First of all I would like to say I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated this story. A little thing called throat cancer crept into my life and I've had to go through tons of first, testing and then surgery to remove it. Next will be the radiation and chemo treatments to close out the deal. Hopefully I am getting back on track and will be moving on with this asap.
I hope you enjoy the story!
I do not own Highschool of the DEAD or its characters.
Updated: 10/16/13
Takashi woke up early the next morning. He quietly slipped away, leaving his lover to snuggle into the futon, hugging his pillow and whispering his name. He slipped into the bathroom and when he was finished, came out to find Kohta putting the kettle on the stove for tea.
Kohta joined him as Takashi leaned on the sink and they looked out the window into the back yard.
"So, you have a good night?" Kohta asked his friend.
Takashi nodded, "Yeah. How about you?"
Kohta smiled, "Four times."
Takashi smirked, "Five for us, we couldn't stop."
"Well aren't you two just a couple of love machines?" Rika said from behind them.
They turned to find her looking at them, an evil grin on her face and her hands on her hips.
As they leaned with their backs to the sink and arms crossed, Takashi raised his eyebrows in surprise and said, "I never even heard her."
Kohta nodded, frowning, "It's them sneaky ass sniper skills she's got."
She walked over and leaned with her back to the sink in between them.
Throwing her arms up on their shoulders she asked, "So, I guess we're on kitchen duty this morning huh?"
Takashi nodded, "Yep."
Kohta sighed, "Looks that way."
Suddenly, she wrapped them both into head locks, "Sneaky ass sniper skills huh? I'll show you two noobs some sneaky ass sniper skills. I'll…"
"Ahummm!" They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat loudly.
Freezing in place, they looked up to find Rei, Saya and Shizuka watching them.
Shizuka stood leaning slightly forward, her hands on her hips and a frown on her face, "Rika! I thought you told me we couldn't play with the boys anymore because their girlfriends have guns?" She walked forward and grabbed Rika by the ear. "Let go of them!" She commanded as she began to pull Rika across the kitchen towards the bath.
"OW, OW, OW! HEY THAT HURTS!" Rika cried they disappeared through the door.
Saeko, wrapped in a sheet, stumbled to a stop beside Rei and Saya. Her hair was wild and her eyes were half closed like she was still asleep. "Whazza goinon? I thought I heard somebody in pain?" she muttered.
Rei began to snicker as Saya face palmed herself.
A grin broke on Saeko's flushed face as she focused on her boyfriend. "Taakkaaashhiii!" She called in a slightly shrill voice.
Takashi's face flushed red as Kohta began to roar with laughter.
Rei took ahold of Saeko's arm and led her back toward the library saying, "I think you need more sleep."
"Taakkaaashhiii!" Saeko called again as they disappeared around the corner.
Saya walked over to Kohta and pummeled him lightly with her fists, "Are you cheating on me this morning? If so I'll have to beat you straight!"
This caused Kohta to go to the floor gasping for air. Saya sat astraddle him and continued to play pummel him.
Takashi was shaking his head and wondering how such a quiet morning had so quickly turned into this madness, when he noticed Alice and Zeke standing at the end of the stairs.
Alice had a frown on her face and was rubbing one of her eyes. "You people are loud!" she exclaimed.
000
Rei lead Saeko back into the library to the futon. As the raven haired girl lay down, she grabbed Rei and pulled her down with her.
Before Rei knew it, Saeko had wrapped her arms and legs around her pinning her to the bed.
"Ah…Saeko? I…ah…need to go help with breakfast."
"Mmmmmmmm…warm…" was the only response she got back.
Rei sighed and relaxed. Maybe she will let go in a minute she thought.
000
The rest of breakfast time was joyous as the others gathered together at the table. Takashi kept looking towards the hallway wondering where Rei got off to.
After a few times of seeing him do this Saya asked, "What is it?"
"I thought Rei would have put Saeko back to bed and come for breakfast by now."
Saya shrugged her shoulders and got up, "Maybe they are talking. I'll go look."
She was back a minute later with a smirk on her face, "Saeko has Rei wrapped up in her arms and legs. Rei must have given up trying to get away and dozed off again herself. I just left them alone. Let them sleep."
With a chuckle Takashi nodded and went back to eating.
000
A couple of hours later, Saeko awoke to a soft warm body cuddled next to her. She opened her eyes expecting to find Takashi, but finding herself face to face with Rei who was asleep and snoring slightly.
