Highschool of the Dead: Us or Them

by HoTDFan

Three brothers from a military family are transferred to Fujimi Academy one day prior to the Z-Day outbreaks. Just when their lives seem to be getting back on track the world is completely unprepared for the living nightmare that opens up a new chapter in human history. The day humans were put back on the food chain. Rated-M. It is Highschool of the Dead afterall.

6. Chapter 6: Lights Out

Tokonosu City, Japan

Z-Day+2

Johann, Frasier, and Marcus slowly stepped out of their bullet-riddled vehicle just in time to see Hitomi and Noah rushing over to see what had caused them to come back so soon, and in such a rush to boot. Expressions of dismay and disappointment painted their faces as the three scavengers pulled out what little loot they had managed to bring back.

"Christ, what the hell happened out there?! Are you three alright?" Hitomi asked concernedly when she noticed the bullet holes riddling the back of the car; just as the front bumper fell off with a piercing *clang* as it rattled against the floor.

"Apparently we aren't the only ones with guns out here. We didn't get a clear look at them, but they attacked the moment they saw us, so that's all we needed to know about these people. Luckily we were already on the way out, and nobody appears to be hurt." Johann explained to her as he shuddered at the realization of just how close they had really come.

"They were also using fully automatic weapons. They couldn't hit a moving target, but the fact they got hold of such powerful weapons does give them a decent edge regardless. I want two people on watch tonight. Everyone else, I suggest we just stay indoors and try to avoid advertising our presence." Marcus began to explain, taking a deep breath as he began to take control. He was far calmer than the others had expected; to the point he couldn't even pretend to be afraid of the fact their situation just became even more dangerous than before, almost as though he felt confident that this new threat was something they could handle if they approached it carefully.

"It's a good start, but getting some decent building materials and tools would certainly help put the odds in our favor. I'll go on my own next time so I can draw less attention. Besides, it might take more than two to hold this whole place." Frasier said as he looked as if he was already rearing to head out again this very minute.

"Frasier, wait! You need to rest. I don't care how tough you are, it's not healthy for you to be going THIS long without getting some sleep. We're concerned about you." Noah suddenly said as he reached out and lightly grasped onto Frasier's wrist; looking up at him pleadingly with his innocent blue eyes.

"We are? Oh...yeah, WE are very concerned about you, Frasier. Its best you take some time to breathe, to relax, you know? Calm and reenergize yourself so you'll be at your best for when trouble inevitably comes knocking." Marcus started confusedly, only to quickly catch onto what Noah was trying to do.

Frasier just stood there for a brief moment, as if processing those words. He finally just sighed; knowing he couldn't honestly deny any feeling of fatigue after nearly three days without any proper rest. A crow cawed in the distance as the others anxiously awaited his response.

"Fine, just ring me if something comes up. Don't let anyone inside without running it by me first, either." Frasier slowly relented before walking in with the two shovels in hand; his eyes focusing on Hitomi as if he was talking to her specifically on the subject of letting another survivor inside their new home.

"I'll let in anyone I can save, Frasier-san. You'd be wise to remember that's my job after all." Hitomi grumbled out of annoyance; watching as he pushed through the front doors without any response of his own; no one knowing if his silence was out of exhaustion or spite.

"Don't let him get to you. He's...ah, sod it." Noah attempted to explain before finally realizing it was pointless to even try to justify Frasier's harsh, even hostile, attitude towards other survivors.

"It's okay, Noah-kun. You're just trying to protect him, and I can respect that. Just don't let those fraternal feelings blind you if push comes to shove." Hitomi replied in an understanding tone before they all walked back inside and locked the front doors behind them.

While Frasier was now fast asleep in one of the rooms on the third floor, the others were in the room right next to his. Johann sat in a chair on the balcony to look over the entrance while the others sat on the rather comfortable sofa; flicking through any news channel they could find. For the most part, it was just static. Other times it was a grisly scene barely viewed by a fallen field camera before quickly being switched over to the respective studio anchor giving the same spiel about 'technical difficulties'. Several other channels however were just loops of a voice telling people to stay indoors and to avoid all contact with the 'infected'.

"So, how do you think this all started?" Marcus suddenly asked Noah as finished changing into a plain white t-shirt; taking a bite from a stick of pocky.

"Well, since these things are zombies...there're many different theories on what the origins are. As far as old research goes, it was Haitian folklore where bodies or people put into states of deathlike unconsciousness would be reanimated with voodoo magic to serve a respective witch doctor. Most modern depictions, however, usually consist now of it being some kind of virus, bacterium, fungus, parasite, the tampering of our biological chemicals, or even a military bio-weapon gone horribly wrong as you might have heard those nutters on the bridge yammering on about on TV last night. Hell, even the almighty Himself just might be trying to teach humanity another lesson." Noah said analytically as he tried to name off every possible zombie origin ever conceived. The other three couldn't help but look at him with intrigue as he went on. For all any of them knew, any of the origins he named could be the cause, but at the same time it could've been none of them.

"Well, how do YOU think this started yourself? You seem to know everything there is to know about these monsters, Noah-kun." Hitomi then asked as she playfully rustled his hair before snagging another pocky from the small box in his hand.

"Well, despite the many ways this could've happened, the fact is it spread over the entire world in just a matter of hours. So with that in mind, it's either been dormant in our society for a while now, but just needed something to trigger it. If not that, then most likely it was in our food and water supplies somehow…or perhaps those conspiracy nuts weren't too far off from it being a bio-weapon that got placed in the wrong hands." Noah theorized as he began to visibly tremble the more he pondered on the possibilities.

"It doesn't matter how it started. What matters is how we end it." Marcus quickly brought up, as if a part of him was jealous that Hitomi was giving his little brother a bit more attention now.

"Everything has a beginning, middle, and an end. If we find out how this all started, then we might be able to effectively stop it without risk of it popping up again later; be it with science or hot lead." Noah responded before he turned to a channel that showed what looked like a helicopter view of IDF forces in Jerusalem trying to hold a quarantine zone; taking down one of 'Them' after another. Despite having automatic firearms and a decent amount of troopers, the battle seemed lost as a portion of the dividing wall to the West Bank was seen getting pushed down as the undead on the other side swept in and consumed the hapless soldiers like a tidal wave. The screen suddenly flickered off as Hitomi stood up with the remote clutched tightly in her hands.

"This is madness…I-I just can't deal with this right now...if any of you see anything out there, give me a shout. I'll be in the shower." Hitomi muttered with her lips quivering and her shoulders trembling, as if the numerous reports and footage of failure after failure to fight back against the undead had brought her to tears right then and there.

"I guess I'll take watch then. You two should probably also wash up while the water's still warm." Marcus offered, as he knew Johann also needed to seriously focus on recovering.

"I won't lie; my clothes are starting to feel stiff and crusty from all the blood and sweat these last few days. I'm gonna get some sleep afterwards, so have a good night you two." Johann expressed in agreement before heading out of the room to claim a shower for himself.

"G'night." the two Lawson brothers responded before the door closed; leaving the whole room silent in an instant. They couldn't help but feel awkward now that nothing else could be said. The sun's rays soon diminished from the outside as darkness once again began to fall over the city.

"So I guess I'll take watch then. You should go shower too while you have the chance." Marcus volunteered once he could see just how truly exhausted Noah was in his posture.

"Are you sure? It's not even been a day since you last took watch." Noah asked worriedly, wanting to make absolutely sure Marcus wasn't pushing himself too far.

"I've already had my rest. Besides, if I start to wear down, I'll wake up the sleeping giant next door the same way he woke me up; maybe even worse." Marcus answered before forming a somewhat mischievous grin on his face in anticipation to how he could do just that.

"Just be careful, Marcus. He might take a swing at you if he wakes up on the wrong side." Noah chuckled before warning Marcus of the potential retaliation. Marcus simply nodded in response before he grabbed a carbine, a chair, and a pair of binoculars and headed straight for the stairwell leading to the rooftop after putting on a long sweater to help keep warm.

After dragging the chair up the stairs to the roof, he planted it down and sat himself down as comfortably as possible. With nothing else to occupy himself with, he proceeded to look out at the vast expanse of buildings before him. The cold breeze in the air brushed against his face as he anxiously waited for something worth mentioning to pop up. However, aside from the occasional gunshot cracking in the far distance or what appeared to distant lights from a random car passing by on the highway lining the shoreline, not a single noteworthy thing was happening. He just sat there bored out of his mind; hoping something would happen despite how lucky he knew he was to be in a safe environment. The lights in most of the buildings were still on; despite the fact they all had long been abandoned and were now left for anyone desperate enough to claim for their own.

