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.

17. Chapter 17: Picking Up the Pieces Part 1

Tokonosu City, Japan

Z-Day+22

In spite of the clear refuge the mall had proven to be for the group, none of them could deny that their close call when losing their home at the hotel still weighed heavily on all of them, some more visibly than others. While the friendly company of Isao, Kenji and Sho and his crew to an extent, the much more wide open spaces of the mall didn't provide the same sense of personal security that the hotel did; and the realization of how foolish they'd been to think they'd outsmarted the dead stuck with them more than anything else.

It was nearing sundown as Takashi stood before the barricades at the front entrance; peering through the small gaps, feeling his throat dry up every time he'd catch a glimpse of 'Them'shambling by. Truth be told, Takashi was shaken more than pretty much the rest of the group to realize that if only a few of 'Them' were to be riled up, 'They' could easily break through. As he continued to stand watch, the rest of the group took notice and began to walk over to see how he was doing. Luckily he'd suffered no further blackouts as of lately; a dim sliver of hope things were turning around for them at last.

"Don't worry, Takashi-kun. We'll be out of here soon enough," Saeko said reassuringly; remaining as ever calm and composed as always. In the wake of everything that had happened to them up to this point, how she could remain this way puzzled the others, but her confidence was certainly a welcome change of pace. Takashi simply smirked at her as he took one of her hands to silently express his gratitude.

"Well, that day can't come soon enough. I don't know about the rest of you, but I hate feeling so trapped in here," Saya interjected; crossing her arms as she impatiently tapped her feet while looking outside through the gaps.

"The fact we got literally backed into a corner back at the hotel doesn't exactly help the mood either," Hirano added; recalling the fear he felt while being trapped in such close quarters with the undead; never feeling truly as helpless as he did when forced to run.

"Exactly; we can't let that happen again," Saya agreed; snapping her fingers as she pointed at him as if it wasn't painfully obvious to the others already.

"Even if we do make it out of here, we still can't be sure about... you know..." Rika then muttered softly before stopping to look around; making sure the coast was perfectly clear before continuing.

"The rest of Isao's group," she finished as they all looked at her; surprised at the lack of trust on her part.

"What? You really don't trust them after everything they've done for us?" Rei asked, unable to imagine someone like Isao ever doing them any harm.

"And you do? Yeah, they've been kind enough to let us in, but we have no way of telling how they'll act once we're out on the open road. For all we know, they might just take off with our stuff in the middle of the night and leave us stranded God knows where, assuming they even decide to let us live to begin with," Rika scoffed when addressing how naive Rei was to trust them so easily.

"I hate to admit it, but that is a possibility we just can't ignore. They seem like good people, though that can change when things get tough. Good people get hungry too, after all," Kiriko suddenly brought up. While it was hard to swallow for the others, they all couldn't deny that the possibility seemed far too plausible for comfort.

"So what are you suggesting we do? Never drop our guard around them? Treat them like thieves without a trial? For Gods' sake, Kenji-kun's just a kid. Are you suggesting we treat him like a threat too?" Hitomi protested; feeling quite uneasy that there was so much distrust for those that took them in without question.

"I'm suggesting we remain vigilant. We work with them as best we can, and hopefully we all make it out in one piece. Just don't let your guard down around them. Got it?" Rika said with a stern glare; having expected the former policewoman to not be so naive.

"Y-Yeah," Hitomi sighed; her police intuition starting to fill her mind with doubt while also realizing they had to be tough now more than ever.

"So how is their progress looking anyway? I've been hearing them going at it all day yesterday," Kiriko asked out of curiosity; wondering just how far along the engineers had come on their only means of transportation.

"I was a little skeptical at first, but when Hirano-san and I checked it out, they showed us the modifications being made. We even got to help at one point," Marcus answered; sounding rather proud that he was able to help out; glancing over at Hitomi with a smile, only for her to briefly glance back at him before looking away.

"Well that's a relief. If those buses are operational, then we'll just need to load up on what supplies we have and take off as soon as possible," Shizuka sighed out of pure relief. It felt so close they could all practically feel the open road now.

"I hate to admit it, but a part of me will actually miss this city. Before 'Them' I mean," Rei said with a surprising sense of sentimentality.

"Yeah, a lot of good memories have been had here," Takashi replied with genuine belief that despite all his anger and confusion in the world, that this place was truly his home.

"And terrible ones as well," Johann said, softly feeling his voice drift off as past horrors filled his mind yet again. The others couldn't help but silently agree on their own personal demons spawned from the past few weeks.

"Will it really be any different where we're going? It's an awful long journey to Tokyo, even by car," Marcus asked as he didn't seem to understand the point of what they were saying. Then again, he'd only been here for one year now.

"What other choice do we have?" Hirano asked; not liking the idea of walking any more than they already had been lately.

"We can still wait for rescue. Don't forget, there's a good chance the Lawson's military connections will get us out of this mess," Shizuka answered with beaming confidence while listening in on them.

"No. I'm afraid they won't," Frasier suddenly answered. The others hardly even noticed him up until now; considering how quiet he was being, an oddity all on its own.

"W-What do you mean by that?" Marcus asked, somewhat put off by how distraught his eldest sibling sounded. Frasier just remained silent at first, only to take a deep breath shortly after, as though steeling himself.

"I didn't know how to say it to you guys, but I got a response back from my father," Frasier finally confessed; leaving everyone in utter silence as to why he'd withhold such vital information from them. His lack of responsiveness after that did not do well for morale either.

"And?" Marcus prodded as he couldn't let Frasier back out now. The growing silence and lack of a response caused his temper to boil in anticipation for such vital news.

"Well don't just leave us in the dark! Say something, you mug," Marcus impatiently demanded as Frasier's hands clenched into two tightly gripped fists.

"I don't remember what he told me. The only thing I can recall from our talk was that we have to keep moving. As much as I hate to say it, we're on our own," Frasier groaned; gritting his teeth as he seemed to be in sudden distress.

"What do you mean you don't remember?! How long ago was this?" Rika practically growled in demand; both hands grasping onto the collar of his shirt.

"It was...it was...I actually don't even remember that much," Frasier attempted to recall; pausing before he'd try to look away each time, before finally coming to the conclusion that for the life of him, he could not remember a thing.

"You've got to be kidding me. Is this some kind of sick joke?" Rika fumed before pressing him back against a nearby pillar. What was even more shocking was how docile he appeared to be, no resistance whatsoever to break her off of him like he would've any other time before.

"No. I tried to think about it, but every time I do, my head starts to feel like it's going to split open; like an automatic defense system for something I'm not supposed to know," Frasier attempted to explain; but unable to give them a straightforward answer still.

"Kind of like when you try to think about your training in that machine you mentioned?" Johann brought up as Frasier glanced at him with some form of semblance now.

"Yeah…now that you mention it, that's exactly how it feels," he answered with conviction; finding it very odd how similar the two felt.

"Something tells me you were dropped on your head one too many times. Typical...useless...Christ, I need a drink," Rika muttered in disgust before shoving him back and walking away; pissed off she couldn't even get one word out of him that could give them any closure.

"So I guess that leaves us with only one option then. Great," Takashi announced with unmistakable disappointment. The others still kept their judgement and silence to themselves as one by one they left the entrance plaza to go find something more productive to do, as well as to forget what had just been revealed.

Then, just like that, Frasier was left alone to his own thoughts once again. It had been a rough several hours ever since Noah had left with Miku for yet another supply run. At first, the young Brit remained true to his words; claiming he held no concerns for what would happen to Noah. However, the longer he had time to dwell on it, the more he realized he'd made a terrible mistake. Every passing minute was spent standing by in anticipation; his body constantly pacing back and forth acrossthe entrance plaza. His nervous footsteps echoed around him while he stood guard, despite being in no position to do anything were they to come under attack again.

Suddenly, he noticed two figures moving in his line of sight through one of the gaps in the barricade. His eyes narrowed at first to focus in on what were clearly two survivors running into the parking lot. Without needing to even guess who they were,the eldest Lawson dashed up the stairs; storming through a maintenance tunnel before crashing into the door leading up to the rooftop. Rika was now on watch; paying him no attention whatsoever though as she too had spotted the two incoming figures.

"Looks like your little brother is tougher than I gave him credit for. Impressive," she said without any hint of sarcasm.

"They must be exhausted though. Clear out the dead in their path," Frasier said with a firm sense of command now that his worst fears were put to rest for the time being.

"Is that an order?" the sassy sniper teased; hardly taking any of this very seriously now.

"It will be if you don't start shooting," the young man growled as he stared at her intently. That burning intensity she'd come to find rather attractive had caused her to form a sly grin of amusement. Being able to get under his skin so easily was always a bonus too.

"Oh, I just love a man that takes charge," Rika playfully swooned before propping up a bipod for the rifle on the ledge to better steady her aim. Frasier, however, wasn't amused in the slightest' scowling even harder as a low groan emanated from his throat in response.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll spot them," she remarked dismissively; not even remotely intimidated by his noises of frustration.

Without waiting a moment longer, Rika began to fire off several shots through her now silenced rifle. The undead unfortunate enough to be caught in her sights suddenly came down with (what Marcus deemed) exploding head syndrome, where one by one she formed a clear path for Noah and Miku to run across. Within moments, the two had scaled up the ladder Frasier tossed down before being pulled up and over.

Both were breathing so hard, neither could get a single word out. Knowing there must've been several questions on their minds, Noah preemptively held up the backpack he'd taken with him. Without hesitation, Rika and Frasier rummaged through it to see a bountiful amount of medicine inside.

"I'll take this back to Zu-Zu so she can properly sort this stuff out," Rika offered, knowing full well that Frasier would want a moment with his youngest sibling.

"Did I…did I do good?" Noah asked out of genuine curiosity between his gasps for air.

