Chapter Seventeen: Desperate Times

Author's Note: Hey everyone! MooNTeARZ is back again with another chapter…wow, how many times have I used that one…anyway, not much is new here how is everyone else doing?

Astral Slayer Asuka: Hey! It's not that I dislike Lili…I don't know much about her, but I saw pictures of her and stuff read her bio and I'm just going by what I believe she would be like. Did I portray Asuka right?

Thee Slushee: Sorry if I didn't explain Kunimitsu right…when the cats go after the spilled milk was meant to be kinda like the vampires going after all the people in the club…because, after all, it's like an all you can eat buffet I suppose…

Thunderxtw: Hi! I'm glad that you liked my latest chappie because I really liked yours! I'm trying not to rush my chapters and so far, I think I'm doing okay.

JunKing: I know right? That one vamp did look like it was going to swallow Jamie whole…that was pretty intense wasn't it? I can't wait to read your latest chapter because your story is awesome!

Karisan: Hey! Thanks for your latest review! You saw Advent Children huh? That's cool…I've never played Final Fantasy VII but I heard that it's like, one of the best video games ever made or something I should play it sometime I guess…oh and if Namco likes to add so many new characters then why don't they add any of our awesome characters?

DevilBilly: Hey, yeppers, neck snappin' action! Hope you enjoy this latest chapter and when I get a chance I'll fill out that Def Jam fan club thing…anyway, I can't wait to read your latest chapter so update fast!

"Oof…ugh…Where the HELL are you taking me?" Lili asked in a voice akin to addressing a housemaid as she was lead roughly by Grey's hand.

"Sorry honey…you're being used as bait."

"WHAT! My father is one of the most influential men in Monaco! If you do anything to me he'll…" Lili got herself worked into a fury…and eventually, she was on the brink of tears. "Please…if it's money you want I'll give it to you…just don't hurt me please…PLEASE?"

The girl's scared voice echoed through Grey's mind…and somewhere, deep, deep in the corners of his brain the voice caused a twinge of guilt in his subconscious. As Grey led her fiercely through the alleys towards the graveyard his face…once a mask of glacial cruelty twinged into a glance of pity…and a part of him didn't want to do this anymore.

"Um…" Grey began, his voice cracking a bit. "You've got the Iron Fist's resident super hero and his wacky pals trailing me…he'll save you in time." Grey chuckled lightly. "And hey, he'll probably smack me around pretty good while he's at it."

Grey didn't notice, but Lili managed to see the look on his face…and she went quiet and limp…she had no idea what was going on…but somehow…she didn't feel so much contempt for her captor any longer.

The cemetery gates loomed ahead…the long part of Grey's raven's feather dark hair flapped in the breeze showing his brown, eyeliner traced doe eyes. His two, snarling companions…Lili didn't know what was wrong with them exactly…maybe they were drug pushers or something…opened the gates for them, and once they walked in, a tall, imposing man stood with his arms folded.

"Dragunov…right?" Grey asked.

"That is me." He said in a gravelly voice.

"Heihachi said you know how to make things a little…interesting right?"

He nodded. "For a price, which your boss has already taken care of…don't worry, I'll be sure to keep them entertained."

"I want the others distracted…but I want the Nephilim to come to me." Grey said. "After all, it can't be a party unless we invite him!"

New Scene…

The cemetery gates opened with a loud creek…and swung all the way open. The group walked inside…standing a few feet inside was Kazuya…he wore a pair of pinstripe pants and a golf shirt…slung across his back was a bag which Jamie could only guess held weapons in it.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you all to show up." He said as he placed the bag on the ground.

"Sorry…we had to stop at a few cemeteries before Jamie's 'Angel Instincts' picked the right one." Billy scoffed.

"Hey! We only had to stop at three…out of how many are there in Tokyo!" Jamie retorted.

"We don't have time for this you guys…we need to save Lili!" Jin said; then he glanced at Julia and Christie. "Despite what others might think of her."

Kazuya began to hand out weapons…he had brought enough for a small army…and with all the edge weapons going around, Jamie thought jokingly that he and the others were getting ready for The Crusades or something. The Nephilim settled on a medium length sword and a crossbow…before slinging the quiver of arrows behind his back, he reached into his pocket and uncorked two bottles of holy water before dumping the contents all over the arrows.

Everyone but Mina looked at him strangely.

"It's like sending an arrow full of acid in a vampire's chest." Jamie explained in a somewhat embarrassed tone.

The comment was met by a series of "oh's"

"Okay…I'm not exactly familiar with this cemetery…is anyone?" Jamie asked.

"Mother is buried here…" Kyo said softly.

Jamie was about to say something like; "Great! Then you can take point and lead us around!" But caught himself from making a huge faux pas…finally, when he thought that the timing was right he gently asked the question.

"Kyo…Jin…Asuka…Billy…Kazuya…if you don't mind…would you be the navigators?"

