Natsu's body started to shake as his brain replayed the last few scenes in his dreams. He began to sweat and his breathing became unsteady. Natsu's eyes opened abruptly and he gasped, trying to relax himself. His eyes began to adjust to his surroundings, as his breathing calmed. He groaned, he hated waking up, but he knew if he didn't get out of bed at some point, an angry red haired woman would be at his door.
It was Friday, or at least he thought it was. The calendar on the wall showed that it should be mid November. But as of late, the days mixed together. Raising out of bed, Natsu grabbed his garments, quickly tossing them on. They smelled of dirt and burned wood from last nights' bonfire. A smile formed on his face, remembering the night before. The laughter, the jokes, and everyone he loved around him.
Natsu exhaled happily and looked at the analog clock that sat on the nearby desk. He rolled his eyes. How is he always late for breakfast? He's lucky to get there on time once a week. Natsu quickly pulled himself to his feet and slid his shoes on before heading out the door.
The streets in the base were usually filled with people, however today seemed different. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, maybe his mind had been playing tricks on him. He shook his head and continued making his way to the tables where the group had held their meals. As he walked a woman called to him, "Natsu!"
His head turned behind him. A woman with bright white hair ran up to him, "Hey Lis, where is everyone?"
"You missed breakfast, It's about 9. Everyone is off doing their jobs for the day already." She replied as she held out a can to him. "However, being your girlfriend, I made sure to grab you some canned fruit. It was all Mira had."
Natsu reluctantly took the can and kissed Lisanna. "You're the best. I better check how the truck is. Erza had said last night it needed some looking at. Where are you today?"
Lisanna smiled, "I'll be with Levy and a few other girls. I'm on wash duty today, so I grabbed a few of your clothes from the bedroom. Make sure you eat, don't need you passing out like you did last week."
"Thanks, Lis. I'll eat, don't worry. See you at home." Natsu praised her as he took off towards Erza's garage. As he walked, the street started to fill with familiar faces. He waved to his best friend Gray, who was distracted by his woman. Natsu grunted, he hated being ignored, but he understood how it was when a beautiful woman had her eyes on him.
It was a short distance to Erza's place. He was grateful that their houses were all close together. It made walks much easier than having to drive everywhere. He sauntered up to her door, lightly hitting his knuckles against it. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a man with a tattoo on his face. "Hey Natsu, what's up? How are you?"
"Hey Jellal," Natsu greeted the man. "Is Erza back from breakfast? She had said last night that the truck was acting up. Wanted me to check on it today before we head into town."
"I'm good. Thanks for asking. Come in." Jellal said as he opened the door fully, allowing Natsu to enter the house. He nodded and stepped through the door. He examined the house which was always super clean. Natsu didn't expect any less from the woman he grew up with. However, he knew that he wasn't here to admire her home. Natsu continued through the home and down to the garage door.
He opened it to find the scarlet haired woman kicking the truck's front tire. Natsu stared at the scene in front of him, yet he couldn't help but laugh at her. Erza gazed his way, giving him the stink eye, "I called you here to look at my truck, not laugh at my frustration."
"Yeah, yeah, just tell me what's going on." Natsu said as he strolled up to her.
"It started fine yesterday, but after I tried to start it again for the second time to get back here, the damn thing wouldn't start." Erza whined as she crossed her arms. "I'm lucky I wasn't outside the gate. Gray and Gajeel were able to help me push it back here."
"Sounds like it could either be your battery or your alternator." Natsu said, "The best way to tell would be to jump start your truck. Give the battery a quick charge. If it doesn't start after that, then we'd have to find you a new truck"
Erza sighed, "Then let's pray that I'll only need a new battery. I love this truck too much to let it go."
"Right...I'll bring my car around front, I've got some jumper cables. Have Jellal help you push the truck into the driveway if possible. I'll be back." Natsu explained as he opened the garage door.
He headed out back into the street once more. He exhaled slowly and placed his hands in his pockets. Natsu's mind drifted, he had been doing stuff like this for as long as he could remember. Always helping others with a free hand. However, he couldn't complain now. It's not like he had much of a choice nowadays.
He drew closer to the place he called home. Wasn't exactly a home he grew up in, but for the last year or so it was his home and was better than nothing. As he reached the door, it opened with ease. As he walked through, he found laundry sitting on the couch.
"Lisanna? Babe, are you home?" Natsu called out.
"In the kitchen!" Her voice yelled back. As Natsu rounded the corner, he saw her sorting clothes at the dining table. Lisanna looked back at him with a smile spread across her face. "Hey, welcome home. Are you back for long?"
"No, unfortunately not. Came to grab my keys because I gotta check out Erza's battery. Do you know where my jumper cables are?" Natsu asked as he started searching through the big duffle bag that sat on the floor.
Lisanna left the room and returned moments later. In her hands were his red and black cables. Natsu put his hands around her waist. "You're honestly the best. I'd be absolutely lost without you."
