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.

8. Chapter 8: Good Neighbors

Tokonosu City, Japan

Z-Day+7

A soft snore resonated within the room Saya and Shizuka had claimed. Snug in between the two women, Alice gently stirred herself awake in bed to see them both fast asleep while still in their clothes from last night. Saya had her face buried in a pillow while Shizuka clutched one of her own in her arms, as though she were hugging it. Still brushing the sleep from her eyes, she soon noticed a bump under the blankets, now rustling at the foot of the bed, only for Zeke to poke his tiny head out from the covers; his little tail already wagging happily at the sight of the little girl. She immediately got to work petting his head gently as she slowly took in her new surroundings.

Alice slowly hopped out of bed; barely making a sound on the thick carpeted floor; slowly closing the door behind her as she looked down the hallway, only illuminated by the nearby windows that had allowed the first signs that it was morning to seep into the building. The candles that had been mounted on the walls barely flickered as the cheap wax had all but melted down to the last few centimeters. To be unattended in such a calming and expansive place was like exploring a whole new world to the small girl; unable to keep from smiling as she enjoyed the surprisingly pleasant sensation of the carpet against her little bare feet.

At first she ran down the hallway before realizing there were multiple paths that she could take; knowing that if the others were anywhere near tired as Saya was, it would probably be for the best that she let them to catch up on their much needed slumber. Her curious eyes then noticed the staircase that led up even higher.

Part of her was very curious to see what was on the roof, but she quickly came to the conclusion that her guardians, especially Saya, wouldn't approve of her being up so high without them to watch her every move. Instead the young girl skipped and hopped down the steps to see if anybody else was down in the lobby. Her footsteps and the occasional giggle of amusement echoed throughout the stairwell as she went on her merry way.

Alice wandered into the lobby only to realize that nobody else was down here. It felt rather empty and cold at first, but she soon was able to put the strange, foreign feeling behind her as she was eager to find something to do. Curious what several of the abandoned suitcases scattered around had inside of them; she opened a few to find mostly clothing and other personal belongings inside. Luckily, one bag had a small toy car she was quite thrilled to find.

For the next several minutes, she would run the toy car along the ground and over various objects such as the chairs and tables nearby; her imagination hard at work as she imagined herself to be driving the fastest car in the world, occasionally adding her own personal sound effects to help add to her own immersion.

[Hildur Guðnadóttir – Light]

However, as the innocent child entertained herself, just a few feet away from the front doors, a figure could be seen moving out of the corner of her eye. Alice glanced over just in time to see a man wandering towards the building through one of the openings in the barricade. At first she was startled by the sight when she noticed his skin was grey and that his steps appeared to be in a clumsy stagger; but she soon realized that the man couldn't possibly break through the shatterproof doors, let alone the barricade. The more she stared at the approaching undead man, the less she could feel herself fearing it.

There was a bite mark that could be seen along his lower jaw with strips of flesh hanging loosely from it; permanently exposing the bottom row of his yellowing teeth. Both his eyes were whitened out and swiveling in their sockets, looking mindlessly in two different directions. The hair was a dark brown in a spiky style. He seemed fairly young; most likely in his early twenties before perishing. Wrapped around his chest was a white t-shirt stippled with dark brown crusty blood with the sleeves cleanly torn off, as if it were a symbol of rebellious nature in his former life; and long grey shorts with a plaid design with a length that just barely covered the torn up knees, and last but not least on the feet was a pair of brown sandals.

To Alice, this was like watching a dangerous animal in the zoo from a relatively safe distance, rather than being up close to a horrifying monster that was literally within arm's reach of her if not for the doors. All this time she had spent running away and hiding behind someone else, she was never able to truly observe these creatures; unable to take in the harsh reality that these were once just ordinary people like her: people that had families and friends that loved them; all with hopes, dreams and aspirations that were now completely and cruelly dashed away from ever becoming a reality now.

Just as it seemed like the creature was moving towards the makeshift barricade, it just stopped midway before colliding against it. The undead man just stood there with his head hung back as if listening for any sounds nearby. Alice watched curiously as his jaws would occasionally clack together; causing her to giggle a little at how silly it appeared now. But then something strange happened next.

When Alice focused on the face of the monster, it did not seem to be capable of harming anyone for such a seemingly docile figure. Instead she could've sworn the creature now had an expression of deep, unconscious sadness permanently fixed for all to see. Even for how young she was; she already knew that to be stuck in a state of living death was a fate nobody should have to suffer; no matter how cruel or bad they might've been otherwise. What should've been fear was instead replaced with pity for the lonesome being. Alice then began to wonder what kind of person this man once was, what his family was like, and especially how happy he must have been with his former life.

In that moment, in the blink of an eye, Alice watched helplessly as the undead man's head suddenly popped wide open only to be instantly followed by a loud cracking noise from up above. The man stumbled around for a bit before collapsing in front of the barricade, his thick necrotic blood already flowing down the concrete steps leading to the door like a series of morbid waterfalls. Alice let out a remorseful sigh at the sight of such senseless violence against something that looked so pitiful.

A strange, unsettling thought then began to form in her head she simply couldn't shake off. She began to recall how her father was killed by another survivor a week ago. All she could think of now was one of the last things he said to her, when she asked of the whereabouts of her mother. He'd said she was alright and that she'd meet up with them later. Numerous dreadful possibilities began to creep into her vivid imagination as she tried to deny any conclusions that lead to her mother being one of 'Them'; wandering aimlessly and alone.

[]

Her brooding was quickly broken once she could hear the footsteps of the others approaching from the stairwell. She turned away from the door to be greeted by Takashi's group, soon followed by the new strangers they were now staying with. At the sight of the people who'd saved her life that horrible day, a part of her now felt a strange yet pleasant sense of peace and acceptance with the knowledge that while her parents might be gone, these people were now her family; that no matter what,she could count on them to protect and care for as if she had known them for years now.

"Alice? What are you doing down here on your own?" Saya asked in the middle of yawning, just barely awake enough to realize that she was down here long before they were since she wasn't in their bed when she had been abruptly woken by the sound of that gunshot.

"I didn't want to wake you so I thought I'd come done here to explore." Alice confessed remorsefully, expecting another lecture for not staying with one of them at all times.

"Well, luckily even without the barricade, the doors are shatterproof and already have been locked up tight. It looks like it was just one of 'Them' out there, or I think Frasier would've made more noise about it by now." Marcus commented just as Saya began to open her mouth to predictably explain how Alice needed to be more careful.

"Well that's certainly one way to wake up. How often do you guys have to deal with uninvited guests like that?" Kiriko suddenly asked as she turned her curious gaze back to Marcus,who was already proceeding to the kitchen.

"We've only had a few skirmishes with some smaller congested numbers. It's not like 'They' would have any chance of breaking through the doors, but Frasier still feels we need to be proactive about protecting this place. Fortunately, the bigger hordes are probably further up North by now. We've only encountered stragglers for the past few days, and luckily no other survivors have come knocking…at least not yet." Marcus answered while still trying to wake himself up, prodding his hazy memories to give her a proper answer. Kiriko seemed content with his response and responded with a simple nod.

'And that's only with five people? Imagine how well this place could be run and defended if we brought Tadashi's group here...' Kiriko began to ponder to herself before noticing the rest of Takashi's group, half-dressed from last night, begin to drop onto the chairs and sofas; still trying to wake up and adjust to the fact they actually had a relaxing nights sleep.

As the others seemed to be relaxed and ready to fall asleep again, the sound of heavy footsteps became more and more prominent by the second, only to reveal Frasier exiting the stairwell with a carbine carried along his shoulder. A rather satisfied look filled his eyes when looking over at the undead man he'd expertly shot nearly a minute ago.

"Sorry for the rude awakening, everyone, but it's time for us to establish the ground rules around here. C'mon, get up." Frasier announced loud and clear enough to the point everyone was fully awake and alert now. A few disgruntled groans of annoyance could be heard before he was standing before them all with his arms crossed; a dead serious look in his eyes.

"I want to make it abundantly clear that so long as we're going to be living together; that you all know this isn't a free ride. I expect each and every one of you to be able to pull their weight and then some to make sure this place remains functional at all times.

"Rule number one: I want at least one person on watch at all times to keep a lookout for any potential danger or rescue vehicles moving our way. With the amount of us there is now, I highly doubt that will be an issue.

"Rule number two: We will eat two meals a day and the rations will be carefully monitored to keep what little stock we have stored for longer use. So no seconds or snacks shall be permitted." At this particular news, Khota could be heard letting out an immensely disappointed sigh.

"Rule number three: If there's any immediate danger to the hotel,I expect you all to arm yourselves with whatever you can and regroup with the others.

"Rule number four: No matter what, I'm in charge and responsible for my brothers. So if you have a problem or concern with them, you'd best talk to me about it first so we can avoid any complications.

"Final rule: Do not take advantage of our trust or hospitality. I think you all know quite well what the consequences are if you do. If none of you like it, the door is right over there. Any questions?" Frasier finished after speaking in a strong, authoritative voice; uncertain why Takashi's group and even his own people seemed to be completely taken aback, as if he'd just essentially declared martial law upon the hotel. Before anything else could be said, Marcus raised a hand.

"Understood, Mein Führer…so, you ARE aware that your barn door is open, right?" Marcus asked as Frasier immediately turned deep red out of sheer embarrassment when realizing somehow his fly was down despite being certain that it was up earlier. The others had to restrain their laughter as he turned around to quickly zip it back up.

"Our fearless leader." Hitomi lightly chuckled sarcastically as she was somewhat pleased to see Frasier somewhat vulnerable,no matter how minor it may have seemed. The others continued gently laughing and snickering before proceeding to get up to properly dress themselves.

"Heh, guess I'm more tired than I let on. Sorry about that..." Frasier mumbled apologetically as he almost looked like he was actually embarrassed and had no way to rectify his trouser malfunction.

"Relax. You've been up all night watching over us. Perhaps you should consider getting some rest. You've certainly more than earned it." Saeko gently whispered in a quick hush when passing Frasier by to re-equip her light shin and elbow pads and combat boots.

Unable to form a response, Frasier just paused where he stood for a moment before looking back at his most recent kill. The thick brownish liquid still oozing out down the steps as the rotting corpse remained entirely motionless. The young Brit just grunted before heading to the kitchen to determine how much food should be distributed for the morning. To his surprise, Kiriko's additional cache, added to what he'd brought back, left them with roughly several weeks of food; along with the food that was barely being preserved in the heavy duty freezer down in the basement.

'Perhaps this won't be as hard as I anticipated.' Frasier thought to himself as he proceeded to head for the basement after snapping a glow stick to help illuminate the path for him.

Meanwhile, the others were changing back into their semi-wet clothes, still damp from the night before; all the while regretting that they ditched the plastic rain ponchos on their way to the hotel. The girls used one room to change whilst the boys used one further down the hall.

"Ugh, I don't suppose they'd have any spare clothes for us to borrow?" Saeko complained when realizing just how uncomfortable it felt to go back to wearing her damp outfit, especially her black leather combat boots.

"One can only hope. I did notice some suitcases in some of the other rooms, so with any luck, there will be something we can take." Rei responded before pulling up her green skirt over her white frilly panties.

"Forget this. I'm going to go grab some now. No way am I'm wearing wet clothes when we have so much variety available." Saya announced as she then stormed out to quickly grab a suitcase and drag it back for the others to make use of whatever clothing they could find.

With the flip of a handle, the suitcase made a clicking noise before opening up wide to reveal numerous piles of clothing for them to try on. One by one they'd begin to try on whatever seemed passable for now, only to see most of the sizes weren't right.

"I suppose I can wear this for now. But should the opportunity present itself, I suggest we get more clothes from a store or something." Saya commented as the others were still trying to fit into random bits of clothing they were able to scrounge up that seemed to be somewhat near their respective sizes while she slipped on a dark red turtleneck.

"I agree. Something about this just feels…wrong. This used to belong to someone who's probably dead now." Rei added in agreement before reluctantly buttoning her school shirt back on before throwing on a navy blue sweater to help cover the wet white shirt that would've easily displayed her white lacy bra otherwise.

"Thanks, I really wanted to think about dead people while trying on a stranger's clothing." Saeko sarcastically remarked before tossing what would've been her new shirt back into the pile of clothes.

"I'm sure the boys won't mind obliging our request. If not, we'll just make them." Hitomi chuckled humorously as she tried her best to brush her hair aside before tying her pink ribbon around a handful of it, bringing back her typical ponytail hanging from the left side of her head.

"I like the way you think, Hitomi-san: very confident and headstrong." Kiriko said with something of a grin before proceeding to adjust her former police outfit.

The young woman smiled back before they all proceeded to return back downstairs to see what the rest of the group was up to. Walking side by side, they soon found themselves suddenly stopping at the kitchen area to see Marcus, Takashi, Khota, and Noah waiting patiently in the lobby speaking among themselves.

"You guys are still wearing those soaking wet clothes?" Rei asked as she was completely astonished to see they appeared to have no issue nor quarrel with something that would've personally bugged her to no end.

"Yeah, we just kind of got used to it." Marcus responded without any hint of regret or shame in his voice as he looked around to see the others around him seemed to be in agreement.

"Boys." Hitomi lightly mumbled under her breath as she playfully rolled her eyes before noticing Johann and Frasier weren't around.

"Where're the other two?" Hitomi then asked as she looked around to make sure she simply didn't overlook the lobby.