"You made it back in one piece, didn't you? That's all I could've possibly asked for," Frasier said; watching Noah smile as he knew that was the best thing he was going to get out of him.

"Though something tells me it wasn't an uneventful trip," the oldest Lawson then added as he took quick notice of the bruises and cuts Noah had acquired in his short time out; dried up blood staining his shirt.

"We...we ran into some resistance. I've got news that everyone needs to hear about," Noah briefly explained as he tried to sit up.

"What kind of resistance?" Frasier asked in a more interrogative manner. Whatever good mood he was in had completely vanished just like that.

"It was a small team of men from Shido's group. They were quite well armed to say the least. We barely got out of there alive…even had to fight one of them up close and personal," the young Brit explained as he could see the look of disbelief and anger welling up in his brothers' eyes. He then glared over at Miku, who was still laid out from the sheer exhaustion of their ordeal.

"Does this have to do with her? I swear if she alerted them to your position or tried to sell you out," Frasier began to growl as he clearly was set on doing what he promised to do to Miku should she betray them in any way shape or form. Before he could even lift a finger though, Noah reached out and clamped around his wrist instinctively.

"Back off, Frasier. She got that shiner while saving my life from those wankers. How much more does she need to do to prove she isn't one of them anymore?" Noah defensively spoke up as he knew where this was heading if he didn't stand up for her now. However, Frasier simply pulled his hand back and scowled.

"When she gives her life up like the pawn she is. Honestly, I'm somewhat disappointed that she came back at all," he answered in an all too honest grumble; his eyes suddenly going wide realizing just how messed up that really was to even think.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean that. I just need to be alone to think about how we're going to handle Shido's return," Frasier began to apologize. A sense of guilt now overcame him as he turned away and left the two lovers on the rooftop.

"He's never going to accept me, is he?" Miku asked in a hurt tone; feeling a strong amount of distrust from everyone to the point she wouldn't be very far from the truth.

"Don't worry about what he thinks. He's just talking out of his arse; always does when he's stressed out. Besides...believe it or not, my father would probably be even harder to impress," Noah attempted to explain; thinking somehow that would actually make her feel better.

"That doesn't really inspire much confidence," Miku mumbled, unable to really see how that was going to do her any good.

"Like I said, don't worry about impressing them. We've got a much more pressing matter to attend to," Noah suggested as he could see a rather flirtatious smile form across Miku's lips.

"I'll go spruce up the bed," she said with great enthusiasm before lightly tugging at his belt loop.

"Right; make that two pressing matters," Noah said to himself; realizing how, ultimately, things weren't so bad for him.

A short while later…

It was only several minutes later when the entire group had gathered again; including those left alive in Sho's group. While the bags full of medicine certainly lifted everyone's spirits, it was a short lived victory when Noah had to explain how Shido's people had tracked him and Miku to the hospital; especially considering how the men they'd encountered didn't seem to be equipped nearly well enough to be traveling long distances on foot. Everyone's moods now soured at this foreboding news. As if on cue, just when they thought they might be taking a step forward; fate saw to it they took two steps back.

"So, does anyone have any ideas what we do about these guys, then?" Sho finally asked, clearly unaware of how dangerous these people truly were. However, given how Takashi's group looked when they heard the news, he didn't have to guess this new group was bad news.

"Nothing; we just hope they don't find out where we are, and when the time comes to move out, we leave them in the dust. Simple as that," Marcus proposed; seeming absolutely confident that they could easily outmaneuver Shido's group without them even realizing it.

"Well how much more stuff do we really need at this point?" Tadashi asked.

"As a matter of fact, we don't need anything else at this point. We have plenty of fuel, food, and water to last us about a week before we'd have to consider rationing what's left. The only thing we're waiting on now is for you guys to finish working on those buses," Saya said; her tone sounding surprisingly optimistic.

"Give us about a day or two and we'll be finished. One of the buses has an issue with the radiator, so I want to be sure it won't break down on us in the middle of nowhere," Sho explained; the group seeming at ease knowing they'd be rid of this town sooner than they'd originally hoped for.

"Maybe this isn't as bad as we're making it out to be. That hospital they followed you to is still a pretty good distance from here. If we can keep a low profile, they'll be none the wiser," Johann said with relief.

"That's still a pretty big 'IF'...but it's all we've got at the moment," Saya said, unable to feel as certain about it all as the others did that their luck could last that long.

"So is there a reason Frasier-kun isn't here right now? Normally he wants to be informed of every little thing. Does he already know?" Shizuka suddenly brought up; the others looking around only to realize he wasn't actually here as they'd thought.

"He was the first person I told. Obviously, he didn't seem too pleased," Noah admitted; recalling the way his eldest brother had just stormed off without another word; which he knew well by now was never a good sign, if not one of the worst ones.

"He has been rather off lately," Hitomi added; hoping deep down he wasn't going back to how he used to be when they first met. Honestly, at this point, she couldn't help but dread the idea of them fighting again.

"What else is new?" Marcus said in a half-hearted attempt to lighten the mood even the slightest bit. While some did smile a little bit at his remark, it wasn't nearly enough to help lessen the gravity of their situation.

"I mean he's been acting even more odd than usual," Hitomi clarified; recalling several moments over the last couple days(specifically ever since they'd lost the hotel) that made her pause at the realization that the pressure might've been getting to him as well as it had been for Takashi.

"Call it a woman's intuition, but I think he needs serious help," Shizuka suggested, a deep sense of almost motherly concern filling her voice.

"Right...well, so long as he's not randomly taking swings or drawing weapons on us, he shouldn't be of any…well, MAJOR concern for now," Noah pointed out, still able to recall the raw fear he felt when faced with the threat of being shot in the sidefor simply refusing to let Frasier kill.

"Good point. Well, with all this being said, I really should get back to tending to Tadashi-san. Thank you again for bringing me all these supplies, sweetie," Shizuka complimented; taking the bag of supplies Noah and Miku brought back before suddenly kissing him on the cheek; giving him a flirtatious wink before heading off.

"Oh...n-no problem," Noah said with an embarrassed blush filling his cheeks; both Marcus and Miku barely able to hide their jealousy, though for obviously different reasons.

"Johann, would you mind lending me a hand?" Rei suddenly asked; snapping the young German out of his own thoughts as he realized she was beckoning him to join her and Shizuka. No surprise; the nurse had pretty much made Rei her unofficial assistant/student over the last several days.

"Oh, of course; I'll be right there," Johann answered at half-attention before following her and Shizuka into the bed store everyone had pretty much made their de facto resting place in the mall.

"Well, guess the meeting's over then. Let's get back to work. Dinner should be ready shortly," Hitomi stated authoritatively; once again avoiding making eye contact with a confused Marcus as Saya, Noah and Khota quickly joined her side on the way to the kitchen.

An hour later…

For the last couple hours, ever since the bad news Noah had given him, Frasier had kept himself isolated in one of the smaller personal offices of the mall; never once saying a word to himself and preferring instead to dwell on his own conflicting thoughts and emotions. Just knowing that the attack on Fujimi Academy hadn't discouraged Shido's people from attacking had really rubbed the eldest Lawson the wrong way, and to know they'd come even remotely as close to the mall as they did, as well as what kind of hardware they were now packing, left him seriously more on edge than he usually was. However, even though he knew for a fact he was all by himself here, his natural survivors' senses made him realize he wasn't…ENTIRELY alone.

"Are you just going to keep sitting here alone like some kind of recluse, lad? You know you should be keeping your strength up now more than ever," an all too familiar voice suddenly spoke out as if it were right in front of Frasier; but he didn't dare look up to acknowledge it.

"What do you want?" Frasier said in an uninterested groan when he realized his inner voice had manifested into the image of his deceased uncle once again.

"You should go down and eat with them," the apparition of Mark suggested; talking in a calm and even fatherly tone that unnerved Frasier even more now that he really knew Mark was truly gone.

"I've got more important things to do than keep up a failing charade. Besides, they're more than capable of stuffing their bellies with the fruits of my labor without me being there to watch," Frasier argued; seeing no point in showing up to something so unimportant.

"The others are going to worry about you if you keep this up if they aren't already. The more you push them away, the more they seem to want in," Mark tried to explain; only infuriating Frasier even further.

"Worry about me? They should be more focused on themselves,considering how much they rely on me as it is," Frasier brought up; trying to shift the focus off himself.

"And you don't rely on them for anything? Don't lie to me, Frasier, we both know deep down how much you desire their company, how much you want their approval," Mark said. Such words couldn't be truer; ultimately causing Frasier to pause for a moment and swallow his pride.

"They are not my ultimate concern. They are not within the parameters of my mission, but thanks to Marcus and Noah's stubbornness for us to stay with them; I simply can't walk away from this mess unfolding before me anymore. Those people are why I've yet to return home. They're why I've been denied my rightful place at father's side and can't see Lulu until I've succeeded in my task," Frasier explained as calmly as he possibly could; but remaining short and to the point with little emotion at first, but the longer it dwelled on him, the more furious he began to sound.

"Staying here to fix their problems is not my responsibility or my problem. Yet here I am with no other choice but to look after these bloody weaklings, and they should all be GRATEFUL," he finally erupted before hurling a bust that was there to display jewelry at the image of Mark; the solid object naturally phasing through him before crashing into a nearby display case.

*smash*

After the shattered glass was scattered across the floor, all that could be heard for the moment was Frasier's heaving breaths. His face was in a sweat now while he tried to regain whatever composure he could hope to find. A sudden shift of the eyes allowed him to suddenly realize both Saeko and Takashi now stood there in the doorway, both in shock from his uncalled for outburst.

"How much of that did you two just see?" Frasier muttered as he still felt a trembling sensation in his hands; not even having to look to realize Mark had long since vanished again.

"Enough," Takashi blurted out, still in shell shock. A look of distrust and concern for the others' safety filled his eyes now. Now he couldn't help but feel uncertain if it was wise to stay so close to someone so easily unhinged by what seemed like nothing.

