Alex didn't know how long he was alone in the dark. He made a guess that it had been half an hour, but he honestly couldn't tell. The cheers from above him never halted; the crowd continued to screech like howler monkeys.

Slowly, so slow that his body barely moved, he shifted into an upright position on his knees. He couldn't see anything in the room around him; the only light he could see from peeked out from under the far wall. He stared at the light, so bright in contrast to the shadows within him.

His stiff, cold fingers slowly folded in his lap. Unblinking, he began to pray.

In a hoarse whisper, he said, "Dear God, if you're still out there," he swallowed hard, "may I ask a favor?"

Even though he was quiet, his voice filled the small room. The sound of the crowd faded to the background as he spoke, "I don't know if I deserve it; I don't know if I have wronged You somehow…"

He reached up and clenched his rosary in his hands. The cold metal dug into his skin, but he only held it tighter. "Please, please," He felt a tear roll down his cheek, "Protect Thomas, please."

It was his only wish. If he was going to die, to be torn apart by zombies for some assholes' entertainment; then Thomas should be allowed to live. He should get to escape, to run off in the woods and find safety. It was only fair, Alex's life for Thomas'.

After a pregnant pause, where Alex could only focus on breathing through his tears, he continued, "And if my family is alive…" He licked his lips, his chest tight. "Them too. Please, God, please help my family."

Alex tried to find comfort in the thought that Jackson would no longer search for Philip. If he believed Pip died in his zombie ring, then that's just another life Alex saved. He wasn't above self-sacrifice. He could be a martyr.

Before Alex could finish his prayer, the door behind him opened. The big guards who grabbed him the first time stepped inside. One of them had a gun, the other a pitchfork; both pointed at him.

"Ready to die shithead?" One of them laughed.

"Actually, I'll need a couple more minutes." Alex snarked, even as they stomped forward and grabbed him by his arms. They pulled him to a standing position, then pushed him until he was standing in front of the metal wall. One of them stood to the left, near a lever on another wall. There was static coming from one of their pockets; a walkie-talkie.

Alex could hear the distant roaring of the crowd through the small speaker. Then, Jackson's voice.

"Tonight is the night we kill Philip Hamilton!"

The crowd went wild. Alex felt a deep and powerful fear for his son. Little Pip, why do these men know your name? What have you done?
The walkie-talkie beeped and a clearer voice said, "Send him out."

Alex didn't get time to think, the first guy pulled the lever and suddenly the wall in front of him was being lifted up like a garage door. Alex shook his head, trying to back up, but the pitchfork was pressing against his back. He felt the sharp metal prongs dig into his spine. He was forced to move forward.

"Wait, wait, guys, can't we talk this out?" Alex said, but they gave him a final shove and he stumbled into a large arena. At the sight of him, the crowd grew louder, booing his son's name. He turned in a small circle, looking up at the stands. There were hundreds of people here. How did this place come to be? Who would let this happen?
"Philip Hamilton!" Jackson shouted above the crowd. He had a megaphone, his legs propped up on what looked to be a large animal's skull. Maybe a bear? Alex didn't know. He shifted to be facing Jackson, prepared for some kind of long, evil monologue. Instead, he just shouted, "FUCK YOU!"

Not a second later, two of the metal doors around him opened, and two zombies stepped out into the arena. They immediately saw Alex and started running to him. Alex backed up, then turned and sprinted. He could hear the crowd laughing, jeering as he ran.

Shitshitshitshitshitshit-

"AHAHAHAH LOOK AT HIM RUN!" Jackson shouted into his megaphone. Alex glanced over his shoulder; the zombies were a foot away from him. He needed to think fast. He looked around the arena to see if there was anything he could use as a weapon. Littered on the ground were bones of various sizes; human and animal alike. Alex almost tripped on a skull, but caught himself before he fell. The crowd whooped in excitement.

