What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter of "The Dead's Reaper". And I have a little help from Kamen Rider Duelist!
KRD: Heya! Kamen Rider Duelist here! That's right, just to reiterate, I'm a huge fan of Highschool of the Dead and Resident Evil. I wanted to do my own version, bu~t… GKC already beat me to it…
GKC: Hey, not my fault you were so slow.
KRD: How was I supposed to know you were already working on one?! I'm not psychic!
GKC: You didn't have the idea first. I did. That's life, bro.
KRD: I still wanted my stuff implemented…
GKC: Not to worry because it shall! For we shall unite our ideas together in this one.
KRD: Well… okay then.
Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OC, Resident Evil or Highschool of the Dead. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!
Resident Evil: The Dead's Reaper
Chapter 5: Survivor Encounter
Chaos.
It ensues people in many conflicts. Whether it is fighting or fleeing for their lives from terror, everything is and will be in complete disarray. There is only so much order can do to calm the masses, but for this particular situation, there is very little order. People were running about, fleeing for their lives from the zombies and some were unfortunate to be caught in the crossfire. And in this day and age of an apocalyptic world, this was no exception.
Chaos was here to collect its debt and humanity has paid that debt. The bodies of the fallen, crowded on the ground as some came back to life becoming one of them, the innocent screaming in horror from it all.
Humanity knew that peace was eventually disturbed, and they were fighting to keep that peace. They were hoping that all the fighting ends swiftly, but that proved to be a lie. It was dragging on.
A young man was running through the streets of Tokonosu City. His medium-length brown hair was swaying from all the running, the front bangs that were fringed in front of him somewhat obscured his blue eyes. His clothes were that of his school uniform, being a simple dark navy blue school jacket over with his white t-shirt, dark navy blue pants, and black shoes. At the moment, his clothes were tattered and cut in some places, but it was still functional to wear.
He carried on his person, a katana that was strapped tight to his belt on his left side. At his right side was a holster that held a SIG Sauer P226 Equinox and across his chest was a belt that held gun magazines for his gun.
An infected zombie walked around the corner after hearing the footsteps of approaching prey and tried to see if it could get itself a decent meal.
"Tch, damn it!" He cursed as he unsheathed his katana. He rushed towards the zombie and decapitated it. Sheathing his blade with a click, blood spewed out of the neck before falling to the ground.
"Kurogasa-kun, wait up!" A new voice shouted. The young teen now known as Kurogasa turned around to see two more of his classmates. One was a boy with short, messy black hair and gray eyes, wearing the male variant uniform. He was holding a bloodied katana in his hands. The other was a girl with black hair, tied into a bun and purple eyes. In addition to wearing the female variant of her uniform, she also wore oval glasses. She was also wielding a katana and a few pistols in her hands.
These were Yamato Kusanagi and Yuki Satonaka.
"Senpai…" Kurogasa muttered.
"Kurogasa-kun, you gotta stop running ahead of us." Yuki chastised the brunette boy.
"Sorry," He apologized. "It's just…"
"We know." Yamato said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But you shouldn't be running to your supposed death. You have to keep a cool head."
"Believe me, I'm trying." Kurogasa sighed. "I just didn't think this would happen again."
"You mean back in the US? That viral outbreak five years ago?" Yuki inquired.
"Yeah…" Kurogasa looked away. "I'd still get nightmares every now and then. And today of all days it comes back to haunt me."
"Well, you're the one with undead experience so you'll have to be our guide." Yamato stated.
"I wouldn't say I'm exactly experienced. My whole family just ran." Kurogasa chuckled bitterly. "And I had to watch my friends in the US turn and be killed."
"Kuro…" Yuki said, saddened.
"We should get going." Kurogasa said, before walking forward. "We'll need to find a place to resupply soon."
Yamato and Yuki could only look at each other, before they decided to follow him. They couldn't imagine what he had to go through five years ago, to see everything he knew go down in flames. Quite literally, when the American government ordered a 'sterilization' of the place he called home. For now, all they could do was watch over their kouhai and support him in whatever way they could. As is the job of being his senpai.
LINE BREAK
"Let's go!" Reaper ordered as he hefted the two gym bags full of weapons, ammo, and supplies with ease due to his strength and his power suit's artificial enhanced muscles.
"So we're finally hitting the East Police Station?" Takashi asked as he hefted one gym bag while Rei carried another. They were bringing a lot of ammo with them. While it may seem too much, it was necessary if they were going to survive. They have to be prepared for the worst. And if push comes to shove, they'll have to go out with guns ablazing.
"We'll need to get there quickly. That Tyrant won't stay down forever." Reaper answered. "They're tough bastards."
"What exactly was that thing?" Rei asked.
"A B.O.W.: Biological Organic Weapon. You could say they're man-made monsters that kill anything they're ordered to do." The former Umbrella assassin stated.
"You mean someone's controlling them?" Takashi gasped in surprise.
"Unfortunately, yes," Reaper said as he stopped at a corner, peeking out for any signs of undead trouble. "Tyrants are just one of many different types of monsters that the Umbrella Corporation has created. We'll need to be extremely careful from here on out. There's no telling what other nightmares are out there amongst the dead."
"We're going to need a transport then." Rei surmised. "At least enough to carry all of these. Like a pick-up truck or something."
"We'll need to find one that isn't damaged or out of gas." Reaper remarked as he hefted the bags he was carrying. "C'mon, let's get a move on."
"Right." Takashi and Rei nodded.
The trio wandered the streets, making as little noise as they possibly could in the dead city. Takashi and Rei were wary of any B. that could appear out of nowhere but Reaper was cautious about any living survivors that could have less than ideal purposes for them. While it's ideal that their objections should be temporary alignment, it's the fact it was temporary that concerns him. Because once they complete their objective, all bets are off the table. After all, this is about survival. If they want to live, they have to do anything by any means necessary, even if it means burning a few bridges to get ahead. That's how it always was, and how it always should be. Because in the end, it's just one against the world.
That included his unnecessary companions. They'd only slow him down, especially if this whole bioterror attack was Umbrella's calling card at their return. If so, he needed to get them to safety so that he could focus on his true enemy.
Leon would've probably called all his friends or acquaintances in anti-Bioterror units about the situation but if it was happening worldwide then this would only make his job that much more difficult. "Damn you, Umbrella…" He muttered under his breath.
"Hm? You say something?" Takashi asked.
"No, it's nothing." Reaper shook his head. "Just another day at the office." Just as they were about to turn a corner on the street, the former Umbrella assassin had them move back against the wall. He peeked around the corner and clicked his tongue in annoyance when he saw what was littering the street. "Lickers…"
"Lickers?" Rei parroted.
"Yeah, those things are nasty." Reaper answered. "They're all nothing but muscle, bone, and exposed brain walking on all fours, climbing just about anything. They're blind as bats, but their hearing makes up for it. And they got tongues so long and powerful, it cuts through flesh like a hot knife on butter."
"That's fucked up…" Takashi paled.
"As long as you don't make noise, we can slip right past them and keep moving." Reaper said. "Follow my lead."