"I'm sorry you had to witness a moment of...such personal weakness," Frasier then apologized, somewhat ashamed and embarrassed he'd been caught in such a bad time; trying to avoid looking over to the bust he'd just thrown in his momentary fit of rage.

"Why were you talking to yourself?" Saeko eventually asked after a moment of silence between them; unable to keep herself from sounding deeply concerned with what could've possibly driven him to do such a thing.

"Does it really even matter?" the young Brit grumbled; hoping to not have to bring Mark up again.

"Kind of, yeah. Even before all this, that's never been considered a good sign," Takashi replied, being rather blunt about it; a look of suspicion forming on his face now.

"I'm fine for now, I just had to vent a little," Frasier answered;keeping his response short and hoping to avoid any further questions.

"Understandable; considering how things are looking now that we know Shido's not out of the picture. We should be grateful Noah-san was able to take care of them like he did before they found out where we are. This place isn't nearly as defendable as the hotel was," Takashi said in a more understanding tone; all three of them more than aware of how big and therefore hard to defend, and vulnerable this mall really was. They all knew deep down that their best defense for now was hiding while hoping any hostile survivors simply moved on.

"Anyway, we originally came to ask what your thoughts are onthe possibility of reevaluating the route we'd be taking to Tokyo," Takashi suddenly brought up; causing Frasier's head to perk up in interest.

"What's wrong with the one we've already charted?" he asked; narrowing his eyes in suspicion, since he'd thought their original route was perfect, especially in terms of saving time.

"Well, we came to the conclusion that there's a good chance most if not all of the major highways to and from Tokyo had to have been destroyed to prevent the infection from spreading any further than it already had. Not to mention any damage all the recent rainstorms might've caused. We should really consider traveling through the countryside instead to avoid the hang-ups," Takashi thoroughly explained. At first Frasier seemed reluctant to listen. However, in the end, he seemed convinced by this possibility as he let out a heavy sigh of acceptance.

"Yeah…yeah, you guys have a really good point there. Damage by the elements aside, it's ridiculous to just assume the SDF or the Marines wouldn't think to destroy any major routes to such a huge city; if not to at least try and slow down the spread of the infection. I'll be sure to talk this over with my brothers in the morning," he acknowledged, both Saeko and Takashi relieved (and understandably surprised) to see he wasn't quick to shoot their idea down out of his stubbornness.

"There's also some talk now about using just one bus instead of two. We'd have enough room for Isao's group, and we'd be wasting less gas if we just travel in one," Takashi continued to explain; Frasier naturally reverting to his more skeptical demeanor.

"I don't think that's a very good idea," he said while shaking his head.

"What makes you say that?" Takashi asked confusedly. Saeko meanwhile had a strong feeling what was keeping Frasier from speaking up. His glance briefly caught hers before turning back to Takashi.

"This has to do with Sho-san and how he treated you…doesn't it? Just what exactly happened between you three while you were out there?" Takashi then realized; putting the pieces together as Frasier reluctantly nodded. Even if he tried to deny it, there was a good chance Saeko would tell the truth anyway.

"I don't know if I should tell you. It was a rash but necessary decision, and we'll just leave it at that," Frasier stated, unable to get into the details as if concerned someone else could be listening in on them; or that knowing the truth would make Takashi ultimately trust him even less.

"Fine, I get it. Just think about it at least. It could save us a lot of time and resources," Takashi relented as he and Saeko began to take their leave.

"Wait..." Frasier suddenly blurted out; both of them stopping in place to glance back over their shoulders at him.

"Look…I really hate to admit it, but a part of me lately has been filled with…considerable doubt. Lately, I've found myself second guessing my decisions on what we do. I'm starting to think perhaps I'm not always going to be making the right call,nor will I always have everyone else's best interest at heart. Maybe…maybe I shouldn't be the one in charge, at least not entirely. Perhaps it's for the better that after we reach Tokyo,should this refuge even still exist, that my brothers and I part ways with you guys," Frasier reluctantly confessed; showing a more surprising side they'd not expected to see again: a display of real humility and uncertainty. For once he didn't have the exact answer, and it absolutely terrified him.

"Is that really how you feel? Do you really think that's for the best?" Saeko asked, shocked he wouldn't even consider staying behind with her, let alone invite them to tag along.

"I do. There's no way I could ask any of you guys to come with us, but this is not our true home. We have to keep moving and return to our people. It's just the way things are," Frasier expressed in a heartfelt manner, every last word he uttered truly felt genuine to them.

"Yes…perhaps this IS what was meant to be after all," Saeko eventually conceded in a low sigh, silently heartbroken to hear him say such a thing. However, the deep respect she had for him helped her recognize this wasn't her choice to make, even if it meant they might never see one another again.

Elsewhere in the mall…

Meanwhile, Johann stood beside Shizuka while she continued tending to Tadashi's still wounded body; checking him over to ensure he wasn't going to develop an infection. The process had proven to be quite meticulous as she was still thoroughly looking him over even after a whole hour. Even though Tadashi had gotten his cuts and open wounds taken care of long ago, his body itself was still covered in a multitude of increasingly nasty-looking bruises that still made it difficult for him to move around. All the while, Rei was loyally at Shizuka's side to help in any way the nurse needed her to, while Kiriko remained steadfast at her husband's side; the pain in her eyes easy to see as she looked upon his wounds.

"How's he holding up? He is getting better, right?" Kiriko asked;trying to remain even-tempered as best she could, but the strong need for certainty was making it all the harder for her to do so.

"Well he doesn't have a fever or anything life-threatening like that, but those bruises make it impossible for me to say he's at 100% just yet," Shizuka answered honestly; glancing over the now purple splotches on Tadashi's skin. A saddened look formed on her face, still lamenting over why someone would do such a horrible thing to another living person.

"Don't worry about those. I'm tougher than you think," Tadashi tried to say in an attempt to calm his wife down; letting out a raspy cough before a sharp pinch shot through his body from his ribs.

"Ouch..." he regretfully groaned as he couldn't even attempt to play it off now.

"It sounds like he has a broken rib or two as well. Make sure he breathes regularly to keep his lungs clear of mucus. We can't risk him getting any infections. Put a pillow to his chest if he needs to cough," Shizuka advised, trying her best to assess the situation while pointing to one of the nearby pillows in their room for support.

"Do we have any ice?" Rei asked; the seriousness in her voice showing didn't want to be here just to stay on the sidelines.

"Right here," Johann replied; handing a small but incredibly cold pack to Shizuka who returned his assistance with a warm smile.

"Ah, thank you, sweetie! Press there while I listen to his heart beat," she instructed; placing a stethoscope against his lower chest.

"Ah! Oh, God," Tadashi suddenly winced aloud as he practically jolted from the cot they had him on; leaving everyone else visibly tense as that could mean a lot of things they didn't need right now.

"What's wrong? Did I press too hard?" Shizuka asked concernedly; wondering if her clumsiness had yet again hurt one of her patients.

"No, it's just...really cold! I wasn't expecting it," Tadashi answered; Shizuka sighing out of sheer relief it wasn't her fault;Johann meanwhile trying his best to stifle any laughter while both Kiriko and Rei on the other hand were clearly trying to keep themselves from shutting him up before he could embarrass them even more.

"Oh, Dad..." Rei groaned, somewhat relieved that Johann could at least find this humorous if no one else could.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. Don't let me stop you," Tadashi sheepishly relented as he knew how they were clearly not in the mood for this.

"Well, everything sounds about right for the condition he's in right now. I think he's going to be just fine. Give him another month or two and he should be back to normal," Shizuka said in her bubbly tone; pulling back after carefully listening in on his heartbeat.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Shizuka-sensei. You have no idea how much this really means to us," Rei thanked in agracious manner; trying to not get too emotional in front of everyone despite how increasingly hard it was.

"Oh, you don't have to thank me. I'd do anything for you, Rei-chan. We're all a family, we look out for each other," Shizuka said reassuringly; sounding immensely touched before practically squeezing Rei in a loving bear hug; inadvertently smothering the teenage girl's face in her massive bosom.

"And don't think I've forgotten about you, Johann. This really means a lot to m-to us..." Rei said moments after being released from Shizuka's hold, only to realize he was no longer there with them.

"Well that's strange. Must've had something on his mind for him to take off so quickly," Tadashi mentioned; sitting up slowly as he was surprised how he'd missed the young German's absence.

"That's not like him. I hope there's nothing wrong. I'm going to go check up on him," Rei said with no hesitation; already making a beeline for the exit to the plaza.

"Don't worry about it, Rei. I'm sure Johann-kun just needs a breath of fresh air. There's no need to jump to conclusions. You should consider getting some rest," Kiriko advised, thinking nothing of it herself. However, her daughter clearly didn't share the same sentiments. She could easily make out that familiar rebellious shimmer in Rei's eyes.

"Still...I'd hate to ignore him if there was actually something on his mind. I'll be right back," Rei stated; taking off before her mother could come up with another reason to keep her here. Now, her parents were left in an all too awkward silence.

"So…is it just me, or does she seem to be rather...FOND of that boy?" Tadashi suddenly asked; causing his wife to nearly do a double take to make sure she'd heard his blunt question right.

"Very nice deduction. They should've promoted you to detective," Kiriko playfully teased; Tadashi at first letting out a sarcastic laugh before realizing she didn't say 'no'.

"Oh…I see. Well, I hope this doesn't cause any problems with Takashi-kun. The last thing we need is a bunch of teenage drama," Tadashi then realized; hoping that he wouldn't have tosit through such a thing, much less try to quell it.

"Wait, you mean she never told you?" Kiriko suddenly asked; sounding genuinely surprised.

"Told me what?" Tadashi asked; curious what his wife could possibly bring up that he didn't already know by now.

"Dear, Rei broke up with Takashi-kun well over two months ago," Kiriko explained; her husband visibly shocked to only just now learn this.

