Aaaaaaaand Chapter 2 is now complete. Not much to say…. Thanks for the people who have reviewed, you got this chapter flowing! Please continue to refiew- I can't tell you how much it means to hear back from people. Comments and Critiques are seriously always welcomed and loved, they mean the world to me and they inspire to sit down and work on days I'm having slumps. 3 Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 2
"So, Zoey… what's on the menu for dinner tonight?" Nick asked as the three and one survivors piled into the safe house. His voice was raised so that it could be heard over the grumbling and scraping of the infected outside.
"I don't know, Nick. What are you making for us?" Zoey asked, flipping her hair as she looked at him. "If you think it's my job to make you dinner because I'm a woman you've got another thing coming."
"I miss Rochelle already." Nick sighed as he bypassed the kitchen.
"I'm surprised you survived so long without her… considering how you don't seem to know how to take care of yourself." Zoey replied and Nick glanced back at her. Yep, her expression matched the sharp, snarky tone to her voice.
Nick rolled his eyes, climbing the stairs of the house to glare out of one of the upper story windows. He had been battling with this group for a couple days now and he still felt just as alienated as he had felt on the first day. Zoey, Francis, and Louis knew one another. They knew how they fought and they knew how to work together and they didn't actually need Nick.
This, of course, did not make it any easier for Nick to work with the group. He found himself lagging behind the group more often than not. He also found that there were less zombies attacking him than the others but perhaps they were more attracted to multiple survivors than one battling alone- though it hadn't seemed that way when he had been on his own at the beginning.
If it weren't for Rochelle and Coach Nick would not be putting up with this hell. There was quite honestly no reason for him to stick around Zoey, Louis, and Francis… he was perfectly willing to battle on his own.
As Nick stared out at the landscape he wondered what had happened to Ellis. A few nights ago, before he had been found by Zoey, Louis, and Francis, he had had a vivid dream about finding Ellis. The dream, of course, turned to one of sex and since it was a dream Nick allowed himself the vulnerability of being bottom- something he'd have never done in the waking world. He found it odd to wake up so sore the next day but… perhaps he'd gotten a little wild in his sleep. And obviously his ass ached because he had fallen on it before passing out- he had been extremely drunk after all.
"Where are you, Overalls?" Nick asked the window before moving away from it. He looked down the hall, debating sleeping without dinner. He then looked down the stairs… he really didn't want to put up with the vest wearing grease monkey or Ellis' Angel at the moment so, even though his stomach grumbled in protest, Nick headed off to bed.
…..
Ellis rolled his eyes in annoyance. Nick could be such a stubborn ass at times. Ellis was already risking things as it was, keeping the zombies off of Nick… He'd been careful not to shoot anymore… That would be an absolute dead giveaway. Instead Ellis battled from the shadows, taking down zombies before they reached Nick and the other three.
Nick going without eating anything was something Ellis felt he couldn't just let slide. Sighing as he slipped away from the window, Ellis scaled down the side of the building.
"I'm righ' here, Nick-keepin' ya safe." Ellis murmured in a delayed response to Nick's question. He had had to jump to the side quickly so that Nick didn't see him when the gambler had come to the window. Ellis had been patrolling the outside of the house, warding off the infected that he could while also attempting to keep an eye on Nick and the others.
That Nick was still very much alone bothered Ellis. Why couldn't the conman just make friends with people? It had never been a difficult feat for Ellis but for whatever reason it seemed impossible for Nick to accomplish.
Ellis sighed heavily as he searched the nearby grocery store. He found a large can of a fruit mixture and felt that would work just fine. He knew he was really risking his ass bringing this to Nick and he was really counting on the conman being so peeved with the others that he won't mention having it… Ellis knew that it was a long shot and that he could get himself into serious trouble but he couldn't just let Nick slide by without eating.
Ellis' stomach gave a growl as well and he sighed once more, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. Being around the survivors so often made his mouth water… and he absolutely hated it. He hated knowing what he was and what he'd become. Ellis was determined to make the best out of this not so great situation, however… he would use his abilities to help the others and push away any of the negative aspects of being what he was.
The aisles were full of food that had gone bad so it took quite a bit of scrounging for Ellis to find anything else edible. He looked at his can of olives a little sadly- they were a lot better than nothing but by now Ellis knew how much his stomach would rebel against anything but meat. He had tested his theory once by eating some of the rancid store meat and unsurprisingly it hadn't made him sick and it obviously hadn't killed him. It had, however, disgusted Ellis in more ways than one and he wasn't interested in trying it again. A shiver tingled down Ellis' spine at even considering it.
