I OWN NOTHING FROM HOTD!
-CHAPTER FIVE: LIGHT
Somewhere in Tokonosu
Tuesday
06:32:00 AM
"Hold on!" Shizuka yelled, speeding away from the alleyway and into a nearby street. The street led into a railing lined one-way which the blonde continued heading down at top speed. "Check on Takashi for me. We'll have to treat his wounds soon!"
"Fuck.." Takashi breathed, holding his side and panting. He blinked several times, watching as he faded in and out of consciousness. Yumie and Serry flanked his sides quickly, holding large rags against several knife-like slashes through his chest and neck. The two women look worried, both trying to ignore a large amount of blood still leaking from the black-haired teen's injuries.
"Shizuka you've gotta treat him now!" Aika shouted. She put her hand on the teen's forehead, making him focus his gaze into her own. He smiled weakly before closing his eyes a few seconds, only opening them a few seconds later. "Stay awake, idiot."
"Keep pressure on his injuries!" Kohta shouted, looking back at his taller, bloodied friend who had paled slightly.
"Calm d-own." Takashi said weakly, putting his hand on the red-haired girl's head. She looked like she was gonna tear up, her face scrunched up in a worried expression. The pain was getting to him, a stinging burn-like sensation flaring throughout his chest and neck. He fell unconscious soon after this pain was felt, shock from the previous battle finally getting the best of the teen. Rei and Saeko were both shouting commands while Saya and Kohta looked just as worried, eventually turning their attention on the road and guiding Shizuka.
"Takashi!"
Tokonosu
03:39:00 PM
Takashi blinked, his eyes opening to see, darkness. The room or place he was in was completely bare, darkness shrouding every corner of the place, only the creak of wooden floorboards being heard. There were no birds, no car engine, no light, nothing. Everywhere he turned his gaze to was a deep matte-black, light unable to surface anywhere within the space.
There was a certain unease within this space, he could feel his spine chill every time he looked around, the thought of something staring back at him from the darkness was something he wasn't going to entertain. Slowly mustering up his courage the teen began walking forward, looking for some sign of civilization or light. He walked just like that, in silence, and alone.
Flick!
The black-haired teen turned on his heel quickly, gazing up at a lone part of the space that was now lit up. There was nothing in that small space beside a hanging light bulb that barely illuminated for twenty feet, but he could hear footsteps, watching as leather riding boots appeared from the darkness, stepping into the light at full form.
It was a fair-skinned woman. She stood at a good five-foot-eleven with raven-colored hair, it was messy, a right-curving triangle fringe separating her blood-red eyes. She wore a smirk on her sharp features, the silver glint of a crucifix earring noticeable on her right ear. A pair of circular orange-tinted glasses resting upon her head, and a black choker lined her neck. She wore a long-sleeved black turtleneck and black pants, an intricately knotted cravat, and covered by a full-length red overcoat.
"Hello." She spoke, surprising the black-haired teen. The woman's voice had the same deep and alluring tone as Saeko and Aika.
Takashi shook his head, ridding himself of thoughts and fatigue. His feet felt light, no longer feeling everything from yesterday's battle, like it never even happened. The teen put his high guard up soon after, his spine chilling as he observed the woman's eyes glow, just like that priest.
"Oh? What do you think you're doing?" The crimson-eyed woman said with a smile, brushing her overcoat off. She revealed a set of magnum-like colt pistols that were strapped to her sides with a belt. One of the pistols was a sleek black with gold engravings on the side, the other a shined simple gray with the same engravings. The woman snickered, noticing the slight shift in the teen's weight and his foot moving slightly forward. "It won't work."
Takashi rushed forward, crossing halfway to the woman before feeling a punch with a crushing force on his right shoulder. His eyes narrowed as he also began feeling a hot burning sensation on the shoulder. He stopped, turning his attention to his shoulder with wide eyes. Just then a bullet went straight through his right arm, ripping the limb to shreds with explosive shrapnel. A second later he was on the floor, writhing in pain and holding his right arm, which was attached only by a few pieces of muscle, pieces of his bicep slowly peeling off and falling onto the ground with a bloody splotch.
The black-haired teen yelled violently, unable to cope with the intense burning pain that surrounded his destroyed arm. He stared as splintered pieces of bone flowed along with the blood that was spurting from his arm, causing him to scream even more.
"He shouts!" The woman laughed, biting her lip as the teen shifted his head to eye her, ferocity and rage evident in his gaze. She watched in delight at the teen's expression, feeling herself up with one of her guns as the teen continued to become angrier and angrier. She felt the rage emanating from him, it only excited her more. "I'm Alucard, and you?"
Takashi was grinding his teeth so hard the occasional scraping could be heard throughout the empty room, he stopped, gritting his teeth and slapping his non-damaged arm onto the floor. He pushed himself up at a slow pace, eventually getting back onto his feet while holding his hanging arm. Despite the unfavorable odds the teen faced his gaze remained steel, moving his foot forward slightly. He let the hanging arm drop, another strand of muscle peeling off as a result.
Alucard smiled in response, admiring the black-haired teen's persistence. She licked her lips, watching as the teen edged forward slightly, taking off towards her again with double the speed.
Takashi felt another bullet rip through the air, this time taking his damaged arm fully off, the appendage falling to the ground with a bloody thud. He ignored the added pain, letting adrenaline carry him as he made it just in front of the woman, although his advance was halted by another bullet ripping through his left leg. This time his leg was taken off completely, causing him to collapse roughly, slamming his face into the black wooden boards.
