I don't own anything from HOTD.
-CHAPTER THREE: Struggle
Tokonosu City
Monday
04:10:00 AM
The bus lurched forward, the result of smashing into a group of undead who paced back and forward in the middle of the road. Besides the occasional bump in the road, the occupants of the said bus were all in rather good spirits. Shido's group laughing and speaking to each other in hushed tones towards the back of the bus while all of Takashi's group, looking annoyed, kept their gazes forward and spoke amongst themselves. Yumie stared stoically out the window, watching the endless groups of undead frolic among each other, once in a while observing as people engaged in combat with these groups. The blackette jumped when Serry shuffled into her seat, instantly grabbing the girl's shoulders in an attempt to pull her attention from the depressing scenes of the outside.
"Where do you think Takashi charged off to this time?" The white-haired girl asked, unlatching herself from the stoic girl. She sat back into the seat, melting into the semi-comfortable embrace of the stitched grey leather. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but she was glad to finally rest after the intense few hours the group had just endured.
Yumie shrugged, not knowing the exact answer "Probably to the other school." The blackette re-adjusted herself, also sitting back and staring forward into the back of another grey seat.
"Yeah," Serry said quietly, beginning to get lost in deep thought. The girl's thoughts shot between her parents and younger brother, who shared the same unnatural hair color as the girl. She grimaced, wondering if they shared the same fate as so many others had in these first hours of the apocalypse. She was roused from her thoughts as Saeko leaned over the seat they were facing, her lips quirked upwards in a small smile.
"What are you two discussing?" The purplette asked, steadying herself.
"Just thinking about all of this," Yumie responded, her captain nodding in affirmation as to say she was running over the same thoughts.
"Does Komuro always make erratic decisions?" The purplette asked curiously, an unreadable expression on the woman's face as she tapped her chin in intervals. Her Icey blue eyes peering at the two girls in front of her, waiting for an answer.
Yumie stared at Saeko for a second, wondering as to why she was asking questions about their absent member. The purplette staring back at her, waiting for an answer still.
"What? Do you have an interest in Takashi?" Serry deadpanned, although her words were followed by a small curl in her lips resulting in a smirk. The kendo-captain's face split into a slightly awkward grin as a small tinge of pink painted her cheeks. She covered her mouth, beginning to cough slightly, which blended with slight chuckles from Yumie who was listening in.
"H-Huh?" The purplette stammered, quickly fixing her posture after another throat-clearing cough. "No, None of that, I just believe he's a good warrior and it would be unfortunate to lose him this early." She straightened up, a pink hue still dusting her cheeks.
"Yep, you're already head over heels," Yumie stated, making the purplette's face turn red with slight irritation. "He'll be fine," She stated, answering the girl's question which seemed to calm her, "I just hope he doesn't do some stupid shit that'll get him killed." Saeko nodded, sitting back in her seat. While Yumie seemed stoic about the missing teen, she was equally worried.
Akaibara High
Tokonosu City
Takashi scanned the lot quickly, his focused brown orbs observing everything from slight shifts in the wind to leaflets dropping from the trees. When a glimpse of red hair surprised the teen he instantly kicked himself into action, his bike lurching forward at the group of undead who were surrounding a person. He sped up, weaving through groups of undead students and teachers only meeting further density as he closed the space between the opening lot and the person who was trapped. Takashi simply lurched the bike forward once more, rocketing himself into the group of 'Them' which were knocked to the side due to the teen slamming his foot into them.
With the remaining speed, the teen quickly ramped the bike up, speeding into a bump which caused the bike to take flight. His face scrunched with anger as the jostling from colliding with heads died down and he reached solid ground once more. The teen skidded to a halt in front of Aika, his eyes fixated not on her, but the path he had just created through dumb luck.
Aika's breath hitched in her throat, raw emotion causing her to stutter, "W-What!? Taka-" She was quiet, which was overshadowed by the groaning of 'Them'
"GET ON!" Takashi snarled, revving the engine and sending an unintentional glare at the woman that pierced the barriers of her soul. She was frightened, the stress from being surrounded and the whole situation getting to her, but nodded in response, noting the aggression emanating from the brunette as he glared expectantly.
She dashed over to the bike, mounting and gripping onto the teen in one quick motion. The bike shot forward immediately, startling Aika as she held onto Takashi for dear life. His face had contorted into a shit-eating grin of pride as he sped straight through the previous group of 'Them.' Soon the duo was completely cleared of the school, Aika looking back for the last time as her school steel archway that had the word 'Welcome' engraved onto it faded from her sight.
Tokonosu City
Night
Takashi had lost track of time, his face had split into an indifferent expression as he was lost in thought, although he didn't miss the chance to thank whatever higher power that controlled the world for the successful rescue of Aika. He kept silent as he returned to the world, noticing how they passed the spot where he picked up his trusty motorcycle. He muttered a sad and silent 'thanks' to the body of the slain cyclist as they drove through the underpass.
Aika wasn't much different, also being lost in thought and completely silent. She was thinking about the situation and the absurdity of how she was so close to death but still cheated it by means of rescue. She melted into the comfort of Takashi's back, smiling brightly at the thought of avoiding her doom. Her thoughts roamed to Rei If Takashi was here her sister had to have made it out. She was tempted to speak up and ask about her but became stoic at the fact that Takashi was here, the teen in question unaware of the time bomb that was holding onto him. Aika had no time to voice her frustrations as the bike slowed on a road that overlooked the city.
