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.

14. Chapter 14: The Little Things in Life

Z-Day+17

With Tadashi Miyamoto finally secured and stabilized, the group sat around their dining table; enjoying a quick lunch prepared by Kiriko. Johann and Hitomi both eagerly explained every detail of the rescue bit by bit; naturally keeping the more violent parts to themselves for the sake of Alice and everyone else's appetites. Expressions of amazement and shock could be seen on everyone's faces, but one thing was unanimous amongst them: Hope had finally been restored.

"Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun. Shame I couldn't come along," Rika remarked, acting somewhat passive aggressive when she briefly glanced over to Frasier since he was the one who made her stay behind.

"I trust these three far more; especially considering I don't even know you. Besides, I'd prefer to keep someone almost as skilled as myself in terms of combat on watch over the hotel in my absence," Frasier retorted; earning an irked look from Rika while Hitomi looked to be quite flattered by that remark.

"Aww, you trust me now, Frasier-san?" Hitomi asked with a rather wistful sigh while giving a warm smile that made Frasier shrug his shoulders nervously before looking away; almost as if he were embarrassed to admit she was officially on his good side now despite all their previous arguments.

"'...almost as skilled...'? Ha; interesting choice of words considering I beat you the first time we met," Rika scoffed; causing Frasier to slightly tense up when the rest of the group all began to look at him in surprise to hear that he'd been beaten.

"That was a draw and you know it," Frasier grumbled; trying his best to ignore the fact he'd been careless and grossly underestimated her close-quarter skills; let alone the very thought he'd been forced into a draw in the first place.

"I had a gun to your temple and you had a knife to my throat. Think you would've been fast enough, kid?" Rika said with a wider smirk before playfully winking at the baffled young man who remained silent and looked disdainfully at his remaining food. Marcus and Noah meanwhile enjoyed every second of this, astonished to see someone able to get under his skin as easily as Saeko.

"Wait, she beat you? Ha; what I would've given to see that," Marcus exclaimed; curious to see how this would play out between the two, almost certain that Frasier would try and even the score and challenge Rika at some point to determine who was the better fighter. If not for the challenge itself, then pride would certainly be enough to motivate him.

"It was a tie," Frasier grumbled, trying to keep his voice restrained despite how obvious it was that his pride had taken a serious hit. A soft course of giggles and chuckles erupted as he began to turn red in the face.

"Can you guys please stop arguing?" Rei pleaded as it was quite clear that fighting amongst themselves, no matter how minor, wasn't going to help anyone. The others soon calmed down long enough to see their new leader was definitely not amused.

"Yeah, we're all on the same side here," Kohta added with a bit more enthusiasm before scoffing down the rest of the quick meal of sliced up beef, vegetables and white rice Kiriko made for them.

"Besides, we have more important things to worry about; like what our next step should be. We might be stocked for a while, but we might need to plan beyond just a month," Saeko then advised in her calming yet somewhat emotionless voice before her signature glare swept around the table to see everyone was in silent agreement with her.

"Well, the first thing we should talk about is what we'll do about food. Water shouldn't be an issue even if the water plantations go down since we have those filters to gather from the river or through any rainfall," Saya suggested as she earned a few nods of agreement.

"Food? What about security? Shido's group is still a considerable threat, and to ignore that is a huge oversight on our part," Marcus brought up with no humor in his tone; feeling certain that despite their raid to break Tadashi loose, plenty of those people were still alive and kicking.

"I hate to add onto the list, but we really do need to find more medical supplies. I'm down to just my special gel and a few strips of gauze now," Shizuka reluctantly announced; hating that she had to be the bearer of bad news when the group already had enough to worry about.

"If we can be evacuated by the Self Defense Force or whoever is left standing, then none of this will even matter! If we could contact them somehow, we could-" Rei said aloud, as if she actually expected there to still be some form of government power still active despite the state of the world at this point.

"You really think that any government, if they're even still alive to begin with, would give a crap about us? Face it, we're on our own until the dead starve or rot or whatever the hell it is they do after going without food," Saya harshly argued as she stood up; effectively cutting Rei off as the two glared at one another.

"Oh, like you've got it all figured out! You can't even defend yourself! We always have to be watching your back for you," Rei defensively answered in a spitfire of anger as she refused to be talked down to like some naive kid.

*clang* *clang*

"You guys are acting like little kids! We don't interrupt when someone else is talking! And we don't raise our voices when inside," Alice suddenly lectured after tapping her cup to the table the way a judge would slam their gavel to restore order to the court. The others instantly fell silent as they realized just how right she was; somewhat embarrassed and ashamed that a little girl of all people was now the voice of reason amongst them.

"She does have an excellent point. If we can't even properly communicate, then we might as well walk into the jaws of 'Them' to save time. Besides, it's not up to us anymore. It's up to him," Saeko agreed with the spirited child who smiled back,feeling proud to be a part of the discussion, before the young samurai then motioned towards Frasier who sat there in contemplation.

"Hmm, there are several things that need to be addressed before a decision can be made. We should meet back here in an hour after we assess our remaining supplies. We might need to split our focus if we're to stay on top of all of this," Frasier deduced, trying his best to determine what priority should require their immediate attention first.

With that having been said, everyone began to leave the dining table one by one. Once he was alone, Frasier let out a gentle sigh as he realized he was going to have to micromanage every little dispute and argument that would arise from this point forward. A nagging doubt forced him to wonder if being the leader was worth the trouble, but then he recalled how happy everyone was after the success of the rescue mission. Before he could think about anything else, he noticed both of his brothers were looking right at him from across the room.

"What? Why are you two looking at me like that?" Frasier asked accusingly; getting up slowly as he walked towards his siblings, determined to figure out what they were up to now.

"You didn't have to help. You could've easily stood by while they rushed off to a suicide mission," Noah finally stated; his voice teeming with pride as he instinctively smiled at his brothers' unusual selflessness.

"I had my reasons for helping them, Noah. Their priorities simply coincided with my own. Besides, if I didn't help Rei-san,you two certainly would've, which would most likely lead to me having to subdue you both; something I know neither of us would enjoy one bit," Frasier said dismissively, as if trying his best to withhold even the slightest bit of evidence that would suggest he cared about everyone here and not just his brothers.

"Oh, don't be so shitty! You can be human every once in a while you know. If you insist on saying you don't care about them then go ahead, but your actions speak much louder than any of your words will," Marcus playfully argued as he lightly slugged Frasier in the arm; the eldest Lawson feeling a sharp pain from the otherwise benign punch due to the graze wound. However, he remained straight faced and simply ignored it with silence.

"Besides, Saeko especially took notice of your decision to become our leader. Women love a man who takes charge; don't you know that?" Marcus then casually whispered mischievously as he took great pleasure in making Frasier turn a soft shade of red at the thought; Noah having to restrain a laugh of his own when he noticed.

"She did? Er, well, I think they all noticed given how I gave up my secret to them. Besides, I didn't do it for her affection; I have no need for it now. There are more important things to be concerned with," Frasier nervously blurted out in a slight stammer before composing himself long enough to think up a quick counter.

"Good save. I'm sure you don't care what she thinks about you and where she occasionally looks when you aren't looking. We'll leave you be though, for now anyway. We gotta go check the defenses and make sure there are no holes in our little patch of paradise," Marcus answered sarcastically, making it quite obvious as he rolled his eyes in disbelief that Frasier was being so stubborn about something so obvious. Noah lightly nudged him in the ribs to lay off, as well as remind him of what they needed to get done.

"Oh! And we're both very proud of you, Frasier. Despite your normal attitude, it's good to see you're still one of us when push comes to shove," Marcus added, which only spurred a raised eyebrow from Frasier as he had yet again been caught off guard by the odd choice of words his younger sibling had decided to use.

"'One of us?'" Frasier repeatedly confusedly as he had no idea what Marcus was hinting at now.

"You know: human; and not a mindless drone that can't think or even feel for himself. Something I'm... somewhat guilty of calling you," Marcus admitted as he seemed somewhat ashamed of himself now.

"I don't think I recall you ever calling me a drone," Frasier stated bluntly as he was now trying to think of when Marcus might've actually said such an unusual thing.

"Well, not to your face anyway," Marcus confessed; only to see Frasier form an annoyed frown in response. However, his look soon shifted into one of understanding before a soft sigh escaped his lips.

"Don't worry about it. I've understandably earned that title; but even so, it's worth it if that's what it takes to survive. Now go check on our defenses and report back to me with your findings," Frasier reluctantly agreed before shrugging it off, almost as if he believed it himself; watching both of his brothers nod in understanding only to take off, leaving him alone with just his inner thoughts before he looked out the window in deep contemplation.

Meanwhile…

Kohta found himself in the pantry with a notebook in hand,writing down careful observations over just how much food was left, as well as how soon some of it would be expiring; trying his best to remain focused instead of helping himself to a quick snack, despite having eaten just a few minutes ago. Before he could be tempted any further, he turned just in time to see Saya standing before him.

"Ah! Takagi-san! You've come to help me check on the stock?" Kohta exclaimed in surprise before calming down somewhat when she didn't seem remotely irritated by his rambling for once.

"I think you're more than capable of counting food by yourself. I just wanted to take this moment to speak to you about something," Saya replied sharply before dropping the biting attitude and speaking in a more serious tone.

"Oh, yeah? What about?" Kohta asked nervously as he had no idea what would possibly be on her mind that would make her come to him like this; knowing if she wanted to insult him, she'd just do it in front of the others as she normally would.

"What do you think?! I wanted to apologize for what happened when you tried to teach me how to shoot…for acting so reckless and stupid," Saya grumbled as she made it clear that she didn't come here for pleasantries. A sullen silence from Kohta made her realize being angry wasn't going to make her apology seem nearly as genuine as she wanted it to be.

"Look, I know I messed up! Don't act like it was nothing! I was careless and nearly killed all three of us..." Saya began to admit as if it was the hardest thing she'd ever had to say; her voice carrying heavy regret and remorse in every word.

"So what?" Kohta asked bluntly, effectively cutting her off and leaving her dead silent.

"Huh?" Saya asked in honest confusion, not expecting him at all to be so…nonchalant about almost getting killed as a direct result of her actions.

"So what if you messed up? We all make mistakes, Takagi-san. You're really going to cry about it now?" Kohta asked apathetically; showing no room of emotion as he made it clear her mistake did not affect him nearly as badly as she thought it did; turning to face her with an all too stern expression that matched his now intense tone.

"Hirano-san..." Saya muttered, absolutely stunned and in awe at the sudden and rather welcome change of attitude; honestly uncertain whether she should be angry or attracted to such a manly shift of character.

"I'm sorry! I just didn't know what else to say to that! Normally you're so fiery and in control of things, so hearing you talk like that just felt so wrong," Kohta instantly backtracked out of regret as he didn't mean to come off so harsh; worried he probably made things even worse for her now.

"I...don't be. It's nice to see that you're not entirely a pushover. I'm kind of impressed actually," Saya admitted truthfully before adjusting her glasses, not realizing how good that made him feel right now.

"Heh…r-really?" Kohta stammered before giving her a confident smirk that made Saya realize he was openly checking her out.

"Yes, so stop looking at me like that," Saya demanded out of sheer embarrassment before crossing her arms and staring right back.

"And if I don't?" Kohta then asked as he only smirked wider and stared at her curiously.

"Agh; quit it right now you pervert," Saya scorned in embarrassment; shaking her head as he kept staring at her, like he could physically see her weaknesses now.

"Make me," Kohta said cheekily, curious to test the waters and determine how far she could be pushed.

"Fine, I will," Saya growled as she balled her hand into a fist; trying her best to control her otherwise volatile temper.

"I'm waiting," Kohta teased with a smirk as Saya just glared at him with both eyes wide open, yet remaining dead silent for what felt like an eternity to her.

"Ugh, you're SO lucky I'm feeling apologetic right now...you better watch your back Mr. 'I'm So Smooth'," Saya grumbled as she was at odds on how to feel in regard to Kohta's more assertive side; a sight she'd never expect to see in this lifetime from the normally timid otaku.

"Good to see you're already back to shouting at me. It kinda felt wrong hearing you all mopey and regretful. It's not like you at all," Kohta said with relief; earning a slightly concerned raise of the eyebrow from the short-tempered girl.

"What? Is that all you think of me? Just yelling and being a bitch at every opportunity I can get?" Saya asked with noticeable regret, almost as if Kohta's assumption legitimately hurt her.

