A/N: Poll time! Who's your favorite out of the six OC's and why: Beth, Kayla, Keirstan, Amber, Jordan, Ian.
Who's your favorite survivor and why: Francis, Louis, Bill, Zoey.
Now for one that's not related to L4D at all. Avatar: The Last Airbender is my most favorite show. Sometimes I fantasize what kind of bender a person can be for fun. What kind of bender do you see each survivor as, or is someone a nonbender.
Let me know in the reviews!
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"You know, whenever we're attacked and run off, we find where we need to go most of the time." Ian intriguingly continued, placing one hand on a hip and the other under his chin.
"Ironic dumb luck I guess." Keirstan replied, when she returned from taking a look for herself. He raised a shoulder and eyebrows then stuck a hand out. "It helps. We're here."
"Tip of the hat to Louis for this." Bill said as he tilted his brim, with a hint of sarcasm.
"I said sorry." He replied and sheepishly rubbing his head.
An enraged howl disrupted from outside. Followed by the Charger sounding like it rammed in something heavy and knocking it over. Next, the survivors could hear it taking its frustration out on the commons. Due to squelching and shrieks of panic or agony.
"Hold on." Zoey started, making them all pause to look at her. She shaped her lips before going on uneasily. "What if the river's frozen, or there's no boat?"
Francis turned his head away and laid it back against the van while Louis answered. He hung his arms by his hips, gazed away and looked back at her. "We're just gonna have to try to find one. But what I do know is if it's a big river, it won't be entirely frozen over."
The old veteran raised a hand when Zoey went to speak again. "Save the questions for later. We'll figure it out once we know what there is." He cut in while heading for a front entrance.
A door creaked open shortly as the siblings went to stand; and Francis had reached in his pocket. "Wait," he pulled out the two crumbled cookies. "I want you to have a little more to eat."
Kayla shook her head, making him flick the treats insistantly. "Please just take 'em, I'll find something."
"I gave them to you for that reason." The older sister protested as Beth took a large puff from her inhaler. She held it to her mouth while taking a deep breath, eyeing the cookies with Francis now resting them on his knee. He then read the flavor, and looked at Beth during her second puff; holding one up to her again. "They're chocolate chip."
Her face tensed excitedly and he smiled lightly as he tossed it up to her. He knew she couldn't resist her favorite cookie. He fixed his bootlaces then rose and kept the other for himself since he wouldn't get Kayla to take it. Everyone gathered by the entrance with Amber and Bill scanning the street to pick off wandering infected. One released a strangled cry coming from Amber's right, she turned to face it then brought up her rifle to lodge a bullet in its forehead before the team emerged from the garage.
"Down that way," Ian pointed to a sign a short distance away.
There was a small crowd of commons by the front of a salon. Some were bickering with each other, some were stripping meat off their fellow infected to ease their hunger as they shrieked in pain and tried to pull away; the rest rummaged through litter and trash. The survivors passed by another abandoned military vehicle where Francis thought if there were any bombs inside. He headed over to it whilst keeping his eyes on them. Leaning in the humvee he frisked a corpse before pushing it back to look around the passenger side. He spotted a backpack and grabbed it, dug around in the contents and felt a familiar shape. The biker pulled out a pipe bomb and looked out at the horde again as he flicked it on and chucked it over their heads.
"Got anymore of those." Louis piped up with the lure going off. He glanced at the pack and rechecked it, then the back of the humvee and shook his head once. "Shit, it'd be great if we had more of them."
"I know. Maybe we could learn how to make some."
"Probably...at least molotovs are quick to pull together. If we can find alcohol or gas." Louis recalled. Those who weren't killed immediately and were left lying in their shredded conditions cried in agony. Either trying to crawl away or just stayed there painfully bleeding to death.
"If Avatar: The Last Airbender was real, this whole thing would be a lot easier for us. No bombs or guns needed." Amber commented over the wails.
Hearing this pulled Zoey from her trance of looking pitifully at the dismembered sick. She fluttered her eyes some times to fully snap out of it. "Heh, no shit." She agreed in a croaky voice. She cleared her throat before adding, "that'd be some wicked action if we could bend elements. I would love to be an earthbender."
"Water." Keirstan said.
"Fire." Francis announced, and Zoey looked at him funny. "You've seen it?" She asked a little surprised.
"Uh-huh," he replied nudging his head at the siblings.
"It's a great show." Kayla reminded. "Water or fire. Or both."
