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.

16. Chapter 16: Everything We've Built

Z-Day+19

Tokonosu City

The fierce rainstorm that had persisted throughout the night; forcing Frasier and Saeko to take shelter in what was once her house had thankfully subsided by morning, and the two newly reconciled and connected warriors didn't squander the chance as they were already as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as could be once dawn had arrived, making their way through the wet, empty streets while enjoying the pleasant scent of freshly fallen rain.

It was unusually quiet. Normally rainstorms had a tendency to draw the dead out into the open, but they could only figure that this was fate's way of giving them a well-earned break from the constant struggling as they were thankfully able to make their way without any trouble until they recognized how close they now were from home.

"Finally, just a few more blocks," Saeko announced with relief as they began jogging down the road in eagerness to reunite with the others.

Just as the words left her mouth, the sudden sound of gunshots echoed in the distance; stopping the two dead in their tracks, hearts skipping a beat. They looked at one another in mutual shock before another series of gunshots rang out; filling them with the dread realization they weren't just hearing things; especially when they realized the direction it was coming from.

"C'mon! Something's wrong," Frasier ordered as they sprinted towards the source; several more shots echoing out frantically.

Several minutes earlier

The hotel had awakened this morning not with the typical comfortable silence but with a very tense buzz among the rest of the group. They'd expected Frasier and Saeko to be back since last night, and to know they still weren't back left them all feeling more than a little worried, especially Takashi.

"I'm telling you they should be back any minute. You just need to have a little faith in them," Noah tried to reason with the young man as he'd grabbed the first shotgun from the armory he could find. The youngest Lawson tried in vain to keep him from storming out the front door, but nothing was slowing Takashi down.

"And what if you're wrong? There's no reason they should've taken this long just to go to the mall and back. They could be in trouble and we might not even know it. Now if you want to help me find them, you can; otherwise get out of my way," Takashi argued; making it clear he wasn't going to wait any longer as he stepped past Noah and stormed out the front doors after clearing the barricade

"Maybe we should go with him, Noah. He won't last long by himself in that state-of-mind," Johann suggested as he watched Takashi keep storming off until he was out of view.

"Hey, why are you guys being so loud? Did they come back yet," Alice suddenly piped in as she squeezed between Saya and Hitomi to get some answers.

"I'm afraid not, Alice. But don't you worry one bit. I'm sure they'll be back any minute now," Noah answered, almost as though he were trying to convince himself more than her.

*bkoom!*

A single deafening shot suddenly rang out; causing everyone to go on full alert as Noah and Johann darted outside. Takashi could be seen standing with smoking shotgun firmly in hand. A single casing flew out the side and rolled along the street once he cocked it.

Before Noah and Johann could even begin to speak, they instantly felt their hearts sink upon the colossal mass of undead shambling en masse right for them.

"Get inside and warn the others! I'll try to hold back as many as I can," Takashi called out as he began to fire off more rounds into the frontline of the horde; running off to hopefully draw the dead to him in order to buy them more time.

As if their bodies were on autopilot, Johann and Noah made a beeline straight for the hotel entrance. The young German rushed up the stairs towards the armory as Noah was stopped when Saya grasped his arm.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Saya demanded to know as Takashi's shotgun could be heard pumping out shot after shot.

"It's 'Them'! Hundreds perhaps! Help me move some furniture to block off the entrance," Noah explained frantically as he grabbed for the nearest sofa he could find.

Shizuka out of natural instinct took Alice upstairs while Noah, Saya, Miku and Rei began to push both the couches towards the doorway.

"Takashi! Get back in here," Noah called out; noticing that on all sides the dead began to circle in on the hotel like a tidal wave.

Takashi fired the last round in the chamber before holstering it along his back and sprinting back before he could get cut off. Nearly a hundred hands lashed out in an attempt to grab him as he rushed up the first couple of steps into the lobby; vaulting over the couches just as they were moved to block the front doors.

"Takashi, are you alright? Did any of 'Them' scratch you?" Rei asked in a panicked gasp before looking him over to see that aside from the shock, he wasn't wounded.

"I-I'm fine...we need to pile a lot more up though. These couches and that barricade won't hold 'Them' back for long," Takashi warned as the others all could instantly see how right he was. All five of them quickly started grabbing chairs and stools to further barricade the entrance.

All their hearts rattled and their blood felt ice cold every time the door would budge when the dead outside were able to push hard enough to cause a momentary breach. The desperate survivors would quickly try to patch up any structural weak points as well, with Takashi doing his best to help by butting the stock end of the shotgun into any of 'Them' that seemed to be making it through, but the tenacious undead caused more and more damage until finally the entire barricade gave way.

"Shit! Everybody leg it up the stairs NOW," Noah shouted. Without hesitation they all did as he said and abandoned the first floor to the dead. The rotting corpses dragged and squeezed in through whatever gaps 'They' could fit through before making a beeline for the stairs right on the survivors' heels.

"How long do you think we have before 'They' get up here?" Miku asked nervously as she kept looking over her shoulder, only to turn away when she could see the numerous shadows creeping up after them.

"About a minute tops. We have to reach the third floor and set up a kill-zone. It's the only chance we've got," Noah quickly deduced as he tried to his best to at least seem remotely optimistic.

Just as he'd predicted, the first of many rose up the final step before limping into the hallway of the third floor. Snarls and groans filled the air whilst the spearhead of the small horde wandered about; paying no attention to the two mattresses randomly towering in the middle of the hallway.

"Wait for it..." Marcus mouthed silently as he and everyone else were practically hugging the wall behind the propped up mattresses.

Their hearts throbbed and pounded like drums from the sheer thought of being so close to so many of these grotesque creatures. All it took was one little mistake and they would all die right here and now. Sweat practically poured down Marcus' face as he waited for the others to line up their sights.

"Now," Marcus motioned before both he and Johann pulled down the mattresses like a shield, effectively blocking off some of the initial undead off from the others and began to push their way back towards the stairs.

At point blank range, Kohta, Rika, Hitomi and Kiriko all took carefully placed shots. In an instant, four of 'Them' dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. They then spared no time rushing to help the two young men trying to hold back the advancing dead at the stairwell.

"Goddammit, these mattresses are going to fold over soon. Keep pushing," Noah grunted as he could already see how this last minute plan ultimately wasn't going to work.

"Then let's try to even the odds," Takashi suggested as he placed the muzzle of his freshly loaded shotgun up against one of the mattresses only to pull the trigger.

*Bkoom*

The shotgun blast ripped straight through the mattress with little resistance, managing to take half the face of an undead man standing behind it. It wobbled for a moment with a hand outstretched before falling over against those behind it.

*Bkoom*

Shell after shell, blast after blast, giving it all he had in himself, Takashi managed to pick off enough of 'Them' to give his friends the edge they so desperately needed; watching in satisfaction as the two mattresses were finally wedged into the stairwell.

"Wipe that stupid grin off your face, kid! We're not done yet by a long shot," Rika quickly reprimanded as they had to hastily retreat further back into the third floor to make a last stand.

As they approached the end of the hallway, they could see the time they bought the rest of the group was well worth their risky ambush. One by one, they vaulted over the cabinets and overturned dressers that had been laid out; almost surprised by how fast the others were able to react in time.

"Are you guys alright? Was anyone hurt?" Shizuka asked worriedly; her typical optimism unable to show itself as she couldn't rightfully deny just how royally screwed they were.

"No, we're all fine and dandy…at least for now. Did you guys manage to load the guns?" Noah answered as he looked past her to see several firearms were placed out on one of the tables with boxes of ammunition spilled out in what must've been a rushed attempt to unload them.

"As much as I could, but I'm still not so good at all this gun stuff! Oh, I knew I should've been more prepared for this! Well, if we survive, at least I'll have something to look forward to," Shizuka answered in what could only be described as a mix between terror and frustration at herself.

"Jeez, just our luck...this has to be the third time we've been cornered now," Takashi grumbled as he slumped against the wall; breathing hard as he held himself while trying to catch his breath.

"We made it then and we'll make it now! We've come too far to just give up," Kohta responded more confidently as he finished loading up Takashi's shotgun before handing it to him; earning a grin from both him and Saya, whom couldn't help but feel impressed by the chubby otaku's bold approach.

"I just checked the fire escapes out back. Even if we did manage to somehow survive the drop without breaking our legs, we'd be running out onto the streets with nothing but the clothes on our backs," Hitomi suddenly announced as she came running over, still only dressed in her pajamas.

"What?! That's our only way out though," Johann asked in aggravated disbelief to know they were well and truly trapped.

"Yeah, it is now. Frasier blocked off the lower levels so nobody from outside could sneak up from there," Hitomi sighed as she loaded up her handgun and looked at the others; knowing that words weren't going to solve anything.

"Pfft, of course," Marcus said with an irked huff that his older brother's paranoia and steel resolve to keep this hotel safe had ironically put them all in even more danger now.

"That doesn't matter! If we stop 'Them' here, we won't have to worry about an escape route," Noah butted in as he absolutely refused to let everyone give up.

"That's the spirit kid; now all of you shut up and focus! This is where shit gets serious," Rika said in excited agreement as she quickly pulled out her sidearm and clicked the safety off; aching to fight back.

"She said a swear word," Alice instinctively gasped; instantly causing everyone to turn around in shock to see that she was here instead of hiding in one of the rooms behind them.

"Come on Alice-chan, we should get out of their way," Shizuka suddenly said before anyone else could reprimand her for disobeying their direct order to remain out of sight.

"No! We need to stay and help them," Alice shouted in defiance; hating the idea of having to be forced to hide like she was completely helpless while everyone else stayed to die for her.

"Alice-chan, right now we need you to do as Marikawa-sensei tells you, okay? Please, don't fight me on this one," Takashi said sympathetically as he tried his best to reason with the stubborn child.

"I don't want to say goodbye though. I can't lose you guys too...not after my daddy... please," Alice muttered in defeat as she began to gently sob; knowing that she was too weak to help and unable to stop herself from crying at the thought of losing her new family.

"Hey, don't cry. We'll all be right here when this is over, okay? Now don't come out until we give the all clear sign, alright?" Takashi explained as he gently brushed her hair back and wiped the tears away long enough to see her form a soft smile of understanding.

"G-Good luck," was all that she could muster up now before obediently walking back into the last of the few rooms left under their control with Shizuka; hoping that deep down Takashi wasn't just saying all that to get her off his back.

Before anything else could be said amongst the survivors, the first of the dead could now be seen limping down the hallway. Whatever time those mattresses had provided them was more than they in total had expected. Those ghastly groans and sighs grew louder and more vicious with each passing second. It was a truly frightening sight to behold as 'Their' shadows began to cover the entire hallway; the rancid odor of decaying flesh remaining as strong and disturbing as always.

"Pace yourselves and try to call out your targets, otherwise we'll just end up shooting the same bastard several times over and wasting our bullets. Let those with rifles take the first shots, those with shotguns go on standby, and everyone else just be ready to jump in," Rika instructed as she motioned Takashi and Marcus to move to the front; watching as they crouched beside her. Both their arms rested firmly against the flat coffee table they were ducking behind as the barrels to their shotguns pointed straight into the kill-zone.

"Don't worry, we won't let 'Them' get through," Johann whispered to Rei reassuringly when he noticed how nervous she looked, both of them looking down their carbines as they anticipated the first of many to come.

Visibly trembling but taking a deep breath to steel her nerves, she could at best give a simple nod of understanding as she tried to take careful aim as the first had finally emerged. An undead boy squeezed through with its mouth wide open, still wearing its filthy school uniform. Biting her lip, Rei gently squeezed the trigger as the iron sights lined up between the eyes of the approaching figure.

*Blam*

Blood splattered across the carpet as its head flung back like a rag doll before the rest of the body collapsed. Knowing she couldn't afford to waste a second, Rei swapped targets to see a bright mint colored hazmat suit shuffling towards them. She had little mercy to give though as she fired a quick three round burst until only a small stub at the neck was what remained of its head.

