Okay, you'll notice that in this chapter that I did not include what campaign it was. The reason for this is because it does not have anything to do with the actual campaign itself, as this chapter will reveal a few more things to veer away from the storyline of the game. But for the next chapter, it will go back to saying what part it is like the previous ones. Yeah, I'm gonna give out some informative information to inform you guys about ^_^
Takuya: But if you inform too much, you'll give away too much information.
me: Yes, but I won't inform the readers about too much, as I need information in the future to inform them about.
Kouji: But if you make it too informative, then you'll still be spoiling the story and you still have about another 25 chapters to go.
me: But I said that I wasn't going to make it so informative with all of the information to spoil it all. I don't want to inform them about too much right now.
Takuya: Can we stop saying 'inform' and 'informative' and 'bruhaha'?!
me: ....When did we say 'bruhaha'?
Takuya: Just start the chapter!
me: Don't tell me what to do! *hits him over the head* I now present chapter 7. Enjoy!
Takuya: Ow, I need one of those bottles of pills....
Dark Sanctuary
Chapter 7: Revelations
The room had contained several rounds of ammunition, as well as three grenades. It appeared to be a smaller private guest lounge, for there were a few vending machines against the wall and over a dozen cushioned seats. The door had been locked, and the two windows beside the door appeared to be unbreakable, for the infected had no luck trying to break through the glass. Instead, Kouji had blocked the windows with extra cushions, flipping the infected off as he did so.
"Now we don't have to look at their ugly faces." He glanced at Takuya. "So, how long before we leave?"
"I think we deserve a rest after all this running around," the brunette replied. "So maybe about twenty minutes, unless they begin to somehow get in."
Kouji smirked. "Good, 'cause I'm in dire need of a friggen break."
Along with the machines containing beverages, there were two others containing candy bars and packaged snacks. Those, too, had been busted open.
Takuya relished the taste of the Kit-Kat Bar as he crammed it into his mouth. "Damn, I haven't had one of these in like forever."
Tommy had helped himself to a twin-wrapped package of cupcakes, while Kouji had opted for a few bags of chips.
"Fun-Size my ass," he muttered, obviously dissatisfied by the small size of the bags. "How can anything be 'fun' when it's this friggen small? Hardly anything in it."
"Don't forget, you're also paying for the air that's inside the bag with the chips," Takuya told him with a laugh.
Kouji shrugged, shoveling a handful of them into his mouth. "Nothing's free in life...."
"Nonsense, you didn't pay for these chips," Tommy said jokingly. "We busted the machines open and got these for free."
Takuya glanced at Zoe, who was sitting in one of the chairs. Her gaze was staring vacantly at the floor, and her shoulders were slumped.
"You okay?" He asked, wandering over to her.
She nodded in response, her eyes never leaving the floor.
Takuya hesitated for a moment, then held out package of Pop-Tarts. "Here, you should eat something."
"I'm not hungry," Zoe finally replied.
He groaned, sinking down to the chair next to her. "Look, you're not still mad at me for snapping at you, right? Is that why you're suddenly acting all depressed and emo?"
For the first time, Zoe looked up at him, only not with the expression he had anticipated. Takuya had expected her to glare at him and threaten to slap him across the face for that comment. Instead, her emerald eyes seemed tired and apathetic, and she looked as though she had no strength left in her.
"No, I'm not mad about that," she said.
"Well then, what is it?" He asked.
The blond merely shook her head, then reverted her gaze back to the floor. She did, however, take the Pop-Tarts from him, slowly opening the package. Takuya wordlessly handed her a bottled beverage, which she also accepted.
After a long pause, Takuya finally sighed. "If you want to talk about what's bothering you before we leave, let me know."
Zoe quickly glanced up at him and gave him a half-smile. "Thanks."
Takuya nodded and rose to his feet. He then made his way back over to Tommy and Kouji and began to converse with them.
The girl took a small bite of her snack, not tasting the filling as she ate. Instead, her mind began to venture elsewhere.
Ten days ago
Zoe looked at her parents and smiled gratefully. "Thanks so much for letting me stay here while my pipes are getting fixed."
Mr. Orimoto smirked. "Well, we're not gonna make you stay in your flooded apartment for the next few days."
