A Regular Outbreak

Season Three: Cutting Losses and Letting Go

Episode One: Through The Ice

12th of May, 2024, Sunrise.

Day 298.

Previously, on A Regular Outbreak

"Even though these…things aren't the same as us. We treat them with the respect they deserve. None."

"And the best way to do that, is to keep them in line. The only way we know how. Brute force." Stan said, over the intercom.

"Let's hope these creatures can assist us with making this place a beacon of hope…for everyone here." Stan finished, switching off the intercom.

Mordecai slowly opened his eyes. Suddenly finding himself in an unfamiliar and oddly enough, friendly environment. "Hey man…does this coffee taste weird to you?" A voice beside Mordecai asked. Mordecai glanced at the person, it was Rigby. They were sitting together in a small café, watching the sun rise.

"Um…okay?" Mordecai grabbed his friend's coffee and took a quick sip. "It tastes fine to me." Mordecai placed it back down onto the table.

"Meh, thanks anyway." Rigby glanced at the cup and picked it up. "Nice sunrise this morning." Rigby commented. "Perfect." Mordecai began to drink some of his coffee. "It's pretty quiet in here." Rigby commented, glancing out the window. Mordecai glanced around the café. "Yeah, not even any employees here." Mordecai sighed.

Rigby just shrugged. Mordecai glanced at the sun as it began to rise. Mordecai sighed. "Whats wrong?" Rigby asked, looking up at his friend. "Well…yes and no…" Mordecai shrugged.

"Hey dude, wake up." Mordecai opened his eyes. He saw his friend in front of him. "You zoned out there, you okay?" Rigby asked, softly. "Im fine, I just had a daydream about…well. Um…a café." Mordecai shrugged. "A café?" Rigby asked, confused. "Well, yes." Mordecai furrowed an eyebrow. "Come on guys, keep up." Axel said, sling his backpack over his shoulder.

Mordecai and Rigby caught back up to the group. Two months after leaving Clinton, the group travelled through Kansas and into the state of Colorado. "Think we could rest soon? It hasn't stopped snowing since we entered Colorado." Margaret asked, re-adjusting her backpack. "Soon, okay? It's only…" Alpha checked his watch. "…six in the morning." Alpha finished. "We've been travelling all night." Sean yawned. "W-we should stop." Thomas agreed. "Fine…only five minutes though." Alpha sighed.

Mordecai, Sean and Rigby walked over to Margaret and Thomas. Thomas was rummaging through his backpack, while Margaret was leaning against a rock nearby. "Hey guys." Rigby greeted, sitting on the ground with Mordecai. "Hey." Margaret smiled. "Need any help?" Mordecai asked. "No…we're fine…" Margaret assured them. "Actually, we could use some help." Thomas stood up. "What with?" Mordecai asked.

"Margaret hasn't really been feeling very well..." Thomas glanced at her. Rigby cocked an eyebrow. "Got any painkillers?" Thomas asked. "Um…Yeah." Rigby took off his backpack and rummaged through it. "What's wrong with you?" Mordecai asked. "Dunno, just a bit of stomach pain." Margaret replied, holding her stomach. "Here." Rigby handed over a couple of capsules. "Thanks." Thomas grabbed them and passed them to the robin.

"We're leaving in a few seconds!" Alpha shouted. "Fine! God." Rigby sighed. "I wish Alpha would stop telling us what to do." Sean sighed. "Yeah, same here. But he's only doing it to protect us all, we don't want any more casualties." Thomas sighed. "I guess." Sean glanced at him. "Ever since Fives and Eileen left, he's been a little more stressed." Margaret said.

Rigby nodded in agreement. Mordecai glanced at the group. "Aren't many of us left." Mordecai sighed. "Yep, only the seven of us." Rigby glanced at Axel and Vivian. "I can't believe we're all still alive." Margaret chuckled slightly. "Same here. I expected that I'd die in the first week." Rigby smiled at his friend. "If it wasn't for this guy, I would've died." Rigby poked the blue jay.