What had started off as short, controlled bursts soon turned into desperate rapid shots that only seemed to be absorbed by the groaning masses of decayed flesh pushing closer and closer with each new wave. Soon it became entire columns packed close together instead of small, spread out packs. Smoke gently fumed from Rei and Johann's barrels as they had to reload their magazines.

"You're up boys," Rika announced in a surprisingly calm voice to Marcus and Takashi as they began practically firing at point blank range.

The steel balls ripped and shredded into the dead, either killing entire rows outright or at the very least knocking back those that got hit. This strategy was definitely much more efficient at keeping the hordes at bay. The walls were almost instantly painted with streaks of dark red and brown stains, severed limbs and shreds of meat now started to litter the floor only to be tread over by the next of 'Them' in line.

"Oh, God! There's so many! So, so many," Kohta gasped in awe as he couldn't help but feel claustrophobic from how many were packed into these narrow halls; feeling his knees go weak as he tried to steady his nerves by mowing down an entire row of 'Them' with otherwise perfectly precise marksmanship.

"Don't think about that! Just focus on shooting anything that moves in front of us," Saya shouted at him in a feeble attempt to keep him from panicking. Luckily for both of them, he'd found it in himself to become not only accustomed to, but rather fond of that shrill wailing of hers; both of them taking down another wave together before having to reload their magazines with what soon became the last of the ammo they brought with them.

"Wait, what's that sound?" Rika suddenly asked confusedly as it sounded like the walls around them were shaking as if ready to fall at any given moment.

*crash*

Suddenly, in the next room over, they looked in horror to see they'd been completely flanked when the dead actually managed to create a breach in the wall, bits of drywall chipping and cracking off as several gray hands clawed and pushed through. Suddenly, the room on their left began to shake as well, only for that wall to start breaking down too. It would only be a matter of time before the group would be fighting on several fronts against what felt like an endless horde of 'Them'.

"Dammit! Try to block those areas off," Johann shouted as he continued to fire into the main wave that was still trying to push past the furniture barricade.

Those on standby armed with nothing but whatever they could pick up in time quickly rushed over to the two breaches. Kiriko and Rei went to the room on the right while Saya, Miku and Noah went to the one on the left.

"Watch those hands," Kiriko warned as she and Rei began to slice and cut at the several pairs of hands that had dug through the walls. While not killing 'Them', at the very least it was able to keep 'Them' from digging through any further.

"Mom, we need to get dad out of here before it's too late," Rei pleaded; hating every waking moment of this nightmare and wishing she could just go to sleep and wake up in bed, realizing this was just a bad dream this entire time.

However, Kiriko didn't reply as she was far too preoccupied in helping Noah and Miku now; leaving Rei to herself as she could only bow her head in sorrow, desperate to know how they could possibly escape this time. As much as she didn't want to say so, she was fully aware there wouldn't be a rescue with fire hoses this time.

"Think you two can handle it from here?" Kiriko suddenly asked as she watched Noah and Miku both nod; taking off to help put more of 'Them' down before Noah punched the wall out of anger.

"At this rate we aren't going to last more than a few minutes at best," Noah growled in barely restrained frustration; motioning the others to then start barricading the breaches in the walls with whatever furniture they had left. Crude as it might've been, it was better than nothing as large dresser cabinets gave them a bit more time to thin out the main horde's numbers.

"Okay, I'm officially open to ideas now! If anyone has some way of saving our asses, now would be the time to speak up," Rika called out in frustration before kicking back one of the dead that had made it over the barrier and attempted to take a bite out of her. She instantly blasted it's head clean off with a rifle round before pulling back on the bolt to pick off another target.

"I'm trying! Just shut up and let me try to think this through," Saya growled as she desperately look back and forth to hopefully get some kind of last minute idea.

"I've got an idea," Noah suddenly muttered under his breath as he ran back to the main barricade to let the others know of his newfound plan.

"I need all of you to start tossing those mattresses off the fire escape. Try to land them as close together as you can," Noah began to announce as he motioned towards the beds they'd yet to dismantle.

"Oh! I get it now! That way we can use the mattresses to break our fall! Noah-kun, you're a genius," Hitomi realized before finding herself quite impressed at yet another example of his quick thinking.

"Yeah...well...there's still the matter of 'Them' to deal with. I seriously doubt 'They'd' give us the time or opportunity to do such a thing," Kohta mentioned; pausing for a moment before firing another volley of shotgun blasts into the main hallway.

"Given the number of 'Them' that was actually outside, I'd estimate at least over half are inside the hallways and crowding up the lobby by now; leaving the parking lot a little more accessible to move around in, but not by much though," Hitomi sighed as she knew they couldn't just jump to conclusions; looking out one of the nearby windows to confirm that there was still plenty of undead wandering the parking lot.

"So now all that needs to be decided is who's going to stay behind while the rest of us make our escape?" Kiriko brought up; causing everyone not firing look amongst one another. It was obvious that whoever volunteered to remain would most likely not come back.

"This is my plan, so I'm staying behind to make sure it works. If I don't make it...well, it's been an honor surviving with you all," Noah piped in as he felt more resolute than he'd ever been before.

"Noah-kun, don't talk like that! Y-You're coming with me and that's final! I'm not going to let you die like this," Miku suddenly burst out in protest, unable to bear the thought of losing him to those creatures.

"Don't worry, angel. I don't plan on dying so young anyway, but for the second stage of my plan to work, I have to stay. Just keep going without me and don't look back. I promise I'll be right behind you," Noah attempted to persuade her with a false hope; knowing he couldn't really let her know how dangerous this was despite his beaming confidence.

Barely able to accept that there was no convincing the foolhardy boy, Miku grasped him by the collar and pulled him in for a deep kiss before turning away in tears.

"Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep," the heartbroken teen whispered to him before storming off, unable to even look at him now.

"The rest of you go on. We'll handle things from here. Rika-sensei can lead you guys to the mall from here. We'll meet you there if we can," Marcus then interrupted as he motioned the others to go; standing by his younger brother as he knew it was the right thing to do despite his better judgement.

Knowing that time wasn't on their side, the others didn't hesitate to take off and retreat to start moving those mattresses. Hitomi stopped at the last second to look at him. It was clear she wanted to say something to him; knowing there was a good chance this would be the last time she'd see him. However, he just nodded to her with a sly grin before she couldn't help but shoot him back a soft smile of confidence before proceeding to help the others escape out the back.

"So 'genius', I take it there's a really good reason we're staying behind instead of running with the others?" Marcus then finally asked as he wanted to know what this 'part two' of Noah's plan involved.

"That's right. Those things might not be fast, but they are overly tenacious and will follow us. I need to make sure that they don't leave this place," Noah explained as he motioned Marcus towards the armory. Most of the weapons and ammo had either been used up or taken by the others on their way out.

"And how do you plan to do that, exactly?" Marcus pressed on as he kept his sidearm aimed down the hallway, expecting the dead to close in on them at any moment.

"With this little pet project I've been tinkering around with for the last few days. I didn't think I' need to use it so soon though," Noah answered with a grunt before suddenly hauling out several bits and ends of random junk before assembling them together with impressive swiftness and precision, almost as if he'd been practicing for this exact moment.

"A flamethrower?! Jesus, l...and to think you wanted to be a scientist. One can only imagine if you desired a place in the arms business," Marcus gasped out of shock when he noticed just what it was Noah had just put together.

"Yeah...well that's neither here nor there now. What matters now is getting out in one piece," Noah chuckled as he shoved the nostalgic memories aside and hoisted the homemade flamethrower over his back.

"So I take it you've already given it a name?" Marcus then asked curiously as he helped Noah fill up the tank with one of the jerry cans of gasoline they'd been extracting from the abandoned cars for their generators and vehicle.

"Maybe...but I'll tell you it after we make it out of here first," Noah said with a cheeky grin as his brother knew him too well to not give something like this a clever name.

"I'm just gonna say, though, if there was an Olympic event for really, REALLY fucking bad ideas... this would at least take home the platinum. Guaranteed," Marcus said as he proceeded looking over the different gauges to make sure everything was operating as best as could be expected.

"They don't have anything above gold, Marcus," Noah immediately pointed out; albeit still smiling that cocky grin he always had when humoring his brother.

"No, but they'd have to create a new medal just for something this batshit crazy," Marcus explained as he could no longer hide how much he really didn't like this idea.

Knowing this place was truly lost, Noah began to pour whatever gas he had left into the room before tossing the jerry canister into the others resting in the corner.

"You sure you want to do this?" Marcus asked as he realized the instant Noah let those flames fly, time was going to be even less on their side.

"It's either this, or we go down like the men of the Alamo. So yeah, scorched earth it is! Unless you've got a better idea," Noah said with firm determination as he knew that Marcus would've said something by now if he'd thought of a better way.

"Nope…alright, let's do this," Marcus said as both of them turned to the hallway to see the last of their friends had fortunately managed to escape and that any resistance that once kept the dead at bay was now completely destroyed. A pack had already made its way towards them; leaving them with only one way to go now: right through 'Them'.

"You absolutely sure that thing won't explode on us?" Marcus suddenly asked nervously as he pointed at the large tank on Noah's back.

"Only one way to find out," Noah replied just as nervously; but the time for backing out was long gone by now.

With the flip of a handle, the homemade flamethrower began to rumble as the tubes around it flowed before the youngest Lawson gave the trigger a gentle squeeze.

*Fwoosh*

The hall instantly began to feel like a furnace as flames burst out the nozzle and into the advancing horde. The first few caught by the flames instantly let out howls of what could've only been 'Their' equivalent of agonizing pain; wandering aimlessly for only a few steps before collapsing. Smoke quickly filled the air as more and more fire spurted out from the homemade contraption. The stench of burned rotting flesh soon became inescapable as wave after wave of the dead fell before them. Black and charred bodies began curling around like a gnarled root; bones crackling as the marrow popped.

Then something completely unheard of happened. The advancing undead suddenly stopped halfway down the scorched hallway only to make a complete 180, as if 'They' were somehow self-aware enough to the point 'They' knew that the fire was going to incinerate any that came into contact with it.

Noah's jaw dropped in awe as Marcus could only clench his teeth together from a mixed sense of anger and disappointment that they couldn't burn away more of the foul creatures. Just when it seemed like they had the upper hand, 'They' managed to change it to a whole new game; proving once more that underestimating these seemingly mindless monsters was fatal.

"C'mon, we need to get to that elevator and cut 'Them' off from escaping the lobby," Noah announced as he flipped on what must've been a safety for his flamethrower before they started hauling a large bag together; trying to rush to the nearest elevator, but not before tossing a match towards the pool of gas in the armory as they took off.

"Think we can get it running? I thought we never got them to run even with the generators," Marcus asked confusedly.

"I'm afraid not. We're gonna have to go down the old fashioned way," Noah confirmed before prying the doors open with a crowbar, leaving them staring into the empty elevator shaft.

"Holy shit, this day just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?" Marcus groaned as he peered down the dark shaft; feeling his stomach twist and turn.

As Noah gave him an affirming nod, Marcus pulled out a flare and began to give it a twist; making sure to hold it far away from his brother's fuel tank, until it sparked up. He then tossed it down the shaft so they could see where the cable was.

"Oh...that's quite a jump even without all this crap we're carrying. You sure we can't just take the stairs?" Marcus sighed; hating this plan more and more the further they went.

"Nope," Noah said before suddenly taking a small running jump; grasping onto the cables for dear life only to then give Marcus a thumbs up.

The middle Lawson hesitantly swallowed his fears before jumping after Noah. Both began to carefully shimmy downwards; heading straight for the flare as it rested on top of the elevator down below.

*thud*

Their shoes clanged against the roof of the elevator upon impact. Both Lawson's then began to pull the emergency escape hatch open before looking down to see the coast was thankfully clear inside. Noah then motioned Marcus to unzip their bag.

"Put this on. Last thing we need is to choke on the carbon monoxide fumes," Noah warned as he held up a gas mask connected to a portable oxygen tank from the bag. Marcus nodded in acknowledgment as he quickly fastened it on while Noah did the same with his own.