The two teens nodded firmly as the clone stepped out, being mindful to avoid any loose gravel or fallen garbage that would make even the simplest sound. What made it even harder was the number of corpses that lied on the street. One wrong move and they could easily trip and alert the Lickers. Reaper might make it out okay, but with Takashi and Rei, that's a different story. They were new to this and they're not going to survive if they made that fatal mistake.
So he'll have to lighten the load for them. He glanced over at the two teens and raised a finger to the mouthpiece of his helmet as a sign for them to be quiet. Rei and Takashi nodded before he motioned for them to remove their shoes. He took a piece of glass from a broken window off the ground and prepared to do something that Lupo would consider to be extremely stupid. Reaper reared his arm back then threw the glass piece at an alleyway on the other side of the street.
The Lickers' heads suddenly perked up at the sound and they immediately scrambled towards the source without hesitation. Rei and Takashi were shockingly surprised at how fast these Lickers really were. Doing as instructed, they immediately took off their school shoes and when Reaper motioned them over to come, they traveled across the street and met up with Reaper without incident.
"Alright, they're distracted for now but it won't last long. Let's keep moving. Once we're a safe enough distance, we find some transport and get to the police station." Reaper told them.
"Right." Rei and Takashi nodded before they quickly put back on their shoes and continued to run.
"Gotta say though, you didn't screw up so far." Reaper admitted. "Just keep doing what I say and you'll live."
The teens looked at him surprised. Did he actually praise them?
"What?"
"You're being nice now all of sudden, Nocturne-san?" Rei pondered.
"Che, don't know what you're talking about…" Reaper scoffed. "It would leave me with a bad taste in my mouth if you two were suddenly eaten alive."
"Someone's a tsundere…" Takashi muttered under his breath.
"I heard that," Reaper growled. 'Stupid kid…'
[With Kurogasa's Group…]
With the sun having already set, Kurogasa's group had arrived at an abandoned locally owned market, which luckily has an apartment complex just above the said market. Thankfully, there were no zombies inside the market or in the complex. They stored the non-perishables in gym bags while the perishables they took from the fridges and used those to cook dinner for themselves. It was the first decent meal they had in a long time ever since the zombie apocalypse began. They won't be eating good food for another several days so they made the most of what they could for dinner, savoring it all.
By now, it was late at night as Kurogasa was sleeping, but every now and then, he would toss and turn. Yamato and Yuki looked at their kouhai in concern. He had practically been running on fumes and this incident has come back to haunt and traumatize him. With that kind of PTSD, and the nightmares he would be having, it was a miracle that he was still alive without going insane.
"You think he's going to be alright?" Yuki asked Yamato.
"I don't know…" The older boy frowned, with a shrug. "It's hard to tell if he even has a stable mindset right now, especially with a zombie apocalypse."
"I know what you mean." Yuki agreed with a nod. "He's already gone through it once. I can't imagine what he's been through back then."
Yamato rubbed his chin, "I know he told us that he's a survivor of the Tall Oaks Incident but he never went into full detail about it."
"I think it's best to not talk about it until he feels ready to." Yuki suggested.
"Re… Re…" Kurogasa muttered in his sleep, gaining their attention. "Re… Rei… Rei…" He muttered softly as they saw a single tear going down his eye.
"Rei?" Yamato repeated. "Who could that be?"
"A friend maybe?" Yuki guessed.
As the two senpai talked, Kurogasa's mind went down memory lane, in the form of his dream.
[Flashback - Ten Years Ago]
Long before the zombie apocalypse ever happened, the world was at peace. It was one summer day and two childhood friends were playing at the park. The children are a boy and a girl. The boy looked like a younger version of Kurogasa while the girl looked like a younger version of Rei.
Kurogasa and Rei had gotten to know each other through their parents who happen to be friends. Because of their friendship, Kurogasa and Rei became fast friends too. Well… almost fast. It all started out when the two kids were introduced to each other. The boy was shy and he hid behind his mother, but the mother encouraged him to say hello to his new friend. Slowly but surely, he came out of his hiding place and slowly approached the young girl. Rei was outgoing and adventurous as a child, she greeted Kurogasa a bit too firmly which frightened the boy a bit before he calmed down when she asked if he wanted to play a game with her.
The moment he said yes, their friendship was immediately solidified. Since then, they have been on many play dates, and spend a lot of time with each other at elementary school. The young boy even got to meet Takashi and Saya, gaining even more friends.
As of now, little Kurogasa and Rei were sitting on the swings after playing for so long. "Rei, there's something I have to tell you,"
"Hm? What is it, Kuro?" Rei asked, tilting her head at the boy.
"This… may be the last time we play together. My family is moving out of the country to the U.S." Kurogasa said.
"W-what?" Rei stopped swinging as she looked at her friend in shock.
"It's because of Dad's work in the military. He saw an opportunity and he took it."
"Do you… really have to go?" Rei asked. "Can't you stay with my family?"
"I wish I could." Kurogasa shook his head as he stood up to face the little girl. "I'm so sorry, Rei. I… I don't want to go either, but…" He then made the daring move of hugging her, surprising the girl. "I won't ever forget you… you're… you're the bestest friend I could ever have. You're… important to me."
"Kuro…" Rei sniffled as her tears started to freely fall down her cheeks. She returned the hug, holding Kurogasa tighter than the boy could produce as she sobbed loudly.
"Promise me, Rei… that you won't ever forget me, okay?" Kurogasa sobbed.
"I… promise…"
The next day, Kurogasa and his family had left and settled in the U.S. It was a difficult time for the young boy as he didn't know anyone from the U.S. Everything was completely new to him. He reverted back to the shy self he once was before meeting Rei. But gradually over time, he grew accustomed to American life and he had a few friends, but even then, he wasn't the same, not having Rei around.
And then came that damning day. Five years later, on the night of June 29th, 2013, the Tall Oaks Incident happened. More than 90% of the town's population had been infected, with the release of the C-Virus via inhaling the mist. Luckily for the Kururugi family, they had managed to escape. But for Kurogasa, he was horrified. He had seen his American friends being turned into zombies. Everywhere he and his family ran, there was one undead after another. It got to the point where Kurogasa had to learn to shoot a gun. He hated doing it, but he had to, if he was to survive.
After escaping the city, his family moved to a new town in the U.S. where they could recover from the event. Four years later, the family decided to return back to Japan, in hopes for the parents that their son could recover from the ordeal. They came back to Tokonosu City, but unfortunately for Kurogasa, he had to go to a different school, living somewhere far from the neighborhood where Rei once lived. It was at that moment when he started school that day, that he met his senpais Yamato and Yuki.
[9 Years Later]
Kurogasa was sitting by himself on the rooftop of his school having lunch. While it was fine that he was back in Japan, in Tokonosu City, he still felt a bit empty inside. He longed to see Rei. It had been almost ten years since she had seen her. Ever since he came back, he tried to look for her, all around the city, but it was all for naught. He never forgot about her during the time they were separated. Him finding a girl with brown hair and eyes shouldn't be difficult. But in a big city like Tokonosu, that proved otherwise.