It was a simple manner getting the olive can open and quickly scarfing through the food. There was a strong metal tang to the food but besides that it didn't taste all that bad… and though it made his stomach flinch and quiver, he was happy that his stomach was no longer hollow. Ellis knew he was going to need to find another way to cope with his hunger but for now he was quite happy making due on what he could.
Cans were never fun to carry, especially one as big and bulky as the one Ellis had picked up… but he had also solved that problem a while back by hunting down a backpack. He settled the can of fruit cocktail into it before hefting the bag onto his back and beginning to head out but a sound brought him up short.
"Dammit." Ellis hissed under his breath as the sobs of a Witch whispered nearby. He had been so caught up in his own thoughts that he hadn't heard it earlier and was glad that he hadn't run into it.
Ellis crept around aisles and counters, keeping an eye out for the pale demon. Witches, of all the infected, were the only kind that still terrified Ellis. He had learned the hard way about how, even in his new state, Witches could still do quite a bit of damage.
Red eyes gleamed from a corner and Ellis nodded to himself, thinking: There ya are, ya bitch. He kept low as he attempted to creep past her, painfully curling his claws in and walking on his knuckles so that the floor didn't give him away with clicking.
Ellis' breath felt heavy in his lungs as he continued to hold it even after the witch had gone from his sight. In hind sight Ellis realized he could have easily doubled back and gone a different away… but then he had been trying to avoid the sound and had found himself drawn to it still. To the special infected Witches were more like sirens- which never ended well for anyone since witches still wished to be left alone, even by other infected.
The air gushed from Ellis' lungs in a relieved manner and he attempted to ignore the throbbing in his knuckles in favor of pride for getting past the witch unscathed. But this was Ellis we were talking about and lately nothing ever seemed to be in his favor. At least, for once, it wasn't Ellis' fault.
Even Ellis flinched at the resounding crash that echoed throughout the store and was then echoed by a shrill scream. Eyes darting around quickly, Ellis landed on the source and he glowered a moment before events became too hectic for things like expressions.
"Goddamn good fer nothin' common." Ellis grumbled, his gaze darting around the stack of cans the common had knocked over. He moved past them quickly, however, when the Witch's screams of rage began to race towards him. Ellis had just enough time to look back in shock when something was swiping at his back. Ellis could fell sharp nails grazing his sides and he wouldn't be surprised if the Witch had just shredded his backpack.
"Dammit…." Ellis muttered as he pulled back to his feet as fast as he could to face the Witch. Her red eyes stared at him, animalistic hate clouding the clarity of the color. Ellis attempted a snarl to warn her off but in fact that almost made her smile… like she was a superior human and Ellis, her lowly, misbehaving mutt. In fact that was how Witches treated all of the lower- like misbehaving dogs… and they had no mercy on which dogs needed to be put down (in short, any that interfered with the Witches' sulking).
Ellis could almost hear the laughter from the Witch as he backed away from her slowly. As she approached him, intent and malice in her eyes, Ellis couldn't help but release a small whimper. He didn't want this right now- or ever really. But especially not when he had a job to do… Funny how he was still risking his life for Nick.
A shrill scream came as a warning before the Witch was coming at him at top speed, claws outreaching and extending like a last shadow seen right before death.
Ellis was quick to dart around a corner and climb up a counter. If there was anything a witch couldn't do, it was climb. Even something as simple as a counter. She didn't need to, however- Witches were notorious for waiting out their prey amongst other infected.
This one was a little impatient, however, and Ellis wondered what her hurry was as she attempted to reach him. He had felt safe at first but if she was going to give it a shot then Ellis wasn't sure that she wouldn't be able to reach him.
The Witch's gleaming eyes came into view and Ellis gave a defensive swipe, clipping the Witch and sending her sprawling sideways. Ellis was shocked… but he forced himself to recover quickly… leaping down from the counter and pouncing the Witch in a hope to finish it then and there. Of course things couldn't be that easy for Ellis, though.
The time it had taken Ellis to recover from shock had given the Witch time to recover as well and she retaliated with a swipe that sent Ellis sprawling sideways. She was on him before he could fully recover, readying her claws for another swipe that Ellis deflected from his chest with a thrown out arm.
"Shit." Ellis stated as pain flooded his system. He couldn't keep his human posture, he couldn't keep his humanity… but he had kept the feeling of pain. This world was cruel.
Instincts kicking in as Ellis faced a true dilemma, his eyes sought out a weakness as the Witch went down for another swipe. Her swings were wide and left her open because whoever attacked a Witch anyway? Ellis did. Ellis attacked the Witch, swiping with his own claws and raking across her exposed ribs.
The Witch screamed in pain and her next attack was more vicious, more furious, and more determined to kill Ellis than before. Ellis continued deflecting her attacks with his arms and knew he would not want to see them after this battle. If he survived, that was.