Certain that he could see movement in the distance, he pulled up the binoculars only to barely see what looked to be a family running from a pack of 'Them' that was slowly circling around as if herding the poor souls to their own demise. Just when they managed to open a door to a nearby house, there was one of 'Them' right behind it. Marcus looked away within a second as he knew it was over for them now. He clenched his fist in anger as he could hear the far-off sounds of the children screaming, only for the sound to just as quickly be snuffed out and replaced with unbearable silence. Marcus was soon continuously wishing inside his head that he would just wake up and be back in the world the way it used to be; stinging tears beginning to well up in his tightly-shut eyes as he couldn't bear the thought of the poor children with those people being torn to pieces this very second.

Even now, he still found it so hard for him to wrap his mind around just how fucked up this whole situation really was; watching innocent people being devoured and torn apart by what used to be their family, friends, and coworkers. Seeing what used to be good people become hostile and even homicidal toward each other just in order to survive. As much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, all of it was slowly draining his hope that things would change for the better anytime soon. Deep down, he felt downright guilty for just sitting here and doing nothing to help anyone. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to just be able to save as many people as he could and keep them all safe here; to hell with whatever Frasier would've had to say otherwise. Before he could take another look towards the spot he last saw that poor family, he suddenly felt something wrap around his face, blinding him as a wet towel was pulling back at his head.

"Gotcha!" Hitomi suddenly announced with a humorous giggle before quickly unwrapping the towel and letting Marcus catch his breath. At first he appeared annoyed and frustrated, but soon he just gently chuckled along with her when she helped pull him up off the floor.

"You daffy bird, that almost scared the piss out of me!" Marcus said between gasps for air, despite no anger being evident in his tone as he looked up at her only to get back on his feet and soon be standing over the young police woman. While he didn't appreciate nearly getting several years scared off his life, he was secretly grateful that she'd managed to get his mind off all the dreadful thoughts he'd just been having. It was certainly more than he'd ever be able to expect from either of his brothers.

"Almost?" Hitomi asked with a sly grin as she couldn't help but smile at how Marcus was now trying to play it cool regardless of the fact it looked like she nearly gave him a heart attack.

"What are you even doing up here? It's colder than it looks, you know. You should really be resting right now, because you know the moment Frasier gets up, he's going to be aching to go salvage what he can from the nearest hardware store, regardless of whether or not you're ready and prepared." Marcus explained in a stern yet sincere tone, despite how obvious it was that he was just trying to change the subject.

"I don't think he would want me to tag along. He doesn't seem to trust me that much." Hitomi said confidently as they both then proceeded to walk along the rooftop only to carefully sit on the edge with their legs hanging off of it, relishing in the cool breeze.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Seeing how we're practically living together, I'd say he trusts you. If he didn't, he either would've taken us and left…or heavens forbid, he would've kicked both you and Johann out. He's a callous bastard, I know, but he's just protective and calculating. The type who avoids most gambits and sticks to what he knows. It also doesn't help that he never really had a friend…well, aside from one girl he has major feelings for, even if he'll never willingly admit it." Marcus began to explain as he started to kick his foot against the edge; feeling somewhat nervous whenever he'd occasionally glance over to see Hitomi looking right at him with a smile and a particular warm glow in her eyes.

"You do make a fine point. So I take it you don't know what he went through during his training either? I tried asking Noah-kun a while ago and he didn't tell me anything." Hitomi inquired as she couldn't help but feel relieved that perhaps Frasier did instill some trust within her and Johann. However, the mysterious events that helped develop his attitude and behavior just could not be shaken from the back of her mind.

"What makes you think I would know? Noah and I have been bugging him for years on how father taught him what he knows, but the stubborn tosser wouldn't even give us a hint. Whatever it was though, it was bloody effective, given how we're still alive despite the odds we were facing back at our school when it all started." Marcus answered with clear disappointment evident in his tone that she was asking about Frasier instead of him. But all other feelings aside, he couldn't rightfully lie to her about how useful Frasier's actions had proven to be up to this point.

"I figured he wouldn't say anything. Can't honestly say I'm disappointed, though. To be honest, the fact you and Noah know as much about him as I do, it actually makes me feel like I'm really…well, one of you guys now. *ahem* Uh, well, all that being put aside, what about you, Marcus-kun? You want to tell me what you went through, or are you going to give me the tough guy attitude as well?" Hitomi said with a soft sincerity in her voice as her cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink once she realized Marcus was now staring directly at her. Quickly shifting gears out of embarrassment, Hitomi's following question completely caught Marcus off guard as he momentarily found himself at a loss for words now that she was finally asking him about himself.

"Me? Oh, well...i-it wasn't anything close, I can tell you that much. You don't have to pretend to be interested." Marcus said nervously, clearly feeling shy and almost inadequate now that her focus was entirely on him.

"So what? Marcus-kun, if I wasn't interested, I wouldn't have asked. Don't tell me the entertainer in our group suddenly can't even tell a story!" Hitomi said in a soft tone of encouragement before playfully teasing him in an effort to get him to tell her what she wanted to know.

"Well, if you insist, then by all means. Just remember: no refunds." Marcus said as he began to recall one of his more detailed memories when it came to him and his father.

(Six years ago)

Reading, Berkshire, England

"Hands up! Keep those hands up!" Arthur's voice echoed in a small, well-cleaned garage as he and a ten-year-old Marcus were circling one another in an even smaller makeshift boxing ring. The middle Lawson wore red boxing gloves on each hand; clenching his fingers close together as he did as he was told.

"Stop moving! I can't hit you!" Marcus complained as he took another wild swing, only for his dad to easily sidestep it and avoid the punch entirely. A look of frustration took over Marcus as the past hour of constant exercising was finally taking its toll on him, leaving his breathing ragged and his posture clearly exhausted.

"Oh, should I put the kettle on while we're at it? Don't ever be caught begging like that, and especially don't expect any mercy from the enemy. You need to find their weakness and exploit it before they can find yours and do the same to you!" Arthur said in a demeaning tone before lunging at Marcus; causing him to flinch and hop back out of sheer reflex. His heart was racing in anticipation as his legs began to slightly tremble from the strain of going on for so long without any rest.

Marcus tried to step forward in a stomping motion, as if expecting his father to step back. However, when his foot touched the ground, Arthur swiftly placed his foot over Marcus'; effectively pinning him in place no matter how hard he tried to pull away.

"I won't let you go. What are you going to do, Marcus?" Arthur suddenly said in a dead serious tone as if he was willing to stand there indefinitely, even it took Marcus all day to get out of the tight foot lock.

"Dad...this is really starting to hurt." Marcus groaned as he desperately tried to reel back, despite how futile he knew it was. He was only met with dead silence as he could only keep struggling in place while it felt like all feeling was beginning to fade from his pinned foot.

Unable to withstand the pain any longer, Marcus pulled off one of his gloves and immediately tossed it in Arthur's face. Not expecting such an unconventional countermeasure, his father let go and blinked from the rough glove texture colliding softly with his face. He looked down just in time to see his second son launch an extended fist straight between his legs. Arthur let out a low groan of pain as his legs twitched from the unexpected force Marcus put into his punch. A throbbing pain raced through his groin and lower stomach before he knelt down for a second, only to spring right back up; ignoring the feeling entirely. Instead of displaying furious anger though, he simply laughed and put his hands down.

"Very good, Marcus. Keep that tenacity of yours up and you'll be doing your part in no time. When you're faced with a situation of life or death, you need to be able to think quickly on your feet and do away with all conventional methods and fight with the ferocity of a wild animal if you want to have any hope of getting out alive. Now, go get some rest. The rest of the day is yours, son." Arthur said proudly as Marcus, who had initially been afraid of the potential retaliation, simply smiled as it was a rare thing to be hearing these words describe him instead of Frasier.

Tokonosu City, Japan

Z-Day+2

"That was the last time I could remember him saying anything good about me. Everything else after that was 'Marcus, don't do this. Marcus, why can't you be like HIM? Marcus, I'm an old bastard trying to relive his glory days, so I need to project it onto you three.'" Marcus finished explaining to Hitomi before talking in an old man voice with an obvious tone of bitterness and contempt towards his father. Hitomi somewhat chuckled at first at how adorable she found Marcus' determination to be, only to slowly stop when he showed no humor in his expressions, but rather legitimate sadness.

