A/N: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF LAST OF US OR YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS OF BOTH!
Chapter 5: Traps
They walked for a few hours before they entered the edge of a town. The entire walk it was almost silent. Yusei knew it was because they were thinking and worried about what would happen to him at the Firefly base for the cure. He didn't want to tell them.
Yusei didn't care what would happen to him as long as a cure for the CBI virus was made and no one would have to suffer anymore. He knew his friends would try to stop it if they found out. He shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts for the time being.
Yusei looked up and stopped, hearing screeching from a nearby building. He immediately pulled out his shotgun.
"Yusei?" Leo called. The man didn't respond and just scanned the area. He noticed a house not too far off had some runners.
"Guys, look at that house right there," Yusei told them pointing to it.
"More Infected?" Jack stated.
"Why are there so many?" Crow asked.
"Reports say that in just a few months after the initial outbreak, sixty-percent of the world's population was Infected," Yusei explained. "And the number has been steadily increasing over time."
"Sixty-percent?" Akiza repeated.
Yusei didn't reply to the question, only called as he walked, "We need to get inside the city. Once we get passed the barricades and traps, we'll need to find Bill."
"What's the safest way to get there?" Leo asked.
"Follow me," Yusei stated.
"Yusei, you need to start giving us more answers with questions like this," Jack stated as they followed him forward and towards a section. That's when they noticed a barbed-wire fence outlining the entire town. The only gap of the wire was where a building stood between the two.
Yusei reached a building across from the one that gapped the wire. Next to the building was a large, tall box. "I said you were going to need to learn to climb," Yusei stated hopping onto the box. He then grabbed the top of the roof and pulled himself up. "And you're going to need to." They looked at him shocked.
"You can't jump that gap. So what's the point?" Crow asked.
Yusei rolled his eyes for a moment. He then walked over to the side that was across from the needing-to-get-to building. He pulled up a large, durable, wooden plank from the side. He slowly dropped the plank across the gap creating a bridge.
"Answer your question?" Yusei asked sarcastically. They heard angry screeches and they looked to see some Runners coming towards him. "You need to get up here. Now!" They didn't have to be told twice. Jack and Crow helped Leo and Luna up. The Runners began to climb towards the roof. "Get to the other roof," he ordered his friends. They carefully ran over the bridge. Yusei got over last and when he was on the other roof, he kicked the board off the ledge and it went back down to the ground.
"Won't we need that to get back?" Akiza asked as they jumped back to the ground.
"If Bill pulls through for me, we won't be leaving on foot," Yusei answered vaguely.
"Who is this Bill anyway?" Crow asked.
"He's a survivor and used to be a smuggler before he settled down here. But he isn't always… stable," Yusei answered.
"What does that mean?" Jack asked.
"It means when we do meet him, let me do that talking," Yusei ordered.
"Yusei, you're acting different than what we last knew you as," Crow commented.
"I wouldn't be shocked if I changed a bit since I left New Domino. After all I've been through here…" he stopped and shook his head. "Let's just keep going." He began to head towards the town.
"Yusei, something's bothering you," Akiza stated. He stopped and looked at her over his shoulder. "What's going on?"
"It's nothing," he answered.
Crow grabbed his upper-left arm and stated sternly, "We're not going anywhere until you tell us what's bugging you."
"Have you figured out what they might do to me when we get to Salt Lake?" Yusei asked.
"Not really," Crow answered. "Yusei, what might they do?"
"It's not really a 'might'. It'll most likely be what will happen," he replied. "The chances of it not in order for the cure are slim."
"What will they do, Yusei?" Jack asked again.
"Since the fungus wraps around the brain, if it has to do with what makes me immune, then…" he trailed off.
"Are you saying they'll…?" Jack stopped.
"They'll kill you?" Luna finished.
"Yes… in certain ways," Yusei replied, still being slightly vague. "But we'll find out what'll happen once we get there."
"Yusei, if they'll just kill you, you can't go there," Akiza stated.
"If dying is what I'll have to do to make sure this world has another chance, then I'll accept that," Yusei responded. "The world's life is more important than mine."
"Yusei, that's not true!" Akiza retorted.