He felt it all again, the seething burning pain erupting in the stump that was now his leg, his actual leg was splayed around the room, pieces of shattered bone and cartilage painting the black walls a deep crimson. He grits his teeth once more, ignoring the pain and his bleeding nose. The teen slapped his remaining arm down on the ground once more, beginning to crawl slowly towards the woman.
"It's useless, I've told you that already, yet you still try, eh?" Alucard gazed downward, her vision landing on the teen who had just reached her booted foot. A trail of blood was left from the teen's struggle, the ground pooling with the liquid.
A few moments later the teen gripping the wooden ground hard, his breathing heavy and strength depleted. He screamed once more before pushing himself upward, using the last remaining remnants of his strength so that he could reach the woman's foot. The teen's jaw opened wide, collapsing onto the woman's boot, causing her to sigh in discomfort. She felt a slight pain, incredible due to the thickness of her boots.
"A struggler, huh?" She said, causing the teen to let up on her foot, that or he was out of strength and about to die. The woman bent down and gripped the teen's chin, causing him to unlatch from her boot. She gazed into Takashi's fierce brown gaze before lifting his chin up to her own face. "You'll do nicely, boy."
"Wha-" Takashi finally started, but soon stopped as he felt the woman's lips crash against his own.
Tokonosu
04:34:00 PM
"Wake up, everyone!" Shizuka's cheerful voice sounded, "We've made it to the other side!"
Takashi shot up in a cold sweat, colliding with a pair of fleshy pillows. He opened his eyes, looking up at Aika who stared down at him red-faced with a cold gaze. She was sitting on his lap with a rag in hand, the white cloth being slightly bloodied from the cuts the teen accumulated.
"Hold still." She said, adjusting the teen's face away from her boobs. The red-haired woman began dabbing at the teen's lip, noting the slight wince and hiss Takashi responded with. She huffed, wiping off some more blood from the teen's lip before slipping off his lap, sitting next to Serry who was snuggled against the teen's arm, fast asleep.
"How long was I out?" Takashi asked, ignoring the croak his voice made, a sign of dehydration. His voice was semi-shot from all the yelling he'd been doing, and the ache all over his body seemed to intensify at that moment. He looked down at his chest and neck, which were now wrapped in white bandages, the tattered blazer, and shirt stripped off.
"Maybe ten hours? I don't know I've lost track of time." Aika responded, rummaging around in a nearby bag and pulling a bottle of water out for the black-haired teen. He took it with a smile, downing the contents of the bottle in a few seconds. "You okay?"
"I'm alright." Takashi cleared his throat, attempting to pull his arms up, but the other one was occupied by Yumie who gripped onto it strongly, worry spread throughout the sleeping blackette's visage. He sighed, looking over to Rei and Saeko who were passed out against the window seats. The teen waited a few more moments before shifting himself, opting to shake both the girls on his arms slightly, rousing them gently from their sleep.
"Good morn- afternoon? Noon? I don't fuckin' know." The black-haired teen said softly, smiling at the two women. "We gotta get out, we're on the other side of the bridge."
They nodded sleepily, unlatching themselves from Takashi and following Aika outside the Humvee. He followed soon after, ignoring the glare from Rei and challenging stare from Saeko. As soon as the teen stepped out he was met with a bright sun and a green hill in front of him, surrounded by two bridges. He turned, looking over the river to see several large apartment buildings, some were on fire, probably devoid of residents. He yawned, stretching himself out before walking to the front of the Humvee in time to see Kohta hopping off the vehicle with Alice in toe.
"Big brother! You're awake!" Alice cheered, running over to the battered teen and hugging him. Takashi returned the hug with a smile, watching as Kohta came over to the two.
"Yo! Glad to have you back in the fight again." He said, coming over and exchanging a high five with the black-haired teen. "Thought you weren't gonna pull through for a second there."
"I sure am awake," Takashi responded, scratching the back of his head. He didn't exactly get out of the fight unscathed. "And I promised to stay in the fight until we lay them to rest."
"Alice! Come over and get changed with us," Rei shouted from behind the Humvee, interrupting the two boys' conversation. "And you two, peek and you're both dead!"
"Better get going, kid," Takashi said as he pat the pink-haired girl's head. She smiled at him happily, nodding then running off with Zeke to the back of the Humvee.
"So, what happened?" Kohta asked seriously, gazing at the taller teen's bandages. Takashi shook his head to the chubby teen, rubbing his neck awkwardly.
"I have no idea. As soon as we got into the yard and cleared it of 'Them' blood started flying from the group that was outside, I told Yumie to take Alice and run, and then the next thing I know something barrels into me." Takashi responded, carrying the same serious tone Kohta harbored. "He was strong, but he wasn't a human, he looked like one, talked like one, but instead of showing hospitality he just straight-up wanted to kill us."
"What?"
"Like I said man I've got the slightest clue what I fought yesterday, he said he was a vampire, but c'mon seriously? A fucking vampire?" Takashi asked humorously, shaking his head at the thought. He looked back up at Kohta, his gaze was stern towards the ground, lost in deep thought. "Right? A vampire in the world! No way those fucking things would exist."
"Well," Kohta started, stopping his own train of thought. "The zombie apocalypse is literally happening right now, something kind of impossible if you would ask me." There was no sign of humor in the chubby teen's voice, causing Takashi's mood to shift.