"I mean, you do have a short temper, don't you?" Kohta asked as Saya realized that this was most likely the first thing he, along with the others, thought whenever her name was brought up; since she sure as hell never did anything to make them think otherwise.

'Ugh, focus, girl! You're supposed to be apologizing, not worrying about what he thinks of you,' Saya's inner conscience barked as she had to shake her head and regain focus.

"Okay, maybe I do overreact at times. I guess I'm just not a happy person in general. Being expected to do nothing short of the best can get to a girl after a while, you know?" Saya reluctantly admitted as she couldn't believe she was opening up to Hirano of all people now.

"You don't have to be the best at everything, Takagi-san. Nobody is perfect, no matter how cute and smart they might be," Kohta said in reassurance as he lightly nudged her shoulder; her cheeks burning red after hearing such a thing.

"I...s-stop it! I came here to apologize, not to listen to your shameless flirting," Saya said somewhat shyly before lowly growling in frustration at herself. She absolutely hated feeling so out of her element.

"Fine, apology accepted; anything else?" Kohta said bluntly;watching Saya take a moment to process what he'd just said.

"What? You're going to forgive me just like that?" Saya asked in astonishment at his simple response.

"No, I'm going to hate you forever and ever till the day I die, and nothing you do will ever change that," Kohta said sarcastically; making Saya nearly skip a heartbeat until she realized he was giving her a taste of her own attitude.

"Hey! Sarcasm is my thing, fatty," Saya said with a light chuckle before crossing her arms, astonished deep down how well this was going.

"So what's your point?" Kohta asked as Saya seemed irritated that she had to practically spell it out for him.

"My point is I shouldn't be able to get off so easily after messing up like that! It's been driving me crazy lately, and I must know how I can make up for it," Saya demanded as she couldn't stand feeling so conflicted over her actions anymore.

"You wanna make it up to me? Stop acting like everything is over and just be glad we're all still in one piece. Just don't give up, Takagi-san. You'll learn to shoot in no time," Kohta answered sternly as he truly didn't seem to harbor any resentment towards the pink haired genius.

"I-I...thank you, Hirano-kun," Saya nervously thanked as she bowed her head, completely at a loss for words again.

"Are you sure you're not mad at me? Not even a little?" she then pried, as if she had to make absolutely sure that he wasn't just trying to spare her feelings.

"Well, I mean I'd rather not blow up anytime soon; so if we could live by that policy, I think everything will be square between us; deal?" Kohta suggested as he watched Saya genuinely smiling at his sense of humor for once.

"Deal; now if you'll excuse me, I should go check up on Komuro-san to see if he's feeling as forgiving," Saya eagerly agreed before getting up and heading for the exit.

"And afterwards?" Kohta then asked as he watched her pause, but she kept her back to him while slightly glancing at him over her shoulder.

"Maybe you can show me how to clean the guns? It looks really important so I want to help," Saya suggested before continuing to walk on.

"It's a date then," Kohta enthusiastically said with a proud thumbs up; his face turning to pure horror in realization to what he'd just said as Saya stopped in place.

"Ack! Figure of speech," Kohta immediately backtracked as he held his hands up in defense, as if expecting Saya to make a full 180 and swing at him for his slip of the tongue.

"Whatever you say, you dumb otaku," Saya said with a confident smirk as she was glad to at least have some ability to intimidate the chubby gun lover still.

She then marched up several flights of stairs; knowing full well that Saeko had escorted Takashi to their room so he could rest again the last she'd seen them. However, before she could let that happen, she knew now was the perfect time to apologize to him as well. The guilt had practically been eating away at her nonstop despite her overwhelming sense of pride still being intact. She gently knocked on the door just in case they were in the middle of something she didn't want to walk in on.

"Come in," Saeko's voice gently answered as Saya let out a soft sigh of relief to be spared the embarrassment of disrupting their potential intimacy.

The door slowly creaked open as the otherwise headstrong and overly aggressive genius nervously walked in. Takashi was comfortably resting on the first of two beds whilst Saeko was carefully cleaning her prized katana; no doubt after having used it on some poor bastard during the rescue mission.

"Oh, it's you Takagi-san...is everything alright?" Takashi asked, slightly taken aback that she'd come up to their room even though there were so many other things she would've normally deemed far more important to do right now.

"Yeah; if you have a moment, I just wanted to say something that I should've a lot sooner," Saya replied as she spoke in such a soft and somber tone, it was like she was an entirely different person to them. However, Takashi nodded in silence as he allowed her to continue.

"I wanted to apologize for my lack of control when we went out with Hirano-san for shooting practice. It was foolish on my part to act so reckless; for getting so goddamn careless just so I could prove I was as good as you and everyone else. My own hubris got you hurt. Hell, I could've killed all three of us had that soldier been any closer," Saya began to apologize as she looked straight at Takashi, only to then quickly look away when his gaze was locked on her. A part of her was now agonizing as towhy she was so embarrassed and ashamed now, despite knowing this was the right thing to do.

"I...I don't know why I feel so bad. You're going to live, and the damage wasn't nearly as severe once Shizuka-sensei patched you up...yet, here I am trying to get this stupid guilt off my chest," Saya began to express in a more angered tone before managing to take a deep breath and calm her nerves.

Komuro-san... I wish I could make it up to you somehow. I-I'm sorry," Saya murmured as she clenched both fists, unaware he'd gotten up and was now standing before her until his body blocked the light coming from the nearby window.

She looked up at him with uncertainty, completely at a loss for words when Takashi suddenly and simply hugged her like nothing had changed between them at all. How both he and Kohta could possibly be so nonchalant about this was all she could think to ask herself as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes that she was fortunately able to hold back for now. Her arms gently held his sides as she embraced his silent yet crystal clear forgiveness; feeling beyond relieved now that she'd finally gotten the words out and knew there were never any hard feelings between them.

"Just be more careful, alright? I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to keep my life through the rest of this," Takashi remarked with a good-humored smirk that earned a slightly irked look from Saya.

"I...yeah, me too. I should go now," Saya began to retort, ready to chastise and belittle him as she normally did. However, she managed to keep her cool and backed down long enough to take her leave without retaliating in the slightest; still astonished at how forgiving both Kohta and Takashi were towards her despite the severity of her mistake. This was a moment that would certainly not be lost upon her anytime soon.

"That was...unexpected," Saeko briefly commented as if amused by the otherwise touching scene she'd just witnessed.

"Trust me, that was a lot for her to admit right now, but it's good to see that she's at least aware of her actions," Takashi said as Saeko cocked her head, slightly surprised by his tone that would almost suggest he was reprimanding her for her choice of words.

"You make a fair point. So, how do you feel about this whole situation? I noticed you were awful quiet back there," Saeko agreed before asking about Takashi's peculiar silence this afternoon.

"Does it really matter what I say at this point? I'm not the leader anymore, remember?" Takashi grumbled as he shrugged his shoulders in indifference.

"I know that, but your voice still matters to all of us, and to me," Saeko said in an effort to raise her boyfriend's spirits.

"I guess so. I don't know what to really think at this point though. It seems like all we do is take one step forward only to immediately take two steps back," Takashi confessed with a somewhat tired sigh at their endlessly difficult situation.

"Do you worry about your parents at all?" Saeko then asked; catching the teenage boy completely off guard.

"All I can hope for now is that my mom made it out from her work in one piece. My dad…I could care less about what happened to him. He was never around for me when I needed him the most; and on the rare occasions he was home, all he ever did was belittle me, like anything I managed to accomplish was meaningless," Takashi replied with bitter contempt for his father; Saeko giving him a concerned look as her boyfriend continued to ramble.

"You don't have to tell me anything that's too painful for you. I understand, my love," Saeko said softly before gently resting a single hand upon his shoulder; earning a brief smile from Takashi before they slowly moved closer for a kiss.

"T-Thank you. So, what about your father? You think he's holding up out there?" Takashi said with clear gratitude before quickly changing the subject out of fluster once their lips had parted.

"Like I said before; my father was overseas at one of his dojos when this all began. He's more than capable of living through this, of that much I'm certain. If he were to fall though…honestly, I'd have little faith in our own survival. Fortunately,he's the strongest man I know yet," Saeko said with the utmost confidence in her father's abilities; certain that he was still out there, and silently hoping that one day she'd be able to find evidence that he was indeed still alive.

"What about your mother? I don't think you've ever mentioned her even once," Takashi then brought up, quickly throwing the otherwise composed samurai off guard as she bowed her head.

"I...she's been gone for some time. I'd rather not get into that. I hope you understand," Saeko then answered sadly. Takashi nodded in complete understanding before she got back onto her feet and began to head for the door.

"We should go help the others. I can rest later," Saeko then suggested as she motioned him to follow her; watching as he slowly approached her, gently taking her hand before they proceeded to leave the room together.

One hour later

Now that the group had had time to think things through and see exactly where they stood with their resources and defenses, they began to gather around the cleared off dining table to report their findings; all of them hoping that they could come to agree on what should take priority for tomorrow without having to fight.

"Hirano-san and I just finished looking over the remaining food. Considering that we have two more people added to the group, it should last us roughly three more weeks if we continue to ration it carefully," Saya answered as Tadashi and Miku both looked somewhat guilty knowing they'd inadvertently made things harder for everyone. Luckily they were instead met with reassuring looks that helped ease their guilt.

"Noah and I checked the barbed wire on the window ledges and the balconies. No one should be able to sneak in without us knowing about it. Although Noah had a brilliant idea about setting up an early warning system just in case we're wrong. Something to do with small cans, bells, and wires," Marcus announced as he seemed rather satisfied with how their defenses were holding up.

"Someone should probably clear out those corpses though. The smell will be a nightmare if we just let them decay," Hitomi also brought up as everyone else nodded in agreement. To them, it was clear that such a thing shouldn't be ignored for the sake of their own health.

"Agreed; we can relocate and burn the bodies elsewhere while someone cleans the stains with a lot of bleach. Until then, keep clear of the outer perimeter. How are we looking ammunition-wise?" Frasier acknowledged as he turned to face Johann and Rika.

"We have plenty of 9mm and 12-gauge rounds left, but we're going to be clean out of 7.62mm rounds if we don't watch it. Also, when's the last time you've cleaned those guns?" Rika stated calmly before asking on the upkeep of their armory.

"Just the other day. Why?" Frasier answered as he was certain he'd personally inspected and cleaned out all of the firearms thoroughly and personally.

"I'm just making sure you know what you're doing, kid. I would have to personally kick your ass on general principal if a gun jammed on me or broke down in the middle of a fight because you didn't properly take care of them," Rika retorted as she leaned back in her chair with both boots on the table; Frasier slowly walking over towards her with a grim look on his face.

"Yeah? Is that a challenge?" Frasier asked threateningly as he slapped her boots off the table and watched her form a sly grin as if expecting more.

"Focus, you two," Shizuka suddenly interjected as she knew that Rika wasn't going to back down despite him being right in her face; somewhat relieved when Frasier released his clenched fist and returned to his seat.

"And just how are we doing on our medical supplies?" Frasier then asked as he remained standing, unable to sit in one place after being agitated so deeply.

"Not good. I used the very last of the good stuff we had on Tadashi-san. We only have a few painkillers left and that's about it. I really suggest we focus on that above all else. If anyone is significantly hurt and I don't have the tools and supplies I need, who knows what might happen?" Shizuka answered as she didn't feel it was right to sugarcoat how severe their situation truly was.

"Before you make any decisions, I need to tell you something very important that I really think you'll want to hear," Rika announced as she stood up, instantly drawing all attention upon herself. Frasier narrowed his eyes as she was the second-to-last person he wanted to hear talk. However, if she was being honest,the least he could do was hear her out.

"Very well, let's hear it," Frasier acknowledged as he leaned back in his seat while keenly observing the tanned woman slowly walking around the room; pacing back and forth as she prepared to explain whatever it was she had in mind.

"Just before I departed from an SDF-controlled ship not too far from the coast, I was told to let any survivors I come across know that there's a joint effort being led by a full company of United States Marines assisted by a second company of our own Ground Self-Defense Force. They aim to retake Tokyo and lockdown a section of the city for a quarantine zone and refugee center where any survivors that can make it there can get the aid they need. In short, we're finally taking the fight to 'Them'," Rika thoroughly explained. The rest of the group looked in sheer awe that there was not only a form of military resistance still left, but one that was actually able to launch a counterattack against the undead. A surge of hope suddenly began to flow through all of them.