Ellis continued to attack when he could and the Witch did the same and in that way they wore away at one another little by little. Ellis wondered how he even had arms left as this continued and he knew that one wrong clip and Ellis would no longer even have any use of his arms and then he really would be a goner. So, in a last desperate attempt, Ellis put the remainder of his strength in a slash that sent the Witch sprawling backwards. Ellis grappled to his feet and leaped, plunging his claws into the Witch's heart.
Just as with the Hunger, the Witch struggled for a moment- the look of horror and surprise priceless to Ellis as he severed her head from her body.
"Bitch." Ellis growled, removing his claws and turning to walk away. He headed out into the street, happy to see the sky just as he always was… but especially so after such a close call. That was, until he reached the safe house Nick and the others were occupying- planning on how to get in… and then discovering there was no reason to go into the safe house anymore.
It wasn't that the 3 and 1 survivors had left… they hadn't, they were still in the building. Ellis could hear the familiar sound of the Conman's sleeping breath and below the chatter of the trio… They were indeed still in the house. The reason Ellis no longer had a reason to go in was because he no longer had anything worth bringing Nick.
In that initial attack the Witch had caught the can and tore two gashes into the metal, releasing the treasure that had been kept inside. But even if she hadn't, the force of him landing on his back had practically flattened the can.
The frustration and bitterness overwhelmed Ellis in a flood and he scrubbed at the tears falling down his face. He didn't want Nick to go hungry… he wanted to be with Nick and there for the conman but he couldn't. And it was tearing Ellis apart… and just when he had something he could help Nick out with, Ellis had to go and mess it up.
Ellis buried his face in his knees as the black tears dripped from his face.
Footsteps up the stairs had Ellis sluggishly moving farther away from the window. After a moment of consideration Ellis pressed his ear against the wood. He would have been able to hear just as fine without doing so but he wanted to feel closer to the situation.
"Bastard. I don't see why Zoey sees fit to put up with you." Francis grumbled but Ellis could hear the clink dishware even as Francis griped. The footsteps then grew closer before receding down the stairs once more and Ellis glanced around the corner, feeling a strange sort of warmth in his heart from the care the others had given Nick. Hopefully Nick would accept the food.
Feeling just a little better, Ellis settled back to keep watch over the house. He moved to lick his claws free of blood but paused when he noticed that they were once again normal sized fingers. This discovery nearly had Ellis slipping off the roof before he was able to regain his composure. As Ellis watched the fingers lengthened into claws once more…. And Ellis began to wonder if it had been wishful thinking- a trick of the mind. Deciding not to dwell on it one way or another, Ellis made himself comfortable on the roof and prepared to wait for the trio of survivors and Nick to leave the house.
…..
Upon awaking Nick was pleasantly surprised to see food set at the side of his bed. He snatched it up and, after checking to make sure there was nothing strange in the food, began to eat it quickly- as if someone might come and steal it away from him at any moment. It didn't have the pleasant feeling of Rochelle's cooking since she always attempted to make it feel like a regular day meal-plates and silverware, the whole mile. This was still in the can but it had been heated at least and though it had cooled a little since then, it was still a great relief to Nick's stomach.
Having finished, Nick set the can on the table and headed downstairs. Zoey and Louis were standing over a map spread over a kitchen table. Francis was on the opposite side, sitting in a chair as he, too, looked over the map. The three glanced up at Nick as he entered the room before returning to their map. At least Louis gave a nod of acknowledgement in his direction.
Nick moved closer to the map, trying to figure out what their plan was… but he might as well have been trying to read Greek or Chinese. The symbols the three had drawn all over the map made no real sense to Nick.
"How far away were they taken?" Nick decided to pipe up because he couldn't even figure out where the ending place for this journey would be.. or even where they were at the moment.
"It's not going to be a pleasant little hiking trip to reach them, I can tell you that much." Francis grumbled, pulling his eyes away for a moment to glare over at Nick. Nick returned the glare- he really had never liked Francis much… even before all this infected shit they were in but especially not now. Of all the people to be left on Earth of course one of them would be Francis.
"Well is there an estimation on how many days this is going to take?" Nick pressed, biting back his irritation.
"Could take a week. Could take longer. It depends on how much you hold us back." Francis replied, glowering at Nick and the conman released a breath that hissed through his teeth.
"Alright. Ok. You know what? Tell me when we're ready to leave. I'll be in the other room." Nick said, just barely keeping his tone in check. With that he left the three to their map searching, going into the living room to collapse onto a couch. Now this… this felt familiar. Although he didn't have a rambling hick next to him this time.