"He doesn't sound so bad. I mean...your father sounds like he was tough at times, but it sounds to me like he was just trying to make you all tough and prepare you for how hard the real world is. I wish my father taught me how to fight. I don't doubt it was because of what happened to my brother, but he was always against me taking this job. He thought I couldn't do it because I was delicate, as he so graciously put it." Hitomi said with deep compassion in her voice as she gently nudged him a little to get him to stop frowning.

"You know…that day was probably the only good memory between us when it came to training. Everything else was just driving this wedge between us. He always pushed me so hard, and at times he seemed to hardly care at all for my wellbeing." Marcus said reluctantly as he just stared down at the empty street below with regret painted across his face now. It deeply pained Hitomi to see him, the cute energetic charmer that was always smiling, look so down.

"Oh... well, I guess that would be a fairly rough childhood. I'm sorry you had to go through all that. Marcus-kun…you know you can always talk to me if something bothers you, right? I can't claim to have been through what you've been through, but I know a few ways we can forget about it." Hitomi offered sweetly before she suddenly held up what appeared to be a sake bottle, casually swinging it back and forth as if trying to lull him into staring at it.

"It is tempting. Maybe the next time you and I are left behind to watch the place, we can have at it. Thank you, Hitomi-san. I'm glad you decided to stay with us." Marcus said reluctantly as if feeling responsible for ruining the moment, only to then show his gratitude towards her genuine kindness; feeling warmth inside when he noticed how red her face appeared to be now after hearing him say that.

"I'd like that…I'd like that a lot, Marcus-kun. I'm glad I decided to stay with you, too. And…if you want…you can just call me 'Hitomi' if you like." Hitomi responded in a more soft tone before she leaned herself against him; neither of them looking to see how red their faces now were once the words of emotional intimacy had escaped her lips. At that moment, both survivors felt closer than ever to each other while they sat and watched the city the entire night…together.

As time went on, they just went back and forth sharing stories of their past. At times they'd be laughing their heads off, while other times they'd remain silent out of respect and sympathy for each other. Life was never easy to begin with, and it certainly wasn't getting any better nowadays. But it was serene moments like these that were what kept them going.

Z-Day+3

Hours later on the third floor, all four survivors were sitting around a table for lunch after Marcus had cooked up what he could with the surplus amount of food they kept in the hotel's freezer to preserve it for as long as possible. Frasier meanwhile was sitting by the window, making sure nothing was wandering within his range. No matter how many times his brothers or Hitomi tried to convince him to just eat with them, he'd always turn his back on them, answering with barely a grunt just so he could remain vigilant.

"So today is the day we get some tools and materials to better fortify ourselves, right?" Hitomi asked in order to break the awkward silence as she took another small bite of her meal; trying her best not to spill food on herself while keeping her gaze fixed on Frasier; making note of every physical twitch he'd make, almost as if trying to gauge his reactions or get an idea of his current mood.

"Yes, but I'm taking my brothers this time. I need a team I can rely on." Frasier replied before making it clear that she would be left behind to watch the hotel with Johann. An annoyed look formed on her face as she hated how blunt he was being. Not only did she strongly dislike the fact that he was younger than her yet was ordering her around, but the tone in his voice pretty much all but said that he thought she was useless. To hear him speak to her so condescendingly after everything that had happened before make her grit her teeth in frustration.

"I'm sorry if I did something wrong before, Frasier. I like to think I was keeping up quite well, all things considered." Johann said before swallowing a painkiller and chasing it down with a small glass of water.

"Actually, you handled yourself quite adequately out there. It's just that I can rely on Marcus and Noah to know most of my procedures and tactics by heart. That, and the fact you shouldn't be so active in the state you're in. The last thing anyone wants is for you to end up being permanently crippled to the point you can't defend yourself…or worse." Frasier explained sincerely, which caused Johann to very faintly smile at the possibility that Frasier was actually speaking more out of human concern rather than simply doing it for practical reasons.

"You ever think of letting someone else lead? You can't always do the heavy lifting every time you go out there." Hitomi then asked as she was curious to see how he'd react to the idea of someone else taking charge, since he was surprisingly not being as hostile or aggressive as she'd been expecting.

"Maybe one day, but you always lead with your strongest foot, so I'll do what must be done until I'm too unable to put up a good fight anymore. You might want to dream about something else though, because I have no intention of letting that happen anytime soon." Frasier said optimistically, only to completely shoot down the idea of anyone else even hoping to lead the group; certain that he was the most qualified despite the fact Hitomi had proven to be a natural leader herself. If she weren't, she, Noah and Marcus never would've made it here in the first place. And she knew that the sooner Frasier would recognize that, the better it would be for all of them if they were to keep working together.

"It might be sooner than you think if you don't pace yourself. You might be strong, but you'll tire yourself out if you keep going on these scavenging trips without any real rest. I realize time is of the essence, but this is something you really need to approach and think about carefully." Hitomi replied impatiently, as if waiting for him to show any signs of weakness or humility. Sadly she forgot who she was talking to.

"When we reach that bridge, I'll consider it. But until then, I lead these scavenging missions, girl." Frasier responded in a headstrong, condescending tone as if he actually believed that he couldn't possibly tire out. Without waiting for her to say anything, he stepped past her and made his way for the door; motioning Marcus and Noah to follow.

"Cocky bastard." Hitomi groaned after they left; watching from above as the three eventually exited from the lobby and wandered around the parking lot to find a suitable ride not riddled with bullet holes.

"Take that one. It's electric so it should be quiet compared to the rest of these cars." Noah suggested as Marcus nodded in agreement before carefully pulling on the door to see it was fortunately unlocked already. He then began to look for the key while Frasier walked over with a carbine and a shotgun in his hands.

"The day is already half over. We need to move fast if we want to avoid being caught in the middle of the night again." Frasier explained before putting the weapons in the back seat while Marcus now attempted to hotwire the electric car; trying his best to avoid setting off the car alarm. The engine suddenly started with a low hum as the other two smiled; knowing that Marcus was clearly eager and able to prove his worth around here now.

After carefully pulling out, they drove down the same road as last time; turning a different direction this time around to avoid potentially running into those hostile survivors from last time in case they'd decided to hole up somewhere nearby. Even though he didn't say anything during the whole trip, it still broke Noah's heart to know that people had already proven to be so quick to attack other survivors without any provocation. The thought of how many other people might have died from the hands of their fellow human beings over the last four days left a cold feeling in his stomach. Despite seeing a few grisly scenes of past carnage and brutality along the way, most likely at the hands of 'Them', the chilling sensation in the pit of his gut never left him. It was as if to remind him that danger was all around, and he could very likely be next should he ever lose focus even for a second.

Desperate to shake away his thoughts of dread, Noah decided to put his focus towards the outside world as it drifted past them. Luckily it was a warm, beautiful, sunny day. The deep blue sky contrasted quite well with the fluffy white clouds as they drifted by slowly. Birds could be seen flying overhead or simply hanging out perched on telephone poles and rooftops. It was pleasantly quiet, and only the occasional distant gunshot would go off to remind them that someone was still alive out there…at least for now.

"Hey, what's that up ahead?" Noah suddenly asked; causing Frasier and Marcus to look up and see what appeared to multiple people slowly coming into view in the middle of an alley. As they brought the car to a stop, there were two groups now in plain sight. Given by their expressions, it looked like an argument had broken out between them.

One group consisted of one man wearing what looked like camo fatigues accompanied by another man wearing a tattered business suit. Each one was holding what looked like improvised blunt weapons to protect themselves.

On the other side, there was a man and woman most likely in their mid-thirties wearing dirty casual clothes, with one small child standing right behind them in an elementary school uniform covered in blood. The small child was visibly trembling behind what could be presumed to be his parents.

Just a few feet away were multiple corpses scattered across the floor, presumably more of 'Them', given how each one had a smashed in head. Rotten brain matter seeped out of the open crevices that were once 'Their' faces. Blood was slowly oozing out the alley and into the street as the voices could now be heard more distinctly to confirm a disagreement had indeed broken out between the two groups.

"For the last time...he's not bitten! Let us clean him off and prove it!" the woman announced aggressively as she stepped towards the two men, only for all of them to slowly turn their gaze over to the Lawson's vehicle parked at the mouth of the alley.

The people kept watching with almost blank expressions as the car began to slowly drive on. Frasier kept his eyes straight forward and focused on driving; his expression completely blank and indifferent to whatever was happening between those people. Marcus and Noah however just kept staring as they attempted to listen in in the hopes of being able to figure what was happening.

