"Rei-san!"
The key wasn't fitting. Something brushed along her back and she turned to see Saeko backing towards her; there was already a big mob of them in here.
"Don't tell me?" Saeko sighed as she stabbed one away from them.
"I'm on it!" Rei shouted angrily over the chorus of moans coming from the attackers. They were going to get cornered and Saeko's katana wasn't going to be that much help.
"I need something heavy to break the glass down!" Due to her wild panic Rei completely forgot that she had a strong rifle attached to her which would easily break down the glass, and instead looked around for other options. Looking next to her was just what she needed. It was some sort of cabinet on wheels; with no time to waste she ran over and started pushing it from behind, it was about now that she realised her mistake and looked up to see that her way back was being blocked, might as well continue pushing the cabinet. The dead were coming towards them from every direction one looked as if it was about to lunge at her. She knew the target point, and she didn't need to aim much, lifting the gun from her chest she aimed it for the nearest one and fired.
The sound echoed around the room, for a second there was nothing but silence as the bodies picked up the sound. They started to lose their interest in Saeko and advanced to Rei, this created some room for Saeko to use her weapon against them but it was still a struggle.
Rei hadn't shot her gun before but had had other unfortunate encounters with it. It buckled in her hands just like she was expecting, but it was stronger than the last gun. She dropped it and it fell to her chest; the cabinet was close to the window. She stopped, turned around and lifted it onto its side, causing the sound of breaking glass to fly around. She climbed onto the cabinet to make her way across, and it was only then that she thinks about Saeko.
"Go now!" Shouted Saeko from behind her, Rei didn't hesitate and moved forwards careful not to get caught in the shards of glass. Once outside she immediately felt the breeze on her face. Just as fast as she felt the wind she saw that the balcony was small and presumably weak.
"Rei, move out of the way!" Saeko yelled behind her snapping Rei out of her thoughts. What was she going to do? That balcony was far away...
Before she could turn around Saeko ran forwards and jumped of the edge. She did one flip in the air and landed graceful on the railing on balcony on the other building.
"Hey Rei you're going to have to jump, I'll catch you." She shouted and got herself ready. This was crazy to Rei; she hadn't attempted a jump like this in forever and was Saeko really strong enough to allow her to catch Rei along with the two heavy bags. Her instincts were telling her not to. But she didn't want to become a snack for them, and she didn't want to leave Takeshi with Saeko. Behind her they were getting closer, but the glass and cabinet was proving a tricky obstacle for some of them to overcome.
Closing her eyes she jumped.
Saeko's hand was there, reaching out for hers. It was so close; at the same time it seemed so far away. The wind was blowing in her face, she felt as if it was pushing her back along with the bags on her sides. She only felt a mere second of freedom before she fell against the wall clutching at Saeko's hand. Dead corpses can't jump; they barely have the energy to walk around in the first place. In the sight of food all they could do is walk towards it and topple over the railing and down to the ground smashing their heads.
Rei could see that Saeko was struggling to hold her weight, grunting she found a placing for her foot and lifted herself up as much as she could. Her hand was still holding on to Saeko's hand as she got pulled up and over to find herself on the floor. Taking deep breathes from all the excitement she stood up and looked back to see the mob following them. Some would land on the railing but without the proper functioning muscles they just fell back.
"Well, I think it's time we go home." Saeko held out her hand to Rei panting herself a little, Rei gladly took it.
"Too bad you couldn't have said that so..." she broke off as she came to stare at blood.
She backed away from Saeko as the person in front of her realised what had now appeared on her left arm.
"Sa...eko… Is th…that?" Rei's hands fell to her gun in case the worst happened, her eyes were focused on Saeko; watching her every move. As she watched she saw her hand go to the wound, even her face looked to be in shock. If that was Rei then she would be freaking out of her mind, however Saeko being the way she was, was able to show her calmness.
What is she be thinking at this moment, Rei wondered given that Saeko was always so hard to read. But what is there to think about. Rei hoisted her gun and aimed at the head. Saeko noticed this and was still un-moved.
"You know what we all agreed..." Rei whispered leaning in to her gun, finally Saeko drew her head up.
"And so do you, the first thing is to check the wound." she replied calmly as if the unthinkable wasn't happening.
Rei relaxed her finger on the trigger as she lowered her gun a bit.