"This isn't your home. And your home needs you," Crow stated. "Don't give your life up for a place that you don't belong in."
"I was brought here for a reason," Yusei stated. "And I may not survive this. But if I die, I'll at least know it'll be because I'm helping this world survive. So no matter what the result may be, you need to promise me you won't interfere."
"I'm not promising anything, Yusei. We were brought here, too. And I get the feeling that it was to stop you from dying," Jack stated.
"We'll see who wins in the end," Yusei stated. "Because knowing the Fireflies, if they set their minds to something, they won't let anyone stop them. If you'll want to stop it from happening if it does, you'll probably have to kill some Fireflies. Do you actually think you'll be able to kill them?" The five others looked at each other nervously. "Thought so. If you still want to tag along, keep up. I'm not stopping much more unless I have to." He then began to walk again and they hurried to keep up. He looked forward at a tower of smoke and muttered, "That better be you, Bill."
"Where do you usually meet him? Leo asked.
"Different places," Yusei answered. "This is where he lives."
"Have you even ever been here?" Crow asked.
"Once," Yusei answered. "It's where he ended up owing me and the Fireflies a few favors."
"Think that smoke is him?" Jack asked.
"Better be," Yusei answered. They jumped off the roof of the building. They found the area blocked by another barbed wire fence. He walked to the gate and it was locked shut with a chain. "I'm not breaking that."
"What now, Yusei?" Luna asked.
"Come on. There's another way around," he replied. He guided them to a break in the fence and jumped down. "Careful, guys. It's a good fall." They hopped down before they heard a clicking-growling sound. "Great," he stated sarcastically.
"Is that what I think it is?" Akiza asked.
"Clickers," Yusei answered. "There are Infected in here. And probably a lot of them. Jack, Crow, be ready to use those revolvers at any moment. Akiza, be ready to call out your monsters. I'm sure your powers still work." They nodded. "Come on." He guided them to a door and up a building. He walked into a room and looked through drawers.
"What're you looking for?" Luna asked.
Yusei pulled out another pistol and some ammo for revolvers and pistol and tossed a pack of revolver ammo to each of the other men. "When your guns run out, reload them fast. There are about five shots in a revolver as you noticed that you have right now. There are twenty bullets in there. Use those guns wisely," he told them. "There isn't a lot of ammo to go around."
"R-Right," they agreed and placed it in their pockets.
"Follow me," Yusei stated.
"How did you know that we here?" Leo asked as they exited the building.
"Bill hides weapons and ammo in all sorts of places in case he gets into a jam," Yusei answered. He walked to the gate and shook it. "We're not going that way without one of us moving out."
"Is it jammed?" Akiza asked.
Yusei gestured the bar in the handles. "Yeah," he answered. "From the outside, at least. And with it sounding like there are Clickers around, I don't want to make too much noise. There are probably already Runners and Stalkers hiding out around town anyway."
"Stalkers?" Crow repeated.
"They're the Infected that are morphing from Runner to Clickers. They can still see and they have that heightened hearing that Clickers have," Yusei explained. "Trust me. It's better to stay clear of them. Think of it this way: Runners are fast, Stalkers are morphing to deadlier, Clickers can be death itself without the right knowledge and weaponry, and Bloaters are something you want to stay clear from if you can."
"Boost me up," Akiza suggested.
"I'm not sure about that, Akiza," Yusei retorted.
"How else are we going to get out?" she retorted.
Yusei rolled his eyes in boredom. He jumped up high and grabbed the edge before pulling himself up. He slid down and yanked the bar out. He opened the door. "I did say we wouldn't be able to go this way without one of us going out there. I didn't say it had to be one of you guys," he told them. "Now, come on. We need to move."
They walked through and began to walk around when Crow asked, "So say we get a car from this friend of yours, then what?"
"Then we go to the University of Colorado and see how things went there," Yusei answered.
"Yusei," Luna called and he looked at her as they went down a street. "What're you going to do? You know, when we get to Salt Lake City."
"I'll talk with Marlene first," Yusei answered. "She'll probably talk with you later on." They walked into a building that seemed safe. He pulled his bag off and looked through it. "Don't have a lot of shivs left."