"Frasier, stop. We should go see what's happening over there. They might need our help." Noah suggested, only for the car doors to suddenly lock with a loud click. He then looked back over his shoulder just in time to see Frasier suddenly speed up as if they were being chased.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Marcus asked angrily as the people in the alley were visibly startled when the car's engine gave a bit of a loud roar. The group of five disappeared completely from sight as they finally passed the alley, with Frasier showing absolutely no sign of turning around any time soon.

"I'm staying out of it, that's what. They're in no immediate danger, and we need to focus on the task at hand. Let them figure it out." Frasier explained in a dead serious tone; knowing that this time they wouldn't be able to run off against his orders and drag him into saving another group of most likely useless survivors. A twisting feeling made itself evident in Noah's gut as he couldn't stand the thought of them abandoning those people, especially that small child.

"What if those people were being mugged? Would you keep driving then?" Noah asked in frustration, as if trying to test just how distant and callous Frasier could truly be. However, silence was the only thing Noah was given, causing him to grit his teeth and clench his fists in anger.

"Frasier?!" Noah finally snapped; flinching back a bit when the brakes were suddenly slammed and Frasier reared his head back with an angered look burning in his eyes.

"What?! Why should they matter? It's all in the family, Noah. They are not one of us, nor are they a part of the mission parameters. So tell me why I should look out for and risk our lives for complete strangers who would most likely not return the favor?" Frasier snarled in a furious tone before descending into a more civil yet stern tone as he could see his initial outburst had caused both siblings to visibly recoil.

With no response, he just let out a disgruntled sigh and kept on driving down the road; knowing they weren't going to ever share his point of view on handling other survivors anytime soon.

The streets were dead quiet shortly after that. Aside from the electric car gently cruising by and the occasional flock of birds flying away, there was absolutely no life to be seen at first glance. Crashed or abandoned cars dotted the roads, sometimes with a body splayed out halfway through the shattered windshield or lying face first against a steering wheel. The sight of such death and destruction sent a chilling tremor through Marcus and Noah respectively. They couldn't dismiss the fact that these bodies were once people just like them; with lives so cruelly snuffed out just like that, and left to rot with nobody to ever mourn them. Not wanting to dwell on it too much, Marcus closed his eyes to recover some of his lost energy while Noah continued to look out the windows at the numerous passing scenes of long-past carnage. The only thing worse than the mutilated body parts was the vast amounts of blood that painted areas where people must have been attacked, yet no visible remains could be seen. It could only leave it up to his vivid imagination as to how it happened and whether or not the victims were still shambling around as one of 'Them'.

"Frasier, I have to ask you something else. It's really important too, so please don't blow it off as me being naive..." Noah suddenly asked, effectively breaking the temporary silence as he noticed Frasier's eyes momentarily glance back at him through the rear-view mirror before shifting back to the road.

"Alright, then just say it." Frasier answered disinterestedly, leaving Noah silent; trying to figure out how best to address what was on his mind now. Marcus meanwhile was switching his gaze back and forth between his brothers, curious to see where they would go with this.

"It's about Johann's girlfriend, Toshimi. I think we need to make finding her our top priority after we finish fortifying the hotel." Noah finally suggested; hoping deep down Frasier would show some heart for once and decide to help find her.

"I think Noah is absolutely right on this one. We have to help him find her any way we can." Marcus added as he and Noah exchanged optimistic glances with each other; both glad to see they were both still on the same page.

"I actually agree." Frasier replied without hesitation before turning the wheel around to curve around a tight bend nearly blocked off by a few crashed cars.

"Look, I know she isn't one of us, but-wait...did you just say that you agree?" Noah began to protest, only to stop halfway through his sentence to make sure he'd heard Frasier correctly. After all the instances of cold-blooded hostility towards the thought of helping anyone at all, was he finally lightening up? It seemed almost too good to be true, but nevertheless brought a bright smile to Noah's face.

"Toshimi is worth virtually nothing on her own, but she is very important to Johann. Even with his injury, he is still capable of helping us survive, and a part of me can trust him for now. Just the very thought of her motivates him, which I plan on taking full advantage of, even if she ends up dead when we find her." Frasier explained calmly as he kept his eyes on the road; showing no signs of empathy or concern for her potential wellbeing.

"So you're just looking for her to use Johann like a mere tool? That's it then? You don't even care whether she lives or dies?" Noah said in immense disappointment, feeling his previous optimism turn cold and nonexistent now that he knew Frasier's real intentions; disgusted that his brother would be so uncaring and cruel even when he was willing to help someone else.

"Honestly, yes. But I think the fact I'm showing any willingness to find her, a complete stranger mind you, at all should be taken as a blessing. So I suggest you be happy I'm willing to even go that far for her." Frasier answered as he tried to justify his reasons and motives to the other two as they looked at each other with mutual looks of both disappointment and disgust.

"Fine…whatever, man. So when do we begin the search?" Marcus commented bitterly before leaning back in his chair with a heavy, weary sigh; reluctantly accepting that Frasier was willing to help their friend the wrong reasons.

"I want one of you to look up the northern outskirts of the city and try to find any trails or roads that lead off into surrounding wilderness." Frasier instructed as he slowly pulled inside a large, yet completely abandoned, parking lot. At the end of the lot stood a large hardware store. The sight of the massive building without any sign of people moving around inside or outside of it gave it an unnaturally eerie atmosphere as Frasier looked upon it from the driver seat window.

"I'm on it now." Noah said as he pulled out his phone and began to scroll and zoom in on a 3-D digital layout of the city before slowly seeing the overwhelming amount of places they could potentially be hiding out in if they somehow hadn't managed to reach the woods yet.

"Not now, Noah. We're here now, so I need you two focused on the task at hand. Safeties off, and move in as a spearhead formation. Noah, you cover left. Marcus, you watch right. Keep an eye on your sixes. Let's go." Frasier said as he stepped out of the car and positioned himself a few meters ahead between his brothers as they did exactly as they were told upon stepping out themselves. Marcus and Noah flicked off the safety mechanisms on their carbines while Frasier kept his finger close to the trigger on his shotgun.

"Double-time." Frasier muttered as they switched from an alert walking pace to a rapid sprint to avoid being caught out in the open when he realized just how many vantage points could be used against them with absolutely no useful cover on the ground to use just in case they needed to.

One by one, they lined up against the door. Frasier quickly peeked into the glass display window of the large hardware store. After several seconds of intensely staring into the store through the window, he couldn't see any movements or suspicious shadows inside.

"I see no movement. Let's move in slowly for a closer look." Frasier whispered gently before they began to enter one by one through the sliding glass door that had been left wide open. The owner most likely had fled in a panic before locking up; Frasier figured as they stepped inside.

Upon entry, they could see the rest of the lights seemed to still be powered on; excluding a few that would occasionally flicker. Their eyes scanned for even the slightest hint of movement. What sounded like elevator music calmly played from the speakers, echoing through the empty expanse of the store.

All three stopped moving around as Frasier then looked to Marcus and nodded. Marcus gently cleared his throat before he began to hum as loudly and obviously as possible; trying his best to draw out any of 'Them' that might've been lurking in a spot of the seemingly abandoned store they couldn't see or had yet to check out.

Several minutes passed by before they all determined that it was safe to move onward. They carefully swept through the checkout stands to see several dozen personal and store items had been dropped and abandoned on the conveyor belts and across the floor. It had most likely occurred during the first hour of the outbreaks. Hopefully that meant that there was nobody around to be infected and that this entire area was safe to explore.

Noah looked up at the various aisles as it was quite clear this store was far larger than the gardening shop Frasier, Marcus and Johann had scavenged through the other day. The numerous signs and directions on the walls made that abundantly clear.

"Alright, it looks like they have fencing section. That has to be where they keep your precious barbed wire, Frasier." Noah suggested in a cheeky tone before he watched Frasier brush right past him and simply nod in response. Marcus, however, chuckled lightly at the comment and playfully jabbed Noah in the shoulder out of approval.

Marcus began to lightly hum a pleasant tune while they all three kept an eye out for anything else that might've come in handy they could potentially bring back with them. They passed several areas that had large tools such as sledgehammers, saws, and even electric drills that they all knew could greatly help for setting up some proper defenses.