"Interesting. They'll need some considerable firepower though to break through what must be several million of 'Them', even when excluding those that left in search of more food outside of the city limits," Noah commented before pondering at the probability of such a risky campaign actually coming to fruition. With the sheer numbers to consider, it almost seemed too good to be true.

"Noah's right. I take it they'll have some kind of air support, or at the very least some armor to handle the thickest concentrations of hordes? Infantry can only handle so many of those creatures at once," Marcus added in agreement as Rika stood there with both arms crossed; looking like they'd almost insulted her by asking such basic questions.

"They know what they're doing. The real question is: what are you guys going to do about it?" Rika replied confidently as she made it clear that it didn't matter right now to her if the joint-effort could handle itself or not. The others began looking back and forth to each other as if a whole new array of options had been opened up to them.

"Do you have a satellite phone? Does it still work?" Frasier then asked as he began to lightly tap his fingers against the table in anticipation of her answer; realizing she must have some form of communication with this expeditionary force, otherwise she couldn't possibly have heard about it.

"Yeah, they gave it to me should I discover any surviving units wanting to help. Why? Have someone you can call?" Rika nodded before asking on his seemingly newfound enthusiasm; curious to see what he had in mind in that puzzle of a head of his.

"Indeed I do. Forget Tokyo! If I can contact my father, then I can get an evac from our own military. The last I heard, England's holding up quite well, still undead-free hopefully. If they were to mobilize right away, we'd be looking at a rescue within the next day, two at the very most. Do you mind if I borrow your satellite phone?" Frasier eagerly announced as the others were taken by surprise at the thought of an extraction from the British military of all things. However, the possibility did seem quite high considering how confident the young man spoke; especially considering his background related to them.

"On one condition, handsome! I want you to promise me that you will do whatever it takes to get the rest of us out of here with you," Rika responded as she held out the thick yellow phone, only to immediately pull it back with a grin on her face when he began to reach for it.

"I...very well! I promise to do whatever I can to ensure that everyone here will be evacuated if I'm able to contact someone back home," Frasier earnestly said, slightly caught off guard by the request; yet in the end, he knew he had no choice but to accept it if she were to cooperate; watching as the sniper formed a smile and leaned in until she was right in his face again.

"Try not to drain the battery. I doubt we'll be able to recharge it anytime soon," Rika said in a soft coo before Frasier eagerly took the satellite phone and began to pound away at the thick keys. A low ring began to go off several times; and to his surprise and disappointment, he only got the answering machine for a response.

"Arthur Lawson, sir! This is Frasier Lawson reporting in for an urgent status update. I regret to inform you that Mark Lawson is...gone. But the rest of us have made it and are in good health. Send an evac team ASAP; we've got fourteen survivors here holding out in a hotel located near the northern edge of Tokonosu City, Japan. Coordinates are the following..." Frasier spoke calmly into the phone, his tone somewhat regretful when mentioning the death of Uncle Mark. However, he remained strong and continued to dispatch the distress signal in high hopes that help could arrive within the next few days should Arthur be able to hear the message. The others meanwhile watched intently as they were hoping someone on the other side would pick up any second now.

"Do you really think this will work?" Saya whispered to Kohta who sat back in his chair with both arms crossed, trying to figure out just how things would play out now.

"It's hard to say at this point. I've never seen him so determined;but with any luck, he'll be able to make contact and we can finally get out of here," Kohta responded before lightly shrugging his shoulders, managing to remain optimistic in spite of the uncertainty.

"And do you think he'll keep his word about bringing us along with him?" Saya then asked with some heavy doubt in her tone, suspicious if Frasier would truly live up to such a promise he might not be able to follow through with.

"He wouldn't go back on his word. If he had no intention of keeping it, he wouldn't have made it in the first place," Saeko suddenly interjected, speaking in a hushed whisper that clearly didn't approve of the lack of support being displayed before her.

"Fair enough; he does seem like the honor-bound type after all. I just don't want any of us left behind," Saya reluctantly agreed, making it clear that she was simply voicing her current feelings on the matter at hand.

"It's understandable, I don't want that either. After all we've been through; it's become rather natural to question everyone else's motives," Saeko said in a more calmed tone, realizing that Saya simply didn't know what to personally expect from Frasier. Luckily, she did though, and she was more than confident that he'd stay true to his word.

"So now what do we do?" Takashi asked as Frasier suddenly hung up the phone and attached the clip through the back to a belt loop on his pants.

"We wait for a response. I advise we prepare to gather resources for the trip to Tokyo just in case things don't work out. It would be a bloody shame if we were to put all of our eggs in one basket and regret it later," Frasier answered, quickly making it clear to everyone that they still had plenty of work to do despite the overwhelming amount of good news and fortune they seemed to be having. He then unexpectedly yawned, barely able to cover his mouth in time, which earned a few giggles from Shizuka.

"Aww, is someone feeling a bit sleepy?" Shizuka asked in an all too innocent coo, finding it somewhat adorable to the point she didn't even think that her choice of words made Frasier sound like he was still just a little boy. The others now lightheartedly laughed and giggled as well.

"Yeah, I'm just feeling a bit light-headed. I guess that rescue took a bit more out of me than I thought," Frasier truthfully answered, unable to even summon the energy to be embarrassed for himself by the childish remark. However, it was kind of sweet the way Shizuka was so eager to look out for them like they were more than just students; a feeling most in the group were more than aware of by now.

"Maybe you should stay here and rest while the rest of us go to see Isao-san. I'm sure the mall will have just about all we need," Saeko advised as she seemed concerned that Frasier had worn himself out so fast; knowing he'd need all of his energy and an unbreakable focus if he was to keep this group together like it was.

"Hmm, I suppose if most of you go, I can still hold down the fort by myself," Frasier relented as he then did a mental count of how much munitions they had back from when they raided Buck's personal supply back at the cabin site.

"I'll stay with you too. Someone needs to be constantly watching my Tadashi. Besides, he and I have plenty to talk about," Kiriko suddenly volunteered; only to then look over at Tadashi and give him a stern nod that made it clear something was on her mind that wasn't to be brought up until they were alone.

"She's right. He's taken some severe damage and will need to recover for some time before he can move on his own, let alone take care of himself," Rei agreed before reiterating what was somewhat obvious to everyone who had seen the extent of Tadashi's injuries.

"Does anyone else wish to stay behind?" Frasier then asked, as if to confirm that everyone else would be going. His answer was quickly given when they either remained silent or simply shook their heads in response when his gaze glanced over towards them.

"Hmm, very well then. First thing in the morning, the rest of you will be heading off to the mall with the SDF truck. Dismissed," Frasier grumbled at first before calmly issuing out the first of many orders for the group; watching carefully how they each would react to his words, somewhat surprised at how eager and willing they were to listen now.

"Hey, Frasier-niichan; can I ask you something?" Alice suddenly requested, almost hesitant in her approach to him since he so easily towered over her.

"Of course, kid. What is it?" Frasier calmly replied as his cold gaze shifted down to look her straight in the eyes. The others all stopped for a moment to see what she had to say.

"Do...do you think I could go too, to pick out some toys maybe?" Alice asked as Frasier didn't seem at all amused by this. However, he simply shrugged his shoulders shortly after.

"I suppose so. Any particular reason you're asking me this now?" Frasier sighed as he was expecting this to be something a little more serious.

"Well, because tomorrow is my birthday," Alice lightly replied as everyone stood there in absolute silence. Even the leader himself couldn't muster up the words to instantly reply to such a discovery.

"Your...what?" Frasier muttered softly as even he knew how important this was to Alice.

"My birthday, silly! I'll be turning eight! Umm...but I know you guys are busy so I won't ask again. Sorry," Alice replied with more enthusiasm before slowly toning it down when she was painfully aware how serious their situation was; almost as if she was now ashamed for showing excitement for her special day.

Before answering, Frasier glanced around the room to see the others had already silently made up their minds on the matter. He knew they'd be in full support, or at the very least they would want to acknowledge Alice's milestone. His eyes then shifted back to her as he simply formed a soft smile.

"I see...very well. You may go, Alice-chan," Frasier gently replied with an approving nod.

"R-really? It won't be a problem?" Alice asked with instantaneous excitement.

"Of course not; just remember to stay close to the others and do exactly as they say," Frasier confirmed; being rather quick to remind her to follow the rules and remain safe above all else.

The young child simply nodded in response before trotting off with a delighted smile on her face. The others all stared at Frasier with smiles and smirks alike at their leader's most unusual, yet most welcomed, display of kindness.

"Well? Off with you lot! You'll be leaving first thing in the morning, so get some rest while you can," Frasier grumbled as he could tell all too well why were looking at him the way they were. He just knew he knew he didn't want them thinking he was getting too soft on them.

Later in the night

The young leader tossed and turned in his bed with his hands clutching the sheets. Sweat beaded down the side of his face as he was caught in the middle of a dream. His mind ran wild, flashing various images before eventually settling on snowy tundra.

A row of children even younger than Noah were lying prone on what appeared to be a firing range. Various mannequins dressed up to resemble either unarmed civilians or armed hostiles would skirt along the track. The ones resembling any hint of a threat were torn apart with immediate hellfire as a response; the hot chunks of lead peppering and shredding the dummies to pieces. The remains littered the surrounding snow on the range as the dream began to focus on the kids, each one wielding a fully automatic firearm.

Behind each child stood an imposing figure, their faces literally blank and devoid of any features. They simply stood in observation as the shooters before them would react as fast as they could to each new target. Casings bounced around the floor as the muzzle flashes flickered and danced around the barrels.

One in particular was so quick on the draw that there were gaps in time left while waiting for more targets to appear. Suddenly, a single civilian mannequin popped up on the range, leading to a quick and decisive cease fire from the young boy. He just watched intently, scoping out the details of the lone figure before him. A woman held what appeared to be a small child in both arms; nothing remotely threatening nor unusual about it.

However, the moment a clearly armed target shifted behind the civilian as if to use it as a human shield, an eruption of gunfire cut both figures down. The cadet had opened fired again, tearing both mannequins apart without any hesitation in the slightest. The overseer at first was taken aback by the ruthlessness of the child, only to then form a smile of approval.

"Very good, X-234. Are you ready for more?" the faceless figure asked softly, barely able to contain the pride behind those words as he marked off something on the list in his hand.

"Yes, sir! A good soldier is always willing to obey, sir," the young child announced after standing up and remaining stiff as a board while awaiting the next order to be issued.

As the two began to march away from the firing range, the entire view began to blur out until Frasier found himself slowly waking up to the bright sun glare in his eyes. Warm breath could be felt against his face only to be followed by a long wet tongue gently licking his left ear and cheek. He sat up only to be greeted by Zeke, who was quite eager to start the day. Naturally he ran his hands along the side of his temples to check if he was in the simulator or not. Just like countless times before, he wasn't; but it made him feel all the better knowing where he was instead of having to guess.

"Morning, pup. Did you miss me?" Frasier rhetorically asked as he began to show the little white dog some fuss by playfully scratching up and down his sides; chuckling a bit and recoiling his hand when Zeke became overly excited and attempted to nip at it.

He stumbled towards a nearby window to see the others were loading up into the SDF truck down below in the parking lot; watching with a strong feeling that he should be going with them as if expecting trouble. However, he knew they were well equipped and could hold their own, even if he'd never actually confess to such a thing were anyone ever to ask him.

He then turned his head in time to see the door to his room carefully being opened by Kiriko. The young woman immediately turned away as she covered the side of her face;realizing he might be in the middle of undressing.

"Sorry, I didn't know if you were up yet. I just wanted to make sure everything was alright. Normally you're up before all of us,so I thought I'd check up on you," Kiriko apologized as Frasier quickly pulled on a plain white shirt to cover himself, silently relieved that she missed his most recent injuries. A hint of concern in her voice however made him curious as to why she'd even care about him waking up later than usual.

"I'm fine. It's not me you should be concerned about though," Frasier reluctantly answered as he watched their truck slowly vanish off into the distance.

"And why is that?" Kiriko asked curiously as she stopped covering her eyes and turned back to face him with both arms crossed.

"Because," Frasier bluntly replied; kneeling down to tie his beat up sneakers.

"Because...?" Kiriko repeated in an inquisitive tone, uncertain what he was trying to suggest.