"Johann is using one of the restrooms while Frasier took it upon himself to make breakfast. So if you smell smoke, one of us should probably get in there to make sure he isn't burning the bloody place down." Noah answered, earning a few amused chuckles from Marcus and Khota.

Alice was sitting on a countertop in the kitchen; her small legs swaying back and forth as she was eagerly watching Frasier attempt to use one of the instant-ready meals he'd retrieved the other day; the fresh scent hitting them the way a tidal wave would smash against a coastline.

"Do you need any help?" Alice asked curiously as she peeked her head over to see a large red and brown mush of what now smelled like meat.

"No. I'm more than capable of doing this on my own. Thank you for the offer, though." Frasier answered in a more calm tone than she was used to before adding a few cups of water to the mix.

"Please?" Alice then asked, almost begging at this point, prompting him to turn his head over his shoulder only to be met with her staring right back with a very hopeful gleam in her purple eyes.

"Persistent little thing, aren't you? Very well then. Take this and stir it around every few minutes to get the stew mixed up nicely. Just keep your hands clear of the water, kid." Frasier remarked in a somewhat defeated grunt as if he knew she'd never stop bugging him otherwise. He then handed her the wooden spoon only to step back to supervise her every move like an overbearing schoolmaster.

"I'll do my best!" Alice exclaimed proudly; her hands already slowly swirling the wooden spoon as she kept her eyes focused on the mixture, a ridiculous look of serious determination on her tiny face.

Frasier suddenly felt something licking the back of his heel; spurring him to look down out of sheer reaction alone. A genuine smile crept across his lips as he noticed Zeke playfully licking the back of his ankle. The eldest Lawson knelt down only to start running the back of his hand down the small pup's back; the soft fur slowly brushing along his rough palm. A whacking sound filled the room as Zeke's tail began to wag and slap against the metallic oven door.

"I take it this little one belongs to you?" Frasier suddenly asked before picking up Zeke; lightly chuckling out of amusement when he felt those small teeth lightly nibbling at his fingers.

"Yeah! Well...I mean, he wasn't our dog at first, but we couldn't find his owner, so we're his family now." Alice said excitedly before verbally backtracking when she took a moment to realize that Zeke used to have a family before them, her voice becoming somewhat sad as she tried to justify them taking the small dog.

"I see. He seems very healthy, and I can only imagine how close he must be to you and your people by now. You're very lucky." Frasier said with a strong hint of jealousy hanging from his voice as he set Zeke back on the floor.

"Do you like dogs?" Alice then asked as she began to feel much more comfortable talking to Frasier now that he wasn't yelling or being continuously angry at every little thing that happened.

"No, I don't like dogs. I love them, kid. Dogs tend to be very strong, intelligent, and best of all; loyal to whomever they bond with." Frasier answered in a lowered hush as he knelt down and began to play with Zeke by lightly giving the young dog a soft nudge, prompting him to play.

Zeke started barking energetically before darting back and forth as if now challenging Frasier; that short white tail wagging back and forth wildly as Alice couldn't help but let out a giggle of amusement at how silly Zeke looked with his lower jaw hanging low with that long pink tongue hanging off the side.

Frasier then noticed movement in the corner of his left eye,prompting him to spin around to face whoever it was. He was immediately met by Saeko; a rather pleasant smile on her face after having apparently watched the entire scene between the two. A part of Frasier was thrilled to see her soft eyes looking straight at him as if acknowledging he existed, and another part being somewhat pleased that she didn't sneak up on him this time.

"Good morning, Saeko-san. Did you sleep well?" Frasier asked calmly as he casually leaned against the counter, nearly slipping from lack of balance; causing her to barely stifle a giggle.

"I actually did thanks to you, your brothers and your friends. It especially helped having you to watch over m-us." Saeko began to express out of gratitude before correcting herself at the end; forming a rather embarrassed look on her face before she quickly walked over to check on Alice's progress.

"Good morning Saeko-neesan." Alice exclaimed in a delightful, chipper burst of energy that caused Saeko to smile back at her as she slightly knelt down to be closer to the little girl's eye range.

"Good morning, Alice-chan. I take it you're responsible for all of this then?" Saeko asked gently as she looked over to see what they'd be eating this morning.

"Yes...kind of. I helped by stirring it around! Does that count?" Alice expressed proudly before correcting herself so it didn't seem like she'd taken all the credit. Not that Frasier would've even cared either way.

"Every little bit helps, Alice-chan. I eagerly wait to see how this turns out." Saeko responded softly before turning just in time to catch Frasier idly staring at her; quickly looking away as they made momentary eye contact.

She just then noticed the bomber jacket he was usually wearing was now resting on the back of a chair, leaving the young Brit in a white wife beater. When the giant undead man from yesterday had knocked him back into the concrete slope, it tore several holes and scrapes along the back. It couldn't help but make Saeko feel partially guilty and weak that she had to have Frasier put his life on the line to save her. The young swordswoman knew that was unacceptable and in that moment silently vowed to never need rescuing again.

Saeko then felt her eyes trailing up Frasier's body: starting from the back of his heels, stopping for a few pleasingly uninterrupted seconds at his rear, only to then notice just how well built his entire back physically appeared now that it wasn't concealed by the academy's uniform. Through the white fabric, she then noticed a few splotches of blood could be seen on his side.

"Frasier, hold on. You're bleeding..." Saeko slowly announced as she realized that just underneath his left armpit, another splotch of blood could be seen that looked considerably fresher than the others.

"It's nothing more than a scratch. Don't worry about it." Frasier replied with a dismissive groan when her hand suddenly touched it. He instinctively tried to turn away the wound, as if trying to conceal it from her.

"Under normal circumstances, I'd be inclined to believe you. But given our current situation, I think you should at least let Marikawa-sensei look at it just to be on the safe side." Saeko expressed concernedly; unable to reasonably fathom why he was acting so stubborn about it, making her all the more curious of just how serious it could've been.

"Show me what-oh my goodness, what happened to you?!" Shizuka's voice suddenly asked from the doorway leading into the kitchen, apparently having overheard their entire conversation. Her tone quickly shifted from a confused ditzy pitch to a high shrill teeming with shock at the unexpected sight of blood.

The beyond buxom nurse quickly jogged over with such a burst of energy that she nearly ran into them dead on before barely stopping in time. The commotion and her almost high-pitched shift in tone prompted the others patiently waiting outside to take notice as they all started to crowd the kitchen entrance themselves.

"Oh great, why not invite everyone to come look?" Frasier groaned sarcastically as he absolutely detested the idea of everyone crowding around the kitchen to stare at him like a burn victim.

"What's going on?" "Frasier, what's this all about?" "Was he bitten?" "Hey, step back, will you? Give them some space." "Not another step, Lawson. Let's see that wound." "Why didn't you tell us about this?" "Do you not care how badly this could get out of hand? Answer me!" "Answer him!"

All of these words swirled around in Frasier's head as he could see them all talking at once and staring at him like he was just another one of 'Them'. The unexpected and continuous barrage of questions slowly wearing his temper thin to the point he could feel his hands slowly clenching up. His eyes closing tight before he finally lost control of himself.

"ALL OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!" Frasier barked out in a fit of frustration that cast a momentary silence over the kitchen before he realized just how hard he was breathing now; sweat slowly trickling down the side of his head as he noticed mixed responses of fear, anger, and shock at the outburst.

*click*

The sound of Hitomi's .38 revolver could suddenly be heard being primed; leading Frasier's full attention to now fall entirely upon her.

"Show us the wound, Frasier. If you have nothing to hide, you'll cooperate with us here. Drop the tough guy crap for once in your miserable life and think about how this affects all of us…please." Hitomi said in a deathly serious low growl before her voice started to somewhat trail into what sounded like desperation for him to just do as he was asked.

Frasier just glared at the gun barrel then back to Hitomi before letting out a low grunt of annoyance before he turned to the side and lifted his shirt up to reveal a large gash cutting up into his left latissimus with several small trails of blood running down his side.

"Okay, I really don't think you should be handling the food anytime soon." Marcus commented more out of shock than attempting to crack a joke at Frasier's expense; slightly flinching when Noah punched him in the arm to signify how inappropriate he was being.

"See? No bite marks, no discoloration, nothing. Happy now?" Frasier grumbled angrily before lowering his shirt back down. Hitomi slowly holstered her gun with a sigh of relief, but her glare towards Frasier didn't soften at all.

"Happy? Happy?! How can anyone be happy when you're so reluctant to show us something as serious as this?! Why do you ALWAYS have to make everything into a goddamn battle?!" Hitomi retorted in equal anger; her eyes glaring furiously at him as she was practically at her wits end with him now.

"I think both of you should calm down before this can escalate any further. Hitomi-san, he's fine as far as the situation goes for now, so let's just take that for what it's worth. Frasier-san, I think you should let Shizuka-san take care of you before anything does infect that wound. Surely you two can at least agree to that extent." Kiriko suddenly intervened as she had a strong feeling in her gut that the two were about to start trading blows if the tension between them was any indication to her.

Without uttering any words the two simply parted ways; Hitomi storming back to the lobby and up the stairs while Frasier planted himself firmly on the table with Shizuka instantly rushing back and forth to prepare herself to help properly patch his wound up.

"I think we should give Shizuka-sensei some space. Let's go." Rei suddenly suggested as everyone couldn't deny that was the best and only thing they could do at this point. Soon, everyone but Shizuka, Frasier, and Noah had calmly left the room; Saeko stopping at the door to make brief eye contact with him before slipping away to join the others.

As the door to the kitchen closed, Marcus quickly went upstairs to comfort Hitomi; leaving Takashi and his group to discuss among themselves what their next move should be.

"I swear those two seem to be going at it every chance they get." Khota expressed as she just shook his head, knowing this wasn't going to be the last of it either.

"At this rate, one of them is going to kill the other. I don't know about you guys, but I don't want any of us to be between that when it happens." Saya agreed; causing the others to bow their heads, as if reevaluating their chances of lasting in here with the Lawson's group.

"Perhaps we should reconsider our choice to stay with them." Rei brought up, causing the others to start pondering the pros and cons of staying at the hotel.

"But it's safe here, and we have everything we could possibly need right now. Do you really want to go back to constantly looking over your shoulder to make sure you're not being crept up on? Let alone the possibility that we might run into more hostile survivors while we have no ammunition on us." Takashi brought up; all at once making the group realize that leaving the hotel anytime soon would be too risky.

"We don't necessarily have everything, but you do have a point regardless. Perhaps we should help them find a middle ground should they start arguing again? Something tells me they'll need us more than even they previously anticipated." Saeko brought up as she knew that the constant infighting of Frasier's group would only lead to their own demise; the others silently nodding in agreement before turning to see Alice had just now walked out of the kitchen while trying to carry several bowls in her arms.

"Alice-chan, what are you doing?" Saya asked curiously while the others smiled at how determined she appeared to be when trying to perfectly place them on top of the table. None of them could deny that at least she could always help them forget their troubles, even just for the shortest time. In a way, the sweet little child was one of the most important people in their ranks.

"Setting the table of course. How else can we eat breakfast Saya?" Alice replied with a rather proud smile before she had managed to set the last one up without any assistance from the others.

"I thought I told you it's 'Saya-nee'…ah, forget it. Fair enough, munchkin. Wait here while I grab the pot; I'm certain you did a fine job with it." Saya began to chastise the small child before finally letting out a heavy sigh of defeat. If the little girl wasn't going to refer to her as 'neesan' before, what chance would there be of her doing it now? Unable to help but smile at how enthusiastic Alice seemed, Saya quickly made her way for the kitchen to help while everyone else began to sit themselves at the table.

When passing through the kitchen, Saya could instantly spot the boiling pot on the stove. Before grabbing it, she stopped to observe Frasier being patched up by Shizuka. A massive bruise could be seen along his upper back from where he was slammed into the concrete slope; leaving a yellowish-purple bruise.

Set beside him was a bowl of bloody water with a needle resting at the bottom while the dedicated nurse continuously sewed and threaded the next one through his exposed gash. Noah occasionally helped by gently scrubbing away the blood that began clotting with a fresh washcloth to assist Shizuka, occasionally whispering to Frasier that they'd be done in no time.

What really put her off though was not the nasty gash but rather the way he personally was reacting to it, or rather his lack of reaction. Occasionally he'd squint or clench his fist when the flesh was being tugged harder than usual; but beyond that, hejust remained entirely unfazed by it. The young genius could only imagine what he must've done in his past life to be able to ignore such pain at will. Thinking of how strong he truly was now only made her shudder at the thought of his true potential as a fighter, or what he'd be capable of if he were to turn his aggression on her and the others.

"We're going to start eating if you guys don't mind." Saya suddenly announced as if feeling rude for not letting them know why she was here; quickly turning the stove off before putting on reinforced oven mitts and carrying the pot away.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, go right ahead, don't worry about us. We'll be done any minute now." Noah called back softly before Saya proceeded to leave them to their business.

Saya slowly made her way out of the kitchen, lugging the pot in her hands while letting out a frustrated grunt with almost every step. It was definitely a lot heavier than she'd been expecting. Setting the large pot on the table, she proceeded to fill the empty bowls while everyone else couldn't help but watch hungrily; the promise of food only seconds away finally reminding them of how hungry they truly were. Once it was all there before them, they spared no time digging in while one by one, the rest of the survivors began to return; Shizuka being second to last to approach with quite the satisfied smile on her lips, knowing that she'd done exceptionally well with her most recent treatment.

"Guten morgen, everyone. So, what'd I miss?" Johann asked as he finally exited the stairwell before proceeding to pull up a chair between Marcus and Takashi; looking around for answers while Saya helped pour him a bowl.

