Rei is the lead scientist and Nagisa is the key to curing the zombies who have taken over the world, but will they find the cure in time? or will it be too late for humanity?

(A Zombie Apocalypse AU)

. . . . . . . . . . .

Dr Ryugazaki rushed into the room where the test subject lay on the table. The blonde was cute and looked younger than his twenty-three years.

"Ahh you're finally here Rei." Gou said. Rei and Gou had been the first assigned to the Biological Taskforce team, or BTB as they had become known. Rei for his work with his work with biological containment and Gou for her work with Virus's.

"I was working in my office when I heard they had caught the subject in the wild." Rei explained.

"He's not like the others." Nitori said.

Gou nodded. "They found him in the forest, Sousuke and Rin caught him."

"The security team is good here." Rei said.

"We need it, the zombies could attack any day now. We've no idea how long we have left." Nitori, a recent medical science graduate said.

"We don't know that they're zombies Nitori!" Gou said, painfully aware that the subject on the table could understand every word.

"Take this outside, I wish to speak with the subject alone." Dr Ryugazaki said.

"Yes sir," Nitori and Gou chimed. The pair left still arguing about whatever 'zombie' was the right word to use.

Rei walked over to the 'subject' and looked down at him smiling. The boy looked up at him, his milky pink eyes were shockingly pale.

"Rei!" the boy read enthusiastically "Can I call you Rei? You can call me Nagisa"

Rei thought for a moment, getting attached would be a bad idea. Formality was best decided. "Call me Dr Ryugazaki please, we call you 'test subject' here."

The young man nodded a little deflated now. "They tell me I'm the cure that can save everyone, just because I'm infected but also not infected." He said.

Rei nodded. "You have become infected with the virus but have not changed into one of those . . ." Rei tailed off. He could feel his anger rising. He pushed back the memories of his escape . . . his family hadn't deserved that! No one did. "You will save us all Nagisa, but only if we can get the right data from you. We don't have any time to waste." Rei informed him.

"I'll do whatever you say Doctor." Nagisa smiled, it had been the first time anyone had used his name in over a month.

Over the next few days Rei worked closely with Nitori and Gou. They took sample after sample, Rei as head scientist closely supervised his employees, and watched over Nagisa with care. They needed Nagisa more than they wanted to admit.

"How did you get infected?" Rei asked Nagisa as he sat down next his bed four days into the blonde's arrival. Nagisa sat up and adjusted the pillows behind him; he'd been waiting for this question.

"about a month ago i was in the forest with a group of my friends, we were traveling to a safe house, It belonged to Haru's family, I didn't know where it was and after my family were attacked, my friends were all I had left. So I was following Haru and Makoto. Then Haruka got bitten and we did as much as we could, but, within an hour . . ." Nagisa took a deep breath. "Sorry, you need to know answers and all I can do is try to not get upset."

Rei went to touch him, to re-assure Nagisa, but paused, remembering the chance of becoming infected.

Nagisa smiled. "Haru turned and went to attack me, but Makoto . . . he . . . he stood in front of me and . . ."

"He got bitten?" Rei asked.

Nagisa nodded. "I paused but I should have run away immediately. While Makoto was down Haru attacked me and I kept running. I didn't stop moving for a month, hiding and eating what we had left. Till two tall men found me, one of them was part shark." Nagisa gestured to his teeth and Rei smiled slightly, Rin wouldn't be pleased to hear that. "I was running and they trapped me, pinning me down, they thought I was one of the undead and they took one look at my eyes and tried to kill me . . ." Nagisa took a deep breath. "I thought I was a goner, but they realised I hadn't turned yet and I ended up here. They took my name and my identity . . . I'm just a pawn to you people, I have nothing left."

"You're more than that Nagisa and you were caught by our security team. The BTB's aim to find a way for humanity to survive, you are the key to that." Rei said.

"But is it worth it? Will there be anyone left?" Nagisa asked.

Rei placed a tissue on Nagisa's lap and the blonde smiled gratefully at him. "If we can find a way to keep going it will be worth it." Rei said. he would save his family, he would find a cure.

"Thanks Rei." Nagisa said as dried his tears and wiped his nose. Suddenly Nagisa stopped, "Sorry, I meant Dr Ry-"

"Rei is fine." Rei admitted. He cursed himself inwardly. He'd gotten attached even when he knew he shouldn't!

Rei walked away to check on Gou and Nitori in the lab.

"How's it going?" he asked them.

"Good, I've isolated the virus. Nitori just need to turn it into a cure." Gou said excitedly.

"So quickly?" Rei asked.

"Our progress would have been much slower if it hadn't been for the test subject." Nitori said.

"Nagisa, his name is Nagisa." Rei said. "And he's come from somewhere to, try not to forget that."