"Because I'm the strongest member of this group; I can stand on my own two feet and fight without the aid of others. Does that not sound like someone who is alright to you?" Frasier said in an irritated groan, clearly in no mood to be prodded.

"In a way: yes and no. I'm glad to see you're not hurt after what you did for this group, for my family; but there's more to worry about than your ability to fight," Kiriko answered, showing a deep sense of gratitude and concern for him.

"Nothing else matters. If I wasn't alright, I'd say something about it. Why can't everyone just let me be?" Frasier asked bitterly only to then turn his back to her, staring out into the dead city.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry and come off as nosy. What you did for us means more than you can possibly imagine, and I wanted to make sure you understood this well," Kiriko suddenly apologized as she realized he was even more stubborn than she thought; trying her best to avoid further antagonizing him as it was clear talking about his feelings and personal troubles only made him more distant. There was something he was clearly trying to hide, but that was for another day. He would only share whatever was on his mind when he was ready to talk about it on his own terms.

"If you need anything from us, anything at all; please don't hesitate to ask, alright?" Kiriko then offered out of gratitude before turning to leave him to himself.

"Wait! There actually is something you can help me with. I'm assuming you know how to bake, yes?" Frasier abruptly announced as he then showed a most odd curiosity Kiriko wasn't expecting in the slightest.

"Of course; it was one of my favorite things to do with Rei-chan when she was a little girl. Why do you ask?" the intrigued mother responded as she was now wondering what would spur such a question from Frasier Lawson of all people; let alone the change in his tone that would imply a genuine curiosity.

"Good. Then I have something you can help me with after all," Frasier said with a smile of relief before slowly walking out with her and down the hallway towards the kitchen; Kiriko smiling to herself as she had a good idea of what he was planning now.

Twenty minutes later

The transport truck slowly came to a halt before parking directly in front of the shopping mall. Saeko, Rika, and Kohta were the first ones out; taking a moment to check that the otherwise vacant parking lot was indeed secure. Rika then let out a low whistle to signal that everything was fine for the time being; watching as the rest of the group hopped out the back of the truck and headed towards the two large entrance doors.

"You guys think Isao-san is doing alright? It has been awhile," Takashi asked nervously as he noticed the doors were missing the chain that was wrapped around it last time.

"It's only been ten days since we last saw them," Shizuka said with clear optimism in her words; certain that any second now little Kenji would come running to see them the moment they set foot inside.

"Yeah, but the way things are now, ten days is plenty of time for things to go really bad really fast. Let's just stay alert and see if they're still holding up in that antique shop," Saeko pointed out as they were quickly reminded as everyone slowly brought their weapons back up just in case she was right.

Without Frasier to lead them, Rika naturally assumed command of the group, and the others didn't seem to have any problem with that given her background. She stood by watching as they all passed through the front doors; somewhat curious how this mall still had any power despite the EMP just two weeks ago.

"So who's supposed to be here again, Zu-Zu?" Rika asked curiously as she watched the others advance further in while her close friend stayed back.

"Just an old man and his grandson. They were very friendly, and we even traded for some of his medicine. Hopefully we can get something stronger this time around," Shizuka replied as she seemed quite eager to see them again.

"That so? Good to know it's not entirely desolate out here. I saw a lot of people I used to know on my way through the city. It's a goddamn shame how many we've already lost," Rika mumbled at first, only to catch the concern in Shizuka's eyes when she detected a more somber tone at the end.

"It's horrible; but with people like you, we can still save those left," Shizuka said with a hopeful smile that gave Rika some minor comfort before she managed to smile herself.

"Flatterer. So...I see we've got some real lookers in the group. Have you...?" Rika said with a sly smirk before her voice instantly lowered to that of a hushed whisper; the blonde nurse instantly leaning in out of curiosity.

"Have I what?" Shizuka asked curiously, as if she actually needed the sniper to spell it out for her.

"Oh, don't act so innocent! You're telling me you've been surviving with several cute guys and haven't taken ANY to the sheets yet?" Rika prodded as she made it quite clear what she was referring to. Shizuka's beautiful yellow eyes instantly flared with embarrassment the instant the last syllable left Rika's lips.

"Rika; they're my friends, silly! I couldn't do that! Not that the thought hasn't crossed my mind...no! Bad thoughts! Must focus on getting more medical supplies first," Shizuka whined as she began to linger on the lewd thoughts she'd been suppressing for days now; practically covering her ears as she tried to block out the mental images.

Rika on the other hand was simply chuckling at such a sight as she watched her best friend dart away to avoid further temptation; feeling certain that she'd come around to her senses sooner or later. She then turned around on her heels to check that nothing was following them into the mall; letting out a soft sigh of relief when met with an empty parking lot, only to then shut the doors behind her for good measure.

"You guys are back," Kenji's voice suddenly called back as his tennis shoes could be heard squeaking against the mall floor. The girls were already giggling at his adorable excitement of their return before watching him and Alice dash up to one another like old friends.

"Yeah, we thought to check up on you and make sure you were okay. Oh, we also need more stuff too! Is that okay with you?" Alice exclaimed as she explained their reason for coming back.

"Yeah, I don't mind. But, maybe you guys should ask my grandpa first. I don't wanna get in trouble for giving away something I shouldn't," Kenji replied as he nodded; realizing it wasn't exactly his decision to make. The others couldn't help but agree with his reasoning before following him up to the antique shop.

"Grandpa, look who came back," Kenji said as he walked into the shop with Alice at his side.

The others soon followed; all of them pleased to see that everything still seemed to be in order. There were no signs of trouble as far as any of them could tell. Isao could be seen sitting in that old relic of a chair he seemed so fond of. An inviting smile slowly but surely formed across his face as he began to rise from the chair; walking over to earnestly greet the young survivors.

"Ah, it's so good to see you kids again. I was starting to worry about one of my favorite groups of visitors," Isao greeted them enthusiastically as they all couldn't help but smile in slightly flustered embarrassment to be spoken of so highly.

"Aww, well we thought we'd stop by to check on you guys and see how you two are holding up," Shizuka announced with a rather touched sigh as she gave the elderly man a gentle hug that earned a gleeful chuckle out of him.

"Wait, did you just say 'one of', as in others have been here since our last visit?" Takashi suddenly questioned as he picked up on what Isao was saying.

"That's right. Most were young people such as yourselves. Then again, everyone I meet nowadays is younger than myself. Anyhow, all but one group had been friendly. We even have another group staying with us now," Isao answered as he began to pace back and forth as if looking for something now.

"So there are other survivors still kicking it? Interesting; where are they now?" Rika asked as she was quite pleased to hear that not all had been lost in Tokonosu City despite everything she'd seen; now quite curious as to where these new people might've been.

"There's a small group of what used to be government workers that are using the city hall as shelter. There was another handful that had outfitted a church several miles to the east, but they didn't seem too keen on taking more people in. Then I had a small group of survivors that seemed to be on their last wheel before they stumbled upon me. Luckily I was able help them recover, and for it they decided to stay behind to help me watch this place until things calm down," Isao continued as the group began to imagine what kind of people were living at those settlements, somewhat uncertain whether to be excited or concerned that there were more survivors in the neighborhood.

"And what about those troublemakers you mentioned?" Johann asked with a raised eyebrow, definitely more focused on what could have possibly been yet another threat their group needed to watch out for.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about them. They were just some punks who thought this old dog had no bite left in him. Thankfully that pistol you all traded me scared them off and they've been gone ever since," Isao said in an all too proud tone;somewhat feeling like he was in his prime again just thinking of that moment.

"That's intense. Well, at least you and Kenji-kun are still alive and well. I don't suppose you'd mind if we were to take some more things from the stores?" Takashi said with genuine relief in his voice, almost embarrassed that he had to be asking for permission like a small child to loot what never really belonged to Isao in the first place.

"Certainly. Be sure to say hello to the others out there. I told them not to worry about any of you. You're all good kids," Isao said, quickly followed by a simple nod before he hobbled back to his chair as if preparing to take a nap.

"Thank you, but why would they have any reason to be afraid of us?" Takashi gratefully thanked before prying on why Isao would tell the other groups not to worry about them.

"Uhh, have you looked in the mirror lately? We're armed to the teeth here. I'd be cautious as all hell if I saw us walking out on the road," Kohta suddenly brought up as everyone took a moment to self-evaluate their image, only to realize that they all had at least one deadly weapon per person save for Shizuka, Alice, and Miku.

"Geez, I guess we should really be more careful how we approach people from now on," Hitomi suggested as the others instantly nodded in agreement, now immensely glad they hadn't run into anyone who would've decided to take no chances as soon as they'd seen them.

"Agreed; now let's move out and get what we need. Same deal as last time, people," Marcus said before reminding everyone what they came here to do. They all slowly walked out of the antique shop, save for Noah who unexpectedly stayed behind.

"You guys go on without me. I need to talk to Isao-san about a few more things," Noah suddenly announced; the others moving on as Miku remained standing in the doorway, with Marcus hiding nearby to watch her as per Frasier's explicit instructions.

"Is everything alright, Noah-kun?" Miku asked concernedly as Noah was pretty much the only reason she'd come along on this run to begin with.

"Don't worry about me, angel. I'll be there in a moment. Go see what would look good on me," Noah said to help reassure Miku;shooting her a warm smile that gave her some comfort in spite of his otherwise unusual behavior.

"So everything then?" Miku playfully teased as Noah chuckled slightly; watching her blow him a kiss before strolling away to look for clothes.

"What seems to be the problem, young man? I hope everything is alright," Isao asked curiously as he looked across at Noah who was now sitting before him on the floor while the elderly man just managed to sit down.

"I felt I should warn you about a group we've recently come across. They're holing up in Fujimi Academy at the top of the hill to the South, and they're being led by a former high school teacher known as Koichi Shido. They usually stay behind their own walls, but they have sent their people out on runs into the city as well; searching for supplies and potential new members. If you were to run into them, I need to warn you: at first they will seem perfectly normal; friendly even, but do NOT let your guard down for an instant. Those people are ruthless, and they WILL kill you without a second thought if it means getting what they want. Anyone who doesn't play by their rules…well, I guess it goes without saying what happens to them. Whatever you do, don't trust those fanatics, because they will do anything their leader asks of them without question; and I do mean ANYTHING," Noah explained as Isao seemed understandably worried by this; shaking his head as he began to pinch the bridge of his nose with both eyes clenched shut.

"I see...this is troubling news, but it's also good to know. Perhaps I should have that front door secured again so only people we know may come in. Thank you, young man. It does my old heart wonders to know there are good kids such as yourself still around. For the good you and your friends have done for us, please help yourself to anything here you need," Isao sighed with deep remorse in that low huff, showing his gratitude to the young Brit as he was quickly able to smile from the comfort that someone was still looking out for an old man himself.

"Well...there was one other thing I wanted to ask you. I…um…well, I don't suppose this place would have...how do I put this…protection? For…well, you know...?" Noah began to ask, nervously trying to find the right words, only for Isao to begin to laugh at the young man's childish nervousness.

"I certainly do young man; all too well. Take as many as you need. It's not like I'll ever need them again," Isao said with great amusement as Noah's face instantly brightened up to know there were indeed condoms available like he'd silently been hoping.

"T-thank you, Isao-san! You're a bloody miracle," Noah said in a flustered stammer before darting off to gather several boxes of condoms for potential use later tonight alone.

"Ahh, young people...some things never change," Isao sighed nostalgically with the past now in mind; deeply reminiscing on his youth before resting his eyes peacefully.

Meanwhile, Rei and Johann were busy watching Alice as she and Kenji were running around the toy store; trying to find something the little girl would want as a birthday present. It was an all too welcome sight for then to see Alice acting like a little kid still. What she'd seen would break just about anyone, let alone a little girl. Yet somehow, she could still smile and laugh like nothing in the world had changed.

The two teenagers remained silent while watching the children innocently play with each other. From the day they'd first met, Johann could tell just how truly precious Alice was to her group, and she's almost instantly managed to work her way into the hearts of his group as well. It was almost like an unnatural talent for endearment the little girl had. Yet even in spite of how optimistic and innocent she was, he knew it was impossible for her not to have lost anyone along the way. It was one tidbit he couldn't bring himself to ignore.

"So, I'm sorry if this is too sudden, but…what happened to her parents, if I may ask?" Johann suddenly asked Rei, who seemed caught off guard; not expecting that question above all others in the slightest.