"You can't do that!" Keirstan exclaimed with a tense face. "Can too it's the real world. How kickass would that be. I could waterbend, firebend, lightningbend and bloodbend." She smiled evilly.
"You'd be nearly unstoppable." Louis glanced at her nervously. "Either eclipse happens you'd still be able to bend."
"As I said, kickass." She pointed at him.
"I'd be water or air." The analyst stated his opinion. "Hey same." Amber raised a hand, "if not air than definitely water."
Bill shifted his eyes over everyone quizzically, not exactly sure what they were fantasizing about this time. "What show is this?"
"Avatar: The Last Airbender. You haven't heard of it?" Beth asked.
"I um, I may...have heard of it. Only once. But know nothing of it." Bill replied in thought.
She gasped dramatically, as he earned appalled looks from most excluding the biker. So she began to explain what it was. "I see you as air." Beth commented after. "I'd be water all the way."
The veteran nodded. Deciding to just go with it.
"I'd be the Avatar!" Ian cried. "...Or earth."
"Fuck nah, I'd be." Jordan boasted.
"Piss off I would." Amber tsked with a scrunched expression directed at him.
"You think so?"
"Yes. To kick all of your asses."
"Ok, alright if that's how you see it. I'd be earth or fire. Possibly even both."
A frustrated and long drawn out grunt escaped through Keirstan's lips. "That can't happen." She started and swung her bat around, nearly missing a startled Jordan and Ian who leaned back in time. "There's never been a hybrid bender."
"That we know of." Ian corrected with a raised index finger. "Actually, a child with parents from two nations could probably inherit both elements. Or even form a new hybrid bending." He explained with calm expertize.
Keirstan's face relaxed at the explanation. Her brow furrowed a little thoughtfully as she withdrew her bat from holding the end at the boys. "I guess so," she said. "Forming a new bending style makes more sense though."
"'Pants are an illusion, and so is death.'" Amber quoted very wisely, with her hands held behind her back. It made Bill wrinkle his nose in confusion, "what was that?" He asked.
"A quote from one of the characters."
With their conversation going on, the fading cries of injured infected wafted from behind. Francis turned around, finding most had died; although one pathetically kept trying to crawl away. Its arms collapsed under its weight, weakened from blood loss. But it kept trying desperately to get itself off the road until it couldn't go on anymore.
Francis was about to end its suffering with a shot. Before he could though, the infected tiredly laid its head down as its body convulsed, digging its fingers in the pavement. Until it started to slow. Then, seconds later, stopped moving altogether.
He watched it quietly until he reversed and turned back around to see some of his crew waiting for him; looking at him curiously. He lightly shook his head indicating it was nothing.
Ambient groans of more sick were heard through trees. Some offenders were easily taken care of with quick strikes from melee weapons, while most remained in the woods. They lowered their voices and moved through as quickly and quietly as they could to avoid drawing attention.
"So Francis," Ian started cheerfully and swinging his arms in spirit. "How long have you known Beth for?" He asked in a joking manner, looking up at him.
"All her life." Francis answered, holding his hands up a little then clasping them together. "Ah," Ian reacted, looking ahead. "I'm so sorry. How about Kayla."
"Same. Her whole life."
"Now I'm really, really sorry."
A half grin spread over his face as he looked aside with both girls going off about how sorry Ian would be, once they had lured a Charger or Tank to chase him across the land. "I just had that happen!" He shot back. Then a thought came to him; it showed on his face. "Speaking of Chargers, where'd the one with poor aim go?"
"Who knows and who cares." Keirstan replied.
"It could've known where to get some coffee, I'm horribly deprived…" Kayla moaned, smacking her lips longingly.
"Same." Bill, Jordan, Ian and Beth all groaned in unison.
"But there could be a repeat of the coffee maker being destroyed like in that starbucks." Zoey said with a chuckle as she remembered the day. "Wait where'd-oh yeah there's instant coffee."
"Boil water over a fire, I'd make the Charger do it while I tell it how I killed its brethren." The older survivor fantasized sinisterly. Dark amusement visible on her face.
"If you're lucky to find any." Francis nudged her arm before she hopped onto a tree stump. She was eye level with him now, swaying side to side smacking his shoulder. He tried again and reached in his pocket then held the cookie between them, making her lean away squinting her eyes. "Have a piece at least."
"Frannie it's your favorite, water!" Beth cut in as she jogged over to punch him several times in the ribs. His eyes trailed on her, then to a second sign ahead indicating the river was just beyond it across a wide open park. He sighed unblinking with Kayla hopping down, the thawing ground squishing under her boots.