"Oh, just the usual." Hitomi answered before they all turned to see Frasier finally emerging with white medical tape wrapped around his upper left torso, his arms and back only covered by the tattered bomber jacket, leaving the rest of his front section exposed. Everyone remained dead silent as all that could be heard was the sound of his chair being dragged back before he sat himself down.

"Rough morning aside, we need to seriously start considering our next move. Everyone, please feel free to speak your minds." Frasier announced calmly as he tried his best to seem more approachable this time around.

"Well, I was looking at the map, and we've really cleared out a lot of useful areas, given how fast we've been scavenging." Marcus began as he gently pushed his plate aside only to roll out his map absolutely filled with red markings he'd put there himself to keep a record of every block and structure they'd thoroughly cleared.

"Well, what else do we really need right now? From what I can tell, we have everything we need until help arrives." Shizuka asked curiously as she was now concerned that there might've been something she'd missed when originally checking their personal fort out.

"We have the means to survive for a few weeks. But what if this should last for a few months? Or even an entire year? Or…even longer?" Frasier answered with a question of his own; leaving Shizuka silent. Everyone else couldn't help but ponder the actual chances the remaining local government really had to evacuate the remaining survivors of Tokonosu. So far it seemed very slim, even with Tadashi Miyamoto's plan to evacuate. And that wasn't even taking into consideration what the rest of Japan must have been like during all this madness. Who was to say if the rest of the country wasn't somehow even worse than this city right now?

"We were thinking that most clothing stores would be completely untouched, given how low of a priority they'd be compared to food and fresh water. It would be a nice thing to have, and it would also be far more hygienic for everyone here to have at least two sets of clothes we can try washing down by the river, then drying them off on the roof." Rei brought up as she was certain that being in the same outfit day after day would prove to be a problem they could entirely avoid.

"With Johann-kun's condition, and should the unfortunate event of anyone else getting seriously injured arise, we will need stronger medicine. I used the rest of my supply of suture on both of you as well, and it would be awfully sweet if you'd consider looking for more." Shizuka added as she almost spoke in what could've been interpreted as sweetly begging to get what she needed. She then proceeded to lean forward on her elbows, practically pressing her massive chest straight out as if she were letting it do the talking for her.

"It's also imperative we find books that can help teach us things such as how to gather and filter our own water, aquaponics and other agricultural methods to start growing our own food. We could even grab something to use as borders, and then some bags of fertilizer and different seeds to make our own rooftop garden. We can only keep scavenging our meals for so long,unless you want to start foraging in the woods to the North." Noah stated in a very determined voice that especially got Saya's attention given how clever the young man appeared to be by thinking so far ahead of everyone else.

"So many choices...I don't suppose there's a place that has all of that, hmm?" Frasier asked in a low mumble as he was hoping he'd only need to make one trip for today. His body felt sore from the previous few days as the strain was finally starting to catch up to him.

"We could try the Taiei Shopping Center. I know we saw some of 'Them' over in the distance last time, but with both our groups, cleanup is possible. What do you guys think?" Marcus suggested before noticing Takashi's group instantly formed looks of despair when he mentioned that place.

Khota had the worst reaction when his face nearly turned pale and his eyes never blinked once till Saya put a hand on his shoulder as if to help pull him back from that state. He then just pulled away before attempting to leave the room. Saya's grip however kept him in place, only to follow up with the most genuine display of affection anyone had ever seen her show when her arms practically pulled him in for a hug.

"What just happened?" Hitomi eventually asked as Marcus, Johann, and Noah formed concerned looks of their own while Frasier's expression remained the same.

"We were there before, a few days ago. Things seemed to be working out until 'They' got inside. We lost several people, but worst was a young police officer named Asami Nakaoka. Khota had to make the toughest choice any of us could've ever imagined by either allowing her to become one of 'Them' or…kill her with a quick shot to the head. It almost broke him entirely once we got away, so no, we can't go to the Taiei Shopping Center." Takashi explained grimly in remembrance as he felt immense regret for not being able to save the young officer from such a tragic ending. Khota could be heard gently sobbing into Saya's arms while Hitomi sat there completely shocked at the news.

'Asami-san...she...she was so green and naïve, but damn if that stopped her. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you.' Hitomi thought to herself as she began to tear up; Marcus' hand gently resting on her shoulder as she shrugged it off and brushed away the tears. She knew now more than ever that she had to be stronger than ever before to make sure nobody else here would end up the same way.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Hitomi-san. I know this news can't be easy for you." Frasier suddenly announced; causing her to shift her eyes upon him. His face was still stone cold, yet those words held what sounded like genuine empathy for her sadness.

"T-thank you, Frasier-san. It must be quite obvious if even you can so easily tell, huh?" Hitomi tearfully thanked as she hated how her voice began to crack whenever she tried to speak out beyond a whisper; not even caring at this point how he could read her so easily.

"If it helps, I think I know a good alternative. There was another mall set to open last weekend near here. With the outbreaks however, it was canceled for obvious reasons. I'm thinking we could try there instead, and with any luck, it will still be stocked for its opening week." Marcus suddenly brought up, quickly earning positive looks from everyone as they all seemed to unanimously agree on its potential.

"So who will go to scout it out then?" Johann asked as he looked at the map now only to realize how far the walk would be.

"All of us should go. Safety in numbers, and its best we bring back as much as possible. The more trips we need to take, the more likely someone gets hurt…or worse." Kiriko answered as if making a case out of it; speaking with a strong determination that had no opposition given how strong her logic seemed to the rest.

"Very well, it's decided then. Everyone get ready and we'll head out in ten minutes." Frasier announced calmly before watching the whole group form optimistic smiles at what sounded like a really solid plan; watching them all leave at once before he eventually pulled himself up and proceeded to suit up in the armory.

After the ten minute mark, the group was finally ready to head out into downtown Tokonosu once more. Frasier was reluctant at first to leave nobody to watch over the hotel, but after locking the front doors, he felt confident that nobody else would be able to get in after that barricade had been set up and the barbed wire had been set on all the balconies. Takashi's group on the other hand had expressions that initially resembled what someone on vacation would make, feeling that their time off was far too short.

However, the weather quickly changed their tune when they were met with bright rays of sunlight peaking over the lingering dark clouds. The river nearby brightly reflected the sunlight; giving them all an undeniably tranquil feeling as they carefully traveled over an empty bridge heading south into the former metropolis. A small overcast could be spotted far in the distance,but that was for another time to hold any concerns over.

Marcus took point with the map in hand with Saeko and Takashi acting as the vanguard of the group, backing the middle Lawson brother up should something jump out at him or if they'd spot something he wasn't able to focus on. Just a few yards behind them walked Rei, Kiriko, and Noah as the mid-flank. In the center walked the most vulnerable consisting of Johann, Shizuka, Alice, and Frasier, much to his dismay. Covering the very back walked Saya and Khota, whom was grateful to be given one of the H&K MP5SFK sub-machine guns in place of his emptied out AR-10 rifle.

"There it is. Outside looks clear; but on the inside, it's anyone's guess." Marcus suddenly announced as he could hear everyone approaching from behind; whispering among themselves on whether or not to approach any closer.

Before them towered a shopping mall twice the size of the Taiei Shopping Center. There seemed to be two smaller sub-sections of buildings connected to it while the rest was composed in almost a dome-like arch. A large red banner flowed high for all passersby to see with golden colored text reading: "Grand Opening in Just Two Days!"

The parking lot remained entirely vacant; a long, flat blacktop stretched out to accommodate hundreds of vehicles. Several tall lamp posts hung overhead with a flock of birds perched upon them occasionally making noise to help quell the unsettling silence. A gust of wind howled in the background as they began to approach the massive entrance.

"So how do you two intend to do this?" Saeko asked before turning back to look at both Frasier and Takashi for their input; both leaders turning to seek input from the other. The others anxiously waited as the two boys began to speak in a hushed whisper before turning back to address the current situation.

"We move in three teams of four." Takashi began to announce while Frasier stepped forward to begin doing a head count on the group.

"Noah, Kiriko-san, Johann, and Takagi-san will take the left side of the entrance plaza. Marcus, Khota-san, Shizuka-sensei, and I will take the connecting bridge to provide overwatch from the second floor. Saeko-san, Komuro-san, Rei-san, and Hitomi-sanshall take the right side of the entrance plaza. Alice-chan and the pup will stay with my group to keep them out the reach of any potential threats we might find in there. Any questions?" Frasier instructed as he spoke in a soft yet firm tone in an attempt to keep the others from becoming intimidated by him, but still take him just as serious as if his voice was the final say on the matter. Luckily the others seemed content with this plan and began to line up at a doorway locked up by several chains.

In one swift squeeze, the strong bolt cutters took the chain apart with little resistance. Bits of metal bounced off the ground as the doors were swung wide open. Saeko gently pressed both doors open as she motioned everyone to start moving in to form their teams; their shoes occasionally squeaking lightly against the polished floors, which led to them walking at a slow pace to keep the noise down.

The darkness they were expecting from lack of electricity was replaced by the sunlight beaming through the massive glass skylight above; giving them a moderate amount of light to work with as they began to advance up the walkways. To their surprise though, further inspection of the outlets led to the discovery that the lights were still working; giving them a full range and view of what each store contained.

"This place actually has power? How?" Marcus questioned aloud for all to hear as they began to carefully observe their surroundings as if expecting some kind of threat to show itself.

"Must be a backup generator like the J-Alert system had back at the police station. For how long this will last is anyone's guess at this point, though." Saya answered as she was somewhat amazed this place was still running without someone here to maintain it,despite it still only being less than a week since the EMP disrupted everything.

"The lights seem to be a bit dim, so perhaps it's using less power than the typical bright lights these places tend to use." Noah added on as he began to walk up to the nearest store that was selling photography items and accessories.

"Hmm...This might actually be easy for once." Rei commented as the others began to smile at the idea of being in a mall that wasn't locked up or filled with other survivors like the previous one was.

"Keep your guard up regardless. We still might not be alone." Frasier firmly announced before motioning the three groups to start sweeping the areas as previously planned.

"You really think that someone else is in here with us? I didn't see any other entrances or cut locks aside from the one we just used." Shizuka asked somewhat timidly at the idea of being snuck up on or being watched without her knowing.

"True, the front seemed to be secure, but we don't know about the sides or the rear of the mall. Just keep sharp and scream if you see anything. And I do mean ANYTHING." Frasier said in an attempt to calm the nurse's nerves as they began to climb the stairs; now standing watch over the other two groups from a bridge connecting the second floors together, which gave them a perfect line of sight over the entrance plaza.

"This place looks really awesome. Kind of makes me wish it had opened before this all happened." Rei commented as she observed the various perfume kiosks and outlet stores fully stocked with various outfits that instantly caught her attention.

"Yeah, no kidding! Seems like a bitchin' place to hang out after school or work." Hitomi agreed as they noticed the entrance plaza was only getting wider the further they walked down; the walls curving outward to connect to a massive intersection at the center of the mall.

"This place is alright...just another mall if you ask me." Takashi commented, showing his lack of enthusiasm as he was uncertain why this place seemed so great compared to any other mall they'd been to before.

"You're a guy. You wouldn't really understand what it means to us." Hitomi replied as Rei and Saeko somewhat smirked at how quick she was to practically extinguish his criticism; leaving Takashi silent as he lightly grumbled to himself before Saeko lightly nudged him and shot him a smile.

"Relax, Komuro-kun. You'll learn soon enough." Saeko said in an encouraging tone before taking his hand in hers; his frown slowly shifting to a content grin as his hand squeezed hers back.

Rei meanwhile tried her best to ignore the two as she silently wished Frasier had put her in a different team. It killed her inside to see the two acting like this, almost as if they were intentionally trying to rub it in her face. She then turned her head to see her mother looking over in their direction. The young teen shot her mother a false smile to keep any suspicion of her sorrow at bay before Kiriko turned back to focus on her side of the entrance plaza. Suddenly, Zeke began to give off a low growl before barking wildly as if trying to warm them of something.

"Movement! I've got movement on the second floor!" Noah then called out which echoed off the walls for everyone to hear,instantly setting everyone on guard; simultaneously backing away as they looked up to see what he was talking about.

"I'm on it!" Frasier called back, running at breakneck speed while Khota lifted up the scoped SMG only to catch a brief glimpse of a small figure darting around a corner, effectively leaving his line of sight.

"Whatever it was, it's too fast to be one of 'Them'! Watch yourselves." Khota announced as the rest of the group began to head up the nearby escalator to the second floor.

As they reached the top of the escalator, Frasier only just darted by as he had a fiercely determined look on his face, like a tiger on the hunt. His footsteps sounded like he was pounding his shoes into the floor before he too vanished around the corner.

"Hey, wait up!" Takashi called out as they ran after him to make sure he didn't run headfirst into danger without anyone to back him up. A part of him couldn't help but question how Frasier could remain so limber despite having fresh stitches put into him just over half an hour ago.

*slam*

A loud metallic rattle could be heard; causing everyone to nearly jump out of their skin. Uncertain whether or not it was Frasier's doing only lead them all to wonder if he was in trouble now. Their hearts were now racing, only for them to suddenly come to a stop when they saw him standing before the entrance to an antique shop with Mark's pistol gripped tightly in his right hand. A large metal security fence had been set down; causing him to pause for a moment and consider who might be on the other side of the gate as the rest of the group had finally caught up.