Despite being able to overhear what must've been hundreds of 'Them' infesting the lobby just on the other side, Marcus slowly started to open the doors just enough for Noah to get into position beneath him. Soon the tension made everything, save for their heavy breathing through the respirators, completely mute around them.

An undead man in a hazmat suit took quick notice of the creaking doors and let out a shrill moan that caught the attention of the rest of 'Them' almost instantly.

"That's right, you rotten bastards! Dinner time," Marcus announced as he began to pound on the metal doors while Noah couldn't help but grin at his older brother literally laughing in the face of danger before squeezing the trigger again.

*Fwoosh*

Agonized groans and wails echoed as the flames spread out across the lobby. The undead caught in the bursts of fire flailed and twitched before eventually giving in to the intense heat melting 'Their' flesh and brains. Sickening popping sounds could be heard amidst the chaos as the thick smoke and scent of burning flesh permeated the air.

However, just as it seemed like Noah would be able to burn every last one of 'Them' to a cinder, the arcs of fire began to grow shorter and shorter with each burst.

"Shit! I knew the capacity was going to be limited, but I didn't think it would be THIS limited," Noah growled out of frustration as he looked up to see the dead not yet caught in the flames began to circle around the two.

"Don't fire at 'Them'! Try to hit the curtains over there! If we're lucky, this entire place will burn down around us," Marcus shouted as he pointed to the nearby windows. All at once it clicked in Noah's head how likely this fire could spiral out of control in a matter of minutes.

Knowing neither of them had any time to come up with a better plan, Noah began to use what little fuel he had left in the flamethrower to set several small fires in several areas at once; hoping to create a chain reaction. Sweat ran down his face as the entire lobby was completely engulfed in the flames in a matter of seconds. It was almost immediately after when the smoke made it near impossible to see several feet in front of them. The toxic black smoke left the two brothers completely blinded as they tried to walk forward in the hopes that they'd find the exit.

"Noah, just run! Don't let anything stop you," Marcus instructed as they began to brush past the dead left wandering aimlessly in the burning hotel. They weren't stopping for nothing as they knew the hotel was going to fall apart once the fires reached the gas lines.

Just as it seemed like the tiniest of gaps could be seen leading to the entrance, Noah suddenly felt a pair of thin, spindly hands tugging at his shoulders. Somehow an undead woman in a blood stained yellow dress managed to get ahold of him amid the chaos. Its grip only tightened as it pulled him in for the kill, its jaws opening wide before biting down into the tube connected to his respirator mask.

"Oi! Get away from him, you bitch," Marcus called out as he swung his entire oxygen tank; bashing the former woman's entire body back with unexpected force; caving in the head after a series of violent bashes and stomps.

He then looked over to see Noah violently coughing and left completely disoriented from the struggle. His oxygen mask had been rendered completely useless with the gaping hole in the tube that connected it to the oxygen tank.

*BOOM*

Without warning, the ground shook as a loud explosion rang from upstairs. The chandeliers from above suddenly crashed to the floor; crushing any of 'Them' down below; one managing to barely catch around Marcus' leg; pinning him down beside his little brother who looked at him in horror.

Not wanting to go down without a fight, Noah did his best to fight the burning sensations in his lungs and eyes; gripping the crooked frame of the chandelier keeping Marcus trapped. Unfortunately, any strength he had remaining wasn't enough to lift the heavy chandelier up for Marcus to pull himself free.

The fires continued to spiral out of control as the dead around them flailed and began setting one another ablaze to the touch. Knowing he had to do something and fast, Marcus suddenly grabbed Noah by the hand only to then strap his own respirator mask onto his face.

"Thank me later...and just run," Marcus said calmly as he knew this was the right thing to do.

Conflict and tears arose in Noah's bloodshot eyes before he eventually came to the horrifying conclusion; gently running a hand across his older brother's blood stained cheek before removing his dog tags and pulling away with great reluctance. Marcus let out a sigh of relief as Noah finally came to his senses and took off, running towards what was left of the collapsing entrance. Both of them knew he had no hope of being able to move that heavy rubble from Marcus, and any further attempt would just result in both of their deaths.

Entire walls of fire surged around Marcus as he struggled and tried his best to squirm out. Regardless of what he did, his energy soon burned out, and the constant inhalation of smoke began to dull his senses. His throat ran dry as his lungs burned and made him hack and wheeze hard. Both of his green eyes began to slowly shut as his vision became an impenetrable blur. Sweat ran down his face as he could only wish that he could've given the others a proper goodbye, to let them know that they'd make it with or without him.

"I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't up to the job as much as I thought I was," Marcus grumbled out of disappointment in himself before looking to his sides, noticing an undead bus driver hovering over him with drool slipping past those crooked teeth.

"Well? What the hell are you waiting for? DO IT," Marcus snarled at first before using what little energy he had left to defiantly shout at the horrific being.

He slowly closed his eyes as he felt both grey hands suddenly clamping onto his shoulders, as if it were expecting resistance. A horrid chill ran down his spine as something wet splashed his cheek. However, no pain could be felt, not one ounce of the sensation of numbness or of his own flesh being chewed on and torn from him. Marcus opened up his eyes, only to be met with the sight of the undead bus driver's head split clean in two with a small hatchet digging right into it; it's expression now forever frozen solid before the rest of the monstrous cretin was shoved aside.

'Holy shit,' was all the young man could think when his vision cleared up enough to realize a new figure was towering over him. Covered in the blood of the dead from head to toe, was none other than Frasier with a look of rage he'd never witnessed up until now.

"I... WILL NOT... LET...YOU... HAVE HIM," was all that could be heard in a blood-curdling cry of pure hatred; sounding more beast than man before he grasped the chandelier. With little trouble, he hoisted it up over his head only to swinging it around like a wild animal, literally bashing the dead that surrounded them back into the fires with it.

Presumably one of the 'Them' that was split in half by a shotgun blast suddenly entered Marcus' peripheral vision; slowly crawling towards Marcus, who started to reach back in an attempt to find something to fight back with, only to watch the body stop when Frasier's boot clamped down on the protruding spinal cord. In a blind rage, the eldest Lawson showed no restraint of power as he gouged and tore the spine straight out of the back with the head still attached to it; smashing the now motionless skull into the floor until all that was left was a string of red pulp dangling from it.

"They will not have you," Frasier softly muttered as he tried to catch his breath; making eye contact with Marcus for a split moment as he knelt down to his level. The middle Lawson then looked up at what genuinely seemed like tears in his brother's eyes before he was pulled over Frasier's shoulders and hoisted from the ground.

Not wasting any time to stick around for the rest of the building to come crashing down over their heads, Frasier stormed through the front doors just as the gas lines began to set off a chain reaction. The entire building bellowed as the flames had now consumed every last room within. The survivors that once proudly built it up as a personal safe haven were now homeless once more and back on the streets with almost nothing but the clothes on their backs as they watched it all burn.

Several minutes later

"One...two...three," was all Marcus could hear at first while he felt his chest being pressed down on. Air suddenly filled his lungs before his eyes shot wide open; his whole body writhing as he quickly pulled away, coughing to the side before spitting on the street.

He then looked around nervously to see everyone was still alive; standing by as they had anxiously watched while Shizuka was kneeling right next to him with a look of pure relief that he was alright. Before he could even react, he felt Hitomi's arms grasping onto him, hearing her gently sob while burying her head into his chest, trembling all over.

Marcus instinctively held her close out of comfort as he looked over to see Frasier and Noah walking away to stare off in the distance at the sight of what used to be their safe haven now reduced to a blazing ruin. Meanwhile, Saeko and Takashi were in each other's arms, relieved to see the other was still in one piece. Then he turned his gaze to see Tadashi being tended to by Kiriko and Rei; a small reopened wound along his left thigh.

"So we made it? All of us?" Marcus asked in a rough voice as his dry throat still ached after inhaling all that smoke; rubbing his throat as he tried to piece things together.

"Yes, but just barely. We pretty much used up all our ammo pushing through the parking lot," Kohta answered directly as he was in the middle of loading in what looked like the last magazine to his rifle.

"It's gone...all of it. All of our hard work just gone up in flames. This couldn't possibly get any worse," Johann lamented as it was still so hard to accept that they'd lost their ace in surviving this nightmare like it was nothing.

"Don't tempt fate. We're not out of the woods just yet," Hitomi suddenly remarked while still holding onto Marcus protectively.

"We need to regroup and sort this out. I suggest we head for the mall and let them know of our situation," Rika said with a disappointed sigh before expressing the only idea she thought made any sense.

"What makes you think they'll want anything to do with us now? We have no fuel, no food, very little ammo left, and to top it off, no medical supplies. We'd be at their mercy," Saya suddenly brought up as it was clear that she wasn't nearly as quick to trust what she still considered total strangers.

"They wouldn't do that. They're good people," Takashi intervened, showing a spark of rather unexpected confidence.

"How would you know that? You're the only one who really talked to them; making deals without going through me first. Real smooth by the way," Frasier spat, as he hadn't forgotten how Takashi had made a deal with Sho since their last visit as a group there.

"Hey! I'm just trying to lookout for everyone's best interest! It seemed like a good idea; no, it WAS a good idea, and if we're going to get to Tokyo, then we have to work with them," Takashi spoke in a sharp, defensive tone; his fists clenching. But while his heart was in the right place, it still didn't seem to faze the eldest Lawson one bit.

"'We'? No, YOU have to work with them. My brothers and I will do just fine without their help. Don't forget we're more than capable of making it out here with or without anyone else," Frasier retorted in a low growl as if personally offended at the insinuation of being unable to survive without them.

"Will you two just stop it?! The last thing we need now of all times is infighting. Let's just do what Rika suggested and go from there. Please?" Shizuka suddenly interrupted in a heartbroken shout leaving both young men feeling undeniably guilty as they stared at her golden eyes threatening to tear up.

"Fine," they both grumbled, knowing now was the worst time to be arguing while left out in the open and so vulnerable to attack.

"Let's get moving then. If we hurry we'll be there by midday," Rika announced as she motioned them to start marching despite how worn out and exhausted they now were.

"Christ, what a way to start the day," Noah sighed as he took Miku's hand and started walking with her in the rear flank of the group.

"Let's just hope that we can get back to that mall in one piece without getting into it again," Miku said with some optimism; ultimately relieved that Noah was still by her side alive and unharmed.

The march to the mall felt longer than ever before. The entire group could only move as fast as Tadashi could keep up. Several stops had to be made to either avoid the undead or to catch their breath. It wasn't easy for them, not after the tremendous loss of the hotel. To feel homeless and vulnerable was killing morale the further they lingered about. Luckily they were able to avoid further conflict and ultimately made it to the mall in one piece. However, the once empty parking lot now had several cars and vans parked around in several areas. Almost as if set up that way deliberately.

"Here it is. All we need to do now is-" Frasier softly announced in a sigh of relief only to stop short of finishing his words when the doors refused to open.

"What's wrong? Forgot how doors work or something?" Rika questioned in a taunting manner as Marcus couldn't help but snicker at that remark. However, the young leader of the group wasn't nearly as amused.

"Shut up. It's locked and I can't get the damn thing to budge," Frasier retorted in an annoyed growl before trying to pull even harder on the twin handles.

"Oooh, he said a bad word," Alice noted aloud as she was surprised to see nobody else noticed or responded to his foul language.

"Hey, what's that noise?" Rei suddenly asked as she immediately felt certain they weren't alone like they'd initially thought.

"Because we're not alone anymore," Kohta announced in an alerted gasp as he pointed out several 'Them' wandering towards them from across the parking lot.

"Damn, 'They' really are back in town. We need to get out of here," Saeko cursed under her breath before making it clear to the others staying in the open while this exposed wasn't an option anymore.

"We should retreat and regroup. There's not enough ammunition left to fight back," Tadashi suggested next as he could just tell by the expressions on the other's faces that they were down to just a few rounds at most.

"Hold on! I think I can get the doors open, just buy me some time," Frasier protested as he was confident he could pry the doors open if he'd just put a bit more strength into his futile attempts.

