Animatus II: The Descent
Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming! This is the second to last chapter. Soon, I will begin posting Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow III: Inferno. Hope you enjoy!
Previously:
"We need to stay out of sight," Jay concluded. Kate and Paul joined them, both looking refreshed from the night of undisturbed sleep. As Faith looked around at each person gathered before her, she noted that they all looked exceedingly better now that they had escaped from the Initiative.
"Well," Faith said once everyone was ready. "Let's get this show on the road."
Chapter Nineteen: And Then There were Five:
They left the sporting goods store bathed in the light of the rising sun. Faith was anxious to leave Sunnydale and start her new life in Los Angeles, or wherever she and Buffy finally would settle. Though she had happy memories of Sunnydale, the weeks of horror and terror that had been inflicted upon her stained those memories with blood and destruction. The moaning of the zombies that had infused her dreams would haunt her for the rest of her life. Though she loved being a Slayer, sometimes she longed for a normal life – a life in which she could dream of beautiful things instead of violence. The anti-virus, for which she had reentered Sunnydale, was pressed firmly against her thigh as it rested in the pocket of her pants.
She did not know what would happen to Sunnydale, or the anti-virus, once she had given the cure over to the military and left. She hoped that they would be able to prevent such a zombie invasion from ever happening again. An unsettled feeling crept into the pit of her stomach when she thought of the town. She doubted if there were any survivors left within the tattered remains of the city, but she knew that if there were, they would be in danger once her team had departed. Even if the zombies eventually starved to death, Faith knew that the military would destroy the town. They would never let anyone know what had happened in Sunnydale. The Initiative had been a part of the military, and though the soldiers on the outside seemed disgusted with what the scientists within the Initiative had been doing, Faith did not trust them entirely. She had entered Sunnydale to finish what she had started. But now she wondered what would happen once she left.
Faith followed Buffy as the older woman led them out of the store. The sun shone brightly, but her hands trembled as she clutched her gun. She was worried about what would happen during their last trek across town. The first time she tried to escape, she thought she and her friends were free, only to discover that her lover had been bitten by a zombie. She feared that something similar would happen, though she was trying to be optimistic. They had not seen any zombies that morning. She could hear no sound of them. The group only had to reach the fence, where the military would have a vehicle waiting for them. Once she was sitting in the back of the Jeep, with the wind blowing in her hair, and with Buffy's hand firmly in her own, she would be able to relax again for the first time in weeks.
Jay walked behind Faith, similar thoughts running through his mind. He was anxious to leave Sunnydale, worried about what might happen on the journey out, and eager to continue his life back in the real world. "Can't wait to get something real to eat," he mumbled, shifting the strap of his gun on his shoulder.
"What's the first thing you're going to get?" Faith smirked, overhearing his comment.
"I know this hamburger joint called Devo's in this little town maybe twenty miles away," Jay said. "Combo number three: double cheeseburger, French fries, and a banana shake. I know it's no good for me," he admitted. "But they make the best burgers."
"What about you Diego?" Faith asked, looking back at him.
"Enchiladas," Diego replied instantly. "My mama makes the best enchiladas. Old family recipe," he smiled.
"Faith?" Buffy prompted.
"Pizza," Faith grinned. "I've got a thing for a good slice of pepperoni with extra cheese. I think I know what you want, right?" Faith joked. "A cup of low fat yogurt."
"Shut up," Buffy replied playfully.
"What about you, Kate?" Jay continued.
"I know I probably shouldn't admit this," Kate said sheepishly, "but I haven't had a chili dog in years. I could go for one right now."
"Nice," Diego commented. Kate rolled her eyes.
"Paul?" Kate asked, looking over at her companion.
"Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob," Paul replied. "I'm all for the comfort food."
"That does sound pretty good," Buffy replied.
"Yeah," Faith agreed. "After the shit that we've been eating all this time."
"Anything would be good," Jay concluded.
"Especially if it's been heated up," Buffy added.