"Take five, there's none of 'Them' here so we should be fine." The teen leaned his head back, sucking in a long breath of cool air.
"So, did you fucking leave my sister?" Aika asked, Irritation clear in her voice. Takashi turned to the firey-haired girl with an apologetic smile. Her face turned into a scowl at the teen's reaction. She raised her fist at the teen, Takashi responding by quickly sputtering out, "She's fine! She's fine! I swear on my life! I left her with a group of six trustworthy people."
Her face softened at the quick answer, realizing her fist was raised at the teen. Aika's eyebrow raised slowly before going back to the same neutral expression from before, which Takashi sighed as sweet relief flooded through his body. He wasn't that scared of the girl, he could probably run fast enough to get away from her, but where he was wasn't favorable for escape. So he smiled awkwardly, realizing that maybe leaving the group behind wasn't a good idea but then again everyone was capable.
"So, why did you come for me? I could've been dead and you would've done all that speed racer shit for no reason." Aika stated, earning a look from Takashi. The teen wondered where all these questions were coming from, usually, the girl never asked much. He shrugged at the thought then opened his mouth to answer, the aggression far gone from his tone, "I had the Idea since the phone call. Did you really think I'd leave you out to die?"
"I could've easily survived on my own."
"Really? It didn't seem like you were surviving very well. Looked like you were about to give up actually."
"Shut the fuck up, you know I was just warming up."
Takashi couldn't help but give a soft laugh at the girl's answer, finding humor in this grave situation was a step to keep themselves sane and grounded. Aika giving her own light giggle realizing what she said now at the contrast of earlier.
"Besides the god complex, you good? No bites?"
"No, asshole."
Takashi eyed the firey-haired girl questioningly. She shrugged her shoulders, her lips quirking upwards into a smirk as she started to speak. "Why the look? You want me to get undressed so you can check?"
"Yep," Takashi deadpanned, earning a stare from the girl who believed a different reaction would've happened. Her gaze hardened on him as he smiled, seemingly innocent. "Drive dickhead, you're already undressing me with your filthy eyes, I could feel it," she said. Takashi was about to fire back at the girl's snarky remark but was cut-off by groaning, his gaze fell behind the bike, the site of a large group of 'Them' was what greeted him. He spat then began driving once more down the highway, now choosing to stay silent.
Tokonosu City
Night
"Think they made it out okay?" Takashi asked, Aika from behind shrugged in response. The two teens eyeing a small-busted up shop named 'Pengiuino.' The windows were shattered and blood painted the walls around the building.
"Dunno," She responded quietly.
"They were the nicest old people in this area," He stated with an empathetic tone.
"Can-it moron, look," Aika demanded, pointing towards the curb of the road. Takashi trailed the womans pointing landing on a police cruiser in park, which was still running.
"Stolen bike, no license," He said "Just asking to be arrested, huh?"
"You're still afraid of cops?" Aika responded, stifling a laugh.
Much to the teen's dismay, the cruiser was very alive in a lighting aspect, though the large semi-truck that split the cruiser in two against a building proved it to be dead in a way. Two officers splayed against the dashboard of the cruiser, both painted in their own crimson blood and long deceased. Aika quietly stepped off the bike and moved towards the car, ignoring a quiet shout from Takashi who was concerned about leaking gas. In a few moments, Takashi himself was checking the deceased officers and cruiser for anything useful. The two teens managed to salvage a snub-nosed revolver and a few extra bloodsoaked bullets, also managing to find a steel baton.
"It's heavier than I expected," He said, adjusting the weapon. Eventually, he got comfortable with it, aiming it a few times to see what it felt like.
"That's because it's a real gun," She responded, dipping back towards the car once more. In a few moments she returned nudging Takashi to hold out his hand, the teen complied and Aika slid a few more bloodsoaked bullets into the teen's palm. "Other guy had a death grip on his piece so I had to settle for his bullets, they should still work,"
Takashi thanked her, stashing away the items they had collected and slipping the gun into his jacket. They both mounted their bike shortly after, flying through the seemingly lifeless Tokonosu streets once again.
Tokonosu City
Night
"Does this place have any gas left?" Aika questioned aloud.
"No idea, but I heard every gas station has enough gas to fill up one-thousand cars."
The duo cautiously approached the pumps of the small station, surveying for any signs of life, human or undead. Once they cleared the small area Takashi wheeled the bike over to a pump, eyeing the station machines. He hissed shortly after, almost slamming his fist into the small screen that displayed paying options.
"What's up?" Aika asked, circling around the pump to stand near him. She let out a sigh which queued Takashi to calm himself, she saw how the boy had raised his fist in anger against the machine.
"This place is self-service," He said, seemingly deflating over the bike. "I'm broke,"
"Jeez, aggressive and broke. I wonder what you'd do without me," Aika snickered. The girl checked her pockets before she quirked her lips upward in an awkward smile and sighed. "I don't have any cash either,"
"Must suck to be broke," He teased. She turned to respond but he waved her off shuffling towards the entrance of the store. "Sit tight, scream if anything happens," He disappeared into the store a moment later, crowbar gripped firmly in hand. Aika shrugged, simply watching until the teen was out of sight.
Takashi strolled into the store and called out, "Hello?" There was no response. He glanced around for a few seconds before dashing behind the cash register with a grin, he tapped the release button several times in his attempt at an easy cash grab. His grin grew wide as he hopped up onto the counter and raised his crowbar above. "Always wanted to do this anyway," He brought the crowbar down onto the machine with solid force, money, and coins flying into the air as a result.