"I'll try to buy you some time. Just don't expect it to be much," Saeko volunteered; placing a hand on his shoulder before walking forward to confront the first of 'Them'.

However, when she went to grasp the handle of her katana, she felt her body suddenly collapsing from the sheer exhaustion from several hours with little to no rest in between; falling to one knee as she was finding it hard to move.

"Saeko-san, don't do this! You're not going to last a minute over there in this state," Rei warned as both she and Saya rushed over to help their friend stand back up.

"It was worth a shot," Saeko sighed in disappointment tone as she hated having to look so vulnerable in front of the others now of all times.

"Hey! What's going on down there?" a voice suddenly announced from above the group as they looked up to see a sturdy-looking figure standing atop the roof of the mall.

"We're trying to get in but the doors are sealed shut with something. We could really use the help," Takashi explained before having to turn his attention back to the undead that began to move in on the right.

"I'll grab a ladder! Just don't make any more noise than you have to. We're trying to keep anymore of those things from coming back here," the unknown survivor acknowledged before heading back wherever he came from before.

"There won't be anyone left to save at this rate. Everyone bundle up over there! I'll distract 'Them' for as long as I can," Johann suddenly ordered as he motioned the others to get up against the walls as he ran towards one of the cars, whistling at the top of his lungs before waving the dead over in his direction despite knowing the dead were completely blind.

Without much room to run, Johann quickly began to make his way up to the top of a parked news van before continuing to make noise by stomping his feet on the roof; whistling and shouting as more and more of 'Them' were drawn in like moths to a flame. However, the more that he drew in, the less likely he'd be able to stay up there without 'Them' simply tipping his only safe spot over.

"H-He's going to get himself killed! We have to do something," Rei said in both fear for Johann's safety and anxiousness; moving to assist him before suddenly being held back by her mother.

"You'd have to be insane to think I'd let you go over there," Kiriko expressed sternly despite seeing her words killing a part of Rei as she couldn't stand to just stand by while Johann practically sacrificed himself to buy them just a bit more time to escape.

"We might not be able to fight, but we can certainly distract the bastards," Marcus suddenly announced as he took off in another direction; doing the exact same thing by whistling and climbing atop one of the scattered vehicles in an attempt to divide the dead from overwhelming Johann's position.

Seconds later, a makeshift ladder was dropped below just high enough for the survivors to reach it. The group made sure to prioritize that Tadashi and Alice were first up, shortly followed by Shizuka as the others eagerly awaited to be extracted.

"What about them? Please tell me you've got a plan to get them out of there," Rei asked desperately as she was practically ready to go back down there to help them get out to safety.

"I've got these. Help me throw them around," the survivor that presumably was a part of Sho's group by his construction jumpsuit replied as he held up what looked like a small crate filled to the brim with light bulbs.

Knowing what he had in mind, the others quickly began to start lobbing them off; the glass bulbs shattering in volleys that soon caught the attention of some, but not all of the dead. Luckily for Johann and Marcus, it provided just a wide enough opening for them to get through the increasingly dense pack of 'Them' that had attempted to box them in. Marcus was the first to go up as Johann quickly followed, both astonished that they'd managed to make it.

"Too close! Way too close," Marcus gasped as he was completely out of breath, still astonished he'd made it out of that in one piece; looking up to see Johann peering back over the edge to see that roughly thirty of 'Them' now gathered where the ladder once was, each one groaning and reaching up as if expecting them to come down. Luckily for the survivors, the undead were incapable of finding another way in and instead just stood in place.

"Thanks for the assistance. Just who are you anyways?" Marcus asked once he noticed the unfamiliar face of their last minute savior.

"I'm Osamu, nice to meet you all. I take it you're the kids that keep visiting Isao-san and his grandson?" the man named Osamu asked with a welcoming grin while everyone else quickly and politely bowed in greeting.

"Well that depends on how many 'kids' you see doing that these days?" Marcus replied sarcastically, instantly earning an elbow from Noah as he quickly stepped forward upon realizing Frasier wasn't budging.

"What my brother means to say is we're very grateful for your help. Thank you, Osamu-san. I perish the thought of what could've happened if you didn't arrive," Noah piped in while Osamu brushed off the formality with a hearty laugh. Clearly he was just happy to see so many new faces.

"Don't worry about it. It's always good to see more live ones instead of the alternative. Let's just get back inside before more decide to show up," Osamu said as he didn't seem to be annoyed by Marcus' cheeky comment before motioning them to follow him through the stairwell.

Without any reason to argue, the group eagerly followed Osamu down into the main body of the mall; wandering through a maintenance tunnel before soon finding themselves back at the entrance plaza. Instantly they noticed piles of wooden furniture and several other large appliances placed alongside the front entrance in what looked like an attempt to barricade the place in much like their original setup at the hotel.

"Back so soon? What do you guys need this time?" Sho's voice suddenly announced as he could be seen standing on the second floor, speaking from the bridge.

"We...we need a place to stay," Takashi reluctantly answered as he just stared at Sho, whom seemed rather puzzled by that statement.

"What? The large, secluded, defendable hotel isn't enough for you?" Sho chuckled; uncertain what was really going on.

"It's gone. Burned to the ground just about two hours ago," Rika bluntly replied, showing no subtlety as she was straight to the point.

"What?" Sho muttered in disbelief, looking closer at them to see she wasn't joking; seeing as they had more supplies with them than they normally would've brought to just visit them again.

"You have got to be kidding me! Are you guys alright? Does this mean you only have what you brought with you as well?" Sho said in shock as he was visibly stunned by this turn of events.

"Barely. We have no food, little water, and just enough ammo to survive a small skirmish at best. Nothing more, nothing less," Kiriko answered; making it quite clear they were beyond desperate at this point.

"Unbelievable...I told you they'd screw this up somehow. I warned you that trusting a bunch of stupid kids was a bad idea," a woman's voice began to curse from behind Sho as he turned back to face her.

"Calm down, will ya? At least they're alright for the most part. We'll just have to make sure the one vehicle we have left is large enough to accommodate everyone that's going," Sho responded as he knew finger pointing wouldn't resolve anything.

"Perhaps I can lend a hand with-" Frasier suddenly offered as he finally spoke up; the others, excluding Saeko, finding it rather peculiar that he'd remained this silent up until now. However, Sho's friendly demeanor instantly turned to a sour gaze filled with contempt as he looked back down.

"Save it, I don't need anything from the likes of you. Just don't touch anything, asshole," Sho said in a clearly seething sneer; still furious over what happened not even twenty-four hours ago and storming off without giving the young lad a chance to defend himself.

"Jeez, who pissed in that guy's cereal?" Marcus whispered as even he felt that response was a bit harsh despite knowing how hard it could be to work alongside his elder sibling at times.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," Frasier briefly grumbled before falling silent again.

"Well, bless my old eyes, I didn't expect to see you all again so soon," the much-more welcomed familiar voice of Isao suddenly greeted them as he came slowly walking down the stairs with Kenji loyally staying by his side until locking eyes with Alice; at which point both kids excitedly bounded over to each other.

"We're sorry to keep bothering you like this, Isao-san," Takashi apologized before Isao brushed him off with a casual wave of the hand.

"Oh don't be so hard on yourselves, it's no bother at all. Honestly, those construction workers keep to themselves and focus on working so much, I might as well be by myself most of the time," Isao explained before his normally jovial expression grew more serious when he saw the lack of regular optimism on everyone's faces, and the noticeably larger supply of equipment they all had on them.

"We wouldn't ask something like this of you under any other circumstances, but we—" Marcus began to ask before Isao rendered him silent with one raised wrinkled hand as he took a deep, contemplative breath.

"Of course you're all welcome to stay here. With the world out there being what it is, how could I possibly turn good people like you away? My family did the same for those who'd lost their homes during the war, and it's only right I do the same," the kind old man immediately surmised as everyone felt a world's worth of weight lift from their shoulders that he was so understanding.

"We're grateful, Isao-san. Truly we are. If there's anything at all we can do to help—" Frasier started to offer before Isao firmly shook his head.

"I'm not some uncaring landlord, young man. You and your people are in trouble, and in troubled times like this, we need to look out for each other more than ever. And besides, I've never seen Kenji happier in these last few weeks than whenever you all come with that little girl of yours. How could I possibly deprive him of the only real friend he has left?" Isao explained with a strong hint of emotion upon mentioning his grandson, while everyone else looked to already see her and Kenji eagerly play with each other across the plaza.

"Excuse me, but you said those construction workers are busy working all the time? We couldn't help but overhear a couple of them talking about some vehicle they're putting together and possibly taking us with them," Marcus suddenly interjected; everyone else nodding in agreement, while unanimously hoping it had something to do with their Tokyo expedition.

"That's right. Ever since you told them about Tokyo possibly having shelter, Sho and his men have been working nonstop to get one of the shuttle busses in the garage down below outfitted for the trip. All the while we've been stockpiling what we can from the shops in the mall that might be useful, since we honestly don't know what to expect out on the road," Isao confirmed.

"Yes, I never got a chance to tell you all. The man who spoke to us from the bridge a minute ago, Sho, he's going to put together a second bus for us to take the trip as well," Frasier finally remembered to point out, and while everyone at first looked excited by the good news, they just as quickly looked a bit confused.

"Wait, he was just talking about ALL of us sharing the same vehicle with them. Why are you suddenly saying we're riding separate?" Noah asked worriedly once he saw the reluctant look on Frasier's face.

"Does that really matter? I like this idea better. We don't know those people, so I say we're better off in our own ride," Saya spoke up while Isao looked reasonably troubled by the sense of animosity.

"Does it have anything to do with why he got a stick up his ass the instant he saw you?" Marcus whispered curiously to Frasier, but the eldest Lawson just let out an irritated grunt and stormed off; no doubt to find anything to get his mind off the subject of those construction workers.

"Hey, grandpa, if they are getting their own bus, can we ride with them?" Kenji suddenly asked excitedly with Alice once they'd overheard the transport arrangements; to which Isao let out another amused chuckle before placing a firm hand on his grandson's shoulder.

"Well now, I can't think of any reason why not. I'm not sure when they'll be all finished, but once they are, we'll go with them if you really want to, Kenji," the old man confirmed; causing his grandson to nearly jump with excitement as he and Alice just as quickly took off running and laughing; leaving the rest of the group with an amused chuckle amongst themselves that quickly dissolved into being lost in their own thoughts.

A solution was there in front of them, but what could they possibly do to prepare in the meantime now that they had so little ammo and anything else?

Three Days Later…

Z-Day+22

The next three days had been…a challenge to get adjusted to, to say the least. Most of the group struggled to accept that they'd lost the hotel the first morning, and the entirety of the day had been spent struggling to collectively get back on their feet and formulate where to scavenge next; since they'd made a point of picking all the nearby place clean, with all those reaped rewards now going up in smoke.

The second day had thankfully managed to prove a little more productive, with a lucky break coming in the form of the discovery of an abandoned warehouse on a nearby dock that still had a healthy supply of preserved and canned foods and even some medical supplies; clearly a distribution center for any of the nearby markets, hospitals and pharmacies.

And the third day had at least allowed the majority of the group to become a little more familiar with Sho and his work crew as Noah and the rest of the boys; excluding Frasier for obvious reasons; had volunteered to try and help outfit the second bus as had been promised.

While things seemed to have slowly but surely been coming back together, there was still no denying that the group as a whole was still feeling very tense. Tadashi's wounds were still preventing him from being as active as everyone else, while at least still healing; and over the last couple days, Hitomi and Johann had become considerably distant from everyone else; from Marcus especially in the case of the former.

But amid all of this, what had really started this morning off with a bang was when Noah had proposed heading out to see what he could salvage from the remains of the hotel and anywhere else nearby.

"No way in hell are you going out there, Noah," Frasier had instantly declined as soon as the words had left his youngest brothers' mouth.