"Oh...I wonder why she never said anything about it to me. Do you think she was too embarrassed or upset to say so?" he then questioned, truly surprised as to how he'd been able to miss this. Wondering now what else he wasn't being told by his daughter.

"Try to not take it personally. It wasn't exactly easy for her to tell me either; but I'm a woman so I knew exactly what she was feeling from my own…past experiences," Kiriko managed to explain to him. Luckily their bond as mother and daughter had made it relatively easy to tackle such delicate subjects.

"I see...well, I don't know about you, Kiriko; but so long as our little girl is happy and safe, that's all I need to know," the former detective was finally able to say without any regret or hesitation.

"You know, she really missed you, Tadashi. You should've seen her all the time we were moving around trying to find you. She was so determined to find and rescue you; willing to take whatever risk was necessary to keep the group together," Kiriko then explained; recalling how they argued about finding him, but Rei never once gave up.

"Takashi-kun and some of the others told me just as much. I honestly couldn't be more proud of her. She's been through so much, more than anyone should ever have to…but she is wise to keep such good company as these people. I hate to say it, but our little girl isn't so little anymore," Tadashi commented, truly relieved to know that regardless of whatever might happen to them, their daughter would always be with good friends to keep her going through it all.

"Don't ever expect me to think of her as anything but our baby girl," Kiriko disagreed; her motherly sentimentality leaving her unable to let go so easily. Tadashi could only let out a deep and understanding sigh as his wife finally crawled into his cot beside him; the two of them holding each other like they did every night, leaving them both feeling quite nostalgic for the good old days before.

"So, Rei…she likes Johann-kun, huh?" Tadashi asked one last time; still trying to understand it all. She and Takashi had been close for so long, it was hard for him to imagine the reality was that her affections may now have been for someone else, even if it was for one of the people who saved his life.

"I'm sure if you were to ask her, she'd say they're just good friends, but she's not as good at hiding her real emotions as she thinks she is. But yeah, I think she really does like him. It's not exactly like I can blame her; they have been through quite a lot together since our groups first joined up. Honestly, I haven't seen her as genuinely happy as she is whenever she's with Johann-kun in a long time. It actually reminds me a lot of how she USED to be with Takashi-kun a long time ago. And it's quite obvious that all the struggling we've had to go through has only brought the two of them closer," Kiriko concluded; unable to hide the fact that in spite of her trying to put some distance between the two before, she couldn't help but feel happy for her daughter for finding someone who could make her smile so brightly again.

"What do YOU think of him?" Tadashi then asked; curious as to what his wife's word on the boy would be.

"Well, we've talked a few times here and there, and he comes off as a good boy to me. He's never said or done anything to raise any of my red flags; in fact, he's actually quite a bit more compassionate and sweet than most boys his age I've come across over the years. He's also clearly fond of Rei's company at times, yet he can be distant sometimes as well. Not that I can really blame him for that either. In the time before we got you back, Johann-kun…well, I'm sure Rei would be able to tell you a lot more, but he lost quite a bit…even more than that…and it was our Rei that went out of her way, with no need of convincing or asking from anyone else, to bring him back. In the end, all things considered, past tragedies notwithstanding, I honestly think he really is a good person for our daughter to be around," she explained, her initial uncertainty slowly giving way to a deeper kind of understanding of Rei and Johann both; the accepting smile on her face showing a kind of curiosity for just how things between the two youths might play out from now on.

"Do you…do you think I should I talk to him? Set up some boundaries while there still are any? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm happy those two get along so well, but she's still our daughter," Tadashi suggested, hoping to instill some authority while he still could; all the while Kiriko just let out an aggravated sigh that Tadashi just had to bring up the one possibility she wanted to think about least of all.

"You're probably going to think I'm crazy for saying this now that you had to go and bring it up, but…no. No, I think Johann-kun's a really positive influence on her. And Rei's a lot more practical than either of us like to think sometimes. I'm sure she's more than capable of handling…THAT whole aspect quite well on her own. And besides, she'd be furious if we started trying to involve ourselves into her love life. Remember how she reacted the last time we tried something like that?" Kiriko said in disagreement; knowing full well how badly that would play out in the end.

"Don't remind me, I thought she'd never speak to us again that time. Well, with this all being said, this has certainly been an enlightening day," the detective expressed in an earnest sigh before smiling to himself; having a strong feeling in his gut that their family would be alright in the end.

Meanwhile…

While her parents discussed among themselves, Rei was busy wandering the mall in an attempt to find Johann; still puzzled how and why he would vanish without a trace despite only leaving moments before she took off after him. Just when it seemed like he might've actually left the mall entirely, she finally noticed him out of the corner of her eye sitting alone in the music shop with his violin in hand.

"There you are, Johann. I was starting to think you'd actually up and left. Are…are you alright?" Rei began to ask as she carefully approached him; uncertain what he was doing when she realized he wasn't playing like she expected.

However, there was only silence as Johann didn't even acknowledge her presence, almost like he was caught up in his own little world. It left a certain kind of woe in Rei's heart; knowing something wasn't right about this. With one hand reaching out, she gently touched his shoulder, only for Johann to practically jump out of his own skin.

*snap*

The neck of the violin suddenly snapped clean off, dangling by the strings that still attached it to the rest of the body. Both teenagers looked at one another in shock as neither knew what to say when they realized what was going on. Their breathing was now heavy as it was clear they'd inadvertently spooked one another.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to...oh no, your violin broke! I'm so sorry, Johann; I shouldn't have disturbed you," Rei began to apologize; unable to think straight as Johann just looked at the two separated pieces of the violin in his hands.

"It's fine. Cheap piece of junk anyhow," Johann replied halfheartedly; tossing it aside without a second thought.

"Are you alright, Johann? You seem so tense lately, and it's starting to-" Rei began to ask; stopping herself short when he glanced up at her. Something about his eyes looking into hers made her heart instinctively skip a beat.

"Worry you?" he finished as she could only nod; somewhat embarrassed he had to finish her own statement for her.

"Do you…do you want to talk about it?" Rei asked in an attempt to move on before an awkward silence could set in.

"I'll be alright," Johann briefly answered; seeming surprisingly quick to shut her out.

"Johann, please don't start acting stubborn like Frasier-san with your feelings. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Rei began to say more insistently; slightly irritated by his reluctance.

"Since when do you ask Frasier about his feelings? I didn't know you cared about him that much," Johann retorted, unable to resist the chance to tease Rei as she went red in the face from that last suggestion.

"I-I was asking for somebody else. That's not the same thing. I really don't think that much of him," Rei nervously stuttered, uncertain if he was really just messing with her, or if he was actually jealous.

"I'm sure it isn't," Johann said with a mischievous smirk before she flicked his ear in disapproval.

"So are you going to tell me what's got you so tense lately? You seemed just fine earlier," Rei said in an attempt to get him to open up to her once more.

"I see you're not going to let that go anytime soon. Alright, if we're being entirely honest right now...I've been holding in a lot…more than you might think. The outbreak…what happened to Toshimi-chan, Shido's band of psychos out there somewhere, and now we've lost the hotel. I genuinely felt safe there! I honestly thought that no matter what happened out there, we could actually drop our burdens and actually feel at home," Johann lamented, truly unable to bottle up his fears and his stress anymore.

"I know exactly what you mean. We're all feeling really tense right now. Despite how nice Isao-san's group is, I still can't help but feel uneasy staying here; like we're constantly having to sleep with one eye open. What happened at the hotel…I feel like it was a really painful wake-up call for all of us that thing are never going to be easy," Rei added; shuddering at how vulnerable she truly felt sometimes; and how hard it was to express such concerns without bringing down the spirits of the others.

"It all happened so fast too. One minute we we're getting up like any other day, and then the next thing you know, we're up to our necks in 'Them' with our backs literally to the wall. Even after we got out, it's really got me wondering whether or not we're really going to be safe if rescue ever does come for us, or if this Tokyo sanctuary even exists by the time we get there," Johann began to explain; doubting just how legitimate and safe this so-called sanctuary really felt to him.

"That's not even the worst thought to cross my mind, believe it or not. Lately, I've been dwelling on how long it'll be until someone else I care about dies while all I can do is watch. I don't know if I can go through something like that again," Johann then confessed; a look of cold terror in his eyes when their gazes met. Nothing in this world seemed more horrifying to him than to relive such a traumatic event.

"I used to think that a lot in particular, too; how we'd be fine at first, but eventually we'd be picked off one by one until I'm allon my own, before I ultimately die like everyone else," Rei admitted as she sat at Johann's side; her hands clenching instinctively the further she went.

"However, in spite of all the times I feel scared every day just thinking about the things we know could happen now, I also try to remember how much we've all accomplished as a group. It helps me to remember that when all seems lost, we've always found a way to get by; no matter how bad things have gotten. That should count for something, right?" she then continued in a far more optimistic tone; hoping that he'd see what she was getting at.

"I guess you have a good point. We are fortunate to be surrounded by good people. While we could be doing a hell of a lot better...at least we're able to make the best of what we've got," Johann agreed, causing Rei to smile warmly in relief.

"I think it'll take more than just sheer strength alone to get through all of this. When we work together, we have to be able to trust one another, like a family. We've got to have each other's backs when we need it most. If we're going to make it through to the end of this nightmare, we can only do it together," Rei expressed with genuine hope in her words; certain deep down that this was their best option at survival.

"You make it sound so easy, Rei. I really want to believe you, but how long will this 'family' last when it gets right down to the wire? When we lose someone we can't go on without?" Johann brought up; knowing that talk was nothing when pitted against an actual situation.

"Yeah, I know it sounds like a bunch of optimistic bullshit, but I still think it's the honest truth. I mean, just three weeks ago, I would've had no idea who you were, nor would I've given a second thought what might've happened to you if things got bad...but in the short time we've known each other, I feel you've become one of the most precious people in my life," Rei confessed as best she could. However, Johann was completely caught off guard by what she was saying near the end; his blank stare causing Rei to somewhat panic at his lack of a response.