"Huh," Aika tensed, eyeing the store's entrance which was slightly ajar. She un-tensed at the sound of slight laughter and jingling, giving her a good idea of the situation inside of the store. She smiled, relaxing against a post that was nearby the bike and sighing to herself. Unaware of the fierce yellow-eyes that were trailing her body closely.
A shrill scream filled the air, disturbing Takashi's looting session. The teen tensed and shot up quickly and dashing outside. A displeased look painted the teen's face as his gaze connected with a tall dark-skinned man wearing a white and black tracksuit struggling with Aika, flicking a large blade out to hold it against the girl's throat.
"Aika!" Takashi snarled. The teen couldn't mask his t}anger, unable to control the boiling rage flowing through his body at the sight in front of him.
The man switched positions to face Takashi, pressing the blade closer to Aika's throat in response to a second party being involved. He let out a sinister chuckle, that turned into a full-blown maniacal laugh. Takashi took notice of the man's crazed yellow eyes and piercings, the guy looked batshit.
"Hey! You've got a hot piece of ass here!" The man licked his lips, running the dull edge of the blade up and down the girl's throat. Takashi's gaze narrowed dangerously, he took two long drags of cool air, calming himself. The teen's shoulders were now un-tensed, his knuckles returning to their natural tanned color after unclenching his fists.
"Let her go," He said, seriously. Takashi straightened himself up, his grip on the crowbar still held firm. The teen's gaze softened as a plan manifested in his mind; he wanted to seem calm, wanted to get the guy comfortable.
"Let me fucking go!" Aika shouted, struggling violently against the guy again, resulting in the girl being pulled into a tighter hold. The blade was dragging against her throat, slightly pressing into her skin.
"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" The man shouted, "You think us freaks go for ghouls? I like my girls alive, and fiesty like this one here! Think again motherfucker!" The man continued his arm up against Aika's breasts resulting in a sharp glare from the woman. She grits her teeth, growing impatient at the situation even If she knew that escape wasn't possible at the moment.
"So, what happens when I beat the shit out of you?" Takashi deadpanned, although there was no trace of humor in his voice. Takashi's brown irises zeroing in on the man who was taken aback. He broke out into maniacal laughter soon after, finding amusement in the teen's threats. His hands shifted, grabbing hold of Aika's breast, gripping the supple flesh tightly.
"After- AFTER I TEAR THIS BITCH IN FUCKIN HALF, WE'LL SEE WHO'S GONNA GET BEAT," The man paused his shout to stifle the crazed laughter that threatened to leave his lips. Although, he began laughing once again, reeling his head and losing grip on Aika. She quickly pushed off the man and began running forward, which proved useless as she was caught once again. The man began groping the young woman, earning pained quiet screams. Her eyes shut tightly, a look of utter displeasure taking over Aika's usually stoic features.
Takashi glared, his brown orbs piercing through the yellow-eyed man's skull, and he was gnawing his teeth. The gnashing was audible, causing a shiver to run down both Aika and the man's spines. His slow approach towards the man went unnoticed until the gnashing became more audible, the man quickly pressed his switchblade against Aika's throat.
"DON'T FUCKIN MOVE! I'LL FUCKIN KILL THIS RED-HEADED SLUT!" He shouted, "FILL UP THE BIKE! AND DROP THE CROWBAR WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!"
Takashi sighed, spiking the crowbar into the pavement nearby, a loud metallic clang sounded, filling the empty lot with the sound. "There's no gas in it,"
"BULLSHIT! I HEARD YOU IN THE STORE PUT THE CASH YOU GOT AND FILL UP THE FUCKIN BIKE DAMNIT!" The lunatic slashed his blade towards the teen, pointing it demandingly. The teen slowly obliged, walking over to the nearest pump and slipping some cash he got into the machine. He uncapped the bike's fuel cap and slid the pump in calmly, "Will you let us go now?" He questioned.
"You've got the fucking bike, we've gotta see if her family is safe," Takashi continued.
"Shut- I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR LITTLE GIRLFRIENDS PARENTS!" The lunatic screamed, getting impatient from all of the talk. "They're just gonna end up like those fuckin ghouls, cock jockey!"
Pure unfiltered rage radiated off of Takashi as he turned the key, sighing as he slid the pump back. "It's done,"
"Away from the fuckin bike, and get walking. I might just spare your little friend here, not before we have some fun of course!"
The fire relit in the teen's eyes, he quickly stepped off to the side, only to circle back towards the lunatic with his hands up, "Just let us go!" he shouted desperately.
"DON'T TAKE ONE MORE FUCKIN STEP!" The lunatic screamed, halting Takashi's advance.
"Hey! Man, c'mon we're just kids!" Takashi tried once more.
"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK DICKHEAD! I'LL FUCKIN KILL YOU!" The lunatic shouted, irritation and anger causing him to lower his guard. The lunatic slashed wide at Takashi, of course, these slashes didn't land but the man was now wide-open and vulnerable.
Takashi ran forward, reaching the lunatic in a millisecond, he had no time to respond as Takashi teeped the man directly in the face. The man's grip on Aika faltered as a result of the blunt force and she quickly shifted out of the way as Takashi's fist collided with the lunatics' face, sending his head reeling back into the gas pump behind him. Crimson spilled out of the man's nose, signifying damage, but he went to slash at Takashi with the remaining strength he had. This caught Takashi off-guard, the knife colliding with his cheek and drawing blood. The teen fell back, pulling the small snub-nosed revolver out in one motion and disengaging the safety.
