Chapter Three: Blood Stained Tears
"I guess we're going to Karakura Hospital," Shiba sighed.
No one objected his plain statement, and a quick murmuring of agreement took place.
"Any ideas on escaping?" Sentaro asked.
"…I think I know the quickest way out of this hellhole," Kaien said.
December 13, 2012
700 Hours
"You see, we don't have many choices on our hands here. Currently, we're on the second floor of the Club building, and the only exits are the main entrance and the bus exits. Both exits are of equal distance," Kaien began to say.
He paused to make sure everyone was on the same page before continuing, "Now our best bet would be getting a vehicle that's big enough to fit all seven of us, that way we don't have to split up."
"That would make our only option the bus ramp then," Rukia concluded.
"Right-o kid," Kaien nodded.
"From here, if we just cut across the back of the school, there should be a smaller concentration of zombies. It's pretty straight forward if you ask me," He shrugged.
Ishida asked skeptically, "What about the keys?"
"We'll just have to hope the keys are still in the vehicle," Kaien shrugged.
"Sounds a bit too theoretical to me," He muttered.
"If you have a better plan share it," Rukia quipped.
Ishida frowned and remained silent after realizing how limited their options were. They couldn't hold up in the storage room forever, and eventually the zombies would find them anyway. Their only chance of survival was to move out, but even then it was still risky, especially the location that the group pursued. Ishida knew for a fact that it was impossible for there to be any survivors left in the hospital, however he didn't complain because his house was right next to the facility, and he need supplies. However, the fact that hijacking a bus was their only escape bothered him because their were a number of liabilities.
"If there are no other objections, then let's do it," Toshiro said.
Kaien nodded, "First things first, we need to get everyone weapons."
He turned towards Kiyone and Sentaro, "Did you two find anything?"
"Yes sir! I found a lot of things we could use. But that Baka Sentaro didn't even help," Kiyone stated.
"A-are you serious? I did all the work!" Sentaro objected.
"Kami… I don't care! Just bring us what you have," Kaien snapped as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
They both rushed to grab a handful of miscellaneous things and raced back to Kaien, as if the whole ordeal was a competition. Soon enough, a small pile started forming in the middle of the group made of precious provisions.
The soft rays of light seeped past the blinds, allowing the Rukia to view their findings. According to her count, there were two baseball bats, three golf clubs, light padding that served as armor, a shovel, a hammer, a rake, a duffel bag, a case of water bottles, and a crow bar.
"So there you have it. Everyone take their pick, although I don't really recommend the golf clubs. They probably bend easily," Kaien said.
While everyone mulled over their weapons, Kaien pulled out his own Katana and began to clean bits of flesh of his blade.
Glancing over at Rukia, he said, "I advise you to clean your Katana too. They can rust easily."
"And here-" Kaien tossed a cloth and a sharpening stone towards her.
She caught them easily with both hands before nodding her head in appreciation, "Arigatou, Kaien dono."
Rukia took the time to unsheathe her blade and ran the cloth gingerly over the blood splattered surface. She found the motion somewhat soothing, as if erasing the stains would do the same to her conscience. All she wanted to do was curl up with a horror manga and cuddle with her Chappy doll. However, no amount of wishing would change anything. She was stuck in the middle of her own nightmare, unable to ever get out.
Once the blade shown its pure white once more, she sheathed the weapon and refolded the cloth. Rukia stood up in search of a durable back pack, easily spotting one amongst the pile of goods and went to retrieve it. After placing the cloth and sharpening stone safely in her bag, she looked around to see if the others were ready.
She noted that Toshiro seemed rather fond of his classic baseball bat, taking practice swings every once in a while. The white haired boy even wore beginner arm guards, complementary of the kendo club. As her eyes continued to scan the room, she observed Sentaro and Kiyone. They were currently fighting over a shovel, accompanied by their bickering and it looked strangely romantic to Rukia. Sentaro eventually gave up, settling for a crowbar and then started to pout over his defeat. Farther back, Momo looked rather unsure as she tentatively picked up another baseball bat, and Uryu stood uncaringly to the side, perfectly content with his bow and arrows.
"Have some water Rukia," Kaien handed her a bottle of water while he uncapped his own.
She tentatively pressed the bottle to her parse lips, but once the liquid met her tongue, she was unable to control her thirst. Quickly emptying the whole container, she wiped away the access water before deciding to preserve a few more bottles in her book bag.