"What did you see, Frasier?" Noah asked anxiously as he lightly kicked at the fence to test how reinforced it might've been.

"I couldn't really get a good look. Whoever it was had a good head start and locked me out in time. Someone grab that bench over there." Frasier answered as his chest heaved back and forth, his words somewhat restraining anger before he holstered the weapon and started to rub his hands together.

"What do you need this bench for, exactly?" Takashi questioned as they watched in awe as Frasier squatted down only to suddenly pull up on the security fence.

At first it didn't budge, but the longer he kept at it, eventually they could hear a wailing sound above the door frame. The sound of gears being grounded and forced against their design eventually overwhelmed the gate's structure. A snapping sound rang out before Frasier began to stand with the gate resting on his shoulders.

"Quickly, get that bench in there. Now!" Frasier ordered in a strained voice before barking at them as if he were to drop it any second now.

The moment Takashi and Marcus had propped the wooden bench up against the door frame, Frasier quickly stepped inside the pharmacy to see it was now possible for everyone to enter. Luckily as the eldest Lawson had predicted, the gate remained opened and the bench was able to sustain the pressure for now.

"You really shouldn't have done that. You might've really hurt yourself, especially after I just gave you stitches!" Shizuka said with clear disappointment and concern that Frasier was being so reckless as to overwork himself; slightly frowning when he shrugged his shoulders in response to indicate her worries meant nothing to him at the moment.

"That would be a real shame, especially because I would've opened up if you'd given me the chance to open it for you." a croaky voice suddenly announced from the back of the antique shop; causing them to shift their gaze to what appeared to be an elderly man with a walking cane approaching them.

He wore what looked like a red sweater vest over a long white dress shirt and light tan kakis to go with his brown leather slip-on shoes. His back was slightly hunched over while his head managed to look upright still, adorned with a wrinkled face that made it look like he was frowning even if he didn't actually intend to. Both his feet shuffled forward at a restless pace despite every joint in his frail body sounding like it was creaking inside. One gnarled looking hand would be tightly wrapped around his pale birch cane as the other hand would clench around his hip for support. Whatever remaining white hair he could proudly brag about now could only be combed sideways over his rough looking scalp.

"My apologies, sir. My brother can be quite hasty sometimes. We can put it back if you like." Noah said in apology before he looked ready to fix the gate regardless of what the old man said.

"You might as well leave it up since you've already gone through the trouble of getting inside." the elderly man responded rather dismissively as if he didn't even mind the fact that Frasier most likely broke his only means of real security for all they knew.

"I'm still quite surprised you managed to outrun us. You've got some serious skill for an old timer." Frasier commented as if he was embarrassed that he couldn't keep up with someone so old and frail looking.

"Hmm? Oh, hahaha, that was definitely not me you were chasing, young man. That was my grandson, who is being awfully rude by not greeting our guests." the old man said with a confused grumble initially before letting out a hoarse burst of laughter; his voice then raising louder at the end as if trying to call out to someone they couldn't see yet.

Out stepped a young boy wearing denim blue overalls that wrapped around his red and white striped shirt. He had short black hair and a very timid set of brown eyes that showed instant distrust of these strangers standing before him.

"But Grandpa...these are the people I was just telling you about! Can't you just make them leave?" the young boy whined as he practically hid behind his grandfather while wasting no time sharing his feelings towards them.

"No, Kenji. I honestly couldn't make them go even if I wanted to. Show them some respect and I'm confident they'll show you kindness in return." his grandfather suggested as he was quite confident that these strangers would've made demands by now if they were looking to start trouble.

"Umm... I-I'm Kenji. N-nice to meet you..." the young boy known as Kenji responded as he stepped before them to give a quick bow, only to immediately retreat back behind his grandfather for comfort. Another rough chuckle could be heard from the old man as he seemed rather amused by all of this.

"Pleased to meet you both. My name is Komuro Takashi, and these are my friends. If it makes you feel any better kid, we promise not to hurt either one of you." Takashi gladly announced before the others quickly nodded in agreement to prove they really were friendly, which seemed to help the young Kenji feel some sense of relief as his grandfather simply smiled at the kind vow Takashi made.

"That is quite the relief to hear. I'm glad my instincts have yet to betray me at my age. Might I ask what your group is looking for exactly?" the old man inquired as he began to walk towards a large leather armchair while motioning them to follow him.

"We came here in the hopes that nobody else had the same idea to check out a mall that never made its grand opening. We figured it would be untouched and hopefully stocked for the first week. It looked completely untouched when we arrived, which gave us the impression nobody was home." Takashi began to explain as the elderly man just slowly nodded back and forth in understanding as to why they'd come here.

"That seems reasonable enough to me. My name is Isao, and you've already met my grandson, Kenji. Please, feel free to explore the mall as much as you like. It's not like anything beyond this humble antique shop is mine anyway." the elderly man known as Isao, said in a somewhat strained groan as he seemed rather pleased to have company over; even if said company was solely here to scavenge and essentially loot whatever they could find of use.

"You're very kind to give us such free range, Isao-san. I don't suppose there's a catch?" Marcus said with a very grateful sigh before expressing his feeling that lead to there being something Isao would want from them.

"Oh, I'm sure I can think of something your group can help me with, but for now, just take what you need. I'm going to put some tea on if any of you would like to join me. My grandson just flat out refuses to try it, but I'm sure one of you will be brave enough, hehehe." Isao replied dismissively as he genuinely did not feel the need to take advantage of the young survivors who he could clearly see were somewhat desperate. Their manners alone had given him a much needed sense of security and relief. His hoarse chuckle filled the room before Kenji looked away as if embarrassed for being mentioned to these strangers.

"I think that's a wonderful idea. One of our leaders would love to join you. Isn't that right, Frasier?" Hitomi said as she suddenly gave him a light shove that caused him to stumble forward to Isao, who seemed delighted that someone would stay with him.

"Sure, just ring me a bell if something comes up, and do try not to forget about me." Frasier reluctantly agreed as he knew there was no use in denying the kind old man some much needed company. A sly smirk could be seen on Hitomi's face while the others seemed rather surprised that Frasier would so easily sit this one out.

"Don't worry we'd never forget you." Noah replied happily, as though he was genuinely ecstatic to see Frasier actually being civil with a stranger for once. Both Frasier and Marcus couldn't help but smile at how happy Noah seemed to be before they looked over to Shizuka, who was now walking over with a small footrest in hand.

"Make room for one more. I'd absolutely love a warm cup of tea right about now!" Shizuka said enthusiastically before planting herself down on the padded footrest, which was so low to the ground her knees were practically holding her massive chest up; causing poor Marcus' face to turn red as he couldn't help but stare as a result.

"Make that three. I'm certain the rest of you can take it from here." Kiriko announced as she seemed content with just standing for now before quickly turning Marcus around to join the rest.

"Anyone else? I've got more than enough tea for you all!" Isao offered with a wide smile as he seemed delighted and chipper at the fact so many people actually decided to stay with him.

"Perhaps before we leave, Isao-san. We really should gather up what we came here for." Takashi politely declined before he just watched as Isao propped himself back upright onto his feet;slowly shuffling over behind the checkout counter only to approach with something in hand.

"Take this map of the mall. It should give you a good idea of where everything should be. I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for." Isao said as Takashi gratefully bowed and accepted the paper map before the old man went back into another room in the antique shop; his steps having more energy to them than what would be expected of a man his age.

"Please allow me to assist you." Kiriko offered as it only took her just a few steps to catch up to him. No complaints could be heard from the elderly man as they went into another room that must've been where Isao and Kenji resided in.

"Try to have fun, you guys." Hitomi said as they all began to leave Isao's antique shop so they could start exploring the various shops and booths that were now theirs to explore to their hearts content.

"I'll be sure to send you a bloody postcard." Frasier grumbled under his breath before Shizuka lightly hugged his arm playfully; her somewhat tight grip feeling unusually warm to him.

"Don't be so sour, Frasier-kun! It'll be fun, and we can join them later! Besides, it's very important you rest as much as possible." Shizuka said in her typically bubbly tone before deciding to play with his hair as he simply sat on the carpeted floor beside her; knowing that the strain and fatigue he felt now was something to not be taken lightly.

"Perhaps it is for the best. Besides, the mall seemed secure even after all the noise I made." Frasier said in acceptance before he could hear Kiriko and Isao talking in the background while making the first batch of tea; all while trying to ignore the fact Shizuka's chin had somehow found itself resting on his shoulder as if she'd decide to take a quick cat nap.

Meanwhile, the group calmly wandered the entrance plaza,feeling very relieved with the knowledge that the only living thing here was a friendly old man and a very timid child. Wandering the empty court, it wasn't long until every unlocked store that had its initial stock for the grand opening began to feel more like a treasure trove to them all.

"I guess we'll just split up for now and meet back here in about an hour. Just call out to the others if something comes up or if you see trouble." Takashi suggested as the others nodded in response only to do just that by going off in all different directions.

Alice immediately ran off into a nearby toy store that had caught her attention with all its bright colors. The young child was accompanied by Saeko, Rei, and Hitomi. Kenji eventually followed them inside as he was curious to see what they were up to.

"Wow! You get to stay here and have all of this to yourself?" Alice exclaimed in awe as she began to look over the relatively small store with glee and cheer sparkling in her eyes.

"Uhh, yeah, actually. It's pretty cool, but it can be kinda boring with nobody else to play with." Kenji answered in response before realizing how happy Alice appeared to be.

"Wait here first, Alice-chan. I don't want to take any chances." Saeko expressed as she drew her sword out and began to slowly sweep the toy store; checking every last aisle and exit to make sure nothing would be able to get in without her knowledge. However, it was clear for now, much to her disappointment as she was hoping for at least one fight to satiate her endless thirst. The steel blade clicked back into place as she motioned to Alice that it was safe to explore freely.

Without needing any further reasoning, Alice quickly darted into the nearby aisles with the intention of checking out every last thing this store had to offer her. It was like a paradise for the little girl, completely forgetting the horrors and nightmarish things she'd witnessed the past week; enjoying every last moment of her freedom in the toy store while the others just watched her with warm smiles all around. Zeke ran eagerly by her side and occasionally barked whenever she'd get all excited over something she'd stop to gawk at.

"Hey, I remember collecting these when I was little! I'm amazed they still sell them." Rei suddenly announced when she spotted a small purple stuffed animal that resembled a lion; looking it overlike it was a long lost friend that she needed to add to the collection she'd forgotten about so many years ago.

"Aww, he's such a cutie!" Hitomi exclaimed in a playful squeal before playfully petting it, feeling a sense of giddiness in her stomach like she was five years old again.

"What about you, Saeko-san? You ever collect anything as a kid?" Rei then questioned as Saeko was watching Alice from where she stood.

"Me? Not really...I never really saw the point in it to be honest. Although I will admit it does look rather cute." Saeko responded somewhat distantly as she shrugged her shoulders, while still able to admit some slight interest the more she looked at it. Alice then came back with a spring in her step and a board game in her tiny hands.

"They didn't have a bike, but they had this. It looks like fun...will you guys play it with me when we get back to the hotel?" Alice said in a somewhat disappointed voice before immediately replacing it with hope when presenting them with the box still wrapped up in its plastic seal.

"We'd love to, Alice-chan. You can keep looking around if you like. We still have plenty of time left." Rei explained as she took the box and began to look it over.

"That's alright, I'm gonna go see what the others are doing." Alice replied only to suddenly take off into the opening plaza. She immediately noticed Marcus and Noah wandering into a nearby store meant to be selling hardware tools that caught her interest.

"What are you guys doing?" Alice suddenly asked them with Kenji curiously following her from behind; almost like he was her shadow at this point, given how nice it was to see another kid again.

"I was hoping to find something on electronics for beginners and how to install them. Maybe get some of the hotel generators running again." Noah explained as he kept trying to browse through the various books left beside the checkout counter.

"Oh, neat. Can I help?" Kenji offered as he was kinda curious about the two significantly older boys while also feeling eager to make himself useful somehow.

"Don't worry about it, we'll be alright. Just go have fun." Marcus suggested as Kenji looked somewhat disappointed that they didn't need his help.

"Sorry. I'll just leave you guys alone then." Kenji muttered in defeat as he began to walk away feeling somewhat unwanted or even unwelcome after they'd turned him away so quickly.

"Actually, let me ask you something. You ever throw a paper airplane off a bridge before?" Noah suddenly asked as Kenji looked at him in puzzlement, almost like he'd just been asked the question of the century. The young boy slowly shook his head in response as the two Lawson brothers just smiled at each other, as if they had something in mind for him now.

"Come with us. We'll show you how awesome it is." Marcus suggested as they walked over to a printer placed behind one of the checkout counters; pulling out the loading tray to reveal plenty of fresh white paper for the taking.

"Take it all." Marcus instructed as Noah and Kenji took several stacks before the middle Lawson closed the loading tray back up as if it were just out of habit.

Several minutes later on the bridge, they all had amassed a small armada of paper airplanes that littered the floor beside them; each one folded and prepared for takeoff. At least seven different variants could be seen among the pile. Kenji nervously tried to peek over the edge of the bridge as his head was slightly under the safety bar, only really able to see through the gaps in the railing thanks to being so short in comparison.

"You sure this will be okay? Grandpa always tells me not to make a mess of the place since it's our home now." Kenji asked hesitantly as it was clear what his biggest concern was now.

"We'll take care of the cleanup. You just focus on enjoying yourself and throwing as many of these as you can, alright?" Marcus reassured as he vouched for himself and Noah to take care of the inevitable mess this would make.