"Here we are. Perfect." Frasier suddenly announced under his breath as he walked down an aisle only to instantly spot numerous lengths of barbed wire wrapped in coils; each one in protective packaging so that nobody would accidentally cut themselves on it. It would certainly make their transporting it to the car that much less of a hassle

"It just goes to show how fucked up this new world we live in is when we just took almost two hours to get something that could've been picked up in twenty minutes at the most before, and it's all for some pointy wire to keep out other survivors." Marcus commented as he watched Frasier stuff three barbed wire packages under his arm before motioning Noah to grab one more himself.

"Your point, Marcus?" Frasier asked with a raised eyebrow, uncertain why he felt the need to state the obvious, despite the all too clear reason he did just that. It was almost as if Frasier had completely given himself over to how this new world worked and couldn't even be bothered to see things from Marcus' reminiscent point of view anymore.

"Just giving a little perspective on how much things have changed already. It keeps you aware of the shite that's going on and reminds you of your surroundings." Marcus answered as he leaned against a display rack that nearly toppled over; causing him to barely grab it in time.

"Right, well while you do that, it's time for us to check out." Frasier retorted as if Marcus was just spouting a bunch of childish nonsense. Noah sighed heavily at Frasier's dismissal while Marcus quickly set the rack back up and darted over to avoid being alone for even a second.

They both followed Frasier close as the sounds of their respective footsteps echoed through the store. It made the atmosphere feel so chilling, so eerie. While the lack of hostile survivors and 'Them' was something to be grateful for, it did not help lower the intense anticipation of another attack Frasier felt with every step. Every unchecked corner, every missed room, every last crevice was an ambush just waiting to happen. None of the Lawson's knew this better than him. Not even at times of calm would he let his guard down. To him, all it took was a split second and one error in judgment to end it all; a mistake he had no intention of making anytime soon.

Just before they could head out the front door, the clouds appeared to have converged and formed a considerable dark grey coverage over the entire city. The air suddenly felt a lot cooler and more refreshing than before. Droplets of rain started to fall before entire volleys started to form a thick, pounding rainstorm within just a few minutes. The Lawson's quickly grabbed a cart and began to push all of the barbed wire packages out before loading them up in the trunk.

"Hmm, a nice little reminder of home." Frasier sighed softly in a rather pleasant tone as he held his hand out to feel the rain drops hitting his open palm. A rather nostalgic feeling always built up inside of him whenever he found himself in the rain.

"Think it's safe to drive in all this?" Noah asked as he looked up to see both Marcus and Frasier were trying to determine that for themselves as they watched the rain picking up harder by the second.

"Most likely not, but it's probably just a quick shower anyway. We can just wait it out for an hour or two. There's still plenty of daytime to be spared. I'll bring the car closer so we can keep a better eye on it from inside the store." Marcus finally answered before volunteering. At first, Frasier seemed hesitant, but luckily he handed over the keys without making a single fuss about it. Marcus eagerly swiped and was quickly on his way as Frasier and Noah retreated back into the store. Barely a minute passed before they could hear the quiet hum of the engine as the car slowly pulled in closer.

"Hey, this is Noah. I'm sure you've noticed it's raining now, so we're going to try and wait it out. Over." Noah suddenly said into the walkie-talkie as he watched the car slowly pull in.

"Roger, I'll be sure to have something cooked up for you guys when you get back. I mean if I don't burn the place down by accident. Over." Hitomi's voice quickly responded before cutting out again.

"Looking forward to it. Over and out." Noah answered as he put the walkie-talkie back into the book bag Frasier had slung over his shoulder that was carrying the rest of their most essential equipment beside their guns.

Within a minute, Marcus had the car parked up against the curb; right in front of the door should they have needed to leave in a hurry. Noah then brought over a few rolls of paper towels he found in the lavatory to help them all dry off. Each Lawson began to brush off whatever rain they could off of their clothes and weapons.

"It's kind of odd to hear something besides screaming, gunshots, and the occasional car crash. I'm not sure if I miss it or just expect it as a common thing now." Noah brought up as they all were now sitting by one of the checkout stands. Frasier sat on a stool while Noah and Marcus propped themselves up on the countertop.

"Enjoy it while you can, Noah. Something tells me this isn't going to end anytime soon." Frasier muttered as he crossed his arms before turning his head over to check on the front entrance; his eyes narrowing as if expecting to see something moving aside from the constant rainfall.

"So what do we do now that we know we might be stuck here for a while?" Noah asked as he sat up straight before stretching himself out a bit into a more relaxed posture. Both he and Marcus slowly turned to look at Frasier as he glanced back at them, as if he knew exactly what they were about to ask next.

"Let me guess: you want me to tell you about my training?" Frasier said in anticipation as both his brothers formed amused smirks and nodded in response.

"Well jog on, you pests. It's not happening." Frasier then announced while shaking his head at them for expecting him to change his tune on such a personal matter, given how stubborn he already was to share even one hint at what it was.

"Bloody tease." Noah grumbled in disappointment before Marcus raised both his middle and right index finger to their older brother out of annoyance before sticking his tongue out.

"Well, will you answer another question then? Anything we pick that's non-training related?" Marcus then asked curiously, hoping Frasier would possibly toss them a bone here.

"Hmm. I guess if you'll stop bugging me about it." Frasier answered in response as he raised an eyebrow in curiosity; wondering what else he could've possibly had in mind.

"Tell us how you met Saeko." Marcus then inquired as Noah looked back up with an equally eager expression, excited that they might finally get that whole mystery solved at the very least.

"You've got to be kidding me." Frasier said in a low grumble as he placed his face in the palm of his hand; knowing that he had to tell them something lest he wish to listen to them ask him more personal questions until the rain stopped pouring.

"Normally I'm the king of kidding around, but I'm dead serious this time. Give us something here. I promise not to laugh, no matter how silly it might be." Marcus said in a serious tone before vowing to be as respectful as humanly possible for his standards, even crossing his fingers over his heart.

"Fine. This was just a few weeks after father sent me to live here..." Frasier grumbled as he then leaned back in his chair before letting out a reluctant sigh; knowing that the rain wouldn't be letting up anytime soon.

Fujimi Academy

(Three years ago)

A loud bell began to ring in Frasier's ears before he sat up to see the rest of the students around him leaving the classroom in droves. Frasier casually pulled himself up from the desk before realizing the day was only half over now. Without anyone he wanted to talk to (or even associate with for that matter) he just made his way to one of the grassy hills to eat his lunch in solitude. His body slowly slumped against the large tree as he felt significantly cooler in the shade.

Despite being here for the last three weeks, he simply refused to interact, much less befriend, any of the other students. So far, to him, they were all weak and far too content with their comforting civilian lifestyle. He'd just watch as they went by his spot, judging and observing the different groups of his fellow students interacting among one another.

Just outside the school grounds, he heard the cries of a small child. He glanced over his shoulder past the gate, only to see a little boy on the ground holding his knee which had been slightly scraped from tumbling over the sidewalk. Within seconds his mother was there to comfort him and help ease the pain of the otherwise minor scratch. Looks of pain and sadness quickly shifted to that of joy and love before the young child was picked up from the ground; his small arms wrapping around his mother out of affection while both had warm smiles as they continued on their way.

Frasier then looked away and bowed his head only to feel his blood slightly boil. For some reason, he couldn't help but feel jealousy towards that young boy. A part of him wondered what it would've been like had his mother ever been there for him, which led to thoughts pondering the idea of his father being more loving and caring towards him. What would it have been like to be treated as a son rather than being treated as just another soldier?

"Mind if I join you?" a female voice suddenly asked in a soft yet serious tone. A small chill went down Frasier's spine, shocked at the fact that she had managed to approach him without him even noticing. Part of him blamed the momentary distraction as the rest of him felt rather cautious on whom he might be speaking with now.

Frasier slowly looked up only to find his intense stare instantly matched by another set of perfect blue eyes. At a quick glance, he could see the female student wearing that standard white dress shirt and green skirt that went down just a bit past her knees. Her dark purple hair formed a pointed fringe in the front and with two curved ones at the sides whilst the back of her hair was tied into a ponytail that only reached the back of her neck.

"Do not mind." Frasier shortly responded in the most basic dialect, given how he had only just started speaking Japanese just a few weeks ago. He then averted his eyes and looked back to see that the kid and his mother had long since left. He let out a sigh before realizing it was for the best that he didn't dwell on something he could never change now.

"So why do you eat alone? Is there something wrong with you I should know about?" the girl suddenly inquired with a rather curious undertone, as if he had done something to pique her interest, as if expecting him to tell her something most would not expect.

