Good lord that took forever.
There's not much to say. but I think it is fair to warn you, there are lemons in the future...and lemony material.
...yeah, enjoy
4
"Ok, ok, I've had enough J pop, if y'all don't mind."
"Well excuse us if it's only the most popular music genre in Japan."
Weaver sighed as he flipped through the CD case, trying to find a form of music that suited his taste.
"Rock, classical, jazz, gospel, little bitta hip hop…and country…"
"NOT COUNTRY!" Saya begged, "Anything but country!"
"With a side of blue grass." Weaver smiled sadistically. Saya moaned in horror.
Rain spattered the windshield of the Tundra in a driving torrent, but the going to Nenana was much quicker than anticipated. The gang guessed that everyone in the mountains probably stayed put, thinking that isolation was their strength. It was time to find out if that gamble paid off.
Weaver drove with his knees, searching for a suitable CD, When Saeko pointed.
"Nenana, 15 miles ahead." She intoned.
"Well, whadduya know?" Weaver grinned, as he pulled out a CD.
"What is it?" Saya asked, regarding the CD as if it were a bomb.
Weaver ignored her and pushed the CD into the CD player.
A crackle, pop and…a fiddle began to saw.
"NOOOO!" Saya screamed, causing Saeko and Kohta to jump in surprise.
"THIS IS HAPPENING!" Weaver roared with joy, "I am a country boy from Texas driving a pickup truck. THIS IS HAPPENING!"
Saeko smiled to herself. She really didn't care about the music selection; she could listen to almost anything (except disco…fuck disco.)
Weaver hummed the last bar, and began to sing, his southern drawl coming out in full with George Strait.
"Amarillo by mornin',
Up from San Antone.
Everythang that I got,
Is jus' what I got on.
When that sun is high
In that Texas sky,
I'll be buckin' at the county fair.
Amarillo by mornin'.
Amarillo, I'll be there."
Saeko closed her eyes, listening to Weaver's soothing voice (and Saya's not-so-soothing voice) mingle with the music. She smiled when she felt Weavers hand find and clutch her own.
She liked listening to Weaver sing. Moreover, she knew how important this was to him…
XXXXX
Saeko heard the sound of a guitar as she walked through the mall. Asami was getting the locals under-control best she could, the lady with the blood problem was getting her transfusion, and all was well for the moment. Time to take a stroll.
Until she heard the twang of the guitar from the music store.
Her curiosity got the better of her and she walked up the broken escalator.
"Alright," she heard a muttering coming from the music store, "Repeater is set up, we are good as gold!"
She turned a corner and came across Weaver, acoustic guitar in hand, stepping on a repeating pedal.
With a gentle strum, he began to play.
"Almost Heaven,
West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains
Shenandoah River."
Saeko leaned against the wall, quietly enthralled by Weaver's music
"Life is old there
Older than the trees
Younger than the mountains
Growing like a breeze.
Country Roads,
Take me home,
To the place
I belong.
West Virginia,
Texarkana
Take me home
Country Roads."
Saeko caught herself humming along to the tune, her foot tapping to the beat. She had never considered herself a fan of John Denver, but as it was Weaver playing it…
"All my memories
Gather 'round her.
Miner's Lady
Stranger to blue water.
Dark 'n Dusty
Painted on the Sky
Misty taste of moonshine,
Teardrop in my eye.
Country Roads,
Take me home,
To the place
I belong.
West Virginia
Mountain Momma,
Take me home,
Country Roads."
A hitch in Weaver's voice caused Saeko to start gently. Looking up, she saw a tear roll down Weaver's cheek.
It suddenly struck Saeko that this was more than just a feel good song. She hadn't realized that in spite of the apocalypse happening around her, she was surrounded by friends with the possibility of finding her father.
It was a luxury Weaver did not have.
It could be years before Weaver saw America again; he may never again in his lifetime. He had no immediate way of knowing if his friends and family were ok. True, he had made new friends, but Saeko knew, being lonely most of her life, that people crave familiarity and family. Weaver's home was now a distant dream an entire ocean away. This song was a plea for solace, a cry to go back to where he came from…a piece of home.
The next verse caused tears to come to Saeko's eyes.
"I hear her voice
In the morning hour,
She calls me.
Radio reminds me
Of my home far away.
An' Drivin' down a road
I get a feelin'
That I should have been home yesterday.
Yesterday…"
Weaver broke the song momentarily, reaching up to wipe his eyes.
Saeko stepped forward. Weaver turned with a jerk, tears still running down his face.
"Country roads," She sang,
"Take me home,
To the place,
I belong."
Weaver smiled and continued playing, joining her in a bass harmony.
"West Virginia
Texarkana,
Take me home,
Country roads.
Country roads,
Take me home,
To the place
I belong.
West Virginia,
Texarkana,
Take me home,
Country roads.
Take me home,
Down Country Roads."
Saeko reached out and wrapped her arms around Weaver as he broke down. She held him as he wept, laying her head on top of his.
Everyone had their scars in this new hellish world. But Weaver had far more than his fair share.