"Shivs?" Akiza repeated.
"When you end up getting into hand to hand combat with a Clicker, easiest way to kill them in with a shiv," Yusei explained. He pulled out some items and put them together and combined them to create a couple makeshift shivs. "Need all you can get in this world."
"Yusei, why are you willing to stay here and sacrifice yourself? This world has gone into chaos as it is. If one person or group has a vaccine, it will only get worse," Crow stated.
"It's already getting worse as it is without the vaccine. Knowing the Fireflies, they won't be selfish and only sell the vaccine to the highest bidder. We want to help people," Yusei told him. "We are just surviving right now, though."
"How does the military even kill you guys anyway? Do they just kill you on spot?" Akiza asked.
Yusei scoffed as if thinking the question was a joke. "Not quite. It depends on whether we're outside the zones or inside. If we're inside, we're captured and then put on public execution," he answered shocking them as he put the stuff back in the bag. He stood up, sliding his bag back on. "Come on. We need to get moving." They walked out and walked through the streets. They soon came across a giant barrier. "That's Bill's work."
"Does anyone else live in this town?" Luna asked.
"As far as I'm aware, it's just him," Yusei answered.
They walked a bit farther and went down an ally. Suddenly, a Clicker came running up. "Yusei," Luna called nervously but he seemed perfectly calm. They understood why when it hit a why an a small bomb went off killing it.
"What was that?" Jack asked.
"That was one of Bill's traps," Yusei answered.
"A bit paranoid maybe?" Leo responded.
"That's putting it lightly," he replied and began to walk forward.
"Let's just hope we don't blow up trying to find him," Crow stated.
"Just watch your step and you'll be fine," Yusei assured.
They slowly walked through the back allies and the others noticed another wire on one side. They came up on a truck with a fallen ladder lying on the ground. Yusei grabbed it and leaned it against the truck. He climbed up it followed by the others. They came to another bridge made of a plank. They each walked across it, with Yusei going last. While the others climbed the next ladder to the top of a room, Yusei grabbed the board and leaned it against the wall before climbing up.
As he reached the top, Leo asked, "What now, Yusei?"
Yusei merely picked up the plank and made another bridge. "Answer your question?" he replied. "Come on. We have a long way to go." They turned down and saw another Clicker standing in the space between the two roofs. Yusei brought out his shotgun and aimed it before pulling the trigger and splattering the head to mush.
"That gun is powerful," Leo stated.
"Which is a good thing with Clickers," Yusei responded. He jumped down and walked to the other roof. "Now, remember, Bill isn't the most stable of people. So when we meet, let me do the talking. Understand?"
"Yeah," they agreed.
"Don't worry. He's a good guy. He just needs some time to open up to you," Yusei assured. They climbed back down to the ground and noticed a wire to their only exit. "Stay underneath the wire. Don't touch it or it'll explode."
"Right," they agreed nervously. Yusei got into a crouch and slowly walked underneath it until he was clear. They heard a banging and saw a door shaking, like something without a mind was trying to open it.
"Uh…" Luna muttered.
"Probably a Runner in there," Yusei stated. "Let's stay clear of it for now." They turned to see a corridor, but the man stopped. He looked at a couple nail bombs attached to the door. "Back up and stay as far back as possible." He brought out his pistol and aimed it at one of the bombs while backing up slowly. The others stood behind them when they noticed the bombs as well. Yusei fired and the bombs exploded and a couple nails landed by them.
"What were those?" Crow asked picking up a nail.
"Nail bombs," Yusei answered. "Set them off, and all the metal and nails in them are shot out and will tear you to shreds." They gulped a bit nervously. Yusei slowly walked in with the others following. They walked forward when Yusei stopped and they noticed another wire only it was lower to the ground. "Carefully step over this. Do not touch it."
"We get it already. Don't touch any wires," Jack stated and they carefully stepped over and passed the wire.
They walked into a building and Crow opened the door. A fridge fell to the ground while a rope yanked him into the air by his foot. "Really?!" he exclaimed hanging. "What just happened?"
"Another trap," Yusei answered. "That fridge is the counter weight. I'll cut you down." He climbed on top of a table that had the fridge leaning against it and then onto the fridge. He began to cut when the sound of Infected hurrying up outside was heard.