"Plenty." Frasier grumbled as he leaned back against the tree; trying his best not to look back at those piercing eyes of hers. Something about them gave him a rather uneasy feeling.

"Like what? Some details would be nice." the girl asked with a hint of annoyance now hanging in her voice.

"What do you want? Why so many questions?" Frasier then responded in an equally annoyed tone as he looked over to her, noticing that she was staring right back at him as if it were a challenge.

"You seem out of place here, and not just for the obvious reasons. I just can't help but notice how you stick out compared to the others. It...Intrigues me." she then confessed as there was a rather soft coo in her voice now, causing Frasier to inadvertently blush.

"So tell me: what do you intend to make of yourself when you've finished school?" she continued to ask before gently swaying back and forth where she stood.

"Military. At least, I did until I made a mistake. My aggression has betrayed me…quite dearly." Frasier initially said before his voice slowly drifted off, feeling certain that he had no place in this world now; speaking as if nothing could ever hope to fill that void.

"I see...so just how ready did you feel for the military, if you don't mind me asking?" the young girl said out of sympathy before she then began to pry a little deeper, genuine curiosity hanging in her every word.

"More than ninety nine percent of the recruits we use now. I was trained in the art of war by my father for as long as I can remember. It is my duty and my honor to serve my home of England." Frasier suddenly said in a rather proud and energetic tone. The girl couldn't help but form a warm smile to see him become so enthusiastic; let alone the fact he said more than just a basic grunt as an excuse of an answer for once.

"Well, that certainly seemed to get you excited. Oh, forgive me for my lack of manners, I should introduce myself. My name is Saeko Busujima. If you come with me, I can help teach you to channel that aggression of yours." the young woman then announced with her warm, rather inviting smile as her hand was extended to him. Frasier glanced at it for just a moment before he slowly looked back up to her thin lips and deep blue eyes. Something about the genuine kindness radiating from her smile seemed to somehow diffuse all defensive feelings in Frasier simultaneously. For the first time ever, he actually felt…at ease, like he could put 100% of his trust into this girl, this…Saeko.

At first he was still feeling uncertain, but he then formed a genuine smile of his own and took her hand; feeling relatively shocked to see how tight her grip was as he stood back up. The two students then walked off towards the school side by side. For once, Frasier felt optimistic; feeling as though this truly was a fresh new start for him.

Z-Day+3

"That's it?" Marcus suddenly interjected in a very disappointed voice; immensely hoping that there could've possibly been more to it than just that.

"Yes. What, were you expecting there to be some big fight or something more epic?" Frasier replied before raising an eyebrow at his sibling's reaction; feeling somewhat offended that that was all Marcus had to say in response to him finally laying out some of his deepest feelings and fondest memories for his brothers to see.

"Well, yeah..." Marcus retorted as he crossed his arms, still disappointed that there was nothing entertaining in that story from his perspective.

"I don't know, I thought it was nice. I never thought I'd ever hear something like this from you, Frasier. Think about it, the beginning of your first crush." Noah complimented as he was rather happy to hear that Frasier actually could still feel something towards another human being even in his darkest time those few years ago.

"Thank you, Noah. Wait...hey!" Frasier acknowledged in thanks only to just realize what his younger brother had just said. Soft chuckles came from both his brothers as he couldn't help but groan out of embarrassment despite how obvious he was. A second later, Frasier couldn't help but nervously laugh as he started to realize there was no use in being distant about his feelings any longer.

"So…when do you think we can go home?" Noah suddenly brought up, effectively killing all the laughter in the room as Frasier and Marcus began to ponder the same thing. They'd been so focused on securing where they were, they never even took the time to consider how or if they'd ever be able to really go back home. And then, there was the question of what could've possibly been waiting for them there if they did make it.

"I guess that all depends. Do you mean before or after this mess has all blown over?" Frasier followed up as he looked over to his concerned little brother, momentarily having no idea how to answer that.

"I'd say before. I doubt this nightmare will be ending anytime soon. So many people have died in just the first day alone. How many can you estimate have been turned by now?" Marcus responded grimly as Noah looked down while trying to calculate the most likely statistic. Frasier meanwhile looked back to the car instinctively to make sure it was still there and that no one was about to get the drop on them.

"Blimey, isn't that the question of the day...I'd say millions for certain. Christ, maybe even a billion by the end of the week? Most people aren't trained or as lucky as we've been." Noah answered hesitantly; hating to think of all those human lives being snuffed out all at once, with no hope of anyone being able to stop it. Chills ran down both their backs as they remained silent; taking the moment of silence to realize how much harsher this world had really just become in a mere four days time.

Just when nothing else could really be said, the rain suddenly stopped. A few warm rays of light suddenly began to break through the dark grey murky clouds that still filled the sky. Not needing to check the time, it was quite clear to the Lawson brothers that the sun would be going down within the next hour or two.

Marcus eagerly kept the keys and was quick to take the wheel while Frasier and Noah quickly climbed in after him; both of them slightly nervous of how he was going to be driving considering how excited he looked. The water covering the streets didn't help ease them up either; seeing how fast Marcus loved to drive. Within minutes, the car had taken off with a large wave of water splashing behind the tires as the hardware store was left in the distance.

The drive was rather quiet and calm this time. Not a single one of 'Them' had been seen for the past several hours alone. While being a welcome change of pace, this did not give the brothers a sense of relief. It instead brought up the question of where could 'They' have possibly gone? It was almost as if they were expecting to run into a massive horde just around the next corner.

"While I'm thinking about it, Noah, why don't you show me how this works?" Frasier suddenly requested curiously as he suddenly held up Noah's smartphone to see how it could give them a layout of the area, especially if they really were going to bother looking for Toshimi like Noah had asked.

"It's really easy, actually. Just tap that, then that…okay, now open up Google Maps." Noah calmly instructed as he began to help walk Frasier through the process of using a touch-pad.

"Well, that's surprisingly convenient. It almost makes me wish that I had bought one like you suggested a few years back." Frasier said with a childlike sense of amusement as he watched the various icons moving and responding to his right index finger.

"There's still plenty around I'm certain. It's never too late to loot some." Noah said with enthusiasm as he was quite certain nobody in their right mind would be trying to loot and ransack the phone stores in the middle of the apocalypse.

"I said 'almost', Noah." Frasier retorted dismissively as he began to slowly swipe his finger along the phone to see the layout of the area. He couldn't help but feel a slight sense of amazement at how it could tell him their exact location and distance despite being a piece of civilian hardware. Just as he had begun to have the controls down, the screen suddenly went blank for no reason whatsoever as far as he could tell. Annoyed at the lack of response, he began to tap harder and harder against it before letting out an annoyed grunt. The whole time, none of the Lawson brothers noticed the scattered rays of sunlight had momentarily grown much brighter, as though a fierce light was burning high above the cloud cover.

"What happened? What did you do to my phone?" Noah suddenly asked confusedly when he also noticed that the screen went black and remained that way despite how hard he tried to turn the device back on.

"Nothing I shouldn't have. I was just scrolling and it suddenly went black on me. Maybe the battery died?" Frasier said, uncertain what had just happened as he slapped the screen only for it to remain as dark and unresponsive as before.

"That's impossible! I had at least fifty percent power left on it." Noah replied before he noticed that the car had begun to suddenly pick up speed while going downhill. He and Frasier looked up to realize that they weren't slowing down at all.

"Marcus, slow down! You're going too fast!" Frasier instructed sternly as he looked to see they were picking up more speed than Marcus could possibly hope to control if he did nothing about it, and the wet streets were only making them go that much faster.

"It's not me! This little pussy electric car won't respond!" Marcus shouted once he realized the car's controls wouldn't respond to any of his commands. However, this didn't keep him from trying his very hardest to fight the steering wheel.

"Oh, shit! Look!" Noah suddenly announced before pointing straight ahead to warn them their course was about to slingshot them into a river. No guard railing could be seen as the road just abruptly ended and would send them over a grassy slope and straight into the water.

"Bail out!" Frasier ordered as he was about to grab one of the doors only to be pulled back by Noah at the last second.

"We can't! We'll just break our bones or tear ourselves up at the speed we're going!" Noah protested, his voice trembling with anxiety while Marcus continued to attempt to steer the wheels in the right direction; doing his best to avoid hitting any of the nearby vehicles abandoned or crashed on the side of the road.