"Hey, there!" A voice called out. Kurogasa looked back until he noticed two upperclassmen approaching him, one was a boy and the other a girl. The boy waved in greeting. "Guess we all had the same idea to eat lunch on the roof."
"Uh… yeah, I guess." Kurogasa trailed off as he kept eating.
"You okay?" The girl asked.
"I'm fine. I just… stay away from crowds." Kurogasa said.
"Not a big fan of crowds?" The boy pondered.
"I… don't really talk to other people a lot." Kurogasa answered.
"Well, there's only the three of us here. So… you shouldn't have a problem talking with us?"
"…It's fine." Kurogasa replied, as the three were silent for a while. "Kururugi."
"Hm?" The girl asked.
"Kururugi Kurogasa. Yoroshiku…" He mumbled.
The boy grinned widely, "Nice to meet you! I'm Kusanagi Yamato!"
"Satonaka Yuki, yoroshiku ne!" The girl chirped.
[Present Day]
"Don't… forget me, Rei…" Kurogasa muttered in his sleep as more tears fell from his face.
Yuki frowned sadly, "This Rei person must be really important to him."
"Yeah," Yamato nods. "I wonder if they're even alive out in this hellhole?"
"Shhh, don't jinx it," Yuki chided. "Otherwise you'll make it worse for him."
"Good point…" The older boy winced. "So then, I guess we'll be helping him find this Rei person."
"Most likely. We're his senpai and it's our job to help our kouhai through all of this." Yuki nodded.
[The Next Day…]
Reaper's eyes shot awake as he stood up from his resting position with a hand over his pistol, just in case of any unexpected trouble with the undead. The clone and his two teenage companions had hunkered down at an abandoned grocery store manager's office for the night. Reaper took it upon himself to acquire a few things that would help Rei and Takashi sleep well at night such as sleeping bags and pillows while he barricaded the entrances with anything heavy enough that couldn't be moved by a few zombies.
His helmet retracted, allowing Reaper to wipe away the crud in his eyes before he glanced over at companions who were sleeping peacefully in their separate areas. It was almost like the zombie apocalypse never happened in the first place for them and it all seemed like a bad dream. Unfortunately, reality was about to settle itself back soon.
"When was the last time I ever relaxed?" Reaper muttered. A rueful chuckle left his lips. "Heh, I've never truly relaxed…"
"Mmm, Nocturne-san?" Rei moaned with a yawn as she rubbed her eyes. "Did you just wake up?"
"Yeah," The former assassin nodded before he stood up. "Get Takashi up. It's going to be a long walk to that station unless we find a car."
"Okay…" Rei said, before gently shaking the boy. "Takashi… Takashi, get up."
"H-Huh?" Takashi said as he groaned and slowly woke up. "Rei? What's up?"
"We're leaving. Gather the supply bags and let's get moving." Reaper answered for Rei with his handgun out, a customized Glock 17 with a laser sight, an extended clip, and a suppressor.
"Yeah, sure, but can we get something in our stomachs at least?" Takashi grumbled.
"Here." Reaper said, tossing a can to him. "Canned bread. Not the tastiest, but better than nothing. It should get you going for a while."
Takashi cringed at the canned food, something that Reaper had taken notice.
"If you were expecting a five-course meal or a bowl of ramen then you won't survive out there long. Perishable foods are going to spoil. Non-perishables will be currency if civilization collapses. You can't complain about what you eat right now." The clone stated. "This goes for you too, Miyamoto. We have to do whatever it takes to survive. Regardless of consequences."
"I understand…" Rei nodded.
"Hmph, looks like you're made of more sterner stuff than I thought." Reaper smirked at her. "Not sure about this guy here."
"Hey!" Takashi snapped.
"For now, eat up. We leave in an hour. I'll go scout out for any zombies lingering around." Reaper said as he opened the duffle bag that held a few of his guns and pulled out a G36C assault rifle with a modified ammo magazine, a foregrip, a reflex sight, and a suppressor. He took ten ammo magazines loaded with 5.56 mm rounds and placed them on a satchel on the back waist part of his armor.
"You seem to be having fun…" Rei deadpanned, looking at the weapon he was equipping himself with.
"Fun? No, I'm just doing my job. If I was having fun, you'd see me with a rocket launcher." Reaper pointed out as he pulled back the firing pin, chambering a bullet into the receiver.
"What next? Holding two miniguns, one in each hand, going Rambo?" Takashi scoffed.
"Don't be stupid… miniguns cost a lot of money on the black market." The assassin said before he opened the door and closed it behind him to begin his scouting run.
Takashi and Rei stared at the door for a solid minute before they looked at each other then turned down to their canned meals.
[With Kurogasa's Group…]
"Kuro-kun, wake up." Yuki said gently, shaking the boy gently. "Kuro? Kuro." She repeated, but he was still asleep, not wanting to be disturbed as he pulled the blanket over his body to be more comfortable. With a slight annoyed sigh, she decided to get a bit loud. "KURO!"
"Gah!" The young male cried out as he shot up and looked wildly with his katana drawn, surprising her and Yamato who had finished cooking breakfast. When he saw that it was just them, he immediately sighed heavily, lowering his weapon. "Right… morning…" He muttered.
"You okay?" Yamato asked.
"Yeah, sorry. I guess… I'm a bit more jumpy than usual." Kurogasa sighed.
"Well, let's eat something real quick and get moving. We still need to reach a safe zone." Yuki said, pulling off her backpack. The three of them went to have their breakfast, the ones from her backpack having energy bars and a few non-perishables, while Yamato served them rice, eggs, bacon, and sausage. "By the way, Kuro…"
"Hm?"
"We… heard you talking in your sleep." Yuki said. "You kept mentioning someone named Rei."
Kurogasa's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the name, before looking away. "So you did…"
"Yeah," Yamato nodded, "Not to mention, you were- oof, what?" He cringed when Yuki elbowed him in the gut.
"No it's… fine… I haven't really talked about my past a lot." Kurogasa shook his head, before taking in a deep breath to calm himself. "Rei… is a childhood friend of mine. We used to grow up together here in Tokonosu."
"What happened?"
"When I was seven, my dad got offered a job in the U.S. so my whole family moved there." Kurogasa continued. "And then the Tall Oaks Incident happened. We moved to another part of the States after, but… a few weeks later, we moved back here to Japan, in Tokonosu, but in a different part of the town. That's how I met you two last year."
"So… even though you're back in your own hometown, you still haven't seen them for a while, huh?" Yamato mused.
"Yeah… ten long years…" Kurogasa sighed as he looked out the window. "Ever since I came back, I looked all over town for Rei, but there was no sign."
"Do you think they moved out?" Yuki asked.
"I don't know. But… something tells me Rei is still here." Kurogasa said. "I just need to keep looking."
"Do you… like her?" Yamato pondered.
This caught him off guard as Kurogasa choked on his food, pounding his chest continuously before quickly downing his drink. "W-What are you talking about!?" He stammered.
"Well, you're searching vigorously for her. She's gotta be a pretty special girl if you're looking for her even during this crisis."