"We need to find somewhere safe fast," Takashi sighed, watching as the chubby teen produced the same riot shotgun Rika had at her house. Kohta simply shrugged, handing the weapon over to Takashi, who looked over it for a good while. "If we have to fight fucking vampires I doubt my hands, and your bullets will do much against hundreds of them."
"Roger that," Kohta said. He stopped for a second, watching as Takashi mulled over the weapon. The chubby teen sighed, taking the time to quickly run over the basics of the weapon with the taller teen, Takashi eventually gaining a decent understanding in a few moments of explanation. "But you should keep in mind the recoil is strong."
"If I have to I'll use it as a bat." Takashi shrugged. All this gun talk was getting to his head, after all, Tajima was usually the one to blabber about guns all day, that and women. 'Wonder how he's holding up.' The teen thought, ignoring the chastising from Kohta about using a weapon as a club. He walked past the chubby teen, only getting a few steps before hearing the familiar calling of Alice.
"Big brother!"
Takashi sighed out, causing Kohta to step to the side of him, the chubby teen stepping back with a gasp soon after. The sight before the two teens was honestly a godsend, morale between the two teen's being boosted the more they stared. The girls had finished changing.
Aika was now dressed in a black turtleneck, a white knee-length skirt to complement it, and a pair of black tennis shoes. Her usual ponytail is gone, leaving her long red hair to flow freely. Rei, much like her sister, was wearing a skirt that was slightly shorter with a green square pattern, she was wearing her uniform shirt with a gun harness lining her chest. The brunette was also wearing a pair of white fingerless gloves with knee braces on, a large rifle hung from the harness on her chest.
Saeko was clad in her uniform shirt, the top three buttons released and the sleeves cut-off. She also wears a short leather skirt that has a slit on the left side along with a pair of purple stockings and a pair of shin high-stringed boots.
Yumie chose to wear a pair of gray tight-fitting sweatpants, she also wears a black tank top which shows her toned stomach. The blackette also wears a pair of white sneakers, slightly reddened due to the dried blood on them.
Saya wore a white long-sleeved collared shirt that was missing four buttons, this showing her green tank top and cleavage. She also had on her knee-length uniform skirt with a pair of high socks, matching her white sneakers.
Serry was wearing a pair of camouflage joggers, a tight-fitting black shirt that was tucked into her pants, a pair of black sneakers, and a grey zip-up hoodie to top it off.
Shizuka wore the white shirt she had the previous night, whining as she tried to button up the shirt. She was also wearing a yellow dress with open squares on it, and a pair of brown shoes. Alice had on her clothes from the previous night.
"Mama!" Kohta blurted out, specifically staring at Saya. This caused the pinkette's nose to flare, her golden eyes shooting a deathly glare at the chubby boy.
"Dude!" Takashi laughed, although he himself was guilty of staring, his gaze mainly focused on Yumie and Serry. Zeke barked, seemingly surprised himself at the girls' outfits. "I feel you, Zeke."
"What? Got a problem?" Rei spoke, causing Takashi to cough.
"No, it just suits you…do you know how to shoot that thing?"
"Hirano can show me how. If not, I can just use it like a spear." She responded.
"I can gladly show you how!" Kohta chimed in. "You may notice the military-use bayonet device."
"We're going up in the Humvee, you two see if it's safe!" Saya ordered, gaining the attention of the boys.
…
Takashi and Kohta raced up the embankment after exchanging a nod, their weapons drawn and chambered. As soon as the two teens stepped onto the road their backs collided, seemingly in sync.
"Clear!" Kohta shouted. There was no sign of 'Them' just a few scattered bodies along the road and a block of abandoned white apartment buildings.
Takashi shrugged, walking down the road a few steps in time to see the Humvee fly up the embankment, almost flattening poor Kohta who rolled out of the way in time. Soon after the Humvee landed the rest of the group stepped up the hill, all catching their breaths.
"You, okay?" Takashi said warily, walking over to the squatted-down Kohta and patting his back. The teen was muttering things, gibberish at that.
"It's the zombie apocalypse, and I almost died to an Asian driver."
"There, there," Takashi responded, patting the teen's back a few more times before standing him up. "She ain't mean it."
"It doesn't look like they tried to block the river," Saya spoke, grimly observing a crashed black sedan, blood splattered all over the small car.
"As the news broadcast said, It's like this all throughout the world." Yumie chimed in. The blackette walked over to Takashi and handed him a black shirt, the teen nodding thanks and slipping the article of clothing on. "We had to get rid of your old clothes, sorry about that."
"It's alright." The black-haired teen responded quietly, a small sad smile gracing his face. The gakuran blazer was more than a piece of clothing, it was something that connected him to that school, something that connected him to his fallen friends. He knew it had been stripped away from him, remembering the tatters of cloth due to the vampire's attacks.
"I'm sure there are some police officers left!" Rei said, shaking Takashi from his thoughts.
"Right. Japanese officers are all about their work," Aika responded, her voice hopeful. "Dad probably is helping out around here as we speak."
"What do we do now?" Shizuka said from the driver's seat.
"Don't you live in chrome-2, Saya?" Takashi questioned.
"Yeah."
"Then Saya's house is the closest," Takashi said. "But don't get your hopes up, just saying."
Saya formed a small saddened smile, "Yeah, I know, but I still want to see."
"Of course you do, knowing your dad and mom they've probably already made good progress in securing the neighborhood," Takashi responded, returning a smile to the pinkette.