"Fuck...hang on!" Frasier said as they braced themselves for whatever was to come next. As the car was officially shot into the air for just a brief moment, all three Lawson's felt like time had stopped just long enough for them to see the entire car becoming engulfed by the water; slowly sinking into the depths, going in hood first.

*bwoosh*

The initial shock of the car crashing into the river caused them to all shake violently in their seats. Their vision blurred a bit as the car continued to nose dive into the water.

"Oh…Christ, that hurt...is everyone alright?" Frasier grumbled roughly before looking to see Noah was slowly pulling himself up. Marcus however remained completely silent as his face was slammed against the air bag that had deployed on impact.

"Marcus!? C'mon, wake up! Get up!" Noah suddenly began to cry out as he shook his older brother's shoulders, only to feel his heart sinking when he didn't even budge. Frasier looked absolutely horrified at Marcus' motionless form, but was quickly relieved to feel a pulse when pressing his fingertips under Marcus' lower jawline.

"Noah! You need to calm down. There isn't much time before the water pressure locks us in." Frasier announced as he tried to lower the windows only for them to not respond to the button.

"What about Marcus? Is he going to be okay?" Noah asked concernedly as he tried to open the window on his side only to feel his chest closing tight on his lungs when his window also refused to pull down.

"The airbag knocked him out cold. Just settle down and breathe calmly. You're wasting what little air we have left." Frasier said without any concern as he was solely focused on figuring a way for them to get out of this deathtrap.

"Right! Can't waste precious air! Can't panic now! Just...can't..." Noah said between his desperate gasps for air, quickly hyperventilating from the stress. His eyes slowly rolled up as he fell back into his seat. The pressure of their situation had overwhelmed the young teen so badly that he had inadvertently pushed himself into fainting at the worst possible time.

'Oh, great! That's just fucking perfect! What's next, God? Want to hit me with a thunder bolt while you're at it, you cunt?!' Frasier thought to furiously himself, as if actually expecting a response. Grumbling under his breath, he managed to compose himself long enough to unfasten all three seat belts. Now he could freely begin to put all his might into pushing the car door open.

Without time to waste, he tried to open the door, but the water pressure was far too strong at this point even for him. He could tell now that the only way it would be able to open at this point was if he was to pressurize the car by allowing water to fill it up, which he of course knew wouldn't be the best plan right now. He knew couldn't give up so soon as he quickly began to anticipate the best places to strike for an exit point.

Certain that the front windshield would be the hardest part to break open, his attention now shifted over to the windows on the side of the car. He began to hammer his fist against it, but whatever this car had been made of proved to be exceptionally good quality. Fear and anxiety began to creep into his heart as he felt too weak when he could see his strikes hardly made a crack. His teeth grit together as time and oxygen were slowly but surely running out for them.

"I can't do it. I'm too fucking tired. I can't..." Frasier muttered to himself as he slumped back; feeling pain throbbing in his fists and biceps. He began to pant heavily as it steadily became harder to breathe. His body trembled as all the doubts and voices began to fill his head; glimpses of past events burning into his mind now as he shook his head; feeling his focus being drained.

"Tired?! Is that what those straw men call it nowadays? You've become a soft, weak, pathetic excuse for a man. What the hell was I thinking trying to raise you into joining our military? What a waste of time you are." Arthur's voice suddenly rang out in his ears as his low, disappointed voice and unforgettable scowl burned itself into Frasier's subconscious; digging at one of his deepest fears: Failure.

"I tried, father...honest..." Frasier mumbled as if all the courage and headstrong confidence had been evaporated from his very soul. The very idea of failure drowned his mind in a sea of doubt and pain.

"There is no award for 'trying' in this man's army! Get your sorry arse up and do it again! Or do I need to find someone who can replace you again?" Arthur interrupted as he energetically slapped Frasier's words aside like they were nothing but cheap excuses.

Those last words, while a self-reflection of his own personal feelings, struck a real close and personal cord in Frasier. To be so callously pushed aside and abandoned drove him into a darkness he never wanted to be in again. Being tossed away like yesteryears technology; easily outdated and replaced at the snap of the fingers.

"No! I am Frasier Lawson! A military prodigy among military prodigies! How dare you make such a foul claim and expect me to take it like some bloody dog? I'll show you! I'll show all of you fucking weaklings who say otherwise!" Frasier suddenly shouted to himself in frenzy as his eyes shot wide open; his neck visibly tensing up as veins began to form along the sides.

Without hesitation, he began to tear off his sleeves and the shin portion of his pants before proceeding to do the same with Marcus and Noah's clothes. Taking the tattered shreds of cloth, he slowly began to wrap them around their noses and mouths to help keep them from accidentally inhaling water should they be able to escape. There was only just enough cloth for two makeshift masks.

He then clenched his hands against two seats before narrowing his gaze at the windows. Focusing all of his rage and energy into his legs now; without any hesitation or restraint, he suddenly kicked his leg out against the window. Despite a strong physical reaction shooting through his legs and back up to his brain, he ignored the slight pain this brought him and just kept pushing.

*crack*

Numerous white lines suddenly formed along the impact spot just under his shoe. Still enraged by the harsh words ringing in his head, he kicked over and over like a child having a tantrum. He kept feeling the glass slowly fracturing under his feet before watching the window tremble from both the water pressure ready to burst it wide open and his strong legs trying to create an opening.

*smash*

The last kick had finally caused a breach necessary enough to cause the glass to shatter, only for the freezing cold water to quickly start pouring in to where the car would be completely flooded within just a few seconds. He could feel the goosebumps forming along his arms and legs; the hair on the back of his neck standing up; the icy cold water causing him to immediately start shivering.

"Colder than a witch's tit." Frasier shuddered as his teeth loudly chattered together. His resolve however would not dwindle as he slowly pulled Marcus over the front seats and over the back with Noah, making sure to keep their heads out of the water for as long as possible.

Taking one last gasp for air, he suddenly began to push his two siblings out the window, one at a time. First Noah went through before being shortly followed by Marcus. Frasier then narrowly pulled himself out, feeling a sharp pain in his side in the process from such a tight squeeze. Pain however was not something he tended to keep in his personal vocabulary. Not when there was so much on the line.

Grasping the back of his siblings' collars, his legs began to kick as hard as they possibly could. So much energy had been expended during this crisis; he could feel himself starting to feel the physical toll weighing down on him. All his muscles and nerves were practically flaring at this point to where the freezing cold water hardly registered to him. Nothing mattered more than the safety of his brothers, even if it meant he had to drown in the process.

Unable to see any light, he just swam what he could've sworn was up. Using up whatever strength and energy his body could muster from within itself, his lungs slowly squeezed tight against his chest as his throat ran dry. The back of his mind was steadily blurring out and heavily throbbing harder with every passing second. Nothing but sheer instinct and raw determination was driving him at this point now.

Just when it felt like he'd never reach the surface, he suddenly broke free and felt the cool air instantly breeze against his face. A massive gasp for air escaped his lips as he then began to steadily swim for what looked like dry land. Within a minute of desperate flailing and powerful kicks, Frasier finally heaved both Noah and Marcus onto the grassy slope that led back up to the street.

Feeling completely and utterly winded, Frasier began to cough heavily as he barely could keep his own two eyes open any longer. He felt his body shivering all over from being wet and exposed to the cold evening air. His large hands pulled off the cloth wraps he had tied around Marcus and Noah's faces, desperate to make sure they could still breathe after all of that. To his relief, their chests were still rising as their noses would occasionally twitch; indicating they'd make it.

"Wake up already." Frasier muttered weakly to his brothers, only to suddenly feel his face planting itself down in the grass. His breathing slowed down as he remained in place for several minutes, barely hanging onto his conscious. Both his eyes slowly closed as he could now only hope that one of his brothers would wake up before the 'They' could find their defenseless bodies exposed and completely out in the open.

Moments later, Noah suddenly felt his eyes open up to see the cloudy dusk sky hanging above him as if it was now in reaching distance. He playfully reached up only to feel a chilling breeze help him realize that his entire body was now freezing cold. An odd numbing sensation had now overtaken almost all feeling in his limbs. His body was soaking wet while what remained of his torn up outfit was drenched to the last fiber.

A weak groan was all he could make before slowly lurching up to see Frasier and Marcus sprawled out on the grassy slope just a few meters from the edge of the river. It was then that he suddenly recalled how they were trapped in a sinking car only for the world to go blank when he had suddenly blacked out from the sheer panic.

"Please have a pulse, please have a pulse." Noah mumbled over and over to himself as he reached out to them, only to feel joy fill his heart when he could detect two pulsating sets of arteries from his elder brothers' necks.