"I-I well, that's-" He looked down, stammering with a heavy blush.
"Oho~ looks like I hit a soft spot." Yamato smirked.
"But Rei's such a generic name." Yuki pointed out. "Not to mention it works for both boys and girls."
"Oh, so maybe it's a boy." Yamato said teasingly.
"I don't swing for the other team dammit!" Kurogasa snapped.
"Hey, I ain't judging. If you like to swap spit with guys that's cool, as long as it isn't me."
"That's not the point! I'm completely on the straight and narrow!"
"Sure, but you don't mind girl-on-girl action." Yamato shot back. Kurogasa's silence said it all as he looked down and force fed his own breakfast.
"Okay, stop bullying him, Yamato-kun." Yuki chastised her fellow senior.
"What? He needs to lighten up a little, is all." Yamato shrugged.
"He'll lighten up if you back off." Yuki pouted. "Now c'mon, let's have our breakfast, then get a move on. We have a lot of ground to cover."
"Fine, fine," Yamato waved off.
LINE BREAK
Reaper peeked around the corner of an abandoned car he was using as cover and took notice of only two zombies that were wandering around aimlessly, searching for human flesh to consume. "So far so good… no Lickers or that Tyrant anywhere…" He muttered to himself. He took aim at the zombies and fired two headshots that destroyed the blind creatures' brains. "Targets down…"
He stood up from his current position and advanced with his rifle aimed forward. Just because the undead were now permanently dead didn't mean the danger was over with. Reaper learned the hard way that the living were much more dangerous than the dead.
"I better get back to those two before they do something foolish and get killed." He said to himself, checking his surroundings before he walked back in the direction of the grocery store they were hiding in.
Suddenly, his HUD's radar informed him of three unknowns that were wandering the streets.
"Detecting three possible hostiles." Reaper muttered as he silently approached them without getting caught. Hiding behind a building, he peeked around the corner and noticed two males and one female. All of them were equipped with katanas while one of the boys had a SIG Sauer P226 Equinox in its holster with a belt wrapped around across his whole torso diagonally, holding the magazines, and the girl had a Glock-19 equipped as well.
The ex-Umbrella agent flipped the safety off his rifle, preparing for a fight just in case the trio proved to be hostile forces. He allowed them to pass by his location, the darkness of the alleyway hid his armor perfectly.
"Nothing here." One of the boys said. "No survivors down this part of town."
"Damn…" The other boy cursed.
"Don't worry, we'll find Rei. You just have to be patient." The girl comforted the second boy, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I know…"
'Rei?' Reaper muttered in thought.
"Well, should we move on?" The older looking boy inquired.
"Yeah, there's no point lingering any longer…" The other boy said.
'I need answers…' Reaper stepped out of his cover, his G36C aimed right at the teens. "Hands up!" He ordered. The three teens suddenly turned around, noticing the Ex-Umbrella agent and suddenly drew their weapons, the younger boy and older girl having their katanas and guns drawn.
"Who are you?!" The older boy demanded.
"I'll be asking the questions here. After all, I do have the bigger gun." Reaper pointed out then made a gesture. "Weapons on the floor, now!"
"Don't!" The younger boy denied, as he kept his gun aimed at Reaper, then noticed something on his arm which seemed to make his blood boil. "You… you're with Umbrella, aren't you?!"
"What?" Reaper frowned.
"I knew it! You corporate scumbags don't know when to quit and stay dead!" The younger boy snapped. "So what? Tall Oaks wasn't enough for ya?!"
'Tall Oaks… he's a survivor of that incident?' Reaper thought. "Keep your mouth shut, boy." Reaper snarled. "I'm ex-Umbrella. I don't work for those leeches anymore."
"Bullshit! You and your corporate masters decided to have the whole world burn now! Are you happy?! Are you happy that you fulfilled Spencer Oswell's vision of a new human race thanks to your damn virus?! Well congratulations, you won!"
Before Reaper could contemplate shooting the little shit in the head for running his mouth, a loud roar from a Licker drew his attention due to the loud shouting that the boy was spitting. "Shit!" He cursed. A pack of Lickers crawled from out of the walls of the buildings. "Move, all of you!"
But there was no cause for concern as a blur passed Reaper and kicked a Licker hard enough to send it airborne. The older boy didn't waste time shoving his katana through the skull of the Licker before kicking it off. It bounced on the ground several times and twitched several times before it went limp.
"What the hell?" Reaper pondered in confusion before he focused back on the fight when a Licker tried to pounce on him only to receive an armored knuckle sandwich to its jaw, shattering several of its teeth before the super soldier put it out of its misery by shooting it three times in its exposed brain.
The younger boy was facing off a group of Lickers coming his way. He sheathed his katana, ready to unleash his family's secret technique at a moment's notice. Gripping his sheath with his left hand and gripping the handle of the katana with his right, he stepped back with his left foot while leaning with his right. He took a deep calm breath, exhaling slowly as he focused on his target, and in this moment, time seemed to slow down. The young man stayed still, his mind clear of any distractions, as he tuned out everything around him and concentrated on what's in front. The Lickers kept rushing towards him, moving ever closer.
Looking up, the young man's left thumb pressed against the tsuba, pushing his katana up…
*SLASH!*
It was instantaneous. The move was so fast, one couldn't follow it. The Licker stopped in its tracks, not knowing what just happened. As for the young man, he was on the other side, his back behind the Lickers. His body leaned forward with his right arm spread out, while holding the katana. Silence loomed, not a sound was heard. He flicked his sword and everyone could actually 'see' the large slash on the Lickers before they were cut, spewing out blood, and fell to the ground lifeless.
"Impressive for a civilian." Reaper commented.
The girl wasted no time firing a few shots at a few Lickers of her own, and surprisingly, she hit every one of them with a fatal shot, killing them instantly.
"Those were all kill shots. And in quick succession too." Reaper muttered. "These aren't normal teenagers."
Once all the Lickers were killed, the three teenagers relaxed and they all turned to Reaper.
"How the hell did you do that?"
"Family technique. What I did was the Shukuchi, a technique used to get in close to my enemy instantly," The older boy said.
"Mine was the Zantetsuken. Instant kill." The younger boy added.
"I'm just good at playing FPS video games and I never miss." The girl answered.
"…" Reaper stared at the trio dryly. "Seriously, how did you do that?"
"We just told you." The younger boy answered. "Now let me ask you a question. What the hell is an Umbrella operative like you doing here?"
"I told you I'm Ex-Umbrella."
"Prove it," The younger boy demanded. "Or so help me God, I will-"
"You'll what? Cut me with your little knife? Even if I gave you proof, you'd still be stubborn just like Miyamoto." Reaper stated. "I can also just shoot you in the head. I doubt you're faster than a bullet."
"Miyamoto…" The younger boy said, before realization hit him. "You know Rei?! What did you do to her, you son of a bitch!? Where is she?!"
"You keep talking to me like that and I'll crush your windpipe. To answer your sniveling question, I did nothing to her. She and her boyfriend are safe at a hideout." Reaper answered.
"What…?" The younger boy gasped. "She's alive?"