XXXXX
Saeko started as Weaver hit a bump, giving Weaver's hand a gentle squeeze.
"We're here," Weaver said, "At least I think we are."
Behind them, the Nissan Leopard parked. Both vehicles were stopped outside of a shopping mall, not unlike Taiei Shopping Town.
Weaver kicked open the door of the Tundra and hopped out, Ar-15 in hand, and a smile on his face. It was still raining, but it had let up a bit at this point.
Weaver hooked a thumb at the mall and grinned at Kohta.
"Maybe there's a police officer in this one, too!"
Kohta did not laugh. He fixed Weaver with a very dark scowl.
"That's not funny, asshole."
Weaver instantly lost his smile and looked down, kicking a rock.
"Yeah, yeah…too soon."
"Well," Weaver said, continuing to the shopping center, "I'm going to take a look. Y'all stay here."
Saeko opened her door and abruptly hopped out into the rain.
"I'm going wi-"
The world suddenly began to spin. With a cry, she felt herself lose balance and keel over.
"SAEKO!" came Weaver's distant voice.
Saeko reached out for something, anything to grab hold of. She felt someone grab her hand and wrap a quick arm around her waist.
Saeko opened her eyes, still dizzy but the nauseating sensation was passing. She was in Weaver's arms. He looked down at her with concern in his eyes. Rain dripped down his hair and face, to Saeko appearing that he was crying profusely. One arm was still wrapped around her waist, the other cradling her head.
"You alright, darling?" Weaver asked, helping her back to her feet.
"I-I'm fine," she stammered, trying to focus her shaking vision.
"You sure?" Weaver raised an eyebrow, "you almost had a taste of concrete."
"I'm ok, Mikey." Saeko smiled, "just landed on my foot funny. Its slippery on the roads when raining."
She pointed to a sign down the road. Weaver turned and read, "CAREFUL IN RAIN!"
He chuckled.
"Damn, woman, you're gonna be the death of me."
"Not today," Saeko said, taking a few nervous steps as the sensation faded completely, "I'll go with you."
"You sure?" Weaver asked, "Considering you just-"
"Yes, Weaver, I almost fell. This has been thoroughly established."
"If the lady says so." Weaver said with a shrug, "Lets go!"
Xxxxx
Master Busujima took a deep breath of sea air, before exhaling regally.
Standing on the deck of the Aircraft Carrier USS Ronald Reagan, he observed the massive storm that was starting to make landfall of Japan. An atrociously massive storm, he had never seen one this big before in his lifetime.
Despite its size and the storm surge it was bringing, however, the massive aircraft carrier merely tipped back and forth at a gentle pace.
"Sensei Busujima."
Hideki Busujima turned his head as Souichiro Takagi, Tedashi Miyamoto and Zachary Weaver approaching him.
"Massive storm," Zachary mused, "bigger than any Hurricane I've ever seen before."
"The Pacific is a larger body of water," Tedashii muttered in reply, "more temperate areas for the storm to incubate."
Hideki turned back to the storm as the four men watched in momentary silence.
"Our children are still on the Island," he said finally, then, "My daughter is on the island."
"We should have gave them something to allow for evac," Zachary said, staring at the ground, "Everything happened so fast. The dead breeched the compound, we were on the helicopter, but they weren't, next thing we know, we're told they volunteered to stay behind and cover our escape."
"They have matured greatly," Souichiro said in response, "This was not so much an example of our neglect of our children. I know understand my daughter is no longer a girl; she is a woman now. Capable of making her own decisions. Our sons and daughters are now men and women, and though it took this for us to realize it, I'm glad it happened anyway."
"Do we have any idea where they are?" Hideki asked.
"We're trying to triangulate." Zachary nodded, "Weaver has a locator chip on his phone. It's a confined passive device, so it should be still active even after the EMP. Unfortunately, gentlemen, we have other problems."
The three Japanese men turned to the American.
"I have just received word that the Chinese are mobilizing a massive force. We don't know where they are going or why for, but it may have something to do with the Chinese and North Korean submarines moving in from the north."
"This ship currently holds about 1000 suvivors," Tedashi said, "We can't put them at risk."
"Exactly," Zachary said, shaking his head, "The captain has informed me that we will be moving out as soon as the Submarines intrude into safe waters. Lets hope we triangulate soon."
XXXXX
Weaver and Saeko moved slowly through the Mall. The flashlights on the AR-15 and Beretta Vertec M9 swpt back and forth, looking for targets.
"It is fucking black in here." Weaver whistled, "Guess the EMP hit here hard. Either that or the power is disabled by other means."
"Perhaps. We did have some power in Tokonosu," Saeko mused, "how could that be?"
"Isolated circuitry," Weaver explained, training his gun down a hall way, "protected wires and circuits are safe from EMP discharges. These flashlights are an example of this. They are battery powered and the wires are wrapped in protective copper. This reflects magnetic surges."
"I see," Saeko nodded in understanding.
"Hey," Weaver turned to face Saeko, "Can I ask you something?"
Saeko cocked her head to the side.
"What is it, love?"