"Come on, Frasier, stop acting like I'm a little kid. You know for a fact I can shoot, and I know how the dead work, and on top of that we barbecued the majority of them; and I can stay quiet a lot better than you can," Noah tried to plead his case while the rest of the group was visibly trying to weigh the pros and cons.

"That doesn't matter. You and Marcus nearly got killed while I wasn't around, and if you think I'm letting you go out there by yourself, you're out of your damn mind," Frasier immediately snapped back, when Miku suddenly stepped forward.

"He's not going to be alone. I'm going to keep an eye out for him out there," she volunteered, only for Frasier to coldly blow her off with a disrespectful grunt.

"And I'm SURE AS HELL not letting YOU go out there with him. Now that's final, Noah. You are NOT going out there," the eldest Lawson declared as he began to storm away.

"Then what would you have us do, Frasier? You're most useful here while everybody still needs to come to a consensus on what else we need and where to go looking for it. Meanwhile I know the area around the hotel for several blocks better than the rest of us. I should know, I mapped it all out myself, you know that. And I know what places nearby we hadn't picked clean, and like I said, we're both fast and light on our feet. I know you don't like it, but I personally don't care; I'm not going to just sit here and basically do nothing just because you say so. And I don't care if you don't trust Miku, either. I trust her to have my back if we run into trouble out there. I'm going out there and I'm getting this done whether you like it or not."

The silence that hung over the rest of the group in the wake of Noah's open resistance was unbearable. At a point, everyone nearly thought Frasier was going to charge his brother and break his legs; especially if the barely restrained rage on his face while his back was turned to Noah was any indication.

"Fine, then. You think you're so grown up and able to look after yourself? You think I'm just being paranoid again, that I don't know what I'm talking about? Then go ahead and go out there and see what happens. Go ahead and take that bitch with you too. If you're such a big man now, then you'll surely be able to suck it up when she stabs you in the back and goes running off to her old people. Just don't come sobbing to me like a little brat when she does. Now go on," Frasier muttered with sheer venom before violently storming away up the escalator; leaving Noah, Miku and everyone else speechless that he would actually speak to his own brother like that, especially Marcus.

"You two should probably go. I'll try talking to him," Saeko instructed; prompting Noah and Miku to hesitantly nod in acknowledgment before Marcus handed them both two camping backpacks to load up with whatever they'd find.

With nothing left to be said, the two youths stepped out the glass doors after using one of the maintenance keys and pulling some of the barricade aside. Fortunately after three days, the crowd of undead that had gathered had lost interest and had gone wandering off once more; leaving them with only the scent of the morning air and complete silence.

"Are you okay, Noah-kun?" Miku asked concernedly once she saw the visibly hurt look on Noah's face.

"I'm fine. It's just Frasier I'm worried about. He's been acting so strange since we got here, and he won't tell me or anyone else why. It's like ever since that guy Sho spoke to him, something flipped," Noah tried to explain before he felt his girlfriend's tender hand on his shoulder.

"How about you? I can't imagine how hard it is having to listen to him talk about you like that," he then asked her in return while Miku let out a tired sigh.

"Honestly, I've come to accept your brother will NEVER accept me, and while he can be a real asshole when he's in moods like that, no offense, it doesn't mean that much to me. I just wish the rest of them could realize I'm with you all 100% now. I'm at least glad Marcus-kun knows that, and I think Alice-chan and maybe even Marikawa-sensei might know it too," she admitted while Noah brought a supportive arm around her waist in return.

"Well, we can worry about how to do that once we get back. How about we get this thing over with, huh?" Noah reassured her before motioning for them to get a move-on; and with an eager nod and smile, Miku quickly kept her pace with him as they crossed the parking lot and went further into the city.

Two hours passed without anything noteworthy happening to the two young survivors as they eventually made their way back to the hotel. They soon walked up to the smoldering ruins of what was once their beloved sanctuary. Ash and dust coated the street and the surrounding buildings as bits of brick and other rubble littered the foundation. Bits and shards of glass could be heard crackling under their feet as they walked up to the ruins. Several dozen pitch black corpses could be seen burned to a crisp and motionless amid the wreckage.

"What a bloody mess. I'm amazed the remaining dead in the city didn't come flocking here when this place came down," Noah commented ,mostly to himself; balancing himself as he boldly trotted over a pile of rubble before kicking it playfully; sending a single chunk of charred wood clean off from the main beam it was a part of.

"Noah, I have to ask you something. Do you really think it'll be any different at this quarantine zone we're going to?" Miku suddenly asked as she looked over to him with curious eyes while wringing her hands together nervously. Her tone and tendency to bring her eyes to the ground hinted that she harbored some serious doubts about their grand plan.

"What do you mean?" Noah asked back curiously.

"I know everyone's counting on it working out, but to me…i-it just seems like another disaster waiting to happen. Nothing the government or military has tried has worked so far. What makes you guys think this will work?" she clarified; prompting Noah to stop digging around in thought.

"Well...it's not like your concerns aren't valid. It is quite troublesome having a bunch of people in one spot. The more people there are, the easier it is for an outbreak to spread if someone were to get infected. Then there's the possibility of just how much of 'Them' a place like that might end up attracting over time," Noah replied as he couldn't help but see some points that were hard to ignore.

"That's what I'm saying! But it's not like it matters in the end. I doubt anyone in your group would listen to me anyway...hmm, I wonder if it would be possible to live out on the sea. I never have been on a boat before," Miku stated in emphasis before bowing her head at the pointlessness of bringing it up to the others; all before she caught sight of a broken picture frame on the ground with an image of a sailboat on it.

Before Noah could reply, a sudden chilling sensation up his spine stopped him dead in his tracks. He then began to slowly and carefully observe their surroundings. His blue eyes thoroughly scanned and surveyed every last detail he could find from the surrounding buildings. His breathing became short and silent as he had a horrid feeling deep down in his heart that made him realize this was more than just simple paranoia.

"What's wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost. Do you hear something?" Miku suddenly whispered concernedly as she set down the picture and quickly returned to his side.

"No, it's probably my imagination getting the better of me. Let's get going. This place is useless to us. Plus it leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Noah tried to shrug it off as he quickly ushered Miku to stick to him as he made a quick stride to get away from this place.

"Well, I can fix that bad taste in your mouth when we get back home," Miku whispered with a lewd grin on her face, but felt worried when noticing Noah's surprising lack of enthusiasm in regard to her suggestive innuendo.

Something clearly had him on edge, more than usual at least. As they began to walk away, she noticed he'd be sure to check every last window or alley they passed. A crow perched on a power line towering above began to caw when they drew too close before taking off; its wings flapping hard as they watched it soon vanish.

After traversing over an abandoned highway exit with cars piled all around it, they soon found themselves standing before a rundown hospital that surprisingly still seemed to have electricity; given by some of the faint lights that could be discerned through some of the windows. It had to have been from the backup generators being stored somewhere an EMP couldn't reach it.

"Noah, what are you thinking? What are we doing here?" Miku whispered as Noah began to walk up to the front doors; peering inside to scout for any signs of trouble.

"Two reasons. One: I'm almost certain this place should have plenty of the medical supplies we need to cover the trip. Two: don't panic, but I'm almost certain we're being followed. By whom I don't know, though I need to say now we can't go back until I know for sure we've lost them," Noah revealed in a hushed whisper. Miku felt a fearful chill develop in the pit of her stomach as her lover's recent silence finally made too much sense.

"Are you serious?! Do you think the dead are tracking us?" Miku asked in an even softer hush as she instinctively looked back over her shoulder.

"No, 'They' may follow the living, but 'They' aren't nearly as subtle or quiet about it. Whoever's following us is alive," Noah answered in grim certainty.

"Noah, I'm scared," was all Miku could bring herself to say before he looked over to her and protectively took her hand into his.

"Don't worry, Miku. I won't let them hurt you," Noah vowed as both his voice and protective gaze couldn't help but reassure her doubts. She formed a look of confidence in him before letting out a low sigh of relief.

"Okay…so what do we do now?" Miku then asked as she tried her best to not panic.

"Just follow my lead and act casual. We want them to keep thinking that we don't know what's really going on," Noah instructed before he stepped away from the windows and began to walk towards the two front doors. Both automatically opened up the instant he stepped on the mat.

"R-Right, casual. Well, lead the way then," Miku softly repeated to herself as she followed close behind him.

"Jesus Christ...what kind of nightmare was this place?" Noah muttered under his breath as he stopped to take in the sight before them.

Chairs were turned, flipped, and scattered all around the floor; papers littering almost every square inch as well. Only several of the overhead lights were still operating, and those that did, did so just barely as they flickered. A crackling static sound could be heard as an entire chunk of wall had somehow been broken off to reveal loose wires. The dried up blood stains eerily stood out most of all in contrast to the sterile white room. All that could be asked now was whether or not the former inhabitants of this place were still lingering deeper within the halls and operating rooms.

'Figures. A place with a high population like this during this outbreak must've been a massacre,' Noah realized to himself as he tried to remain focused.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Noah? Maybe we should just make a break for it," Miku suddenly suggested as she felt almost certain they could outrun whoever was stalking them back to the mall. However, Noah just shook his head in dismissal.

"We can't. I'll bet that's exactly what they want. They're probably trying to find out where the rest of our group is. They're counting on us to lead them right to the mall," Noah further explained as he seemed to have finally deduced the motivation of their mystery pursuers.

"Damn...I would've fallen for it too! So what do we do if we can't run? Perhaps if we try to wait them out?" Miku cursed for feeling so foolish, hating how useless she felt at this moment before quickly throwing out the only other idea that felt possible.

"The best thing we can do right now is focus on gathering more medicine and maybe some medical tools for Shizuka-sensei. Maybe we can find something in here to even the odds if we're lucky," Noah explained as he knew that they were completely alone on this one. His older brothers weren't going to be able to get him out of this mess this time.

Without another words, Noah took Miku's hand and quickly headed down the first hallway we could find. The silence of the hospital was so much more eerie than the silence of the outside. The place itself felt so much more claustrophobic; and just knowing that someone out there was watching and following them only made the nervous twisting in the young Brit's gut even worse.

Thankfully he managed to snap out of his mental reverie when he noticed a directory on the wall; his eyes quickly falling on one distinct room that thankfully looked to be just around a couple corners.

Continuing further on with a more confident stride in his step, Noah checked every open doorway they passed to make sure none of the dead were inside just waiting to pounce on the next unlucky sap to come strolling by. Fortunately it wasn't even a minute before Noah found the room he was looking for and quickly Miku inside with him before carefully shutting and locking the door.

He then turned around to reveal to his female companion the security camera hub for the entire hospital, with just barely over half the screens still projecting the different rooms of the hospital, with a good number of them containing a good number of 'Them' around from what he could see.

"Noah, what are we doing in here Shouldn't we be looking for supplies so we can get back before dark?" Miku asked as Noah was feverishly observing each room, what they were labelled as on each screen and trying to connect them to the glossary on the same exact floor plans that were put up on the wall of this room as well.

"I need to mark this all down first, Miku. This is a strange bit of good luck. I can mark down which parts of the hospital we can't go into and use that to help us narrow down where to look for the stuff we need," he eagerly explained to her as he was already hard at work scribbling everything he observed down on a nearby empty notebook on the desk.

Just when all seemed to be going smoothly, Noah looked up at the security monitor again to see ten people, all male, walking in through the front doors. Each one was armed with either a handgun or a shotgun. However, Miku was far more disturbed that she could recognize each and every one of them. Terror instantly filled her heart as she looked upon one in particular; noting his all-too familiar ponytail, soul patch and cold, sunken eyes.

"I know those people. T-they're a part of Shido's group..." Miku muttered in shock as she recognized the one man who had her complete attention as her beyond-wretched former step-father Mamoru; leaving her with a nearly vomit-inducing feeling of petrified terror in the pit of her stomach.

"Shit. Looks like they got tired of waiting," Noah sighed as he knew that it was only a matter of time before their pursuers would come forward; silently grimacing as he also quickly recognized one of them as his "favorite" loud-mouthed hair-trigger-tempered punk Tsunoda.