"Same here." Sean nodded. "God bless the bird!" Thomas laughed. Margaret chuckled. "Okay guys! Let's get a move on. We're burning daylight." Alpha stood back up. "Five minutes isn't too much time." Vivian said, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "It is to me." Alpha shivered. "Wait Alpha, where are we even going?" Rigby walked up to him.

"I don't know! Somewhere safe? Maybe we could find a boat and…well, sail to a different country! Who knows? This could have just been a national epidemic. Not a worldwide one." Alpha explained. "It wouldn't make much sense." Mordecai smirked. "Whatever, let's just keep moving." Alpha growled.

Alpha began trekking into the forest, followed closely by Axel and Vivian. While Thomas, Margaret, Rigby, Sean and Mordecai slowly followed. Rigby shivered and placed his paws into the pockets of his hoodie. "It's freezing out here…" He muttered. "I know, don't worry though. We'll find somewhere to camp." Mordecai glanced at him worryingly.

Sean walked beside Rigby and glanced at his backpack. "Hey Sean." He greeted. "Hey. Um…can you spare me a drink? I ran out of water." Sean asked. "Yeah, sure kid." Rigby pulled a bottle of water from his backpack and passed it to the wolf. "Thanks." Sean unscrewed the lid and had a quick sip, then handed it back. Rigby nodded and put the bottle back into his backpack.

"Do you even have any idea where we are going?" Vivian asked, walking beside Alpha. "To be honest…no. I don't. But…we'll find something." Alpha confessed. "Just…be sure you don't put these people in danger. They have a kid." Vivian glanced at Sean, who was talking to Rigby. Alpha nodded wearily and focused ahead of him.

The group travelled through the snow, not knowing what awaited ahead of them. Not long later, the group reached a lake, completely frozen. Mordecai walked ahead and looked left, looking for a way to cross. "Think we can go around?" Alpha asked. Mordecai glanced to the right. "Doubt it, I don't see any bridge or any other way we can cross." Mordecai replied.

"Damn it…can we cross the lake?" Vivian asked, approaching it. "Possibly, but we'd have to be careful." Rigby looked at the river, nervously. "I…I see a building across the lake…we could camp there…okay…okay…let's…let's cross." Alpha stuttered, placing one foot onto the ice. "I'll go first." Alpha said, cautiously walking across the first part of the lake. Suddenly, gunshots were heard nearby, in the forest. "What the?" Sean exclaimed. Axel came running out of the forest. "What did you do?" Vivian asked, as Axel ran over to her. "I…I tried…" Axel panted.

"Walkers…were…following us. I just…had to get rid of them…just in case." Axel explained, panting. "It's alright, let's just cross the lake." Alpha said, continuing to cross. Vivian and Axel followed Alpha close behind, at an extremely slow pace. "I'll help Margaret across, take care of the kid." Rigby said, glancing at Margaret. "Thanks Rigby, I owe you one." Thomas smiled at him. Rigby nodded and began to walk onto the ice, holding Margaret's hand as they crossed.

Mordecai and Thomas began to walk onto the ice, while Mordecai held Sean on his shoulders. Suddenly, walkers began to come out of the forest behind them. "They must have heard the gunshot." Mordecai said, glancing behind him. Mordecai glanced at Thomas. "Thomas, take Sean, I'll take these things out." Mordecai looked at the goat. Thomas nodded and picked up Sean. "I'll be back." Mordecai said, pulling out his pistol.

Thomas placed Sean on his shoulders and slowly began to walk across the ice again, while Mordecai began to shoot the walkers as they began to follow them onto the ice. "What's with the shooting?!" Alpha exclaimed, looking back. "I'm taking out the walkers! Just keep going!" Mordecai shouted back. Alpha looked ahead of him and began to run to the other side of the ice. "Don't run! You'll break the ice!" Axel said, running after him. Vivian, Rigby and Margaret followed close behind.