As she did this, the teacher eyed her skeptically, taking in her soiled oxford shirt to her stained skirt. Rukia noticed immediately that she was being observed by the raven haired adult, and started to adjust her ruffled hair rather flushed. Sighing with amusement, Kaien set down his things and disappeared to the back of the storage room. Moments later he arrived with something draped across his arm.
"You're hopeless, Kuchiki," He patted Rukia's head before handing her an article of clothing.
Blinking in confusion, Rukia held the garment in front of her to see what she had been given. She held a soft black jacket in her hands composed of a warm leather. On the back, the kanji letters 'Seretei High Kendo Team of 2012' were boldly sewn in white along with their mascot, a shallow tailed butterfly.
Confused, Rukia asked, "What's this for, Kaien dono?"
The man simply rolled his eyes, "It get's kind of cold in December, Kuchiki. Maybe you should try covering up more, otherwise you'll get sick."
Blushing, Rukia said without thinking, "But aren't these for the Seniors?"
"It's safe to say that many of them won't be graduating this year, Kuchiki," Kaien quirked an amused eyebrow.
"Right," Rukia said embarrassed.
Rukia slipped on the jacket, and although it was a bit large, the jacket hung rather snugly to her body.
Kaien finally stood up and clapped his hands together, effectively capturing the attention of the others, "So is everyone ready?"
There was a shuffling of uncomfortable feet and a few hesitant mutterings among them. It was a rather impractical question after all. No one was ready to reveal themselves to those grotesque creatures created by Mother Nature, nor where they ready to possibly risk their very minds. Nature was a funny thing. The Earth intentionally created beings that were destined to destroy themselves.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Rukia broke the silence.
After a moment, Toshiro snorted, "That's the spirit."
"Well then here's the game plan," Kaien walked towards the window and parted the blinds a bit.
Outside the glass was a soccer field with a supply shed, and right behind it was the bus ramp. It was a quarter mile away, but the worst part was the fifty or so zombies wandering the ramp.
"First of all, we need to find out the strengths and weaknesses of these things," Kaien said.
"Well isn't it obvious? We knock off their heads," Kiyone shrugged.
Kaien shook his head, "No, I mean the senses. Can they still see? Can they hear? Can they smell? How do they tell the living from the dead?"
"That's a good question," Rukia murmured.
"They can definitely hear us," Momo whispered.
Everyone looked at her with curiosity while Rukia analyzed her empty brown eyes as the girl seemed to stare at the opposite wall, witnessing something no one else could see.
She continued uncertain, "My friend and I were in the calligraphy club when a walker came in the room…S-she screamed and i-it lunged after h-her instead of me."
"S-so…they will definitely go after noise…" Momo concluded, as did everyone else.
The hands of sadness plucked the strings on Toshiro's heart as he watched the haunted expression in Momo's eyes, causing him to rub small circles on his friend's back.
Kaien nodded grimly, "Okay, not a sound, got it everyone?"
After the silent agreement, the raven haired teacher walked towards the door, carefully removing the barricade with the help of Toshiro, Ishida, and Sentaro. Rukia took this time to pull on her book bag and unsheathe her snowy blade. After the door was cleared, Kaien used his hands to signal on the count of three.
3…Everyone tightened the vise grip around their weapon…2…A sharp inhale of air was taken…1…Kaien wrenched open the door.
Rukia squinted against the orange beams of light blinding her mind. The frozen burst of December wind bit the edges of her lips, enticing a shiver from the small girl. She wordlessly thanked Kaien for the jacket, which provided her with some warmth in the chilling world.
The teacher was the first to exit the room, swiftly checking both sides of the corridor for any danger. Sensing none, he beckoned for the others to follow. Rukia held her katana carefully lowered to her right with her muscles twitching at the slightest provocation. Outside of the room, the constant hum of moans became louder than before, agitating her nerves. Suspiciously there were no zombies, so the group proceeded down the stairs unperturbed. The school grounds were deathly silent besides the shuffling of nervous feet and the heavy breathing of her companions. Before turning a corner, Rukia winced as Kaien decapitated a corroding student without warning. A muffled squeak escaped Momo and she gripped the arm of Toshiro for mental support.
Kaien's voice barely came above a whisper, "Shhh…wait, can you hear them?"