"What are we going to do? They'll kill you if they find us," Miku asked in a desperate and terrified whimper; more than certain that these people would take her back to Shido alive if they could for she could easily imagine what.

"It's okay, Miku, don't worry. They haven't found us yet. I'll handle this. I want you to just stay in here and don't open that door for any reason. Thankfully there's no window for them to peek inside of, but just to be safe, hide in the locker in the corner until I come back, okay? Do you understand?" Noah answered as he motioned her towards a nearby locker to stay safe inside of before carefully shutting her inside; trying his best to not look at the terrified but also despairing look in her orange eyes to know she couldn't do anything to help him yet again.

Truth be told, he absolutely hated the fact he'd be leaving her all alone to defend herself if anything actually DID happen to him out there. But desperately trying to return his focus to taking care of their unwelcome guests, he turned his attention to a nearby supply closet upon opening the office door just a crack.

A couple minutes later…

"Alright guys, remember that we want these two alive," Mamoru announced in a low hush as they began to enter deeper into the hospital with one man being left to watch the entrance.

"What? Fuck that, old man! I'm killing that limy cocksucker the moment I see him. I've got a score to settle with that little shit," Tsunoda instantly spat with sheer venom as just the thought of Noah brought his blood to a boil and his long-repressed bloodlust to an all-time high.

"Let's at least get some info out of him first. Remember, we need to find out where the rest of them are hiding," Mamoru stated firmly; the menacing look in his sunken eyes actually making the blonde-haired punk visibly back down.

"We already know they were holed up in that hotel before it burned down. They couldn't have gone too far if those two came here for medicine. Just don't be so quick to shoot, they might not be the only ones here," one of the other men suggested.

"Don't be such a little bitch. Any of the dead that were here should be long gone by now," Mamoru taunted before lightly punching the cautious man in the shoulder.

"Even if there are a few stragglers, we can handle it. These guns should be more than a match for two fucking teenagers and a couple of those undead shitbags. Okay, let's split up. We don't leave until we find them," he then announced before motioning them all to start patrolling the hallways in hopes of cornering their targets.

Minutes later on the first floor…

Noah slowly peeked around the corner to see three men wandering in his direction. While their trigger discipline seemed poor, those shotguns in such a tight hallway wouldn't give him a fighting chance. He looked back to see two swinging doors that led directly into the kitchen. With a plan in the back of his mind, he slowly retreated back into it to see it was completely untouched.

Knowing he had to get their attention, the young Brit took a nearby ladle resting on a rack before tossing it across the room and hurriedly finding a place to hide.

*clang*

A piercing echo rang out; immediately catching the attention of the three men as they hurried over to investigate the source of the noise. One of the men wearing a red bandana leaned down and picked up the ladle before forming a smug grin.

"You see? I told you idiots we were hot on their tracks," he gloated before lightly smacking one of the others in the stomach with it.

"Just shut up and start looking. He couldn't have gotten very far," the second one wearing a ski mask replied in an impatient growl as he motioned them to spread out.

Not wanting to waste time, they all split up and began to walk alongside the countertops and aisles trying to find more clues; hoping to corner Noah before he could give them the slip again.

"Come out; come out, wherever you are. The sooner we can get this over with, the better," the man in the ski mask announced as he watched for any sudden movements; ready for the young Brit to slip up.

Noah bit down on his tongue as his small frame allowed him to hide in one of the nearby ovens; having to remain absolutely still to avoid the metal from bending or shifting under his weight.

"I don't see him anywhere. This is hopeless," the survivor wearing the bandana announced as he rested his elbow against a stove.

"He couldn't have gotten out! There's only one exit here. Start looking in those ovens. The kid's pretty small, they looked small enough for him to fit inside," the ski mask-wearing survivor suggested from the exit as Noah instantly felt his heart racing harder than ever before. One by one, he could hear the neighboring ovens being pried open, each one louder than the last.

'Shit, have to come up with a plan now while there's still time,' Noah thought desperately as he knew he couldn't just sneak out now.

"A-ha," the man in the red bandana suddenly announced in declaration as he pulled on another oven door; the other two instantly rushing over when they heard the commotion.

"You found him?" the third man wearing a baseball cap backwards asked as he peered over to see.

"Better! I found someone's lunch! Fully preserved, too. Bet it's still good to eat," the one in the red bandana announced proudly as he pulled out what looked like a cup of ramen still in its packaging.

"You idiot! I thought you'd found him," the man wearing the ski mask shouted angrily as he slapped it out of his hands before stomping on it.

"Hey! I was going to eat that, you dumb fuck," the bandana-wearing survivor protested.

"You'll be eating my fucking fist if you don't stop messing around. Now get back to it," was all the ski mask could declare in anger as he kicked the door to the very oven Noah was in, before storming off to guard the exit again.

The tension soon wore down as Noah peeked out just enough to see things were now clear for the time being. He then began carefully edging his way out; cringing every time he made a sound. He could only resort to crawling along the tiled floor as he went low enough to look under the rows of aisles to see where the others were currently walking.

When one started moving his way, he carefully navigated around them and narrowly avoided crossing paths; all the while completely unaware of his sweat leaving behind a somewhat noticeable trail wherever he went.

"Hey? What in the hell is this?" the red bandana asked loud enough for Noah to hear as the young lad looked back only to realize he could actually use this to his advantage.

"Stupid bastard is just leading me right to him," the red bandana chuckled in a soft whisper before wandering straight into the large area that appeared to be the freezer.

"Oh right, like I'm gonna fall for that one," he said before walking back into a pot that was placed behind him while he stood there debating on whether or not to go into the freezer.

The sudden feeling around his foot startled the man enough to the point he lost his balance and started knocking over several pots and pans; each one causing a loud booming echo to startle everyone in the room. In his momentary panic, he pointed the shotgun in a random direction and pulled the trigger.

*Bkoom*

A single shotgun blast sent multiple utensils flying across the kitchen as several plates shattered from the heavy impact. The other two survivors looked over to see what happened; keeping an eye out for Noah as they jogged over.

"What the hell are you doing? You're wasting ammo! Don't shoot unless you actually see them," the ski mask instructed when he realized it was just a knee jerk reaction instead of their friend actually finding their target. Soon it was deathly silent again as they realized standing around yelling at each other wouldn't accomplish anything.

"Wait...do you hear something?" the bandana asked as he could've sworn he heard a whistling noise now that they'd stopped talking.

"It's probably just another trick! Just ignore it and keep looking," the ski mask said angrily as he began storming across the aisle at his wits end; stopping dead in his tracks when he saw a small lone figure standing in the doorway.

"Looking for little old me?" Noah asked tauntingly; watching them instantly spin around to see that he was now standing at the exit. Each one was hesitant to draw their weapons; watching to see what he'd do next since he seemed so confident of himself, far more than any man should be in his position.

"Stupid little dipshit! He could've left without us knowing," the bandana announced as he took aim for the youngest Lawson; the other two quickly doing the same.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Noah suddenly suggested in a more serious tone as he began to point towards the ovens; prompting the man in the ski mask to lean over the counter, his brown eyes widening at the sight of missing gas caps.

Before he could even consider stopping his more impatient associates from making another move, a single shot rang out, only for the entire kitchen to instantly burst into flames thanks to the discharge from the shotgun. Noah ducked around the corner just in time to avoid being pelted as he could feel the intense heat even from where he stood.

The foolish baseball cap man that fired the shotgun and the one wearing the red bandana were killed near instantly from the blast; each one blown to pieces as their ammo went off prematurely from the intense heat. However, the survivor in the ski mask was unfortunate enough to survive. His screams of agonizing pain could be heard drawing nearer and nearer as he came running out of the kitchen in flames only to dash past Noah and smack straight into a wall. A low alarm then began to ring as emergency sprinkles turned on shortly after, slowly dowsing the flames long after he'd fallen dead.

"Well I did warn you, didn't I? Okay, three down, seven to go," Noah said to himself as he shrugged his shoulders. Knowing there was no use lingering around since none of their weapons would be of any use to him now; instead running off to set up another trap for these people.

Just as soon as the words had left his mouth though, he rounded a corner only to suddenly come face to face with three other men coming down the opposite end of the hall. They all four froze as Noah hadn't expected to run into more so quickly. With a sudden jolt of energy, he bolted back the way he came as several pistol shots echoed out; pelting the wall where he just stood.

"Come on, don't let that little fucker get away," he could hear the men shouting behind him as Noah desperately rounded corner after corner; not even noticing a nearby mop lying on the floor before it tripped him up and sent him skidding across the floor.

Ignoring the ringing in his head from the hard impact, Noah scrambled back onto his feet and ran for the nearest double doors he could find; only to feel his anxious breathing vanish the instant he found himself staring into a hallways full of 'Them' that all unanimously turned in his direction the instant he opened the doors.

"I heard him fall; he can't have gotten too far! Come on, he's gotta be hiding in there," The first of the three pursuing men called out as they hopped over the precarious mop handle and noticing the double doors. With a furious kick, they sent the doors flying open and blindly charged in, only for all three to come to a grinding halt the instant they saw the mob of nearly two dozen of the dead.

Their previous bravado instantly vanished as their minds momentarily went blank on what to do, at least until they suddenly heard the sound of the double doors slamming shut behind them.

Acting on what had to be the most desperate last second thinking he'd ever had, Noah had thought to hide in the corner behind one of the double doors once he'd heard the three men closing in, and as soon as he knew they were in the hall, he'd quietly slipped out from his hiding place and pulled the doors shut; even thinking to slip the mop through the door handles, and none too soon either as the desperate screaming and pounding at the door followed almost instantly before multiple gunshots starting blasting from inside.

But after barely a minute, the gunshots stopped altogether and the screams grew more and more agonizing and horrific as the three men were hopelessly torn apart just on the other side, with Noah being forced to listen to it all as he desperately held the door closed; only moving away once he was sure the dead had taken all three of them out. Fighting the urge to vomit deep in his stomach, Noah wasted no time heading wherever else he had to, to take care of the last four of these assholes.

Several minutes later on the fifth floor

"So what do you think that exploding sound was? Didn't sound good to me," a man wearing glasses asked softly, unnerved by the recent rumbling from downstairs before all went silent afterwards.

"Yeah, I heard it. Who knows what it was? Just stay sharp and keep quiet. I bet this place is also crawling with those biters," replied his associate in a turtleneck; who was far more focused and ready for anything than his timid counterpart.

"It looked pretty clear coming in though," the man in glasses brought up nervously; none too keen on being in a building full of 'Them' that he couldn't see.

"Maybe, but I hear sometimes the dead will get left behind from the moving hordes and just wander buildings they were in when they turned," his partner replied; not even noticing the way his bespectacled partners' face went pale.

Suddenly, before anymore words could be exchanged, the cables to the nearby elevator began to creak; draw the attention of the two survivors. Upon investigating, they soon stumbled across the suspicious sight of one of the elevator doors being left wide open; almost as if inviting them to come check it out for themselves.

"You see that? I bet that punk is in the elevator shaft trying to sneak out," the turtleneck man suggested as he suddenly took off and darted for the open passage in an attempt to jump out for the cable.

However, at the last few steps, he failed to notice a puddle of cleaning soap had been spread out, making the marbled floor especially slippery. The glasses-wearing man could only watch in horror as his friend lost control of his balance and tumbled straight over the edge.

*thud* *crack*

"AAAAAH! FUCK, FUCK, FUCKING FUUUCK! AAAH! OH FUCK! MY FUCKING LEGS!" instantly came echoing up the elevator shaft shortly after that stomach-turning splat and crack.

"Holy shit, man! Are you okay?!" the glasses man called out as he rushed over, careful to slowly move with extreme caution when approaching the now obvious trap that was lying in wait across the floor. He peered over the edge to see both of his comrade's legs twisted like pretzels.

"Oh my God, oh my God," the terrified man began to mumble to himself in pain-induced shock, barely able to hold in his own sick when he could see bits of bone jutting out of the shins. Back on the fifth floor, the glasses man was completely unaware of one of the doors slowly being opening up beside; far too focused on his cursing partner down below.