"Yusei!" Crow called nervously.
"Jack, Crow, shoot the Infected while I cut Crow down. Akiza, use your monsters to keep them from the twins," Yusei ordered.
"R-Right," they agreed nervously.
Akiza summoned Black Rose Dragon while Jack and Crow drew out their guns. A Runner came hurrying in and ran towards Crow. The bird named man aimed and hit the guy in the head, killing the Infected in an instant. More came running in and Jack shot another while Crow was holding back an Infected from it trying to bite him with his arms. Jack immediately shot it and a bit of its blood got onto his face.
"Gross," Crow stated bluntly wiping it off quickly. He soon noticed one trying to reach Yusei and aimed at it. But Yusei pulled out his pistol and shot it in the head without even looking. The man quickly returned to the rope. "Whoa," Crow muttered slightly impressed with Yusei's shot.
Crow quickly fell to the ground when a Runner got on top of him. Suddenly, though, a man sliced the Runner's head off with a machete. He looked at the man as he said, holding a hand out, "Get off your ass and on your feet." Crow immediately stood. "Come on! Follow me!"
Yusei and the others hurried out, Akiza calling her dragon back, and Bill shut a garage door behind them. But as they exited, they noticed Infected climbing over the barricade.
"That's not good," Jack stated.
"Come on, come on!" the man called and led them into an alley where there was a locked entrance. "God dammit, where's that key?"
"Guys, behind us!" Luna exclaimed. Yusei shot a couple Runners while the man unlocked the door and they hurried through.
A Clicker suddenly came in, but didn't seem to notice them. Yusei and the others got down along with the man and they silently crept through the building. But a couple Runners came in, attacking Crow and Jack. Yusei immediately shot them dead before the two could get bit. However, the Clicker also heard them and went towards them. The man guided them through the truck outside and into another door.
As soon as they were all in, Yusei and the man shut the door and held it shut before the man finally locked it closed. The other five were panting a bit.
"That was close," Leo stated.
"Thanks," Luna stated. The man came up and looked at the twins.
"Bill, calm down," Yusei ordered.
"Calm down?" the man, Bill, retorted. "Calm down?! You break in and set off all my traps." Yusei sighed. "Who are these goddamn people and what're they doing here?"
"Bill, listen to me," Yusei tried. He knew the others were a bit nervous. "You owe the Fireflies some favors and I need your help."
"I owe the Fireflies some favors," he responded. "Yeah sure."
"How many times did we save you?" Yusei retorted and he tensed. "How many times did we help you smuggle things?"
"Alright, alright," Bill gave in. "I owe you a few favors."
"Now that we're seeing eye to eye, I can get to it. I need a car," Yusei told him.
"Well, it is a joke. Yusei Fudo needs a car," Bill responded. "Well, if I had one that works, which I sure as hell don't, what makes you think I would just give it to you?"
"Because if you help me, I'll let every one of the favors you owe me pass just for this one thing," Yusei replied. "And I know you don't want the Fireflies to come back to you needing you with the reason for you helping due to other favors. And you know that since I'm Marlene's next in command, I can make sure her and every other Firefly understand that you don't owe us any more favors."
Bill scoffed. "Why don't you take all of my food too while you're at it?" he responded.
"By the looks of it, you could lose some of that food," Crow replied sarcastically.
Yusei sighed while Bill pointed the tip of his machete at Crow's neck. "You listen to me, you little shit-" the man was cut off by Yusei.
"Crow, guys, cut it out. Bill, just put the machete down," Yusei tried to stop. The others sighed and backed up while Bill lowered his weapon.
"Whatever favors I owe you, they aren't worth that much," Bill stated. "Besides, I don't have one that works."
"But there is one in this town," Yusei stated.
"Parts," Bill retorted. "There are parts in this town."
"Meaning we could fix one up," Yusei responded calmly. "We're both good in mechanics and can fix a car up for it to start and work."
Bill sighed. "Alright," he gave in. He brushed some equipment off a man. "If we're gonna do this, there's some gear we're gonna need."
"Alright," Yusei responded.
