Elec Man explained, "Hey, trying to look at the bright side over here."
"I agree." Link said, "So as long as we don't let them box us in, we can still do this. Plan hasn't changed."
"The plan hasn't changed?" Little Mac said, astounded, "Every time walkers show up the plan changes! Do you have any idea how many are out there?"
"No." Samus replied, "Do you wanna do a headcount? Or do you wanna get what we need and get out of here?"
"Come on, I think I know which way to head." Ashley said.
"I got a bad feeling about this." Mac said.
The group walked down the hallways of the school, following Ashley blindly. The group soon stopped at a door."
"Here." Ashley said.
Ike opened the door and peeked into the room.
"Seems clear." Ike said, "Everybody in."
The room was small. A large map covered the wall, covering any drawings there were there before, and a rug about the alphabet covered the floor. This was most definitely a room for the younger children. There was a door on the other side of the room, locked.
"Figures." Ike mumbled.
"Looks like they used this room as some kind of command center." Link said.
"Okay, so now what?" Lucario asked, "Where do we start looking?"
"Here." Ashley nodded towards a smaller map, "Give me a second."
"Any idea where we could find a battery?" Ike asked.
"Maybe at the auto shop?" Elec Man said, "There used to be one in the alley outside the fire escape. You can't miss it."
"Where can we find some fuel for the boat?" Link asked.
"There's a maintenance shed across from the playground here." Ashely pointed, "If they were storing fuel, that's probably where it'd be."
"What about the medicine?" Samus said.
"Right here." Lucario said, "Nurse's station. They were using it as a medical facility."
"How do you know that?" Samus asked, suddenly suspicious.
"Just makes sense, doesn't it." Lucario replied, hesitant.
"Okay, I'll run to the maintenance shed for the fuel." Link planned.
"It'll be faster if I go with you, I can take you right to it." Ashley offered.
"I'll come to." Little Mac said.
"No, two people's enough." Link said, "You stay here, see if you can use any of the tools we brought to get that door open. We might need to shoot our way out of here."
"I'll go for the medicine." Samus offered.
"I'll come with you." Elec Man said, "I know what to take."
"Okay, I guess that leaves me to go find us a battery." Ike said.
"I'll come with you, watch your back." Lucario said.
"Okay, we've got a plan." Ike said to everyone, "Everyone be careful, stay close to one another, we'll all meet back here. Good luck."
"What about me? What can I do?" Ness asked when the others left.
"I need you to stay here with Little Mac and watch over our command center." Told Ike, "I'm putting you in charge of it, okay?"
"You're leaving me with Mac?" Ness asked, slightly distraught.
"I'm not leaving you with him, I'm leaving him with you." Ike replied, "Understand?"
"Oh, okay." Ness grinned happily.
"Back before you know it." Ike promised.
Ike walked out of the room and into the hallway, where Lucario was waiting.
"The alleyway to the auto shop's down here." Lucario said, "You coming or not?"
Ike followed Lucario outside a door that lead to the alley. Ike looked around. Lucario had just disappeared.
"Lucario? Are you out here?" Ike called.
Ike walked into a small alcove around the corner. He climbed up the shelf inside the room and through the hole in the ceiling. Ike jumped down on the other side and tried to open a garage door.
"Damn, it's jammed tight." Ike said to himself.
Ike stepped back and turned to walk back. Something fell from the roof, nearly falling on Ike. It was a body.