Alex turned, spotting what may be a femur a few feet ahead of him. He sprinted towards it, scooping down to grab it as he kept running. The bone was heavy, but thankfully dry. Gathering all his courage, Alex turned around, standing in place. The zombies were quickly approaching. Alex took a deep breath and held the bone like it was a bat.

"AWWW HE THINKS HE CAN TAKE THEM!" Jackson's obnoxious voice boomed over him. The crowd laughed, some started throwing things at him, but he couldn't focus on that. The first zombie got in hitting range; and Alex swung with all his might. He hit the zombie in the jaw, it staggered, but didn't go down.

Alex kept backing up as the next zombie approached, he kept his gaze glued to them. He had no thoughts running through his head, just pure adrenaline. He swung again, this time missing the zombie. It got closer, and Alex did a backswing. It made contact in its chest. The first zombie snarled in his face, and Alex frantically hit it like it was a big spider in his bathroom.

He then turned in time to smack the second zombie in the face. His femur bone grew red and sticky with each attack he did, but the zombies didn't seem to notice any pain.

Fuckfuckfuckfuck-

Alex turned and ran again, needing more space between them. He had to figure out what to do next; he couldn't just keep beating them with a bone, could he? What happened if he did kill them both? Would they let him go?

Alex picked up a skull and threw it at a zombie; successfully hitting it in the chest. This wasn't working, this wasn't working. He was fucked, absolutely fucked in the ass.

Thunk!

Alex turned to the noise, startled. Was it another attack? No, wait. Alex frowned, forgetting where he was for a second. It was an axe; like the kind to chop down a large tree. Alex dropped his femur and sprinted for the axe a foot away from him. Who from the crowd threw this? They were a terrible shot if they were trying to hit Alexander.

Thank you God! Alex thought as he picked up the axe. It was heavier than the bone, and Alex couldn't run as fast with it.

Again, he turned to the zombies, breathing hard. The first approached, and Alex swung the axe. It drove deep into the zombie's side with a sickening crack. The zombie screamed, a deep guttural sound that no human would make. Alex had to pull to get the axe back out of the monster; a small chunk of its flesh coming out with it. A wave of blood fell from the zombie's side and Alex gagged, backing up. This time, the zombie did go down, unable to support itself with a giant, gushing hole in it. It certainly wasn't dead, but it was struggling to get back up again. Good, that just left number two, who reached out to slash at him.

Alex jumped back, yelping. He swung again, this time smashing the zombie's face in with the blade of his axe. He flinched as a splatter of blood landed on his cheek.

"Oh my God-" Alex said, letting go of the axe. It stayed rooted in the zombie's skull, even as it flopped on the ground, unmoving. Alex wasn't thinking about the zombies anymore, he was frantically wiping at his face with his sleeves.

He didn't know if the virus could be transferred by blood but he wasn't risking it. He didn't just fight for his life to be turned by being in the splash zone. Once all the blood was wiped away from his face and mouth, he started to gain clarity.

Panting, he felt sweat running down his spine. His heart was rushing in his chest, he did it. He did it! He won!

Alex let out a small, surprised laugh. He's going to live!

The crowd was not as excited about this turn of events as he was. They booed him loudly; throwing more rocks and trash at him. He moved to the center of the arena, hoping they couldn't throw that far.

"OH, YOU THINK THIS IS OVER?" Jackson sneered at him, then louder, he announced, "ANOTHER ROUND, BOYS!"

No. No no no, they wouldn't.

He turned around and saw three metal doors open, and three more zombies came walking out. They sniffed the air, looking for their next meal. And they found it, as soon as they noticed Alex's petrified form.

Instantly, the crowd burst into more cheers. Alex felt dread build in his chest. They were never going to stop, were they? Who knew how many fucking monsters they had in their cages. If he killed one, they'd just bring out two more. Over and over and over until Alex eventually collapsed from exhaustion.