"It's on the other side of town," Bill stated pointing to a place. "You help me go gather it, and maybe we can put something together that runs. But after this, I owe the Fireflies nothing."
"Fine with me," Yusei responded. "Once I reach the Fireflies again, I'll let them know."
"Good, follow me," Bill stated. "Whole goddamn town's booby trapped. Best you and your friends stay right on my ass."
He walked a bit farther and Jack stated, "Can't miss it."
"Knock it off," Yusei ordered and followed Bill, making the others hurry to stay close.
They walked out the door. "Don't leave the door open!" Bill called.
"Right," Yusei agreed and slammed it shut once the others were fully out.
"We have to cross to the other building. Up the stairs. Let's move it," Bill ordered. Jack scoffed in annoyance.
"Just, stay with me," Yusei ordered quietly. "And don't say anything that'll make him mad. Don't need one of your getting your head sliced off.
"You weren't kidding about him," Crow stated.
"Yeah, he's one of a kind," Yusei responded.
"So what kind of trouble are you in? And where the hell is Marlene?" Bill asked as they walked out.
"Marlene got shot in a QZ, I needed to get to the Firefly base in Salt Lake City, problems occurred, now I'm on my way there with these five," Yusei explained.
"Let me guess the reason you're heading to SLC. Because Marlene thinks you're immune," Bill responded.
"I've been bitten over ten months and haven't turned," Yusei retorted. "You don't think that is strange?"
"I believe you're immune. You're probably the miracle everyone's been hoping for," Bill responded as they hopped out a window and onto a building. "I hope you know what you're doing. You know what they'll do to make a cure out of you."
"I know," Yusei responded. "It doesn't matter. If it means this world has a chance at surviving, then I'll let that happen."
"Sounds like you," Bill stated bluntly.
They hopped through another window into a building. "Are you kidding me with this guy?" Akiza asked.
"So where are we going exactly?" Yusei asked ignoring her.
"My other safe house. It's more of an armory," Bill answered.
"Wait, I thought we were going to fix up a car," Leo responded.
"We? You know how to…" Yusei cut the man off.
"Bill…" he called warningly.
"It's like I said, what Yusei and I need is on the other side of town. Now, that side I don't ever go because it's filled with Infected. So we're going to need more guns," the machete carrying man answered.
They walked down some stairs and neared a door when Bill whispered, "Shhh, there's one inside." He walked in and they heard something. "Oh… I've been meaning to take care of that. Relax, it's nothin'." They walked up to see a Runner crushed by a trap.
"So Marlene was shot?" Bill questioned.
"She'll be at Salt Lake City soon," Yusei answered. "I've been gone long enough to know that."
"Yeah, sure," Bill stated.
"Sounds…" he stopped as he hit the Runner's neck with the machete, "to me…" he hit the neck again, "like might be trouble in paradise." He took one last slash and the head came off with blood spilling down.
"Gross," Luna stated.
"We'll see," Yusei responded to Bill's comment.
They turned as Bill opened the door and said, "Alright. Here we go."
They walked out to the street where there were about a dozen cars sitting there. Crow asked, "So, why don't you just fix one of these cars?"
"Oh my god, you're a genius. I mean, the whole time, why on earth had I never thought of fixing one of these cars?" Bill mocked.
"Alright, I get it," Crow replied with an annoyed tone.
"Their tires are rotted and their batteries are dead," Bill stated.
"Are you done?" Jack asked.
"Can't even begin to think what the inside of the engine blocks look like," Bill continued. "Only ones making new car batteries are the military."
Yusei heard wailing and looked around a truck to see Runners. "Oh great," Yusei commented annoyed running back from another nail bomb. Runners came hurrying towards them. "Bill, we've got Infected!" A couple runners hit the nail bomb and were killed but there were plenty more hurrying up.
Crow and Jack shot some while Yusei killed a Clicker and a couple Runners with a molotov. With Bill's help as well, and though it took a few minutes, the Infected were dead and no more seemed to be coming.
"This way," Bill called and they went through another gate.
"You picked a good place to hole up, didn't you?" Yusei asked sarcastically.
"You know, as bad as those things are, at least they're predictable. It's the normal people that scare me," Bill replied. "You of all people should understand that."