Since Rukia had grown quite accustomed to the solemn atmosphere of the school, she almost missed the slightly elevated murmuring of the dead, and the heavier scent of decaying flesh. Kaien blocked their path as he held out his arm and slowly peered around the corner. He took a moment to analyze the situation while Rukia held her breath for the verdict.
Kaien faced the group once again, "There are about a dozen zombies blocking the path. Is everyone ready?"
There was a nodding of heads before he stepped forward, taking the first zombie with a fluid motion of his hand. Rukia followed, kicking away a zombie as it lunged for Kaien, promptly shoving the tip of her sword through the eye socket. Shuddering, she withdrew her blade from the limp form and steeled herself for more. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Toshiro deliver a smart swing against the head of an attacking zombie and heard the sickening crack of the skull. Sentaro used his crowbar to knock away another fast approaching zombie, as Kiyone herself plunged the end of her shovel across a zombie's neck, efficiently separating the head from the body. Across from her Momo had her eyes squeezed shut before hitting a zombie hard against its temple, causing it to lay motionless on the floor. Uryu launched his arrow right between the eyes of another corpse that threatened to grasp Momo from behind. The commotion casted the remaining zombies attention, and the rest of the dead sprinted towards the survivors. The main focus was all spent defending and destroying the undead, and each thrust, shove, swing, and shot eventually lead to a quiet atmosphere, aside from the heavy panting of the group.
After a moment, Kaien turned away from the survivors and asked, "Is everyone okay?"
The distant banging of doors could be heard from a short distance, but it only belonged to the aggressive groaning of a corpse. Her companions were slightly perturbed, however no one was injured or bitten.
Rukia looked around nervously before breathing a sigh of relief, "Everyone's okay-"
Out of nowhere, a zombie charged forward and tackled Rukia with a ravenous growl. She didn't have enough time to understand what was going on, turning in surprise to face the dull eyes of a fellow student. The cold body knocked the breath out of her and they both collided to the floor. Through this process Rukia lost the grip of her katana and watched as it bounced uselessly away from her reach. She didn't have time to draw her other katana, since her hands were being used to guard herself from a fatal bite. Rukia gasped as she used a clammy hand to hold the zombie by the neck and pushed it away from herself, attempting to avoid the thing's clamping teeth. She could clearly smell the rancid breath of the corpse and forced herself not to gag. Rukia flinched when an arrow ripped across the other side of the zombie's skull. The body laid limply on top of her, and unnerved, she pushed the corpse away from her with a speechless expression.
She scurried to her feet, shakily taking a step back into the outstretched arms of Kaien, who looked just as shocked as she was.
Her teacher shouted in alarm, "Rukia were you bitten?"
"N-No," She stuttered in shock.
Uryu walked by with a casual look on his face before handing back her katana, and at the same time he retrieved the arrow by yanking it out of the zombie's head, along with pieces of gray matter.
"You owe me one," he said simply.
Rukia nodded silently before accepting the katana, carefully pulling her nerves together. She couldn't afford to lose herself in this horrific world. Not now.
"Let's go," Rukia said as a flash of determination crossed her eyes.
Kaien smiled after seeing the alarm disperse from her face, and he called the others, "From here on, we run straight to the buses! No one gets left behind."
Roughly shoving past the doors, everyone started to sprint towards the school buses. As they ran across the soccer fields, Rukia noticed the few dismembered bodies littering the grass. A group of zombies crowded hungrily around the incapacitated victims, ripping through flesh and bone as they were occupied with their meal. In the distance everyone could clearly see at least two dozen zombies milling around the afterschool bus ramp.
Once they were closer, Kaien stopped them from approaching the area where the zombies crowded the only bus still parked. Placing his index finger to his lips, he silently crouched down to pick up a stone and threw it far to the left of them. The rock ricocheted off the fence and efficiently caught the attention of the inactive corpses. Like a brain dead herd, they wandered towards the distracting noise, clearing the path for the survivors. Kaien quickly walked up to the doors, however, he couldn't seem to them open.
"Shit," The teacher cursed.
Sentaro emerged from the nervous group, "Here, I got it."
Taking his crowbar, he wedged the curved end into the crack of the doors and forced it open. Everyone boarded the bus with haste, because the zombies were not occupied for long. A sigh of relief escaped everyone's lips as Kaien closed the doors.
Checking the seats, a pair of keys seemed to be missing, "Look for the keys everyone!"