The lunatic's eyes went wide as the teen collided with the ground, gun in hand and aiming at him, "The pump! You'll kill us both!" He tried, the resounding boom of a gunshot was the response. The bullet ripped through the man's head, spewing blood and bits of brain matter all over the pump. Takashi's breath hitched, observing the lunatic's bloody mess of a head and body slump over and fall, connecting with the ground in a bloody splotch. The teen looked distressed, searching all of the body for a sign of life but there was none. He almost shouted, but his head was jerked towards Aika who stared into his soul, seemingly understanding why the teen was distressed.
She nodded towards an oncoming group of undead before mouthing "It's not your fault," he couldn't respond. Aika pulled the dazed teen up, shaking him and pointing towards the bike. Takashi's dazed state lasted a few more moments before he pulled himself together, quickly running over to the bike and mounting it. Aika joined him soon after and the pair made away from the station.
Tokonosu
Jan's mangled body sat in a bloody heap, it'd been minutes after his head was blown off and he was left to the undead, which wasted no time consuming the man's body. His legs were displaced and bloody, same was his torso and arms. The undead had already moved on, leaving the body to rot in the same place the man was defeated.
'A human, did this to me,' Jan thought, his mind was racing, he knew he was on the brink of death but all he could think about was the couple of teenagers that were responsible for this ordeal. He tried laughing or at least imitating a laugh. The man's remaining fingers curled, resulting in a loud snap. Jan began laughing once more even though he didn't have a head or a way to produce sound.
A second later the man's body was consumed in blue flame, burning away at the remaining flesh and bone that he had. Three seconds later there was nothing, well besides an ashy gloved hand with its middle finger curled and stuck outwards.
Tokonosu
Morning
"Hey, you okay Takashi?" Aika questioned, gripping onto the teen. The cool breeze of spring pushing against the teens as they traveled across a bridge, seemingly devoid of any life besides a few bodies.
"I'm alright," He croaked, "It was the heat of the moment, I didn't realize I had killed the guy until it was over," The teen leaned upward, staring into the haze of orange and blueish-purple that was the morning sky. "Stuff like that is gonna happen more often I think, but we'll be fine," he assured her.
"You think so?" She responded, burying her head into the back of Takashi, "It's okay, we'll regroup with the others and get through this," Aika reached up, ruffling Takashi's matted hair.
Takashi cracked a small smile, "Heh, I like your optimism Aika,"
Tokonosu
Off-Shore Airport
"What a scumbag," A soft feminine voice said, all the while zeroing in on a long-haired undead with a sniper rifle.
"He's an actor," Tajima stated, zeroing his spotting scope. "He came to Tokonosu to shoot a film," He paused. "Distance forty-five-hundred, angle of elevation minus six, almost no wind, no need for correction." The man readout, "Greenlight," He finished.
The purple-haired woman laid next to Tajima held her breath and fired, chipping down the large crowd of undead on the runway in record time. A few more shots after that and it was over and the runway was now completely cleared of any undead life, she let out a deep sigh, relaxing but scanning for more targets.
"Bravo," Tajima praised, reaching up to his left ear and clicking his earpiece, "Confirming all targets on the runway are now neutralized, over."
The woman next to the white-capped man stood, she was tan and of average height with violet frizzy hair and a pair of shooting glasses resting on her face, keeping her eyes protected from the sun. She began to massage her own boobs, much to her partner's delight. "I've been laying on my boobs all morning. They feel so numb," She said, beginning to stretch afterward.
"You know I can massage'em for you." The white-capped man chipped in with a grin, one that seemed awfully similar to Takashi's own.
"I'd let you, if you were a better shot than me," The violet-haired woman said, teasingly as she began to remove her vest and armor padding.
"Oh come on! You're one of the best shooters in the force!" He groaned, "What do I rank fifteen? A-hundred?"
"Guess you're not feeling them then, although, maybe if you brought Taka around more you could." She stated. The man sighed with a smile, tucking his cap to his chest.
"You've scarred that kid Rika, you and your nurse." He responded. "Anyway, how did they even get here? This is an airport on an island, they don't look like they can swim,"
"Maybe some of those important officials they let through spread it," Rika stated, "Or maybe those technicians they need to maintain the airport,"
"These guys woulda been fucked without us. Although, it's not like we have an endless supply of bullets or anything to keep saving their asses,"
"So, you're going to run away?"
"No, I'm not, at least not yet."
"I'm going to the city, sooner or later," Rika stated, pulling her combat vest off, revealing a white tank-top that showed off her cleavage. The shooting glasses were now off, revealing her light red eyes.
"I know you don't have a boyfriend, the nurse I assume?" Tajima asked.
"Precisely,"
Tokonosu
The blonde stared lazily at the road, twiddling her thumbs against the bus's steering wheel and occasionally moving up in traffic every now and then. Although, there was still unrest in the bus as Shido was giving one of his 'motivational speeches.'
"Exactly, that's why we need to find a safehouse first," The man lectured. "Then make moves together, rather than making random moves on our own like certain delinquents. Isn't that why you voted a leader?" They continued, basing this lecture towards the back of the bus where most students were crammed up together, breathing heavily at the man's speech for some reason. "Truly, we should wait until we are a disciplined group to move on and ensure the safety of our families and loved ones,"
"Hirano! Up!" Takagi said, elbowing the chubby teen who was happily sleeping next to her, or on here pretty much.