"Dammit Ellis, what happened to you?" Nick sighed, placing his head in his hands and leaning forward. Nick was beginning to worry that he really wasn't going to see Ellis again. He didn't know where they were headed but eventually they'd make it out of New Orleans and then who knows how far away they'd make it. And every step taken could potentially be another away from Ellis- away from ever finding the man.
Nick was rubbing his face wearily with that thought in mind when his three traveling colleagues came in to the room and began to collect up their guns.
"Can I just ask… do you three ever sleep? Scratch that, I know Francis does. The world knows he does with his snores but do either of you two?" Nick asked, able to recognize Francis' snores… but never able to tell when either Zoey or Louis were catching any sleep. They really never seemed to sleep… or nap… or rest. They always seemed to be moving, doing something.
No one deigned to answer his question and he felt blocked out more so than usual. There was always a wall between him and the other three but it felt thicker than before- like he was being pushed away. Nick sighed… today was not going to be pleasant.
Still, as the rest pushed to their feet Nick followed without hesitation. He had been able to glean only small pieces of information on Rochelle and Coach's situation. They were pretty much back in the same situation that they had been in back at the swamps… he wondered if the earlier experimentation will change anything.
Nick also wondered, at times, if Coach and Rochelle were even still alive. Ellis too. Nick had had a few dark moments of consideration because in all truthfulness he may be the last of his little group-though he sorely hoped he was wrong. He didn't want to be the last… not at all. Strangely enough he was almost as strongly affected by the thought that Coach and Rochelle were dead as he was Ellis.
The day continued on as it usually did… infected attacked and the survivors attacked back. Nick, once again, fell a little farther back- allowing himself to be left behind in a sense. He could probably keep up with the others without too much trouble but it just didn't seem worth it when he was almost getting shot on three sides thanks to the other three not knowing the way Nick battled.
Heh, if they thought he was bad they should try battling with Ellis, Nick thought to himself, partially amused. He was wrenched from his thoughts as a Tank came lumbering into the picture and Nick heaved a sigh. Damn this apocalypse… why did it have to create things like tanks anyway?
"Tank!" Zoey shouted as she, too, spotted it. The three immediately got into their Tank fighting formation. Well Nick thought it was a formation, anyway, but whenever he pointed it out he was firmly told it was not a battle formation… It amused Nick to watch, however, because when fighting a Tank Louis always took the left, Zoey always took the right, and Francis always too front and center unless of course for some reason one of the three were down.
"Take this, bitch!" Louis said, lighting a Molotov and hurling it at the Tank. The bottle shattered against the Tank's chest, alighting the monster in bright orange flame… and Nick couldn't help but be impressed. That was a pretty accurate throw.
"Keep Shooting It!" Zoey called and bullets echoed throughout the area as the 3 and 1 survivors attacked the giant infestation of disease.
"Timber!" Louis called out as the legs gave out beneath the Tank and it stumbled forward, collapsing in a heap in front of the trio and Nick. Not really sure what had spiked it, Nick was reminded of the time that Ellis took a tank on by himself. Or well… the time he had done it on purpose, rather, in the name of Zoey.
"You know, somewhere out there is a Tank corpse named after you in your honor." Nick teased Zoey lightly. He may not like the trio… he may not even want to be with them… but it was best to make the best of the situation lest he get shot in the ass again by one of the three because he got in their way.
"What?" Zoey asked, her brow furrowing in confusion as she turned back to look at him.
"It was Ellis' idea. He wanted to take on a Tank on his own and upon being successful he named it after you, in your honor."
"There's a Tank Corpse named after me?" Zoey repeated, just to clarify.
"Yes." Nick nodded.
"And your point in bringing it up?" Zoey asked, giving Nick a dubious look.
"No real reason… the Tank just reminded me of it. It wasn't the only time Ellis took on a tank alone, either… though that second time wasn't something he could have helped, really." Nick said, musing out loud.
"It's stupid to try and take a Tank down on your own." Francis pointed out and Nick couldn't argue with that so he just shrugged and nodded.
"But Ellis could do it."
"Maybe that's why he's not here." Francis pointed out and Nick felt like he had been slapped though he tried not to show it. He considered that for a moment… but no, Ellis wasn't dumb enough to get himself killed by facing a tank… right?
"Francis." Zoey said, glaring over at Francis and he looked away, rubbing at the back of his neck. He glowered over at Nick as soon as she looked away and Nick began to get the distinct feeling that if anyone was in charge it was Zoey.
"Well if I ever see Ellis again, I'll have to thank him." Zoey added in offhandedly, as if she didn't doubt that she would see him again eventually.
"I'm sure he'll appreciate that." Nick responded. He didn't quite smile but he frowned a little less from her comment.
"So you think he's still out there, then?"
"Well you seem to so I don't see why I shouldn't."
"Obviously he's still around somewhere… the question is what kind of state he's in." Nick said, shrugging.