"Fuck." Alex sprinted back to where his axe was, still lodged into the zombie's head. He put a foot on its back as leverage as he pulled the axe free. It made a disgusting noise as fragmented brain chunks fell onto the ground. He turned and saw the three zombies, running up to him.

Jackson was laughing into his megaphone, "HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Alex ran, he didn't know what else to do. Desperately, he glanced up at the crowd. Hundreds of angry faces stared back at him. Everyone was shouting, jeering, or booing at him. Everyone except one.

Alex only noticed her because he was running straight towards where she was sitting. The zombies were a few feet behind him, and he would have to turn before he reached the wall. The woman sat calmly, one arm raised in the air. She was watching him closely, but not with the heat and hatred that the men around he did. No one seemed to notice her.

Alex glanced behind him, the zombies were getting closer. As he wasn't looking where he was going, he tripped on a bone. Alex bit his tongue as he hit the ground. He grunted and flipped over to his back. He had to keep an eye on the monsters, he couldn't let them rush him. He scooted backwards as he grabbed the axe. He needed to stand up, but his legs were shaking too bad.

Suddenly, a shot rang through the air; and the first zombie crashed to the ground. Bewildered, Alex looked around. The crowd also seemed confused, but before they could react, two more shots went off, and the rest of the zombies flopped down dead before they could touch him.

Something in Alex told him to look at the woman who wasn't cheering. He glanced over his shoulder, her arm wasn't in the air anymore, but she was standing.

A second later, she pulled her skirt up and revealed a gun strapped to her thigh. Alex didn't have time to think, before multiple more gunshots rang out. People in the crowd started slumping forward, being shot in the head or chest. The woman shot the men surrounding her, while others fled.

Jackson started shouting, "GRAB THE WHORES! FUCKING WHORES!"

Something high pitched and loud flew through the air, and the far side of the stadium, where Jackson was sitting, burst into smoke and rubble. Alex choked on his own saliva from how he gasped in surprise. He could see the smoke cloud shoot into the sky.

What the fuck!? What was happening? Alex looked at the crowds, all around the women who were wearing long skirts and dresses were now armed with guns of all kinds. Someone with a machine gun was shooting rapid-fire automatic bullets into the crowd. Thankfully, no one appeared to be pointing their guns at him anymore. Alex slowly stumbled to his feet, looking for an exit.

"ALEXANDER!"

He turned, immediately recognizing the voice. "THOMAS!?"

He peered through the smoke and dust, trying to find his friend. A second later, he spotted him; a few feet away, at the edge of the wall. He had his arms hanging down, reaching out to Alex.

Alex sprinted, tears forming in his eyes (from the wind or his emotions, he wasn't sure). His chest tightened and fluttered at the sight of him. Thomas was okay, he saved him! Alex had no idea how, but he saved him!

Alex lunged up, pushing off the wall with all his might, as he reached up to grab Thomas' arm. Thomas' grip was tight as he pulled Alex up the rest of the way, helping him scale the barrier. He was on his feet, in the stands, with Thomas' arms wrapped around him.

"What's going on?!" Alex asked, shouting over the sounds of screaming and gunshots.

Thomas didn't give him an answer, shouting instead, "Follow me!"

He took Alex's hand, lacing their fingers together and darting into the crowd. Alex raced after him, jumping over seating and bodies alike. People were rushing past them, pushing and shouting. Some had weapons of their own, and were trying to fight against the women with guns.

Thomas led them back into the building, then took the first right. Alex glanced around as every woman who had previously been quietly serving snacks was now slaughtering the men they once fed. More explosions went off from around the building, the ground shook underneath them. Alex thought he heard someone shouting his name, but Thomas was right here; so he didn't know who it could be. He didn't get a chance to figure it out, either, as Thomas quickly led him away.

Thomas took a left and then another right. Finally, he stopped in front of a door. He glanced behind them to make sure no one was following, then he opened the door and pushed Alex out first.