"Yeah, you'll need a canoe to get from one room to another," Mrs. Orimoto quipped.
"Well, I should be out of your hair soon," Zoe said. "You know I don't like bugging you guys."
"I know, eighteen years with you was more than enough," her father joked.
Mrs. Orimoto rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't listen to him. He's just going through a mid-life crisis right now."
"Hey, I was kidding!" He said, feigning insult. "And who says I'm going through a mid-life crisis?"
"Well, for the past week, all you've been doing is complaining about how the guy from your office bought a new motorcycle and that you feel old," she pointed out.
"I just said that it was nice," he shot back. "I don't feel old....well, except for in the morning..."
Zoe smirked. "Well, I'm gonna go to my old room and unpack a few things."
Her mother smiled. "Okay, your father and I will be leaving in about twenty minutes to go out to dinner. Are you sure you don't want to come?"
The blond shook her head. "Nah, that's okay. I haven't slept that well, so I'm probably just gonna go to bed soon."
"Okay, we'll bring you something home for you if you want," she offered.
"No, I'm not hungry. Thanks anyway," Zoe said, beginning to head up the stairs before glancing back at her parents. "Um, are you sure you guys want to go out tonight? You know, with that new virus making everyone sick?"
Mr. Orimoto waved his hand dismissively. "Eh, we'll be fine. We've both had our flu shots."
Zoe's face furrowed slightly into a frown. "But it's not like the flu. The reports say that it's been more serious than that. I think a few people have even been hospitalized for it."
"Don't worry about us," he told her. "They're just trying to scare everyone with the news report. We'll be fine."
Zoe hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. I'll uh..see ya tomorrow then. Have fun."
Thirty minutes later, after she had unpacked and her parents had left, Zoe took out her laptop. She stared at the blank screen, a sigh escaping from her.
"Dammit," she muttered, rubbing her tired eyes. "Can't think of anything....."
She sat there for another five minutes until she finally exited the application and closed the laptop. After putting it on the floor, she laid down on her old bed, resting her head against the purple pillow.
"Maybe I just need some sleep," she said to herself. "Then tomorrow I might think of something."
Zoe flicked off the light and succumbed to the darkness, her mind still uneasy about her parents' departure.
"Aaah, dammit!"
The sound of Kouji's loud complaint snapped Zoe back to reality, and she jerked her head up in surprise.
Takuya looked at the girl and smiled sheepishly. "Eh, sorry about that. Kouji was being an idiot and got hit with a bottlecap."
Zoe raised an eyebrow, confused. "How did he manage that one?"
"He was shaking the bottle of soda and then a freak accident with the cap happened," Tommy explained. "Got him right in the cheek."
"Funniest thing I've seen all day," Takuya added with a chuckle.
Kouji rubbed his sore face and glared at the two brunettes. "Shut up. It wasn't funny."
"Aw come on, Kouji. It was too."
"Kanbara, in one minute, I'm throwing your ass out of this room and into that horde in the lobby," Kouji hissed.
Takuya laughed. "If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me."
"Like hell you are," the raven-haired man grumbled.
Zoe and Tommy exchanged amused glances, then continued to nibble at their snacks. Tommy sighed, unwrapping a four-pack of Oreos as he sat down on a chair. Although he normally didn't consume this much junk food in one sitting, he was raveneous and it was the only thing available. By now he had eaten a package of cupcakes, two bags of chips, and had downed one and a half bottles of soda.
As he ate his second Oreo, his mind, too, began to wander.
One week ago
"Himi! Are you ready with those results yet?!"
Tommy looked up at his supervisor, who also happened to be the owner of the company's son.
He sighed, holding up the sheets of paper. "Yeah, I just finished, Eric."
"Everyone else can call me 'Eric', but you can refer to me as 'Mr. Carrolla'. I don't allow children to call me by my first name," Eric sneered.
"Sorry, Mr. Carrolla," Tommy replied quietly. "It won't happen again."
Eric smirked. "Good, because you wouldn't want me to write you up for being disrespectful, would you?"
Tommy shook his head. "No, sir."
"Terrific," he said in a fake cheerful voice. "And just to let you know, I'll need you to work overtime tonight."