"It's not obvious," Zoey argued. "Being alone in this kind of world… people can't survive for very long… but you make it sound like Ellis could. Most people left on their own would be dead by now."
"I guess I just see Ellis as a stronger sort than to get himself killed." Nick offered offhandedly.
"I'm sure that Ellis is just fine, wherever he is." Louis put in and for a moment the walls were down and though Nick didn't include these other three as friends (especially not Francis) he could at least view them as comrades. They had saved his ass, after all, when he'd gotten shit-faced drunk…and they had invited him along to save Rochelle and Coach. Nick supposed in a way he really did owe them.
As the zombie numbers began to pick up once more, Nick again backed away from the trio. They still worked better with him out of the way, after all. He instead covered their backs and his own and it wasn't long before they were reaching the next safe house.
"You know, whoever sets up these safe houses is a god send." Louis said, holding the door open for the other three.
"Can't argue with that." Nick replied, nodding.
"So Nick, it's your turn to take care of dinner. What will you be gracing us with?" Zoey asked, taking a seat at the table. Nick heaved a sigh-he should have been expecting this.
First things first Nick moved over to the fridge but closed it just as quickly as he opened it because the smell that escaped was suffocatingly horrible. Backing away and pinching his nose, Nick began to hunt through the pantries.
"Stale crackers and peanut butter." Nick said, placing a box of crackers and a jar of peanut butter in front of Zoey.
"Is that the best you can do, Nick?" Zoey replied, her voice just this side of condescending.
"I don't cook." Nick answered smoothly. Well… he didn't cook when Ellis wasn't there telling him what to do. It wasn't that he didn't know how to cook- just that he didn't do it. Cooking didn't exactly bring back pleasant memories from his past oddly enough.. and even with the slightly better memories with Ellis, that did Nick no good when at the moment it just made him miss the kid more.
"Everyone on this team cooks." Zoey replied, her voice just as silky smooth as Nick's. Of course the first thing that crossed Nick's mind was that if Ellis ever did start a relationship with the spunky girl, he was pretty sure Zoey would wear the pants in the relationship.
"I'm only a temporary member." Nick countered.
"Your point?" Zoey crossed her arms and arched a brow, watching Nick with a scrutinizing gaze.
"My point is I'm not actually on this team."
There was silence as Zoey debated this. "As long as we fight together, speak to one another, and sleep in the same safe house we are a team. If you're not a part of this team you are absolutely free to leave. Right now." Zoey said, pointing to the door. Nick noticed Francis snickering and he gave the other man a dark look.
"Look. I found you guys something." Nick argued. "I don't cook, end of story." Nick said, turning his back on the pink jacketed woman to continue searching through the pantries. He knew better than to expect a box of crackers and peanut butter to be enough, anyway. He'd planned to continue searching all along. Obviously.
"Like I said, Nick, the door is over there." Zoey replied, pointing out the door once more though Nick's back was to her.
"Don't know why Ellis ever thought you were an Angel." Nick grumbled beneath his breath. He turned to look at the door in question and debated walking out for a moment… but then Rochelle ad Coach came to mind and that was enough to have him continuing his search one more. Cobwebs, mouse shit, insect carcasses… well didn't that just make a beautiful menu right there.
Eventually Nick came across a couple boxes of pasta as well as a jar of alfredo sauce that was still edible. Sighing he started hunting down pans, filling one with water and getting both on the stove. He fought to get the stove to ignite for a moment but finally the spark went through and it wasn't long before water was beginning to boil and sauce beginning to heat.
"Thank you, Nick." Zoey smiled innocently over at him and Nick rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. He refused to look in either Louis or Francis' direction- he was not interested in seeing their opinions of the situation written on their faces.
While Nick slaved over the stove, the other three munched contentedly on crackers dipped in peanut butter and spoke in hushed voices. Nick was sure he could eavesdrop on them if he wanted but at that point in time he just didn't care. Whatever they were talking about, they must not have minded if he heard considering they were chattering away in the same room as him. So obviously it wasn't interesting information to Nick. The interesting info was whatever the three didn't want him to know.
Finally, dinner was completed and set down before the three survivors still talking in low voices around the table. Filling a fourth bowl for himself, Nick began to leave the group when a hand gripped his arm.
"There's an extra chair in here if you'd like to stay." Louis offered, catching Nick off guard. He glanced over at the empty seat a moment, than back at Louis who had, by that time, released his arm. Zoey looked equally welcoming for Nick to join them. Francis, however, looked unhappy with the idea… which of course made up Nick's mind to take the last seat at the table.
"It's been awhile since someone has cooked like this." Louis mentioned in appreciation between bites.
"Zoey just said…" Nick trailed off, confused.