"I know, I know; it's crazy, foolish even, to think like that, but I'm being serious about this. We only first met three weeks ago, yet I care about you like I've known you for years. This bond I feel with you has been made BECAUSE of the hardships we've encountered together," she attempted to explain, feeling incredibly awkward all the same. Johann's silence at first made her feel like she'd just come off like a crazy person would've;however, he soon let out a sigh and looked right back at her glistening reddish-brown eyes.

"After…after Toshimi-chan died...I didn't care anymore about living, as you and Frasier clearly saw out there in that forest. Nothing could've possibly dragged me out from that void of despair and anger. But then…then you had to come along and show me I wasn't all alone like I thought I was, that there wasstill hope amid all the pain and suffering I was drowning in. Now here I am; only just now realizing how I'd do anything possible to protect you from everything that's out there. It's stupid of me to act like we can stop everything that comes our way, but can you at least promise me that no matter what happens to me, you'll never give up and do whatever you can to keep everyone else safe?" Johann proceeded to explain; his voice low as he dug up the worst memory he'd ever have, before his eyes slowly began to regain their life as he finally expressed just how much Rei had truly done to bring him back from the brink; the beautiful brown-haired girl unable to keep from blushing at the sheer emotion in his voice.

"Of course. I promise you, Johann. You can count on me," Rei said in a soft and emotionally trembling voice; putting her warm, soft hand over his when he seemed like he was going to break down again after digging up his old painful memories. The two of them remained like this in silence for a good several minutes as Johann took deep breaths to compose himself again; all while Rei never removed her hand from his while also deep in thought.

"Johann...do you mind if I ask you something?" Rei suddenly asked. Luckily all these questions made it hard for Johann to really dwell on his past traumas.

"Not at all. What is it?" Johann asked; curious what there even was for her to ask him at this point that she didn't already know.

"When you... well... killed that man, Joe; was that the first actual living person you'd killed?" Rei struggled to ask; realizing how much the memory had to be hurting Johann when she saw the look of pain in his eyes.

"I...Y-yes, he was," Johann answered; his voice going almost unsettlingly cold at the mere mention of that name.

"I see. What's it like, if I may ask?" Rei acknowledged before pressing her curiosity even further.

"Why are you asking me this?" Johann instantly asked back; curious what her answer would be since she'd never asked such a thing before.

"I just…I feel that given how unstable and unpredictable people have become in the wake of all this, I might have to do the unthinkable someday. I guess I feel like maybe if you can tell me what it felt like for you, it'll help me to not let the thought bother me in case I'm ever in that situation. You really don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable," Rei confessed;visibly shaken at the thought of herself being forced to potentially kill a living, breathing human being.

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess that makes sense. Well... at first, I honestly didn't feel anything; just rage and adrenaline when it was all over. The thought that I'd just murdered a living person with my bare hands actually never once occurred to me…not in the wake of the moment at least. But days later, that's when the realization hit me all at once. I didn't regret what I did to that animal for a second, but I still felt like there was now a permanent stain on my conscience; like no matter what I did from now on, that realization and that stain would never go away for as long as I live," Johann explained, for once truly able to express how changed he felt when describing in detail what it felt like to know he'd truly killed.

"I'm so sorry you've had to shoulder all this, Johann. I can only hope it won't weigh on you much longer than it already has," Rei said sympathetically before bringing her arms over his shoulders and pulling him in for a soft, affectionate hug. He gave her a faint smile in thanks, but couldn't summon the energy to return the kind gesture; too emotionally exhausted from having to recall such terrible things.

"Johann, do you ever feel like if things were to go back to the way they were before, you'd be able to handle society? Do you think you could just forget about everything we've endured and go back to living a life like the one you had before?" Rei suddenly asked; not even personally sure if she'd be able to go back to something like school if the chance were to ever present itself.

"Honestly, I just don't know. I'll let you know when I really find out, should we be lucky enough to make it that far," the young man shrugged as he knew there was no point in planning that far ahead.

"Deal….you know, you're more than welcome to stay with me and my family; not just tonight or tomorrow, but…I mean after all of this," Rei suddenly offered out of the blue; watching how Johann seemed especially moved to hear that, but still struggling to find the words to say so.

"Thank you, Rei. I just might have to take you up on that," Johann thanked, truly touched by both her kind words and very generous offer.

"Good. Because in all honesty, I wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer anyway," she said with a rather flirtatious smile now on her face before she suddenly went the extra mile and sat herself in Johann's lap with a joyful giggle while holding him closer and tighter; the young German finally returning the favor in kind as he slowly brought his arms around her sides and held her in return.

Meanwhile…

While everything else among the members of the group across the mall took their natural course, Marcus could no longer keep himself away from Hitomi's personally designated bedroom after the last tense few days. He honestly couldn't fathom what had changed her in such a short amount of time to where she wouldn't even look him in the eye for more than a split second, let alone even talk to him. Before he could even open the door,she was already walking out; not even acknowledging his presence before trying to step past him.

"Hitomi, wait," Marcus said with urgency in his lowered voice, his arm branching out between Hitomi and the doorway. A brief look of surprise filled her amber eyes when reluctantly observing him.

"Look, I have some questions for you, and I want some actual answers. Why are you acting so... so weird; especially whenever I'm around?" Marcus wasted no time asking, anxious to know what had been going on with her for the past couple days.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hitomi replied, but her lack of eye contact made it impossible for him to believe that for even a second.

"Oh, really? So then it's just my imagination that you've been actively avoiding me these last few days? For God's sake, you won't even look me in the eyes anymore, even now," Marcus further questioned; determined to know just what she was hiding.

"Marcus-kun..." Hitomi wearily mumbled; wanting to say something so badly to him, yet no words could escape her lips. Her hands pushed up on Marcus' arms until he slowly took the hint and backed away from the door frame.

"Is it because you don't care about me anymore? Is that it?" Marcus then asked; regretting it instantly the moment her entire body froze in place. Her hand suddenly grasped the doorknob tightly before she slammed it shut and turned to face him.

"You want to know what's wrong?! You really want to know, do you?" Hitomi suddenly burst out, her voice mixed with anger and sorrow. The deeply pained expression on her face made it abundantly clear that last question was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"I thought you were dead! When the hotel burned down and I only saw Noah emerge from all that smoke, I thought I'd lost you forever," she began to rant as she stormed up to him; his feet naturally moving back as he didn't want to be within reach of her arms lest she took a swing at him.

"In that moment, all I could think was that while I ran away with the others, the most wonderful boy I've ever had the pleasure of knowing...the one person in this world that could always find a way to put a smile on my face...the first guy I've ever wanted to be closer to than anyone...was dead," she then lamented as what was blind rage quickly cooled into a weak and pitiful mutter as she suddenly pulled Marcus in and held him tighter than he'd ever been held before.

"I cared about you so much; I wasn't sure I could even move when I thought you were gone. This was why I thought we should've taken a break to begin with, but all that did was make the pain of thinking you were dead that much worse; just to think that I'd never get to speak to you again and…and finally tell you how I truly feel," Hitomi began to sob, unable to keep her emotions inside any longer.

"Hitomi-chan," Marcus attempted to say, only to feel her hold on him tighten before she suddenly pushed him back with a frustrated glare in her eyes.

"Don't 'Hitomi-chan' me! I'm so angry and confused right now, I could just...I could..." Hitomi snarled as she balled up a fist;wanting to hit him in the chest to take her frustrations out,before he suddenly grabbed her wrists as if he knew what she was inevitably going to do.

"How could you have been so reckless, Marcus-kun? Don't you know that I love you?" Hitomi suddenly asked, both of them frozen in the moment as she could see those last few words visibly hit Marcus harder than anything had before.

"Yes," Marcus eventually answered, surprised to hear her confess love like this. They both knew feelings and attraction were there for a while, but neither of them thought it could've ever turned into something like this.

"And don't you love me?" Hitomi questioned further as she finally began to calm down.

"I do…I love you so very, very much, Hitomi," Marcus didn't hesitate to finally confess. Hitomi however didn't seem so happy to hear that as he expected as she began shaking her head in refusal.

"Please, don't say that. Please tell me that you find me intolerable or something. Tell me that it would never work out in the end so I can just move on with my life; so I can just pack up my things and leave once the buses are ready to take you guys out of the city," Hitomi began to plead; begging that her feelings for Marcus be simply one sided and he ultimately did not need her nearly as much as she needed him.

"Is that really what you want? To hear me say I don't love you?" Marcus asked, hardly able to believe how distant and afraid she was to accept how they felt about one another.

"Yes! The more I try to forget about you and move on, the more I find myself wanting you; craving you to the point I can't even...think straight," Hitomi admitted as she was finding this to be even harder to go through with than she could've possibly imagined; her eyes quickly looking Marcus over from head to toe during that brief pause in her rambling.

Without even thinking it through, no longer concerned for the consequences, Marcus pulled Hitomi in until their lips met. At first her eyes widened in shock; hands curled into fists as she was poised to push him back. However, she couldn't fight the fire within her any longer as her fingers stretched back out into a more relaxed gesture before they latched onto his shoulders, closing her eyes and pressing her whole body into his, knowing he was what she needed and wanted now more than ever.

When the sweet and tender, if not rather reckless kiss was finally over, Hitomi already knew this wasn't going to be nearly enough. She anxiously reached for the door handle; pressing a small privacy button that locked it shut; looking back over her shoulder before shooting Marcus a naughty-looking grin.

"Hitomi-chan?" Marcus said curiously; uncertain what she was doing before finding himself backing up as she approached him until his heel bumped against her bed.