…
The Humvee flew down the road, everyone filed in and comfortable, besides Yumie, Takashi, and Rei who took seats on the roof's back edge. Cherry blossoms were blowing through the wind as they passed by a motorcycle shop, Yumie recognizing the gasps from inside the Humvee, probably Alice eyeing the large motorcycles on standby in front of the shop.
Takashi simply gazes up at the sky, uninterested in his surroundings. Yumie poked the teen in the side, her bright grinning face and violet eyes greeting the teen as he looked down at her.
"What's wrong? You seem so spaced out, Taka."
"There's no planes or helicopters around, even though there were shit tons yesterday."
"Just think of it this way, we haven't seen a single one of Them since last night." Rei chimed in with a smile, slightly boosting the black-haired teen's spirit.
"The wind feels amazing!" Yumie shouted, her slightly curled hair flowing in the wind, the sun shining brightly on her face.
Takashi focused his gaze on the blackette, a tinge of red dusting his cheeks, he choked out a laugh. 'Fuck, she's beautiful.' He thought, quickly shaking his head and palming his cheeks. The warmth of the sun and cool breeze almost makes the three teens forget they're in the apocalypse, but like all good things in the world, they come to an end eventually.
"It's Them!" Kohta shouts, "Ahead and to the right! Distance: 300 meters!"
Takashi snarled anger he didn't realize he was holding onto surfacing in a matter of seconds.
"Turn right!" Saya commanded.
"Okay!"
The Humvee drifted into another street, revealing more of Them even more densely packed than before.
"They're here too!"
"Then turn left! Left!" Saya orders.
"We're seeing more of Them the closer we get to chrome-2," Rei cursed. "There's got to be a reason why!"
"Knock them out of the way!" Saya gives a final order, Shizuka releasing a war cry in response.
Takashi turned, forcing the other two girls to follow his lead. The black-haired teen tightened his grip around Yumie, his body covering the blackette's while Rei cuddled against the teen. A body flew over the three teens soon after, Takashi watching as its lifeless eyes trailed onto him then quickly disappeared from his sight.
Smack! Thud!
"No!" Rei shouts, "Stop! Stop the fuckin' car!"
"A wire is affixed to the walls!" Saeko yells. "Turn the car to the side!"
The Humvee slid into the wire, crashing against a few of Them who are all beheaded and dismembered due to the wire, fresh gore spraying all over the side of the car. The Humvee, however, doesn't stop, continuing to go forward—towards a wall.
"It won't stop!" Shizuka yells in a panic.
"The tires are locked!" Kohta shouted in response, "Just ease up a little on the brake and step on the gas!"
"The front!" Takashi screams, almost falling off the Humvee due to the car accelerating even faster towards the wall, although the teen caught himself, holding Yumie even tighter.
The Humvee suddenly stops dead in its tracks, sending Rei flying off. The black-haired teen tried to grab her hand, only missing it by an inch, but she's too far away.
CRACK!
The brunette's back collided with the bumper before she does an unintentional front flip, landing on her back on the concrete. She screamed in agony, a flaring in her back alerting the brunette to the damage.
"Stay on the Humvee, Yumie!" Takashi shouted, his feet colliding with the pavement before the blackette could respond, he ran in front of Rei, slamming his shoulder into one of Them who was attempting to lunge at the downed woman. The zombie slammed against the concrete wall next to Rei, attempting to stand only to be met with a shotgun blast, ending it for good.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Takashi shifted himself to face the crowd of undead, watching as Kohta popped up from the Humvee's hatch, already opening fire on the crowd, one bullet for one zombie. Takashi shouldered the shotgun, pulling the slide and then the trigger. The gun went off, hitting five but only killing one.
"What the fuck! Isn't this thing supposed to spread!?"
"Aim for the chest, Takashi! The recoil of the gun will cause you to hit higher than you aim, so steady yourself and pay attention!" Kohta yelled in response.
Takashi did as the chubby teen said, steadying himself then pulling the trigger once more, this time killing three zombies at once and knocking several off their feet.
"Good!" Takashi growled, pulling the trigger and sliding in quick succession, cutting down a large amount of Them within moments. This impressed Kohta slightly, watching as the black-haired teen smiled devilishly after splattering another five zombies brains across the street.
Click!
Yumie quickly peeked into the hatch, gazing at a terrified Alice. The little girl has tears brimming within her eyes, looking up at the blackette.
"Hand me that bokken, Alice!" The blackette asked, holding out her hand to the small girl. She complied, scrambling for the black wooden sword and handing it over to the black-haired girl. The blackette disappeared from the hatch within a millisecond and leaped into the fray.
"Yumie! What are you doing?! There's too many to fight without a gun!" Takashi shouted, watching as the blackette ran to his side, slamming her bokken in quick succession against three heads.
"Focus on Rei!" She shouted in response.
"We'll help!" Serry, Aika, and Saeko shouted. They all filed out of the Humvee, beginning to battle it out against Them as well.
All of the teens stopped for a second, hearing Takashi shouting violently, time seemed to freeze for a second as Yumie, Saeko, Rei, Aika, and Kohta all watched the black-haired teen quickly slam his shotgun stock against the ground, using it as a stand before sending his foot down onto the scope. The red dot sight of the shotgun flung off, the glass on the reticle. Afterward, the teen raised the weapon once more, using the iron-sight of the weapon to send more shells downrange.