When he managed to force himself up off the ground, he stumbled at first before realizing they were now completely exposed and vulnerable out in the open like they were. Noah quickly observed his environment to see that no street lights or shops had any lights on now. Something about all this felt very wrong, given the fact they were all on just a few hours ago. Perhaps someone had turned off the power grid to reserve energy elsewhere? There were several factors that could play into this that Noah simply didn't have the time to worry about. All that mattered right now was that they find shelter to recollect themselves before returning back to the hotel.

"C'mon, you guys...rise and shine!" Noah suddenly said to Marcus as he began to lightly slap at his brother's cheeks. At first it seemed pointless, but soon enough his eyes twitched before he slowly awoke to see Noah hovering over him. A sharp pain filled his cheeks as they turned red with handprints all over them.

"Huh? W-what happened? And what happened to our clothes?" Marcus lightly muttered as he rubbed his eyes while trying to properly sit up; realizing how freezing cold it felt when a gust of wind flew by, causing both of them to start shivering.

"I-I think Frasier must've tore them up so when our clothes soaked up water, we wouldn't weigh as much. At least I assume that's what happened." Noah estimated before motioning over to Frasier's body to show that his clothes were also tattered and torn strategically at the arms and shins.

"Clever bastard...what happened to me? Don't tell me I fainted or something silly like that." Marcus then asked as he felt his face to make sure there were no cuts or anything he might not be able to feel from the cold.

"The airbag knocked you out. I'm the one who fainted. I just panicked and made things worse. Frasier was right. I'm not cut out for this." Noah expressed as they both turned to see him slowly pushing himself back up while heavily breathing; both of them feeling uneasy at the sight of fresh blood coming from his left hip.

"Frasier! Are you alright? Why are you bleeding?" Noah asked worriedly as he rushed to Frasier's side with Marcus, almost as if he was a medic; lifting up Frasier's shirt a bit to see that bits of glass were wedged into his side.

"I'm fine! But one of us needs to go grab that book bag and the wire." Frasier exclaimed as he pushed Noah back a bit before proceeding to pry the bits of glass from his own body; his face only slightly wincing as bloody shards were slowly pinched out.

"Are you daft?! After all that, you want to go back in? You're bloody certifiable if you seriously think that's a good idea." Marcus argued as there was almost no way in hell that he'd even consider this to be a good idea; scowling in frustration as Frasier just glared right back at him.

"Aside from the fact it's carrying the very thing we need the most right now, Mark's radio is also in there. We'll be unable to contact Hitomi or Johann until we get back that bag. You can just stay here if you're still afraid of the water." Frasier answered in a condescending tone before prepping himself to re-enter the river despite nearly drowning in it only minutes ago.

"I'll do it. You're body needs to recover, Frasier. Besides, you know I'm the best swimmer...at least, when I'm conscious." Noah suddenly said as he volunteered to do what he knew had to be done. Both his brothers were internally debating this decision, only to step back when they realized they had no other choice but to let him try.

*splash*

Both brothers just watched as Noah hopped right back in; counting down how long he had gone under. Should he have gone any further than a minute and a half, that's when they'd decided they would intervene. Every second felt like an eternity as they just stood there, anxiously awaiting him to suddenly pop back out of the river. Marcus' foot nervously tapped the grass as Frasier seemed like he was poising himself to jump back in.

Just when it had seemed that Noah had run into trouble, his head suddenly emerged from further down the river. Both Marcus and Frasier sighed out of sheer relief as they watched him proudly kick his way back up to land with the book bag latched around his shoulders and the three wire packages tucked under his arms. As they helped pull him out, he had the largest grin they'd ever seen, as if he felt that he'd made the entire family line proud.

"Proper job, Noah, bloody proper job. Father would be proud." Frasier said as he then opened up the bag to see that the items he left inside was still dry thanks to the bag being water sealed. Marcus meanwhile was busy high-fiving Noah, relieved to know they could now contact the others back at the hotel.

"Hitomi, this is Frasier reporting in to let you know we're on our way back. We had a bit of a detour and we're in really bad shape. Over." Frasier spoke into the radio only for it to be dead silent. There wasn't even any static to indicate that the other side simply wasn't responding. An uneasy feeling filled the pits of their stomachs when Frasier let out a low growl before squeezing the device to the point it was about to crack the casing.

"What's wrong? Are the batteries knocked loose or something?" Noah questioned as he snatched the device and opened up the case only to see they were perfectly in place. What made things worse is that they were specifically meant to last for a lot longer than they did. There was no earthly reason they should've been zapped dry like this.

"No matter. We keep moving no matter what. It's already nightfall and we aren't alone anymore. Let's go." Frasier said dismissively before prompting the other two to follow as they all looked over to see several of 'Them' we're now steadily forming a small mob just above the hill top they had driven over. A ghastly wave of sighs and hungry growls now filled the air.

"Of course the walking freaks show up when we don't have our guns. Think we can take this many on with our knives?" Marcus cursed softly before asking about their odds of winning a head on fight.

"No. Wait for it." Frasier firmly instructed as he held his hand out to make sure Marcus knew to stay put.

"Wait for what?" Marcus asked confusedly; having no idea just what Frasier was planning.

Before any answers could be given, the undead began to slowly walk off of the streets and onto the grassy slope. At first nothing out of the ordinary occurred, but just as the slope became slightly steeper, all of the undead suddenly lost balance and began to tumble and roll down towards the Lawson's.

"Go!" Frasier announced suddenly as they all sprang forward like bullets being launched from the barrel; making sure to avoid being tripped up as they leapt over the rolling bodies and kept on the more open pathways to ensure none of 'Them' could inadvertently grab their feet or ankles.

Just as they reached the top of the slope, several more packs of 'Them' all noticed the commotion. Within seconds, entire packs of the walking dead were approaching from almost every angle the Lawson brothers could see.

"Quick, up on those cars." Marcus suddenly suggested as they followed him and quickly scaled a nearby mini-van. Without any time to waste, they ran along a long conga line of cars parked or abandoned in front of one another. Several bloody, decaying grey hands lashed and reached out for them seconds after passing by as several of 'Them' slumped over the hoods of the vehicles one after another. For some odd reason, the car alarms all refused to go off.

At the end of the line, the brothers leapt off to see they had just barely escaped the undead blockade that had now turned around to follow them. Luckily the siblings wasted no time to rest and simply ran into the night; knowing they had a long way to go before returning back to the hotel. Several times they would stumble upon a pack or two of a dozen, but for the most part it wasn't anything they couldn't outrun or simply outsmart. Together they kept one another going no matter how tired, fatigued, winded, or exhausted they might've all really felt. They were just barely running on fumes, guiding themselves through the city by natural instinct and memorizing the various street signs.

Roughly an hour passed by of constant running to avoiding any detection by the undead packs that were now nearly filling every alley and narrow side street. Every block it seemed the dead were forming larger and larger hordes. Most would keep moving north while some would straggle and inevitably break away to wander alone, left in the wake by the main bulk of the respective horde the creatures were once a part of.

It was once night had well and truly fallen that the Lawson's finally reached the hotel. Thankfully it seemed like any of 'Them' that had been chasing after them had long since been lost; thus allowing the three to finally collapse and take a moment to catch their breaths, just as Hitomi and Johann came running out the entrance to greet them.

"Oh my god, what happened to you guys? Are you alright?" Johann asked worriedly as Hitomi helped Marcus and Noah to their feet while Frasier refused her help and picked himself back up.

"Yeah…we're fine. The car we had suddenly died and nearly flung us into the river. But luckily we didn't come out of this empty handed." Frasier replied as he handed Johann the three packages of barbed wire.

"Hopefully we don't have to do anything that crazy again, at least for a while. Glad to see you guys are both still okay. And good work with killing the lights at sundown." Marcus expressed gratefully and appreciatively, only for Hitomi and Johann to glance at each other worriedly.

"What's wrong" Noah asked concernedly once he saw the looks in their eyes. The entire time they'd been running, they'd never taken the opportunity to notice just how truly dark and quiet the city had really become.

"You guys…we didn't kill the lights. All the power suddenly died while you were gone. None of the phones are working, none of the TV's; the entire city's just…gone completely dark." Hitomi explained; watching as all three Lawson's eyes went wide at this revelation.

It had been difficult enough for them to maintain what safety and supplies they had before. But if all power to the city had gone out…there was no telling what could possibly happen now.