Walkers began to clump together, resulting in them falling through the ice. A crack began forming across the lake, alerting the three people still standing on it. "Off the ice!" Mordecai shouted, running towards Thomas. "Here, I'll take Sean. Just run!" Mordecai quickly grabbed Sean and began to run across the ice, towards the group.

"Hurry!" Rigby shouted, watching Mordecai and Sean come closer. Suddenly, Thomas stopped in his tracks. Mordecai and Sean made it to the other side and breathed a sigh of relief. Mordecai placed Sean back down and glanced back at the ice. "What the? Thomas?" Mordecai glanced at Thomas, who was cowering with fear.

The ice was breaking under him. "What's going on?" Sean asked. "Thomas is gonna fall through the ice." Axel answered. "No…not another one. We can't lose another one of us." Alpha sighed. Sean threw his backpack down on the ground and ran onto the ice. "Where are you going?! Get back here!" Mordecai shouted, running after him.

The group watched in horror, as Sean and Mordecai ran up to Thomas, whose face was showing pure fear. "I got you…" Mordecai slowly walked closer and outstretched his wing. "No…stay back. You'll fall through." Thomas warned. "We need to get you out of there, Thomas, now, reach for my wing." Mordecai leant over. "No! You'll take us both down…" Thomas begged. Mordecai ignored Thomas's warnings and walked closer. "No! Don't!" Thomas shouted, as Mordecai approached.

Mordecai got in arm's reach, before the ice beneath them both broke, sending them both into the icy depths below. "No!" Rigby shouted, as he watched his friend plummet into the lake. Sean quickly slid down to the whole and outstretched his hand, hoping somebody would grab it. "Come on…" Sean begged. Suddenly, a sudden thump on the ice was heard. Sean quickly ran over to that part of the ice and noticed that Mordecai was trying to break through the ice.

Sean noticed that Mordecai had dropped his pistol and picked it up. He spun the pistol around and began to hit the ice with the handle. "Sean, stop!" Margaret shouted. "It's too late!" Axel exclaimed, trying to convince Sean. Sean ignored them and continued to hit the ice. Mordecai continued to thump the ice, trying to bust through.

Suddenly, Sean smashed through the ice and fell into the lake below. Sean closed his eyes for a second, not wanting to see the sight before him. Sean breathed out and opened his eyes. All he saw was darkness, the lake was too dark to be able to look around freely. Sean suddenly felt a pair of hands grab him and throw him onto the ice above.

Sean opened his eyes and shivered. Mordecai had pulled him out, while Rigby and Alpha ran over to help. Alpha helped Mordecai over to the other side, while Rigby picked up Sean and began running towards the other side of the lake. "Fuck! I got you…" Rigby exclaimed, picking up speed. "Shit! He's gonna freeze to death…" Rigby panicked.

"Where's Thomas?" Margaret asked, as Vivian helped her up. Vivian sighed and helped Margaret up a small hill, following the group. Axel ran up to the building and quickly flung its doors open. "In!" He shouted, watching the group enter the building, one by one.

"We need to get a fire going!" Rigby said, placing Sean on a small couch. "Outside is a half-built shed. There should be some spare planks. I'll go grab some." Vivian said, running back outside. Alpha placed Mordecai beside Sean and sat on the couch. Margaret was still shocked by the whole thing. "Where's Thomas!?" Margaret shouted. Axel ran outside and helped Vivian. "He…he…fell…through the ice…" Mordecai shivered. "We…we tried to save him…but…we couldn't." Mordecai looked at Margaret with shame.

Vivian and Axel burst back into the building and threw some wood onto the ground in the middle of the room. Vivian walked over to Margaret and comforted her, while Axel attempted to light the fire. "Can't light." Axel said, continuously trying to light it. "Shut the windows…the wind is passing through them…" Sean shivered. Axel nodded and began to shut all the windows. Alpha sat Mordecai up and removed his soaked jacket. Axel came back and pulled out his lighter and set the planks on fire. "Oh…thank god…" Sean said, jumping down from the couch and kneeling in front of the fire.

