Ok some disclaimers first, I don't own Highschool of the Dead, nor Aliens, nor Predator.
I do not own the image for the story cover. It's owned by Fox.
And to give the proper credit, this story is heavily inspired by Imagine Kayla's story 'Phantasm' in this site. Please check out her amazing works.
So yeah, here's another story I'd like to try. Here in H.O.T.D, crossing over with A.V.P and set in its own AU. For fans of both franchises.
Side note, this story will be written in UK English. And apologies if I have missed any grammatical errors.
Please enjoy and please review, I would love to hear what you think.
H.O.T.D: AVP
In the night, Sakura petals drifted through the town. Kumoro Takashi ran for his life through the streets of his neighborhood, carrying his pump-action shotgun in his hands. Zombies were all over the place with their groans and gurgling. Takashi could not even recall how or when he got separated from his group, but it happened. And now he was alone.
"Shit!" Takashi cursed under his breath, up ahead were more of those zombies. No one around was going to help him this time, no extra gun, no extra sword, no extra weapon, no extra nothing. He was on his own and he was surrounded. He took aim and squeezed the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the road, a couple of zombies were knocked off their feet with their heads blown off. Blood splattered onto the road and Takashi pumped his shotgun ejecting a shell. He fired again, more zombies were blasted away and he dashed through the opened path.
He panted his lungs out, running for his life. He really wished he had that amphibious buggy vehicle right now, leaving it in the fountain at the suburban park was a dumb move.
He spun around and fired his shotgun again, a couple more zombies were blown into bits. He felt a hand grabbing his ankle, his heart jumped and his eyes darted down. A kindergarten child zombie, grabbing his ankle, was about to bite into his leg but Takashi smashed its head with the butt of his shotgun.
That few seconds of distraction proved fatal, however. Takashi felt a zombie from his left closing in the distance. He pointed his shotgun at it and shot it dead, but another zombie from his right grabbed his arm. Takashi's face turned white.
"No! No! No no no!" Takashi tried to make a break for it but the zombie pulled him down onto the ground and the rest crowded. Takashi screamed and frantically pushed them all away. They were too strong, however, and they pinned him down.
They began to sink their teeth and he kept on screaming.
"No! No! No no no!" Takashi kept on mashing the attack button on his keyboard but it was too late, the zombie pinned down his avatar character and they began to feast. Takashi threw his hands up at his defeat, "Aw come on!"
Takashi sighed and leaned back on his chair. He rubbed his temple with two fingers, sulking at his monitor screen. Takashi watched as the zombies tore his avatar character's guts out, blood drenched the road as the zombies devoured him. It was game over.
Takashi's room was dark and silent, the only source of illumination was his computer with the new online zombie game, 'Tokyo Z'. Its popularity was spreading across the world and he decided to try it for himself.
"Should have stayed closer with that group earlier," Takashi said to himself. He exited the game and was back on the desktop. He checked the time, it was almost one in the morning and it was a school night. After turning off his computer, he laid on his bed. Clenching his eyes shut, he tried to get as much sleep as he could.
By morning, Takashi managed to wake up on time. After freshening up, he changed into his school uniform and went downstairs. "Ah Takashi, good morning." A sweet feminine voice from the kitchen called him. His mother came out, placing her coffee and bread by the dining table. Takashi greeted and joined her at the table. He noticed the today papers on the table, probably left by his father when he departed early for work. Normally he would not be interested in the papers, but the front page was catching his attention. He unfolded the newspaper and read the headlines to himself.
"Weyland Yutani. Building Better Worlds." He continued reading, the papers talked about this Japanese-American corporation that had launched their satellite labelled the 'Sulaco Bishop 87' here in Japan. A satellite designed for deep space scans. In other news, Borgia Industries, a company from the States had opened a new branch in Chiba, aspiring to prosper in their venture here in Japan.
A giggle from the opposite side of the table brought him out of his reading, taking his eyes away from the paper he saw his mother smiling at him. She said, "You look so much your father. Sitting at his spot, reading the papers, now all you just need is a cup of coffee and you're a spitting image of him." His cheeks reddened, he set the papers aside and focused on his breakfast.
"Alright, I'm heading off already." His mother set her mug down in the sink and ruffled his hair. "Get to school on time ok? I love you."
"Take care mom." Takashi wished her. After finishing up his own breakfast, he set out for school as well.