"Ready? Aim...launch!" Noah asked the others as they instantly started nodding enthusiastically, now holding two paper airplanes in their hands. With a single flick of the wrist, the planes went straight off into the distance before slowly gliding downwards.

The four of them watched as the little planes all landed perfectly without any fault in their performance. A second wave was tossed much harder next; causing some of them to flip around and at one point even get caught up on the welcome banner. Alice and Kenji especially found it amusing when the planes would crash into one another only to plummet straight down to the ground.

Wave after wave of the paper armada continued to glide and zoom along perfectly above the plaza. Some of the ones they threw too hard showed it right away when they'd immediately nose dive straight down or do sloppy cartwheels before plummeting like the rest.

Their laughter could be heard all around as Marcus and Noah practically went into overdrive when they started to throw off as many planes as possible without any attempt at graceful throwing, almost like it were the grand finale to a fireworks display. A large section of the entrance plaza was quickly filled up with clusters of scattered paper planes. Everyone else below took a moment to walk over and see what the commotion had all been about. Upon seeing the massive paper mess, they all began to lightly chuckle and laugh at the scene while those behind it quickly descended down the escalator to pick up after themselves.

"Ah, it really is the little things you gotta enjoy." Noah expressed whimsically as he began to pick up one plane after the other, practically feeling like a little kid playing in the family yard again.

"That was awesome! Can we do it again?" Kenji exclaimed happily; a tone they never thought he'd be capable of due to the rather quiet and shy side of him they had initially come to expect.

"Yeah! I wanna go again!" Alice added as she seemed to greatly enjoy their little moment together; a great big beaming smile onher face as she picked up one of the planes only to start throwing it back up in the air.

"Sure. We just have to pick them back up first. That's the only downside to it really." Noah responded as all four of them began to pick up the scattered remains of their little paper air force.

All the while, Saya stood there watching them pick up their mess before shaking her head at what she had written off as childish nonsense. She then suddenly noticed something that entirely took her mind off their shenanigans. A chalkboard was set up behind the window display to serve as a substitute for the welcome sign to a bookstore. Her heart filled up with enthusiasm as she rushed inside to have a look for herself, readyand willing to take any literature she could get her hands on, even if it fell under a genre or author she would normally dismiss or mock in times before. After all: beggars can't be choosers.

To the short tempered genius' delight though, it appeared the bookstore was filled with everything from deep poetry, clever science-fiction, tragic dramas, and even a few saucy romance novels that caused her to visibly blush when briefly skimming over the content within. Knowing it was too good a chance to pass up, she set one of them aside for later as she then let out a heavy sigh of regret.

'So many books. So many choices perfect for the taking. Better take enough to last me at least a month.' Saya thought to herself before grabbing an entire shopping cart worth of books, almost weighing as much as she did in total; carefully loading them up as she continued to go over any she might've missed in her initial sweep.

"Find anything good?" Khota suddenly asked from behind her as he couldn't help but linger his gaze at Saya's slender yet curvaceous figure.

"Oh, you better believe it! Now stop looking at me like that and help me take these outside." Saya replied before laying out her demands like she was making it her personal mission to get these books back to the hotel.

"Er...yeah, I can do that." Khota replied nervously as he didn't want to incur her typical wrath any further.

"So, um…Takagi-san, I hope you don't mind me asking, b-but what do you think of the others? P-personally, I mean." Khota suddenly asked nervously as he took a heavier stack than she did; earning a somewhat suspicious glare from her that gave him an uneasy feeling right off the bat.

"Well, I have to admit I like the youngest one, Noah-san. That kid seems quite bright and seems to really know his stuff. That middle one, Marcus-san, he talks way too much and really needs to get serious…but nevertheless, he's tolerable most of the time. As for that oldest one, Frasier…he genuinely scares me. Just knowing that he could kill us all with his bare hands and feel nothing from it isn't something that helps a girl sleep at night. But with that all being said, Johann-san seems like a nice guy,even if his injury will be a real drain on our medicine for the time being. Hitomi-san seems to be quite a sharp woman, if not a little hotheaded at times. Overall, I think we can trust them...for now, at least." Saya answered in great detail, speaking in a hushed whisper when mentioning Frasier, as if she were expecting him to be just around the corner eavesdropping on them.

"Fair enough I suppose, for what little time we've known them. I personally trust Noah the most out of them all, but I understand what you mean about Frasier-san. Just know that no matter what, I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you, Takagi-san." Khota vowed as the sincerity in his words seemed to have caught Saya off guard; making her feel warmth inside as she almost formed a full smile in response, not even noticing her cheeks turn the slightest shade of pink.

"I...j-just shut up and help me load these books up, you chubby otaku!" Saya muttered softly while still blushing before bursting out in a flustered growl that caused Khota to nervously laugh at her typical hotheaded reaction, which he'd pretty much become accustomed to by now.

Without delay he began to help load the books up into another shopping cart while Saya proceeded to keep on adding to the pile; ignoring the look of despair on Khota's face the more he realized he was going to have to do the pushing once this was over.

[Franz Schubert – Ave Maria for Violin]

Before another exchange of words could be shared between anyone in the mall, the distant sound of a violin could be heard being gently strung by a freshly refined bow. The notes gently resonated and echoed through the plaza and all the stores. Everyone that heard it found themselves being drawn in by curiosity like young moths drawn in by the brightest of flames. One by one they began to gather at a classical instrument store to find Johann of all people standing in the middle of the showroom with his back turned to them all, playing the violin with the precision, concentration and prose of an expert.

Everyone remained respectful by giving him the proper amount of personal space so his concentration would not be broken by their presence; doing their best to keep silent as they couldn't help but be in awe at how beautiful the song sounded, half expecting it to squeal any minute now when Johann would inevitably make a fumble with his still heavily bandaged hand.

But to their surprise, every note hit was perfectly timed without any excessive strain being put on the strings. Everyone began to feel a strange sense of serenity and calm the more they listened, almost as if they could feel all the weight in their hearts that had built up magically wash away in an instant. It was abundantly clear that they couldn't hold anything back emotionally at this moment.

Takashi just stood there smiling at the tranquility he felt before feeling Saeko lightly pushing into him with her arm interlocking around his. His arm soon found itself draped over her shoulders, causing her to feel strong warmth inside. They felt an undeniably powerful bond with each other, as though the union they felt back at the temple only had grown stronger since then. The look in Takashi's eyes as he gazed at her told the young swordswoman everything she needed to know as she gave him the warmest smile she'd ever given him before leaning in and softly kissing his chin; prompting him to gently kiss her forehead in return before they returned their focus to the music.

Saya herself seemed rather stunned at how Johann managed to keep it sounding so clear thus far in without missing a single note to this song; one that just kept digging at her memories as a child. It was only natural that she'd taken up an instrument during her many extracurricular activities, and as such she practiced virtually every song that had ever touched another violin, just to prove that she was the best in every field she could potentially enter. Blissful memories of the supportive and even proud smile on her mother's face whenever listening to her play couldn't help but bring some stinging tears to Saya's eyes the more she listened.

Rei meanwhile just leaned against a supporting pillar as she was perhaps captivated the most of all by the enchanting lull of Johann and his violin. She slowly closed her eyes, and as though swept up in a dream, in her head she could imagine a vast, lush peaceful meadow. The deeply green grass was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of blooming flowers of every imaginable color; indicating that spring had finally arrived. The endless sky was a soft baby blue with splotches of the occasional fluffy white cloud. The scent of the air was and nearly intoxicating in how fresh and pleasant it was. Listening to Johann's song made it feel like the end of the world was nothing more than a bad dream and that when it stopped, she'd wake up in her nice warm bed again.

A part of her couldn't help but deeply admire the passion and sheer emotion Johann was putting into this song. Deep down, Rei couldn't help but almost feel her heart flutter as she watched him play like he was deep within his own world. It was like he could somehow help her forget about the hard times fallen upon the world when she listened to him play. Her thin, curved smile was now more vibrant than most could recall her making for quite some time. A part of her never wanted this moment to end,unwilling to return to the harsh reality that awaited her and her new family when the music finally stopped.

[]

When the last note had finally gone silent, Johann gently set the violin down in its case, only to jump in surprise when he turnedto be greeted by the faces of almost everyone just staring right at him without warning. Their smiles were all filled with contentment and mirth as they gently began to clap in applause for his surprisingly emotional performance.

"Oh...I-I didn't think you guys would stop to listen in. Sorry about that." Johann said apologetically as he hadn't intended forthem to drop everything they were doing just to hear him play.

"Don't be sorry! That…that was amazing!" Rei enthusiastically reassured him as she was still in awe at the beautiful performance and display of musical talent that had touched her down to her very soul.

"Really? Y-you really think so? My uncle suggested I practice as often as possible, both for my own sake and for the sake of tradition. My great grandfather used to perform for free before and during the Second World War to help inspire those around him…at least until the Third Reich decided his talents weren't desired for the war effort." Johann said in a rather surprised tone that quickly fell into one of regretful sadness, despite the fact it was quite clear his skill with a violin was beyond that of the average player his age.

"Well if you ask me, Johann-san, I think it was very beautiful…a-and I think the talent has certainly been passed down to you." Rei said with a slight blush in her cheeks as immediately soughtto help brighten his spirits; causing him to give her a faint smile of appreciation in return.

Everyone else unanimously gave him a strong nod of approval before they eventually got back to searching the surrounding stores for things they'd want to bring back with them; passing by a pharmacy that Shizuka and Marcus had just entered in search of medicine.

"So what exactly should we be looking for again, Marikawa-sensei?" Marcus asked as he began to already rummage through the pharmacy stock as if ready to just grab everything he could instead of the specific ones they'd want to take with them.

"Well, I'd stock up on gauze and rubbing alcohol for basics cuts and injuries. I'll certainly need more suture if someone needs stitching up. Luckily I've gone over most of your medical records in the past, so immunization shouldn't be an issue for most of you. It would be very nice if we could find some oxycodone to help relieve Johann-kun and Frasier-kun's pain,and if we're really lucky, maybe some diazepam." Shizuka explained very professionally while mentally checking off types of medicine they'd most likely end up using, all while softly humming to herself as she walked almost with a strut; drawing Marcus' gaze to her shapely hips before he had to look away to reserve his focus.

"Diazepam? What on Earth is that?" Marcus asked as pretty much everything Shizuka had mentioned besides gauze, suture and alcohol sounded like plain old gibberish to him.

"It's used to help relax the muscles and relieve anxiety; which considering where we're at right now, makes it a must-have for us. It shouldn't be too hard to find if they have it though, sweetie." Shizuka sweetly replied before proceeding to practically skip from corner to corner of the pharmacy in search of what she knew she needed.

Marcus meanwhile just stood there perplexed while trying to ignore how hot his cheeks were that she was addressing him so affectionately. He couldn't help but be amazed at how she could remain so positive and enthusiastic after everything that had happened the last nine days. But honestly, that was one of the things he always loved about her since he'd first met her a year ago. She had the mother of all bombshell bodies, she was insanely cute, she was kind as could be to everyone, and now he knew that virtually nothing could bring her down. He quickly shook his head to restore his concentration once he heard the sound of Shizuka rummaging through one of the shelves on the other end of the pharmacy, knowing he had to get back to work.

"That's easier said than done. I don't even know what these things look like. Oh well...I'll take one of you, some of you, I don't know what the hell you do, but I'm taking gonna take you anyway..." Marcus mumbled under his breath before proceeding to talk to himself to pass the time; grabbing bottles and small vials that looked important to him, hoping that he'd luckily grab everything Shizuka had just mentioned so they wouldn't need to make a second trip here; also so they could avoid the inevitable lecture Frasier would've forced him to listen to.

"It looks like most of the strong medicine I'm looking for is missing. You don't think Isao-san took it, do you?" Shizuka asked curiously as Marcus walked over to see her looking at a few empty shelves.

"Maybe. I'll go ask him and see if he knows anything about it." Marcus replied before he ran out the pharmacy to jog up the stairs and back into the antique shop where he could see Frasier, Kiriko, and Isao sitting together with three small cups of tea and a kettle between them; all three looking over at him as he had to catch his breath.

"Ah, have you come to join us? I'll go grab an extra cup for you, young man." Isao questioned only to get up before Marcus could even have a chance to answer.

"What? No, no thanks. I'm just here to ask if you took any medicine from the pharmacy. See, our nurse suggests we take certain drugs back for our injured, like my brother here for example." Marcus responded confusedly before proceeding to explain the real reason for him coming to see the old man.

"I see...well, I did have to take it for myself just in case Kenji or myself were to get injured somehow. You can have whatever else is left down there though." Isao explained somewhat apologetically to Marcus, yet still seeming perfectly fine with keeping what he had.

"But you took all of it! Perhaps you'd be willing to trade for it?" Marcus asked curiously as he was hoping there was some way to reason with him, really not wanting to return to Shizuka empty-handed.

"Hmm, it depends what you have in mind to give me for some of it." Isao finally brought up as Marcus then took a moment to think about whatever they could possibly offer the old man.

"Well, how about this shotgun? You never know when you might encounter someone not so friendly. That medicine wouldn't be of any use if whatever attacks ends up killing you." Marcus suggested as Frasier just shook his head in response.

"Marcus, the recoil on that thing alone would shatter his bones, although you are on the right track. I'd advise giving him the one of the handguns, like the Luger that loudmouth Takagi-san had on her." Frasier began to chuckle at Marcus' lack of foresight before suggesting an alternate weapon to trade him.