"Just stay put, I'll go get help," the panicking man said in a rush; turning around just in time to come face to face with an undead woman in a bloody hospital gown that spared no time sinking her teeth into his throat before he could even scream.

'What the fuck is he doing up there?' was all the crippled survivor could think; clenching his teeth as it was a constant struggle to not shout out from the agonizing pain. Looking straight up the shaft, he could see a single arm hanging over the side before it suddenly came falling straight down at him, landing just beside his busted legs.

"What the...?" was all the man could mutter before both his eyes went wide when realizing this was the left arm to the man he was just talking to a moment ago. There weren't even any screams or anything to tell him he was in trouble.

"No...NO! I can't die in here! Not like this," the severely wounded survivor bellowed out as several heads looked over before an all too familiar groan could be heard echoing down the shaft.

Without waiting for the dead to mindlessly walk over the edge and crush him from the fall, the man agonizingly crawled towards the emergency hatch to the elevator and opened it up, only to be looked up upon by several of 'Them' that had been trapped inside. All of 'Their' arms and hands stretched out as if actually expecting him to come down. He just looked back and forth realizing he was completely and utterly doomed now, with no chance in hell to escape.

"F-Fuck this, man...FUCK ALL OF IT! YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES CAN ALL BURN IN HELL," was all he could cry out in defiance as he pulled his pistol from its holster and swiftly jammed the barrel into his own mouth and pulled the trigger with a resounding BANG.

Meanwhile, Noah was crawling through an air duct; making sure to move without causing the metal surface to pop and alert anyone; knowing he had to get back to Miku before they found her first. Just as he was above the room he left her in, he looked in shock to see the door was wide open and so was the locker he'd told her to hide in. Sounds of struggle could suddenly be heard from another room down the hall, but he couldn't see anything from where the vent was. Without delay, he crawled over a few more feet before kicked out the worn out grate and landing on the floor to an operating room; arriving just in time to see Miku being held tight by Mamoru against the wall.

"Miku," Noah cried out as he stood on the opposite end of the room, both fists clenched as he could see Mamoru keeping a pistol pressed up against the back of her neck the moment he spoke out; holding her in front like a human shield.

"Back off! Take one more step and I swear the last thing you'll see of her is her brains all over the wall," Mamoru warned as it was clear he was being serious.

Noah did as he was told and held both hands up while desperately trying to come up with a plan on the spot. He couldn't let Miku down when he was so close to getting them out of here.

"You seem like the gambling sort. Care to make a wager?" Noah suddenly asked; catching both Miku and Mamoru off-guard.

"Huh?! Why the fuck would I do that when I have all the cards here? What could you possibly have to offer me?" Mamoru asked in both anger and confidence.

"Because you don't have this," Noah suddenly announced triumphantly as he held up a square card with a lanyard attached to it.

"What the hell is that supposed to be?" Mamoru asked as he squinted his eyes; trying to discern what the young man was holding up.

"It's a key card, genius. I managed to swipe it off one of the corpses downstairs. I've locked us in this hospital and there's no way out unless you think you can survive a several story drop and make it home in one piece," Noah explained as Mamoru seemed absolutely terrified by the possibility he was trapped in here now lest he play along.

"W-What?! You're crazy! There's dead all over here and you just locked us in here with them?" Mamoru growled as he shook his head in disbelief at how suicidal this plan of Noah's seemed.

"So I take it you'll accept my wager then?" Noah said with a sly grin as it seemed like Mamoru himself realized that saying no wasn't an option anymore.

"Heh, alright, if you're so insistent on dying today, then go right ahead. What's the game?" Mamoru chuckled out of slight amusement.

"We both have pistols, yes? So fastest draw wins. Winner goes home without being filled with lead and gets the lovely lady too. Unless you're afraid of a fourteen-year-old that is," Noah explained before making sure to taunt and belittle Mamoru to throw off his focus.

"What kind of stupid bet is that? This isn't the Wild West, you stupid American," Mamoru snapped as he suddenly pointed his handgun towards Noah, only for the young Brit to grin before he drew his sidearm even faster and managed to blast Mamoru's trigger finger clean off; the gunshot ringing all across the hospital.

"Ooowwaaaaaaaaahh! You son of a-" Mamoru howled as he instantly dropped the gun and lost his grip on Miku, whom viciously elbowed him in the ribs before she sprinted to Noah's side.

"For the record, I'm British; and now all the cards are in my hand. I win," Noah said with a victorious ring to his words, honestly amazed himself that his aim was so spot on.

"You actually did it! I don't know how you, but you did it! That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen," Miku said with absolute delight and amazement in his heroic display of courage and skill.

"I'm not done yet," was all Noah said before brushing past her; acting like she wasn't even there.

"Huh?" both Miku and Mamoru said out of confusion before Noah approached the injured man and struck him across the face unexpectedly. Bits of teeth scattered onto the floor as he went back in and began to viciously bash Mamoru across the face with one brutal punch after another.

"I finally get what Frasier's been trying to tell me. Sometimes not everyone can be saved. Sometimes you have to do the dirty work to make sure someone you care about doesn't have to," Noah began to announce his personal revelation before kicking at Mamoru's kneecap; causing him to shout out in pain before taking a knee to the nose, the impact instant shattering the cartilage.

"So many innocent people died when this all happened, yet a piece of shit like YOU survived? Unacceptable," Noah rambled as Miku stood there, frozen in total shock at the carnage on display before her; trembling in her shoes as she was at a near loss for words to see Noah become so vicious and violent.

"W-What are you gonna do?" she asked weakly, unable to even look now as he grabbed a scalpel from the nearby countertop.

"Look at it this way: I'm the doctor, and people like him are a cancer that infects this Earth. So now I make the decision to operate, cutting the cancer out entirely," Noah responded in an all too chilling sigh of certainty as he began to look at Mamoru with malicious intent; slowly tracing the tip along his nose before suddenly slicing upwards at the inside of one of his nostrils.

"You can't...I'm unarmed..." Mamoru tried to beg as broken bits of teeth rattled around in his mouth; bleeding across his face and stump of an index finger.

"You'll learn the real meaning of 'unarmed' by the time I'm through with you," Noah said in an unsettling tone as he continued to approach the cornered Mamoru; only stopping when he felt Miku's arms wrapping around him from behind, leaving him momentarily stunned when he realized what she was doing.

"Stop it, Noah! This...this isn't you! This isn't the boy I fell in love with," Miku suddenly cried out as her tears started soaking the back of his shirt as Noah was still breathing hard from the adrenaline and testosterone surging through his system.

"Let me go, Miku. It's the only way to make sure he never hurts anyone else again," Noah practically growled as his fists only clenched tighter; his muscles starting to flex as if he was trying to get Miku to back off without laying a hand on her.

"Please! Don't do this, Noah! He isn't worth you turning into the very thing you hate. Let's just go," Miku continued to plead in tears as she trembled all over.

"But what about all the things this monster has done to you? I remember all too well what you told me! Does all that suffering he put you through mean nothing now?" Noah demanded to know. He would've sworn that Miku more than anyone else on the planet would want to see this pedophilic rapist scum dead and buried.

"Oh believe me; I will NEVER forget what this piece of shit has done to me...but I'd never forget you throwing your humanity away either! Especially over someone as worthless as me," Miku admitted; her voice ringing with raw emotion as she glared at Mamoru with utter contempt, hatred and disgust after the hell he put her through; her more than justified anger slowly turning into a more regrettable and saddened tone.

"Is this what you truly want?" Noah finally asked; almost sounding hurt as he felt pain from the conflict in his heart. He wanted to listen to Miku and do what she wanted, yet a part of him wanted Mamoru to suffer in unholy pain for what he did to the girl the young Brit loved.

"What I truly want right now is to go home with my man and forget about this crappy day, to make sure we'll still be together tomorrow and every day after that. So c'mon, let's go," Miku answered as she made it crystal clear that Mamoru was no longer worth their time or trouble.

Noah simply scowled at Mamoru before eventually giving in and walking away as he tossed the scalpel aside; knowing that in the end, revenge on her behalf would change nothing. He knew that if he allowed himself to fall into such an abyss of rage and hatred, there was a good chance he wouldn't be able to escape from it. A part of him now wondered how Frasier handled such feelings when deciding between life and death so seamlessly.

"Pathetic..." Mamoru suddenly announced under his breath as he looked up at them with an all too cocky grin behind his wide-eyed stare.

"I knew you didn't have the balls to finish me off; that you were too scared to make a real man's decision when you had the chance! But best of all, I know it's also because she wouldn't let you do it," Mamoru exclaimed between his almost hysterical laughs.

That's right...little Miku-chan is still daddy's little girl. Even after all these years, she still knows who's in charge. She'll never forget what we went through together. She'll do ANYTHING daddy asks her to do to keep him happy…just like the good little whore she was and still is," Mamoru taunted with a sickening grin as Noah clenched both fists, the rage and blind anger blazing inside him making it near impossible to resist not bashing this disgusting excuse for a man's head into a bloody pulp. He then unholstered his pistol and turned the safety off.

"Call her a whore one more time…please," Noah demanded as he raised the handgun back up, pointing it right between those tired, hateful sunken brown eyes from across the room.

"Or what, you're gonna shoot me in the face? You can't fool me twice, kid; we already know you aren't going to do shit! Just wait till the others get here," Mamoru said confidently; calling out what could only be presumed to be a bluff.

"They won't be coming," the youngest Lawson muttered bluntly as he just stared Mamoru down. His face was impossible to read as a sullen silence filled the room.

"What? N-no, you're bluffing! No way were they all done in by a little brat...that's bullshit..." Mamoru denied; completely dumbfounded at the thought of someone as young and small as Noah being capable of such things.

"I'm sure that's what they thought too at first. At least, before the dead tore them all apart thanks to me," Noah retorted as he couldn't help but recall the blood-curdling screams those men made as they were eaten alive.

At first Mamoru was silent, stunned at the very least by the unexpected news, as well as the cold realization that he was all that was left. However, he then couldn't help but let out a chuckle that admittedly put off both survivors as they gave him mixed looks of suspicion and concern at what he could possibly be laughing about.

"Heh, to think I thought you were just a spineless pussy...well, you may have killed all of those losers, but you won't be so lucky when the rest of our guys find you," Mamoru chuckled softly before coughing violently after his severe beating; still confident that at least Shido's group would succeed where they failed.

"This toothless dog is done for. Let's go before it's too late," Miku sighed as she knew they weren't going to make it if they wasted any more time with this scumbag.

"Right," Noah acknowledged as he began to follow her towards the door, finally ready to leave this place once and for all.

"Is that it then? Well fine! Go ahead and run! Just a limy faggot and his worthless, little slu-" Mamoru began to wail out in anger only to stop when a sudden gunshot rang out.

Mamoru let out a horrified yelp of pain as blood seeped out the fresh hole in his pants between his thighs. Noah meanwhile looked in wide-eyed shock as Miku had, with almost surgical precision and swiftness, swiped his pistol from his hand and shot Mamoru right in his crotch with one shot.

"Don't you EVER talk about him like that! He's more of a man than you and any of those other assholes put together," Miku growled out of spite and disgust before spitting on the floor in Mamoru's direction while he feebly and pathetically squirmed on the floor, in too much pain to even scream.

"Y-You shot me in the...in the..." Mamoru gasped as he was mortified and in a freezing shock before the pain all at once finally caught up to him.

"Did I now? Well, that's quite a shot then. What with it being such a small target and all," Miku taunted as Mamoru stopped feeling sorry for himself long enough to focus his anger on the young girl; Noah meanwhile standing back. This was many years-worth of trauma-induced cathartic vengeance she more than deserved to enact, and God forbid he deprive her of that.

"You think you're so fucking funny?! I'll fucking give you something to fucking laugh at! Just you wait till I get my fucking hands on you, you little fucking cunt," Mamoru snarled before glaring up at Noah and Miku, who just stood there shaking their heads.