"Takashi, that was such a cool scope!" Kohta whined loudly, taking his frustration out on a few of Them that attempted to flank Serry. The whitette slammed her crowbar into several heads with heavy breaths.
The crowd of Them seemed to grow larger by the second, all approaching with a hunger towards the group.
"Crap!" Takashi yelled, running directly next to Rei after losing all of his shotgun shells. He looked onto the brunette, an apologetic look crossing his face before he snatched her gun roughly, using her chest to balance it.
"What about this one!" Takashi shouted as he watched Aika slam her foot in a roundhouse kick against one of Them launching it into another one of its undead mates. The red-haired girl was holding up nicely, her wrench however had seen better days.
Kohta began sputtering off instructions and within a few moments, Takashi had cocked the gun slide back, firing into the crowd of zombies with medium accuracy. He managed to pick off a lot of the closer zombies, buying the small group a minute or two.
"The shells are by your foot! Remember what I said about the gun!" Kohta shouted. Serry looked up to see Takagi with Takashi's old shotgun, popping a few shells into it before firing into the crowd of zombies, the recoil causing the pinkette's whole body to shake.
"My magazine!" Kohta yelled, watching as the large mag of his rifle fell from under him. "Someone please get me more from the back!" Alice complied, crawling into the back of the Humvee with Zeke and grabbing the mags, she handed them to Kohta with a more terrified face, causing the chubby teen's eyes to narrow after thanking the girl. "I'll kill 'em all!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The fight drags on, causing everyone to lose hope. Takashi pulled the trigger a few more times before hearing another click! They all shout in frustration, fatigue setting in for all of the members of the group. Everyone is breathing heavily, exhausted from constantly moving and dodging hungry hands.
"Upsidaisy," Kohta says, causing Takashi to look at him. He was hoisting Alice over the wire, smiling at the girl.
"Kohta?" She questioned, her voice cracking.
"You jump over the fence to the other side, okay?"
"What about everyone else?"
"We're gonna be right behind you."
"That's a lie!" The girl screamed, tearing escaping her golden eyes. "My daddy said the same thing before he died! I don't want to be alone, I wanna stay with my big sister and big brother, and Kohta and everyone! Don't leave me alone, PLEASE!"
Takashi grimaced, feeling his face heat up again, his body flare. The teen's eyes flashed slightly red for a second, causing him to shake himself quickly. He didn't know what it was, only that his vision had a tint of red before going back to normal. He watched as Zeke jumped from the Humvee, running at the crowd of zombies and sinking his teeth into an undead's ankle, hopelessly trying to do some damage.
"Big brother! You can do it, can't you?! Beat them all up like you did that evil man!" Alice shouted at Takashi, causing him to stand instinctively.
"Zeke!" Takashi shouted, causing the small white pup to whine, he came running back towards the group and jumped into the arms of Aika who had just finished slamming her wrench against another one of Them.
The black-haired teen walked towards Saya, catching the shotgun in her hands before she went to charge the crowd of zombies. He gave her a simple uninterested look, snatching up the gun into his hands and waltzing forward, directly in front of the horde.
"Hey-!"
"Takashi!? What are you doing?!" Aika demanded.
"Let a man do his thing," Takashi responded. "Everyone stay quiet or what I'll be doing won't work."
Within a split second the black-haired teen lunged forward in a sprint, slamming his shoulder into the nearest one of Them, sending it flying into another group of zombies and making them fall backward.
"Right behind you! Takashi!" Yumie shouted, also barreling into the horde, followed closely by Serry who quickly dispatched the zombies in their way.
The three teens pushed through the horde, slamming their weapons against any object and zombie that was nearby, attempting to create as much noise as possible. Once they arrived on the other side of the horde Yumie slammed her bokken against a nearby light pole, a loud clang being heard throughout the underpass. Takashi scraped the butt of the shotgun against the wall, creating even more loud scraping that attracted more of Them to the group. They quickly scaled a nearby staircase, hopping over a guard railing and onto higher ground.
Takashi watched as a few stubborn undead continued to walk towards the Humvee, "God fuckin' dammit! I said come here, you bastards!" He shouted, fresh rage brewing as he struck a nearby railing with the end of his gun.
CLANG!
"Everyone, get down!" A voice boomed.
Takashi watched as several people dressed in firefighter uniforms rushed onto the scene, using several high-powered water hoses and air canon to dispatch a large majority of Them.
"They're gonna be alright." Serry breathed, wiping the sweat from her face.
"Fuckin' thank God." Yumie sighed.
The three watched as one of the suited people put their foot down on the wiring, allowing the group of people to walk through and assist the injured Rei through the gap.
"Unfortunately, we aren't alright." Takashi sighed, watching as several zombies limped around aimlessly under the staircase. The likely hood of them charging back over to the group was slim, and Takashi started to feel his chest burn, signifying his wounds may be re-opened.
"Yeah, I doubt there's gonna be more help than there already is." Serry continues. "Although It's good to stay positive I suppose."
"We know our way around here," Yumie chipped in, "Come on, you two."
…
"Kohta," Alice whined, holding onto the chubby teen as she watched Yumie, Serry, and Takashi disappear from eyesight away from the stairs. The chubby teen simply laid a hand on the pink-haired girl's head, ruffling her hair slightly with a smile.
"Your big sisters are strong, and your big brother is the strongest guy I know, they'll be back, don't worry."