Wonderful. He hated this. And was hating it more the closer they got; anything works to get them away from here, but water wasn't for him. He could be around it, or stand in it at a comfortable depth; however he couldn't handle being on or in it. He wouldn't show why to the others, unless he was in. Then everyone else would learn the reason why the element terrified him.
"I hate the water." He rumbled, gripping his pack strap tight as they crossed the terrain.
"You hate everything." Amber chortled turning back at him. "Not these two," he insisted though breaths, and yanked the sisters towards him by the backs of their coats to hold them close. "I can't imagine my life without 'em."
"I would hope not." Beth replied, looking at him with concern as Kayla turned against his arm to glance behind them. He chuckled as she went on. "As we're like, 'your love was a lie…?'" She then made an extremely sad and devastated face with him trying to answer.
"N-you know th-" he stopped seeing Kayla giving him a similar look.
"I knew it!" Beth suddenly exclaimed through fake-sobbing, and slipped through his arm to run off in the previous direction. He quickly caught her jacket again. "Come back," he pulled her in front of him, then kicked snow at the two. "Sure, I hate you twits immensely." Francis sarcastically agreed.
"It's ok, we hate you too…" Kayla replied, her voice began to fade in silence when she looked in between the trees, then she stopped in her tracks.
"I'm so hurt," Francis continued while placing a hand on his chest. When no combat was made, he side glanced over where she stood. Her head turned slightly either side; and he paused with a frown. "What?" Francis muttered, as he and Beth who also noticed this strolled over.
She pointed into the woods. "Something likes to decorate."
While she said this they looked at what it was. An infected body-a Hunter's body-was hung up in the trees; its arms were spread apart and tied to the branches with its organs and ripped hoodie. The rest were strewn out across more branches surrounding the corpse, with old footprints and blood staining the frosty ground under the grim display. It looked like it had been there for a while. Due to how stiff and frostbitten it was.
"That thing in the theatre's all I'm thinking of right now." Beth voiced. Francis observed it for a moment longer with the two moving on as he'd want. "You think that's what did it." He replied and caught up with them. "My guess. Doubt any other special's done that before." She pointed out, casting a last gaze over her shoulder.
Kayla remained quiet until they saw Amber giving them a quizzical face holding her rifle low. "Find something?" She chirped, only for Francis to shrug it off. "Nothin' useful." He answered.
Shortly after his reply Jordan called out, "the only useful thing for us wou..." he stopped when a nose stuck in between him and Keirstan. They eyed it strangely before Louis poked his face through then stared unblinking at what was ahead. He sniffed deeply, shoved through them and swung and held a hand over his eyes in a heroic fashion. Next he ran forward and leapt on a discarded picnic table. Jumping off it he lunged himself over Bill, Ian and Zoey. Startling all three when he crashed down in front of them; creating a plume of snow to fly up in their faces. The analyst then raised his head and peeked around suspiciously.
"That was the most majestic thing I've ever seen from you Louis." Zoey mused as Bill sighed noisily next to her and gazed at the sky. He continued to scan his surroundings as he answered, "I know. I'm the most graceful being on this planet!" Bill placed a boot down between his shoulder blades as he bragged, shoving him in the ground and pointed forward. "A boathouse lies ahead." The veteran exclaimed.
The sound of flowing water wafted with the group making it to the top of a slope. From there, they could see a large house with a dock off to the side. "See Zoey, told you the river wouldn't be entirely frozen." Louis proudly said. "Sure but, what about a boat?" She reminded while they started to walk down.
Ian looked over to where the dock was as Louis answered her question. He pulled out his hatchet and drove it in a snarling infected's throat then shoved it back when it barreled out from some boulders. He stared pass those boulders and squinted his eyes at a shape by the end of a dock. Ian took a couple steps closer, realizing it was fact a boat; and seeing it made him feel an ajar smile stretch across his face. "We don't have to go looking for one after all you guys, there's one by the dock already." He announced and cast a gleeful look at his friends.
"Well I'll be damned," Keirstan breathed as Francis looked at it nervously. "That saves us quite a bit of time I'd say." She added and excitedly headed for it.
"Oh joy…" the biker mumbled to himself. But loud enough for Beth to hear. She gave him a soft look and smile. "Just sit on the floor. That'll probably make it a little easier for ya." She suggested right as Jordan snuck up from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. He hoisted her in the air making her squeak, "let's play titanic when we get on." He grinned and kissed her on the neck several times.