At school, however, he was back at his own spot again, at the top of the stairwell. He leaned over the railing and stared at the carpark while his mind drifted back into his childhood. That pinky promise Miyamoto Rei made with him in kindergarten, that she would marry him. In the end, however, they drifted apart. He did not know how it happened, but she just started avoiding him. When he asked her why she was held back a year, she just told him that he would not understand. The final nail on the coffin was when she started dating his friend Igou Hisashi, and she did not say anything to him about it.
Takashi knew should not harbour resentment, he knew that a promise from a kindergarten crush was just that, just kindergarten. But it was a promise that was significant to him, and it hurt regardless.
"Pinkie promise…cross your heart, hope to die, stick a needle in your eye…" Takashi muttered.
"Are you stupid?" Someone said to him from behind, he turned and there was a girl student with her hands on her hips, her long pink hair was tied in twin pig tails. It was his childhood friend, Takagi Saya.
"Takagi?" Takashi questioned.
"You always run off to the same spot whenever you have a problem. You're like a little kid," Saya began to talk down on him. She went up to him and continued, "It's only the beginning of the semester. Keep cutting class and you'll have to take after-school classes or even worse, repeat." She got into his space and gave a haughty look.
Takashi said, "Look who's talking. You are skipping class too."
Saya did not let up from her snobbish tone, "It's ok for me because I'm a genius. You, on the other hand, got in this school thanks to a miracle."
"Takagi, why are you always-"
"Because I hate stupid people," Saya said with crossed arms, "I especially hate the one who aren't aware of their own stupidity. Fortunately, you're not one of those people. So, if I keep telling you that you're stupid then maybe you'll become less stupid. Stupid."
Takashi had already become numb to her berating after hearing it for years. He turned away from her and leaned back onto the railing. Saya got crossed when he ignored her, "What? All this because your childhood crush dumped you? Stupid."
"Takagi, that's enough." Someone else called out. The two turned to see a female teacher, dressed in a white blouse and black office dress. She had brown hair tied in a ponytail and she wore glasses. It was Hayashi Kyoko.
"Hayashi-sensei?" Takashi said, a little surprised she would turn up here.
"Takagi," Kyoko addressed the girl, "Claiming yourself to be a genius does not mean anything if your attendance is falling behind. Get to class."
Saya tried to protest, "But I-"
"Get to class." Kyoko's voice went firm.
Saya's brows knitted. With a huff, she left Takashi. Now Kyoko turned her attention to him.
"Kumoro. Come with me." Kyoko ordered him.
"Huh?" Takashi pipped.
"Come with me."
Takashi soon found himself in the school counsellor's office. His eyes darted around the office, taking in the white walls and the small office fountain gave the constant sound of running water.
"Well," Kyoko cleared her throat sitting opposite him, "I'm going to get right to it Kumoro."
"Yes Hayashi-sensei?" Takashi nervously asked.
"What are you doing?"
"I…I was resting at the stairs?"
"No. I mean what are you doing with your life?"
"Huh?"
"I know you Kumoro. And you're much better than this." Kyoko crossed one leg over the other. Takashi could not look her in the eyes, he slouched with a meek face. Kyoko sighed and softened her tone. "Kumoro, I overheard what Takagi said. I'm sorry about your…childhood problems." Takashi wanted to disappear in thin air, a teacher hearing about his childhood crush problems was too embarrassing.
"But I need you to ask yourself, is sulking at the stairs and ignoring everything around you going to help you in your future?" She asked. Takashi had nothing to counter that, he shook his head.
"See? You're smart. You got potential, and I hate to see you waste it by skipping your classes and shutting everything out." Kyoko said. "So here's what's going to happen."
"Huh?"
"You know the Kendo Club?" She asked him.
"Yes?"
"They'll be having a three-day training camp at Tokonosu Mura this Friday. To help prepare them for the upcoming tournament." Kyoko said, "Kumoro, you're coming along to be the assistant for the teachers."
Takashi immediately recoiled. "Wait, what?"
"You've been given a responsibility. So you need to pull yourself together and prove that you have the capability."
"Hey whoa hold on. I have not agreed to anything. You can't just put a student into something he hasn't said yes to." Takashi protested.
Kyoko shrugged, "Well you're on the list already so yeah. During the meeting, we talked about needing a good student who can help us during the trip. You were highly recommended."
"You put me on the list? You set me up?" Takashi said accusingly.