"Hot food," Jay groaned. "God, what a concept."
Silence fell between the group as they snuck between the buildings of Main Street. Soon, they would be leaving the center of town and entering the open land of the road that led to the fence, where they would be visible to every zombie in Sunnydale, if any happened to be looking. The group gathered around Buffy, who gazed determinedly at them. "Okay, guys," she said softly. "We gotta be careful now. This is where we're most vulnerable to attack. We're going to be out in the open until we reach the fence. If anyone's watching, they'll see us."
"We have to move fast," Faith added. "No lagging behind."
"Shoot to kill?" Jay asked.
"Hell yeah," Buffy nodded. "You see a zombie coming at us, take it down."
"Everybody ready?" Faith asked, glancing at each person briefly. The group collectively nodded and they moved out of the protection of the building, next to which they had been hiding.
They ran out of the shadows, their footsteps striking the pavement of the road in an offbeat rhythm. Faith felt her heart thudding quickly in her chest as she ran. They were almost out of Sunnydale. They just had to reach the fence and they would be free. But Faith knew not to let her guard down yet. Danger only increased for them the longer they remained out in the open. They would have to run for seven miles before reaching the fence. Though Buffy and Faith could run the distance without having to stop for breath, she knew that the others did not possess such Slayer stamina. She did not relish the prospect of having to stop, but she knew it was necessary. She also knew that they would be in danger every time they slowed. Faith tried to put her worries aside, knowing that they only would contribute to the rising anxiety in her heart.
They ran three miles before they had to stop for their first break. The group gathered in the parking lot of a liquor store next to the road. The empty building stood silent and dark. Faith shuddered. The whole town was devoid of life. She wiped a few stray beads of sweat from her brow and smiled over at Buffy. "Almost there," Buffy whispered. Faith nodded. "Nothing's going to happen to me," she continued.
"I know," Faith said determinedly.
"Oh really?" Buffy questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Faith swore. "Not this time."
The blonde Slayer smiled and moved away to check on the others. Jay and Diego were leaning against the front window of the liquor store, doubled over and panting as they tried to calm their racing hearts. Faith smiled a little, thought about joining them, but decided against it. Dropping her gun onto the parking lot, she sat down in one of the handicapped spaces, just out of the shadow of the building. The sun was shining above her, its heat warming her face. Buffy, Kate, and Paul stood a few feet away from her, chatting idly about what had been happening in the town since the attack. Faith sighed and closed her eyes, tilting her head toward the sun. For a moment, she forgot about the zombies and the ghost town that they were leaving behind. The sun held her in a gentle trance, soothing her tired soul.
But the moment was short lived. The loud crash of shattering glass forced her eyes open and tore through the calm that had settled in her bones. Before she could turn, she heard a terrified and pained scream. Grabbing her gun, she leapt to her feet. Buffy and Paul already were moving toward the building. Faith turned and her heart dropped at what she saw. A zombie had broken through the window of the liquor store. Diego was lying on his back, a large chunk of glass protruding from his lower arm and another angled out of his leg. Next to him, Jay was struggling against the zombie, which had its arms wrapped around his shoulders. Its teeth were lodged in Jay's neck, blood gushing abundantly from the wound, splashing dark red on the sidewalk. Though the soldier kicked and writhed within the zombie's grasp, he could not free himself. Raising her gun, Faith aimed and squeezed the trigger. The zombie's head exploded and it fell lifelessly in a heap of dead flesh.
Jay stumbled away and crashed to the ground, clutching the bleeding wound on his neck. Buffy was the first to reach him. Paul stopped by Diego, grabbed him by the shoulders, and pulled him away from the store. Faith let her gun fall to her side and rushed over to her fallen friend. She knelt down beside him, next to Buffy, and grabbed his hand. "You're gonna be okay," she promised, though as she surveyed his wound, she knew that she was lying. His hand was cold and clammy and his face had turned ghostly white. He tried to speak, but blood bubbled from his mouth instead of words. He squeezed her hand, twitched, and stilled. His eyes stared blankly out at the world and his grip on the former rogue's hand slacked. "Fuck!" Faith yelled, rising to her feet and turning away. Buffy sighed and gently closed the soldier's eyelids. Reaching into his pocket, she grabbed his vial of the anti-virus and slipped it into her own.