"What, the loud, pink-haired girl who would absolutely kill me if I try asking her something like that?" Marcus stated incredulously, as if expressing that such a thing would be the equivalent to a suicide mission.

"Fine, wait here with them while I do it for you." Frasier grumbled with what sounded like a sigh of relief before taking off slowly, almost as if this was the excuse he needed to leave the antique shop. Marcus was now left to stand there awkwardly as Kiriko smiled at him while Isao seemed to be getting him a cup of tea still despite him already refusing to have any.

"Here. It's a bit warm, so be sure not to burn your tongue." Isao said softly as he handed Marcus the steaming hot cup of tea; the middle Lawson slightly rolling his eyes before sitting where Frasier was just moments ago.

"So, what have you three been talking about then?" Marcus asked Kiriko as she looked up from a magazine she had been reading so she could properly address him.

"We've mostly been updating Isao-san on the state of the world,while he basically told us about his past." Kiriko said as Marcus looked over to see the elderly man had sat back down only to fall fast asleep in his chair.

"Interesting. So what's his bit then?" Marcus inquired further as he couldn't help but wonder how Isao made it all this time while having to watch Kenji.

"Well, he told us quite a lot, I'll warn you now. See, he said he originally owned a store he and his wife started up after the Second World War. When she passed away, not only did he end up losing a lot of money due to how he could barely keep up with the technological jumps Japan and the rest of the world, but he was so grief-stricken that he could barely manage his business at all. He moved in with his son and his wife after closing down the shop finally. He told us also how much it bothered him that he wasn't able to contribute anything for them for the last few years he was living with them, aside from watching after Kenji-kun.

"Just a few months ago, he'd decided to start up a new shop that would sell the old antiques he'd acquired over the years. Obviously he told us how thrilled he was to get back in the working game. Personally, I think it was mainly so he could perhaps relive memories of when he did this kind of thing with his wife. When the outbreaks started, he was already here,preparing the shop for the opening weekend with Kenji-kun helping him. Knowing it was best to stay indoors, he locked them in and hasn't left this place since, surviving off of whatever food and whatnot they could find in the mall." Kiriko explained in great detail as Marcus just looked over at the old man snoozing in his soft armchair, barely able to imagine just how much he'd been through; as well as the pain of knowing his entire world had been lost not once, but twice now.

"Shame. Perhaps fate will be kinder to him this time around." Marcus gently sighed as he then noticed Frasier walking back with the Luger in hand; setting it gently on the table before lightly whistling just loud enough to wake up Isao.

"How about this and a few extra clips of ammo for some of your stockpiled medicine? The gun is lightweight and the recoil is minimal." Frasier offered as Isao sat upright only to hunch over and observe the firearm.

At first he just scowled at it as if he'd never even seen a gun before. He then held it up and pulled out the small clip before putting it back in; forming a soft smile of acceptance before finally nodding in acceptance as he got up to unlock the cabinet he'd stashed his personal supply of medication in. Marcus then followed him, knowing what Shizuka asked for as Frasier then turned back to Kiriko.

"I'm going to check out this pet store I noticed downstairs. With any luck, there might be a small supply of medication the old man hasn't discovered or even thought to check for yet." Frasier explained in a soft whisper before she nodded in acknowledgement; lifting up the magazine she'd been skimming over before Frasier proceeded to leave the store and descend back down to the entrance plaza.

As he placed his hand on the entrance to the pet store, he noticed someone's reflection in the mirror. He cocked his head back to see Hitomi approaching him.

"What are you doing? Shouldn't you be enjoying tea with that old man?" Hitomi casually joked as Frasier remained silent before pushing the door wide open.

"Oh, c'mon, I was just messing with you. Do you always have to be so bitter about everything I do?" Hitomi asked when she then noticed him slowly scanning the room as his face began to look side to side.

"I'll check behind the counter for any possible medicine that we could use. You can do whatever, I guess." Frasier said to Hitomi as she couldn't help but roll her eyes at such a dismissive remark at her expense. Knowing it wasn't worth making noise over, she decided to take the high road and ignore him, no matter how bad it felt inside to not be standing up to him.

Hitomi just sighed as she began to walk the aisles by herself with the .38 handgun drawn out to her side. Her eyes scanned anything of use that the small pet outlet might've had in stock for them. While most rows were naturally vacant and cleared off for the most part, she'd occasionally spot accessories people would buy for their pets. The young officer gently ran her fingertips along the cool metal shelves before stopping to see a small aquarium of common house fish floating upside down in their tank.

After sadly sighing at the sight, she began to actively look around for any other pets that might've been abandoned in this almost surreal mall. To her relief though, she was only met with empty cages most likely meant for dogs and cats; soon realizing that if any larger animals were dead here, they would've noticed the smell instantly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed large bags of various dry food under a nearby display rack. She holstered the .38 to her hip before squatting down to try and read the labels. One of them claimed to be specially made for small dogs which put a smile on her face, thinking about Zeke's reaction to it. The bag made a crinkling noise as her arms began to slowly hoist it up,only for her to almost drop it after several paces.

'Damn, this thing's heavier than it looks. I wonder how that prick is doing right now.' Hitomi thought to herself, annoyed at how fatigued she was feeling.

The young police officer gently set down the bag before heading off to see how Frasier was doing on his end of the pet store. When she noticed a tall figure with its back to her, she paused for a moment to confirm it actually was him. She let off a low whistling noise through her lips only to see the figure hadn't budged an inch.

"Frasier? You doing alright over there?" Hitomi asked nervously as she couldn't help but feel uneasy when he was just standing there with his head bowed low. Her hand slowly reached out,only for him to suddenly slide something into his pocket; Hitomi being left unable to tell just what it was.

"I'm just peachy. Find anything of interest here?" Frasier responded in a soft mumble, still arousing suspicion from the young officer as if he were holding something back when she looked into his eyes. Something behind them could only raise so many questions now.

"I found some dog food for that adorable little pup our new friends had. I don't suppose you'd be willing to haul it? Damn thing must be at least twenty two kilos..." Hitomi said before pointing over to the heavy bag of food she found moments ago.

"Certainly." Frasier said calmly before holding it under his arm like it was a paper weight; causing Hitomi to shudder at the thought of his true strength before suddenly realizing he didn't even bother critiquing her own lack of strength like he usually would've. While normally this would've been a welcome change between the two, it could only make her wonder what was going on inside his head right now.

As he set the dog food down in one of the carts filled with personal items the others had deemed to be theirs, he then noticed some of the others heading into a clothing store just a little ways down. Hitomi motioned him to follow, only for them to see everyone in their group had been gathered here for a much-needed change in attire.

"Looks like its summer clothing for the most part. This place doesn't seem to have a storage unit, so we'll have to look for winter clothing elsewhere." Kiriko announced after she'd quickly glanced over the rather large selection of clothing available for them to loot.

"We've got plenty of time for that. I say we just take two, maybe three outfits per person. What do you guys think?" Rei acknowledged before asking about a limit for how much they should take back home.

"Aww, only three?" Shizuka said in an almost childishly disappointed tone of voice. If she could, she'd most likely take the entire store back to the hotel.

"Don't worry; I doubt anyone else will come looking for clothes of all things." Saeko said in an attempt to reassure the nurse if she was concerned someone else might take the rest while they weren't around.

"This is what you deem to be so important? Why not just use the clothes back at the hotel?" Frasier asked confusedly, unable to wrap his head around why these women would go through the trouble of taking clothes here while they had so many for the taking back home.

"You might be able to handle wearing a dead person's clothes, but we can't. It's really off putting to say the least." Saya retorted, causing Frasier to become silent after realizing she actually had a good point.

"You could just be naked then." Marcus suggested in a cheeky manner before Hitomi lightly punched him in the arm.

"Oh, hahaha, so funny!" Hitomi said with obvious sarcasm as Marcus couldn't help but chuckle at his antics.

"Well in any case, just don't take too long. We have a few hours before sundown arrives. I want us back in the hotel before it gets dark." Frasier advised as he then proceeded to leave the group to their own devices.

"Hold on, you aren't getting away that easily! You're staying here with the rest of us to pick something out for yourself." Kiriko suddenly called out, causing him to swerve around as if challenged to a duel.

"Really? I'm fairly confident one of my brothers can do that for me. Then again, I can just wear what I have now." Frasier replied certain that he'd be able to just go with whatever he had on him no problem.

"You mean that filthy jacket with holes all over it that's soaked with your own blood? No, just no." Saya said in disagreement before shaking her head back and forth; the others all silently seeming to agree, causing Frasier to realize he might actually be wrong here.

"Nobody let him leave until he's picked something to take back to the hotel." Hitomi joked as Kiriko went as far as to stand by the entrance with her arms crossed, apparently fine with standing guard.

Frasier just stood there with an annoyed grimace before he finally let out a defeated sigh, knowing that they wouldn't let up on the matter if he kept resisting it as much as he was. He remained where he stood as everyone else began to search through every rack and hanger available, still unable to understand why they liked it so much when they could just grab the first thing they saw and leave. He then remembered what Saya said and slid off the bomber jacket to see just how badly torn it had become over the last week.

The eldest Lawson grumbled to himself before dropping it on the floor and walking away to find something to replace it. His hands brushed past the clothing racks as he looked around in disinterest, unable to describe what he was feeling as anything but sheer boredom. Minutes passed by as the others could be heard laughing and chuckling not too far away. He slowly walked over to see some of the girls' frantically searching through the racks.

"Hey, how does this look on me?" Marcus asked as he put on some black aviators after he managed to find some brown, leather gloves without any fingers. Frasier also noticed he was now wearing a black shirt with the sleeves ripped off.

"You look...interesting? Why ask me? You were always the one with a better sense of…style, I suppose." Frasier questioned as he was uncertain why anyone would think he'd have any fashion sense, let alone Marcus.

"I don't know. I figured you'd have something to say about it. Don't tell me you don't enjoy the feeling of new clothes, especially when they're entirely free." Marcus responded after realizing who he was talking to after all.

"Do find something to cover up your bandages, though. Nobody wants to see that." Marcus then brought up as he tossed a dark orange shirt to Frasier that seemed to be just his size. The eldest Lawson grumbled to himself as he put it on over his head and finally slipped into the soft cotton shirt.

"Its fine, I guess. You got anything else?" Frasier said as he looked around to see what else was an option for him. Marcus rested his chin against his palm as if trying to determine what would look good on his older brother.

"Try this jacket on. Oh, and this hat." Marcus advised before handing him a sage green jacket and a black skull cap that fit perfectly around the top of his head.

"Why are you dressing Frasier up like a homeless man? Or is he supposed to be a robber planning on heisting a bank?" Noah suddenly asked, causing Marcus to practically burst with laughter given how that question couldn't be further from the truth in terms of appearances he was going for.

"I-I…s-shut up! Then again, should I need to intimidate someone; this just might help me after all. Thank you, Marcus." Frasier snapped in a low growl of annoyance and embarrassment, only to then see the potential benefit such an outfit might actually have.

"So what did you find, Noah?" Marcus asked as he looked over to see right away that his little brother had gone with a simple navy blue t-shirt while choosing to use the same pants he did before they'd arrived at the mall.

"I found these awesome gloves. Pretty cool, huh?" Noah answered only to show he was wearing the exact same gloves Marcus had, except these had a black stripe going down the side.

"It looks almost exactly the same as the ones I found." Marcus commented as he couldn't help but feel like Noah was trying to steal his stylish flair.

"I don't know, something about it just seems cooler. Good find, Noah. You could teach Marcus a thing or two when it comes to style." Frasier sarcastically teased as he and Noah began to laugh while Marcus slightly frowned in response.

"Ah, sod off, you bunch of tuss pots." Marcus grumbled as he shook his head before he bundled up a random shirt and tossed it at Frasier who instinctively ducked down only to laugh even harder at his brother's reaction.

The middle Lawson stormed off before accidentally bumping into Hitomi; their heads butting into each other before they each let out a groan of pain from the impact. At first she was scowling out of annoyance before proceeding to smile warmly when she realized it was Marcus.

"Oh, it's you, Marcus-kun. Nice gloves." Hitomi commented with a smile as she was no longer in her uniform, instead wearing a white blouse with the shoulders cut out, and a navy blue skirt that went down to her knees to compliment the long-sleeved top.

"Really? I'm glad you think so! I really like your outfit too." Marcus admitted, causing Hitomi to slightly blush at his compliment.

"Thanks. I don't suppose-" Hitomi began to say, only to then look over his shoulder to see Shizuka running over to them in just her underwear, a purple laced bra and matching purple panties. When Marcus turned around, his jaw practically hit the floor.

"Marcus-kun, what do you think looks better: this purple bra or this red one?" Shizuka began to ask, only to then suddenly start pulling up on her bra to quickly change out of it. Marcus and Hitomi were both completely astonished at the fact she was so comfortable, if not completely unaware of common decency, to strip in front of them like it was nothing.

Just before the bra came off, Frasier and Noah began to walk between them inadvertently, the youngest Lawson pausing where he stood as Marcus couldn't see a thing now. Hitomi couldn't help but notice his rather eager response as she just shook her head; smirking at the fact Noah just completely ruined whatever chance he had to see the insanely voluptuous nurse completely topless.

"Whoa…" Noah blatantly mumbled as though in a trance;causing Shizuka to giggle before Frasier covered his eyes and almost had to drag him along to get him moving again.