Then Beth threw her arms up over her head and quoted in an aggressive, manly tone. "'I king of the wwwoooorrrlllldddd!'"
During the outburst Francis shifted his look away from them and back on the vessel. "I hate boats." He quietly groused. "I know, but try as I said." Beth comforted from out of his sight, "it'll at least keep the water out of view."
"Do you get sick on boats, and that why you hate them?" Amber asked in curiosity from beside the large man. He looked at her from the corners of his eyes, hesitant to answer. "No…" he eyed the ground appearing a little embarrassed now. "I can't swim." Came the muttered answer.
Amber nodded as he went on subconsciously. "I almost drowned in a pond when I was a kid, 'n I never learned how 'cause I've been too scared of it since."
So much for keeping it to himself.
He shuddered at the memory. "Well that's alright." Amber replied, no judgement in her voice whatsoever. "Swimming isn't for everyone."
"Hold up," Bill said from the front. "I think I hear movement inside."
"I'm glad the girls can." Francis said with relief in his words. "If anything happens out on the water, they have a chance of getting away."
"I doubt they'd leave you. Also I think they said they taught themselves how to swim right?"
He nodded. "Mm-hm, they did. Stressful as hell to watch them when they were because if something went wrong, I wouldn't of been able to get them fast enough. Now they swim like Sharks. Believe me when I say that, they can. Fuckin' fast little things. As for boats I hate 'em because mainly, I'm always wondering if they'll start sinking whenever I'm on one. Which freaks me out. So I avoid them as much as I can." He finished.
"So they give you anxiety."
"Terribly. Can you swim Amber?"
"Yup, I can."
Francis went to reply until he saw all had stopped at the base of the dock. Bill had taken a cautious step on it, when a voice rang out from the cabin. "Who's out there?"
The voice surprised everybody. What they heard next was heavy footsteps. The old stained boat, the Saint Lidia ll, creaked where it was anchored. Broken chunks of ice bumped against its body while it flowed down river and Francis' demeanor grew bitter as he backed up, protectively hiding both sisters behind him when a man stepped out from the cabin. He stood at the entrance, holding a double-barrel shotgun and wore a hat low over his eyes, observing the strangers at the end of the dockway.
"Who are you?" He demanded lowly.
"Uh, a group of people who could use some help." Keirstan said. Another figure soon appeared in one of the cabin's windows.
"Group? How many are here."
"Ten." Bill answered, and the man's grim features lit up in surprise at the number.
"Ten! There's ten of ya?" He cried in astonishment, almost unbelievably. His eyes wide.
Kayla then stepped out from behind Francis during his reaction with a lazy face and an odd hand gesture. "Actually one of us just di-" she was cut off after Amber suddenly ran from her left and performed a flying kick. She sent her flying out of view and used a startled Francis' shoulder, who looked from left to right to regain her balance. "There's ten of us." Amber confirmed as snow crunching filled the air.
Zoey, Beth and Ian were in hysterics as Keirstan and Louis stared at Amber in stunned shock. Meanwhile, Jordan looked on exasperated as Francis walked over to help his sister untangle from branches and snow. "Who's the one that died, jackass?!" Jordan hollered.
"Wow." The man breathed, lowering his gun. Someone else emerged from the cabin beside him, peeking at the survivors cautiously.
"...Alright now," he pulled himself out of his amazement. "Let me introduce ourselves. My name is John Slater. My wife, Amanda." He motioned at a woman, who brushed a strand of curly hair behind an ear; then adjusted her winter beanie before giving them a quick wave. "We own this small vessel, circling the water on the lookout for survivors to take them to a military base just down the river. Only...with not much success." His wife gave him a look as he explained. "Unfortunately, this girl is up in her age and the engine began to splutter. So we had to anchor just off the dock." John took some steps and sat on a crate. "I've been trying to fix it, but it makes too much noise which attracts them. We don't have enough firepower to keep them back."
There was a short silence until Bill spoke up after some careful thinking. He shifted his eyes from the side to gaze at John again. "So," he felt there was no reason in saying it, as he could see this man had the same thought from the look on his face. "Both sides need help. We can cover you while you work on the engine. Long as you keep your word in returning the favor."
John nodded with his wife giving him another appalled look. She shaped her lips to say what was on her mind to him but remained silent when he stood. "That'd damn well be helpful. I'll make it as quick as possible."
"Sounds good." Bill gave a final nod, then stepped off the dock whilst John reentered the cabin.