"I don't want to go on the way I have been anymore, Marcus; constantly worrying about you…worrying about how if I let myself fall any deeper for you, I won't be able to go on by myself anymore," Hitomi expressed softly; her voice now far more calm, yet still trembling a bit.

"I know it's hard to believe there's still any hope after what's happened to us. Sometimes I doubt we'll get out in one piece, but I agree. We need to stop holding ourselves back and just enjoy each other while there's still time. We need to 'seize the day' as Noah would say," Marcus attempted to console her, watching as both her hands began to gently trace along his arms before gently locking her fingers with his.

"Alright…so no more pretending like we don't want each other and no more waiting this out. So where does that put us right now then?" she asked, almost as if she'd already made up her mind, but was curious to hear what he had to say about all this.

"That depends...is that a mirror in your pants? Because I can see myself in them right now," Marcus said, unable to resist cracking off a terrible joke before Hitomi sarcastically rolled her eyes; pushing him back into her own bed. The young policewoman gave him no time to react before she was already on top of him; pressing her heart-shaped butt against his crotch, playfully rocking back and forth to tease him.

"Completely bloody worth it," Marcus groaned as she pressed down harder on him; unable to help but chuckle at the young Brit's crude humor. As she continued grinding their crotches against each other, she could feel his member already hardening beneath her as he seemed to be waiting for some kind of sign to continue.

"So is this the part where you tell me it's your first time?" Hitomi taunted as she looked at him with a sly grin; wondering how he'd actually respond to that.

"I'd be lying if I did," Marcus suddenly said; a look of surprise filling Hitomi's face to learn that he actually wasn't a virgin.

"Ohhh, is that so? You've been a bad boy and lost it already? I'm rather disappointed in you," the young policewoman casually teased while feigning what sounded like hurt feelings.

"Sweetheart, it's alright to be jealous you know," the foolhardy Brit retorted; glad to see that seemed to fire her up even more.

"Me, jealous?! Ha! I hardly know of this jealousy you speak of," Hitomi tried to play it off, not even aware until now a part of her was in fact somewhat jealous that she couldn't be the first to rock his teenage world.

"That look on your face suggests otherwise," Marcus pointed out only for her to form a sharp frown.

"Eh? Shut up! I'm still mad at you, you know," Hitomi playfully snapped before slapping his wandering hand back down. Marcus still had that shit-eating grim on his face though, indicating he got what he wanted out of her reaction.

"If it makes you feel any better, she didn't look half as beautiful as you do right now," he suddenly admitted as Hitomi couldn't help but blush.

"It's a start," she shrugged, unable to deny how sweet and touching that was for her.

"And if I needed to describe the whole endeavor in just two words...I'd go with 'limp fish'," Marcus then brought up further;Hitomi raising an eyebrow to this odd discovery.

"Are you talking about the experience or the smell?" Hitomi asked with a giggle as she ran a finger along the rim of his pants in contemplation.

"Both unfortunately," Marcus replied, clearly not finding any fond memories of his first sexual experience. Hitomi had to restrain herself from laughing any harder than she already was now.

"Ahaha, aww, poor Markie-kun. Well, I'm still counting it, so my judging your performance won't change," she sighed in a more soothing tone; pulling harder at his pants and forming a seductive smile that set his inner soul on fire.

"I wouldn't expect it any other way," he said with one last confident gasp before her body leaned over for another kiss; their lips connecting once more as her hands instinctively pulled down on his pants.

[Spandau Ballet – True instrumental]

Hitomi's fingers clutched around his underwear as well, no longer sparing herself the excruciating wait a second longer. A cold breeze suddenly ran up Marcus' inner thighs when he realized she'd pulled his pants and undergarments alike down past his ankles and tossed them to the corner; leaving his manhood entirely exposed before the now shocked policewoman.

"No...no way! You were not able to hide this much all this time," she exclaimed in sheer disbelief while both her hands began to grasp at the shaft; going as far as comparing Marcus' entire member to her arm. Starting from her elbow and reaching as far as her wrist, she couldn't believe what awaited her now.

"I never said it was easy," Marcus replied, only for her to suddenly give his dick a firm squeeze at that remark.

"I'm going to punish you somehow...but right now I can't focus with a concealed weapon in my hands," Hitomi warned, barely able to concentrate with so many perverted ideas flowing through her head right now.

"I hear you get in a lot of trouble for that around here," Marcus said with a sly smirk; trying to play it cool while he still could.

"Oh, you certainly do. Luckily I have a thing for you, so I'll let it go just this once," Hitomi acknowledged; shooting him a wink before licking her pink lips and taking a deep breath.

Before Marcus could come up with some cheeky response, he felt Hitomi's soft lips gently wrap around the head of his member before guiding it past her teeth. Her tongue eagerly traced along the sides before gliding all around the head; coating it with her saliva and teasing him by pressing her tongue right into the hole at his tip. It was easily the most sensitive part of him down there as his toes instantly began to tense and curl in response.

The imagination couldn't even begin to compare to the real deal. The warmth of Hitomi's mouth began to spread further down Marcus' shaft as she attempted to swallow as much of his massive cock as she possibly could. Her eyes began to roll upwards a bit before she needed to pull back for air.

"That's...it? I was only able to handle this much?" she grumbled in disappointment to herself as she practically gasped for air; only able to go barely an inch past the head.

"Maybe you just need a helping hand," Marcus suggested as he stood upright while gently placing a hand against the back of her head.

Lightly grasping the ponytail on the left side of her head, Marcus' hips suddenly thrust forward; making Hitomi feel his thick manhood slide into her mouth with ease. Her eyes widened at first, completely caught off guard by this bold move on his part. However, she quickly began to adjust and with great vigor started to suck on the extra length she was now practically taking into her throat.

Marcus meanwhile bit his own lip; struggling to comprehend how good this felt. He couldn't help but shudder when one of Hitomi's cold hands gently wrapped around his shaft and began eagerly squeezing and stroking however much of his length couldn't fit in her mouth as she began bobbing her head back and forth along his shaft so he could feel her tongue eagerly gliding up and down his length; all while her other hand began playfully massaging his balls.

This was the ultimate escape from reality, a true home away from home; finally allowing Marcus to block out the horrors of the new world as he could now entirely focus his energy onto Hitomi. He could feel all his inhibitions give way to a raw animalistic lust as he recklessly tore his shirt away and tossed it aside; his body going into a burning sweat as he and Hitomi locked eyes while she had her lips tightly wrapped around the head; flicking the tip repeatedly with her tongue while giving it one last hard suck.

Finally pulling back for air again with a juicy-sounding *pop*, Hitomi just stared at Marcus in disbelief as her saliva dripped from his burning hot cock. Both her hands began to stroke it with a strong intensity; sending waves of pleasure through his whole body before she stood up and turned her back to him.

Forming an idea of what to do next, Marcus' hands slowly wrapped around her hips and moved along both her sides. A smile of approval formed along her lips as she pressed herself up against him, his all-too eager member prodding and rubbing against her back and perfectly-toned ass.

"Well? Are you gonna just keep grinding on my ass? Or are you gonna be a man and show a girl a real good time?" Hitomi whispered; her words soft and irresistible to his ears. His entire body was now on fire as he simply responded by grasping both her sizable breasts in each hand.

A soft moan instantly escaped her lips; immediately followed bya gentle sigh of excitement when Marcus managed to finally unlock her bra straps after unbuttoning and pulling off her shirt. Her tiny pink nipples were already erect in lustful anticipation as Marcus started to give them some much needed attention. His fingers gently flicked at them at first; teasing Hitomi the best he could before moving on to slightly pinching and twisting them.

Her whole body started to rock back and forth; the pleasure and slight pain only making her crave him more, as well as filling her with a sense of disappointment that they didn't do this much sooner. Luckily for her, he intended to more than make up for lost time now. Her hands now rested over his, both of them squeezing and massaging her relatively small yet perky breasts as his lips suddenly began to kiss at her neck.

"Oh, you know just what I like...one could almost doubt your so-called 'lack of experience'," Hitomi softly swooned as she felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter with intensity now. She was still unable to fully believe how utterly huge Marcus' cock actually was now that she'd seen it with her own two eyes; let alone felt how thick it was with her hands and mouth. As much as she didn't want to say so; a twinge of hesitation in her head feared if her poor tiny womanhood would even be able to take in something so incredible.

"Are you going to keep talking about that…or are you going to take off your pants and really get things started?" Marcus asked as his rock-hard penis now throbbed and bulged between her clearly soaking wet and tightly closed thighs with a subtle thrust of his hips. Poor Hitomi tried so hard to keep him from seeing how red and aroused her face was as she looked down to see the head and several inches of his cock poking out from between her legs.

Hitomi bit her bottom lip and without hesitation bent over to slide off her shorts and sky blue panties; leaving them both completely naked and covered in sweat, right before Marcus immediately squeezed his dick between her slippery wet thighs again. The heat perfectly emanated from his member and into her body as it was perfectly tucked between her thighs. Her opening was already sopping wet and immensely aroused as judged by her visibly swollen and pink labia; her feminine juices dripping and coating Marcus' dick instantly. It was all too clear that Hitomi didn't want to waste another second without him deep inside her.

Marcus' arms wrapped around her waist before practically sweeping her off her feet and into the bed. She let out a soft giggle as she was on her back now; looking up at him with adoration while spreading her legs wide for him. One leg rested along his shoulders as he teased Hitomi by prodding the head against her folds; even going as far as rubbing the tip against her clitoris before finally making the first thrust into her hot, tight, juicy slit.

"Aaahhh...mmmm..." Hitomi groaned through her teeth; not expecting Marcus to put in so much of his length at once. Her distressed cry quickly changed into a relaxed sigh of euphoria as the pleasure instantly took the place of the tension.

"Are you alright?" Marcus suddenly asked concernedly; even starting to pull his shaft out upon asking.