"Faith," she said softly as she stood.
"What?" Faith asked tearfully, though she refused to cry.
"You know what we have to do," Buffy stated, glancing over at her sorrowfully.
Faith sniffled and nodded. Wiping at her eyes angrily, she motioned for Buffy to move. "I'll do it," she volunteered.
"Are you sure?" Buffy asked. "I could…"
"No," Faith interrupted. "Check on Diego." Buffy nodded and hurried over to the injured man. Paul and Kate were examining his wounds. Faith stared down at the dead body of her friend, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall. Raising her gun, she sighed shakily and aimed. Placing her finger on the trigger, she muttered, "I'm sorry." Then she fired. The bullet tore apart the man's head and Faith turned away, the bitter taste of bile rising in her throat.
She walked slowly over to the remainder of the group. They were kneeling in a semi circle around Diego. "How is he?" She asked.
"Never better," Diego growled between clenched teeth.
"It didn't bite or scratch him," Kate concluded. "The cuts are from the glass alone."
"Did you get any of Jay's blood in the wounds?" Buffy asked. "Any saliva from the zombie?"
"No," Diego shook his head. He was breathing heavily, his face paling from the sight of the blood spilling from his arm and leg. "The window busted, the glass hit me, and I was on the ground before the zombie had even grabbed Jay."
"Okay," Kate nodded. "We need to remove the glass."
"Can he travel?" Faith asked, kneeling down beside him.
"I don't know yet," Kate replied. "We'll have to see if he can stand once we've gotten the glass out of his leg." Turning her attention to the injured man, she spoke, "this is going to hurt."
"I know," Diego acknowledged. "Just pull it out."
"We're going to need something to cover the wounds with," Kate stated. "I'll need all of your shirt sleeves." Faith ripped off the sleeves of her shirt as Kate grasped the end of the piece of glass emerging from Diego's arm. The others did the same. Kate inhaled deeply, exhaled, and pulled. Paul held Diego down as he cried out in pain. The glass slid easily from his arm. Faith watched as the blood oozed freely from the wound. Kate grabbed the shirt sleeves from the dark Slayer's hand and pressed one against the wound. "Buffy," she instructed. "Tie the second tightly around his arm." Buffy complied. "Okay," Kate breathed shakily. "Hold this while I pull out the second piece."
Buffy pressed her hands against the cloth on the wound, smiling down at Diego. "You're doing fine," she said encouragingly. Diego nodded. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
"Faith," Kate said, motioning for Faith to kneel next to her. Faith moved over to her and nodded.
"What do you need?" She asked.
"I'm going to need you to tie one of the sleeves to his leg after I pull the glass out," she replied. Grabbing the second piece of glass, she pulled it from the wound and covered it with a piece of cloth as Faith tied the tourniquet around his leg.
"We need to get moving," Paul reminded them. "We don't know if that was the only zombie in there."
"Let's get him up," Faith suggested. She and Buffy positioned themselves on either side of Diego, grabbing his arms and lifting him to a standing position. When he tried to put his weight on his injured leg, he nearly fell, but Faith kept him steady.
"I don't think I can walk on my own," Diego breathed, panting in pain.
"We'll get you out of here," Faith promised. "Just lean on me."
"There's only four more miles between us and freedom," Buffy reminded the injured man. "We'll get out of here. All of us," she said, looking at each person. They starting walking again, Buffy and Faith helping Diego limp along the road. Paul brought up the rear, his gun held tightly in his hands. Kate led them, worry staining her features. Faith threw a look back at the liquor store, and Jay's mangled, lifeless body, and wondered if the rest of them would make it out alive.