"Well yeah, it's always someone's job to find something edible… but usually it's whatever we can find in a can and quickly heat up." Louis explained which caused Nick's scowl to appear on his face, furrowing his brows low over his eyes.
"Well I guess my group knew how to do it right." Nick muttered offhandedly. It hadn't been until the very end that the group became so lazy and it was mainly because canned things were the only food available.
"You had a guy who could fight tanks on his own, someone who cooked for the rest of the group on a regular basis… and your group probably had a working coordination the way ours does… sounds like a pretty good group." Louis agreed and Nick smiled, albeit a little unwillingly.
"Do you miss them, then?" Zoey asked curiously. Nick glared over at her but, after a few moments thought, decided to answer her question.
"Do you think I'd be on this quest if I didn't?" Nick replied, resting his head on his hand as he stared down at his empty bowl-unsure if he wanted to get up and get seconds or not.
"So you must have taken it hard when Ellis went missing?" Zoey pressed, a teasing smirk on her face.
"He was a pain in the ass and he never shut up." Nick snapped, glaring at Zoey. "But things got too quiet when he wasn't there anymore. They're too quiet now." Nick said the second part quietly, remembering the brief time Ellis hadn't been around. Deciding seconds wasn't worth it Nick slid away from the table, tossing his bowl unceremoniously into the sink, and left the room.
"See, I told you he had a heart." Could be heard as Nick left, his eyes narrowing even further.
"Zoey, is this really important right now?" Louis asked and things became quiet between the three once more. Nick hunted down a bed and collapsed on top of it, rolling onto his side and picturing the kid lying next to him.
"Dammit Ellis, where the hell are you?" Nick grumbled before curling up on himself and closing his eyes. It took a little while but eventually Nick was able to get at least a little sleep.
…
The days continued on in a rather similar fashion as they had before, even though a few walls had been broken down between Nick and the other three. Keeping in mind that this was probably truly a temporary arrangement Nick kept to the back- there was no reason for him to really begin to learn their moves and work with them when he could easily work from the back and stay out of their way.
Nick didn't want to make friends with anyone else… not when he only made friends to be parted from them.
The sun was warming the back of Nick's jacket at this point but he didn't have the time to enjoy the warmth that sent through him as zombies ran at them. He took pleasure in every shot he made that dropped one, watching with mild interest as the trio in front of him worked like a well-oiled machine. They covered one another's backs… and sometimes Nick wondered if they forgot he was there. Not that he cared-it had just crossed his mind at some point.
"Assclown." Nick grumbled in annoyance when his gun jammed. He had been having trouble with it recently but hadn't had the time to pick up a new one yet. Trying to get the gun to work properly would take too much time so Nick pulled out a katana he had found recently… it had been rather an odd find, actually… as if it had been placed for him to find. But Nick pushed that to the side-he was glad to have it.
While Nick cut down undead annoyances, the trio moved farther and farther from sight. Nick was about to make an attempt to call out to them when something thick and slimy wrapped around his arms and chest and he found himself being drug backwards.
"Shit!" Nick shouted, struggling. He attempted to reach for the knife he had been keeping in his pocket but his arms were plastered to his sides by the strength of the tongue.
"Guys! Smoker!" Nick attempted to call out but it didn't seem like the trio noticed… considering he was still being dragged away. No way… this was not how Nick was going to die. After all this time, to get wrapped up by a smoker?
Common infected around him swooped in for a free meal and Nick had a hell of a time kicking them away, taking his focus away from breaking free of the tongue. This seemed to go on forever… but then the tongue was dragging him rather slowly. It gave Nick the time to contemplate his life while he squirmed against the tongue-what the hell was the thing made out of anyway?
That he had made it this far wasn't really a shock… Nick had always been a survivor-even before it was really called 'surviving.' He was obviously going to find a way out of this as well… he wasn't going to die thanks to something as ridiculous as a smoker.
Nick continued to believe this even as the tongue dragging him began to pull him into the air and he realized that the time to act was rapidly leaving him. He set about a fresh set of wriggling and squirming and ended up swinging himself back and forth. Getting an idea, Nick continued to push off from the wall he was now sliding against and attempted to slam into a window. The first time he aimed badly and slammed into the brick wall instead-knocking the air from his lungs.
"Come on, Nick. Come on." The conman mumbled to himself as he struggled to swing himself again. This time, he did hit a window but not enough for it to break-only crack. Nick attempted to kick at it but something caused the tongue to twist and his aim skewed, missing the window all together.
"Dammit." Nick growled. Had the other three really not noticed his absence? On the bright side at least the tongue wasn't wrapped around his neck because then he'd have been strangled by now.