The two watched as Saya ran forward, shouting in the direction in which they had last seen the three teens. "We'll be waiting!" she shouted.
Middle of the street, Tokonosu
05:35:00 PM
Takashi, Yumie, and Serry all breathed heavily, trying to keep quiet as they lean up against a brick wall. Down the road was a large group of Them shambling about. A single one of Them was separated from the group, gazing upon the bigger group with glowing purple eyes.
"They're here too," Takashi whispered, ignoring the odd-one-out that simply stared at the crowd of zombies from afar, the thing didn't seem to notice the group so there was no reason to provoke it.
"I don't think we'll be able to make it back to chrome-2," Yumie stated.
"Let's go back the way we came. There were none of Them on the way here." Serry chimed in, causing the three teens to disperse from the wall and head back towards the river. The group headed down a narrow ally and emerged onto a blood-stained road, completely bare of any form of life. They continued down the road before stopping at the motorcycle shop they had previously driven past.
The shop was empty, with no sign of life roaming around in the different sections of the building. Motorcycles of all different kinds sat propped up, and there were shelves full of biker clothing and jackets. There are manikins lining the display windows, dressed in leather clothing.
"I'll look for something we can drive," Takashi spoke up. "You two gather whatever you guys think we'll need for the night."
"It's like a date," Yumie stated, grabbing a nearby backpack and stuffing It full of light clothing and water bottles. Takashi looked up to see her eyes fixated on a poster of a buff biker pulled into an embrace with a beautiful blonde hour-glass figured woman. He sent her a clueless look, causing her to go back to what she was doing with a huff.
"A three-way date." Serry chimed in, causing Takashi to stifle some laughter. He was pretty sure she wasn't talking about that type of three-way, at least he had thought so.
Takashi stopped at a lone door in the shop, readying his shotgun while slowly turning the nob. He wasted no time flinging the door open and storming in, a pair of motion-activated lights turning on as he walked into the room. He whistles, causing the two girls to walk into the room after him.
In the middle of the garage room was the 'Argo Avenger 700 Series.' It had the body of a four-wheeler, however, the front seat was long and black, connecting the driver's seat to the passengers. There wasn't a backseat; instead, the back is like a truck bed, open and deep for luggage. There were also black poles sprouting from all four corners of the vehicle.
Within an instant the three teens are flying down the road, driving towards a flight of stairs with two guardrails in between them. The teens fly down the stairs, Takashi yanking the steering wheel of the car and steering along the riverbank before coming to a stop.
"Did you even have a plan before doing this?" Yumie spoke, watching as several of Them followed soon after, all falling roughly down the concrete stairs, some smashing their heads against the pavement, and some simply getting back up after tumbling down the staircase.
"Nope," Takashi breathes. "In that case."
Yumie and Serry watched as the black-haired teen stepped on the gas once more, racing towards a group of Them.
"What are you doing? Takashi!" Serry demanded.
"This thing's amphibious!" He shouted in response.
Serry's eyes widen as the teen jerks the steering wheel to the left, causing them to splash into the river, water filling up the back and making the two girls slip.
Splash!
"Shoot!" Takashi shouted, eyes narrowing and turning quickly to apologize to the girls. "You girls o-kay?"
The teen stopped dead in his tracks, his own eyes widening. Serry and Yumie's shirt and tank top clung to each of the girl's bodies amazingly, their nipples visible due to the girls forgetting to grab spare bras back at Rika's place. The two women's faces heated up, a tinge of pink spreading to both of their cheeks while they both attempted to cover their chests.
Ack!
"Fuckin' serious!" Yumie shouted, her gaze affixed to Takashi who was unable to take his gaze off the two women.
"Quit staring!" Serry shouted.
"My bad," Takashi responded quietly, his face heating up as he continued to gaze upon the women.
"We are girls, you know," Yumie spoke up, sitting back and turning herself to watch the zombies wander aimlessly on the embankment of the river.
"Sorry." Takashi finished, sounding slightly shameful.
The teen's argument went silent for a few moments, the occasional sound of water wading filling their ears. The infected on the embankment eventually grew uninterested in waiting, choosing to wander off rather than sitting around for longer.
Takashi leaned back in the driver's seat, a long tired sigh erupting from the teen moments later. He was exhausted, the burning in his chest had been a quick taste of fatigue, but it was gone now. Serry leaned against the back of the black-haired teen's chair while Yumie climbed over into the passenger's seat.
"It's not admirable for a young guy like you to be sighing," Serry spoke. Surprising the black-haired teen who had just shut his eyes. Yumie simply dozed off in the passenger seat, her eyes narrowed into slits as she observed the sky and its orange hue, large puffy clouds overhead.
"Huh?!"
"Keep your voice down, Takashi."
The teen nodded, watching as the whitette cracked a small smile. They were headed to a small sandbank in the middle of the river, a few green plants dusting the surface of the small island.
…
"Good idea to use the sandbank," Yumie said, stepping out of the avenger and stretching.
"Yeah," Takashi responded, watching as several smoke clouds flew up from the other side of the river. "I remember not being able to play here because of the water being too fast, thought it would be alright for a resting area."
"I'll take first watch if you two want to get some rest."
Achoo!
Yumie shook her head, a small frown dusting her face as she held her body, trying to keep some warmth retained. She was freezing, the water and wind only being two contributing factors.
"My bad." She said, sneezing once more. "I'm just really cold."