"From what she managed to tell us, her father was killed by another survivor who was too scared to let other people hide in their house; and as for her mother…we have absolutely no idea. We've kind of been avoiding that subject with Alice, considering the likelihood of her mom still being alive," Rei responded with great reluctance as she was speaking in a low whisper to keep Alice from hearing a single peep about it.

"Are you sure? I mean, your father survived in spite of the odds. Maybe we can look for Alice's mother when things calm down. Heck, she could still be looking for her little girl as we speak," Johann asked, somewhat shocked by what little hope Rei seemed to be showing in terms of Alice's mother having survived.

"I guess you're right. I really shouldn't be so dismissive;considering all that happened with my dad. Speaking of, I actually wanted to talk to you about that," Rei said as she realized how she shouldn't be so quick to give up on Alice like that; especially after fighting tooth and nail herself to believe her father was still alive even when all hope legitimately seemed lost.

"What's there to talk about? You needed help, he needed help, we got a new ally and crippled that Shido guys' little cult. What else is there to still talk about?" Johann asked as he couldn't even guess what more needed to be said; not even noticing the deeply affectionate look Rei was giving him that would've said it all. He then felt her head suddenly leaning against his shoulder.

"I just wanted to say 'thank you' again, and that what you've done for my family is more than anyone has ever done for me before. I was kind of hoping I could personally thank you and the others with a special dish, but you especially. Maybe you'd like to join me for a private dinner sometime? Just the two of us, a warm meal, maybe some wine if you're up for it of course," Rei said softly while Johann was looking quite ecstatic by the sound of all that. He gently tilted his head against hers for a moment; causing her to slightly blush before he turned to answer her.

"I think I'd like that very much, Rei. But you don't need to keep thanking me for what I did. How could I not after all you've helped me through?" Johann gladly accepted before making it clear she really didn't owe him anything.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked as she looked up at him with those big reddish-brown eyes filled with curiosity.

"Well, you saw how bad it was when I lost…Toshimi. Had you and Frasier not showed up when you did, I wouldn't have been able to handle it. Without her, I was lost and plummeting into this cold dark mental abyss, but you pulled me out and made sure I didn't fall back in," Johann explained; his voice slightly cracking as he felt his heart wrench once more thinking about Toshimi and how dead inside he'd felt after that god-forsaken night.

"I...well, someone had to. I couldn't just stand by and watch you suffer," Rei said as she glanced down a bit; hating those all too recent memories of Johann fighting himself and looking like such a miserable broken shell of his former self.

"And someone had to save your dad," Johann suddenly replied; causing Rei to pop her head back up, realizing he was going to be humble through and through about his heroic deed no matter how she tried to express her gratitude to him.

"Are you going to have a response to everything I can say?" Rei asked as she wrinkled her nose slightly; giving Johann a somewhat playful look as he couldn't help but shoot her a somewhat cheeky smirk in response.

"Maybe. I guess we'll just have to keep talking to find out," Johann said as Rei's lips curved into a pleased smile; feeling more than okay with that.

Both of them went back and forth while Alice and Kenji opened up a packaged set of scooters and began to race down the aisles; their laughter filling the air as they continued to search for more things to play with.

"So how come you never play with this stuff?" Alice suddenly asked out of curiosity as they both stepped on the brakes to their respective scooters.

"I'm usually helping my grandpa. Besides, he'd make me clean this place up if I started opening all of these toys," Kenji replied as he usually disliked the idea of cleaning up after himself, though his respect for his grandfather easily overrode that childish feeling.

"Oh. So, do you think I would have to pay for these if I took any? My daddy always told me it's important I never take anything from a store without paying for it first," Alice said somewhat dismissively before the random thought of her potentially stealing these toys by unboxing them came to mind; pausing shortly after to remember those days where she'd be patiently standing in line with her parents whenever they took her shopping. A more regretful expression took her over as she wished she'd never brought it up in the first place.

"I never thought of it like that before. I know last time you guys gave my grandpa that cool looking gun for medicine. I wouldn't worry about it. It is your birthday after all," Kenji pointed out,only for Alice to be looking even more distant now.

"Hey...are you alright?" Kenji suddenly asked concernedly as he lightly tapped Alice's shoulder; watching as she quickly snapped back to reality and looked at him in slight puzzlement.

"Y-yeah, I was just thinking about something," Alice said somewhat distantly as she then put on a false smile to convince Kenji she was okay.

"If you say so. Wanna race again?" Kenji said before he was immediately eager to continue their little game.

"Sure," Alice sighed before they took off past Johann and Rei,who almost lost track of the two little speedsters; lightly jogging after them as the two kids took great amusement in trying to stay ahead.

Meanwhile, Shizuka and Marcus were hard at work perusing through the numerous aisles of the pharmacy. Half of this stuff Marcus couldn't even hope to pronounce, and yet if the beaming smile on Shizuka's face was any indication, God had decided to stop pissing on them for once and give them a break and give them the meds they needed.

Either way, he was just glad Noah had already cleared out of here by the time they'd shown up. He of course had noticed almost immediately how the entire rack of condoms was nearly emptied entirely, and there was no way he was even going to consider Isao and Kenji having any use for them; and considering the rush Noah was in by the time they arrived, it was the only explanation that made any sense. He still had to resist the urge to bust a gut laughing at what a little horndog Noah had quickly proven to be since they'd brought Miku along; especially if he was actually considering going through half of what must've been here in one night.

However, he too couldn't resist the temptation of the very last box sitting there; especially considering not only his still burning feelings for Hitomi, but also the fact he was alone here with Shizuka too. Making sure nobody was looking; he quickly pocketed the last box for himself.

"Is this what I think it is?!" Hitomi's voice suddenly called out more than loud enough to catch their attention from the next store over.

Curious what discovery she'd made, Marcus and Shizuka quickly darted over to see what was going on; watching as Noah came out of another store; having been drawn to the shouting as well.

"What's all the fuss about?" Noah asked, concerned as to what could get someone as even-tempered and calm as Hitomi to start shouting for all to hear.

"I found a copy of 'I Give My First Love to You'! Just sitting here for anyone to find," Hitomi exclaimed without any shred of embarrassment or shame for practically screaming like a prepubescent schoolgirl over her discovery.

"Oh, I loved that movie when it came out! I know what we're going to be doing later tonight," Shizuka said in an equally excited squeal as they both were practically bouncing with excitement.

"What in blazes are you two going on about?" Marcus asked; looking at them like they'd both lost their bloody minds for a second.

"What my brother is trying to ask is: what is this movie about? 'Trying' being the operative word," Noah added in a more tactful manner as both women managed to calm down long enough to draw a breath and answer his question.

"It's a romance where a young man has a heart condition that makes living past his twenties nigh impossible. He becomes close friends with the daughter of one of the doctors; promising to marry her when they grow up together, yet he's completely unaware of his chances of lasting that long. Eventually, he finds out his time is shorter than expected, so he tries to distance himself from her in order to protect her. Isn't that just adorable and precious?!" Shizuka began to explain as Noah couldn't help but agree with a nod whilst Marcus could only feign any interest in such a movie.

"Yeah, why not?" Marcus said with little to no interest; however, they didn't seem to catch onto it. They simply smiled as if he actually was suggesting he was interested.

"So does that mean you two will watch it with us? We can get the others in on this too," Hitomi asked eagerly, already suggesting that they include the rest of the group before giving them a chance to answer.

"Oh...umm, sure? Not like we have anything better to do anyway," Marcus hesitantly agreed. Hitomi and Shizuka were both far too excited to see it though as they simply smiled and began to look over their newly prized possession.

"Women," Marcus mumbled as he and Noah walked out to go see what progress the others had been making; shaking his head as he couldn't believe he'd just agreed to sit through a romance movie.

"Oh, don't be so sour! It actually sounds like fun," Noah suggested optimistically while his elder sibling just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, maybe if you've got the choice between that or sitting on your hands with nothing better to do. Oh, wait..." Marcus sarcastically retorted before Noah lightly slugged him in the shoulder out of disapproval; earning an amused chuckle from his older brother as he knew he'd won.

"Oh fine, I'll watch the silly little movie with them. Will that make baby Noah happy?" Marcus asked mockingly as Noah let out an involuntary groan of aggravation.

"Stulte, quid dicit?" (Idiot, says what?) Noah suddenly said in Latin, a language Marcus had yet to learn; earning a look of utter bewilderment from his brother.

"Err, what?" Marcus asked as he had absolutely no clue what Noah just said to him; feeling a flare of annoyance when his little brother just grinned and turned his back to him.

"Exactly," Noah confidently taunted before walking away with both hands in his pockets.

"Wait, what?! Noah! Hey! Get back here," Marcus said, sounding even more confused than before as he then took off; desperate to know what Noah said. His younger brother suddenly took off running away laughing as he quickly gave chase.

Meanwhile, Takashi and Saeko stood before an outlet that would've been selling various furniture at what was claimed to be the best deals around.

"It looks like one of the people in Isao-san's group is in there. Think I should go say something?" Takashi suggested as he glanced over to Saeko whom simply nodded in response. However, a sullen look on her face made it very clear her mind was elsewhere right now.

"You're awfully quiet this morning. You hardly said a thing on the ride over. Is something the matter?" Takashi asked concernedly as he lightly nudged her shoulder.

"I've been thinking, about…you know..." Saeko finally spoke up, very hesitant to finish now.

"About what? Sex?" Takashi blatantly suggested as her face lit up red at the thought. The teenage boy couldn't help but form a sly grin at such a flustered reaction.

"No! I mean, yes, I have thought about that too...but what I'm more concerned about was what I told you in that temple. Do you remember what I said that night?" Saeko confessed, a tone of fear and sadness overcoming her otherwise confident and calm demeanor.

"You mean...about your darker side?" Takashi managed to put together after several moments of thinking, a somewhat disturbed look now forming across his face.

"Y-Yes, I want to believe I can control it…but, what if I can't? What if I hurt someone I care about because I'm not able to hold back those urges?" Saeko asked; her confidence slowly wavering and giving way to fear, almost as if she were losing all hope by the second the more she dwelled on it.

"It won't come to that," Takashi argued as he simply couldn't see her ever losing herself to such a madness.

"And if you're wrong?! What if I really AM unable to control it?! What then?! I feel I should tell the others so they'll at least be aware of the potential danger I might be to them. It's been eating away at me for days now," Saeko asked impatiently;almost sounding desperate given the way she lashed out. She then felt both his hands lightly holding onto her shoulders;staring at her intently.

"They wouldn't understand! You're much stronger than you think, Saeko-chan. I just can't believe you'd ever attack any of us! Besides, can't you just, you know…take it out on the dead?" Takashi attempted to reprimand, uncertain what to say aside from what he felt deep down; making his opinion quite clear that this was to remain a secret for now.

"Yeah...I guess you're right...sorry for bringing it up. It won't happen again, my love," Saeko somberly replied as she look away; hoping deep down he was right; almost ashamed that he had to see her like this, so powerless.

"Don't worry; I'm here for you, alright? I'll catch up with you later. I'm gonna go meet this group now," Takashi said to remind her that she wasn't alone at all in this personal dilemma. Saeko formed a weak smile as she tried to be optimistic for him.

"Of course; see you around," Saeko gently responded as she bowed her head, her faint smile lost when she turned away and marched off.

Takashi entered the furniture store to see just one man sitting alone with a cigarette in hand. He took a long inhale before blowing it away when he noticed the new young man approaching him. This man who looked to be either in his late twenties or early thirties had a buzzed haircut, two weary brown eyes that seemed heavy from several sleepless nights, yet a warm and inviting smile that made it clear he was friendly.

"How's it going? Sorry about that, didn't exactly expect anyone to drop in today," the young man replied as he dropped his cigarette before quickly crushing it beneath his work boots; waving his hand back and forth to disperse the smoke that lingered around him.

"The name is Murakami Sho. Former engineer and mechanic if that even matters anymore," the man in denim overalls then said as he introduced himself; remaining seated as he looked up at the somewhat silent Takashi.

"Komuro Takashi. Uh, former student I guess?" Takashi awkwardly replied as he wasn't sure how to answer this new stranger.

"Right, that's the name. You're that kid the old timer you're leading a group of survivors around your age if I'm not mistaken," Sho said in remembrance as he pointed a finger at him with a warm smile, as if he was impressed by what he'd been told by Isao.