Nick shouted out indignantly as his head hit a balcony and he slid around it. In a last ditch effort Nick hooked his feet beneath the fence so that he could no longer be pulled up. There was harsh tugging with the tongue and then Nick was falling flat on his back with a cloud of smoke billowing out from a window one story above him.
"About goddamn time." Nick growled, choking on smoke as he pulled the tongue from himself and stood up. The other three were not beneath the balcony, however. They were nowhere to be seen and Nick was left wondering what the hell was going on. Unless smokers now exploded from over-exertion?
That didn't seem quite right but Nick decided to go with it as he broke the window into the hotel. It was a maze of twists and turns in the dark that left Nick's palms sweating but nothing attacked him. He found corpses freshly killed lying around him which confused him but Nick decided to go with it and question it later.
Nick was able to find the stairs with some work and froze when he heard the roar of a charger. It seemed to be a couple floors below him and Nick prepared to face off against it… but the pounding footsteps never came. Nick considered for a moment finding another way down but the longer he took the farther the trio moved without him.
Deciding to risk it, Nick began to move cautiously down the stairs. He heard nothing except the echoes of his own footsteps as he worked his way down…. And he nearly passed out from a heart attack when a huge form loomed before him. Before Nick realized it was dead. The charger was dead… but he had just heard it… and he hadn't fired his gun. Obviously. He didn't even have a gun to fire.
Just when he thought that things couldn't get any stranger, there was the shrill scream of a startled witch and a thundering of footsteps far beneath him. An idea of what was going on began to glimmer in the back of Nick's mind and he worked his way down the stairs faster. There was someone here- someone helping him. Nick was going to find out who it was.
Nick's cautious walk had turned to a jog but he pushed the pace faster until he was running down the stairs. The Witch's screams could still be heard echoing around the walls which gave Nick hope. She was like a beacon for him right now- on the tail of his would be rescuer.
The sound of scuffling could be faintly heard above the sounds of his own footsteps and then the Witch's wails cut off with a gurgle. Nick froze at this point, holding his breath as he waited to hear something, anything. He crossed his fingers, wishing that a familiar voice might call up to him in that southern accent Nick knew so well. He waited… and waited… and waited… but he heard nothing except his heart pounding in his ears. He flashed his flashlight around the area, trying to spot anything that might be hiding from him but still nothing.
Nick continued down the stairs, then, trying to be quieter. Did they not want to be found? That didn't make much sense to Nick… but he didn't have time to really ponder it further as something slammed into him, knocking him down the stairs. Nick was unconscious before he reached the bottom.
…..
'Shit.' Ellis thought to himself as he saw Nick get snagged by a smoker. He crossed his fingers, waiting for the other three to notice. They had to notice. But of course not, of course they were too caught up in fighting. Well... time to go save Nick himself, he supposed. And try not to be caught while he was at it.
Nick was already pretty close to the building the smoker was hiding in… and Ellis tried to think of a way to get there without being seen.
Ellis kept to the shadows a she moved, finding comfort in the darkness because he knew it was safe-he wouldn't be seen. He peeked around corners to check on Nick's progress while he, himself, tried to race to reach the smoker first.
"Damn." Ellis mumbled as he looked at the wall he was going to have to scale to reach Nick. The smoker was quite a few stories up… but that had never really been a problem for Ellis so he pushed the daunting height aside and leapt at the wall- only to hit it and fall backwards. He hit the ground hard and Ellis looked around in shock. Well that had never happened before.
The inferior around him were giving him looks of slight interest and Ellis looked down at himself to see that his claws were absent. Instead replaced by human fingers once more. Well that would explain why he couldn't grip the wall… he had had nothing to grip with. Now Ellis' question was why his claws were missing.
Ellis didn't really have the time to consider, however. He needed to get to the smoker before it pulled Nick all the way in…. Ellis supposed he could take the stairs but it was a hotel- the likelihood of infected being on the stairs was high and that would slow him down.
For once, Ellis actually wanted his… 'abilities'. He needed them to save Nick without being discovered… so he reached into the back of his mind… he imagined it like there was something he could grab and bring forward…
At first nothing happened and Ellis began to lose heart. If he continued to wait than even being able to climb wouldn't be able to save Nick.
"Come on, Ellis." The hick whispered to himself, focusing once more. He tried imagining what it was like to have claws but honestly he never really paid attention to the difference. He could never really 'feel' it… he only noticed when he did things like fall off of walls.
Slowly… so slowly…. his fingers began to lengthen and sharpen.
"Hell yeah!" Ellis cheered quietly before sinking his claws into the wall and beginning to pull himself up. He checked each window to make sure that wasn't the one that the smoker was in and tried to repress the images that his imagination conjured of what he might find when he reached the right floor.