Sitting up and looking around, Saeko focused on Rei again who had opened one eye and was watching her, "Rei?" She asked. "How did we end up in bed together?"
Rei snickered as she sat up scratching her head, "You were sleepwalking this morning when everyone else was getting up. I brought you back to bed and then you wouldn't let me go. I must have fallen asleep while waiting to get away."
"Oh," Saeko said as she began to stretch. Suddenly she stopped and grunted. Jumping up she muttered, "Gotta go!" and raced for the door.
Rei started to laugh 'til she realized how bad she needed to pee herself. Jumping up she raced after Saeko and almost ran over Takashi who was coming in the door with two cups of tea.
"MOVE!" she shouted as he dodged to one side laughing. He walked back to the dining table and sat the cups down before going and getting another one for himself.
Within a few minutes, the two girls returned and placed themselves in their respective spots on his left and right.
Once they all had some of their tea, Takashi got up and served them leftover porridge and fixed more tea as they wolfed down their food.
He looked on with a smirk 'til both sat back with a sigh of contentment.
"So…I guess everybody had a good night's sleep?" he asked, watching the pair over his cup.
The two girls blushed slightly. "I for one was happy to sleep late for once," Saeko said.
Rei nodded, "Me too, Alice kicks so I didn't get much rest last night."
Takashi smiled as he looked out the back door. The others, including Alice, were trying to do some exercise Rika was showing them. He could already see Kohta groaning and Saya poking at him trying to get him to work harder. Shizuka lasted only a moment longer before collapsing on the ground with Alice and Zeke piling on seconds later.
I wish this could never change, he thought. He knew they needed someplace safe so they could live their lives. He also knew that the undead threat was here to stay for the rest of their lives, however long they were able to live. But what kind of life would that be? I never thought of what I would do with my life, what job I would work at, where I would live and what kind of life that would be. Now I have Saeko and I have no idea what we will do or how we will support ourselves from this point on. Is this what it's like to face the end of everything? Will we live out the rest of our lives scrounging from the dead world to survive or will those who will lead us be able to restart everything and bring what we knew as civilization back? Five billion people are gone. How long ago was it that there was only one billion people in the world. We have gone to the moon and sent spacecraft out to see the stars. Hell there is a space station up there with people in it! Are they gone also, killing and eating each other as they circle the earth, watching the bombs go off?
As he sat lost in thought the two girls watched his face change from a smile to a frown and then to a look of almost hopelessness. Saeko reached out and took his right hand in hers and asked, "Takashi? What's wrong?"
He looked at her, his mouth working but no words coming out. His eyes rolled back into his head as he heard Rei scream, "SENSEI!"
Saeko grabbed him and held him to her as he rolled back on the floor. Darkness claimed him as he heard her crying his name over and over.
000
Rika paced back and forth as she and the others waited outside the library for Shizuka to give her report. Kohta sat on the floor holding Alice in his lap with Saya next to him, worried looks on their faces.
She had already talked to Rei and Saeko; they were as baffled about this as she was. He was talking and watching the others out the door and suddenly collapsed like he had a seizure. Rika had her ideas, but she wanted to talk to Shizuka first.
She stopped as the door opened and the nurse stepped out with Rei and Saeko in tow. Shizuka shrugged her shoulders as Saeko closed the door behind them, "He's resting, his BP is good and he's not running a temp, but he is sweating heavily, and he's having some chills. Any other time I would say it's exhaustion, but since we have been resting…I'm not sure what it is."
Rika sighed, "It's post-traumatic stress; I've seen it a good bit lately, but didn't see it in him."
She stuck an unlit cigar in her mouth as she paced again, "Kohta? You had a spell of 'combat fatigue' right? Suddenly wanted to go over the edge and didn't care about anything?"
Kohta nodded, "Yeah, Sensei brought me back from it and since then…well my time lately has been much more peaceful thanks to Saya." The girl gripped his hand as she leaned on his shoulder.
"Same thing for me," said Saeko. "When Takashi and I were separated from the group I went through a spell where I wanted to walk into a crowd Them and fight 'til it was over. Takashi brought me back from the edge and helped me get my center back. I think we have all gone through this in one form or another since this started, all except Takashi that is."
Rika nodded, "And he's been leading all of you since day one right? Suddenly the pressure is off, not completely, but enough that he relaxes for a bit in his mind. Hell this may be my fault."