"You don't say..." Marcus mumbled in a defeated groan before seeing Shizuka was now wearing the red bra she had mentioned. If he'd ever get a chance, he knew he needed to get Noah to tell him how they looked.

"I'd suggest the red one; it really stands out. Not that you'd need those airbags to stand out any more than they already do..." Hitomi said to throw in her two cents before mumbling to herself, somewhat jealous that Marcus seemed so drawn in by this older woman who was clearly much better well-endowed than she could ever hope to be.

"I'm not sure, maybe you should try on the purple bra to be sure." Marcus playfully suggested, only for Hitomi to start pulling him by the ear as she started grumbling something under her breath while Shizuka couldn't help but giggle at the sight. She then pulled open a shopping bag she'd found, putting on a tight blue sweater with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, tight white pants, and several bracelets that would jingle whenever she started moving beyond a walking pace. The busty nursecould then overhear Takashi and Saeko just a few racks away.

"I found these. They might be more suitable for your grip on the sword." Takashi announced to Saeko as he presented her with a pair of thick gloves that seemed to make a gripping sound as she clenched her fist into a tight ball.

"Thank you, Komuro-kun. Why don't you come with me so we can find something better suited for you now?" Saeko said gratefully before tugging him along to help him find a new outfit.

"I'd like that very much. I've been having a hard time choosing between a few things." Takashi replied, only for them to soon vanish into a nearby dressing room.

A little ways away, Rei just watched from a distance, only to slowly look down and sigh before proceeding to pack up the dark grey jean shorts, black leather driving gloves, and dark green blouse she'd taken for herself; trying her best to ignore how they'd act whenever nobody was watching them. It was like torture just thinking about it for her.

"Miyamoto-san? Are you alright?" Johann suddenly asked from behind her; causing her heart to nearly skip a beat as she hadn't expected anyone to actually be paying any attention to her. She quickly turned around to face him; noticing he'd changed into a dark blue and dark green checker-patterned flannel, dark brown kakis, and an olive t-shirt underneath only seen since it was poking up from his collar.

"What? Me? Of course I'm fine! Whatever gave you the impression I wasn't?" Rei replied in a somewhat nervous babble as she desperately hoped that he'd just shrug his shoulders and forget that he saw anything.

"Well, you seem to look away or have this sad look on your face whenever Takashi-san and Saeko-san are together. I…take it you have feelings for him, then?" Johann questioned as if he could see right through her bluff. He couldn't help but feel deep sympathy and great concern for Rei as she seemed to drop the false smile to reveal a rather regretful expression. She couldn't help but feel a terrible sense of embarrassment that he was able to see through her ruse so easily.

"In a way, yes. He was mine once, a long time ago. We broke up not too long ago, but when this all happened, I felt my old feelings for him come back all at once. I had the chance, but Saeko-san was far more determined than I initially thought. She has her claws in him now, and I doubt she'll be willing to let go anytime soon. All I can really do now is accept what I had in the past with Takashi, and just move on with my life…no matter how much it stings on the inside." Rei confessed as she spoke in what sounded like her spirit had been completely broken as far as Takashi was concerned.

"I see...I can't imagine how painful it must be, especially having to be around them to see them like that all the time. I'm truly sorry, Miyamoto-san." Johann offered as Rei looked back at him in confusion.

"Why are you sorry? I mean, it's nice of you to say, but you're apologizing for something you had no involvement in. You don't have to apologize for this, Johann-san." Rei asked before clarifying her reasoning so as not to seem unappreciative of his genuine kindness.

"I suppose that's true. I'd say this is more out of sympathy than apology." Johann said in attempt to correct himself as Rei couldn't help but look at him with an expression of regret.

"I'm so sorry, Johann-san. I must sound so ungrateful right now. I really do appreciate what you're trying to do, but I just feel like this is something I should be able to handle on my own." Rei said in defeat as Johann couldn't help but feel the overwhelming air of loneliness she was exuding. He couldn't help but feel like he wanted to make her feel at least a little better; at least so she didn't have to feel like she had to go through all this alone.

"I understand if you want to be alone, Miyamoto-san. I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Johann expressed with a soft smile before he began to slowly walk away to explore further on his own.

"Wait...what about you, Johann-san? How do you feel?" Rei suddenly asked curiously as she felt the desire to at least make sure he was okay himself, given the emotional turmoil she knew he was going through as well.

"Me? Well, it's nice to see not every square inch of the city is infested and crawling with 'Them'. I did dream about Toshimi last night, though. It really hurts, knowing that she could be right here with me right now, enjoying this very moment with the rest of us." Johann answered calmly before looking down when bringing up his girlfriend. Just a day without her was hard for him to deal with...but over a week apart along with not even knowing whether or not she was even still alive was a whole different kind of hell for him.

"She must be very important to you." Rei replied softly as she looked at his face and how easily it could show what he was truly feeling, like there was no use in hiding what was going on inside of him.

"You don't even know the half of it." Johann said with a bit of a smirk as if there was much more to it than just a typical high school relationship.

"So maybe you could tell me then." Rei suggested as she motioned Johann to sit with her on one of the numerous benches just outside the store in the main plaza.

"Well, it's not a very pleasant story, but if you really want me to tell you, then I suppose some context is needed first. See, I was born in Hamburg, Germany. My mother was a typical mother who loved and did everything she could for me. She…she really meant a lot to me and I still think about her every single day. My father on the other hand-he was something else.

"The man worked hard almost all hours of the day and did come through with money to provide for us, but things got worse as I got older. With the constant drinking, it eventually got to the point it was a rare sight to see him sober at all. Every time one of us tried to talk to him about it, he'd act like we were attacking him. He'd do everything in his power to bring us down so he could feel better about himself. I doubt you can imagine what it's like for a seven year-old boy to listen to his own father call him worthless; to talk to him like he's nothing more than a mistake that ruined his life and that he'll never amount to anything no matter what he does. Needless to say, it's not a pleasant feeling.

"Eventually, my mom couldn't take his abuse anymore, so she took me away so we could live with her mother instead. When things seemed to finally start getting better, she suffered an aneurysm that put her in a coma. A month later when I was eight, she passed away and I ended up being taken in by my aunt and uncle who had recently moved here. I knew I had them, but never in my life had I ever felt so alone. I was always so angry and confused, like I had done something to deserve all this.

"My aunt and uncle wanted me to try making friends here, so they helped me to try and learn the language. But I still felt like I was unwelcome, like nobody wanted to be around me. After several months of helping me cope with everything, they enrolled me in a local elementary school. A lot of the other kids didn't really pay me any mind, but Toshimi was the first person outside my family to show any concern towards how I felt. She understood me in ways that made me feel at peace with my situation. She was the first person I ever made friends with here, and to say we got along like a house on fire would be a gross understatement. We spent all the time we had in the world together, and I could physically feel like we were becoming closer every single day. The day I confessed my feelings to her in our second year of middle school was the happiest day of my life. Without her, I don't know what I'd do with myself, especially after what happened to my aunt and uncle the day this all happened.

"Now you know why she means so much to me. No matter what happens to me, I must make sure that Toshimi makes it through all of this." Johann finally finished explaining as Rei just sat beside him, staring at him in complete fascination; her gaze completely mixed with both sympathy and sorrow to hear such a rough yet inspiring tale of struggle that was literally overcome by true love.

"I can see why she means so much to you now. I'm so sorry you've had to suffer so much like this, Johann-san." Rei said in response, still completely in awe and sympathy at Johann's rough past with his father; making her even more appreciative of her own father and how well he treated his family, like they were the only thing in life that mattered to him.

"It just takes the right kind of motivation if you ask me. But between her and you guys, I like to think I'm rather fortunate. I…I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to me, Miyamoto-san." Johann optimistically expressed only to start sounding progressively quieter as he was hesitant to look Rei in the eyes as she formed a heartwarming smile of her own.

"Please, call me Rei. And don't worry, Johann-san. We're all in this together, and we'll see this hell through till the very end. Things will go back to normal eventually." Rei said with renewed faith in the world as the two survivors couldn't help but smile at each other at the potential that the undead might actually be pushed back once humanity regained a foothold.

"I'm sure you're right…Rei. And…you can just call me Johann…i-if you like." Johann replied with an undeniable shyness in his tone as they both couldn't help but blush at how informal yet close they'd already allowed themselves to be with each other. It wasn't long after when they finally reunited with the rest of the group, who had all stockpiled the various goods they felt were necessary.

"Alright, looks like that's all we can carry for now! Let's start heading back to the hotel." Takashi finally announced as was now wearing a maroon colored leather jacket with black jeans. Saeko stepped close to him with her grey skirt on; Rei and Frasier both trying desperately to ignore the sight.

Isao and Kenji both stood on an overlooking bridge from the second floor, both waving goodbye to their neighbors. Alice started waving back frantically as her group then sealed the door back up to make it look like nobody had entered.

As the group turned back to look back across the parking lot, Frasier looked to have a sudden look of grim determination on his face.

"Hmm, we've definitely come out with a lot more stuff than I'd originally anticipated. If we were to try and haul everything back to the hotel by foot, it'd take us way too long. We've only got about two hours of daylight left." Frasier muttered mostly to himself as everyone else all looked worriedly to each other, unanimously realizing the truth to his words.

"Well as much as it sucks, Frasier, there's not a whole lot we can do about it. None of the cars in the city work anymore, remember?" Marcus spoke up, not liking the fact more than anyone else. However, he failed to notice a sudden spark flash across Noah's face, as though he'd suddenly realized something.

"Hey, we might actually be in luck. Do you remember that SDF checkpoint we came across a few days ago?" Noah suddenly piped in, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"The one near the park? Yeah, what about it?" Marcus asked, clearly not even knowing where to start to follow whatever insane thought process Noah was going through this time.

"Hang on, I think I know where he might be going with this. Were there any vehicles there?" Saya suddenly asked, instantly drawing everyone's attention that she was apparently on the same page as the youngest Lawson.

"Yeah, there was one truck and a couple jeeps, although those were both totaled." Noah answered, equally surprised that someone so quickly was able to figure out what he was thinking.

"How far is it from here?" Saya asked, her orange eyes burning with a fierce sense of enthusiasm behind her glasses.

"About seven minutes south if we hurry." Noah replied as he didn't want to waste any more time and was already breaking out into a run with the pink-haired genius quickly following on his heels.

"Whoa, hold up, you two, I'm going with you! Marcus, stay here with everyone else!" Frasier called out to the two of them as he quickly took off after them, already leaving the rest of the group in his dust. While Marcus was still left completely clueless as to whatever Noah was going on about; one by one, the rest of the group all seemed to exchange knowing looks with each other, as if they all finally realized what had gotten Noah and Saya so fired up.

A ways down, Noah quickly rounded another corner with Saya and Frasier still hot on his heels. When they came to a stop, they stood before the obliterated remnants of one of the many checkpoints the Self Defense Force had erected across the city. The checkpoint itself stood as nothing more than scorched remains, almost like a charred skeletal warning. The ground was covered in spent bullet casings, empty magazines, debris and blood. There were no signs of bodies that had been devoured by 'Them', although there were one or two scattered across the scene with bullet holes in their heads and empty guns in their hands; all apparently having chosen to take the easy way out.

The sidewalks were lines with bodies wrapped in bloody sheets, all apparently having been one of 'Them' that were able to be put down. Several ambulances stood abandoned further down the road, while others were overturned or burned out. The whole scene was somehow completed by the sight of a fire engine sticking halfway out a building across an intersection a further ways down.

Trying to ignore the still lingering stench of burned oil from the multiple car wrecks, the three of them continued toward the checkpoint; Saya looking intently for wherever the truck Noah mentioned was.

Once they stepped through the burned out checkpoint, Noah instantly pointed towards a nearby alley that had nearly been hidden by a couple wrecked SDF jeeps. Not needing any further motivation, Saya instantly rushed for it with Noah quick on her heels while Frasier was already looking around as guard.

Once in the alley, Saya let out a heavy sigh of relief to see a large camo-patterned truck standing in the middle of it without a single scratch.

"Are you really thinking what I'm thinking right now?" Noah finally asked as Saya wasted no time climbing onto the front bumper.

"That depends. See if you can pop the hood and let's see." Saya ordered, spurring Noah to quickly climb into the driver's seat; flipping the switch before Saya instantly opened the hood to look at the engine.

"Oh yeah, it's just like I was hoping." Saya called out to the young man as he peeked out through the driver side window with an anxious grin on his face.

"You mean the engine really IS EMP-proofed?" Noah asked, by this point more than certain he and Saya did in fact have the same idea. Frankly, he was embarrassed he hadn't even considered this idea the first time he and his brothers found this checkpoint three days ago.

"That's right. The SDF has their vehicle engines specially designed and lined with protective metal casing to protect them from electromagnetic radiation. A lot of civilian vehicles from the 80's to the early 2000's also had similar constructs to make them resistant as well, but with time and people tampering with them, along with a lot of recent cars not having the right requirements; that's why a lot of vehicles in the city are inoperable now." Saya went on to explain as she kept observing every minor detail to make sure the truck would actually be able to run.

"Wow. I mean, I had a hunch these vehicles specifically could still operate, but I didn't know so many normal cars were capable of it as well." Noah admitted as Saya slammed the hood down and climbed into the passenger seat beside him.

"Well, I can teach you a lot more than that to keep you prepared for anything if you're interested. You just better be sure you're fully dedicated to it first. Now do you know how to hotwire a car?" Saya offered before getting right back to business.

"Well, yeah, Marcus showed me how to do it a couple times back home when I was younger." Noah admitted as he started to reminisce on those crazy times, right before Saya flicked her finger hard against his forehead to get him to focus.