"Are you really alright?" Weaver asked, his voice betraying concern.
"I told you it wa-"
"Was just a fall," Weaver nodded holding a hand up, "I know, but talking about the last couple weeks, ever since…ever since that night we had together."
Saeko looked up at Weaver, faintly blushing.
"Do you regret it? Did I hurt you or anything?" Weaver asked.
Saeko processed his words then shook her head.
"No, darling, nothing like that. It was the best night of my life. I've just been wondering, musing really, about the future…our future."
Weaver registered then slowly nodded. Saeko sighed inwardly with relief.
That was the most difficult lie I've ever had to tell.
"Just remember," Weaver smiled, "If you ever want to talk, I'm all ears."
"I know," Saeko smiled back up at her lover, "I always turn to you first."
"Careful," Weaver smiled his crazy smile, "taking advice from a homicidal maniac can be detrimental to your health."
"And being in love with a bloodthirsty sadist can kill you." Saeko replied, giving a very evil grin.
There was a sudden clatter, and both of them trained their guns on the sound in half a heartbeat.
A raven tumbled into view, cawing loudly. One of its wings was oddly lopsided possibly broken.
Weaver gave a sigh of relief, while Saeko stepped forward.
The raven regarded the young woman with a beady eye. Saeko reached out a hand and made an odd clicking sound. The bird stood absolutely still.
Again she made the sound. The raven hopped forward. One more click and the raven flapped with difficulty onto Saeko's arm. Cooing and whispering to the bird, she began to stroke its little head with her finger.
Saeko turned to Weaver, who was already on his hands and knees.
"Oh, Mistress of the Ravens, I am not worthy!" he said in his sing song joking voice.
Saeko took on an air of mock nobility as she pointed at Weaver.
"I deem you worthy, American, to be my lover!"
The two of them laughed in mirth. Then the Raven cawed loudly. Saeko's eyes snapped open, and her smiled turned to a look of horror.
"WEAVER, BEHIND YOU!"
Weaver tucked and rolled to the side as the zombie fell where he had been kneeling. Raising his AR-15, he fired a quick burst at the zombie and the one behind it, causing both to collapse.
Saeko spun around to find herself face to face with another zombie. Throwing the raven into the air, she drew her maurata tao, and instantly sliced its head off. The one behind it shoved the headless corpse aside but as interrupted by a Beretta being shoved into its face. Saeko shot it as she stabbed another zombie through the eye.
The two of them were surrounded by about forty zombies.
They merely smiled.
"Ready to go crazy, baby?" Weaver laughed, slamming in another magazine into his AR-15.
"When you are, love," Saeko giggled, brandishing her katana.
Two lurched forward. Saeko reached out and seized it but the throat, smashing her sword into its eye. Weaver shot the other cleanly in the head.
Another came up from behind, Weaver took it down.
"I think we're tied." Weaver said, pausing to count kills, "Two, one, one, I think I have four."
"Six, darling!" Saeko shrieked in pleasure as she completely bisected another zombie.
"Oh, yeah, forgot that!"
BANG! SLASH! BANG!
"GOD! I LOVE THE SMELL OF BLOOD, DON'T YOU?!"
STAB! POW! BANG, BANG!
"IT'S SUCH A PRETTY COLOR! I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU COVERED IN IT, BABE!"
"SOUNDS KINKY!"
"WHAT CAN I SAY?" Weaver roared with sick humor, crushing a zombie's head in with his bare hands, "SHIT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PARTY WHILE BAT SHIT INSANE!"
The two of them laughed, stabbed, punched, kicked and shot their way through the horde. So caught up in their madness of bloodlust, they didn't even realize that the zombies where already dead, and they were destroying the bodies of already slain monsters. They didn't care. The blood was such a pretty shade of red in the light of the flashlights.
Suddenly Weaver turned and grabbed Saeko by the wrist and waist, pulling her to him. Saeko reached up and seized his face, and they kissed ravenously, covered in blood and gore, surrounded by the carnage they had wrought. Their hands roved hungrily over each other's bodies, sparking desire and passion.
"God, I love you, Saeko," Weaver wheezed as they broke for breath.
"Shut up and kiss me, cowboy!"
They continued to kiss until Saeko broke away and dragged Weaver down the hallway.
"Where are we going now," Weaver chuckled, insanity still blazing in his eyes.
"There's a mattress shop over here," Saeko said in a not-to-subtle seductive voice, trying to unbutton her shirt with her free hand.
"Is that wise?" Weaver asked in a crazy voice, his grin growing wider, "Last time we were in a mattress shop, Kohta and I almost killed someone…"
XXXXX
Outside, in the Leopard Takashi shook his head and laughed.
"What's so funny, Oni-chan?" Alice giggled.
"Nothing you need to know about, Alice-chan." He replied.
Rei leaned forward to the front seat and poked her boyfriend.
"What is it?" she whispered.
Takashi pointed at a sign advertising the mattress department.
"Ten bucks say they'll spend extra time "investigating" that store."
Rei punched him in the head. But she knew he was probably right.
SOOOO.
Yeah.
Next chapter coming soon.