"Now here's my question: Who the fuck are you three?"
"Yamato Kusanagi."
"Yuki Satonaka."
The younger boy was silent for a while before eventually saying his name. "…Kurogasa Kururugi. We're just high school students."
"Great, just what I need… more deadweight…" The super soldier grumbled under his breath.
"We handle ourselves just fine…" Yamato huffed.
"Those were just Lickers. And a bunch of them to boot. You're good, but not that good." Reaper remarked. "Let's go." He ordered as he turned toward the direction of the grocery store.
"Where are we going?" Yuki asked.
"To get Takashi and Rei. We're going to the police station. After that, I'm leaving this city to hunt down the bastards responsible." The armored assassin answered. "Now move it. You slow me down, I leave you behind."
"Takashi…?" Kurogasa muttered. "So he's alive too…" He sighed in relief. "Yamato-senpai, Yuki-senpai, let's go."
"Are you sure?" Yuki asked.
"A few seconds ago, you were ready to cut this guy's head off, man." Yamato said.
"I still don't trust him. But he has Takashi and Rei. My friends."
"Hey!" Reaper called back. "Stop standing around and move your asses!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
LINE BREAK
"When do you think he'll be back?" Rei asked as she and Takashi were still waiting on Reaper to come back from his patrol.
"I don't know," Takashi shrugged. "He said we were leaving soon anyways. So, he shouldn't be gone too long."
Rei then went over to the window to look out and when she did, she saw Reaper but there were three people with him. "Takashi, he's back! And he brought survivors!"
"Really?" Takashi came by Rei's side to get a better look. "Well shit. Now we need to find a van." However, he squinted his eyes when he saw one of the survivors. "Hold on, that guy next to Reaper… isn't that-"
"What? What is it?" Rei looked at the brown-haired boy in confusion.
Before Takashi answered, Reaper had already opened the door after removing the blockage, allowing himself and his three companions to enter. Takashi and Rei looked at each other before they went downstairs to meet with Reaper. The moment they did…
"Takashi? Rei?" Kurogasa gasped with wide eyes. "I-Is that you?"
"Who… are you?" Rei pondered, feeling as if she knew this boy.
"W-What?" Kurogasa asked, shocked. "It's me, Kuro! Kurogasa Kururugi! Don't you remember? You promised not to forget me."
"Kuro?" Rei gasped in surprise. "Oh my god, it is you! You look so different."
"Yeah, man. Can't believe you're here! I thought you were still in America!" Takashi added.
"I was… for a time, until I came back here last year." Kurogasa said. "I've been looking for you guys ever since I got back, but I had no luck until now." He was then taken by surprise when Rei suddenly hugged him.
"Thank goodness… you're alright…" Rei sobbed.
"Rei…" Kurogasa muttered, before hugging her back. "I should be the one saying that. But I'm glad you're safe too."
"Alright, enough of the mush. We need to move." Reaper interrupted, causing them to break the hug. "So do whatever it is you need to do then get ready. We find transport and drive out of here."
Yamato inclined a brow, "How do you expect to find something like that out here? Pretty sure a lot of people already booked it when they showed up."
"Because unlike you civilians who'd rather abandon your cars and run like cowards, I prefer to do things the smart way." Reaper remarked. "You got five minutes. Go." He said before he went out to stand guard. The highschool students looked at each other then nodded before preparing themselves for the long trip ahead by gathering their supplies and weapons.
"Hey Rei…" Kurogasa said, as she was helping her pack up their supplies.
"Yeah?"
"That Umbrella guy. What was he saying about Takashi being your… boyfriend?" He asked nervously.
"Oh, uh…" Rei felt her cheeks burn pink as her mind drifted back to her childhood. "Well, you see… after you left, I dated Takashi for a while then I dated someone else…"
"You… did, huh?" Kurogasa muttered, feeling his heart sink. "How come it didn't work between you and Takashi?"
"He was impulsive and a jerk…" Rei answered.
"Figures… Takashi didn't change one bit over the past ten years." Kurogasa sighed. "And… the other guy?"
"He was…" Rei trailed off, looking away sadly.
Kurogasa knew what that meant. He turned into one of 'them'. "I see… I'm sorry."
"It's fine… it still hurts but…" The brunette girl said quietly. "If it wasn't for Nocturne-san, Takashi and I would be dead right now."
"Nocturne? That's his name?" Kurogasa questioned, which Rei nodded to. "But… he's Umbrella. Do you really think you could trust him? Umbrella is the whole reason we're in this mess now…"
Rei gave her old friend a mild glare, "Just because he used to work for Umbrella, doesn't mean he's the same. Besides, I don't think he's telling us everything." She looked out the window, spotting Reaper surveying the area for any undead. "There's… something in his eyes. He seemed… lonely."
"What do you mean?" He asked, confused.
"His eyes… they were filled with sadness and pain. He's around our age but… he's like one of those veterans from war."
"So an adult in a child's body, huh?" Kurogasa mused.
*WAPISH!*
"Ite!"
"Kuro!"
"Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help it." Kurogasa winced after being bopped on the head by her.
Rei sighed, "And you say that Takashi hasn't changed." She shook her head dismissively. "In any case, try not to start fights with him. He's the only one with actual experience in this hell."
"…He's not the only one…" Kurogasa muttered.
"What was that?"
"N-Nothing… c'mon, let's not keep Nocturne waiting." Kurogasa said as he was about to grab more of their supplies, but Rei placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Kuro… did… something happen to you in America?" Rei asked.
Kurogasa looked down and away as he couldn't bring himself to say it. "I'm sorry… I can't tell you… not yet at least…"
Rei understood the look of pain on her friend's face and reluctantly held off.
"But… what I can say is…" Kurogasa said as he looked at her, daring himself to hold her cheek with his hand and pressing his forehead against her own. "I'm not leaving you… ever again… I want to be here for you…"
Rei felt her blush deepen, "K-Kuro? Are you…"
"Rei, I…"
"Hey, you two, you guys ready?" Takashi asked, approaching them as the two of them snapped out of it and backed off before Takashi noticed what was going on. "Huh? What's wrong? You guys look red."
"Nothing…" Kurogasa muttered, before quickly walking away with some of the supplies.
Takashi looked between Kurogasa's back then at Rei, "What was that all about?"
"It's nothing…" Rei replied.
LINE BREAK
Meanwhile with Saeko's group…
"Alright, let's get going." Saya told the others as they all stood up from their seats on the bus and prepared to leave.
"Huh? Go where?" Kohta asked in confusion.
"We're leaving this bus!"
"Huh?!"
"Shido-sensei is obviously insane. He's going to get all of us killed. It's better if we just leave him and his followers to themselves." Saeko pointed out.
"Oh? Leaving so soon?" Shido asked, as he blocked their way from leaving the bus.
"Please step aside, Shido-sensei." Saeko told the teacher. "We're leaving."
"Hm? Are you certain? Well, if that's what you wish then I can't very well stop you." Shido said with a snake-like grin on his face. "However…" Suddenly, his hand grabbed the arm of the busty blonde nurse who yelped in surprise. "I can't exactly let you leave, Marikawa-san."