An inhuman growl answered from the back of the bus. Rukia blinked as the dead bus driver sat up from his seat, glaring hungrily at the human flesh before him. Uryu didn't hesitate to release an arrow from his bow, and it sailed right between the eyes. The zombie stumbled back and fell to the floor, producing a thud along with a jingle of keys. Kaien parted through the group and knelt awkwardly in the small space as he searched carefully. Successful, he pulled out a ring of keys from the dead man's front pocket. The teacher made his way towards the front of the bus once more, and placed himself in the driver's seat.
"Let's get out of here," He said.
Just before Kaien prepared to start the engine, Momo shouted, "Wait!"
An odd smile appeared on the girls face, and everyone turned to see what she was pointing at. Rukia blinked in surprise as three people came running towards the bus in the distance. Soon she could see the miraculous approach of more survivors, however, her eyes immediately narrowed after registering the unwelcome faces.
Kiyone asked out loud, "Is that Azien sensei, Tosen sensei, and Ichimaru sempai?"
"Unfortunately," Kaien muttered under his breath.
Momo hurried towards the door and shouted at Kaien, "Hurry! Let them in Shiba dono!"
Kaien didn't budge, as a rather unnatural scowl overcame his features.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Momo," Toshiro said as he glared at the trio standing right outside the sliding doors.
Momo ignored her friend, and shouted even louder, "We can't leave without Aizen sensei!"
The small group people arrived behind the plexiglass door, knocking on it and gesturing them to let them in. Momo ignored everyone's reluctance and pulled the lever herself, allowing the three survivors to enter the bus.
"Arigatou, Momo san," Aizen said affectionately.
"Aizen sama, I'm so glad you're alive," Momo blinked back tears as she revered her admirable sensei.
Momo's sensei smiled sweetly, "I am glad to see that you are well, also."
A strained atmosphere settled over everyone as they watched the awkward reunion.
"Hi'ya Rukia chan," Gin Ichimaru graced her with a snakelike grin, causing Rukia to shudder in dislike.
Gin was chilling fourth year who served as Aizen's star pupil. His slitted eyes always seemed to follow Rukia since she entered the school, causing her great unease.
Aizen looked up towards Kaien and said dryly, "Thanks for letting us join your lovely group."
Kaien said nothing, and only stared coldly at the spectacled man. Rukia could feel the hostility and suspicion roll off Kaien in powerful waves, however this had no effect on Aizen at all.
Aizen ignored Kaien's intense gaze and embraced Momo as if to comfort her, "I'm glad to have found your little group of survivors. But you know…I'm not a babysitter, and I don't get along well in large groups."
"Especially groups that are composed of weak children," He sneered.
Kaien's hand instantly flew to the handle of his katana, despite the fact that his weapon was useless in the confined bus.
"Oh no, no my dear friend, there is no need for that. You see, I have already won this fight," Aizen chuckled.
He revealed how his hand gun was positioned directly behind Momo's skull, upon seeing this everyone paused in horror.
With disbelieving eyes Kaien shouted, "How could you eve threaten a student's life? You're a teacher for god's sake!"
"Who said I enjoyed my job? Besides, without any rules or form of government, I see myself doing no wrong," Aizen chuckled.
This prompted Uryu to pointed the tip of his arrow at Aizen as he muttered, "Let her go."
"Why aren't you the hero," Tosen stepped behind Uryu with the end of a gun pressing against his head.
"Lower your weapon Ishida…we don't want to do anything rash," Aizen stated serenely.
Momo's eyes finally flew wide open with realization and confusion, "A-Aizen sama…W-What are y-you doing?"
"Don't worry, sweetheart," Aizen cooed with false warmth.
He continued, "As long as your friends calmly exit this vehicle, I won't kill you."
Toshiro growled, "What do you mean?"
"Surely someone as intelligent as yourself would understand, Toshiro kun. All that I'm asking is that you hand over the keys, and step out of the vehicle," Aizen answered dryly.
"I'm not leaving Momo," Toshiro shouted.
"You can watch as I blow your girlfriend's brains out, or you can leave without her," Aizen smiled coolly.
Toshiro lunged at Aizen, "Go to hell you bastard!"
"Hold on, Toshiro sempai," Rukia held back the fuming boy with both hands as everyone heard the clicking of a gun.
Kaien stood up swiftly, and with slow, loathing movements, he held out the keys.
Aizen smirked, "Good boy, now get off my bus."
"Everyone get out," Kaien seethed.