"What do you mean your fault?" Shizuka asked.
Rika sighed, "Well look at it this way. Takashi has been on the knife's edge leading you and doing a damn good job of it. Suddenly I show up, more experience, more knowledge and an adult." She paused and pointed to the others, "Not that I think any of you are kids anymore, you're adults in every sense of the word except age. Now he feels the pressure is off and his mind…blinks…freaks…whatever you want to call it. I won't know more 'til I talk to him, but I think his mind relaxed off the knife's edge and shut down for a bit."
They considered her words before she continued.
"Right now I think you," pointing at Saeko, "and Rei need to be there when he wakes up. After that we'll have Shizuka look him over again and then I'll talk to him. Then we'll see what we can do to 'center' him again and get him back on his feet."
The others nodded.
000
Several hours later Takashi awoke with a gasp as if coming out of a nightmare. Saeko and Rei lay on either side of him and reached out to hold him close as he gulped air. Saeko wiped his face with a cool rag as Rei went to get Shizuka and Rika. When they arrived, he was sitting up looking exhausted. Rika watched as the nurse checked him over and then nodded that he seemed all right.
"Hey chief, how do you feel?" Rika asked.
"I feel like you should have gotten the number of that truck that hit me," Takashi replied.
Rika nodded and smiled, it was a good sign he was trying to make a joke, "So can you tell me what happened?"
He shook his head, "No, I was sitting there thinking and suddenly it felt like I was drowning. I could hear Rei and Saeko talking, but it was like I was at the bottom of a well."
Rika looked at the others and said, "Give us some time alone would you ladies?"
Saeko and Rei both kissed him on the cheek and then went out the door with Shizuka behind them.
"So, do you remember what were you thinking about when you passed out?" She asked.
Takashi thought for a minute, "I was thinking about the end of the world and where I fit in it. What am I going to do for the rest of my life, and how would I support the ones I love when a few weeks ago I had never even given it any thought. Suddenly it was like everything came crashing in and I couldn't talk or anything."
Rika thought for a minute, "I thought it might be something like that. I've heard of something like this before. Someone called it 'you are here' syndrome; think of it like you are in a room and you can see the entire universe at one time. Suddenly you see a tiny speck, so small it seems smaller than an atom. Then you see a little arrow pointing at that speck and the words, "You Are Here!" appear next to it."
Takashi laughed, "I can see what you mean. You look at that minute speck and realize how insignificant you are in the scheme of things."
"Yep! Most people freak out and go off the deep end, but every once in a while a guy comes along that looks at that speck and says, "Oh wow, that's cool! Is there cake?" Rika said as she laughed.
Takashi laughed again and then sighed, "So how do you become that guy?"
Rika shook her head, "Oh no Takashi, you don't ever want to be 'that guy'. That's the kind of guy that only cares about himself and never thinks twice of what he does and who he hurts when he does it. He truly believes he is the center of the universe and everything is for his pleasure. You're a leader; you could never be that kind of person. Plus I would never let you; you are too valuable to us the way you are."
Takashi smirked, "Guess it's nice to know you're wanted huh?"
Rika laughed as she got up. She held out her hand and said, "Come on, go sit outside and get some air, let those two girls fuss over you for a while. We'll worry about tomorrow when it comes and next year…well, we'll be ready for it when the time comes too."
Takashi took her hand and stood up. After standing and getting his legs for a minute, he followed Rika outside where the others were waiting.
000
Takashi was lying in the grass a while later when Rika walked up with the sat phone in her hand. Alice and Zeke had followed her out and they sat down next to Takashi and leaned against him. Rika grinned as she powered up the phone and dialed the number.
"Dahlia reporting in," Rika said as the call connected.
She listened for a minute and then snapped her fingers to get Alice's attention, "Alice, go tell everyone to come outside, I've got something to show them! Tell Kohta to bring the binoculars!"
Takashi sat up and watched Rika as she scanned the sky. Locking onto what looked to him like a far off bird, she said, "Contact! About 1200 meters and to my Southeast."
The rest of the group arrived with questions on their faces. After a minute more the bird got closer and Takashi realized it was not flapping its wings.
He stood up and took Saeko by the hand as she walked up beside him. Pointing he whispered, "I think it's a plane!"
"It's a UAV!" Kohta exclaimed as the small shape began to circle around them at a height of about 500 meters.