"What? Yes, of course I am. Just go easy on me, big boy," Hitomi answered, surprised he'd actually stop to check and make sure she was okay; finding that sweet charm of his made this experience all the more worth it.

Nodding in understanding, Marcus poised himself again and began to slowly slide and squeeze in several inches; his hips rocking back and forth as Hitomi's body was being pressed down into the sheets. She could only moan louder with every thrust made, feeling him go deeper with each one; stretching her inner walls out like it was nothing. Both her legs adjusted and began to wrap around his lower back, practically demanding that he go in even further.

Taking the hint, Marcus suddenly began to pull himself out only to immediately thrust himself right back in. Hitomi's eyes widened at the risky move and she had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming in ecstasy; closing her eyes as Marcus forcibly pulled her hand aside and kissed her. Their lips and tongues were now doing battle as their hips rocked in rhythm with one another.

"Oh my god, this is so gooood," Hitomi moaned into his ear;breathing heavily as the young teen was making her mind go blank from all the indescribable pleasure she was taking in.

"Here, flip over. I wanna switch positions," Marcus said as he was still inside of her.

"Mmm, make me, Markie-kun," the young police girl challenged with a sly smirk of defiance.

Without hesitation, Marcus pulled back and without as much effort as he anticipated, was able to flip Hitomi around so she was face-first into the pillow with her sexy heart-shaped assperfectly poised in the air in a rather offering stance. One hand grasped around her ass while the other grabbed her ponytail again. Hitomi grinned in anticipation as Marcus wasted no time angling his huge manhood for reentry.

"It's so fucking tight," Marcus moaned as he slid into Hitomi's hot, dripping wet pussy once more; his balls lightly slapping against her thighs as he was able to go even deeper in this position.

"Mmm... considering what you're packing... even experienced women would be tight for you," Hitomi tried to explain, pausing every now and then as it was increasingly hard to focus.

"Point taken," Marcus noted, starting to practically ram into Hitomi now as her nails dug into the pillow her face was resting against.

"I'll say," Hitomi agreed with a wink; feeling her legs trembling helplessly as Marcus clearly wasn't holding back anymore. Within several minutes of this increased tempo, she was finally able to take all his massive length and thickness in; able to practically feel his cock barely kissing her womb.

Just when Marcus thought he had her on the ropes, he felt Hitomi's inner walls slowly squeezing all around his thick cock. Regardless whether this was voluntary or not, this sensation made him grunt in excitement as he continued thrusting; not yet realizing he was closer to his limit than he thought.

Unable to stop, he grabbed her hips with both hands and pressed on his momentum; unable to block out Hitomi's moans and gasps of sheer bliss as he felt that primal urge all humans felt when it came to sex. All problems and concerns beyond this moment were nonexistent; falling on deaf ears as he was practically acting on instinct alone now and enthusiastically spanking Hitomi's perfect ass with every thrust.

"Oh, Marcus; finish it and cum in me right now," Hitomi cried out far more loudly than she meant to; feeling her entire world slow down as she could feel his pulsating member expanding inside her even further for a split second before suddenly coming to her senses and sliding him out; right before feeling his burning hot male essence spurting all over her back.

Both of them had now fallen dead silent after realizing how close they'd just come from a real point of no return. Hitomi then sat up on her knees and glanced over at Marcus; realizing he was looking rather ashamed at how he'd lost control.

"I'm so sorry, Hitomi. I just got so caught up in the moment, and I-" Marcus attempted to explain before she hushed him with a soft kiss; pressing her hot, sticky, wet and petite body up against his.

"Relax, darling; you're still new to all of this. Honestly, I should've slowed you down. I think we were both pretty lucky this time though," Hitomi said with reassurance before her amber eyes shifted down to see his still-towering manhood twitching while covered in his own seed; the sight causing her cheeks to turn a radiant pink as her lips formed into another mischievous smile.

"Look how dirty we let it get; guess we'll have to really work on that. But don't worry. Since it's our first time together, I'll let you off nice and light," she explained flirtatiously; Marcus still in too much of a state of euphoria to really gather what his beloved police girl was saying before she bowed her head down.

Within seconds, Marcus' whole body nearly jolted as Hitomi wasted no time running her hot, wet tongue along the entire length of his dick; meticulously licking up every trickle of his cum from the shaft before polishing the head clean and taking it into her mouth with almost surgical precision. Marcus couldn't even form the words as she immediately got to work vigorously squeezing and stroking his cock while licking and sucking the head with progressively stronger force, as if she was intently trying to suck out whatever of his load might've remained.

Just as quickly as she'd started, Hitomi suddenly stopped as she felt Marcus' whole body stiffen and his manhood swell up in her mouth before feeling a huge burst of his cum shoot out into her mouth. She immediately got to work swallowing every mouthful she could before his orgasm had finally run its course and she let his dick free from her mouth with an almost orgasmic-sounding gasp for air with her tongue hanging from her open mouth like an animal in heat. Once more, the two found themselves in a heavy silence as she struggled to catch her breath and regain her senses and Marcus could only watch her in what could only be called astonishment at how far she'd just proven she was willing to go.

"Sooo...was I good?" the young Brit asked, clearly self-conscious about his performance.

"Good? Are you kidding? I'm still trembling down there because of you! I'll be lucky if I can walk normally after all that. However, I hope you realize I'll want to do it a hell of a lot more with you from now on," Hitomi scoffed at first as if surprised that he even felt the need to ask; quick to reassure him that he went above and beyond.

"Well, always glad to be of service. Although, you make that sound like it's a bad thing," Marcus said with a smile, though curious what she could've meant.

"It won't be easy once we're on the road. We'll have to get...creative," Hitomi explained; Marcus now imagining how they could possibly have sex while traveling on a bus with the others.

"We'll figure it out when we actually get to that point," he said with some assurance in his voice, despite having no plan in mind.

"And you're going to wear protection from now on," she added;a look of disappointment forming on his face.

"Crap," Marcus muttered as he knew the rumors of how condoms took away some of the pleasure from intercourse.

"Oh, it's not that bad…is it?" Hitomi asked, partially forgetting that he'd probably be far more affected than she would by it.

"I guess not when it's with someone you love," Marcus relented with a sigh; earning a loving kiss on the cheek with such a sweet shimmering in Hitomi's eyes.

"I still can't believe we just did that. What time is it?" Hitomi said with no regret before realizing she lost track of time.

"I'm not sure. I wanna say it's been thirty minutes? Maybe more?" the drained teenager attempted to estimate as he scratched the back of his head in thought.

"Mmm, felt like an eternity to me," Hitomi softly swooned as she undid her ponytail and rolled her hair up into a bun to avoid having to actually fix it.

"No kidding. So I guess you should be getting back to whatever it was you were going to be doing before I...distracted you?" Marcus reluctantly asked; knowing that he shouldn't be greedy and keep her here to himself when there was still work to be done.

"Unfortunately, yes. But maybe you can grab some condoms from the pharmacy and put them to good use sometime today?" Hitomi sighed as she realized he was right; while still hoping that they could continue the fun later that day.

"'Maybe'? Is the sky blue?" Marcus asked before making a cheeky retort. Her laughter filled the room before her body rested up against him.

"You always know how to make me smile. I love you, Marcus," Hitomi said with a smile on her face and both eyes closed; holding onto him before his arms naturally pulled her closer.

"I love you too, Hitomi. When we're finally well and truly safe, I promise we'll be able to really start a life together," Marcus said;trying to not shed a tear, knowing he must remain the masculine one among them despite how good it felt to hear her finally say it out loud.

"Hey...on second thought, do think you could maybe stay a bit longer and cuddle with me instead? I really miss that feeling after sex," Hitomi suddenly asked; realizing she needed this more than she thought. Without any hesitation, Marcus stayed with Hitomi for as long as she needed him to; both of them drifting to sleep in each other's arms until the following morning.

Z-Day+23

Later the next morning, the sun just barely peeked over the horizon. The Lawson trio was finally alone at last as they sat perched on the rooftop. Each one wore a hooded jacket due to the air feeling as sharp as it was cold. They simply kept watch;ignoring the occasional band of undead that would wander across the parking lot.

At first it was rather quiet between them; Marcus notably more silent than usual despite his recent intimacy with Hitomi just hours ago; the fond memories still very fresh in his mind as he personally had no trouble staying warm. It took quite a lot of willpower on his part to not brag about what was easily the best experience in his adolescent life thus far. However, he knew more likely than not that if Frasier were to catch wind of this,he'd try to intervene and control the situation as usual.

"Hey, Frasier? Can I ask you something?" Noah asked;effectively breaking the silence as Frasier broke from his momentary trance from staring onward.

"Go ahead," Frasier said; not exactly anxious as to learn what problem he'd have to fix now.

"Are you...feeling alright?" the youngest Lawson asked; a deep and genuine concern evident in his voice.

"I'm fine," the eldest Lawson answered distantly. However, that didn't seem like a good enough answer for Noah.

"I only ask because earlier at the morning meeting, you seemed rather passive on what everyone should be doing today for preparation," Noah brought up; Marcus raising an eyebrow when he recalled this out-of-character moment for Frasier.

"Is that considered a bad thing now?" Frasier asked defensively;coming off as if he'd been insulted by such a suggestion.

"Well, no, but you're normally so direct and in control of every little thing. Your lack of bravado was not lost upon us," Noah answered; trying to be careful with his choice of words, as the last thing he needed to do was set Frasier off.

"He probably just needs a cup of coffee or something. We did get up earlier than usual. You know, Rika-san actually makes a pretty damn good brew," Marcus interjected; trying to change the subject and diffuse the tension as best he could.

"I said I feel just fine. Why does every-bloody-thing I do and say need to be put under a microscope with you people?" Frasier groaned; irritation burning in his throat as he couldn't grasp why they were always on his back about his emotional side, or lack thereof at times.