Gin opened the bus doors denuding the intensified groaning of the dead, and everyone stepped unwillingly off the vehicle as they felt the unsafe atmosphere embrace them once again. Sentaro and Kiyone had to restrain Toshiro, who was furiously flailing as he tried to return to Momo.
"Let go of me," Toshiro snarled.
Gin spoke in a mock warning tone, "I'd be quiet if I were ya'. Those zombies can 'ear purty well."
True to his word, Rukia check to the left, and zombies began to shuffle curiously towards the commotion.
The snakelike man turned to Rukia and grinned once more, "Wish ya' could stay, Rukia chan. Yer always fun to mess wit."
Kaien was the last one to step off the bus, "Now hand over Hinamori san."
"I don't recall that was ever part of the deal," Aizen said calmly.
With a silent curse, Kaien tried to lunge forward, however, Gin closed the doors and the loud engine of the bus ignited. Rukia flinched as the echoing shot of a gun was heard, and the foreboding noise hung dangerously in the air, causing Rukia to freeze. Looking through the window, the splattering of blood and brains was caught on the glass, reconfirming the death of Momo Hinamori.
Toshiro screamed, "NO!"
Sentaro swore, "Shit, here they come!"
There was nothing they could do besides fend off the onslaught of zombies, and Rukia took on a last glance as the bus full of murderers charged through the gates. A sudden flash of anger sprouted inside her when she thought about Momo's hideous betrayal. Toshiro was in worse condition as he fell to his knees in shock, not processing what had happened.
"Hitsugaya! Get on your feet we have to move," Kaien barked.
Toshiro shook his head as he trapped himself in a disbelieving state, trapping his face between two hands.
Rukia swiftly moved towards the boy forced him up before shouting, "Snap out of it Toshiro! I cared for Momo too. We're all going to die now if we don't get out of here! And I can't leave anyone behind."
The boys' eyes hardened before a cold aura poured out of his small being. Toshiro's momentary lapse of bereavement seemed to pass as he roughly pushed himself on his feet. A small bit of relief comforted her as Rukia took two hands and promptly lodged her blade up a gaping mouth.
Unfortunately, things only got worse.
Aizen's gunshot was heard from at least a one mile radius, enticing the nearby zombies to an easy meal. Through the panic, Kaien led the survivors outside the gates and soon everyone dropped their offense, making a quick retreat.
"Kuso, I'm running out of arrows," Ishida cursed as he realized he didn't have time to retrieve his ammo.
"Forget it! We have to find a car," Rukia shouted through the chaos.
As they exited the school grounds and ran down the street, Rukia glanced over her shoulder and paled. At least fifty of the undead spewed from the school's entrance, chasing them with unanticipated speed. While the survivors were racing down the road, more zombies joined the ravenous hoard.
They were fast.
Very fast.
Rukia easily began to gasp as her muscles burned angrily beneath her. She swallowed down the fatigue and forced herself to keep running as if her life depended on it...which it did. All of a sudden, the weight of her bag became extremely heavy…and it was if her own breath was pulling her down. Rukia's lungs ached each time she sucked in for air, and she could even sense the zombies behind her. What happened next was inevitable. A sharp gasp escaped from Kiyone as she twisted her ankle and tumbled painfully to the floor.
Sentaro skidded to a halt and spun around for his companion, "Kiyone!"
She lay on the ground with her foot placed in an odd angle, quivering in fear. The zombies were only twenty yards away.
"Dammit you two," Kaien cursed before stopping to defend the students.
Sentaro bent over to help Kiyone up, but it was useless because she was unable to run. You could almost hear the erratic beating of hearts over the disturbing hissing of the undead.
Ten yards away.
Once Rukia realized what had happened, she paused in her steps and turned around, "Hurry up!"
"There's no time," Uryu shouted as he dragged her forward.
"Stop it! They need our help," Rukia hissed as she yanked her arm out of his grip.
Kaien and Sentaro clashed head on with the zombies, and the ripping of flesh ensued. A piercing wail reached Rukia's ears as she ran towards the fight, her adrenalin racing along with her blood. Kiyone was being ripped apart as more and more of the undead fell eagerly upon her. It was a gruesome display of cannibalism when she witnessed the spilling of intestines between the shuffling of eager zombies. Furious, Rukia released her ire on the nearest group of walkers, slicing through heads and stabbing through brains. She couldn't bare to lose anyone else. It was killing her…the loss was eating her alive…
Sentaro dived into the masses as he attempted to save Kiyone, only allowing himself to meet the same fate as she. The hoard was momentarily occupied with their fresh kill, and Rukia barely registered the fact that Kaien was dragging her hastily away from the zombies. During the process of fighting, his sword disappeared in the wave of hungry mouths, but only Rukia seemed to notice.