"What's that?" Saya asked him as he raised the binoculars to his eyes.
"Unmanned Aerial Vehicle," he said as he handed her the glasses. "They are used for scouting and reconnaissance. Some even carry supplies and or bombs. I don't know this type but I can see the camera pod on it."
"That's a Watchkeeper from the British carrier Ark Royal. Everyone smile for the birdy!" Rika said.
They all waved and grinned as the small craft orbited them. After about a dozen circuits it moved off to the west until it disappeared from sight.
Rika talked a few more minutes before signing off and shutting the phone down. She motioned for everyone to come inside so they could talk in a normal voice.
As they settled around the table she smiled. "Tomorrow my Lieutenant will come with a group and extract us. I don't know where we are heading yet, but it is part of a larger plan that is being put into effect. We are to do an inventory and bring everything useful with us when we go. We will not be coming back this way for a long time."
Everyone sat and thought about this for minute before Rika said, "Also, Saya and Saeko, still pictures of you that the UAV took are being sent to your parents. The LT said they were both eager for solid proof you were in good health."
"Wait…" Saya suddenly said. "You mean Saeko's father is going to see Takashi and Saeko hugging each other in the yard?" She began to snicker, "Well Saeko I guess that's one way to introduce your boyfriend to your father! At least my father and mother have met Kohta!"
The others roared with laughter as Takashi's face went white and Saeko face palmed herself.
"It's alright Takashi," Rika said. "He's only the commander of the Emperor's personal guard after all…"
Takashi groaned as he rested his forehead on the table.
000
The rest of the day was taken up in packing and deciding what would be useful to take with them. Rika called in and found out there would be trucks in the group coming to get them and got a list of most wanted items.
Futons, cooking utensils, and medical supplies were first on the list as well as anything that could be used as weapons. Saya headed to the library and began to make piles of books. She started with engineering, mathematics and the sciences. History came next followed by language and literature. After storing a few in her personal gear, she called the others in to go over what she had picked and to see if they could not thin it down.
An hour later they had reduced the pile by half and sorted them again. Rika pulled out some she felt were 'too' basic. Saya listened to her argument that those books could be found at any local library or book store. Agreeing, Saya then searched the house and found enough boxes and containers to hold what they would take.
Finishing that project she walked into the dining area to find Takashi sitting at the table writing a letter. "What are you up to?" she asked.
"I just thought I would write a note to the owner of the house telling about our time here and how much it meant to us. I don't know how things would have turned out if that door had not been open that day. If they ever come back, I want them to know their thoughtfulness was appreciated."
Saya sat down and thought for a minute, "A lot of memories have been made in this house haven't they?"
Takashi nodded, "I wish we didn't have to leave, but I know it is better we do."
He watched as Saya was lost in thought, "So Saya, how do you feel about us joining this group Rika is with?"
She sighed, "Well I hope it will be fine. Rika understands us and respects us as we are. If her lieutenant and the others are the same way she is we should not have any problems."
"Not everyone is like me. I'm considered a 'crazy ass bitch' a lot of times," Rika said from behind her.
She walked around and sat across the table from Saya. "I can understand your concerns Saya, but also understand this. You're joining with a group of military people that are trained to eliminate a threat to the people in any way we can. There are not going to be any 'they are sick and we need to help them' types. There is no 'overkill', there is only 'open fire' and 'I've got to reload' until the threat is gone. You are going to have to prove yourselves, but you have already impressed me, so that should not be a problem once they see you in action."
The others gathered around as she talked, "The main thing right now is if I or someone above me tells you to do something, you do it. Don't debate it; just do it and you can complain later if you need to."
"What if we decide later on this is not going to work and we want to leave?" Saya asked.
Rika shrugged, "You should be able to take your personal gear and go. This is still a free world and it's not up to us to tell you how to live…or die."
They all nodded as they broke up to finish packing for tomorrow.
000
Later in the evening as Takashi lay back on the futon, Rei and Saeko came in and lay down on either side of him. Looking over to Rei he asked, "Where is Alice tonight?"
She smiled, "Kohta and Saya made her a bed in their room. They said it was time they took a turn since everyone else had."
He nodded and wrapped his arms around both of them. They snuggled into his chest and soon all were asleep.
A/N: Well chapter 10 is in progress and I hope it's not going to be as long between updates from now on.
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