"Something tells me that's not going to be happening anytime soon," Noah sarcastically remarked as Miku handed him the gun, slipping it back into the holster at his hip after flicking the safety on.

"I won't kill you. I'm better than killing an unarmed man. However, I'm not inclined to save you either," Noah declared as he began to make his way for the exit, before a resonating sound of multiple hands clawing and pounding at the door began echoing throughout the room.

"Oh shit, I forgot all about 'Them'. What do we do now?" Miku realized all too late while Noah kept looking between the vent, the door and Mamoru's squirming form on the floor. All at once, a grim idea suddenly occurred to him.

"It's too risky for the two of us to try the vents, it might not be able to hold our combined weight. But…I can't believe we've always overlooked this," Noah said mostly to himself before looking Miku in the eyes.

"'They' can't see us even if we're just inches in front of them. They're drawn to noise only. If we stay absolutely quiet, 'They' won't attack us," Noah explained, and Miku almost instantly got where he was going with this, but didn't look any more enthusiastic.

"You're suggesting we go through 'Them'? Are you crazy?" she asked in a hushed whisper once she realized the dead could probably hear their every sound through the walls.

"Specifically, we let 'Them' in, hide behind the doors, wait for the majority of 'Them' to get through, and then we make our way out," Noah further elaborated, and he could practically see the wheels turning in Miku's head as she seemed to be desperately trying to think of an alternative…at least until her eyes landed on Mamoru again; and the instant their gazes locked, his face went pale with what must've been going through her head.

"If we do this…I need to watch," Miku suddenly stated, with Mamoru's expression growing utterly horrified while Noah just looked concerned.

"Miku, are you sure? You shouldn't have to force yourself to—" Noah tried to protect before Miku placed her hands on his shoulders and forced him to look into her orange eyes as they began to well with tears.

"That…animal ruined my life…took every bit of happiness I had, every ounce of love I had for myself…all before I met you. You don't know the kind of pain and suffering he's caused me. Don't try to talk me out of this, Noah. I need to know for a fact with my own eyes he's dead and gone forever. I. NEED. TO. SEE. THIS," she proceeded to explain between choking down her sobs while Noah felt his heart wrenching in sympathy for her. Finally, he took a deep breath and gave her an understanding nod before reaching for one of the door handles.

"No, no, no, no, don't do this! You don't have to do this! Please, you can't do this to me, it's not right! Please, I'm begging you, don't leave me like this," Mamoru instantly began to plead and beg as Miku grabbed the other handle, and on a silent count of three, they both turned the deadbolts and pulled the operating room doors open; instantly letting in a veritable wave of 'Them' inside as 'They' all began making a beeline for the bloodied, prone pedophilic scum.

"Come back! Don't leave me here! Get back here," Mamoru demanded as he reached out only to keel over in agonizing pain; groaning as the blood began to pool around him. Through his rage and pain-induced tears, he looked up to just barely see Noah and Miku watching him intently from between the shambling forms of the dead as 'They' quickly began to converge on him from all sides.

"Please...?" was all that could then be heard, not in a violent outrage but in a soft, lonely whimper. Soon the sound of him grunting as he tried to crawl away was swiftly buried amongst the hungered groans and growls that soon filled the room before it was pierced by a chilling scream of agony as multiple bony claw-like hands began digging into every inch of Mamoru's body 'They' could get a grab of.

Miku and Noah both tried to keep the bile rising in their throats down as they soon heard the sound of a sickening squishing sound as the dead tore Mamoru's entire torso wide open through his back; easily snapping his spinal cord in half before struggling to rip it out with his ribcage still attached, while others eagerly tore out a multitude of his organs with it; the stench of it all nearly making the two youngsters heave where they stood. And it was all topped with the sight of the dead tearing the lips from Mamoru's face but also flat-out ripping his entire upper jaw right off his head with a sickening snap!

Unable to bear watching this horrific feasting for a second longer, Noah desperately turned to Miku, who while looking just as disgusted, also had a very grim and serious look in her eyes. She NEEDED to see this, and now that she had, now that she knew that monster was well and truly dead and gone for all time, there was a semblance of…acceptance, even peace on her face.

"Okay…I'm alright. Let's go," she finally gave the okay as the two quietly slipped out of the operating room; making a beeline for the lobby.

Miku and Noah stopped just long enough to compose themselves after such a soul crushing moment. The young Lawson was still coming to terms not only with how he nearly lost control of himself back there, but also how he chose to stay with Miku while watching for truly the first time how the dead could truly tear a human being apart. How those more twisted emotions as he wailed on that rapist piece of shit felt so wrong but also felt so right. He was truly stunned at how at the flip of a switch, he'd essentially become as blood thirsty as Frasier had been.

"Was that really the right thing to do? I understand why, but you still didn't have to force yourself to see all that," Noah suddenly asked in a soft hush as Miku still looked to be fighting back the urge to puke from that beyond-grotesque display.

"He got what he deserved, and I didn't want you to lose yourself over me by killing him yourself. I'm not worth you losing what makes you such a brave and special young man," Miku said in a weak sigh as she placed her hand alongside his cheek, hoping he'd soon just rationalize this as he always would and let it go.

"You have a point...it was all your call anyway, and I should respect that. I'm sorry," Noah reluctantly accepted as he couldn't find the strength argue with her on this. Not when all that mattered was what she wanted after all this.

"Don't be. He isn't getting out of here, alive or dead," Miku said reassuringly.

"I suppose you're right," Noah sighed as he couldn't help but cringe at the memory.

"Of course I'm right. I'm always right," Miku said with a cheekier smirk on her pretty face as Noah found himself thankfully smiling again.

"Is that a hint of cockiness I detect?" he asked sarcastically with a curious grin.

"Speaking of that-" Miku began to say with a lewd, mischievous grin as they stopped before the revolving door; giving Noah a firm squeeze around his sides before gently pulling him closer.

Just moments before he could move in for a kiss, Noah grasped Miku's shoulders and shoved her aside as a figure from the corner of his eyes rushed at them.

"Gotcha," Tsunoda suddenly announced as he sprung out from behind the receptionist's desk, and tackled Noah to the ground. The young Brit was completely caught off guard as his eyes widened at the sound of a knife being unsheathed.

"So glad to see you! How have you been? Have you seen this knife?! No? Here! Take a closer look, motherfucker," Tsunoda began to question frantically as he pinned Noah's arms beneath his legs and pushed down with all his strength; trying to stab the tip directly into Noah's left eye.

"I'll pass," was all the young Lawson could say before managing to move his head to the side, feeling a sharp pain running down his cheek as blood gently trickled past the edge of the blade before it clanged against the floor. Before Tsunoda could react, he suddenly felt a sharp pain of his own when he turned to see Miku jammed a scalpel from a nearby spilled surgical tray into his shoulder blade.

"Agh! You fucking bitch," was all Tsunoda could cry out before forming a fist and backhanding Miku across the face; sending her back against the desk as he went back to focus on finishing off Noah, only to be kicked back as he watched the fired up young man breathing hard as he wiped the warm blood from the gash on his cheek.

"This has been such a long time coming. After you blindsided me, I've wanted nothing more than to see you bleed like the little bitch you are," the crazed punk taunted as he licked the knife with Noah's blood on it; taking great pleasure in his rival's pain.

"Not my fault you're a pussy that relies on sucker punches to win a fight," Noah replied as he then drew out his own knife and began to twirl it between his fingers; Tsunoda's confidence visibly waning as he realized how much sharper and sturdier Noah's blade was in comparison to his crappy knockoff brand excuse of a knife.

"Fuck it, I don't need a knife to kick your ass," Tsunoda grumbled before tossing his blade aside; half expecting Noah to do the same.

"Was about to suggest the same thing," Noah naturally said, setting his knife aside; completely unaware of the second knife in Tsunoda's back pocket.

Without warning, Tsunoda drew his secondary weapon and rushed Noah, only to then slip head over heels when the young Brit reached back and tossed a jar full of pens where his attacker was going to step next. All Noah did next was step aside with his arm outstretched; causing Tsunoda to stumble forwards only to unexpectedly charge right back into him.

Both survivors crashed against the desk. Tsunoda dropped his blade but soon found himself on top of Noah, his hands tightly grasped at his throat.

"How does it feel, asshole? I don't know if people turn when they die regardless of getting bit, and frankly I don't give a shit. If they do, it means I can kill you twice! If not, I'll still have fucking killed you," Tsunoda taunted as he squeezed harder and could see Noah's face turning red. Noah meanwhile desperately reached around behind himself to find something, anything to even the odds.

"Any minute now your windpipe will collapse and you'll die with your lungs on fire as she watches it all. What do you have to say to that tough guy?" Tsunoda taunted as he slowly began to reach for his knife to slit Noah's throat with.

"You seem...tense...take this and relax. Doctor's orders," Noah barely croaked before suddenly jamming something into the side of Tsunoda's neck.

"Ahh...w-what? What...did you...do to me?" Tsunoda began to mutter in confusion as he began to feel the spot the needle was injected had already become numb, his words soon reduced to a series of dopey slurs. His entire system soon was under the effects to the point he could hardly standup at all, let alone walk straight.

Noah normally would capitalize on this opportunity, but couldn't now that he had to use both hands to keep back the sudden undead nurse that had come shambling into the lobby; grunting profusely in struggle as he was just moments away from being bitten by another undead man that had come into the lobby through the revolving door.

*Fwoosh*

Without warning, Miku suddenly came just in time with a fire extinguisher in hand; spraying both Noah and 'Them' alike, the two undead suddenly letting go and taking a wild swing for her as if infuriated that she was interrupting the moment. Miku let out a surprised yelp before jumping out of the way and dropping the heavy extinguisher on the floor.

*Clang*

Just before two creatures could grab a hold of Miku, Tsunoda blindly stumbled between the two; not even flinching a muscle as he was tackled to the hard floor and instantly had a set of teeth ripping into his right arm. Miku staggered back before looking to Noah, who motioned her to remain silent as the revolving door beside him began to spin. Before their eyes, more of 'Them' poured into the room within moments of her dropping that extinguisher.

Luckily, 'They' showed zero interest in Noah or Miku as Tsunoda was the only one making noise at this point. Horrid sounds of flesh being mangled and torn could be heard as his blood splattered across the faces of his killers. Even Noah once more had a hard time keeping himself from puking as they both watched in both disgust and horror as Tsunoda's stomach was dug into only for his entire torso to be torn wide open, revealing his innards before they were violently torn out by the impatient creatures feasting upon him. Noah could only guess the morphine shot he'd injected into his neck was the only reason Tsunoda wasn't screaming in agony.

"Aha...ahaha! Hahaha," was all that could be heard amid the carnage. Noah and Miku watched in dead silence as Tsunoda was torn to shreds; completely unaware of his own demise despite it unfolding right on top of him; laughing gently until an undead man in a bloody surgeon coat jammed its fist into his mouth and viciously ripped his tongue out.

Miku simply glared at the remains, or what little there was, of her former excuse for a friend. She didn't cry or scowl. The teen girl simply just stood and watched as within moments he couldn't even be recognized anymore. She then felt Noah's hand take hers; motioning her to move on as now was not the time to be lingering.

More and more of 'Them' poured into the room to join in on the feeding frenzy. Both survivors remained quiet and just casually brushed past the foul creatures; holding hands tight as eventually they navigated past the worst of the horde within the hospital. Such horrors could be seen as entire waves of these grey skinned monsters roamed freely; wheezing and sighing as if speaking to one another. Even the way 'They' walked was a bizarre sight considering most just limped with one foot dragging against the floor.

Without a moment to spare, Noah and Miku soon found themselves standing outside in the most welcoming sunlight; the scent of fresh air never sweeter than it was right now. Miku then glanced over at Noah, whom simply stood there reflecting on what just happened; knowing that after today, nothing would be the same for him. He then turned his gaze to her and simply formed that heartwarming smile that always got her blushing.

"Let's go home," was all he could say before gently kissing her forehead, a strong sense of conviction in his words as it was clearer than ever before to Miku that she made the right choice in the end by choosing to follow him that fateful day.