"I am, well, was...it's complicated. So how did you and your group survive? Just how many of you were there?" Takashi acknowledged before realizing he wasn't exactly taking the wheel of command at this point; quickly changing the subject as he was rather inclined to hear about how Sho's group managed to survive for this long.

"My crew and I were putting on the finishing touches to ensure this place would be fully operational for the opening weekend. We were mostly working the power grids to check for crap like consumption rates, electronic sensors, optimal performances, and emergency functions. You name it and we were most likely testing something for it. It was just another day on the job for us.

"It all started rather ominously when one of our guys didn't return when we sent him out to get us our coffee. We figured the kid was lost in traffic or something, so we thought nothing of it at the time. We all planned to give him hell for it when he got back. Just when one of us was about to dial up the new guy to find out where the hell he was, we get a call from one of the worker's wives. Apparently she was panicking, and it all started going to shit when almost all of our phones began to ring, one by one. It was the same story every time; warning us that we were now in a state of emergency.

"Luckily, they had installed an emergency shelter underneath this place for times of extreme crisis. Although I doubt they had a zombie outbreak in mind when deciding to put it there; but then again, I can't exactly complain either when it kept us all from being eaten. There were about thirty of us when I first closed those doors. Twenty left in search of their families within the first hour. I guess they couldn't stand being cooped up in that small room any longer. They're all probably dead by now..." Sho explained as he spoke in a way that made it seem like it had happened just the other day, emotionally devastated the more he dwelled on the horrific events.

"And the other ten?" Takashi asked reluctantly while Sho just shook his head as if wanting to forget what had happened afterwards.

"You've got me, Masa, Kenta, Hideki, and our supervisor, Megumi. The other five tried to go outside to see if things had calmed down just a few days later, to see if there was any help out there. They eventually came back, but...not as themselves if you know what I mean," Sho answered, having to visibly pause when he recalled the horrific creatures that returned in place of his colleagues and friends; running a gloved hand through his hair before letting out a deep sigh of regret.

"Seems like the same thing everywhere we go. I'm sorry for your losses," Takashi lamented as he had several flashbacks to those they'd lost along the way of their struggle for survival; falling silent for a while as he couldn't help but recall Hisashi's dying face, and how his last words were begging him to finish him off before he'd turned into one of 'Them'.

"Don't be sorry, kid. It's not like you could've done anything to help prevent it. Shit happens," Sho grumbled as if he wasn't in the mood to be taking sympathy from a teenager.

"I shouldn't be so brash. I'm still just trying to wrap my head around all of this," Sho immediately followed up with regret hanging in his words when he watched Takashi recoil slightly from the sudden mood swing.

"It's fine. We all lost someone that day," Takashi said dismissively as he completely understood where Sho was coming from; taking a moment to look over at the rest of his group wandering around the mall; wondering how they coped with their own losses overtime. He then looked back to see Sho rising up only to soon be standing at his side.

"It's a rougher world than it used to be, that's for damn sure. Surely you guys have a working plan if you've lasted this long. Or is this the part where you tell me it was simply dumb luck that got you this far?" Sho asked as he then began watch Kenji and Alice running around below them; slightly smiling as it was a personal relief to himself to see that boy being happy and able to play with someone that was his own age.

"Eh, a little bit of both if I'm being completely honest. Luckily, we learned to work as a team early on and have been handling whatever comes our way so far. Although…I'd be lying if I said we didn't lose anyone along the way," Takashi confessed as he couldn't help but feel that they happened to survive simply for being in the right place at the right time.

"I see...so what do you plan to do now? That hotel is all well and good, but surely you'll run out of food at some point," Sho brought up as he was curious what Takashi and his group had planned for the more-than uncertain future.

"Well, this is something I wanted to let you and your group in on. There's still a steady military force operating offshore, and they intend to retake Tokyo and hopefully establish some kind of quarantine zone; saving anyone who can make it there," Takashi brought up; watching Sho fall dead silent as he was visibly taken aback buy such unexpected news.

"Holy shit. Like, fuck me; that is the best news I've heard all week. Well, it's the only news I've heard, but that's beside the point! How in the world did you find out about this?" Sho began to ramble; completely shifting moods as he spoke with a resolved sense of hope.

"We have someone that was meant to be a part of the operation in our group. She came back for her best friend, and she only told us about it earlier today. It's why we came back here to resupply for the trip. Figured I'd spread the word, save anyone out there while there's still time," Takashi answered as Sho stood up; pacing back and forth as he knew his own group wouldn't be able to travel such a distance on their own.

"This seems like enough reason to get out of the city, but my group can't fight. Not against those monsters. I don't suppose you guys have some extra room?" Sho acknowledged before hesitantly asking if he could potentially merge their groups together.

"I don't know if the guy in charge of my group really wants more people to deal with. He's kinda paranoid, and for good reason too. What exactly can you guys offer us?" Takashi brought up; knowing Frasier wouldn't want a surprise like this dropped on him at times like this.

"Well, that kinda depends on what you need," Sho said as he was hoping deep down there was something Takashi's group needed that they could provide.

"I think we're covered for just about everything. Although...you said you're a mechanic, right? Maybe you can tune up our vehicle or something for such a long trip?" Takashi then asked, recalling what Sho said before bringing up the possibility of altering their vehicle.

"I'll do you one better! I'll tune up and outfit your truck for whatever you might encounter. Maybe I can even add a cow sled to push any obstacles aside, like a miniature tank or something," Sho offered as his face lit up, a mix between desperation and hope in his expression, yet he seemed confident that would be enough to convince Takashi to consider an alliance.

"Yeah, I like it! It's hard to argue against something like that, but I can't promise you anything. I'll run it by our leader and we'll see where it goes from there. Deal?" Takashi said excitedly, well aware though that this was not his decision to fully make; at least not anymore.

"Deal. It'll really feel good to stop moping around and have something I can be useful at again," Sho agreed with great enthusiasm as he got up and practically dashed off to inform the rest of his group, wherever they were, about the good news.

"Alright. Well, I guess I'll be seeing you around then. Take care," Takashi said, soon mumbling to himself as Sho was gone within seconds.

Minutes later

After meeting the melancholy mechanic known as Sho, Takashi rejoined with Saeko, Saya, and Kohta. All of them calmly strolled into the clothing departments, seeing that the place appeared to have remained untouched since their last visit; save for a few missing pairs of clothes some of the mannequins were originally wearing, now left naked and abandoned on their sides.

"Make sure to pick up those thick, reinforced socks while we're in here. I'm noticing tears and rips in the ones we have after all the walking we've been doing. Last thing we need are blisters and sores because we didn't properly prepare," Saeko advised as Kohta and Takashi nodded in acknowledgment before tossing several bundles of what looked like hiking socks into their cart.

"Think we'll need better shoes as well? Mine are starting to wear out," Saya brought up as she looked down at her own two feet.

The white sneakers showed their age right away as the stitching seemed to be slowly but surely falling apart. This prompted the others, aside from Saeko whom wore sturdy combat boots, to take a moment to see their own footwear was also in dire need of replacement.

"I don't see why not. It's not like a few pairs will be missed anyway if things ever go back to normal," Takashi answered as he looked over to see an entire wall dedicated to displaying some of the shoes the back room and nearby shelves had on offer.

"That's a big 'if'," Saya muttered in a pessimistic sigh as they began to split up to search the vacant clothing outlet.

"How do these look?" Takashi suddenly asked as he pulled up a pair of shoes that looked exactly like the ones he was wearing now, albeit they were much better condition.

"They look exactly the same as the ones you're wearing now," Saeko said with a puzzled look as she was uncertain what was so special about them.

"Exactly, I like these ones a lot. Simple, yet comfy. Why? Think I should go with something new?" Takashi answered before curiously asking upon her reaction.

"I guess so...it's your call, but I think you should pick boots over shoes. Notice how mine are still holding up with little to no damage?" Saeko suggested before lifting a foot up onto the nearby bench to make her point. Takashi however, just ended up staring at her well-toned leg with a stunned look.

"Uhh...right. I see what you mean," Takashi answered with a soft blush before walking over to observe the work boots.

Each one looked far more reinforced and sturdy than any of the running shoes the place had on offer. He then noticed they also seemed significantly heavier and bulkier in comparison. Without the proper training, it was unlikely for him to move quietly in them. However, he knew Saeko would want him to at least try some on before they left, so he grabbed a size off a shelf and proceeded to try them on to see if any would work for him.

Meanwhile, Kohta was busy looking through the assortments of sneakers in his size. As much as he was always for efficiency, he always hated wearing boots; they never worked for his feet, so this was the best he could hope for. He was so focused in fact, he didn't even notice when Saya approached him while his back was turned.

"Hey, I can't find this shoe in my size out here. Think you can help me look for it in the back?" Saya asked; nearly causing poor Kohta to jump since she'd been so quiet when approaching.

"I'll try, but why are you asking me?" Kohta asked nervously; earning a quick scowl from the pink haired girl instantly.

"Why does it matter? Are you going to help me or are you going to just stand there with that stupid look on your face? Now c'mon," Saya practically hissed as she had to refrain from raising her voice, both to keep true to her word from earlier as well as avoid the others overhearing them.

"I guess so...let's go see what we can dig up," Kohta sighed as he knew arguing with her would only result in a premature death from her pent up wrath; following Saya into the storage area with the safety turned off just in case there were any unexpected guests lingering inside.

Just as the door closed behind him, Kohta suddenly felt his shoulders being pulled on before his back was up against one of the many storage racks. Before he could even react, the young man instantly felt a pair of warm, soft lips being pressed up against his.

Naturally his eyes went as wide as dinner plates, but after the first few seconds when it finally registered what was really happening, he closed his eyes; dropping his guard as this was the moment he'd been so desperately waiting for. Saya Takagi, perhaps the most aggressive and moodiest girl in his entire school, was finally opening up to him in a way he'd never once expected to see out of her. He eagerly embraced the moment even further by carefully holding her waist as the kiss only deepened. Blissful warmth erupted from his body as all those years of being picked on actually seemed worth it in comparison to experiencing a moment such as this.

Saya then suddenly pulled back as she could see Kohta was left utterly dazed by all of this; chuckling confidently as his lips were still puckered despite her backing up. He slowly opened a single eye to see she was now out of breath and looking at him as if expecting something else.

"W-Well?" Saya asked between her gasps for air, almost as if that simple kiss had completely taken the wind out of her.

"Umm...well what?" Kohta whispered as he had no idea what she was asking of him now.

"How was that kiss?! Was it not the best thing you've ever experienced in your short, mediocre existence?!" Saya growled as she was actually trying to get a rating on how well she did for a first kiss. Irritation naturally hung from her words, her whole face red with embarrassment that she had to actually explain herself.

"Oh! Well I can't compare you to anyone...but I'd say that was one of the best things a guy like me could ever ask for! I think I can die a happy man now," Kohta replied in a nervous fluster;trying to find the right words to explain his reaction to the best sensation he could've ever asked for.

Saya simple grinned with satisfaction from that answer before lightly grasping the collar of his tactical vest; pulling the chubby marksman closer as their eyes met on the same level.

"Don't think about dying anytime soon. I'll need someone to practice this with, get better, and eventually move onto the more adult stuff. Got it?" Saya said in a voice that seemed so confident and imposing it left him absolutely baffled; like she was an entirely different person now, and he loved every second of it.

Kohta's face practically turned scarlet as it looked like steam was about to blow out from both ears after hearing her talk to him like that, let alone the imagery that was now flowing into his young adolescent mind; nearly dropping to his knees as Saya had to practically keep him up before adjusting her glasses. A smug look of satisfaction painted her face before she motioned him to follow her deeper into the storage area.

"Okay, focus! I still want those shoes before you can even think about doing that again," Saya announced as Kohta stood upright, now more than ready to help look for those shoes.

"Yes, ma'am," Kohta responded all too eagerly, making it near impossible for Saya to not chuckle at his intense enthusiasm. She now felt a newfound sense of security and confidence within herself after being able to finally open up to someone the way she did. Even if it was perhaps the last person she would've ever expected it to be with on the planet prior to the end of the world.

Meanwhile, Marcus eventually gave up on his chase for Noah;turning his head to see Takashi and Saeko in the shoe store together, both of them laughing and smiling with each other. Something about that moment made him feel uneasy in his gut; just knowing that despite how many times Frasier had denied it, he was hurting because of it. A part of the middle Lawson brother felt like something needed to be said before it was too late; before the pain would've driven Frasier into madness trying to fight those pent up feelings for the sake of the group.