"W-What? Why?" Shizuka asked, feeling a bit fearful and dread overcoming her senses.
"Our group needs a doctor and you're the only capable one here. We can't exactly let you leave these poor children on their own." Shido answered while his wicked eyes leered lecherously at Shizuka's body.
"Step away from her Shido-sensei. She's coming with us…" Saeko threatened the corrupt teacher.
"Oh? Threatening a teacher now, Busujima-san? That's not how a Third Year should behave." Shido pointed out mockingly.
"You're no teacher at all. You're a corrupt human being who has no sense of morality, using any and everyone to achieve your personal agendas." Saeko said, now pointing her bokken at him. "Do not test me. For I will not hesitate to break your bones."
"My, my, it's no wonder you're such a violent girl. I had heard you were nearly raped as a middle schooler but-" Before Shido could continue, a nail shot right past his face, but grazing his cheek as it leaked blood. He stared at the shooter in shock… to see the look of hatred on Hirano's face as he aimed his modified nail gun at the teacher. The nail impacted into the seat near one of Shido's followers, who squeaked in fear. "H-Hirano-kun…?"
"I didn't miss on purpose, just to let you know." Hirano stated.
"Why you-"
"I'll tell you again. Let… Shizuka-sensei… go…" Saeko demanded.
"I'd listen to her, you twisted bastard." Hirano snarled as a mad grin began to spread on his lips. "Because I killed a lot of students that were dead back at the school… So that means, I can kill the living as well."
Shido shirked away in fear, releasing Shizuka who quickly got behind Saeko. The kendo captain gave Hirano a grin, "Spoken like a true hero." She said to him.
"R-Really? Me?" Hirano laughed nervously.
"Don't let it get to your head." Saya pouted. "Now c'mon, let's go!" She said, before rushing out the bus without another word.
"Takagi-san, wait up!" Hirano cried out, going after her.
"Don't leave without me!" Shizuka said, following after the two while Saeko leveled one last glare at Shido and his foolish followers before fleeing with her group.
After they left the bus, they checked around the crowded streets. "Which way do we go now? I don't know this area very well." Saeko told her friends.
"First, we need to figure out where Onbetsu Bridge is." Saya answered.
"It might be blocked off. This traffic isn't unusual at all." Hirano pointed out.
"Oh, I sure hope Komuro-kun, Miyamoto-kun, and Nocturne-kun are alright." Shizuka said with concern written all over her face.
Saeko closed her eyes and thought back to when Reaper still went by his regular name. "I'm sure they're alright. After all, Nocturne-kun is a reliable warrior."
"Y-Yeah, he seems to handle himself okay!" Hirano agreed.
"You only say that because he's a gun nut like you." Saya said dismissively. "Nocturne may be a good shot with a gun but he's still an idiot."
Saeko smirked teasingly at the pink-haired girl, "Oh? Do you perhaps like him?" She asked, but with a hint of an edge in her tone.
In an instant, Saya's face burned the same shade of pink as her hair, if a bit darker. "W-w-what are you talking about!? As if I would like someone like him!"
"So you say." Saeko chuckled. "Now come on. Let's go to Onbetsu Bridge and figure out the rest from there."
LINE BREAK
Reaper and his five companions wandered the streets, trying to find a working vehicle that wasn't already busted or looted in the chaos. So far, nothing seemed to be functioning. They also took out any undead that skulked around nearby with either well-placed gunshots or a simple strike at their heads. Not to mention that Rei was eyeing Kurogasa more than she should, seeing how much he had changed over the past ten years. Her skills in Sojutsu paled in comparison to his swordsmanship and his skills in using a gun were second nature to him.
Reaper noticed it. The boy didn't hesitate to kill the zombies. That meant he had experienced a similar event to the pandemic happening around them. He mentioned the incident at Tall Oaks, a town in the US that had experienced a pandemic from what Leon had told him, came from the C-Virus. It didn't really matter to him since he was in Japan at the time. He had also heard of a similar incident in the mainland of China in Tatchi. Apparently, Leon along with Chris Redfield were there as well as Sherry Birkins. The perpetrator of those pandemics was apparently some government official who had been secretly working to bring back Umbrella, the Family as they were called. Unfortunately, even with Neo-Umbrella's defeat, Reaper knew the bastards running it wouldn't stay dead for long.
*BANG! BANG!*
"Tch… it's endless…" Kurogasa clicked his tongue in annoyance after shooting down another zombie.
"The dead do have plenty of bodies to throw at the living." Yuki pointed out.
"Geez, they can't give us a break, can they. We've been fighting them for hours…" Yamato groaned.
"The dead won't wait for any of us to catch our breath." Reaper retorted. "Just keep moving."
"You're such a slave driver, Nocturne-san…" Rei whined.
"And you need to quit your bitching, before I entertain the thought of leaving you behind."
Kurogasa looked ready to murder the prick of an Ex-Umbrella agent, but Takashi held him back. "Dude, not worth it…" He muttered.
Rei pouts, "You don't have to be a jerk about it."
"Apparently, I have to be since all of you seem to think this is nothing but a game." Reaper pointed out. "Get with the program, kids. This is life or death. I'm not here to coddle you, nor hold your hand. I'm keeping you alive until you're safe. After that, I'm on my own to finish what I should've started. That goes for all of you. Stow that teenage attitude of yours and focus on survival. You slow me down, I leave you behind."
"…Nothing but a game?" Kurogasa growled, clenching his fist.
"If you're going to start something…" Reaper stopped, then glanced back at Kurogasa, the glowing ice blue optics of his helmet staring deep into his soul. "…you better be prepared to face the consequences."
"The hell would you know?"
Reaper's glare never left the boy's heated gaze before he turned away. "More than you apparently, kid."
"Tch…"
"Kuro, please…" Rei said worriedly, placing a hand on his shoulder. Kurogasa looked at Rei for what seemed like forever until he eventually relented.
"How long are we gonna have to walk?" Takashi asked the super soldier.
"Few more blocks. After that, we should be close to the bridges leading to the other side of the city. With any luck, we won't come across any BOWs." The former assassin answered.
"BOW's?" Yuki parroted.
"Biological Organic Weapons." Kurogasa answered. "Creatures experimented on and tested by Umbrella for their research."
"You've been studying. Good, saves me the trouble of explaining." Reaper remarked.
"Guys look." Takashi said, as he pointed to a few zombies, but… something strange was happening as their heads were shaking erratically and unnatural. And then they exploded, revealing pulsating masses of flesh and waving tentacles, with the longest tentacle having a scythe-like blade.
"Damn! Las Plagas. I thought it was wiped out." Reaper cursed as he aimed his assault rifle at the mutated creatures. "Those of you with guns, shot the bastards! Those of you without, stay back!" He fired a short, controlled burst of fire from his G36C, the 5.56 caliber rounds striking the pulsating mass of one Plaga-infected zombie, destroying it in a burst of green pus and blood.