She giggled as she handed over his cables. "Alright, alright. Let me go, you dork. I gotta have these folded and put away before you dirty them up without wearing them." She lightly pushed Natsu away, laughing as she threw a folded shirt at him. "You smell awful. It's shower day for you."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be home later." Natsu scoffed as he grabbed his keys off the rack on the wall. Natsu waved to her and proceeded to head out the door to his vehicle. It was a small car and he was lucky he got to keep his vehicle through this whole thing. It was one thing he was grateful for.
He unlocked the car and started it as soon as he was settled in. Leaving the driveway and heading a few houses down. He found himself back at Erza's. He parked the car beside her truck that was now in the driveway. Natsu hopped out to greet Erza again.
"Pop the hood." He said as he went in front of her vehicle.
She reached inside the truck, pulling the small lever that released the hood. Natsu lifted it and propped it open. He connected the cables to her truck's battery, then opened his own car's hood and proceeded to hook the other end of the cables to his. Natsu re-entered his car and turned the key.
The car started and hummed as Natsu let it run. He stepped out of the car and headed back to Erza's truck. Natsu leaned on the open door, "Give it another minute or two and then start your truck."
Erza nodded and let it run. She watched as Natsu walked to the front of her car. Erza waited until she saw him stick his arm out, his hand with a thumbs up. Erza turned the key and her truck started. She smiled happily and began to giggle.
The vehicle ran smoothly and Erza jumped out the truck, running up to Natsu and wrapping her arms around him. "You're a genius! Thank you, Natsu."
"A job like that is simple, Erza. Honestly, I could do it blindfolded. But, don't get too comfortable with that. It will only last a while. Drive it around the base for a bit. Letting it sit won't be good. The engine needs to charge the battery." Natsu disconnected the cables carefully from her truck's battery and slammed the hood closed, "If we are lucky, your battery should be fine for a while; however, we should go to the auto store when we are out for our run today. Get an extra and whatever else we need."
Erza nodded, "I agree, but our group has to be small today. In and out. So most likely, You, Gray, Macao and I should be going."
"Small and simple, got it. I'm going to head back to my house, again, and grab my duffle bag. I'll need my tools for when we have to loot some cars." Natsu said, putting the hood of his car down and getting into it. After starting the car, he rolled down the window. "I'll meet you at the gates."
Erza gave him a thumbs up as she jumped in the truck driving toward the west gate. Natsu felt relieved that their base had a few blocks of ground for her to drive around with. It wouldn't be smart of her to be outside of the gates if her truck were to act up again. At least in here, she had a way of being close.
He backed out of her driveway, heading back to his house for the second time that day. Natsu always seemed to forget something. Breakfast, his tools, clean clothes. Whatever it was, he always seemed to forget. Guess with the situation they are in, they couldn't remember what day it truly was or the exact time of day it was. No one had true answers sometimes and it made him angry.
Natsu pulled into his driveway. Shutting off the vehicle, he slammed the car door behind him. Somehow needing the slight aggressiveness to cool him down. He walked up to the house, entering like usual. "Lisanna, I'm home. I'm about to go on a run. We need to get a new battery and some supplies. Shouldn't take too long." He waited for a reply, yet the house was quiet. "Lis?"
Natsu entered the kitchen, finding a note with a small box beside it. He picked up the piece of paper, reading it in his hands.
Natsu, I want to celebrate with you when you get done for the day. It should be our one year anniversary today. If our calendar reads correctly, I hope you didn't forget. See you tonight.
He placed the paper back down on the table. Grabbing the small box. He opened it, finding a silver cross inside. He took it out and clipped it around his neck. Always forgetting. It was a curse now. Natsu flipped the note over and grabbed a pen. He wrote a quick note stating he was going on a run and he would come back as soon as he could to celebrate with her.
He snagged the duffle bag and left the house. He tossed the bag in his backseat, and took off as quickly as he could. Natsu knew that they would most likely take his car. His car was always in the best condition. Whichever one they took though had a chance of being lost if something went wrong.
Reaching the gate, he came to a stop and put it in park. Natsu saw Gray and Makarov, the leader of their group, talking to the guards at the gate. He turned off the vehicle and made his way up to them. As he got closer, he was greeted by Makarov, "Ahh Natsu, just the man I'm looking for. I have to speak with you about the wall toward the south again."
"Gramps, you've got to be kidding. This is the third time this month. As long as the neighborhood to the south is always flooded, we might have a hard time keeping that wall up. The water damage isn't good for it." Natsu stated.
"Then try to find some small scrap metal while you're out. Just for a little until we can get bigger pieces. For now, please." Makarov pleaded with him.
Natsu could only agree. Afterall, the old man had treated him like a son. It was the least he could do to contribute to the group. Natsu looked to Gray, who had his arms crossed over his chest. He moved past Natsu and grabbed a bag out of his car. Gray glanced back at Natsu, "So where is Erza? She isn't one to be late."