"But I'm supposed to leave in an hour. What time am I staying until?" Tommy inquired, clearly not happy about staying later.
Eric ruffled through the papers Tommy had just handed to him. "Well, normally you would leave at five. But I need you until ten o'clock tonight."
"Ten?" Tommy asked incredulously. "Why so late?"
"Well, since half of our colleagues are out sick, we are behind in our work," Eric told him. "Therefore, I need you to stay late to help us catch up."
Tommy rolled his eyes, his anger rising. "How are we behind in our work? I'm the only one who actually does anything around here."
Eric's gray eyes narrowed and he stalked over to his young co-worker. "Are you giving me an attitude?"
"No, sir." Tommy immediately dropped his gaze.
Eric leaned over slightly, his gaze almost burning a hole into Tommy's face. "Let's get this straight, you little shit. You are not in charge around here. I am. So if I ask you to do something, you'll do it. And if you refuse, I won't hesitate to fire you on the spot."
Tommy looked up and glared at him. "You're only in charge when your daddy's not around. Besides, I have a feeling that you probably won't fire me."
"Oh, is that so?" His supervisor sneered. "Why do you think that?"
"Well, as I said, I'm the only one who actually does any work around here," Tommy began. "So if you fire me, there goes most of your progress."
Eric smirked. "True, but even if I don't fire you, I can guarantee to make your life a living hell."
"I'll quit," Tommy threatened, his heart pounding with a mixture of anxiety and rage.
"Quit if you want," Eric said with a shrug. "Even with your degree, you'll still have trouble finding another job so soon. I mean, you wouldn't want to be unemployed and risk losing your shitty little apartment, would you?"
Tommy's lips were thin as he tried his best to remain calm. However, he finally sighed and dropped his gaze to the floor, his shoulders slumping. He shook his head, too defeated to reply vocally.
Eric smile, satisfied with himself. "Glad you see things my way. So ten o'clock. And even through you're working overtime, don't expect to be paid extra for it."
"Yes, sir," Tommy mumbled.
The older man shrugged his coat on, then pulled a small bottle of pills out of his pocket. Eric extracted three white pills from the bottle and popped them into his mouth, grimacing as he swallowed them dry.
"Coming down with something?" Tommy asked monotonely.
"Might be coming down with the damn flu myself, so right there is another reason to make sure you catch up on the work," Eric muttered. "My shift is over, so enjoy your next six hours."
With that, he walked out of the room, giving Tommy one last victorious smile, as if he had won a war. He then closed the door, leaving the young brunette alone. Tommy listened to the heavy footsteps making their way down the hallway, then groaned in frustration.
"Asshole," he hissed, hurling a pen into the nearby wall.
The pen struck the wall, its tip embedded into a photograph hanging up. Ironically, it was Eric's 'Employee of the Month' picture. The pen stuck directly into the left eye of the photograph.
Tommy looked down and realized that his Oreos were gone. He discarded the empty package into the nearby garbage bin and took a swig of his drink.
The infected were outside the door, continuing to bang into it. Their attempts were futile, however, and so far they had made no progress.
"Well, now we have a whole horde to look forward to," Takuya muttered. "Fucking exciting, isn't it?"
Kouji grunted in annoyance. "I almost feel like we're never gonna get out of this bullshit."
"We will, it'll just take a little while," Takuya replied, making sure his rifle was fully loaded. "We just have to annihilate the group outside and get to the rooftop. We'll be the safest up there and hopefully the lights up there will alert any helicopters flying by."
"But there's no guarantee that we'll be seen, right?" Tommy asked, his voice laced with concern.
Takuya hesitated for a moment, then solemnly shook his head. "No, there is no guarantee. But it's our best shot. I say we either get to the roof or die trying."
"Don't know about you guys, but I'll turn the gun on myself before I let them infect me," Zoe's soft voice said.
"Well, let's hope that it doesn't come to that," the brunette replied grimly. "But I can't blame you for feeling that way...."
Kouji absently scratched his arm, his fingers running over a patch on the sleeve of his jacket. Takuya noticed the patch and read it, a crooked smile appearing on his face.
"Hell's Legions, huh?" He asked. "So, you're a gangbanger I see."