"Get a grip on yourself, Kuchiki," Kaien wheezed.
A few zombies pursued Rukia and Kaien, but they were quickly shot down by Ishida. Once an acceptable distance was put between them, no one spoke or even looked back. Ishida eyed the two of them curiously before resting on Kaien, and his eyes widened.
The buzzing of growls and moans still floated in the background when Uryu finally said, "You've been bitten."
Rukia's eyes flashed between the two, not able to comprehend Ishida's words. However, once recognizing his hostile eyes, she unconsciously stepped in front of Kaien, as if to guard him from Uryu's skeptical stare. He was joking…It was impossible.
"We have to kill him," he stated grimly and Rukia paled.
The words were foreign and bitter to her, causing her to feel sick to the core.
"W-what? No! He's…not dead, he's not even infected," Rukia spun around to face her teacher with a look of panic mixed with fear.
"Rukia, the bastards bit me when I tried to save Kiyone, look," Kaien revealed a gory wound that blackened his left arm.
"I can't believe it…" Rukia began to tremble.
"Rukia," Kaien muttered with a twinge of pain accompanying his voice.
With almost a feverish frenzy, Rukia ripped away the sleeve of his arm to reveal a festering bite mark. Familiar black webbing veins crawled up his skin, imitating the cold fingers of death. She looked up at Kaien slowly, and his eyes told her she could not avoid the truth. Rukia could feel the blood freeze in her veins, and she refused to believe anything anymore. She felt like her eyes were betraying, forcing her to witness something she could not bear to fathom. Rukia felt as if she were sinking down the bottomless abyss of the sea, slowly drowning in her own nightmare. The pressure was crushing, and her heart was paralyzed at the thought of losing another life.
Ishida had his bow drawn and aimed directly at Kaien's pale face, "Once he's dead, he'll be one of them."
"Don't you dare point that at Kaien dono," Rukia hissed as she pulled out her stained katana.
"Wait, stop it. Look, I'm staying here, and you three make a run for it," Kaien pushed Rukia aside.
"I'm not leaving you. Remember no one gets left behind," Rukia stated firmly.
"Be reasonable, Rukia. He's a threat to all of us," Ishida retorted.
Tensions broke new levels as Rukia and Ishida stared each other down, both refusing to back away.
Kaien frowned, "This is ridiculous-"
Toshiro cut into the conversation, shooting everyone a serious expression before saying, "Kaien should come with us, until he dies. He doesn't deserve to be abandoned, at least not while he's still alive."
Rukia's gaze softened as she felt Toshiro's empathy.
"But…then you have to put him to rest, Rukia," Toshiro stared straight through her.
Rukia allowed the quiet words to skin into her mind, but the idea brought a violent sense of terror that tore at her heart.
"Rukia you don't have to," Kaien said slowly.
She shook her head, "I can't abandon anyone."
Rukia hesitantly met Kaien's gaze, and glanced back to Toshiro before mutely agreeing to the deal. When she turned to Ishida, he simply looked ahead without approving, although he didn't object to the plan either. It was a plan that carried an abundance of potential dangers that could easily lead to everyone's demise. But for some reason, everyone decided to overlook the ludicrous idea in order to grasp on the last strand of humanity they had left.
Toshiro looked grimly between the two before he muttered, "Good. Then you should know I found a truck."
"Everyone follow me," He commanded.
"Let's hurry because there isn't much time," Ishida murmured before sending Kaien another nervous look.
They headed towards an old fashioned pickup truck sitting across the street. Rukia only watched mutely as Toshiro carefully pulled out a bloody body from the driver's seat and placed him on the road. Then, he peered under the wheel as if looking for something. After removing the plastic cover, Toshiro started to twiddle with the mass of wires, occasionally producing sparks. A few minutes later the engine roared to life, and everyone let out a sigh of relief.
"I'll drive," Ishida volunteered.
After some deliberation, Toshiro finally agreed to sit in the front, leaving Rukia and Kaien in the bed of the trunk. Once everyone was inside, the car jolted forward, and they continued their way to Karakura Hospital.