Marcus took a deep breath as he approached Saeko when Takashi walked off for whatever reason; knowing he had to say something now while neither Frasier nor Takashi were there to interfere. The young swordswoman glanced up as she noticed him approaching her.

"Are you alright, Marcus-kun? What's with that serious look?" Saeko calmly asked as she was curious what it was about Marcus that made him seem more serious than she'd ever seen him before.

"It's about my brother," Marcus said in an almost ominous tone as he was clueless how he'd be able to tell Saeko without Frasier knowing it was him who confessed his most personal feelings for him.

"Which one?" Saeko then asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Which one do you think I'm going on about?!" Marcus replied in a snippy tone out of sheer annoyance, as if he felt she was just being coy at this point; still mad that his older brother was hurting and she didn't even know it.

"What? You have two of them, so be more specific," Saeko practically growled as she remained calm and watched how Marcus seemed to realize how vague his words were.

"Oh...that's right. Sorry, it's just that-" Marcus said in sudden realization before apologizing for his rudeness before attempting to explain what it was that seemed so important; swiftly interrupted when several boxes suddenly fell out of a nearby rack.

"Oops..." Alice's voice whispered as both she and Kenji could clearly be seen watching the two teens, as if they were spying on them.

"Sorry about that. These two had decided it would be funny to run off without us," Rei's voice suddenly announced as she and Johann rushed over to join them.

"Yeah, they're actually faster than I gave them credit for. Oh, you're looking at the shoes. You guys find anything good?" Johann added; taking a moment to catch his breath before changing the topic when he noticed one of the carts had been filled with thick socks.

"Komuro-kun is looking over at the boots as we speak. Takagi-san and Hirano-san on the other hand seemed to have disappeared into the back, for what reason I can't rightly say. It's probably best you guys start browsing yourselves before we leave," Saeko answered, taking a moment to overlook their tattered excuses of footwear before suggesting they do the same.

"Good idea. I'll take almost any reason to get a new pair of shoes. Oh! We can also help Alice-chan pick something for her birthday," Rei said as she couldn't help but agree with Saeko, her voice suddenly booming with excitement as she pulled the group's samurai to go along with her.

Saeko took a moment to look back at Marcus, who had a look of genuine disappointment before he just walked away; fully aware that whatever chance he had to tell her in secrecy had just gone out the window. A feeling of curiosity ran through her before she looked back to Rei; knowing that she'd have to bring this up another time when she could find a chance alone with Marcus without any interruptions or eavesdroppers to interfere.

"Hey! What's with that look?" Noah asked concernedly; completely forgetting that he was being chased just a few moments ago when he saw his brother looking the way he did.

"Charley Horse," Marcus muttered as Noah leaned in to listen; not realizing it was a trap before it was too late.

"Charley wha-?" Noah began to repeat as he suddenly toppled over when Marcus sucker punched him in the inner thigh, causing him to tumble over immediately out of pain and surprise.

"You dick," Noah groaned as he squirmed a bit before eventually standing back up; realizing it could've been much worse had Marcus aimed just a bit higher.

"What else is new?" Marcus asked sarcastically; feeling a little better that he was able to get back at Noah.

All the while as everyone else was still searching through new shoes, Johann was keeping to himself; arms crossed and his brow furrowed as he was deep in thought about something that had been greatly concerning him for the last few days he hadn't dared share with anyone else. However, once he saw Shizuka was essentially alone, and remembering her previous offer for listening to everyone's worries, he figured this would be his best chance to at least get this newest weight off his shoulders.

"Oh, it's you, Johann-kun. How can I help you?" Shizuka asked as if she was expecting someone else to be there when she heard footsteps approaching her. However, she seemed more than okay with talking to him about whatever it was he came for.

"Well, I remembered what you said about…well, us coming to you if we had something we wanted to get off our chests. I just wanted to talk about how I've been feeling. See, there's been something on my mind lately I can't shake off," Johann began to explain with great difficulty, something was weighing very heavily on his conscience.

"Sit down, sit down, sweetie. Let's talk about it," Shizuka said enthusiastically; patting the space on the bench beside her. Johann slowly slumped over into place, his elbows resting on his knees as he was now hunched over.

"So what seems to be the problem? How does your hand feel? Has it been giving you any pain lately?" Shizuka asked concernedly as one of her hands began to gently rub his back to show some motherly support she'd become so well known for.

"My injury is the least of my concerns right now..." Johann began to express; his voice now very low as he looked at the severed stubs on his crippled hand before setting it down and staring at the floor deep in thought over something much worse.

"You're still feeling guilt over what happened to Toshimi-chan?" Shizuka guessed as there was no way the young German man could've possibly gotten over that loss so soon. Nobody would've been able to.

"No. I've come to terms with what happened. I did everything I could to find and save her. I've accepted that she's gone forever and there's nothing I can do to change that. The best I can do now is live with it and make sure it never happens to anyone else," Johann said as he shook his head. By this point, even Shizuka couldn't guess what could've been eating away at him so badly then.

"What bothers me so much is the fact I'm actually feeling happy nowadays," Johann suddenly confessed as he then looked at the concerned nurse with a despairing look of his own.

"I know, it must sound so ridiculous to you...but it hasn't evenbeen a month since she died, yet here I am feeling happy and relieved. It just feels so wrong. I shouldn't be feeling such things; not so soon anyway," Johann attempted to explain, not having the faintest idea himself as to why he felt this way.

"Johann-kun...I know it seems wrong to feel anything but misery after what happened, but you can't go back to those feelings. We almost lost you the first time, remember?" Shizuka attempted to explain reassuringly; looking at him before letting out a remorseful sigh when his hands balled up into fists.

"But I can't feel happy either! It just feels so wrong! Like I'm betraying her memory by getting over it so fast..." Johann said with frustration, clearly angry with himself as he clenched both eyes shut to avoid her from seeing any tears he felt forming up.

"So what do you want? To feel sad and dejected until a certain amount of time has passed? Everyone handles grief in their own way, honey. You gave her a burial, you endured a sorrow many wouldn't come back from, and you chose to fight on. You've paid your dues," Shizuka explained in a calm manner before hugging him tight to show him some much needed affection.

"I almost gave up. I wanted to give up so badly. I wasn't that strong," Johann admitted; remembering clearly how close he came to ending his own life just before Rei had stopped him out in that forest.

"I know that, but you didn't in the end. You had friends who cared about you, who were strong for you when you needed them most. We can't be strong all the time, so we help one another when we're feeling weak," Shizuka explained as Johann bowed his head; trying to take in that point the best he could.

"Yeah...that's true, and I'm grateful to have such good friends such as you, Rei and everyone else. Shizuka-sensei…do you REALLY think it's okay for me to be feeling like this despite what happened?" Johann hesitantly agreed before finally asking Shizuka's final opinion.

"Absolutely. It might not make much sense, but this is what your girlfriend wanted. She wanted you to be happy and alive. That's all that mattered to her despite what happened in the end. Wouldn't you want her to be happy sooner rather than later had you been the one to die?" Shizuka answered bluntly as Johann was completely blown away by such a thought.

"I...yeah...I WOULD want her to be happy. It's all that matters to me. Damn, I wish I talked to you sooner. I think this is actually helping," Johann said, still partially stunned when he realized Toshimi would want nothing more than for him to push on with a smile rather than barely live with such misery.

"Well of course it works. Talking to someone can make all the difference in times like these. Is there anything else on your mind? You should know that you can tell me anything that's troubling you," Shizuka said in her normal bubbly tone as she watched him crack a smile of relief.

"Umm...I guess there is one thing I've been curious about. Do you think it's wrong of me...to...well...?" Johann attempted to answer only to begin hesitating the more he tried to speak up.

"Sweetie, it's alright. Just say it," Shizuka said as she gently began to rub his back again for comfort and support.

"Would you consider it wrong of me to be finding myself attracted to someone? Specifically someone our group?" Johann finally asked in a rush before he fell deathly silent when Shizuka's big yellow eyes just stared blankly at him before she let out an excited squeal.

"Aww, you have a little crush! That's so cute! Who is it? It's not me, is it? Is it me? Come on, tell me," Shizuka began to ask as she immediately barraged Johann with questions that didn't help nearly as much.

"Shh! Not so loud! Someone might hear you," Johann hissed in embarrassment as he covered Shizuka's mouth before she could continue her otherwise playful rant; watching her nod her head before slowly moving his hands away.

"*Ahem* Yes, I think its good you're still able to feel in such ways. It just means you're all the more alive like the rest of us; able to make connections instead of withdrawing," Shizuka then answered in a far more calm and professional manner. However, she still gave him an excited look as she seemed to find it charming that he had feelings for some lucky girl.

"I suppose you're right; t-thank you, Shizuka-sensei. I'm glad I was able to get that off my chest," Johann sighed as he gave her a respectful nod out of gratitude for her guidance.

"Well if you need any more help getting ANYTHING off your chest, you know who to come to," Shizuka said in an all too playful or even seductive manner that had Johann blushing from embarrassment. However, he remained cool and shot her a warm smile before leaving to check on the progress of the others while they searched for more clothes to bring along on the road trip.

Twenty minutes later

After a calm ride home, the SDF truck pulled into the hotel parking lot just an hour before sundown. It was a quick trip, a rather auspicious sign seeing how they didn't see any signs of a large horde in the streets. With any luck, only the undead stragglers remained in Tokonosu while the rest had moved further north; hunting those attempting to flee to the if such a thing were true however, the survivors would most likely keep their guard up simply out of habit.

"Just like last time, guys. Let's get these goodies inside and see what they've made for supper," Marcus announced enthusiastically as it was quite clear he was eager for dinner.

"Isn't it Frasier's turn to cook this one up?" Noah brought up as Marcus slumped over; realizing he was right.

"Bollocks...you're right. Oh well, still better than nothing I suppose," Marcus groaned out of realization as all energy in his voice had dropped; slouching over a bit as he carried several bags up to the twin doors before them.

"Keep a stiff upper lip, Marcus-kun! Have some faith, will ya?" Hitomi suddenly announced in a cheery manner as she passed by him; playfully slapping his rear, which immediately perked him up.

"Ooohhh! I'm not letting you get away with that, officer," Marcus sneered with a wide grin as Hitomi simply winked at him before being one of the first to enter the lobby.

The group steadily came to a halt out of awe and bewilderment though when they saw the large dining table they normally sat at had been entirely decorated. The sweet scent of pancakes wafted through the air as several stacks were set in the center atop a large plate. What stood out most of all were the dangling bits of paper cut out into large letters, each one attached through a long set of string that when combined read out: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALICE. The young girl was absolutely delighted to say the least.

"You guys did all this for me?" Alice asked in astonishment, simply amazed that they were able to do all this despite how desperate everything was.

"Some of the meal mixes had pancakes after all. I figured I'd save them for just such an occasion," Frasier announced as he walked out from the kitchen with silverware in hand before distributing them along the table.

"You really didn't have to," Alice gently sighed as she stared at the steaming stacks just waiting to be eaten already; still in shock that they'd go to such lengths just for her.

"And why is that? Is today not a special day? Have we been mistaken?" Kiriko asked, pretending to sound as if she was rather offended by Alice's hesitation in accepting their hard work.

"Besides, I thought you wanted breakfast for dinner?" Frasier added in puzzlement; certain that she was rather insistent in the past on doing something like this before.

"I-I mean...I just...I wasn't expecting..." Alice began to stutter, her voice filled with mixed emotions as she was now completely flustered before the survivors that had been keeping her safe all this time.

She looked down, both eyes gently shut as tears began to stream down her puffy red cheeks; softly sobbing as they circled around her to ensure everything was alright. Takashi put his hand on her right shoulder while Saya did the same on the left. She gazed up at them; forming a weak smile before looking straight ahead to see Frasier himself kneeling down to her level.

His deep stare always used to terrify her, not knowing if he was angry or upset with her whenever they locked eyes. That deep, sullen silence didn't exactly help either. However, now she saw a look she'd yet to see on him: one that displayed a deep sense of concern and care. Without hesitation, she stepped before the large figure only to lovingly hug him.

"Thank you," the young child gently whispered before she held even tighter onto him. Frasier looked utterly stunned at the otherwise expected reaction as the rest of the group smiled, glad to know she was alright after all.

"'It was nothing, Alice-chan. Now why don't you show us how many pancakes you can eat before it makes you sick?" Frasier reassured her in good humor; standing up and towering over her again before motioning towards the table.