"Well then let's see if you retained any of that knowledge. Try and start this thing up." Saya ordered, prompting Noah to get to work on the casing around the ignition.

Outside the alley, Frasier kept standing watch, shifting his gaze from one end of the street to the next. The only sound aside from the rustling of garbage being blown across the pavement was the low wailing of the wind. There wasn't even a single sign of one of 'Them', which frankly left him disappointed, as it would've at least given him something to do.

Suddenly, the low rumbling of an engine sounded from behind him, causing Frasier to practically jump in surprise, only to quickly step back as the large SDF truck promptly rolled out of the alleyway before quickly coming to a stop; the sound of Noah whooping in celebration inside the cabin nearly overpowering the rumble of the engine.

"Oh man, Frasier, this is the answer to all our problems! I had a hunch, I tell you! I just didn't know if it would work! We can scavenge so much farther now!" Noah exclaimed, nothing short of ecstatic as Saya couldn't but let out a soft chuckle to see him so happy about something she still considered to be basic survival knowledge. Normally she would've been chastising him for reacting like an idiot to something so simple, but somehow she didn't feel that common sense of superiority towards him as she did with so many other people.

"Well, I can't say I'm unimpressed, Noah. Good idea. Now move over so I can drive." Frasier replied as he didn't even give Noah the time to get out before he forced his way into the driver's seat; effectively sandwiching Noah between himself and Saya. With a yank on the gear switch, Frasier had the truck rolling back the way they came through the checkpoint.

Not even a minute later, the truck came rolling up on the rest of the group in the middle of the mall parking lot before lurching to a halt. Marcus looked in awe at the incredible find Noah had come back with while everyone else chose to simply look at their new ride with refrained enthusiasm.

"How the bloody hell is this possible? I thought all the cars died at this point!" Marcus asked the instant his brothers stepped out of the vehicle as Noah couldn't help but keep smiling that he and Saya had pretty much improved the life of their entire group this easily.

"Apparently the SDF have their engines specially designed to resist EMP's. Either way, we're officially more mobile than ever before." Noah replied as he saw everyone else were already hard at work loading up their new found goods into the bed of the truck.

"Alright, unfortunately the amount of our new supplies isn't going to leave enough room on board for all of us, so some of us will have to walk back. Whoever wants to drive home, climb on up." Frasier ordered as he never took his eyes off of the deep orange sky, now knowing they'd spent more than enough time out here.

"I'm the only one with a driver's license, so I'll drive. Believe it or not I actually drove something much like this before." Shizuka instantly offered, not even waiting for an answer before she climbed into the driver's seat. Before Marcus could climb into the passenger seat, he felt himself getting yanked back by his collar before Hitomi climbed up in his place; shooting him a mischievous smirk as she shut the door.

Takashi and Saeko were the first to climb up into the bed of the truck while Saya lifted Alice up to join them as the engine rumbled back to life.

"Don't worry, Alice. We'll be right behind you. We won't even be ten minutes once you get back home." Saya reassured the little girl as she nodded in understanding. Without any other words to be shared among the rest, the truck began to roll forward, quickly leaving the rest of the group in its wake as it made its way to the hotel. All the while it was still in sight, Rei couldn't keep her eyes off of Takashi and Saeko sitting together; looking at each other like they didn't have a care in the world.

"I'm sorry." Frasier suddenly muttered as Rei spun around to see he was standing right behind her.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Rei asked confusedly; certain he was referring to her reaction to seeing Takashi and Saeko sitting so close together on the truck.

"I mean for how I come off. The way I was raised and brought up is leagues different from what most of you most likely went through. I was born as a soldier, raised as a soldier, and will no doubt die as a soldier. My destiny can only be one lined with blood and steel so that the rest of my people may have security and freedom." Frasier admitted as his gaze now seemed to be focused far beyond the horizon, almost as if this were a realization he'd accepted a long time ago.

"Why are you telling me this? I mean, I certainly appreciate what you're trying to say, but why not tell everyone this?" Rei wondered curiously; feeling like he was trying to get something out of this by going to her directly instead of everyone at once.

"I'm far too proud and stubborn to just blurt out such things to all of them. Besides...out of everyone in the group, you seem to harbor the most fear by the mere sight of me, let alone when I try to give out orders. I figured its best I try to help reassure the weakest member that they will be safe when working with me, no matter how scary I might look to them." Frasier explained as Rei began to partially frown at his answer.

"Oh...well, thank you...I guess." Rei responded, feeling somewhat insulted that he actually considered Alice, the youngest of them all, to be stronger than her. However, it did help to know that he was able to acknowledge her fear towards him and try to reassure her of the doubt lingering in the back of her mind.

"Yeah well, just keep up and we should be fine. Let's pick up the pace! All of you!" Frasier said softly at first before calling out to the others who began to jog after him as he picked up his own pace. With any luck it would only take thirty minutes at this pace rather than another hour to get to the hotel.

Almost forty minutes later, the two teams had been reunited at the hotel, just arriving in the nick of time before the sun had gone down and night was upon them once more. Dinner went rather well for them this time without anyone fighting or bickering among each other. In the lobby, the group sat down near the fireplace. Candles were lit up all around to help them see as they all basked in the comforting warmth and nearly hypnotic sight of the flames.

Dessert was now being served as Shizuka brought out several cupcakes she'd found left in the freezer for the bakery at the mall. Alice, Marcus and Khota were especially delighted to have such an unexpected treat as the others were grateful just to have something that didn't taste like preserved food made to last for several decades.

As everyone else proceeded to eat and simply enjoy the moment, Shizuka herself slowly slurped up the creamy icing with surprisingly precise skill involving her tongue. The others, mostly the boys, and even then mostly Marcus, watched in both amusement and amazement at how quick and efficient she appeared to be at it. Everyone then started laughing and chuckling as she quickly devoured the small, chocolaty cake within seconds; leaving a slight mark on her lower lips before licking it up when Hitomi pointed it out.

"Wow. I guess you'll have to teach me your skills sometime,Marikawa-sensei." Saeko lightly chuckled as she then licked the crumbs from her fingers before grinning at Takashi when she noticed him gazing in her direction.

"Oh, I can teach you so much more than that. You girls just be sure to ask me some time." Shizuka responded in quite the suggestive tone before winking at the young swordswoman, inadvertently causing Marcus to once again turn red as a beet; even more so when he noticed Hitomi listening to the nurse's suggestion intently before giving him a flirtatious wink of her own.

'Lucky.' Marcus thought to himself as he then noticed Frasier silently getting up to leave the room with a hand on his side.

"How do you feel?" Marcus asked after following Frasier into the kitchen.

"I'm fine. I just needed some water." Frasier replied dismissively before filling up a glass and downing it within seconds. Marcus however didn't seem to be satisfied with the answer he got.

"I'm not talking about your stitches. I'm talking about...you know...HER." Marcus said in an attempt to correct himself before hesitating near the end as he paused briefly, knowing how short tempered his brother could be about when it came to something this personal.

"I told you I'm FINE. Saeko-san is no longer my concern. She's just a close friend and that's all she ever will be to me." Frasier replied in a low growl as he slowly pushed himself back up to stand before Marcus; looking straight down into his green eyes as they just glared right back into his blue ones.

"Oh yeah? Sure doesn't sound like it. I don't think even YOU believe that hogwash. Just tell her how you feel before it really IS too late!" Marcus suggested as he just shook his head as if to call out Frasier on his own feelings.

"It IS already too late, Marcus! Whatever chance I did have with her is long gone, and I couldn't be happier for it. She no longer distracts me with idiotic thoughts of having another life outside of what father intended for me! Even if I did want her, she's with someone else now, and she seems more than happy to me. Now just let it go!" Frasier said with a barely restrained hush as he had to fight himself to keep from screaming in Marcus' face. As he continued, tears began to form in the corners of his eyes as Marcus could clearly see the conflict burning inside of him.

"Deny it all you want, Frasier. Try and convince me all you like to think otherwise. Hey, maybe you'll actually succeed in doing just that one day, but you'll never be able to convince yourself that she's just a friend. I've seen the way you look at her: like she's the most important thing going for you. Maybe even more than Noah and I, and I'll be damned if I'm just going to stand back and watch you throw that kind of thing away." Marcus replied as he had to restrain some tears himself. Before he could storm away to tell Saeko for him, he suddenly felt his wrist being pulled back.

"Maybe in another life, another time, I could've been with her. Perhaps I would have picked her over the life that was selected for me. But this isn't that life, and it sadly isn't the time. Please, Marcus, just let it go." Frasier said with a grieving sigh before he let go of his wrist; Marcus slowly stepping back as he could see genuine sadness in his brother's eyes.

"Please send in Marikawa-sensei. The pain from the stitches is starting to flare up more than I'd like to admit." Frasier then requested, to which Marcus just nodded in response before Shizuka quickly took his place with some diazepam in hand.

Marcus then looked over at Saeko, who was now cozied up against Takashi. He knew he was a nice guy and had been there for all of them, but a part of Marcus could only feel this unexplained anger; like his brother was hurting all because of him getting in the way. Hitomi immediately noticed Marcus' quick glance turning into a glare. She reached out only to see him snap back into reality from her gentle touch.

"It looks like you have something to say. Let's go to bed and you can tell me there." Hitomi suggested as Marcus nodded slowly; feeling her hand tighten around his before he helped hoist her upright onto her feet.

"Yeah, we really should. Just let me figure out who wants to volunteer to be on watch for tonight." Marcus responded softly before approaching the others to discuss the matter at hand.

It was only moments later that the group was all fast asleep in their nice warm beds. After such a calm and event-filled day,they felt like their life of fighting for survival was slowly but surely turning to one they could withstand now that they were safe at the hotel with good people; that they'd be able to survive the night without having to worry about being snuck up on by the walking dead or any other kind of threat.

Unable to keep his eyes open for much longer, Frasier collapsed into bed shortly after Shizuka had helped him. His wound felt relieved from the pain, but his muscles were now numb and quickly became increasingly harder to control. A large sigh escaped his lips as he could finally have a moment to himself; placing a scrunched up photo beside the lamp on his nightstand. A faint smile formed across his lips before he closed his eyes, finally able to rest without any worry lingering in the back of his mind.

Meanwhile, Johann and Rei had been selected to take up watch for the night. They sat side by side on a couple of the chairs from the lobby as the stars seemed to be looming overhead; their bright appearance giving the night a cloak like appearance, like peering through the fibers of a dark cloth to see the light on the other side.

"It's so quiet when thinking about the things you'd hear just a few days ago. You'd almost think there's nothing out there." Rei expressed as she spoke in a soft whisper. As nice as it was to just listen to the silence, that lingering knowledge of what was really out there couldn't help but make it feel incredibly eerie nonetheless.

"I know what you mean. It feels so peaceful, yet you can't stop being reminded of what you know is out there. You know…I think Frasier might have a point; about us having to prepare to survive this thing for longer than just a month, I mean." Johann acknowledged as he was looking out in the distance for any signs of life.

"And how will we do that? If the military can't handle this, how can we? We're just a bunch of teenagers with a nurse, a little girl, a puppy, two former cops, and to top it off, we're barely holding on as it is. Sure, we've had our good moments like today, but how long will we hold out when one of us isn't so lucky? How will we handle our closest friends and loved ones dying?" Rei questioned as her eyes began to show that even despite her momentary times of optimism, her overall faith had been drained to the point she couldn't hide the fears she'd been feeling due to all her experiences in the past week.

"We just have to keep fighting, Rei. No matter how bad it gets out there, we just need to stick together and see this nightmare to the very end. Just like you said, we're in this together, and I really feel we could make it through this as long as we stick together." Johann said in an attempt to help restore her spirits. While it would be no easy task, a part of him just knew deep down they could do it if they just kept fighting back every challenge that bore down on them together.

"You know…it's hard to believe you sometimes. You're still a stranger to me, yet everything you say just helps make me feel better about the situation we're in. I…I'm really glad we have you here, Johann." Rei admitted as she seemed to be speaking in a bit more of a relieved tone, not even noticing her cheeks slightly turn pink as she finished.

Johann didn't know how to respond to that. Instead he just kept staring out into the dark void; hoping deep down he'd see some kind of sign of either Toshimi or Joe. It pained him to think about what could be happening to her without him there; but he trusted Joe, and he knew that if they made it to the cabin he'd mentioned, she'd have a much better chance than he did at the hotel.

"We'll find her, Johann. Just you wait and see." Rei then said once she saw the conflicted look in his eyes; eager to help raise his spirits just as he'd done for her. She couldn't bear to see someone like him look so worried, and she knew that with her renewed faith in the world around them, with enough hard work and determination, they'd find Toshimi, even if it meant combing all of northern Tokonosu. Her inspiring words had caused Johann to smile widely before he turned away to keep watch on the streets below.

The young German then looked down in surprise when Rei suddenly pulled up a blanket she must've grabbed from one of the rooms; draping it around them both. The plaid blanket was soft and cool to the touch at first, but the warmth inside of it soon became one of the most comfortable sensations they could imagine at this moment. They both smiled to themselves as the night that concealed all kinds of unspeakable monstrosities lying in wait now seemed to be more beautiful and gave off a rather tranquil feeling.

Just a few miles away on one of the many abandoned highways leading north of Tokonosu, a small white van with a blue star on the side was slowly driving along the lonely stretch of road; brushing by the cars long abandoned by their owners as it began to move inside of the city.