"Set up is a bit strong isn't it?" Kyoko smiled, "More like I've given you the chance to learn and to prove yourself that you can be a responsible person. I know you don't have any plans over the weekends, I've spoken with your mother. And if you do back down, I can't imagine. The Kendo Team will think that Kumoro Takashi bailed on them, the teachers will be so disappointed. But just how will Kumoro Takashi look at himself in the future, knowing he let down the Kendo Team in high school?"
Takashi was blank and defeated, sinking back into his seat. "You're cruel Hayashi-sensei."
"If it means bettering yourself. I do my best for my students." Kyoko said. There was no way out of it now, he had to go along with it.
It was Friday and Kumoro Takashi was making his way over to the carpark with his duffel bag after class had finished. He cringed when he remembered his mother beaming when she talked to him about this training camp. His mother went on about how it was such a good idea that he was going with them, that it would good for him.
The plan was to leave for the training grounds right after lessons had finished, get settled in the training facility by evening and the Kendo Club will train till Sunday afternoon, and together they will return to Fujimi Academy. He arrived at the school's carpark. He got to the school bus where Hayashi Kyoko and a few other teachers were waiting. Kyoko said. "Ah, Kumoro. You made it, good."
With her was Teshima Jin. A physical education teacher and the Kendo Club's advisor. He wore a white dry-fit t-shirt and blue track pants. With his chiseled chin, thick biceps, and crewcut hair, he gave the upstanding image of athleticism. And finally, there was Shido Koichi, form teacher of class 3-A. He wore a white dress shirt with black office slacks and he had sleek glasses. Laying his eyes on Koichi, Takashi instantly felt an uncomfortable aura from him. Seemed like Takashi was not the only one who did not want to be here.
"So you're the brat Hayashi-sensei recommended?" Koichi said and shoved a clipboard over to Takashi, "You can start by taking attendance and do inventory." Takashi nodded and took the pen from the clipboard. From the school building, the Kendo Club members were approaching the bus. The club consisted of twenty people, seven boys, and thirteen girls. With one third-year girl as the captain of the club.
Takashi glanced back at Kyoko, she gave him a thumb up, encouraging him to take the initiative. Ok, let's go make this work Takashi. He thought and stood in front of the assembled Kendo Club. Takashi said out loud, "Hello, are you the Kendo Team?"
One girl stepped forward, she was tall and had long raven hair. To answer his question, she raised up her bokken and katana wrapped up and bagged. Takashi instantly recognised her, Busujima Saeko from class 3-A. The other girls giggled, it was already obvious that they all were carrying kendo equipment. Takashi chided himself. Dumb question.
"R-Right." Takashi clicked his pen, "Ok, I'm going to take attendance now. Sound off when I call your name and tell me how many pieces of luggage you're bringing." He read the first name, "Busujima Saeko of class 3-A."
"Here." Saeko raised her hand. "Bringing two luggage." She showed her equipment and suitcase.
Takashi continued his attendance taking and Kyoko gave him a nod of approval. The names' of the remaining members did not really stay in Takashi's mind, but he clearly remembered Saeko, thanks to his friend Morita who told him all about her. Everyone was accounted for, they boarded the bus with Takashi being the last one to get in. He sat alone at the back and observed the rest in the vehicle. Hayashi Kyoko was talking to Teshima Jin in the front row. Shido Koichi sat opposite them alone as well.
The evening was approaching but there was still plenty of sunlight left for Takashi to gaze into the road. He kept his mind busy, thinking back on that online zombie game 'Tokyo Z'. He wondered if there really was a zombie apocalypse, how would he survive and what would he do.
Well, I know what I'll definitely won't do. I'm not going to get myself separated from my group and get surrounded by those zombies heh. Takashi chuckled in his mind. Creepy monsters that were once people, eating brains and guts to no end. Heh, stupid.
Something else, however, came into mind. He pulled out his phone and searched up Weyland Yutani. He read up on the satellite they have launched, the 'Sulaco Bishop 87'. A satellite scanning deep in that vastness of space beyond Earth. Takashi started to wonder, just what could they be scanning out there? Asteroids? Other planets? Or perhaps organisms from outer space, the possibility of finding lifeforms from other worlds? His curiosity turned into a dread thought.
Maybe monsters don't come from below, from the undead, or diseases, or the supernatural. Maybe monsters come from above, beyond the clouds, beyond the stars. Maybe we're not really alone in this galaxy.