He was met by a round of "yes's"

The rest of the trip through the cemetery was rather uneventful at first…the cemetery held a certain calm quietness to it…the tombs stood straight in the sky like Egyptian obelisks… the night sky smelled of a combination of rain and the heady stench of incense. Jamie never liked the smell of incense…it's heavy, perfumed odor reminded him too much of his parent's funerals.

"It seems awfully quiet…" Xiao said nervously.

"Your mother's grave is in the center of the yard…we should head there…I have a feeling that Grey might be heading there."

"I feel it…" Jin answered.

"I don't like cemeteries…" Christie began, wrapping herself in Steve's embrace.

"Don't worry kitten, you're number one champion will keep you safe…" Steve said, kissing her forehead.

"I'm still mad at you…" Christie said in a whisper.

"Whatever's out there…we'll take care of it." Julia said with resolve. "In fact, I have a feeling that if we were going to run into any trouble we would've done so already." She finished logically.

"Don't speak so soon!" A voice called from the top of a mausoleum.

"What the fu-" Hwoarang began.

Quickly, everyone dropped into their fighter's stance and glanced in the direction of the voice…it sounded cold, devoid of emotion…and carried a hint of a Russian accent. Jamie was the first to glance up…the man looked like G.I Joe's gothic second cousin. He had jet black hair, and wore a black outfit that reminded Jamie of a goth version of army fatigues.

His skin was pale and he stared at the group coldly.

"Well…look at you…you look like you've been beaten with a whole tree full of ugly sticks!" Jamie said good naturedly with his hands on his hips.

"Joke all you like Nephilim…but I'll be the one laughing when you are being eaten alive!"

"Who are you?" Jin asked.

"If any of you survive then you'll see me in the tournament."

"Can't wait!" Kyo said sarcastically. "You seem like you're a great person to hang around with."

"What are you going to do?" Kaori asked.

"Top secret Mishima Zaibatsu project UDS…also known as Undead Soldier…a toxin made for top secret military use. It is a nerve gas that reanimates dead cells in the deceased. The project was deemed a failure when it was discovered that the dead were too stupid to perform even the most menial attacks."

"Those are zombies for ya," Jamie began with a snort. "Always thinking with their stomachs."

"Still," The man said. "It is a fun little toy to experiment with," He reached into his pocket and pulled out a remote. "So I've taken the liberty of installing the gas into the sprinkler system…my gift to you all."

The man pressed the button with great flourish and suddenly, the lawn's sprinkler system came up from the ground and instead of spewing water, it let loose a strange smelling greenish gas.

"Jamie! What!" Mina asked.

Suddenly, the earth below shook and rumbled…bony…flesh tattered arms shot from the ground and slowly…gave way to putrid smelling corpses.

"Oh my…" Asuka gasped as she stumbled backwards in shock.

"Stay calm you guys…" Jamie said nervously.

The mysterious man had long since disappeared leaving shambling…walking corpses in his wake. They moaned hungrily and reached with cold, clammy, dead fingers towards the group. Some of the corpses were freshly buried…while others were mere skeletons with tatters of clothes and flesh on them.

Jamie and Mina had dealt with zombies before…they were very much like ants. They were slow, dumb, and rotted enough that a few well placed, hard punches or kicks to the head or the rib cage would dispose of them…the only problem with zombies was the fact that they tended to travel in groups…and it only took one well placed swipe or bite to knock you down, before they all swarmed on you like a fleet of fire ants.

Many a Nephilim had died from zombies…fortunately; there is a way to take them out permanently…

"What are we going to do?" Kaori moaned.

"Shut off the gas and we shut them down!" Jamie called as he snapped one of their necks.

"Wait a sec…this stuff is rigged around the whole graveyard right?" Billy asked as he snap kicked the head off one of the ghouls.

"Then…mother will…" Kyo began, putting the pieces of the macabre puzzle together.

"NO!" Jin screamed.

"We've gotta take that guy out! Take him out, take out this gas." Asuka said.

"But the gates! We can't let these zombies start roaming the city!" Julia protested.

"Steve and I will stay…you girls figure out a way to shut down the sprinkler system…Jamie, you go find Grey…and Kazama," Hwoarang turned to Jin. "Baek's buried here too…you'd better get rid of that sick fuck fast!"

Plans were made quickly, and everybody went off to fulfill them…as Jamie ran, he hoped for his friend's sake…that their loved ones hadn't risen…if that happened then someone would die tonight…and it would most likely be Grey…

Author's Note: Sorry everyone…I know it's been a long time and this chapter is a little short but I've had a very busy couple of days…I've had a lot of projects due, and I'm learning how to work a cash register at one of my jobs…and I'm also learning all about beer and alcohol so I can legally sell it for my other job…so it's going to be a very busy week and stuff…I'll update again pretty fast, but so far, this is all I got, so I hope you enjoy it.