Without a second thought, Takashi took the shirt he was wearing off, handing it over to Yumie before digging into the backpack he'd brought along, fishing out a black tank top as well. He looked up to Serry, the woman had dug her fingers into her arms, a forced smile upon her clearly uncomfortable face.
"You're shit at hiding discomfort." He reprimanded.
"Am I really?"
"Yes." Yumie chimed in, watching as the whitette's teeth chattered for a split second.
The girl choked out a chattery laugh before being handed the tank top, Takashi producing a small dry hoodie for each of the girls. He handed them out before turning and walking towards the shore of the bank.
The teen listened in as the sounds of small waves colliding with the bank surrounded him, also the gradual sound of skin gliding across the cloth. He was holding his face, a tinge of red dusting his face. He wanted to peek, at least get one glance, but he knew that would be the end for him in that single second of bliss.
"You can turn around now." Yumie voiced, causing Takashi to turn. He smiled, seeing as the two girls were no longer shaking.
"Whoa." He said, causing the two women to stare at him. "You two look good."
"And so do you," Serry responded, pointing towards the shirtless teen. The bandages that had been wrapped around him that morning had gotten slightly wet, causing the outlines of the teen's abs to show. His arms weren't massive, but they were quite defined, just like the rest of his torso.
"You gonna be okay? I don't think we brought any men's clothes."
"I'll be fine. We'll just pick something up on the way if worst comes to worst."
"You sure? Takashi." Yumie said, causing Takashi to look at her with a small smile.
"Yeah. I'm fine, don't worry about me." Takashi responded, causing the two women to nod. A thought crossed the black-haired teen's mind, causing him to blurt it out. "Is there anyone you guys like?"
"Like? As in love?" Yumie spoke up first, she simply shrugged. 'You, dumb ass.' She thought although she'd never say it.
"Yeah, I just thought, uh."
"Yeah." Serry cut him off, staring up at the sky. "There is a guy I like, although I doubt he'd ever realize it." Yumie shared the same thoughts, a small nod being exchanged between the two women.
"Yeah. He is quite clueless isn't he?"
Takashi deflated slightly, he wasn't upset with the revelations, at least he thought so. He was surprised at the two women's comments though, seemingly linked to the same dude. Another thought crossed his mind, one of slight jealousy, he shifted it out without an extra thought. He wasn't that type of person.
…
The avenger flew down the dimly lit roads of Tokonosu, crashing into a few of Them as they weaved throughout the streets.
"There's so many, we'll have to stop somewhere like the sandbank again if this keeps up," Yumie shouted over the loud engine of the car.
"We'll have to get rid of Them and this piece of shit then!" Takashi responded, drifting into another section of the road. He sped forward, passing through the gates of the park he'd made that promise with Rei at. Suddenly the avenger was lifted from the ground, crashing into the grand fountain situated in the middle of the area.
"I get it you're a guy, but quit getting me wet!" Serry shouted at the black-haired teen.
"Sicko hobby you got there, Takashi." Yumie joked.
"Get the tape out of the backpack!" He demanded, holding out one hand. A moment later a roll of yellow scotch tape was in his hand and he went to work, taping the avenger's throttle to continuously accelerate, creating a whole range of sounds.
"They're about to encase the fountain!" Yumie shouted, readying herself.
"Head for the east exit, we'll end up right behind Saya's house!" Takashi responded, quickly standing and hopping out of the car. The teens hopped out of the truck, Takashi watching as the blackette and whitette instantly got to work, flinging zombies left and right with their weapons. He watched as Yumie caused an undead to pause as she held her bokken against its throat, soon after slamming the wooden sword into the things temple.
"Holy shit." He said, running after the two women who were up ahead.
Yumie paused, causing Serry and Takashi to be distracted from their assault. The two watched as the blackette looked down in a panic at two children, both turned. Takashi grit his teeth, pulling Serry by the arm as she sat frozen watching her friend. He quickly gained momentum and stopped in front of the blackette, slamming a low roundhouse into the zombie's heads. They both flung, toppling over each other.
"Run!" Takashi snarled. Also taking Yumie by the hand and running with the two shocked women.
…
They ran down the street as far as their aching legs could take them, eventually coming out to a set of steps. The teens quickly scaled up the stairs, coming up to a beautiful local shrine. It was well-kept and groomed, the main shrine temple doors ajar slightly.
"Come on, we can stay here for the night," Takashi said, still continuing to hold the girl's hands. He walked forward towards the open doors, only to feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He pushed both of the girls he was leading back, both of them landing roughly in the courtyard.
"Takashi! What the fuck!?" Serry shouted at him, ignoring the frozen black-haired teen and scooting over to Yumie.
"W-why," Yumie spoke quietly, still shocked from the events prior.
Takashi watched as two shadows emerged from the temple doors, glowing crimson eyes being the only noticeable features about the silhouettes. He simply watched for a few seconds, unable to bring himself to move.
A pair of tall men then came out from the shadows, both pale and wearing orange jumpsuits. Their faces were twisted into devilish grins as they eyed the teen and girls behind him.
"Food!" One shouted, his voice raspy and wet. Takashi noticed blood dripping from the man's mouth, his gaze focusing on a woman's deceased body laying out on the temple's front steps.