"Huh!? Oh morning sunshine, is it time to get up already?" He responded sleepily, earning another elbow from the pinkette.
"Yes, it's morning and you're drooling," She responded, to which the glasses-wearing teen wiped his mouth and began staring out the window. There was a bridge surrounded by dozens of cars, all backed up in the same place and dead set on getting to the same location. Some people were even abandoning cars on the roads and walking towards the bridge, being guided by stationary officers with whistles and yellow signs.
"Look at that," He said. Starring up at a plane that was soaring above them.
"The seaside airport! It's too dangerous to be anywhere in the city, I bet people are trying to escape to islands with military presences." She said, rousing the chubby teen's attention.
"Like Okinawa? The American military there isn't there to fight-" He paused, "But there is the self-defense force!"
"If the military has taken appropriate measures, I'm betting Hokkaido and Kyushu should be good. If planes are still leaving they all must be heading for those areas." The pinkette mused.
"Do you think we should get over to those areas?"
"It's too late.." Saya responded, "The areas with self-defense force are already probably starting to take strict measures about letting groups of people into those places, that'll happen sooner or later with the entire world probably."
"What would you do Kohta?" She asked, interested in the young man's opinion.
"I'd seclude myself personally," He responded.
"What would happen if everyone started thinking that way? What if everyone just tried to keep their communities as small as possible in order to survive," She finished.
"You know, you really ask some very relevant questions right?"
"What're you talking about? Look at him for example," The pinkette pointed to Shido, who was currently stroking a short-haired girl's face, smirking down at her. "Although, I doubt he knows it himself,"
"Want me to intervene?" The chubby teen spoke up.
"Forget slutty Sally and the pervy teacher, we gotta worry about ourselves," She responded. "Jeez, it'd be nice if Komuro was here so I could press him on the matter,"
The glasses-wearing boy shifted his head, giving a mopey look. "Yeah, you like Komuro," He said, making the pinkette blush and suddenly lash out at him.
"Don't be ridiculous!" She raised her voice, musing the rest of the group to stand near and get in on the duo's conversation. Serry, Yumie, Shizuka, and Saeko all had blank and clueless expressions besides Rei who just grinned at the pinkette. Shizuka made a 'Hmm' noise towards the pinkette like she was wondering something about the girl, but Saeko spoke up.
"I'm getting worried, about Komuro." She said, "I hope they can hold up till we meet,"
Tokonosu
"Lunatics!" Aika stated, her eyes narrowing at the scene of several tattooed men shooting anything that moved, including people. They were laughing while gunning down people and the undead alike, large explosions engulfing parts of the streets making the street look like a warzone instead of a simple section of road. "It's like a war," the red-haired girl continued.
"Yep," Takashi sighed, 'Dangerous place to be, so hold on tight,"
Before Aika knew it, the bike's front wheel had popped up and the pair were flying throughout the infested street. They weaved and dodged throughout the crowds of undead and living people who were engaged in a battle. Just then Takashi noticed a bald man pointing towards them, what followed was several shotgun pelts and cleavers being either thrown or shot in their direction. They narrowly avoided the blasts and cleaver-wielding man and continued onward.
"Fuck!" Takashi yelled, now out of immediate danger and soaring past various complexes that turned into an open area revealing a crowded and bustling bridge. He halted the bike and made a quick switch-up in directions, deciding to head for Onbetsu bridge instead of attempting to cross the one they had just sped past.
"What's up!? The bridge was right there!" Aika yelled over the bike.
"Yeah, too crowded!" Takashi yelled in response. "We go to Onbetsu Bridge and meet up with the others!"
Tokonosu
"I know we're no longer in school, but I hope that you all continue to live with the pride that the school has instilled in you!" Shido lectured, flailing his arms for a subtle dramatic effect as he stalked the bus aisle. "Pride of unity! It will keep us together in these trying times! Not the glorious pride in ourselves, but pride in the group, pride as a family!" posing in the middle of his speech only added to the influence he had on the younger students. "Realize this, Komuro was unfit to be in our family!" He finished.
The snake-like teacher received applause from the students, besides one Miku Yuuki, who after hearing the last grand statement from Shido only paying him a sidelong glance. Takashi's group was silent, choosing to glare at the man instead of falling along with the other delusional students.
"This guy, is a certified maniac," Saya stated.
"It sounds like he's some sort of cultist," Saeko chimed in.
"Well it certainly looks like a cult," Yumie pointed, drawing the group's attention to the glazed eyes and smiling faces of Shido's students. The snake-like teacher smirking in response to these looks of admiration. She only slightly noticed the reluctance of Yuuki, who was separated from the group of students, seemingly staring out into space through a window.
"Or just a pack of dogs, we need to get out of here," Saya spoke. The ragtag group all nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, and given the conditions on the road it would be better if we gave up our ride," Saeko said while rubbing her chin, "We need to get to the east police station and meet up with Komuro,"
"Indeed," Yumie chimed in.
"Jeez you guys sure are deadset on linking back up with Komuro, don't you two have families of your own?" Saya asked, her face shifted into a smirk but the girls could sense a bit of agitation behind her features.
Saeko smiled softly and looked to Yumie who copied the expression, "Yes, I am worried but my father is my only family. So, the only people I have to worry about is myself and Komuro,"
"My adoptive father is overseas with Saeko's father, so I don't have to worry as well," Yumie chimed in.
