Chapter 25

The chaos was short lived as the lights suddenly switched back on, even though Megumi was now screaming bloody murder. Kozo looked up at the lighting as it finished flickering back into life.

"What just happened?" he said.

"Did that thing on the computer do that?" asked Yamaguchi. "How the hell did it?"

"I think I know what happened" said Ryo, who sat away from the group. He had been resting his injured leg.

"What was that?" asked Tomo.

"The main power switched off. Now we're running on the power from the backup generator" said Ryo. "We're running on the diesel Tanaka had in that generator."

"Well how long will that last?" said Yukari.

"Not long enough! We're screwed!" said Megumi.

"Please, just calm down everyone" said Kimura.

"Oh shut up you damn pervert!" said Megumi. "Why should I calm down huh?!" As she was about to yell again the room suddenly shook as something hit the building from outside. That shut the girl up.

"Thank god for that" muttered Yukari to Tomo who nodded her head blankly. The who building shook again.

"What are we meant to do now?" asked Yomi.

"Yeah what, what do we do?" asked Chihiro. Kozo itched his moustache nervously, knowing everyone's attention was focused almost completely upon him. With Park gone, both the soldiers and civilians saw him as the leader, saw him as the one who needed to tell them what to do.

"Just give me a few minutes" said Kozo. Like many of the people present in the library, he was turning to the idea of getting out of there. But would they be able to get to the vehicles? From what he'd heard on the radio the two vehicles were still in working order- but they had to get there first. But then again, they did now know that the creatures seemed to avoid light…

"Sir, what are we doing?" asked Maebara, holding his rifle tentatively.

Another solid hit struck the building, the whole structure groaning slightly. Tomo tapped Yukari on the shoulder and pointed to the far corner of the wall. The two stood with their mouths open as a crack slowly etched its way along the wall, white paint flaking to the floor as the wood and mortar splintered.

"Well what the fuck's out there man?" asked Yamaguchi. "What's doing that?"

Megumi seemed to have regained her voice, and while she restarted her yelling, Yuka shrunk further into her shell, and like most of the students present was completely silent. Tomo glanced back at Yomi. The bespectacled girl paused, thinking Tomo was about to say something importantly. Instead Tomo merely waved, Yomi groaning to herself.

"We are leaving" said Kozo, Megumi's voice cutting off in mid sentence.

"Are you sure about that Mr. Army guy?" asked Yukari. A group of heavily armed soldiers had been killed (or possibly worse) in a matter of minutes while on high alert. She doubted they would be able to do better- she had taught some of the students here and knew they couldn't really compare to a group of soldiers. But then again, she did have a glass half full view of her classes.

"Yeah, I'm sure" said Kozo. "The electricity won't last forever and I don't want to be here when the lights go out. And something is attacking this place."

"But that thing is outside!" said Megumi. "Outside!"

"I think we'd have a better chance getting to their carrier thing and driving out of here even if we are outside when compared to sitting here and waiting for it to come" said Kimura.

"Yeah, I've grown bloody sick and tired of this place" groaned Yukari.

"That's the point. I'm not going to lie to you, we don't have much chance either way. But I believe we'll have the best chance of getting out of here if we move, and move now" said Kozo.

"What about Mr Ryo?" asked Chiyo sticking up her small hand. "I don't think he'd be able to walk too fast on that. The wound looks a bit horrible."

"Yeah it's icky" said Tomo.

"I'll help him" said Maebara.

"You will?" asked Ryo, slightly surprised.

"Yeah, I can help you" said Maebara. He said no more. He didn't want to admit to it, but he wanted to help because of his friend. If he had still been alive, if he had stayed here, Maebara knew he would help out the boy, leave no one behind. He was now gone. Maebara was still here.

"So are doing this sir?" asked Yamaguchi as he slid a fresh magazine into the gun, having fired off a few rounds in the corridor earlier.

"Yes we are" said Kozo. "Gather up anything you desperately need, but be able to move fast. We're leaving soon. We'll head for the main entrance- when we reach the doors it'll be a two minute dash to the vehicles. There are two out there- an armoured carrier and a truck. Maebara, you still able to drive the carrier?" asked Kozo.

"Well, my license has expired, so as long as you don't tell anyone I should be fine" said Maebara with a wink.

"Good, good. I'll be heading for the truck. If something is in the way, head for either vehicle. Even if the worse comes to the worse one of you should be able to drive them" said Kozo glancing at the three teachers and Yamaguchi. "The truck can be a bit heavy to handle, but I doubt you'll have to worry about anyone being in the way on the road now."

"I think I could handle driving a truck" said Yukari with a devilish glint in her eye.

"Oh please no" groaned Minamo. "Anything but that."

It only took a few minutes for the group to gather up their stuff. Yomi distributed the last of the drinks in her bag around the group in case they needed a drink. Megumi merely stood in disbelief at the others- and annoyance that her stuff had been left in the detention room. While Tomo shoved various things into her bag Chiyo approached Yukari and tentatively pulled on her sleeve.

"Oh Chiyo-chan, what do you need?"

"I know it's silly, but I guess we won't be doing the project?" asked Chiyo.

"Huh? Project" said Yukari with a blank look. "Oh no, don't worry about that."

"Oh so I can leave it here? I don't have room in my bag" sad Chiyo.

"Don't worry about it" said Yukari, Chiyo smiling and walking away. Yukari turned to Minamo. "That new transfer student is too adorable. It's suspicious" said Yukari.

"No it isn't."

And mere moments after Minamo replied the room fell into a tense silence. They were all ready, all prepared to move. Kozo approached the library door, gripping the pistol tightly in his hand. Ryo had one arm around Maebara's shoulders, while Yamaguchi stood with the nightvision goggles resting on his forehead, the strap digging into his hair. The students stood in silence.

"Lets go" said Kozo as he pulled the door open.