"No need to tell me twice." Yuki said as she pulled out her gun and fired a few rounds on a few Las Plagas victims. Upon contact with the bullets, the heads exploded immediately after, before dropping to the ground and their rotten flesh melted into this dirty soup of green pus.
"Oh my god…" Rei covered her mouth, as she felt the urge to vomit.
"Do not look away! You can't take your eyes off these things for a second!" Reaper shouted as he focused on killing the infected zombies as he ejects the spent magazine and slaps in a new one, chambering a bullet then firing back at the Las Plaga undead.
*BANG, BANG! BANG, BANG!*
"Damn you!" Kurogasa cursed as he shot more Las Plaga zombies, destroying their heads before drawing out his katana to cut their heads off, reducing them to green pus, and retreating back quickly to ensure that none of it got on his person.
"Komuro, the supply bag!" Reaper called out to Takashi as he caught the blade of a Las Plaga zombie's tentacle weapon. With his suit's enhanced strength, he tore the appendage off and fired a quarter of his ammo clip into the pulsing mass for a head.
"Catch!" Takashi shouted, tossing the bag over to him.
The armored soldier caught the bag, shouldering his gun in the process as he reached inside through its contents and pulled out… a grenade? Reaper pulled the pin, rearing his arm back, and shouted, "Out of the way!"
"Grenade!" Yamato shouted as they all booked it and Reaper threw at the remaining Las Plagas zombies and-
*BOOOOOOOM!*
LINE BREAK
*BOOOOOOOM!*
"What was that?!" Saya demanded as they looked to the source where the noise of the explosion came from.
"Survivors?" Saeko pondered.
"That's definitely survivors! That was a military-issued fragmentation grenade!" Hirano exclaimed with glee, his inner military otaku taking over.
"How could you tell all of that from just the explosion?" Shizuka tilted her head in confusion.
Hirano chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head, "I learned it from one of my dad's friends. He was a former US Marine and he even trained me in how to use firearms."
"That explains so much…" Saya said dryly.
"Come! They may need our help!" Saeko said, before the group ran towards the direction of the explosion.
LINE BREAK
Reaper's group were coughing, save for the ex-Umbrella agent himself, from the explosive smell, waving it in front of their faces. "Did that do it?" Rei coughed.
Once the smoke cleared, they were greeted with the sight of a large pile of gore compiled from the bodies of all the Las Plaga-infected zombies.
"That… will be a yes…" Yamato coughed.
"Shit… I thought Leon took care of that Las Plagas infestation back in Spain…" Reaper said, examining the corpses, before picking up the supply bag. "Come on, we have to keep moving, as I'm sure the explosion attracted some of them."
"Uh, yeah, good idea." Takashi nodded in agreement.
"We should be near the bridge by now." Yuki stated.
Yamato sighed with relief, "Thank God, we can take a break soon."
"Don't relax just yet." Reaper informed the teens. "We only managed to repel a small group of Las Plaga. There's bound to be more BOWs out there."
"Look!" Kurogasa said as he pointed to a nearby motorcycle shop. "We could use those!"
"Good eye, kid." Reaper praised as the group approached the store. "Hopefully, some of you know how to at least drive a motorcycle."
"I know I do." Kurogasa said as he ran over to one of the motorcycles to examine it. "Sweet, and with a press of a button too. No key needed." He smiled, and turned it on, and the motorcycle vroomed to life. "Get on, Rei."
Rei looked between Kuro and Takashi before she reluctantly sat behind her childhood friend.
Yamato took another and Yuki sat behind him.
"You drive," Reaper ordered Takashi.
"Huh? Me? Why?"
"Just in case we're in a situation where you need to drive while I shoot." Reaper answered. "It'll be easier that way."
"Well alright fine." Takashi said before getting in the driver's seat with Reaper behind. After turning on the engines, their motorcycles came to life before the six of them took off. They weaved through the streets, avoiding potential hostiles, as best as they could while on their way to the bridge. After a few minutes, they made it to another bridge leading to the Onbetsu Bridge that could take us to the East Police Station, but unfortunately, it was blocked up by traffic like all the others.
"It's the same here too. We should find another bridge, guys." Rei said.
"We can't get through, unless we somehow cross the river." Kurogasa muttered.
"Well, that seems pointless as all of the other bridges are probably blocked as well." Takashi said as he checked the time and it was 5:04 in the afternoon. "Somehow, we have to get across Onbetsu Bridge and get to the East Police Station by 7 PM."
"Yeah, but how?" Yamato asked, until they all heard something being shot.
"Are those gunshots?" Yuki asked.
"Not gunshots. They sound more like they came from… a nail gun." Reaper answered.
"Hirano!" Takashi realized.
"Did they get off the bus?" Rei wondered.
"Probably. Let's go!" Takashi said, as they drove off to where the others were possibly at. They then found a small shortcut and they saw a glimpse of Saeko and the others fighting a group of 'them' at the top of the bridge.
"There they are!" Takashi said.
"How are we gonna get up there though?" Rei asked.
Kurogasa looked around the shortcut and saw a ledge, leading up to the others. "Over there!" He pointed to the ledge, driving up to the ledge and revving at top speed. "Hang on Rei!"
"O-Oi! Wait up!" Takashi shouted, driving after him.
"Hey easy!" Reaper snapped.
"There's too many of them!" Hirano shouted as he kept firing his nail gun.
"Just keep fighting! That's all we can do!" Saeko yelled as she swiped her bokken into the back of one of the zombies.
Saya was trying to get away from one of 'them' as Shizuka-sensei pushed her out of the way.
"Takagi-san!" Hirano yelled.
"Oh no!" Saeko shouted.
*VROOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*
Suddenly, they drove up the ledge and flew into the air and the others saw them flying through the air.
"Komuro-kun!" Saeko exclaimed.
"Rei!" Hirano noticed.
"Nocturne!" Saya gasped.
Kurogasa then looked back to Rei. "Go for it!"
"Right!" Rei said as they landed on the bridge and swerved towards 'them', throwing some of 'them' into the walls of the bridge. She jumped off the bike and struck down one of 'them' with her staff quickly, followed by another one. As for Takashi, as he landed down on the bridge, Reaper passed Takashi a gun who then quickly threw it to Hirano.
"Hirano!" Takashi shouted, throwing the small gun to him and the latter caught it. With him being a gun otaku, he quickly shot the first bullet off, striking two of 'them' in one shot!
"Double-tap!" Hirano grinned maliciously.
Reaper quickly jumped off the bike and pulled out an AR-10 and started shooting some of them. Yamato and Yuki both got off their back and while Yuki shot with quick precision, Yamato used his Shukuchi to take out a small 'horde' of them. Takashi quickly swerved the back of the motorcycle, swiping the rest of 'them' into the walls of the bridge as Saeko smirked at Takashi.
"Busujima-senpai!" He shouted, stretching out his arm. When he crossed paths with Saeko, she took his hand and Takashi swerved around again and threw her towards 'them'. She spun fast before hitting three of 'them' with her bokken.
As for Kurogasa, he swerved around and revved his motorcycle, before he did something crazy by managing to stand on the motorcycle and jumping off to gain air before tucking his left leg in and sticking his right leg out to dive down for something he'd like to call…
"RIDER KICK!"