Saya let out a nervous chuckle, choosing to focus on the blonde nurse who was cupping her own chin instead of the purplette. "So, where is everyone's house?" the nurse questioned.
"The other side of the bridge; the same area with Komuro and Serry. Rei's house is near the east police station I believe, am I right?" The pinkette answered, turning to Rei to see her nodding.
"Oh, my parents aren't in the neighborhood, but I'd go anywhere with you Takagi." Kohta chimed, blushing as he spoke.
Saya's face turned to one of disgust as she bit her finger, "Eeww."
"So, Hirano, where's your family? They close?" Saeko chimed in, Saya breathing an obvious sigh of relief.
"My father's a jewelry merchant, so he's gone to Amsterdam to buy stones. My mother is a fashion designer, so she's been staying in Paris to-" Kohta explained, being interrupted by a slightly irritated Saya.
"You think we'd believe all that crap!?"
Shizuka began giggling, speaking up herself, "And if it were a manga, daddy would be the captain of a cruise ship, a giant luxury-liner!"
"My grandpa actually was. My grandmother was a concert violinist as well." The chubby boy began laughing lightheartedly, realizing that he was being made fun of, but choosing to go along either way. Shizuka quickly stood up from her chair, stretching as she watched her students laugh amongst themselves.
"So, what are we going to do?" She said, "I wanna come along with you guys."
"Are you sure?" Saya asked.
"Both of my parents passed away years ago, my relatives live far away, and Komuro is one of my only acquaintances here." The blonde continued, earning a look from all of the students with the last part of her sentence. "And I know I shouldn't be saying this, but Mr. Shido is kind of a douchebag," She said innocently, causing the rest of the group to laugh.
"Okay, so what do we do? I'm not well acquainted with this area," said Saeko.
"We are!" Rei, Yumie, and Serry all said.
"We really need to check Onbetsu bridge first though," Saya said, sighing off the trio that just spoke up.
"Um, what's the matter, everyone? We need to work together otherwise none of us are eve-" Shido turned, speaking than being cutoff by Saya who whipped around with slight aggression.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm gonna pass Mr. Shido." She said, a smirk painting her face, "We have our own plans, and this is no field trip, I have no obligation to listen to your dumbass,"
A blonde teen behind Shido, Tsunoda, was livid, his face contorted in anger towards Saya all the while Shido just sat and narrowed his eyes, a smirk of his own on his features. "I see," He said, clasping his hands together. "If that's what you want, go right ahead. I won't stop you, Takagi. This is a free country, not an iron-fisted dictatorship." The teacher removed the clasp from his hands and licked his lips, "However, I'm afraid you will have to remain, Miss Marikawa. Losing our doctor would be a major blow to our situation, what do you say? The students are relying on you," He finished while stepping forward towards the group, specifically the blonde nurse.
A nail cleanly ripped past the side of the teacher's face, drawing a small amount of blood and making an impact on a seat behind the man, just barely hitting another teen. Kohta was stanced, nailgun in hand with a maniacal smirk on his face.
"You s-shot at me!" The teacher stammered.
"I missed you on purpose, douchebag," Kohta said cooly, his nailgun trailing on the teacher.
"B-but you're not a violent student like that!" The teacher tried once more.
Kohta's eyes hardened, a neutral expression appearing back on the chubby boy's face. "How many of my fellow students do you think I killed yesterday? And I could kill you too! For every time you've made fun of me!" He yelled, startling the teacher even more. "I was holding back! I was holding back for a long time! The only reason I didn't act was that I wanted a normal life! But there's no need anymore, that's why I'm able to kill now. Even living people, maybe start with the asshats who made fun of me!"
The teacher backed away, now fully panicked. "I made fun?! You misunderstood me dear Hirano I held you in such high regard!"
"If you wanna go, nows the time to do it! I'll make sure this punk bitch doesn't stop you!" Kohta said, an exhilaration in his voice was evident to the others that eyed him.
"So manly~" Serry cheered jokingly, stepping off the bus along with the rest of the group. After Kohta stepped out, slamming the bus door the group quickly raced up a nearby staircase and disappeared from view.
Tokonosu
Onbetsu Bridge
"It's the same here," Aika stated, observing the one under-construction and overcrowded bridge the teens were close to, "What should we do? Different bridge?" She asked, turning her head to the sun that slowly was beginning to set.
"I'm sure they're all the same, probably blocked and getting shit on," Takashi responded, sighing afterward. He flipped his phone open, the time reading '17:04' He hissed, stashing the phone away and settling himself back on the bike. "We need to cross the bridge. I said I would meet up with the others at the east police station by 7."
"How? It's a little easier said than done, Takashi," Aika responds.
"Give me a second, I'm tryna think of a master plan," Takashi said, trying to lighten the mood talking. He succeeded in receiving a small chuckle from the girl who clung to him. Although shortly after an airy pop sounded throughout the air, sending the teens back into their hyper-aware state.
"Gunshot! On the fucking bridge?" Aika questioned.
"No that..was" Takashi trailed off, speeding towards the bridge's under-construction underpass.
Tokonosu
Onbetsu Bridge
"Uhh! Maybe we should've stayed on the bus with Mr. Shido!" Shizuka said, slightly panicked. The group was spread out along a blocked area of the bridge, defending from a small horde of 'Them' that pushed the group back closer and closer towards the side railings. Yumie and Saeko were swinging away, seemingly dancing around together as one. Serry and Rei were slamming and stabbing away at the crowd, but also being pushed back towards Shizuka and Saya. Kohta was holding up a bit better as he executed target after target, stopping to reload his trusty nailgun every now and then.