Mordecai shivered and sat beside Sean. "That was a close one…" Rigby sighed. "Thomas is dead…" Margaret cried. "I…I got Thomas killed…" Axel suddenly said. "No you didn't, what are you talking about?" Alpha glanced at Axel. "If I hadn't shot those…things out in the woods…it wouldn't have attracted them to us." Axel held his head, stressfully. "It isn't your fault! Get a hold of yourself." Alpha stood up.

Axel sighed and glanced at the fire. He just stood there, silent. The silence was deathly quiet, and unnerving. Rigby sat in-between Sean and Mordecai, who were still shivering. "Could you go outside and get their bags?" Rigby asked, glancing at Vivian. She nodded and walked outside. Margaret sat beside Axel, who remained silent.

A few seconds later, Vivian returned with the backpacks and threw them onto the couch. Vivian sat down and shifted in her spot uncomfortably. "There's only seven of us." Mordecai spoke up. Everyone else remained silent. "Eileen…Fives…Benson, Ann…Thomas…they're all gone…" Mordecai continued. "And we're going to die next…I'm sure of it…" Mordecai finished. "Don't give up man…we're going to survive this." Rigby glanced at his friend, with a worried-stricken face.

"I know you're trying to help Rigby, but…you can't argue. We've lost…well…think about it…" Mordecai held out his wings and began counting, dropping his fingers each time he counted.

"Eileen, Fives, Benson, Ann, Carly, Felix, Micheal, Michelle, Skips, Pops, Muscleman! Dude! We've lost everybody! I…can't take this stress anymore…" Mordecai grasped his head. "But we can't give up. I know how stressful this is…but think about it." Sean attempted to convince him.

"If you don't want to survive for yourself, do it for Felix…Micheal and Riley." Rigby convinced him. Mordecai winced. "I haven't heard that name in a long time…" He let out a quiet sigh. "I assume, Riley is a close friend of yours?" Axel asked, intrigued. "More like 'was'." Rigby sighed. "Oh, sorry." Axel apologized. "There's no need to apologize." Rigby shook his head.

The room fell silent once again. "I'm going to go look around for some stuff we can use." Alpha said, standing up. "Where are we, anyway?" Vivian asked. Alpha glanced at a sign on a nearby wall. "Lakeside Inn." Alpha read. "This is an inn?" Rigby asked, confused. "Where's the bar?" Rigby finished. "Not all Inns have bars, dude." Mordecai cracked a smile. "Yeah, only the good ones do." Rigby smiled. "I'll go looking around. Axel…wanna come help?" Alpha asked. "Sure." Axel nodded and followed Alpha out of the room.

"He's gone." Margaret wiped some tears away. "We're sorry, we tried everything." Mordecai sighed. "It isn't your fault…thanks for trying." Margaret glanced at the fireplace. Rigby glanced at his watch. Mordecai noticed him. "Still got that thing, eh? I assumed it stopped working ages ago." Mordecai chuckled, softly. "Meh, during out last raid I found a few spare batteries for this baby." Rigby tapped his watch.

Sean glanced at him and shivered. "Get some rest kid, you'll be fine after you sleep." Rigby suggested. Sean nodded and laid on Mordecai's shoulder. "You're a good father." Rigby looked up at the blue jay. "I learned from the best." Mordecai smiled at him. Margaret glanced at them and laid down beside the fireplace. Vivian looked down at her and laid beside her. Mordecai and Sean fell asleep shortly after, while Rigby stayed awake. The raccoon carefully and quietly opened his backpack and took out a small blanket. He zipped it up and threw his backpack back onto the couch.

Rigby carefully placed the blanket over Mordecai and Sean and stepped back. Rigby crossed his arms and sighed. He looked out one of the windows, noticing Alpha and Axel checking out a truck which was just outside.

"I better go help Alpha and Axel."

Sorry for such a long and small chapter! Major writer's block and tons of things happening at once ruined my chances of updating! Im so sorry! I'm nine days late! Well, at least it's finally here! Thanks for reading this linear and OCC story!

PM me for any questions on updates, my stories or anything else!

PEACE

RSM