"Hey! You called me by my name," Alice exclaimed, taking a quick note of this perfect moment before she then nodded eagerly, as if issued the ultimate challenge.

Unable to resist the urge to join in, the others practically dropped everything at their feet and began to sit down with Alice as she patiently waited for them, ready to begin. Such a sweet taste that had almost been forgotten, the soft textures rolling in their mouths was like nothing short of heaven to every last one of them.

"So you made all this by yourself?" Marcus asked in amazement; impressed they were still alive after eating something Frasier had cooked up.

"I had a lot of help from Rei-san's mother. Without her, I don't know if it would've turned out nearly so well," Frasier admitted as he simply couldn't take all the credit for himself.

"Oh, hush! I just helped you add the mixtures and set the oven temp. You made it very clear that you wanted to do this for Alice-chan on her big day," Kiriko nonchalantly said like it was nothing on her part at all.

"I think it should be mentioned that I helped too," Tadashi added as he lifted up a hand to draw attention. Both Frasier and Kiriko glanced at each other before looking back to him.

"All you did was lick the spoon after we were done mixing with it. I wouldn't exactly consider that helping," Kiriko sighed as she looked over again to see a smug grin on his face.

"I would. It's making cleanup all the more easy, plus someone had to make sure it wasn't poisonous," Tadashi replied as he seemed quite proud of himself; his expression without a hint of doubt that he actually contributed to helping them make what was before them.

"Oh, Dad..." Rei groaned out of sheer embarrassment as she rolled both eyes.

"Heh, you're just like your old self I see. That's a relief at least," Kiriko smiled as she couldn't help but find his antics charming like she always did. The others were all laughing and having a rather merry time together, the burdens of the world almost lifted entirely as they could forget about them just long enough to genuinely enjoy this night.

Several hours passed involving the group making up games to keep Alice entertained. It was truly a night none would soon forget; bonding each and every one of them all the more closer to know that moments like this were what they fought and lived for now.

"So, Alice-chan, surely you've thought of a wish by now. Care to share it with us?" Rei asked as she hovered over the small child who was in the middle of deciding what they could do next.

"I have! But...I can't tell you guys or else it won't come true," Alice said with glee only to retract a bit when she knew she couldn't risk telling them about it.

"Are we really going to let her believe in something so illogical?" Saya scoffed softly as she didn't like the idea of the little girl she'd become so attached to growing up with such childish thoughts; Kohta lightly nudging her sides to which she fell silent and hesitantly played along.

"Well this is a very special day so you get two wishes, Alice-chan. The second wish you can tell us about." Miku suddenly piped in; to which Alice's face instantly lit up with excitement.

"Really? Well...okay! I was hoping we could go camping someday. I always wanted to try that, but I know it's not going to happen anytime soon with what's been happening. But, maybe when things are back to normal and I'm not in school, we can all go together?" Alice asked; giving way to her excitement as she couldn't help but share her innermost desire to do something so memorable with the people she looked at as her family.

The survivors were in awe as they were each individually touched by such a sweet sentiment. It was so hard to know what she felt at times; usually being ever so quiet and nonchalant about the death of her father. They could only hope that the current state of the world would not soon break her innocence and everlasting spirit.

"Well, I think that's an excellent idea. What do you guys think?" Takashi said as he knelt beside Alice who had a bright smile on her face.

"Hear, hear," Noah announced before turning red in the face when he was the only one who spoke out. Miku giggled as the others smiled; each one agreeing though to go with a simple nod instead.

"Nerd," Rika joked as she smirked at the youngest of the Lawson trio; the others laughing aloud as he looked away shyly.

"*Ahem* Umm...I also made these, and all on my own too. That is, unless you count the detective's help on licking the spoons when I was finished," Frasier suddenly announced from the kitchen's doorway, almost speaking like a nervous child in a school play, before he then walked out with a tray in hand.

"Is that...?" Kohta began to question as he sniffed the air; able to almost instantly recognize another smell that was practically lost to them.

"Brownies," Alice cheered as she rushed over towards him with an absolutely delighted look on her face; looking down at the chocolate squares with what appeared to be fudge icing on the top layer.

"Yes, brownies," Frasier replied bluntly as he watched the group gathering with great intrigue; watching as they all reached in, after Alice took two pieces of course, leaving the tray almost empty in his hands now.

"Really? More sugar? Ugh, well it is a special occasion I suppose..." Saya sighed, somewhat hesitant before convincing herself it was just this one time.

"These are beyond delicious. Hope you can make more for us some time," Kohta commented with a thumbs up, practically salivating over the delicious treat before scarfing it down.

"Mm, just what I was craving for. Thank you, Frasier-kun," Shizuka commented as she took small, delicate bites.

The others seemed to keep to themselves regarding what they thought about it; but considering how they were smiling and eating the entire thing, he realized must've done something right.

"Impressive…very impressive, actually. It's like you knew exactly what I wanted. You always are so full of surprises," Saeko suddenly said with a soft sigh when she took her first bite; almost swallowing the entire thing down before looking back at him with a suggestive grin that caused him to stare right back at those piercing blue eyes of hers.

Her words, while short, had the most impact of all as Frasier was almost at a loss for words. To receive praise from her only made his mind go blank as his stomach fluttered with wonder. It was such a great honor for him to hear such words coming from Saeko, a feeling he'd not soon forget if ever.

"Heh, well I don't intend to lose," Frasier stated as he seemed even more confident than usual.

"Lose? Lose what?" Saeko asked confusedly while also curious just to what he was talking about.

"Marcus and I made a bet, and you just so happened to be a part of it," Frasier answered as he looked over at Marcus, who looked at them both with wide eyes realizing his name had been mentioned.

"Our bet...? Wait! You mean you actually remembered that?!" Marcus began to ask; suddenly recalling only now that they'd made such a bet just a day before the outbreaks; naturally forgetting about it after all that had happened.

"Remembered and followed through on. Saeko-san enjoyed a meal I made. Therefore I win," Frasier assertively stated as he made it clear that victory, no matter how insignificant or benign, belonged to him.

"Eh, close enough I guess. I'm still just astonished you went along with it. I don't even know what the wager was," Marcus said as he shrugged his shoulders; finding it somewhat odd how far he was taking this now when they had much more important things to worry about.

"The opportunity simply presented itself and I took it. Besides, being right was all I need," Frasier replied, clearly proud in his accomplishment as he crossed his arms.

"So you didn't do this for Alice-chan?" Miku asked; sounding somewhat disappointed that it wasn't entirely out of compassion as she'd initially thought.

"Of course I did! Although it did fall in line with our bet, so consider it two birds and a single stone," Frasier announced defensively as he glared at Miku; asserting his intentions so they wouldn't be mixed up.

"It's actually called 'killing two birds with one stone'," Noah corrected, not too pleased to hear him lashing out when the aggression was nowhere near necessary.

"Same thing," Frasier said dismissively as he then took a bite out of the brownie in hand.

"Is it?" Noah questioned sarcastically as Frasier grimaced for a moment before simply grinning; realizing this wasn't really about the proper idiom.

Later that night after much more celebration

Frasier found himself sitting alone in a little makeshift tent, uncertain why he was doing this or why he felt so at odds with himself about it. Naturally he should've brushed off such a silly request in favor of doing something much better and more practical with his time such as being the watchman while the others could rest. Yet here he was, sitting between two chairs with one of the many spare sheets looming over him; hoping that spending this much time with the others, especially Alice, had not made him soft.

"Frasier-niichan, are you asleep?" Alice suddenly whispered as her little head poked into the opening. Her voice was soft, yet clearly conflicted by something she'd been thinking about.

"Not yet. Do you need something?" Frasier said as he sat up to see her nodding with a saddened expression on her face. At first there was deep hesitation; however, she eventually found the courage to speak up to him.

"D-Do you think my mommy is still alive out there?" Alice suddenly asked out of nowhere. Frasier was visibly taken aback and astonished by such a loaded question. Had he not softened up recently, he would've instantly told the little girl of the cold, harsh reality of her mother's chances of survival without any remorse or sympathy.

"I know my daddy's gone, and that really makes me sad, but it hurts even more not knowing if she's still alive or one of... one of..." Alice begun to explain to him. However, the more she tried to, the more emotional she became only to slowly choke up in tears; unable to even suggest that her mother had become one of 'Them'.

At first Frasier just sat there completely frozen in thought; watching Alice trying to stifle her own whimpers and sobs before she felt his arms coiling around her little head. She could hear the calm sound of his heart beating against her ear now as she looked up at him.

"Shhh. Don't be sad, Alice-chan. You need to be strong now. Don't let the 'what ifs' hold you back from the here and now," Frasier advised as she shook her head in doubt.

"But it's so hard! I try to be strong like you guys, yet all I can think about is my mommy! Do...do you think you could find her for me? I miss her so much," Alice requested before she began to break out into sobs again, looking up with tears flowing down both cheeks.

Frasier couldn't exactly relate to the bond a child felt with their mother, but he did feel genuine heartache when he saw someone as adorable and innocent as Alice in such pain. He gently ran his hand along her face, brushing the tears aside as if he had already made up his mind. The little girl tried to look down now, as if she were ashamed he had to do that for her, trying to be tough like he always was.

"Yes. I'll search for your mother and do what I can to bring her back," Frasier softly announced as he could see a glimmer of hope forming in her little puppy dog eyes. A look of sadness and anguish soon gave way to that of relief and joy.

"T-Thank you! I can give you all the money in my piggy bank once I can finally go home. It's yours if you find her," Alice said with the utmost gratitude before she realized he'd most likely want something in return for his efforts.

"I'm not a bloody mercenary, Alice-chan. I'll do it for free, for...a friend," Frasier responded as he then felt her hugging him as tight as she possibly could; a faint look of surprise at the affection taking over his face now.

"Do you mind if I sleep in your tent with you?" Alice then asked as he gently nodded in response and made space for her so they'd be apart; once more caught off guard as she immediately nestled up against him and put one of his arms around her for comfort.

"You know...I don't think you're so scary anymore. I think you just needed a friend. Good night Frasier-niichan," Alice gently whispered before her eyes closed shut. A soft smile could be seen on her face as her head rested against his forearm.

"N-Night..." Frasier said in a tremble as it was now his turn to look away as he didn't dare let her see how that made him genuinely smile, if even tear up a bit in the corner of his eyes.

Those words just buzzed around for hours in his head. To think that he'd even remotely instilled a fearful impression upon Alice struck his heart with ultimate guilt and regret. Yet, knowing she no longer feared him did bring some comfort to his mind; filling him with a firm determination to ensure that's how everyone felt about him from now on. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly noticed a figure sitting at the edge of his tent.

"Hey! Who is that?" Frasier whispered in almost a hiss as he watched the figure jolt out of surprise that they'd been detected before reluctantly moving closer.

"Frasier-kun, my apologies for watching you without saying anything," Saeko's unmistakable voice said as she crawled into the edge of the tent. A simple glance at her curious blue eyes was more than enough to set him at ease.

"It's quite alright. So is there something you need? Or are you just enjoying the view?" Frasier asked as he was certain that she had an actual reason for coming to him in the middle of the night. Saeko slightly blushed at his rather cheeky remark before mentally trying to regain focus.

"Yes. We need to talk, but not now; perhaps in the morning when your head is clearer?" Saeko said only to then pull away before Frasier could respond to the ominous request. The young man gently set Alice's head onto the pillow before crawling out after Saeko.

"If it's truly important then we'll talk about it now," Frasier suddenly said as she turned to look at him with an ice cold stare that made it crystal clear that she was being dead serious.

"It's important, but it's something you don't want the others potentially overhearing. Trust me on this one," Saeko said in a soft hush while one of her hands found itself covering one of his. The young leader reluctantly nodded as she smiled at the sign of cooperation.

"Oh, and I just wanted to say it's incredibly noble what you're doing for Alice-chan. I just knew you'd be the perfect leader," Saeko then whispered as she suddenly leaned right into his personal space without warning.

Not giving him a chance to recoil, her chest slowly pressed up against his just as her warm, wet lips silently pressed against his cheek. Frasier's eyes now widened as she secretly took great pleasure at how dumbfounded he looked before leaving him at the front of his makeshift tent. His whole body was now burning up on the inside as he was soon alone to dwell on the many thoughts and sensations that overcame him; unparalleled ecstatic joy being chief among them.