Gou looked at Rei concerned, they were dealing with a life and death matter and Dr Ryugazaki was getting distracted by a cute boy. "If he calls you Rei, does that mean that we can?" she asked.

Rei blushed slightly. "Yes, but only until this is all over. After that you may only refer to me as Dr Ryugazaki."

"Ok Rei." Nitori and Gou said. Everyone started laughting; things were getting better.

"Get making that anti-virus and let me know when it's finished." Rei said as he left.

"Yes Rei!" the pair responded before returning to work in higher spirits than ever.

Rei went outside to speak to the security team.

"Oh hey doctor." Rin said.

"We don't often see you out here." Sousuke commented.

"I just came to say that were close to finding what could possibly be a cure." Rei said.

Rin hands flew onto Rei's shoulders "Really!" he asked.

Rei smiled and pushed Rin's hands off of him. "Theoretically yes. That means I have a task for you. I need to work on a safe way is distributing it, without putting us in danger."

"Can we think on it?" Sousuke asked.

"I would recommend you did." Rei commented.

Rei looked out the outside world. He'd not left the lab for three months and hopefully soon the world would be put back in order and he could be free to return home. The world was looking brighter and Rei was looking forward to the future.

"This is Dr Matsuoka calling security, over." The radio said.

Rin pressed a button on his radio. "What is it Gou? Go ahead. Over."

"Is Rei with you? Over."

"I'm here Gou, what is it? Over." Rei said into Rin's radio.

"Nitori informs me that the anti-virus will be ready for testing in two hours. Over." Gou said.

"Excellent news, I'll get Nagisa prepped. Over." Rei said.

"Nagisa?" Rin asked.

"The test subject." Rei said, the words were distasteful in his mouth.

"You named him?" Sousuke asked curios.

Rei shook his head. "It's his name. He became much easier to work with as soon as I referred to him as such."

"For a second there I thought you'd fallen for him, he is cute afterall. But it's hardly romantic." Rin said.

"They work quickly." Rei commented changing the subject.

"My sister is very good at her work, Nitori too." Rin said. "She was always good at science. For me it was the military life." Rin glanced lovingly at Sousuke. "After the attack on our town and our mum was turned, I was determined to protect Gou, but she wanted to find a cure. So I came with her." Rin said, his voice hardening, the memories still raw in his mind.

"Just stay focused, we still need Nagisa . . . for research." Rei said.

Sousuke put an arm around Rin's shoulder. "We will." He said.

"Are you sure you mean research. Dr Ryugazaki?" Rin asked.

Rei blushed. "I have to head inside now, keep thinking on my task and watching the perimeter."

"We will." Sousuke said.

"But to be honest I've not seen a zombie in about a week." Rin said.

"Stay vigilant, I'll see you later." Rei said as he headed inside.

Rin looked to Sousuke and they gave each other a knowing look, the doctor was in love.

Back inside Rei looked at Nagisa who was sound asleep, he looked so cute like this. Pull yourself together Rei, fate of the world!

Nagisa opened his eyes, blinking slowly. They became wide and sparkling as he noticed Rei standing there, a smile on his face. "Rei! Is there good news?"

Rei laughed slightly. "Yes there is, we think we've found a cure. We want to test it on you." The doctor explained.

"Will it work?" Nagisa asked.

"I've double checked Nitori and Gou's research. I see no problems. But there is still risk. I want you to . . ." Rei paused trying to find the right wording. "I'll give you the cure whether you want it or not, but I don't want to force you to take it."

"Oh." Nagisa said. "I will take the risk, I trust you Rei. If it doesn't work . . ." Nagisa took a deep breath and look Rei directly in the eyes. "Don't hesitate to kill me! I wouldn't want you get hurt." He said.

Rei felt like the breath had been sucked from his body, he'd only known the boy for four days but he didn't want to lose him. The world was about to change and he wanted Nagisa to see it too. Pull yourself together Rei!

"We have precautions in place. Don't worry." Rei said "Are you ready?"

Nagisa nodded, he was determined but still seemed scared and rightly so.

Minutes later the room was filled with three scientists and Rin. Everyone was tense.

Nitori injected Nagisa with a golden liquid, while Gou recorded notes. Nitori stepped back and Rei stepped forward, they watched and waited.

Minutes past and nothing happened.

Suddenly Nagisa started spasming, his body shaking violently. Rin raised his gun ready to kill if necessary, he'd seen too many people turn before him. Nagisa flat lined and everyone looked to Rei, what did they do?

Rei had not idea, he was in shock. Not only had it failed, he'd lost Nagisa too!

"Get the crash cart!" Nitori said. As the only medical trained staff member he knew exactly what to do.