Finding the right window at last Ellis slid it up- the shattering of class might give him away. The smoker had enough time to turn and look at him before Ellis was plunging his claws into its throat and tearing the head away with a sickly smooth motion. Smoke billowed out around him as the smoker died, causing Ellis to wheeze and his eyes to water.
Remembering that he was on the 6th or 7th floor Ellis' eyes widened and he looked over the side of the building, trying to see through the smoke, wondering if he had just caused the conman to fall to his death… but no, he was lying on a balcony. A little dazed, of course, but nonetheless whole and very much not splattered.
Now all Ellis needed to do was get down again. Nick could take care of himself, of course. Ellis headed back towards that first window, placing his hands on it and preparing to leap over the side… when he noticed that his fingers were back to normal again.
"Shit." Ellis grumbled, rubbing at his temples tiredly. What the hell was going on with him? "Guess we gotta do it the hard way." Ellis replied before he began to run towards the stairs, taking down infected as he moved. Common attacked him as well, now, and though none of the injuries were grievous they were extremely annoying.
Using the axe he had acquired to replace the katana he had given Nick, Ellis cut down everything in his path. He tried to remain quiet while he did… but there was no silencing the roar of a charger. In fact, Ellis barely bit back a 'Shit!' upon practically running right into it.
He didn't have time for this. Nick could be coming down the stairs right at that moment. Ellis took a huge risk and attacked the charger straight up, aiming for the monster's head but of course, instead, getting its shoulder. The charger became quiet as it focused on pummeling Ellis into a wall and the man ducked and dodged, trying to get his axe back.
Taking a risky feint Ellis was able to get his hands on the axe handle but before he could pry it free he was pressed into the wall. Suffocating slowly beneath the weight of the charger, Ellis freed the axe and began to swing it at the small head just a small distance away. It took several swings to make contact but once Ellis had the charger slumped away from him-releasing Ellis from the wall pin and dropping him to the floor.
Ellis landed on his knees, gasping for breath. It hurt to take in too deep a breath so Ellis focused on breathing shallowly as he picked up the axe and weakly began to continue down the stairs.
The sound of sobbing reached Ellis' ears and he almost cried out in despair… he had to get out of here before Nick spotted him. Speaking of which… Ellis picked up his pace, keeping an eye out for the Witch. When he spotted her he took a deep breath, flinched at the pain, and then ran. There was no sneaking past her… but he could at least get a head start.
She screamed in rage as he passed her and his heart leapt into his throat as the sound sent terror flooding his veins. The pain of breathing was forgotten as Ellis pushed his feet to go faster, running down the stairs. The Witch was right on his tail the entire way, shrieking at him for interrupting her sulking.
Ellis would have been shouting sorry at this point if he thought it would help… but Witches weren't something one could reason with. So instead, Ellis pushed himself faster and he found he was putting distance between himself and the Witch… and he noticed his hands had become claws.
Feeling a lot more confident in himself he used the hand railing on the second floor to switch around and face the Witch. She was caught off guard by this and actually froze.
"Perfect." Ellis murmured as he leapt at her and swiftly killed her. She dropped to the ground and then there was silence in the stairwell. Actually, silence was the wrong word to use since soft footsteps could be heard from above.
Ellis melted into the shadows, ready to wait Nick out. He could easily hang out here until Nick left the building and then tail after him. The sound of a common had Ellis looking around and one rushed passed him to dive at Nick, sending both the infected and the conman tumbling down the stairs.
"Shit!" Ellis cried out, racing to the conman's side. Nick was limp, unmoving… and completely sprawled out at the bottom of the stairs which had Ellis panicking. He quickly checked all vital signs to make sure that Nick was still alive- sighing in relief when he found them…. And then, taking Nick's flashlight which had landed nearby, Ellis checked the man over for injuries.
"Yer not gonna be walkin' again, soon." Ellis murmured as he noticed that Nick's ankle was swelling up at an alarming rate. The conman also had a goose sized egg at the back of his head as well as other bruises from the fall.
"Now wha' am I gonna do?" Ellis murmured to himself as he carefully pulled Nick into his arms. He couldn't resist taking a moment to nuzzle Nick's neck before he refocused on the task at hand. He had to get Nick back to the other three… Even if he wasn't exactly part of their group there was safety in numbers. Though, admittedly, Ellis was doing a better job of protecting Nick than the other three were.
"Guess we'll fig're somethin' out, huh?" Ellis asked. He realized that one solution could be to just leave Nick here at the bottom of the stairs and wait for the conman to wake up… but it was quickly decided that there was no way he could just leave Nick here. He'd just have to get the conman to the trio before he woke up… and without them spotting Ellis.
Yeah… this was going to be easy, no problem. Ellis heaved a sigh… what had Nick gotten him into?