"I'm sorry. I'll shut up now," Noah sighed as it was clear he wasn't getting anywhere with this; looking away as if this conversation never happened. However, an odd sense of guilt rose up in Frasier's chest when seeing the saddened look on his youngest sibling's face.

"No, don't be. I shouldn't be taking my frustrations out on you, Noah. I hate to admit this, but the last few days I've been...questioning my past decisions," Frasier suddenly brought up. His voice could easily be taken for sounding apologetic. Neither Marcus nor Noah had ever expected such a response though.

"You have? Why? Despite all we've lost, our group is still standing. So many have perished, yet we're still here! Surely that must bolster SOME confidence in your ability to lead us," Noah said in surprise; still amazed to hear Frasier going as far as admitting that he wasn't in complete control here.

"It was simple at first. For the most part, I thought this outbreak would only be a couple weeks at best. However, nothing has changed yet; the dead are still in control and we're losing more and more of the living every single day. I feel like I'll only be able to lead so many survivors for so long," Frasier confessed; making it clear that he believed he was meant to follow and not lead. Yet, they still had him do it because despite the rough relations he had at times with them, he was the best at it.

"I've been plotting out several scenarios as to how all this will play out for us. The best one involves us leaving the rest of the group once we reach the Tokyo quarantine zone. Ultimately, my loyalties are bound only to you two, not them. I can't be making all the decisions for those I don't plan to stay with when this is all over," Frasier explained further; his brothers shocked to hear him even suggest that they break off from everyone else after everything they'd gone through together.

"Why would we leave? If this quarantine zone is safe, why not stay and wait out the infection?" Marcus asked, uncertain what he had in mind to justify them leaving what would've also been a safe bet for them.

"Yeah, like it or not, those people are our friends, our family. You can't expect me to believe you think they're merely pawns to you anymore. I've seen how you've been treating them better with each passing day. I know you genuinely enjoy spending time with both Alice and Saeko, like they're family" Noah added on, unable to not bring up how close Frasier was to them even though he'd deny it if anyone asked.

"My growing attachments for them are undeniable, but I can't allow that to hinder the task at hand. If we are to return home,we must go on our own," Frasier acknowledged, but as usual, he went back to his mission as the be-all-end-all.

"'Hinder the task'? They've been nothing but help to us. We've gathered plenty of resources and only grown that much stronger because we've all looked out for each other," Noah argued, unwilling to entertain the idea of abandoning people he'd come to care so much about, especially Miku once he actually thought about it.

"They're too much of a distraction. I feel things I shouldn't when around them, when around Saeko. It confuses me and complicates things to no end," Frasier said with a real sense of struggle; images of her blossoming in his mind as he felt that special warmth for her once more.

"And just what lies at home for us exactly? A father that seeks to control our entire lives, assuming he's even still alive? Martial law, considering the state of things? All that aside, the journey across the ocean would be insanely dangerous as well. Face it, going home is a terrible idea; even for you," Marcus protested, certain that there was nothing his older brother could possibly say to counter his point.

"I know," was all Frasier said in response. A look of surprise formed on their faces; both looking at the other to confirm they simply weren't hearing things.

"What? Then...then why the hell are you pushing so hard to go back?" Marcus demanded, unable to understand what was going through Frasier's head.

"Because it's my duty! It's a path I can't stray from under any circumstance…no matter how much I want to," Frasier explained; his voice starting to rise at first, but gradually calming into a more somber tone as he knew it was ultimately all for nothing.

"Not even a little straying?" Noah asked weakly as Frasier bowed his head as though in defeat.

"No," was all he got in a blunt grunt of a response.

"Not even for me?" Marcus then chimed in; trying to help settle things down to avoid any further emotional breakdowns.

"Especially not," Frasier scoffed; showing not even a little humor to his brothers.

"You're no fun," Marcus grumbled; fuming over how someone could never enjoy even the slightest amount of humor for as long as his big brother had.

"Not being fun is precisely why I'm still alive. It's a cruel, cruel world out there. A sense of humor only gets you so far," Frasier sighed, well aware he was nothing short of intolerable to be around, yet grateful he was at the same time for the end result.

"It's also why you're still single," Marcus said with a nudge, only to get an irked glare from Frasier who wasn't nearly as amused as he was.

"Just saying," the middle Lawson said as Frasier remained silent as if in contemplation.

"Yeah, I'll admit I might be a bit more sociable if I was 'more fun' like yourself; but considering how things have played out, I'm most likely going to live this nightmare out compared to everyone else," Frasier then confessed, a sense of regret being masked when he calmly tried to bring up his chances of lasting.

"Is a lonely life really one worth living, though?" Noah doubted;leaving Frasier absolutely speechless as he knew that was an obvious answer he couldn't even attempt to shrug off.

Before Frasier could even begin to think up a response to that chilling point, they all turned their attention towards a cluster of 'Them' pushing into the parking lot. At first it seemed like 'They' were merely passing on through; however, among one of 'Them', a large cardboard cutout was dangling from the chest.

"Do you see what I see?" Marcus asked as he pointed at the undead man with the sign.

"Oh, yeah. However, I can't make out what it says from here. Damn thing is bobbing too much for me to tell what's on there. Let's take these tossers out before more are drawn in," Frasier acknowledged before giving them the order to take down the small pack before them.

"Too right," Marcus agreed as the flicked the safety off to their rifles.

In a quick succession of suppressed shots, the Lawson trio easily dispatched the several shambling undead with relative ease. The silencers luckily made little noise and wouldn't be attracting any more for kilometers to come. When it seemed like that was the only group of 'Them' in the nearby area, they descended down from the rooftop to inspect the cardboard cutout to see if anything worthwhile was on it.

'READ ME' was all it said in red paint before Frasier saw a piece of paper was nailed just below. Frasier grasped the paper and briefly read it before crushing it in his fist.

"Get inside and bring the others. They'll want to hear this," he said with urgency as it was clear whatever it said put him on high alert.

It wasn't even five minutes after they'd discovered the ominous letter that the entire group had been gathered to sit around one of the restaurant parlors while Noah read the entire message aloud for all to hear.

"We know where you live. Send the person in charge to the following address and not a single soul more. If someone does not show up within 24 hours or you try to run, we'll come for you; and if you know what's best for you, you don't want that. Dearly signed, Koichi Shido," Noah's voice repeated word for word for everyone to hear as his voice grew increasingly worried; speaking as if the twisted man was standing right beside him with a gun to his head. As he finished, nobody could say anything for what felt like the longest time.

"They can't be serious…can they?" Hitomi asked; looking over at Marcus briefly before looking back to Frasier, who remained in utter silence; looking to be deep in thought.

"Do you really want to bet on such a thing?" Rika warned;knowing that this was not to be taken lightly.

"Either way, it's something we can't hope to avoid," Saya brought up; knowing if what Shido said was true, then it was already too late to try and run, let alone hide out in a huge mall literally anyone could stumble upon.

"Then I'll go see what this Shido wants. If he wants the leader, then I'll give him just that," Frasier finally announced;seemingly unaware of the real danger that awaited him.

"It's clearly a trap," Saeko warned; hating the idea of him going into what was essentially a lion's den, by himself no less.

"What could've possibly given that away?" Frasier sneered as it didn't seem to be fazing him nearly as much as it should've been.

"You speak with blatant sarcasm, yet you clearly intend to forgive me for my bluntness, but this is a foolish decision you're making," Saeko retorted; trying to remain calm as she spoke, yet it was all too clear she hated not only this idea, but that once again he was going off to do his own thing without them.

"I can take care of myself just fine. Without any of you to get in my way, I'll be more able to focus," Frasier explained confidently' knowing that he could handle this if only working with himself.

"This isn't a matter of two or four people you're dealing with here, Frasier. Who knows how many survivors that crazy bastard has manipulated by now? Did you just choose to forget how many people we dealt with back at the school?" Johann argued, unable to hide his skepticism. Even with his military training, Frasier was still just one person against an unknown number of survivors that could easily overwhelm him if he wasn't careful.

"They're right. I know you're trained and meant to be a soldier, but you're talking like you're some kind of action hero...or an assassin," Saeko said, desperate to know why he had to act alone when together they could accomplish so much more. However, the eldest Lawson disregarded them and began to walk away.

"Wait. It's not just a physical threat you need to be concerned with, Frasier. I've spoken with Shido before; the man will do whatever he can to get into your head; dig under your skin until he gets whatever he needs. You don't know him like I do. Don't underestimate him for some common lot," Noah warned;recalling the intense mind games he had to work around when he encountered Shido previously; causing an unnerving chill to run down his back.

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Frasier said in understanding; knowing that there had to be a catch to all of this. However, he still seemed as determined as ever and was still going to go through with it; stopping as he felt someone grab his wrist to try and slow him down.

"Tell me the truth, Frasier-san. Do you really feel this is the best choice?" Saeko asked one last time; hoping that Frasier would see reason and reconsider his decision.

"No, but our hands are tied on the matter. I'll go to observe what they've got," Frasier admitted, certain that this was truly the only way to handle the situation.

"And what if it is a trap?! What if you don't come back?" Marcus demanded, his voiced rose as it was becoming too hard to idly stand by while his oldest brother was offering to do what could easily be considered a suicide mission.

"Then you must be ready to move on without me and not look back," Frasier snapped back as he watched his young brother recoil. The young leader then looked around to see the others were all visibly afraid; that this situation had them all on edge now just as much as it had him.

"I know those aren't the words any of you want to hear, especially not right now, but what other choice do we have?" Frasier suddenly said in a far more approachable tone; showing that he was all too aware of the uncertainty of this situation and how uneasy it made them truly feel.

"I promise I'll return as soon as I can. But be prepared for the worst if I don't return within twelve hours," he finally said as he headed for the rooftop to take one good look at the parking lot before heading off into the unknown; mentally preparing himself for the worst scenario and hoping that he'd be enough to stop Shido's intentions, whatever they may be.