Gou ran, suddenly becoming a medical Doctor. She came back with the crash cart and handed the defibrillator to Nitori. Nitori turned to everyone. "If I turn into a zombie, kill me!" he said.

Nitori ripped Nagisa's shirt open and placed the defibs on the boys chest, he pulled them away and gauged the reaction. Nothing. He tried again and saw a tiny spike on the heart monitor.

"Keep going." Gou urged.

Nitori nodded and tried again.

Nagisa let out a breath and opened his eyes, they shined a bright pink. Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Rei stared into those pink orbs, mesmerised by their beauty.

"Did it work?" Nagisa asked.

"We can see no clear signs of infection, but we still need to do testing." Rei said pulling himself together with a smile. "Rin go back to patrolling with Sousuke."

Rin left relieved that it had worked.

Rei took some more samples of Nagisa's blood immediately then a few hours later.

After a day of writing up the experiment and further research, they discussed it.

"It took a few hours for the virus to be completely gone." Gou said.

"Has it been eradicated completely? Will it return if he gets bitten again?" Rei asked.

"We don't know. But in theory it shouldn't. I made it work like a vaccine, so it should protect forever. I suggest giving him a booster tomorrow." Nitori said.

"What if he crashes again?" Rei asked.

"He won't. The version he first received was super strong. I have weakened it slightly, so it's to the strength of a normal vaccine. It will still work don't worry." Nitori said.

Rei nodded. "Good work I'll issue it tomorrow."

"Dr Ryugazaki? Over" Sousuke's voice came through the radio.

"What is it? Over." Rei asked.

"There is a large gathering of zombies at the fence." Sousuke said.

"More than I've ever seen, not even when I escaped the capital did I see this many." Rin said.

"What should we do? Over." Sousuke asked.

"We're on our way! Over." Rei said. He turned to his team. "Nitori is Nagisa secure?"

Nitori nodded. "He's secure."

"Okay. You two are coming with me." Rei said.

The three scientists made their way to the gate. They stared at the amount of bodies pushed against the gate, the smell of rotting flesh strong in their noses. Nitori covered his mouth, he wanted to be sick. The moans of the dead filled their ears, it was a disguising sight.

"Nitori how quickly can you manufacture the cure, enough for all these people?"

"At least seven hours." Nitori said.

"Ok you and Gou work on that! Sousuke I want you help them find a way to fire the cure from a distance. Rin and me will keep monitoring from here. Any reports go through the radio." Rei directed.

After a round of 'yes sir' everyone went to their stations.

"A tranquiliser dart might work, or gas. Which would be easier to make?" Sousuke asked the scientist as they walked inside.

Rin handed Rei a gun. "Protect yourself." He said.

Rei took it and noticed a mark on the security officer's arm. "Rin? Did you get bitten?"

Rin looked down and covered his arm. "It's nothing."

Rei ignored the niggling feeling about Rin's bite while they patrolled the area, after an hour or so, he could ignore it no longer.

"If it's a bite it's not nothing! I need to know Rin. I trust this team. What happened?" Rei asked.

"Okay I got bitten. When the zombies started appearing at the gate, I went closer to the gate and one of them attacked me!"

"How long ago?"

"Two hours."

Rei sighed, "were going inside and were going to give you the cure." He said.

Rin nodded and followed Rei inside "Go and sit on the bed next to Nagisa's, give me a minute."

He sat on the bed next to Nagisa's, scared that he would flat line like the blonde did.

"Hi!" Nagisa said enthusiastically.

"Hi." Rin responded in a flat tone.

Rei came in and Rei suddenly slumped over. Rei ran over to Rin and pulled his shoulders back. He watched as red eyes turned milky white. They were too late!

Rin cocked his head up, hunger on his mind. He but Rei's shoulder and the scientist screamed back and grabbed his shoulder. Nitori, Gou and Sousuke, turned to see what was happening.

"ONII CHAN! Rei!" Gou yelled out. She ran to go into the room but Sousuke held her back.

Sousuke pulled Rei and Nagisa carefully out of the room.

"What are you doing? I've been attacked don't let yourself be infected!" Rei said.

"Saving you!" Nitori said as he jabbed a needle into his arm.

Rei winced with pain and smiled as the needle pulled away. Nagisa jabbed him and pouted, how many needles had he'd be stabbed with.

"Sorry it was just a shock. But I'm still a risk. So everyone be careful." Rei said.

"Yes Sir."

"Gou, Nitori keep working on the cure."

"Yes sir" the scientists turned their attention back to their work.

Rin hit the hidden mirror that connected between the lab and the observation room. Rei jumped and turned to Sousuke.

"What do we do about him?" Rei asked.

"If we could get close enough you could inject him." Sousuke said.

"Are you able to pin him down?" Rei asked "Even if he's like this?"