"Hold on, weren't you the one who said you thought he was a douchebag?" Saya asked in a slight panic.
"As a matter of fact I did, but he wouldn't be the first douchebag I was stuck on a bus with," The nurse replied.
Kohta shot down three more undead before turning to the rest of the group, "Just to let you know, I'm close to running out of nails!"
Saeko split from Yumie, taking her own group of undead on, she maneuvered around one, gracefully crashing her sword down on its head. She quickly spun around to face the other two, stepping back quickly and swinging her sword, which met with both jaws of the two undead men. The two undead men staggered back, their jaws slowly peeling away from their heads, blood pooled on the floor and before long the two of 'Them' fell back deceased fully. "Do you wanna borrow this?" she asked, directing the question towards the chubby boy. Another one of 'Them' stalked behind the purplette, attempting to lunge at the woman before it was quickly stricken down with a sickening, crack. Yumie's expression remained emotionless after she dispatched the stalking undead, returning to her own fight soon after her captain was safe.
"I really don't do hand-to-hand combat!" Kohta yelled sadly.
"Can't say the same! I'm quite fond of it!" Saeko said, charging back into the fray.
...
Takashi sped down the underpass, eyeing a large mantinence truck with a ramp on it.
"Hold on a minute!" Aika called out but was ignored, "Are you fucking crazy!?"
Tokonosu, Onbetsu Bridge
Saya stumbled back, shocked by the group of 'Them' that split off and was now approaching her. Just then she was brought down hard onto the pavement by Shizuka who screamed "No!" in defense of the teen, drawing the rest of the group's attention at the same time.
"Help them!" Serry snarled angrily, turning to see a group of 'Them' approaching the nurse and pinkette.
"Takagi!" Kohta screamed out.
The chubby teen was about to scream again before everything seemed to pause as the bridge seemed to echo the sound of a motorcycle. Kohta looked up in time to catch Takashi and a red-head soar through the sky and land onto the bridge. The teen slammed into the pavement, drifting into a crowd of 'Them' who were all violently thrown off the bridge's railing. Aika leaped off the bike in an instant, slamming her crowbar into the skull of an undead, afterward turning on her heel and racing towards the small group of undead that threatened Shizuka and Saya.
Takashi picked up some speed, pinpointing his chubby friend who had dropped his nailgun in a panic and was being surrounded. "Kohta!" He yelled, flinging the small snubnosed-revolver they found at the teen. The teen in question turned, quickly catching the weapon and firing two shots, just barely missing Takashi but landing perfectly in the heads of two of 'Them.'
Takashi continued, speeding towards Saeko and Yumie. "Give me your hand!" he yelled to Saeko who complied with his request. She latched onto the teen's hand using the built-up speed from the motorbike to launch herself into a group of undead. She slammed into the group with ferocity, taking out all of the monsters but one. Yumie dashed forward, slamming her foot into the undead male's head, with a groan he fell backward, only to be met by the blackette's bokken.
...
"Amazing," Shizuka gasped, watching as the teen's finished off the stragglers.
"Looks like we're clear for now," Saeko stated, resting her bokken on her right-side, same as Yumie. "Nice save Yumie,"
"Just warming up!" The blackette said.
"They sure were tough to beat," Shizuka said, sighing in relief.
"Aik-Aika!" Rei suddenly yelled, the older red-haired sister turning to her younger sister just in time to be tackled to the ground by the girl who began sobbing uncontrollably.
"Yeah, yeah It's me," The red-haired girl said, smiling and patting down Rei's sobbing form.
A smile graced Takashi's features, something rare these days. Although the enjoyment of the moment was short-lived as Serry ran up and jumped into his arms. He instinctively wrapped his arms around the woman's waist, a smile developing on his face as her bust connected with the teen's face. Serry gasped, ripping herself from Takashi's grip as quick as she got into it. "Perv!" she playfully let out, an accusing finger pointing at the teen who was still smiling.
"What? Nah!" He awkwardly grinned, choosing to stand straighter and ignore the jealous stares from Aika and Rei. Shortly after he was approached from behind by Saeko and Yumie.
"This must mean Tokonosu bridge is also blocked," Saeko questioned.
"Right, there's no way out," Takashi responded, keeping his grin as to reassure the purplette.
"I have to confess, I'm glad you're okay, Komuro." She said, Yumie quickly pitching in as well, "I'm glad you didn't get yourself killed, idiot."
"I'm glad you two are okay as well," He said, scratching the back of his head at the remark Yumie made, a small laugh escaping his mouth.
"What about me?!" A demanding Saya asked, gripping Takashi's sleeve.
He shot her an apologetic look quickly, "I'm glad you're okay, all of you!"
"TAKA- AHHH!" Kohta squealed, "What is this! How did you get it! Where are the extra bullets? This is a Smith and Wesson's M37 air weight that the police use, right?!"
Takashi stood surprised at his chubby friend's enthusiasm and knowledge, "I'll tell you about it later man," He said, ignoring the loud praises Kohta was giving the gun as he spoke. The group ultimately decided to turn back towards their side of the river and take a quick breather under the bridge. The group stood in rest, no undead was in sight at least for their immediate area.
"We got off the bus because the road was blocked, but we haven't been able to cross the river," Saeko said.