"What are you doing?" Amanda hissed as he passed by, flicking her eyes on the group then back on him.
"We just got ourselves some assistance. In return, we're gonna help them out." He remarked, tugging out a couple of tool boxes. "There's a lot of them John, I thought you meant two or three at a time. What if they're hostile and try taking the boat? Some of them look like trouble like that big guy." She motioned with her head towards the window as John peered back out. Francis was bickering at Bill, questioning his decision with the veteran throwing retorts back before the biker motioned for two girls of their group by his side. He looked more concerned and untrusting than angry. He walked off with the youngins while giving the eldest survivor another glare and remark. Bill waved a hand dismissively. The African-American patted him on the shoulder until they started searching for the best defense spots.
"He looks like a protective dad to me. Or uncle or cousin or brother."
"Ok? What about, how do you know they're not infected?"
"I don't Amanda." He started to walk back out on the boat's dock. "Though it's been over a month or even longer since this started. They seem to look and act fine. I'm not saying one-hundred percent they're alright. But how do we know the two of us aren't. We've all been exposed to this virus out here."
She folded her arms as he set the tools down by the engine. Glaring in the survivors' direction again. "I don't trust them. Especially that guy."
"I'm sure he doesn't trust us either." John twisted around to glance at her. "You want to sit here any longer than we have? With those things out there?"
Amanda didn't say anymore. Only giving him a silent stare.
Tools grinding against metal soon disturbed the silent area. Keirstan flinched at the sound, "God when he said it was noisy he wasn't kidding." She looked over at the boat from her position on a lower porch of the house.
"Agreed." Ian positioned his weapon towards the trees where they came from. "Let's hope he makes it quick as he says."
From the second story deck Francis glowered at the scenery in front of him. He didn't like the thought of boarding a stranger's boat at all.
"Now what's your problem." Zoey rumbled, not surprised at seeing the mood he was in. The construction of fixing the engine grew louder. With the noise echoing off the water, soon, a screech erupted from the woods. Then another and another.
"I'd rather...we find our own boat..." He answered with nervous hesitation. He shot at an infected appearing from some bushes. She didn't seem to detect his unease.
"Well Francis, you see any other working ones?" Zoey spat before gazing down the river. Almost immediately, she saw a half sunken one close to shore a short distance away. "How about that one, wanna try that boat?"
He ignored her and kept firing at more infected with Kayla speaking up beside a window. "Lay off!" She shouted nastily. "Neither you or Bill have to give him shit whenever something is bothering or upsetting him!"
Zoey twisted her head at her with eyes slanted in irritation. "What, so back at the church-"
"That was different. It's whenever he gets loud for showing some kind of worry for us," Kayla pointed at herself. "One of you has to jump." She fired left and right while defending her brother. "I'm fuckin' tired of it. What if the roles were switched, I'm sure you wouldn't like being ganged up on like you do very much."
Zoey snarked. "I don't hear him coming up with any ideas for you two."
Francis visibly cringed at her words. Although they didn't pay any mind to the reaction. His aim wavered, and his face fell in hurt and realization. He cast a quick look in Zoey's direction as the two fought, but quickly refocused his attention and aim on the infected.
"Bill's been coming up with all the plans, and he gives him crap for almost every one. I'd appreciate it if he just suck it up and not throw a shit show over everything he says!"
"I don't hear you coming up with any either!"
"Enough! Focus!" Francis shouted deeply, waving a hand to get them to break off the argument.
"Pay attention at what's happening." Beth proclaimed over her shots from the other side of the porch.
Zoey stormed away, shooting her desert eagles all over until she kicked a common who was climbing over a railing down towards the earth. Firing bullets after it while the thing fell. Kayla had also switched spots but wasn't too far off while Francis stayed where he was. He turned and blasted an attacker off the porch cover, it flew backwards through the air and crashed into others. The biker heard more shrilling from the shelter of the woods in different paths. He looked around for them as Jordan and Keirstan hollered back and forth at each other from below over the gunfire.
He stared ahead until his eyes shifted after rapidly firing more of the sick. He lowered them, thinking about what Zoey had said. And knew she was right.
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A/N: Sorry for the late update. It's been quite a rough summer for me. My mind has been cramped, and work doesn't help. Among other personal stuff. So I thought taking a quick break would help clear my mind to write good chapters. Not rush it. I'm gonna be a little slow in updating for a short bit, till I find that great motivation and freeflow to post quicker like before. As always stay tuned and let's have some fun with those polls!