"Beats the hell outta me. I told her to take her truck for a drive so her battery could charge a bit, but she should be done by now." Natsu replied as he took the bag out of Gray's hand. Natsu opened up the backseat of his car and threw it in for his friend. "Man, why do we always take my car when we go out for runs?"
"You know it's because you take care of this shit heap." A new voice chimed in. Both men turned, finding Macao smiling with his satchel tossed over his shoulder. He threw it in the backseat along with the other supplies, "Besides, you drive the best in bad situations."
"Yeah, whatever. I'm just a cool guy." Natsu said pridefully.
"No, you're just an idiot who has good luck." Gray remarked and walked around the car. He pointed past Macao, "Look, Erza is finally here. We can get this done before dinner."
Natsu and Macao turned their heads and waved at the woman approaching the vehicle. Natsu noticed how big the bag on her back was. He always felt like the stuff she brought along could last them a whole week. But they were never truly out for a whole week.
"Sorry I'm late. Let's head out." She paused, opening the passenger side door and throwing the bag on the floor. She turned to the guard tower. "Gajeel, prepare to open the gate!"
The guard nodded as he grabbed a rope next to him. Gajeel watched as they loaded into the car, and gave him a thumbs up when they settled in. The car hummed as Natsu pressed on the gas pedal. The gates opened and they exited the base.
The area around the base was open. To the south and east was the rest of the neighborhood that wasn't cut off from the base's walls. To the north and west were open fields and trees. Not much was able to bother them.
30 minutes north of the base was a small town. The biggest store in the town was a supermarket that wasn't totally looted; however, most of the items were either spoiled or expired in the last year. It was unfortunate, but it was the way things were that they had to learn how to garden and grow their own food.
The drive was quiet and it usually was. When they needed to make small runs, it had always been Natsu, Erza, Gray and Macao. They were quick and knew their way around the town. If they were lucky, they didn't run into anyone, or anything.
"Alright, here's the plan," Erza broke the silence. She pulled out a small drawn out map and turned to the two men in the backseat. She pointed to a building she had marked as 'APS'. "First, we go to the auto store. Every time we have gone in that area, there are always cars parked in the lot. We can loot some of the vehicles for anything we may need." Erza paused and looked at Gray. She held out a folded piece of paper, "You and Macao will look inside the store for batteries, oil, whatever Natsu has on this list."
Gray took the list from her hand, "Then once we have looted everything we need, then what?"
"We will head to that small convenient store a couple of miles down. The supermarket was looted as best we could, but I'm sure that place wasn't looted." She took the map away, and faced forward again. "If we lose track of each other, meet there. It's small, but it's close enough for walking distance."
"Let's hope nothing goes wrong." Natsu said sternly. He had been lost in his own thoughts. Still angry with himself before they had left.
The ride had continued to stay silent. The town came into view as they rounded the corner. Trees started to disappear and small buildings were scattered on either side of the road. As they were heading down the road, Natsu noticed the amount of potholes that had formed on the road. When the world ended, the earth began to reclaim what mankind had built on it.
The car came to an opening in a parking lot. The group scanned over the area. A large amount of bodies were scattered across the lot. Some were under cars and some in a pile with others. Natsu maneuvered the car around the bodies on the ground; yet, it was hard to avoid as many as he could, feeling the bumps of them as they ran them over.
Natsu pulled up to a truck that was the same as Erza's. He parked the car, shutting it off and examining the truck. The doors on the vehicle were ripped off the frame. The windshield was splattered with blood. He turned around to Gray and Macao,"Erza and I will start here. You guys make your way up to the store. Have each others backs."
Both men nodded, grabbing a handgun and a knife from their duffel bags. Erza and Natsu watched as they left the car. Natsu grabbed his gun, a knife, and a wrench from his bag. He turned to his friend, "I'll handle getting the battery, watch my back."
"Got it." Erza replied. They exited the car and moved to the truck. Stepping out, they found themselves walking around the bodies on the ground, not knowing if they would reactivate or not. The stench of rotting flesh and a sulfur-like smell reached Natsu's nose. His head felt light and his stomach turned, but held his breath to avoid the scent as much as possible. He glanced around, his eye getting caught on Gray and Macao almost reaching the door of the store. He exhaled and continued on, carefully steering clear of the bodies between his feet.
As Natsu found himself at the driver's side of the truck, he examined the inside of it. A dead body leaned against the seat, the back of his head blown and his brains sprawled on the back windshield. Natsu gulped and got under the steering wheel and pulled the small lever. He heard a pop and moved to the front of the vehicle. He opened the hood, the truck's alarm to start blaring.
Chills ran down his spine as he turned to the scene behind him. He watched as Gray and Macao spirited back to the car. The undead began to rise to their feet, wobbling as they started to move towards him and his group. Natsu grabbed his gun that was attached to his side, "Oh shit..."