"The water has risen, so going further upstream won't help, I guess," Saya said, walking up a set of stairs back to the group.
"Then, what should we do?" Aika chimed in, earning looks from the group besides Takashi and Rei. "Oh! I'm Aika Miyamoto, Class 3B, Akaibara High." She quickly said, believing the group needed an introduction to the new face. It seemed to work as the rest of the ragtag team seemed to loosen up.
"I have a thought. It's been such a stressful day for all of us. Why don't we just call it quits for now?" Shizuka said, pulling the group's attention towards her.
"C-Call it a day?" Kohta stuttered.
"Yeah, my friend's flat is close. It's a short walk from where we are," The nurse answered.
"Your boyfriend's place?" Saya questioned.
"No, no, no! Nothing like that! It's just my girlfriend's apartment, she gave me a spare set of keys so I could look after the place since she's always busy with work," She answered quickly. An image of the blonde nurse in a pink-ruffled maid uniform cut across the group of teens' minds as they took in the information the nurse gave them.
"Is it a high rise? Does it have a good view of the surroundings?" Kohta asked.
"Yep! It's a duplex standing along the river." The blonde answered. "There's a convenience store nearby too. Oh, and a car! You know the big one that drinks gas? Big! The really big one!" The teacher spread her arms out, causing her large breasts to bounce slightly as if trying to put emphasis on the car's size. Takashi, who was lounging on a set of stairs stared intently at the woman's chest with a grin on his face, his fun didn't last as a fist came down onto his head, making him wince slightly. He stared up to see Serry who was smiling at the teen. He rubbed his head and said nothing more, understanding the smile was not one of happiness, but rather agitation, instead choosing to pay attention to the conversation instead.
"I don't care as much about a car as much as a shower," Saya interjected, "I don't think I've ever felt dirtier in my life," she said, flipping one of her pigtails back.
Kohta oogled at Saya, "I couldn't agree with you more," said the teen. The now flustered Saya spun on her heel to face the chubby teen who was clearly enjoying his view, unfortunately, she slammed her foot into the teen causing him to fall backward on his ass. "What do you mean by that?!" She demanded, huffing at the chubby boy who simply smiled at her from the ground.
"Punchline when you're in neutral grounds bud, she's probably half-pissed right now," Takashi said, helping his chubby friend up to his feet with a small laugh the two shared. "Alright, we're all going to the devil's house together then,"
Half the group raised their eyebrows at the teen's words but shrugged it off, "Okay, Ms. Shizuka on the bike with me and everyone else walks slowly behind, we don't want any more attention than we've already gained and I doubt everyone can go on fighting for hours," he continued, stepping up towards the bike and motioning for Shizuka who followed quickly behind. The two mounted the bike and gave a thumbs up to the rest of the group who were all up and atom, all falling in line behind the slow-moving bike as it traveled down the road.
...
"Damn, It's really been devoid of life so far," Yumie spoke from the back of the group, Aika nodding to her left as they continued their walk towards the complex.
"Yeah, It's like these things are tryna avoid us or some shit," Aika said.
Tokonosu
The group stopped at a large fenced duplex building. The road was empty, with no signs of life besides a few stray cats and dogs that were wandering around the dead streets. The group flicked a switch near the duplex's gate which unlocked it, lights flickering onto reveal a large green military vehicle.
"A humvee! It's the military model too!" Kohta shouted in awe.
"Told you it looks like a tank," Shizuka chimed in happily.
"Exactly what type of friend is she," Saya questioned.
"A demon," Takashi responded, shivering as he looked on in horror at the duplex. Shizuka quickly swatted the teen on the head, making him chuckle in response. He knew Rika, that hot-ass cop Tajima always brings around the apartment, also happened to be the one who chased him around when he was skipping during middle school. 'Tajima, huh, wonder how he's doing right about now.' the teen wondered.
"She is not a demon," Shizuka said, to which Takashi simply scratched the back of his head.
"I bet they can't jump over the fence, so we should be able to get a nice good night of sleep," Rei chimed.
"Let's hurry up an-" Takashi started, but was interrupted by a gurgling groan from the top of the stairs. Several undead men and women stepped out into view, seemingly attracted to all of the talk. He sighed, cursing mentally as he rolled his sleeves up, the group converging around him at the ready. Saya quickly stepped up next to him, "Will this work?" she said, handing the teen a large lug wrench. He nodded and told the non-combatants to "Stay back,"
"Don't take chances, be sure to cover for each other," Yumie spoke, drawing her bokken in anticipation and nodding at Takashi.
"Alright, you heard her, let's go!" Takashi said, kicking open the duplex's fence-door and racing up the stairs with all in toe.
...
"Looking back on it, that's when we all changed."
"We weren't running away anymore. We were attacking first to survive. Survival was all we were focused on after all, but if the need arises that I have to give up my life for these people, I swear it to you, my brothers who've passed, I will protect them."
TO BE CONTINUED
My apologies for the very late chapter three, I've rewritten this chapter several times and I believe I found a decent outlook on it. Besides rewriting the chapter several times, something came up that completely killed my motivation, but seeing the constant reads really boosted me back up so, thank you.
I'll be editing and reforming chapters one and two for flow and betterment, then instantly start working on chapter 4 which, if I'm valid, shouldn't take over seven months as the last chapter.
Leave a review, criticism, shout, anything, even telling me to go fuck myself would be fine. I really appreciate all of you that take the time out of your days to read my work. Again thank you so fucking much, and see you.