"Are you kidding me, man?!" Yamato exclaimed at his kouhai.
But the kick actually helped as Kurogasa managed to lop off two of 'their' heads in one shot and after that, killed the rest of 'them' with his katana soon after. Everything seemed to calm down after making sure no other zombies were moving. "Phew… still got it."
"Kuro…?"
Kurogasa turned to the source of the voice and saw Saya standing there with shock and surprise.
"Uh… hey, Saya-chan…" Kurogasa scratched the back of his head with a nervous smile. "Uh… long time no see."
"What the hell are you doing here!?" The pinkette yelled at the boy, who shrunk back in mild terror.
"Well, ya see… that's a little hard to explain." Kurogasa admitted.
*WAPISH!*
"Ite!"
"If you have time for grandstanding, then use it for something more beneficial, Kuro!" Yuki scolded.
"Sorry…" He apologized.
"That was close!" Shizuka-sensei smiled.
"It's not like you did anything though…" Saya muttered.
"Shizuka-sensei!" Rei shouted in happiness as she embraced her teacher in a big hug.
"Oh, Rei! What a goincidence!" Shizuka-sensei said happily.
"Uh… don't you mean coincidence?" Yamato sweat dropped.
"Ara, Komuro-kun is here too!" Shizuka noticed.
"I take it that Tokonosu Bridge is closed?" Saeko said as she walked up to Takashi.
"Yeah, there's nowhere else to go." Takashi answered.
"I see. Still, I'm happy that you're safe, Komuro-kun." Saeko smiled a bit.
"You too, Busujima-senpai." Takashi nodded.
"Hey, Busujima." Yamato said, approaching her.
"Kusanagi-dono." Saeko noticed, looking a bit surprised. "You look well."
"You two know each other?" Takashi asked, looking between the two.
"Yes. Kusanagi-dono, Satonaka-san, and I are friends, though we are from different schools and different dojos." Saeko explained.
"Huh… go figure."
"That's enough chatter, people." Reaper interjected. "Introductions and reunions can be done later. We still have some ground to cover…" His eyes gazed up at the sky. "…but with the rate this bridge is going, we're going to be swarmed by undead in a few hours. I recommend we find a place to hunker down for the night."
"Oh, I know!" Shizuka placed a fist on an empty palm. "There's a little maisonette duplex near the river. And even a convenience store near there."
"And you know this place how?" Reaper asked.
"It belongs to my friend!" Shizuka said.
"Your boyfriend?" Hirano smirked.
"N-No! My female friend! She usually goes out on long trips and I usually go to her home to keep it tidy and nice for her when she stops by! I have her spare house keys with me, so we can head over there!" Shizuka stammered.
"I wonder if it's an apartment. Is the view good?" Hirano added.
"Oh, yes!" Shizuka-sensei assured. "She also has a car-like tank and it's this big!" Shizuka-sensei added, waving out her arms for emphasis.
"Well, I'm really tired. I would like to shower while there is working electricity." Saya said, rubbing her neck.
"S-Sounds good." Hirano blushed, getting hearts in his eyes until… he was kicked in the groin by Saya. "OHOOOOOOOOO!"
"You perv!" Saya yelled, only for Yuki to swat her in the head.
"Don't be so violent," Yuki scolded.
"What was that for!?"
"The same reason why you kicked him."
"W-Why you-"
"That's enough you two!" Yamato stopped Saya and Yuki from bickering against each other.
"Well anyways, we'll check the place first." Kurogasa said, turning to the others. "If anything, after our little detour, I think our next destination should be the Takagi Estate. Assuming it's still there…"
"We'll find out when we get there. Those of you with guns will bring up the rear. Melee fighters to the front. Those without weapons, stay in the middle." Reaper ordered. "I'll take the lead at the front. Let's get moving." And with that, their larger group started moving.
"And as for you!" Saya glared at Kurogasa.
"Ghhhhh…" Kurogasa closed his eyes shut, expecting the worst from the pinkette.
One second passed… then two seconds… three… five… ten… why wasn't she doing anything? Kurogasa slowly opened one eye, making sure his other childhood friend wasn't really gonna hit him or anything just because he had been gone for ten years.
He suddenly felt a pair of warm arms wrap around him, making him gasp in surprise as he noticed his other childhood friend was hugging him. "It's good to have you back."
"Saya-chan…" Kurogasa muttered, before wrapping his arms around her too. "It's good to be back… I missed you…"
"Same here." Saya said, before breaking the hug, and furrowed her brows, showing the same scowl. "And you need to tell me what you've been doing these past ten years since you moved."
"Heh… right, when we get a chance. I'll tell you, Rei, and Takashi everything." Kurogasa nodded with a small smile. "But until then, let's keep moving, yeah?"
"Right."
The large group marched through the streets, keeping a watchful eye out for any undead or BOWs that could be wandering around the premises. They followed Shizuka's directions to the apartment complex and were led past several houses that still seemed intact with only small traces of blood out on front lawns or backyards. After what seemed like forever, they arrived at the duplex as she described and it was near the river, but it was large with at least two stories tall and a good view of the river and most of the city and a large fence surrounding the duplex.
"Whew…" Takashi whistled.
"Yes, it is impressive. I can guess that she's not home again, as usual." Shizuka wondered. "That means we have it to ourselves." She then turned to Reaper. "Would this do?"
"It's perfect. Good fortifications and a decent enough position for overwatch."
"Whoa! Look at that!" Hirano pointed and we looked to see… a Humvee. And they're the military model!
"A Rat Patrol. Nice." Reaper grinned. "Though it'll be a tight squeeze if we were to all get in it. But it's better than nothing." He turned to Shizuka. "Your friend must be pretty high up in the military to afford something like this."
"Oh yes, she's a Sergeant in the JSDF!" The ditzy blonde nurse said with a beaming smile.
"Hm, I'd like to meet her one day. For now, we can rest here for the night. Gather our wits and relax our bodies."
"Yeah, we can stay here for the time being until we have to move again." Rei said, looking at the building.
"It will have to do." Saya said, stretching her arms in tiredness. "Can we go inside? I really need a shower, like, now."
"Alright, alright." Shizuka said as she pulled out her keys, but before they could do anything, they heard groaning from 'them'.
"Figures the place would be infested…" Takashi gritted.
"Well, nothing like the present." Reaper said, cocking the firing pin of his rifle. "I'll be back. This won't take long. Shizuka, the keys?"
"Oh, here you go, Nocturne-kun." Shizuka replied, handing her keys over to the Ex-Umbrella assassin.
"Thank you." He nodded then opened the door after unlocking it and stepping into the duplex, closing the door behind him.
GKC: And that shall be the end of the chapter.
KRD: Finally, thought we'd never get this done!
GKC: To be fair, I've been busy. Not only that, but my internet is getting slow.
KRD: Well, at least it's done! Be sure to leave a review guys! And we'll see you in the next chapter!
GKC: Peace out, everyone! Oh, and if you wanna see some explicit scenes in this story, aka Lemons, leave your answers in the review box.