"Oooh!" The other smirked, taking a small knife that the other man handed him. Without a second to lose they charged at Takashi, reaching the teen within a millisecond. He rolled out of the way, holding up the shotgun instinctively as the small knife pierced through the stock of the gun. Takashi used the opportunity to yank the shotgun away, taking the knife with it. He squared his feet off as the two men attempted to throw a punch at him, only for one of them to catch a shotgun blast to the chest. Blowing a large-sized hole into the man's body and jumpsuit, causing him to fall backward onto the concrete hard.
Takashi fell backward purposely, attempting to chamber another shell. This time unable to pull it off, the non-injured man slammed his fist into the teen's stomach, further amplifying the impact of him falling.
THUD!
"Ack!"
Yumie sat watching, her eyes widened as she watched Takashi fall and be punched into the concrete, the teen spitting up a large wad of blood after landing. There was no room for rest, the larger pale man ripping the weapon from the teen's grasp and battering him, sending punch after punch into the teen's body and face. All the black-haired teen could do was keep a guard up, but the previous injuries he had sustained on his forearms were coming back to bite him. The sharp pain and shock of each punch are felt through every fiber of the teen's being.
Serry was on the man in a heartbeat, slamming her crowbar into the temple of the attacker. Only he simply shrugged the woman's attack off, glaring at her with a smile. He stood, slamming his fist into the woman's face soon after. She fell backward, instantly falling unconscious due to the punch. The blackette watched this happen, the woman screaming at the top of her lungs in an uncontrollable rage.
"YOU BASTARD!"
She didn't stand immediately, only bracing herself and charging the man a few seconds later. He readied himself, the smile returning as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small pistol and aiming it at the woman. Although she didn't stop, continuing to run at the man, bokken drawn.
…
Takashi lay on the ground battered, spitting up bits of blood. Watching as the man's hands collided with his arms, legs, chest, and just about anything the vampire could strike. Every single blow felt like he was being hit by a car, the initial one that slammed him into the ground being the hardest. He closed his eyes, feeling slightly lighter than before.
Just then he felt the attacks halt, watching as Serry attempted to damage the man, only for her attack to be shrugged off and cast aside. The whitette caught an overhand punch from the man, it knocked her unconscious immediately. His eyes narrowed dangerously, body flaring once more, but it all faded. Takashi's consciousness gave way to a familiar dark room, a single hanging light in the middle of it.
...
"You return." A familiar voice spoke, he turned, watching as the woman known as 'Alucard' stepped into the middle of the light once more. She smiled, looking over the teen as he barely held himself together, wobbling back and forth slightly before steadying for a few seconds.
"It seems you're in a predicament."
Takashi nodded slowly, his left eye closed due to the damage he had sustained while fighting the men. He wobbled forward once again, this time falling face first in front of the woman. She simply shrugged, sitting down near him and pulling the teen into her lap.
"I can assist you, at a price of course."
Takashi stared curiously into the crimson-eyed woman, seeing there was no sign of ill intentions coming from her. The teen nodded once more, unable to form words. He was seething, the same image of Serry unconscious on the ground, a tiny speck of blood in her white hair. The teen gripped his arm, tearing into it with his nails in a silent rage.
"It's only for a few moments, I cannot give you the full power through only your consciousness."
"I only need your name, boy."
"Takashi Komuro." He seethed.
"Good," Alucard said. She stared down at him with a smirk, opening her mouth wide and raising her hand up to it. She bit down onto the limb, separating flesh from muscle, blood dripping heavily. She forced the teen's mouth open with little resistance, watching as the teen's mouth filled with her blood. The woman watched as his eyes changed from a honey brown color to a darker bloody red.
"Now, slaughter."
…
Yumie stopped halfway to the man when she felt a bullet whiz past her, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited to feel the impact. Although there was no pain, nothing, not even a little tap on the shoulder. The bullet had missed.
She looked around to see the other man, his lifeless eyes gazing at her form as he sat in a pool of his own blood.
Crack!
The blackette's gaze shot up, expecting to see the man in the jumpsuit still pointing his weapon at her. She collapsed to her knees when that wasn't what she saw, instead she saw Takashi. The black-haired teen was now standing, his face contorted in rage, and neck veins bulging as his jaws clamped down onto the neck of the man. She watched for a few seconds as the man's face went from a gleeful smirk to a look of desperation and panic.
Takashi raised the man in the air with his jaw, not using anything else. He continued to clamp down on the man's neck, feeling as the skin on his neck rippled and gave way, letting blood flow into the teen's throat. A second later Takashi let out a muffled scream, increasing his bite pressure on the man's neck until another loud Crack! Resounded throughout the courtyard.
Yumie watched as the man's body went limp, falling out from the black-haired teen's mouth. She looked up at Takashi only to meet his gaze, except there was something off about the boy. She noticed the change in eye color and serration in his teeth, it was like he had the jaws of a shark somehow. It didn't scare her completely, mostly because the teen simply ignored her, staring at the man's lifeless body instead.
"Takashi?" The blackette spoke up.
The teen locked eyes with her, only giving the gaze a few seconds before walking over to Serry and picking her up. He slung her over his shoulder, walking over to Yumie with an impassive gaze and taking her by the hand, she showed little resistance as he led her into the shrine, closing the doors behind them.
To Be Continued
Q/A: Are Aika and Serry OC's?
Yep, Aika and Serry are two of many OC's to be introduced to the story, although they are main characters so that puts them above the rest.
A/N: Yo! Hope you enjoyed chapter five, things are heating up and new elements of the story are being introduced. As always thank you for taking the time out of your days to read my work, and if you would share, review, and or leave a suggestion it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!