He stumbled into the outside, the air colder than he remembered. There was a small layer of snow on the ground. Adrienne was waiting by the door. As soon as Alex appeared by her side, she shoved a gun into his arms. Thomas shut the door behind them and looked to Adrienne.

"Et maintenant?" He asked.

"Our camp is to the west." Adrienne told them, lowering her gun so she could push them in the correct direction. "Keep going that way until you find the others, they'll help you."

"Come with us." Thomas begged, taking her hand, "Please, Adri, I need to know you'll be safe."

"I have a mission to lead, monsieur." Adrienne said, her voice stern. She didn't give them time to argue more, instead turning and sprinting into the line of fire. She shot at everyone who wasn't wearing a skirt, shouting orders to her friends.

Thomas hesitated, but Alex didn't. He was ready to get the fuck out of this place; he grabbed Thomas' hand and dragged him into the woods. They kept running, faster and faster, dodging around trees and jumping over roots. A couple times, Alex heard bullets whip past him, but he couldn't stop running.

Thomas was right on his tail, sprinting along with him. They'd dropped each other's hands, too busy with not dying. They ran until the screams of that place died down into nothing more than whispers in the wind. And then they ran some more.

Eventually, Alex stopped, when they found a gravel road. He folded over himself, putting his hands on his knees as he breathed. Thomas stopped beside him, raising his arms over his head to open his airways. Once they both were sure they weren't going to pass out, they hugged.

Thomas opened his arms and Alex was more than happy to throw himself against his chest. He buried his face in Thomas' chest and allowed himself to break down in the comfort of his familiar warmth.

"Oh my God," Alex sobbed, clutching him tighter. "Oh my God-"
Thomas ran his fingers through his hair; keeping him pressed close. Alex, through his tears, didn't notice how Thomas pressed quick, desperate kisses to his head. He barely moved his lips away from Alex's skin as he spoke; small brushes of syllables tickling his forehead.

In a watery voice, he said, "I thought you were gone, I thought I lost you. I-I-"

"I love you so much. So much." Alex whispered, his entire body shaking as he tried to process everything that just happened. He didn't think much about what he was saying; the joke of theirs had become a reflex of sorts. It meant both nothing and everything at the same time. Alex wanted to repeat those words over and over until the world stopped turning.

Thomas chuckled slightly, leaning back to get a better look at him. He gently wiped his tears away. Pure joy and warmth radiated from his voice, "No, Alex, it is I who loves you so much."

"Fuck, how did you do it?" Alex asked, pulling him back into another tight hug. He wasn't ready to be away from him right now. "How- how did you save me?"

"Adrienne did it all." Thomas said, shaking his head. "As soon as you were taken away from me, she jumped into action. All of them, the ladies there, they're soldiers. They were invading Jackson's camp in disguise. They were waiting for the right moment to take him down, and you provided it."

"I guess they should thank me, then." Alex muttered, finally catching his breath. His hug became softer now, less clingy and more of a gentle embrace. Thomas' hands were strong on him; grounding him. He was safe in Thomas' arms; he never wanted to leave them. Quietly, he whispered, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"It was dangerous to go back for me; you should've ran. You could've gotten hurt-" Alex pressed his face against the skin of Thomas' neck. He was warm and soft and alive. Alex let out a shuddering breath, "You should've ran."

This time, Alex was coherent enough to register the kiss pressed against his forehead. "Alexander, I'd never leave you to die."

He didn't know what to say to that at first. But looking into Thomas' deep brown eyes, he only saw acceptance. Alex felt something peaceful bloom within his chest as he responded, "Me neither."

Thomas smiled, his eyes shining. He glanced at the woods they just sprinted through, his grip on Alex tightening. "What do we do now?"

Alex thought about that. All they had were the clothes on their backs and a single gun. They were lost in a forest they've never been in; with no idea where resources could be found. And his family; his son at least, was out there. He knew it. It wasn't someone with the same name, what were the odds of that? It had to be Pip. And he had to find him.

"You're going to meet my son."

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