"Oh I know I can, it wouldn't be the first time." Sousuke said.

"That you've had to . . ." Rei thought for a second and then sighed.

Sousuke winked at Rei. "Ok I'll pin him and your inject! it will work won't it?"

"Yes." Rei said with conviction.

Sousuke nodded and Rei grabbed some of the anti-virus. "Let's hope this works"

"Good luck." Nitori said.

"Don't let him kill you and don't get killed!" Gou said.

Nagisa grabbed Rei's leg and Rei knelt beside him. "Please be careful." He begged. He leaned up and kissed Rei's cheek. Rei flushed red and nodded.

They left the room and stood by the observation room.

"Ready?" Rei Asked.

A nod was the only response needed.

Sousuke ran into the room and pinned zombie Rin to the floor, he put his full weight on him and pinned his arms back. Rin angrily turned his head, his milky white eyes staring at Sousuke. He tried to bite him but Sousuke stayed as far back as he could.

Rei swooped in and jabbed Rin's neck. They watched as Rin shut his eyes and blacked out. They waited patiently, Gou and Nagisa watching from the other side. Unlike Nagisa, Rin did not spasm. After a few minutes Rei checked his pulse "it's slow, but I think he's just unconscious." He said.

Sousuke knelt beside him and picked up his boyfriend carrying him bridal style and placed him in one of the beds in the room. He stayed beside him till he opened his eyes.

"Sousuke?" he asked. "What happened? I was so hungry . . . why was I hungry?"

"You became one of them." Sousuke admitted. "I'm sorry."

"You broke your promise Sousuke!" Rin raised his arm sin anger, but Sousuke caught them and kissed Rin.

"Rin you're alive! That's all that matters!"

"I hate you." Rin pouted pulling away. He went to get out of bed, but Sousuke pinned his shoulders down. Rin raised an Eyebrow. "They can see us in there . . ." Rin pointed out.

"Stay here, stay safe." Sousuke said leaving the room.

Sousuke sighed and smiled, at least he was safe. He thanked Rei and focused on making the cure into a gas weapon. Gou looked at him and wiped away her nosebleed. She was just happy that her brother was alive.

A few hours later they were done, they had made three bombs.

"It will take three of us to detonate the bombs. We will open the gates and set them off while the other three give us cover." Sousuke explained.

"Nagisa will cover me, Rin you cover Gou and Sousuke you cover Nitori. We will detonate the bombs in protected suits." Rei said.

"That sounds really really dangerous." Nitori said.

"For the good of humanity what other choice do we have?" Rei asked looking around at everyone. "We are all scared, but we have to do this. This is the start of our fight back. After we detonate them we will contact as many other research facilities as we can. We can win!" Rei said. He adjusted his glasses.

"Yes sir!"

Nitori, Gou and Rei suited up, they wouldn't do much, but they might give them some cover. Each pair briefed a back-up plan and then they were ready for battle.

Rei and Nagisa took the centre, Nitori and Sousuke the left, and finally Gou and Rin the right. They opened the gates and the three scientists ran forward while the other three shot continually. They detonated the bombs and ran back shutting the gates behind them.

An explosion of gold filled the surrounding area and the sound of the bodies hitting the ground was silhouetted through the golden fog. The six researchers waited till the fog had cleared, every single zombie was down. There were hundreds of them, bodies upon bodies.

Half an hour passed and people began sitting up, healthy eyes full of confusion. The same question on their lips "What happened?"

"NAGISA!" a familiar voice said. Makoto ran up to his friend and hugged him.

"Makoto! You're alive!" Nagisa began crying happily. "Did Haru make it?"

They searched together, Nagisa telling his friend all about the journey he'd been on. Then they found him. They knelt beside the dark haired boy, blood covered his face.

"Rei!" Nagisa yelled, Rei came over.

"Haru?" Makoto asked shaking Haru's shoulders.

Rei checked his pulse and shook his head. "I'm sorry, he's dead" He whispered. He could see how much this meant to them.

Makoto cried out Haru's name and hugged his body crying and soon Nagisa had joined in.

"I want to burn him and send his ashes into the ocean." Makoto said still holding onto Haru's body.

"He'd love that." Nagisa agreed.

That evening they burnt al the bodies of those who been un-dead for too long, burning Haru separately. Rei put his hands around Nagisa as he watched his friend burn.

They contacted the military research facilities and helped other developed weapons from Nagisa's dna. The anti-virus ended being called Nagrei.

A few months later Makoto, Nagisa Rei and Gou stood in the coastline looking out across the ocean. Makoto took a handful of the ashes and Nagisa did the same. Together they let go of their friend, finally letting him be free. Makoto threw the rest of the ashes into the sea and watched as they saw a dolphin swimming towards the horizon. And they knew that Haru was where he belonged.