"Calm down and look at this wound. It happened when I ran past the window one of the glass shards cut me. The wound is neat and thin, they can't match that with their nails or teeth." Saeko turned to show Rei her arm and the wound; it did look fine so Rei carefully approached her. Getting a good glimpse of it, Saeko's truth did seem likely. She chose to bet on that given how honesty was a big thing to Saeko.
"I think I picked up a bandage back in the apartment." Rei started digging around in her bag as Saeko gave a small smile of relief the second Rei's back was turned.
"I can't really clean it since I'm not sure what to use or how to do it, but Shizuka-senesi will know. The bandage will just help stop the bleeding." At last she found it and started wrapping it around Saeko's arm.
"I appreciate any help, this will be good enough. Hmm..." She straightened up and looked to her side.
"We're on the third floor, below us is an alleyway filled with corpses. Our home building is to our far right." She pointed with her good hand in the said direction. Rei replied.
"Good thing there's that fire exit to our left." Rei added finally securing the bandage as tightly as she could in.
Saeko nodded in agreement and started walking to the left side off the rail.
"Well then that's great, because I want to play a little game… you coming" And with that and a flash of purple hair she jumped down a few of the stairs.
Rei curiously followed Saeko down the stairs; so far Saeko hadn't said anything about her so-called "game".
"So you were saying?" Rei questioned getting suspicious Saeko stopped and turned around to face her.
"It's simple, I ask one question, you give me an answer then you give me a question and so on. I'm bored and I want to break the ice a little bit."
Rei's puzzled expression must have said it all. Since all Saeko did was nod and started walking again.
"My turn first." The swordswoman started. "Why do you have to be so competitive with me?" Rei was about to start when Saeko cut her off once more. "Don't get me wrong, I probably know what the answer might be but I want to hear you say it." She was one floor below Rei since she had been walking faster and so looked up at her and smiled.
Rei hadn't been expecting this from Saeko, what she was doing was getting Rei's personal stuff out. Besides if she was going to ask anything from the past there wouldn't be a point in it since the past felt like history now. You had to start anew, Rei could be stubborn with Saeko she knew that and she wanted it that way. But at the moment she felt like relaxing and loosening up a bit. It was a bit of a win-win, she thought. There seemed no harm in answering her first question and anyway she would get to ask Saeko something about herself, if only I could make her squirm for once.
"I've always been like that. We both know how competitive it is in our own martial arts and that does spill over. I won't have admitted it until now. Also I admired my Father a lot, he was one of the strongest people in my life, and I value what he did to make it to the top. I suppose I wanted to be like him, to work my way up." Saeko took note of what she was saying as she carried on walking, the heavy bags rubbing against her as well as that her arm were stinging a little.
"But like most things it's easier said than done. And as we are both at the top of our respective arts I guess I just see you as a bit of competition." Rei finished. "Okay, your turn to answer. Why are you so independent, even before it all broke out you kept to yourself" This was going to be good Rei thought waiting for Saeko's answer.
Saeko hesitated before speaking, "My parents would leave me alone most of the time, my Mother because of an early death and my Father because of his competitions. I was left alone at home; I had to grow up to become my own person, to be strong for myself. I am a bit of a self-taught person; I wouldn't speak to most people unless they had something good to offer. Though when my Father was home he would teach me and it was moments like those that helped me improve the most." She sighed as they reached the bottom, Rei smirked behind her back. All the corpses that had landed had all been killed or were in the process of dying, the street was clear to cross they started walking towards home at last.
"Last question get ready." Rei felt a bit worried and annoyed; already she could see Kohta and Takagi on the roof noticing their return. Pretty soon they would be inside, hopefully before Saeko said her question. The gates to the base started opening, Shizuka would be at the front to patch them up if they needed it. That's how it worked. "I wanted to ask you, when you thought I was bit you were so willing to point the gun at my head and end my existence. Of course it must have been panic but it was something else as well?" Saeko stared into Rei's eyes leaving her completely struck by it. Miss Shizuka was running their way with the medical kit in her hands.
"I...!" she was cut off when their medic jumped in front of Saeko.
"Oh no, what happened?! Come in side you two I need to examine you!"
Saeko smiled at her kind words before giving Rei one last questioning look then turned following Mrs Shizuka back inside.
Rei followed behind deep in thought, why had I been so willing to shoot her. In a low and confused voice Rei mumbled. "It was just panic, what else could there have been?" Did she really know herself that well, "Have I changed that much?" It scared her that Saeko was able to see that in her. But how could she see that. She thought to herself.
"But why must she know?"