In the middle of the bus, Busujima Saeko spotted Kumoro Takashi sitting on his own at the back. The girls around her started talking about him.
"That's Kumoro Takashi right?" One girl whispered.
"Yeah, childhood friend of Takagi Saya and Miyamoto Rei." Another girl said.
"What's he doing here? Coming on this trip with us?" A third girl asked.
"Why don't you ask him?" The first girl said.
"Ehh? I don't wanna." The third girl covered her cheeks, she turned to Saeko and asked, "Captain maybe you can ask him?" The rest turned to Saeko. With a shrug of her shoulders, Saeko got up and went to the back. Takashi was taken out of his imagination when Busujima Saeko sat opposite him at the back.
"Hello," Saeko greeted, "You are Kumoro Takashi right?"
Takashi gave a courteous smile, "Yes Busujima-senpai. Kumoro Takashi from class 2-B. Good to meet you."
"Good to meet you too Kumoro-kun. What brings you here to the Kendo Club's training camp?" Saeko asked.
Takashi decided to make her guess, "Well what do you think brought me here?"
"I don't know." Saeko played along, "Are you looking to join the Kendo club?"
"Ah, no sorry." Takashi slightly winced, "Hayashi-sensei signed me up to this trip. To assist the teachers."
"Community service?"
"Something like that." Takashi took the opportunity and continued his talk with her, "So what got you interested in kendo?" Their conversation lasted for a good chunk of the bus ride.
The sun was about to disappear into the horizon. Takashi peered out the bus window, woods surrounded them and there was the training compound for the Kendo Club in front. They all got out of the bus. They assembled together with all their luggage. Before Takashi could slink away to the side, Shido Koichi gave him the clipboard again.
No way out of this. Takashi eyeballed Koichi before he addressed the Kendo Club. "Ok, before you guys uh do your kendo training. Is anyone not feeling well?" They all shook their heads. Takashi then jumbled on his words, "Ok, then um Busujima-senpai. You should take over and uh get your training criteria underway…yeah." Saeko nodded and took centre stage. Takashi stepped away and got to Hayashi Kyoko's side.
"Look at you, taking charge." Kyoko patted his back. Takashi sighed at glanced up into the evening sky, it was starting to glitter with the stars.
It's going to be a starry night.
Far beyond planet Earth, the Sulaco Bishop 87 satellite drifted through the vacuum of space. In the utter blackness and silence, the satellite has scanned an anomaly. Something out of nowhere was moving through the galaxy, and it was moving fast.
Sulaco Bishop 87 kept track of the unidentified object. It was massive, moving through space with a source of propulsion. It was a ship of some kind flying through the darkness. Sulaco Bishop 87 calculated the ship's projected trajectory, and just in time before the ship suddenly disappeared out of Sulaco Bishop 87's scans. The satellite projected that the ship was going to pass right by Earth. Sulaco Bishop 87 managed to broadcast the message back down to Earth.
Time passed and the spaceship was much closer to Earth, it cruised just over the planet's exosphere. The ship was about to pass by Earth untouched when there was an explosion at the back of the ship. The now damaged spaceship started to descend down by the Earth's gravitational pull. The ship entered the atmosphere fast. Just before it started to burn on entry, thrusters at the bottom of the spaceship activated. The spaceship managed to stabilize itself but it was still going down. Blue sparks started coating around the ship. Soon it was turning invisible to the naked eye and its engines were muffled. The silent, invisible, yet damaged spaceship came down to Earth, descending right towards Japan. Specifically, into the woods of Tokonosu Mura.
A couple of days had passed and it was Sunday, dark grey clouds were forming up to bring in a storm. The Kendo Club was packing up to head back to the city. Kumoro Takashi would be lying if he said he did not enjoy his time in camp at all. Takashi got along fine with the Kendo Club. He joined them in their exercises and he watched them practised their kendo techniques and forms. Turned out some members of the club played Tokyo Z as well, including the team captain herself. It gave Takashi another thing to talk about with them.
Secretly, he paid more attention to Busujima Saeko. She was no doubt a prodigy in kendo, evident from her unbroken streak of victories over the sparring matches. With her at the helm, the kendo club will emerge triumphant in the upcoming tournament.