The raven-haired man glared at him, adjusting his blue bandana. "Yeah, I'm part of a fucking gang. Or at least, I was. Why, what's it too ya?"
"Nothing, I'm just making an observation," the soldier replied.
"Well, mind your own business. How I live my life is none of your concern," Kouji snapped.
Takuya rolled his eyes. "Didn't say that it was. But if it's that much of a touchy subject, I'll let it go."
Kouji's sapphire eyes angrily flashed at him. "No, you wanna know how I got into this fucking situation? I'll fucking tell you. My twin brother and I moved here a few years ago, and tried to find jobs. It didn't work out, so we joined a fucking gang for money. Went pretty well, except for the fact that half of our friends were slaughtered over the past week. Two days ago, we were chased into our apartment. The fuckers broke in and killed our three roommates, then turned on us. My brother, Kouichi, saved my ass. But...."
The other three waited patiently as Kouji mustered up the nerve to finish what he was saying.
Kouji sighed, then continued. "He was attacked by a Hunter, and I was thrown out of the window. I survived obviously, but Kouichi....he was left inside to die...."
"Kouji, I'm-"
"No, I don't wanna hear it," Kouji interrupted Takuya. "Just...forget this ever happened. But now you know how I got into this hellhole and why I'm so fucking depressed. So get used to it."
Takuya and Zoe exchanged glances, while Tommy frowned, trying to listen to something.
"Hey," he said quietly. "You hear that?"
The other survivors remained silent and listened to see what he was talking about. After a few seconds, Zoe looked up at them.
"I don't hear anything....it's strange," she mused.
"Exactly," Tommy pointed out. "The horde seems to have gone away. They must've given up and moved away to another part of the hospital."
Takuya sighed. "Either that or they went back outside. Though I doubt we should be so lucky...."
"You think we should get out of here and make our way to the roof as quickly as possible?" Zoe asked.
The brunette thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, seems like a smart decision to make our move right now. Agreed?"
"Whatever," Kouji muttered carelessly. "I'm tired of being in here anyway."
"Is everyone all set and ready to go?" Takuya asked. "And make sure your guns are loaded."
Once everyone made sure that their weapons were filled with ammo, they cautiously made their way to the door. Takuya moved one of the cushions away from the side windows and peered out. From what he could see, not a single infected person was lurking around.
"Okay, help me move this," he said, taking hold of the destroyed vending machine that was blocking the door.
Kouji held onto the other side of the machine and helped Takuya heave it out of the way. After another moment, Takuya carefully unlocked the door, gripping his rifle tight in his hand.
"Alright, here goes nothing," he said in a low voice.
The others held their breath as he yanked the door open, waiting for someone to pop out at them. To their relief, no one showed up.
"Let's get outta here," Kouji growled, stalking out of the room.
The four of them rushed down the corrider, the lights flickering on and off.
"How long do you think before we-"
Kouji was cut off as he was suddenly tackled by a mysterious figure from behind the front desk.
"Shit!" He cried out, his shotgun slipping from his hands.
The figure was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, undeniably being a Hunter. It pinned Kouji to the floor, snarling at him.
"Fuck!" Takuya went to shoot the Hunter off, only for a Tank to lunge at him out of nowhere.
He jumped away from the hulking human, and the Tank swung its heavy arms at both Tommy and Zoe. The two of them flew backwards from the heavy blow, surprised about how it had managed to sneak up on them. As Takuya attempted to dodge another of it's hits, Kouji was struggling to get the Hunter off of him.
"Get offa me, you fucking bastard!" He cried out, punching the figure.
The Hunter's hood flew backward, falling off of his head. Kouji looked at the infected human and felt his heart stop momentarily. His blood felt as though it had frozen and he lost all strength as the Hunter growled menacingly. With a choked stutter, Kouji managed to say a single word.
"K-K-Kouichi?"
So, did you guys like the little curveball I decided to throw in at the end? :3 I hope so. And yeah, so I revealed a few more things, but didn't want to give away too much too soon. But don't worry, there will be more information in Chapter....uh, let's see...if I follow the storyline, the next chapter like this will be chapter 10 I think. So please review and let me know what you think, as I am dying to know.
And as for the name of Kouji's gang, it is the same one that Francis belonged to (the character that I'm basing Kouji off from the game)