"What does that mean?" Jack asked.
"Nothing," Yusei answered. He looked at Bill as they ran up some stairs. "Sure that gate's gonna hold them?"
"Well, I locked it. And they don't have a key," he answered.
"So where to next?" Yusei asked.
"In the cellar," Bill answered. Yusei opened the cellar door and followed Bill down it, his friends not far behind. "Well, here we are." He looked Yusei's friends. "You guys, don't touch anything." Yusei closed the door behind them before Bill could say a word. Bill lit a small lantern that lit the place and said, "Let's gear up." Yusei looked at some gear while Bill loaded another shotgun. He then spoke to Yusei a bit quietly, "What'll Marlene do?"
"What do you mean?" the Firefly replied.
"You know. If the two of us are right and they'll need to kill you to get a cure, what'll she do? She trusts you more than I have seen her trust anyone. And you're her second in command," Bill explained. "Think she'll actually have the guts to kill you for it?"
"Knowing her, she'll ask me first. Depending on my answer, it'll be yes or no," Yusei answered.
"Fireflies, loyal to each other to the very end," Bill stated. "Willing to sacrifice themselves for the other. And you're friends over there? They don't seem like fighters, especially those twins. You know what? Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, I had someone that I cared about." Yusei looked at him with an unsure face. "It was a partner. Someone I had to look after and do anything for them. And in this world, that sort of shit is good for one thing: Gettin' ya killed. So you know what I did? I wisened the fuck up. I realized it's gotta be just me."
"Bill, it's not like that," Yusei responded. "It's…"
"Bullshit," Bill interrupted. "It's exactly like that." He looked up and noticed Luna and Leo looking through some comic books. "Hey!" Yusei looked and sighed. "What did I say to you when we walked down the steps?! What did I say?!"
"We were just looking at them," Luna replied.
"Don't touch!" Bill retorted sternly. Yusei shook his head in annoyance. Leo rolled his eyes. "Goddammit." He turned to Yusei again. "You keep babysitting long enough and eventually it's going to blow up in your face."
"Bill," Yusei called warningly. "Believe me, if there were a chance to get them back to where they came from safely, I would take it. I don't like them staying here with me as much as you. But they won't let me go anywhere alone at this point." Bill scoffed and shook his head. "Can we just get on with this? So I can get out of your hair and you don't have to deal with the Fireflies until we end up saving you again."
"Here," Bill stated and handed Yusei some ammo for his shotgun. "Let's get on with it." He then said as Yusei put the ammo in his pocket. "Alright, before we go any further, I got something I gotta show your friends. So they know how to make one just in case." Yusei waved them over. They walked over to it and Bill said as he put it together, "This… is a nail bomb. You saw one before. You gotta be careful with it. If this thing blows, it shreds anybody standing near it." They nodded.
"Yusei told us when we first ran into one," Akiza stated.
"So we have shotguns and bombs. What're we doing with them?" Crow asked.
"Well, every few weeks, this military caravan rides through town. I assume they're out looking for supplies. I mean, you'd be amazed at the shit they overlook," Bill explained.
"Do you always curse this much?" Leo asked.
"Pretty much," Yusei answered.
"Anyway, a few months back, they were rolling through and got overrun by this horde of Infected. They were all over the truck. It plows right into the side of a high school. Still sitting there with the battery in it," Bill continued.
"So we take that battery and put it in another car," Yusei deduced.
"Bingo. I wanted to get it, but it's too dangerous with all the Infected on that part of town. But fuck it… Yusei needs a car," Bill responded, the end mockingly.
"What if it's damage?" Yusei asked, ignoring him.
"Nah, those trucks are like tanks. It's just sitting there," Bill replied. They followed him out, though Bill told the others, "I swear to god, if you five took anything…"
"Relax, we don't need any of your stuff," Crow cut him off.
"Yusei, you are keeping an eye on them, right?" Bill asked.
"Like a hawk," he answered bluntly.
They entered a church and Luna muttered, "Wow."
"Nice play you got here," Yusei stated.
"Well, if you ever need to confess, this is the place to do it," Bill responded. He came up to a window and pushed it open. "Let's go."