An ominous silence passed between teacher and student as they stared, and it took all of Rukia's willpower to stop herself from simply screaming at Kaien.
Finally she hissed, "You can't die."
"Everyone has to die someday, Rukia," He joked weakly.
Kaien coughed violently, spitting up a thick putrid liquid before quickly wiping it away on his sleeve.
The scene struck her with fear as she realized that he was right, and Rukia couldn't stop herself from embracing her teacher, smelling the blood, sweat, and death that possessed his body. Kaien returned the gesture, caressing her hair as if to comfort her. Then, with slow movements, his hand reached for her katana, and he broke their hold.
"What are you doing," Rukia choked as she pulled away.
Searching deep into her eyes, he continued, "Kill me before I turn into one of them."
"Not now," She snapped hastily.
Shaking his head feebly, Kaien pleaded, "Don't be cruel, Rukia, I'm asking you a favor. I can feel it taking over..."
When it looked like she was about to object he said, "Remember what we talked about last night?"
She nodded.
"I won't be dying as long as I have you here."
As Kaien spoke his tender words, he placed the hilt of Rukia's blade in her small hands.
"Kaien…don't leave me alone," Rukia begged, and her grip tightened around his, as if the notion would keep him alive.
He chuckled once more while his hands grew cold in hers, "I can't stay, Rukia. I'm sorry."
Kaien positioned the point of the blade over his heart and looked straight into Rukia's bitter soul.
"Don't do this! I-I…" She stuttered after realizing his intentions.
He smiled, but his eyes betrayed a sadness that shredded her heart to pieces. With his hands guiding hers, Kaien pressed forward. Rukia witnessed in horror as her blade pierced his heart, protruding wickedly through his chest while blood gushed from the fatal wound.
With Kaien's last breath, he murmured, "Thank you."
"I can't do this alone."
Rukia could feel the crimson substance leak onto her cloths, and suddenly she felt as cold as dry ice, and as lifeless as the undead. She couldn't help but feel empty as she just sat there with Kaien's dead weight resting against her. Rukia could do nothing but shed useless tears that cried for him, and she did not dare move until the truck came to a halt. Ishida was the one that pulled Kaien away, but she did not have the will to protest. The blackness was suffocating her small frame as each death weighed her down. Momo, Kiyone, Sentaro, Kaien…good people who never did any wrong. The demise of her friends haunted her memories as they flashed vibrantly over and over in her head.
"Rukia," Ishida spoke softly.
The distant calling of her name brought her back to an ugly reality, and she vaguely noticed that Toshiro and Ishida managed to wrap Kaien's body in a tarp secured by ropes. Looking around her, she realized that they were parked on a large bridge that overlooked a lonely river. Cars were scattered hazardously throughout the road, and a few zombies were left milling around.
When she finally found her voice, she croaked, "What are you doing?"
"Giving Kaien Sensei our respect," Ishida said.
Rukia hauled her leadened form off the ground and followed as the two carried Kaien towards the ledge of the bridge.
"Any last words?" Toshiro muttered.
Rukia hesitated before shaking her head, "No."
So with one final heave they pushed Kaien's souless body into the water, hearing a lonely splash as it hit the surface a few seconds later. Rukia's fingers curled into a fist as she watched the body sink to the bottom before immediately pushing herself away. Even from a distance, she saw it. The small folded picture resurfaced from the waters portraying the happy faces of a dead husband and wife.
Death Toll:
Hinamori Momo
Kiyone Kotetsu
Sentaro Kotsubaki
Shiba Kaien
A/N: So sorry for the delay! I actually put off this chapter for so long because I hated writing everyone's death, especially Kaien's. The writing was horrible, especially towards the end, but I hope the extra long chapter maked up for the crappiness. I'm also praying that it wasn't too cliché when Rukia killed Kaien...again. Oh and where's Ichigo? Well, this chapter was so long, that I had to cut it out. Just go ahead and kill me now, I deserve it. However...with so many characters gone, it means that new ones are on their way, so please consider sparing my life!
Thanks to: Redrosedragon18, riveting tale chap, E.C, Megami Elric, and amputated heart, Svetlana Sparkle, Higanbana.4, Molly Doe, and special thanks to kayla12000 for kicking my ass on this update.
Question: What do you think of special (mutated) zombies?
I live off of bribes…give me a nice review and I might write faster…wink.