Shido-sensei, however, was an uncomfortable company for Takashi. Shido-sensei inconvenienced him with almost every single task. Ensuring the catering was provided timely, regularly check that the club was following their training programme, and Shido-sensei faked it that it was a way to help Takashi learn about taking charge in things while he slacked away in his room the whole time.
The kendo club and Takashi, dressed in their school uniforms, assembled at the training compound's roundabout. The coach bus had arrived, Takashi took attendance once more and the kendo club boarded the bus. Takashi, being the last one, frowned at the dark clouds brewing before he got on.
The bus drove on the lonely road around a hill. The students inside were chatting amongst themselves, Takashi was at the back again gazing into the distance. Lightning struck on the horizon and shortly after a thunder roared from the shaded sky. Something else, however, caught his attention at the bottom of the hillside. There was a massive patch of upturned land. At one end of the upturned land, there were pavilion tents fitted with heavy-duty canvases. Big trucks surrounded the pavilion tents, he could barely see people under those tents, and people standing by the trucks like they were forming a perimeter. It all looked almost like military.
What could possibly be there that would draw attention to anyone? That would get people to set up some kind of base at the bottom of a hill in the middle of nowhere? Takashi peered at the scene with narrowed eyes. Another thunder clapped in the dark grey sky and the storm came pouring down.
"Kumoro-kun?" Saeko came to join him at the back again. She had both her bokken and wrapped up katana with her, strapped behind her back.
"Busujima-senpai, there's something over there." Takashi pointed at the site. The rains pattered all over and sparks started to sizzle all over the upturned land and in the air, till it was forming a giant shape. It finally revealed itself.
Takashi and Saeko stared with widened eyes, both their jaws slowly hung down. It was huge, like the size of a cargo ship. A streamlined body and a sheared-off end, grey and metallic with red glowing outlines. It was otherworldly and Takashi could only describe it with one word, 'spaceship'.
"What…the…fuck…is that?" Takashi said under his breath. The vessel started to attract the attention of everyone on the bus, they all stared with dreaded shock. A blue strobe light started emitting from the top of the spaceship, then it pulsed a ring of gale force.
The spaceship's electromagnetic pulse passed through bus and suddenly the lights in the vehicle blew out and every phone went dead. The boys started yelling and the girls started shrieking. The bus's engine shut down with no warning, the driver started panicking, he tried turning the wheel but it was locked. The tyres from the bus's rear tyres skidded on the wet road, crashing through the roadside barrier and the bus slipped off the road. Screams erupted from the students, Hayashi Kyoko threw herself into Teshima Jin and they held onto each other. Shido Koichi clung to his own seat for any ounce of safety.
"Senpai!" Takashi called frantically to Saeko extending his hand to her.
"Kumoro-kun!" Saeko grabbed his hand and Takashi pulled her to him. They both wrapped their arms around each other's heads bracing for impact.
The people from the pavilion tents heard the incoming vehicle, they watched the bus sliding down the hill heading straight for the spaceship. Glass shattered and shards flew all over, the bus swerved and toppled till its side smashed against the spaceship.
Amidst all of that chaos outside, down in the most bottommost part of the ship, a giant black creature was suspended and immobile, held and strung up by slimy black secreted webbings. The creature had no eyes, its teeth were razor-sharp and it had a huge carapace for a head. It opened its jaw and an appendage shot out, it had its own set of smaller jaws. The creature let out a haunting screech, it howled through the entire spaceship.
At the top of ship, in a room illuminated by red glowing holograms, a tall humanoid figure stood before an array of gruesome-looking weapons on a wall. The humanoid figure appeared to be wearing a menacing mask that had threatening sleek eyes, pointy ridges around the forehead's side and marking on the forehead's centre. The humanoid figure chose its weapons and turned away from the wall. Clenching its fist, a pair of serrated blades extended out of the gauntlet it was wearing. A rattling purring noise came from the humanoid figure and it exited the room.
Takashi and Saeko's nightmare was about to begin.
Hope you have enjoyed the first chapter.
So it begins, Takashi and Saeko's struggle in this extra-terrestrial crisis (Yeah I like these two together).
Got a few nods to the Aliens and Predator films and games here and there; Sulaco, Bishop, year 87, Weyland Yutani, Borgia Industries.
Who's our Predator for this? It's Wolf Predator. (Yeah I like that badass from AVPR so I'm using him here.)
Please leave a review, hope to see you in the next chapter.